July Yarn-about

Sometime this year, I made a vow to at least post once a week here to populate the worldwideweb with good content. =)

Anyhow, I got hooked with hooking yarns that I missed a week or 2 of posting here. I kinda tend to have a personality that when I like something, I'm going to put on a "repeat mode" until I have enough of it, I want to puke. When I like a dish, I'm going to have it over and over again until just the thought of it makes me want to puke. I guess this is human nature, right?

So last week of June, I picked up the crochet hook, and finished what my mother started. Then, it never stops from there.

In July, I made a yoga mat bag for a friend from the leftover yarns I have on hand. I had to make this quick, in 3 days because she's leaving for Manila to pursue her PhD. =)

I hate the color combination because I think it's too "kiddie" for a PhD career woman. Of course, being a "psychology" professor, she was all praises for it.

A photo posted by @craftynanay on Jul 9, 2016 at 7:14pm PDT

Then, it was some sort of an ultramarathon doing this "Big bag" for Leah, the birthday girl. When I saw the pattern at first time, it was her in my mind. She likes bags, and she has a thing for big bags as big as her.

A photo posted by @craftynanay on Jul 19, 2016 at 5:18pm PDT

In between, I'm trying to squeeze in making small crochet items like this cat butt coaster. I'm planning to give this to Kapehan Ceferina, because their coffee drinkers are cat-lovers. =) (Directions in going to Kapehan Ceferina here >>.)

A photo posted by @craftynanay on Jul 13, 2016 at 6:05am PDT

I realized that I prefer big crochet projects that will get me hooking until I wanted to puke watching yarns after yarns. Then, I get out from it and survive. It's like that high of running meaningless long runs. I'd hate it, but then I wanna do it again.

 So last for July is yet another yoga mat bag for a yoga teacher friend, Caren. She wanted yellow and black originally. I may not be good at color combination, but I know that it would look like a pedestrian lane. So we decided on a blue and yellow color combination. But I chose dark blue which almost looks like black. Thus the finished product still looks like close to pedestrian lane. Anyhow, my friend can use it to create PEDESTRIAN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN to drivers. =)

 And, oh, this is the first crochet project that I did not fully rely on a design pattern. I found exactly like this on pinterest but the method she used was "tapestry" or something like that, and I found it complicated and used a lot of yarns. So I kind of pick here and there patterns, and just hook it along the way.

A photo posted by @craftynanay on Jul 27, 2016 at 7:14pm PDT

That will probably be the last yoga mat bag I'm going to crochet because I don't really see what's the use of yoga mat bags. =) But if you're going to pay me to make one or at least buy the yarns, I would be happy to do so!

My Bouts with DePressIon

I found this on my news feed today:

"...DOH Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial who is a staunch advocate of mental health assured the audience and the media that, “This time, mental health programs will be prioritized. For many years, it has been in the backseat and now many Filipinos are suffering silently from the stigma and disabling effects of mental health conditions.” (From wheninmanila.com)

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It reminds me of about one of the topics my friends and I talked about recently.

The discussion was about depression when I arrived at a get-together with friends. And so I went to tell them that I was seeing ropes to tie around my neck and hang myself when I had the worst depression episode. 

Having experienced "depression" kinda feels like a badge of honor to me, except that I could not display and show it off around. I mean it's like going to war, and somehow be able to come out alive from it.

On a serious note, yes, depression is real. Before that, I used to think depressed people are just "emo's;" or it's something like 1st world problems. It's like "hello, there's greater problem like hunger and war than you being gloomy just because you can afford it." (And I guess this reaction from unknowing people drives the depressed people deeper into their depression.)

Until it hit me. I don't know how it goes with other people but to me depression was like "drowning in a cyclone; however I tried to rise up, I was pulled down." It can get to the point that I felt tired to be constantly pulling myself up that sometimes how I wished it would just literally drown me. 

The thing was I just had Mateo at that time, plus the 2 older kids. I could not wallow in it. I need to be functional. I need to look happy. I was aftaid to rub it on my kids that I forced myself to be happy. That feeling of having that that sadness eating you in the insides but you have to be all smiles and cheerleader on the outside; it's crazy.

It was probably a case of post-partum depression. I tried very hard to wing it, but there were times that it would really gnaw into the very inside of me that I could not get hold of it. I was desperate of finding a psych doctor or any thing of their equal because I felt I already need to take meds just so I could at least get a grip, to not totally lose it. I was afraid that I would snap. 

I could not run to my friends because they did not understand why I was depressed. They would keep on telling me that I have kids and family, and thankfully was/is blessed, "why would I be sad?!?" Getting this kind of feedback and comment from friends would drive me more into depression, of feeling guilty of why I could not be grateful of the life I had. So it was like getting depressed of on top of

why I was depressed, of why I could not be thankful, of why I could not help myself, of why I was so f@cking weak!

I guess my depression was also because having yet another baby plus 2 more toddlers, I felt like I was stuck while everyone was moving forward. Most of friends were still single, and busy with their career while my daughter drew me as the woman at home who was always waiting -- waiting for them to come home from school, waiting for the father from work. At least she did not drew a tree with a rope beside the house.

Depression can sometimes be numbing that sometimes I would slap myself just so I could at least feel pain. Feeling pain is better than feeling depressed, or not feeling at all. There's that invisible itch of numbness that I did not know how to reach it, and so I would end up slapping / pinching myself.

Funny that when I finally found a mom who experienced post-partum depression forgot the name of the meds she took. How more depressing it was?

So you get an idea why drug / gambling addicts may be depressed people. 

Of how I did get out of my depression?!? It was violent, and Mark would probably deny it. Mark and I went into a bruising fight. I was probably at that numbest with that invisible itch that I needed to reach so I annoyed him (It was probably my way of asking that needed help.) to the point that we hit each other. We had that cheap plastic rack which we got hold of. Took it apart, and use the "poles" to fence each other. 

It's embarrasing to say that I got out of it looking like a physically battered wife. But I welcome the pain over that sh!t feeling of depression.

Anyhow, to cut the story short, it somehow got Mark's attention that something was really wrong with me. It also got my attention. So we kind of work on it.

Then I guess the lesson I get from it is that MY HAPPINESS IS MY RESPONSIBILITY. IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE, YOU DO NOT BURDEN THAT SOMEONE OF YOUR HAPPINNESS. Of course, it would be a bonus if that someone can give that happiness or that "you complete me." In short, the best thing you can do to your love one is to self-fulfill your own happiness and it will rub on them. But Of course, sometimes, you need that help.

So yes, it will be really nice to have that depression hotline however 1st world pain it may sound. I would have definitely use it. 

Keyword: Professional Blogger

According to my google ads, I have earned much enough clicks to qualify as a PROFESSIONAL BLOGGER. 

So from now on, I am going to act like a legit PRO BLOGGER. I will fake it; I will make it.

Which photo should I post on my instagram for my #OOTD #fashionblogger?

Perfect chest-out

Too much bent

Look candid! (The photographer was already annoyed.)

Check-in to some fancy place that makes producing 500-word-insert-keywords-thrice article such a fancy job. 

My office for today! Coffee shop is out, co-working space is in. 

And, the thing that will legitimize me as a legit BLOGGER -- CAMERA. Never mind that I only know the "automatic" setting nor could figure where is the flash as long as I dangle a camera. This will put me in the upper echeleon of legit bloggers.

Then, the events. Legit bloggers are always busy hopping from one fancy event to another. They're in demand.

This, I need to work harder. I really do not get invited to fancy events for lifestyle / fashion / travel media / bloggers. 

I mostly get invites to running / triathlon media presscons, where most of the time I'm the only "blogger" (because they don't really know what label they should give me) while the rest are legit sports writers / journalists and photographers from different media outlets.  

Running / triathlon events presscons are straight to the point: discussion, short Q&A, photo ops, snacks/food, dismissed. If you've been to 1 sports presscon, it's basically all the same content. Then sports writers are also pretty straightforward kind of people -- beat their submission deadline. There's no #fashionblogger poses or chika2x kind of intermissions. Sports presscons are not exactly the fancy kind of media event.

But, hey, they're cool! :)

So while waiting for my break to up to that celebrity blogger level, let me work on my photography skills.

Don't forget to like, follow, share me!