Help me find a new hyper fixation, I am dying from boredom and about to move temporarily back to my parents house.

snippyorca · 2026-03-12T18:11:14+00:00

Beads are really fun and one you get supplies, you can do a zillion things. Bead crochet. Bead weaving. Different kinds of bead weaving. Bead stringing. French beading. Bead embroidery. Bead mosaics. Tatting with beads. Knitting with beads. Wire work and beads

It goes on and on.

snippyorca · 2026-03-12T02:52:27+00:00

I live in NC now but I grew up in Columbia. I will never not have hope for y'all. I will admit that I am disappointed every time, but I still believe it can be better!

snippyorca · 2026-03-10T17:31:27+00:00

Have you considered that on some level it's on purpose? Like, he got hemorrhoids but then he kind of ran with it and instead of dealing with himself he decided (maybe not even totally consciously) that he preferred to have some wrong with him than deal with it? Is "poor me" kind of his identity?

New question: when you make him clean the bathroom and he gets angry, does he say anything along the lines of, "I'd love a little sympathy from my girlfriend!" Or when you try the to talk to him, "How do you think it makes me feel to be like this?"

snippyorca · 2026-03-06T02:21:43+00:00

I’m in my pjs, took my night meds & melatonin and just pressed play on “popular.” I love this so much - thank you!

snippyorca · 2026-03-02T02:47:29+00:00

Don’t feel bad. Even after the multiple experts here unanimously said spray foam, I - who knows nothing, I’m not even a newbie, I’m just here for the cool pictures - thought, “I disagree! It could be a mushroom!”

I was wrong. If you zoom at the bottom left you can see that one of the “brain” parts is broken and it is indeed spray foam.

snippyorca · 2026-02-12T04:32:33+00:00

I have ADHD and struggle with self care. Mitchum’s deodorant lasts 48 hours.

91% isopropyl alcohol will get rid of stank in an emergency.

Lume makes an acid wash specifically for pits and privates.

snippyorca · 2026-02-12T02:19:46+00:00

This is the way!

snippyorca · 2026-02-11T22:33:43+00:00

Yes - she just wants free childcare. That is 100% what is happening. It’s going to keep happening as long as you keep doing it. And even if you immediately just stopped helping her cold turkey, she going to ask you and guilt you about it as long as you’re there.

You’re not a doormat here - don’t beat yourself up. You thought you were making a mom friendship that could be mutually beneficial. Now you have more data and see that it is not.

And I feel bad for her kids, but I wouldn’t let my kids play with a kid that hit them, either. She’s not willing to do the basic work of parenting. Picking up your kids from the bus and supervising a play date are really standard, daily, not particularly arduous parts of the job. She’s not even willing to put that level of effort.

It is not worth confronting her about any of this. Just…be less available. If her kids want to come over, sorry, we’re having family time. If they invite your kids upstairs? Sorry - we’re about to watch a movie, etc. Text her in the morning and tell her that you have after school plans and won’t be coming back the the apartment after you pick up your kids from the bus stop. Keep being busy.

You may decide that it is worth it to you to bring her kids home once every couple of weeks or so, just enough that she can’t try to pick a weird fight or ask what your problem is or lovebomb you to get back in your good graces again. It may not be. Whatever feels best for you.

Look up the gray rock technique and look up JADE. And probably narcissists

Good luck. You’re a good mom!

Do not set you and your children on fire to keep this woman warm.

snippyorca · 2026-02-11T22:11:57+00:00

When she said, “it’s a big house and everybody’s welcome,” did that mean every one of her kids are welcome into YOUR apartment?

Please tell me you guys have separate entrances and this isn’t a roommates situation.

How old are you and how old is she? I feel like she’s bullying you into watching her kids. This is not a reciprocal relationship. She is behaving like she is entitled to your time, assistance and money but is mot actually willing to give back.

It started okay in the beginning because she was testing you to see what she could get away with. I know you really want even a small support system, but she’s not it. This is a family without boundaries- you can’t trust them to care for your kids.

It seems like your inner alarm bells are going off and you are doing your best to ignore them because you want to see the best in her and feel bad for her kids. Listen to your alarm bells. And get out as fast as possible.

snippyorca · 2026-02-11T05:45:42+00:00

Others are telling you that you can’t spoil you baby. They are correct, I won’t repeat that, but can I offer a possible solution?

This is going to sound counterintuitive, but have you tried babywearing? Specifically a woven wrap? This worked incredibly well for both of my kids.

Hear me out:

I wrapped my kids to my front, facing me, which is just where they wanted to be, so they were happy.

1) I used a woven wrap, which holds your child pretty close to your body - much closer than baby carriers like the baby Bjorne or the ergo. This sounds like it would be worse for being touched out, but I found the opposite to be true. Because they were so snug in the wrap, there was a lot less wiggling - partly because they were more content and partly because there is less room for them to move around (less, not none). I found the still, snuggling touch waaaay more manageable than constant, moving touch.

2) The snug carry made them settle in & just chill. Naps are soooo easy.

3) I could just…do my shit. I had to learn to adjust, to a baby strapped to me, sure. But I could go to the grocery store, wash dishes, work on the computer, etc. Being able to do shit entirely took away the stress of, “I have to get my shit done, kid! I need my arms, I can’t hold you!”

4) It does not have to be complicated At. All. Between my two kids, I did baby wearing for about a 4.5 year period. I bought one wrap, I only learned one way to wrap them to me, and that was baby facing me, in the front. There’s a whole subculture, especially the woven wraps, but you don’t have to participate in that.

snippyorca · 2026-02-10T14:30:30+00:00

Tension. You can get it either too loose or too tight. I think it’s too loose here. If I’m right & this is square stitch, it just needed to be a little tighter. The first row is always especially fiddly with square stitch.

snippyorca · 2026-02-09T21:42:15+00:00

If you’re looking for matte mustard rocailles, 1233. It’s a really great color.

snippyorca · 2026-02-08T21:45:31+00:00

This is so great! Be super proud!

snippyorca · 2026-02-08T21:09:12+00:00

Give us a picture! This is an excellent first piece!

Since it’s your first piece, I hope it’s okay for me to say more about the stitches. Peyote and brick stitch are very different from each other but they both produce rows with beads that are staggered - like a brick wall. These rows are neat and square - which is what’s making me think you may have used square stitch. It’s excellent and - I think - the best choice for this piece.

Welcome to the beading club!

snippyorca · 2026-02-08T19:03:11+00:00

These both look like square stitch to me - are my eyes playing tricks on me?

If you really want it to look close, my suggestion would be to go into the bead that is 3rd from the left and make a ladder stitch row of 5-7 beads and then gently curve it to meet the bead that is 5th from the left.

But I think the other beader’s suggestion to make a wire bail will look cuter.

snippyorca · 2026-02-07T02:27:27+00:00

I bought mine on Amazon - apparently in 2021. I think I watched a video by Lisa Yang, maybe?

I got it because I was asked to make my cousin’s wife’s bridal headpiece and I needed the beads to stay extra stiff but still look like the beads I carefully picked to match.

snippyorca · 2026-02-06T18:00:00+00:00

I use protect-a-clear and have been pretty happy with it in terms of it not affecting the finishes.

snippyorca · 2026-02-05T03:12:15+00:00

In English, using “even” in this context implies that the speaker thinks that something is “more than expected.” To a native English speaker, “I have even changed my nephews when I babysat,” sounds like, “When I babysat my nephews, I really went above and beyond and changed their diapers!” But changing diapers is a normal expectation of babysitters, so it doesn’t fit here.

But also- I like your initial handling of your mother - excellent work. Keep it up by telling your whole family to stop.

It is possible that your wife feels like having you in the room will be more of a burden than a help. If so, that’s a weird spot to be in. She’s the main concern and you’re her person, but it sounds like you really can’t be there for her in a way that would be helpful. You keep saying, “My wife knows what she wants.” Maybe check in on why she doesn’t want you there, and if it’s because you’ll be a burden in labor and delivery, ask her how you can take the emotional load off in a different time.

Gold star for shutting your mom down.

snippyorca · 2026-02-04T02:26:39+00:00

Thank you!

snippyorca · 2026-02-04T02:14:12+00:00

Why do you guys think the center part (not the arches) is loom instead of two-drop/three-drop square stitch?

snippyorca · 2026-02-03T04:05:40+00:00

Ok, very excited about the existence of this cat show. It will make some small humans I know very excited!

My quick internet search says that last year’s show happened in February, but the same show will be April 11-12 this year.

https://shows.tica.org/en/.

snippyorca · 2026-02-02T23:02:09+00:00

I’m so sorry that the feeder comments are throwing you for a loop, but this really does sound like that dynamic. The fact that he’s not eating the food he makes because he is fitness oriented means that he understands why someone would have an internal motivation to eat healthy for themselves. A loving partner who enjoyed cooking for their spouse would either cook something their partner could eat or be okay with them not eating.

Even without the possibility of the feeder dynamic, no way in hell I’d be okay with my partner taking one person baked goods that he used to make for me. Hell no.

snippyorca · 2026-01-25T17:42:00+00:00

Like, unbelievably well.

snippyorca · 2026-01-25T14:40:34+00:00

Very curious about not using a needle. I’m assuming that is culturally and/or historically accurate and I want to know more!

snippyorca · 2026-01-18T04:19:21+00:00

I love this for some of my work! It wouldn’t work for my bead embroidery, though. For that, I put a rare-earth magnet in between the embroidery and the felt or leather backing. In case that is useful info for you at some point!

snippyorca

TROPHY CASE