It's 2:48am ... and I'm still surfing around online. What is wrong with me? I told my husband I was going to bed over an hour ago! I did finally get one thing accomplished though - I cleared out my Google reader after almost a week of having anywhere between 300 - 500 unread posts. It was hard to do, but I persevered and of course came out with tons of cute ideas. I just can't click "mark all as read" and feel okay about it.
I'm glad I can sleep in tomorrow. I think I'm going to need it. I'll have to remind my internal alarm to be quiet though.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Project Photos
Some of what I've been up to ...
In the past couple of days, I've been crafting away ... finally! I took pictures ... but they're on my laptop and I forgot to upload them ... so no pictures right now - I promise to repost with them later!
First (and finally) I altered a cigar box for my mom to send to one of my aunts. It's so hard choosing a pattern and/or color when you don't really have a good feel for a person or their home ... I at least had the memory of my aunt's house to go off of! Then I made the frame & burp cloths for a friend to give as a gift. This is my 2nd baby gift set done for that particular friend - and both kids' names started with an "a" ... as did the set I did for one of my husband's co-workers. Apparently little girls names starting with "A" are popular around here lately! I get to do a boy themed set for that same friend later this week.
I'm also turning the corner on finishing the quilt that I've been working on. It's currently laid out on my den floor and this afternoon (after a trip to Barnes & Nobel and lunch with my mom :) ) I will be piecing that together and finishing the top ... then the search for the backing is on!
Enjoy your Tuesday!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
One stitch at a time
So I've been making great progress on finishing up this quilt. Until earlier tonight. I had to take apart way too many pieces because I screwed up due to lack of attention. Paying attention to the process and enjoying the sewing, but apparently missing the finer details.
Nothing that couldn't be fixed or modified ... but just frustrating - especially when you feel you're on a roll!
The hubby intervened after hearing one too many f-bombs and made me stop to go finish watching the extra scenes from The Hangover. Ladies ... when this movie first came out, I said no way ... I was SO SO SO wrong. It is hysterically funny. It's a great movie to watch and kept us laughing the whole time. And ... there have admittedly been some lines that have stuck around too.
It's 2:30am ... what the hell am I still doing up? Night all!
Nothing that couldn't be fixed or modified ... but just frustrating - especially when you feel you're on a roll!
The hubby intervened after hearing one too many f-bombs and made me stop to go finish watching the extra scenes from The Hangover. Ladies ... when this movie first came out, I said no way ... I was SO SO SO wrong. It is hysterically funny. It's a great movie to watch and kept us laughing the whole time. And ... there have admittedly been some lines that have stuck around too.
It's 2:30am ... what the hell am I still doing up? Night all!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Have you ever .... ?
I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I'm working on a commissioned quilt for a friend. I've cut all the fabrics, labeled them so I don't confuse myself and was going to pin them together for sewing while watching TV with the hubby. (See? All ready to go.)
Now ... I have my lovely & beautiful craft room ... however - I don't sew there. I sew on our beautifully huge kitchen table. It's big enough for me to spread everything out, or quilt a queen size project - and it's closer to my hubby since he probably wouldn't like me using the sewing machine next to him while we watch TV. (Just a guess there.) This being said .... I kind of have taken to putting my sewing supplies in our front foyer closet. (Who needs to hang guests' coats?) Around Thanksgiving when everything has to be "guest perfect" ... a whole bunch of stuff got put into an extra large reusable shopping bag that I picked up from The Christmas Tree Shoppe.
I had only taken out what I needed so far (cutting mat, ruler, tools) and had left the other stuff in there. I now needed pins ... and lots of them ... the pin cushion just wasn't going to cut it. I had to get my other box of pins that I use just for this type of thing. Only problem? They weren't where I thought they were. They *should* be in the little tote carrier that holds all my little stuff ... seam ripper, measuring tape, etc. for sewing .... shouldn't they?
And so began "the search" .... I couldn't find the pins in the bag, in the containers or in any other godforsaken item that I had around. I searched. I looked in my craft room, the laundry room and everywhere else I could think that I may have used or put them for "safe keeping". Nothing.
What else is a girl to do? I had (HAD) to organize all my sewing stuff. That's right - go through all the fabric stash and reorganize into different containers ... after all ... I *have* to do this, so why not make it useful organization time. I *still* couldn't find them. All my fabric had been sorted, folded or refolded and categorized (felt and flannel have their own boxes, yardage and fat quarters do as well) and I, like a good wife ... went whining to my husband.
God Bless him ... he actually helped me look for about 3 minutes - and marveled at the fact that I couldn't find them. Then he asked what was to me the funniest question ... "well, why don't you go through your stuff and look for them." I stared at him. I looked back at the kitchen table, did my best Vanna arm swipe to show him the table and said "What do you think THAT is?"
He shook his head and went back to watching TV. I, however could not. I needed those damn pins! EVERYTHING that was downstairs had been sorted through ... where the hell were these things? I went back up into the craft room and looked on my desk ... nothing ... looked around the room in various places ... nothing. Then ... sitting on the old sewing desk/table from my grandmother was a white basket. Hm ... it wouldn't be in there - that is just old sewing stuff that I had put aside. How wrong was I? They were right there, next to a pair of scissors and some bobbins ... just waiting to be used.
Needless to say, I was too damn tired after reorganizing everything to even think about pinning things together that night - but I did finally get it done last night as my husband snickered next to me, mumbling something about me being crazy. It's not my fault the pin found his arm! ;)
Please tell me that this has happened to you at some point too ... that I'm not the only one that has reorganized an entire section of something looking for one tiny little thing?
Now ... I have my lovely & beautiful craft room ... however - I don't sew there. I sew on our beautifully huge kitchen table. It's big enough for me to spread everything out, or quilt a queen size project - and it's closer to my hubby since he probably wouldn't like me using the sewing machine next to him while we watch TV. (Just a guess there.) This being said .... I kind of have taken to putting my sewing supplies in our front foyer closet. (Who needs to hang guests' coats?) Around Thanksgiving when everything has to be "guest perfect" ... a whole bunch of stuff got put into an extra large reusable shopping bag that I picked up from The Christmas Tree Shoppe.
I had only taken out what I needed so far (cutting mat, ruler, tools) and had left the other stuff in there. I now needed pins ... and lots of them ... the pin cushion just wasn't going to cut it. I had to get my other box of pins that I use just for this type of thing. Only problem? They weren't where I thought they were. They *should* be in the little tote carrier that holds all my little stuff ... seam ripper, measuring tape, etc. for sewing .... shouldn't they?
And so began "the search" .... I couldn't find the pins in the bag, in the containers or in any other godforsaken item that I had around. I searched. I looked in my craft room, the laundry room and everywhere else I could think that I may have used or put them for "safe keeping". Nothing.
What else is a girl to do? I had (HAD) to organize all my sewing stuff. That's right - go through all the fabric stash and reorganize into different containers ... after all ... I *have* to do this, so why not make it useful organization time. I *still* couldn't find them. All my fabric had been sorted, folded or refolded and categorized (felt and flannel have their own boxes, yardage and fat quarters do as well) and I, like a good wife ... went whining to my husband.
God Bless him ... he actually helped me look for about 3 minutes - and marveled at the fact that I couldn't find them. Then he asked what was to me the funniest question ... "well, why don't you go through your stuff and look for them." I stared at him. I looked back at the kitchen table, did my best Vanna arm swipe to show him the table and said "What do you think THAT is?"
He shook his head and went back to watching TV. I, however could not. I needed those damn pins! EVERYTHING that was downstairs had been sorted through ... where the hell were these things? I went back up into the craft room and looked on my desk ... nothing ... looked around the room in various places ... nothing. Then ... sitting on the old sewing desk/table from my grandmother was a white basket. Hm ... it wouldn't be in there - that is just old sewing stuff that I had put aside. How wrong was I? They were right there, next to a pair of scissors and some bobbins ... just waiting to be used.
Needless to say, I was too damn tired after reorganizing everything to even think about pinning things together that night - but I did finally get it done last night as my husband snickered next to me, mumbling something about me being crazy. It's not my fault the pin found his arm! ;)
Please tell me that this has happened to you at some point too ... that I'm not the only one that has reorganized an entire section of something looking for one tiny little thing?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Amazon Wish List ... did you know about this?
Somewhere in my blog stalking reading last week, I found someone talking about clearing out their Amazon Wish List for the new year. Hm ... clearing out a list to begin anew? I like this! So I hopped over to Amazon and looked for a Wish List.
Of course, I easily found it and started one up. Then ... then, my friends ... I realized that I could add a "short cut" button to my tool bar and put ANYTHING on my Wish List. FROM ANYWHERE! Poking around 2Peas ... click "add to Wish List" and voila ... it'll get in there.
Now, why am I so enamored by this? (1) It's super easy. (2) I'm the person when asked "what do you want for __________ (insert any gift giving occasion here) that says "I don't know ... whatever" (don't hate me). (3) It fulfills my need to think I'm going shopping but never checking out and actually spending money. Let us not forget the most important one .... (4) It lets me have one easy access place to remember where I saw what I wanted!
I tried the same thing once with Kaboodle, but it annoyed me and I didn't keep going there. This one is straight forward and easy ... and really - I don't need to know what other people want (like on Kaboodle), I just need to know what I want!
Now, why am I so enamored by this? (1) It's super easy. (2) I'm the person when asked "what do you want for __________ (insert any gift giving occasion here) that says "I don't know ... whatever" (don't hate me). (3) It fulfills my need to think I'm going shopping but never checking out and actually spending money. Let us not forget the most important one .... (4) It lets me have one easy access place to remember where I saw what I wanted!
I tried the same thing once with Kaboodle, but it annoyed me and I didn't keep going there. This one is straight forward and easy ... and really - I don't need to know what other people want (like on Kaboodle), I just need to know what I want!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Hello, 2010 ... I've been waiting for you!
I don't know about you, but I love New Year's Day. It's one of those lazy holidays where you're just recuperating from the night before ... mulling around and deciding if you "feel" like doing something or not. At least, that's what it is for us!
We had a great NYE night ... hung out at a friend's house with other couples and ate, drank and played games. (It's hard to play Taboo while drinking ... but damn funny!) We didn't get home till after 4am - and that to me is a sign of a good night!
So ... have you guys heard about choosing one little word for your year from Ali Edwards? I've done this in the past, and while I may not live with it imprinted on my forehead ... I do find myself remembering my word throughout the year - especially if I feel myself getting discouraged about a situation.
This year my word is embrace.
Show IPA verb, -braced, -brac⋅ing, noun –verb (used with object)
For me, it's all about definition No. 3 ... to avail oneself. I want to take a more active part in my life. (You're probably thinking um ... duh!) This year was a somewhat hard one. Lots of things that I thought were just a given, weren't. I doubted myself and my abilities - though I vanquished that doubt quickly time and time again. I sometimes felt that my life was just being spent going from one task to another and that I was forgetting to enjoy the process and the moments in between. So for 2010 ... I will embrace the changes that will come into our lives - expected and unexpected. I will embrace new opportunities and go after the ones that I truly want. I will embrace my life. I will find ways to enhance it and stick with the ones that work for me, and change the ones that don't.
Now ... I need to go embrace some cleaning. For whatever reason this year, I want my Christmas decorations away. I usually keep them up longer, but not this year. I actually considered taking everything down on the 26th, but held off. I think it has to do with just wanting all of 2009 to be done and finished.
Later I plan on doing some self-evaluating. Seeing where I am within myself and what I would like to accomplish for myself this year. From unfinished projects to personal goals. That and some quality snuggling time with the hubby. Sounds like a good day to me!
We had a great NYE night ... hung out at a friend's house with other couples and ate, drank and played games. (It's hard to play Taboo while drinking ... but damn funny!) We didn't get home till after 4am - and that to me is a sign of a good night!
So ... have you guys heard about choosing one little word for your year from Ali Edwards? I've done this in the past, and while I may not live with it imprinted on my forehead ... I do find myself remembering my word throughout the year - especially if I feel myself getting discouraged about a situation.
This year my word is embrace.
em⋅brace
1 [em-breys] Show IPA verb, -braced, -brac⋅ing, noun –verb (used with object) | 1. | to take or clasp in the arms; press to the bosom; hug. |
| 2. | to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly: to embrace an idea. |
| 3. | to avail oneself of: to embrace an opportunity. |
| 4. | to adopt (a profession, a religion, etc.): to embrace Buddhism. |
| 5. | to take in with the eye or the mind. |
| 6. | to encircle; surround; enclose. |
| 7. | to include or contain: An encyclopedia embraces a great number of subjects. |
For me, it's all about definition No. 3 ... to avail oneself. I want to take a more active part in my life. (You're probably thinking um ... duh!) This year was a somewhat hard one. Lots of things that I thought were just a given, weren't. I doubted myself and my abilities - though I vanquished that doubt quickly time and time again. I sometimes felt that my life was just being spent going from one task to another and that I was forgetting to enjoy the process and the moments in between. So for 2010 ... I will embrace the changes that will come into our lives - expected and unexpected. I will embrace new opportunities and go after the ones that I truly want. I will embrace my life. I will find ways to enhance it and stick with the ones that work for me, and change the ones that don't.
Now ... I need to go embrace some cleaning. For whatever reason this year, I want my Christmas decorations away. I usually keep them up longer, but not this year. I actually considered taking everything down on the 26th, but held off. I think it has to do with just wanting all of 2009 to be done and finished.
Later I plan on doing some self-evaluating. Seeing where I am within myself and what I would like to accomplish for myself this year. From unfinished projects to personal goals. That and some quality snuggling time with the hubby. Sounds like a good day to me!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)