So Many Things To Do

I've just gotten back from Mexico last Saturday, which means returning to work life has been a nightmare. It's definitely been difficult to do experiments when you're constantly thinking of laying on the beach or going to the pool. At least it still feels like Mexico, since Chicago can't get a break from the heat waves! Methane with a sombrero anyone?

SC2 is out, which means, I've also been slacking in the home matters and anything that has to do with crochet. This is not good behavior for someone with a craft fair in one month.

So...we are swearing off the SC2 (well, maybe not swearing off...but maybe I can just reduce my SC2 playing to 1 game a day...maybe 3 or 4 on the weekend. Ugh, this plan is already not working...).

But as long as I get through my to-do list, we should be good for Sept 11:

1. Crochet, crochet, crochet - I have like a billion methanes in stock, but somehow all the other molecules had failed to produce. I'll be posting spoiler pictures on the weekend.

2. Buy beaker set for tablescape. I am a chemist...I should have these already in my house. Even Alton Brown cooks with beakers!

3. Sticker Labels for FB and Twitter accounts to put on Business Cards. Buying 1000 business cards from overnightprints.com was a good idea 5 months ago, especially since they were free (only paid for shipping costs). However, starting facebook and twitter only 3 weeks ago and NOT putting them on cards = fail.

4. Cookie/candy tray. Freebies at craft fair = more foot traffic into the booth

5. Paper crafting. I dread it. It's time consuming, I'd rather crochet...but the methanes need price tags!

6. Finish sewing tablecloths. I bought fabric in hopes that it would be a much cheaper, simpler addition to a booth. It's definitely cheaper...but not so much simpler. I can't find myself being able to sit down and pin a hem for a 9ft piece of cloth.

7. Tablescape, tablescape, tablescape...I'm so bad at it. It will be rough.

Hopefully there will be progression!

New Things!

Today:

1. My hubby started a FB fan page for me: http://tinyurl.com/25hlhxk
For some reason the link is an incredibly long link, which I decided to make into a tiny URL and figure it out later. Laziness wins!

2. I started a twitter account for Prim and Plush as well: http://twitter.com/PrimandPlush
I feel like I'm so out of touch from technology that I didn't have one in the first place.

3. I found out my cytosine post made it onto Craft Gossip through a friend that subscribes to their daily emails. How awesome! *waves at craft gossip traffic*

Posts on FB and Twitter will take some time for me to learn to update more frequently...hopefully I will be much better at this than the blog =(

Front Page of Etsy

That would be me:



Thanks to Squeakydingo for the Treasury Listing!!

I never thought it would happen, and it was completely exciting!

Craft Fair on September 11 in Rockford, IL = massive molecular invasion in my house right now. This is my excuse for the lack of posting on Etsy and Blogger (Sorry!!). Special craft show only molecules will be on sale, but I'll get them on Etsy if they don't get bought up. 2 more months!!

Patriotic Methane

I really can't believe it's the end of May already!! It's really starting to feel like summer here in Chicago, which means we jumped from 40 degrees to 90 in like one day...but it's great to be outside again.

Memorial Day is just around the corner so here's a patriotic methane:



Can't wait for barbecue and fireworks!

I'm terribly bad at the updating...so here's cytosine

I had a goal in mind at the start of the month that I'm going to post something once a week. And unfortunately that did not pan out. Doing research has its perks, but having the time to manage a blog doesn't seem to fit into that schedule. So here's to a new month and new goals of posting once a week!

In my graduate school days at good old Urbana-Champaign I had worked on tRNA hypermodifications and so I knew I had to put some nucleobases into crochet. Here's a start with cytosine:



I hung this on my wall using one of those super handy 3M hooks! No messy nails and holes in the wall...if only the previous owners of my house had used those...



Cytidine has been in shop for a bit now. Take a look at my Etsy page!



I'm pretty sure the craft fair is on for September in Rockford, IL, but more details later once I get that finalized. There's so much work to be done!!

Glycine, The Amino Acid

This is totally unrelated, but I watched Zombieland yesterday, for the second time, and it's still as awesome as ever. I just had to say that...I also watched Twilight and New Moon again and still want to watch them again. Even though I hate the casting job as Robert Pattinson as Edward, it still amuses me. I still have this desire to create vampire methanes or some crazy stuff like that. Perhaps zombie methanes at some point.

But anyway, on to today's picture takings. We have Glycine, two ways:

Mr. Glycine



Baby Glycine



That's right, two ways. I had first made Mr. Glycine (a couple months ago), and thought he looked a little weird with his amino antennae balancing on his head, so I created a smaller version, Baby Glycine to play with the conformation and face placing. I did, however, just realized my mistake in creating the amino group for Baby Glycine, and that the atoms are placed in a planar fashion, as opposed to its actual bent fashion. My Orgo teacher would be reprimanding me right now. But as it is, I think it still looks cute and is optimal for helping the molecule stand upright. So you get the idea. Of course an Etsy convo will make me fix this up real quick, but for now, I think I'll keep it.

I am starting to fear that adding more atoms to a molecule makes it less cute and less susceptible to appropriate face placing. We might have to forgo the face placing with larger stuff.

Any opinions on which form of Glycine you prefer? Or do you think a zwitterion is more appropriate?

I also have better pics of Cyclohexane, one of which contains a bunny ear photo. My husband has a thing for bunny ears and would refuse to put down his hand until i took the picture. I felt like it belonged in the Etsy shop as well and at least it gives an idea of proportions!





The colors come out much nicer when theres actual sunlight to take pictures. Sorry for the shoddy first-attempt photography. I still haven't gotten any better, and I'm just bad at taking pictures...its a skill i never acquired.

It's a Chair!

I've been busy:





I do think it's awesome. Unfortunately I'm back to really bad picture taking...at least until spring and daylight savings kicks in and I can get make it back home for some real sunlight. Last weekend was too cloudy! The yarn is actually brighter than it seems. Hopefully we'll have a good amount of sunlight this weekend to retake some pictures! He comes at a pretty high price, however, I don't think I'll be making too many, AND it did take me forever to put together.

I'm looking forward to setting up a craft fair. More info later, but I'll be sharing a booth with The Leaf Studio who does awesome papercrafts!! Check out her Etsy store and buy some one-of-a-kind cards!