Trick or Treat!
I am so excited to have a quiet night at home, handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. Maybe we'll watch a scary movie. But not too scary. I hope everyone is having a fun, safe, and candy-filled Halloween!
Labels: simple pleasures
Friday, October 31, 2008
I am so excited to have a quiet night at home, handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. Maybe we'll watch a scary movie. But not too scary. I hope everyone is having a fun, safe, and candy-filled Halloween!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Can't Focus
I know this site has been lacking craft content lately and for that I am sorry! The problem is that I can't focus. I have so many proverbial pots on the burners! I'm going to take a cue from AmandaJean and share my current Top 5:
1. Three zipper pouches for a coworker's custom order.
2. Trying to remember how to knit for an ambitious Christmas gift.
3. Embroidered flour sack towels, also for a Christmas gift. This site has some great patterns.
4. Getting started on a tote for a friend's custom order.
5. Last, and least fun if not least important, I need to fix up my kitchen. It is a collecting ground for all things miscellaneous. I think I'll motivate myself by making a little keyrack like this one.
It really helps to think this all through. What's your current top five?
(Yes, I know, first no craft content and now no pictures. Darn fall! There's never daylight when I'm home to take photos. Maybe I should add a light box to my list for night time photography.)
1. Three zipper pouches for a coworker's custom order.
2. Trying to remember how to knit for an ambitious Christmas gift.
3. Embroidered flour sack towels, also for a Christmas gift. This site has some great patterns.
4. Getting started on a tote for a friend's custom order.
5. Last, and least fun if not least important, I need to fix up my kitchen. It is a collecting ground for all things miscellaneous. I think I'll motivate myself by making a little keyrack like this one.
It really helps to think this all through. What's your current top five?
(Yes, I know, first no craft content and now no pictures. Darn fall! There's never daylight when I'm home to take photos. Maybe I should add a light box to my list for night time photography.)
Labels: wip
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Like a Bird
I had the chance Sunday to go on a glider ride with the Greater Houston Soaring Association and if you ever have the chance to do this, I highly recommend it!
The plane is so small! Once you're up in the air, you just float. Well, glide. You have no engine, so you soar from one thermal to another, climb, glide, repeat.
We would look for a bird riding a thermal and turn that direction, or get under a cloud where the air is usually warmer.
It really didn't feel like flying a plane, you didn't power up the engines and force yourself where you wanted to go. The strength of the thermals, to so easily lift our 1000 pounds, was so impressive. What an experience!
52 Nights Update - Night 34 - I finally feel back on track. Last night I planned some projects, caught up on chores, made dinner, and went to yoga. I did use the computer for editing pictures, but I count that as productive! Craft content coming soon, I promise.
The plane is so small! Once you're up in the air, you just float. Well, glide. You have no engine, so you soar from one thermal to another, climb, glide, repeat.
We would look for a bird riding a thermal and turn that direction, or get under a cloud where the air is usually warmer.
It really didn't feel like flying a plane, you didn't power up the engines and force yourself where you wanted to go. The strength of the thermals, to so easily lift our 1000 pounds, was so impressive. What an experience!
52 Nights Update - Night 34 - I finally feel back on track. Last night I planned some projects, caught up on chores, made dinner, and went to yoga. I did use the computer for editing pictures, but I count that as productive! Craft content coming soon, I promise.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Girl Power!
I had such a fantastic time in San Francisco last weekend, but surprisingly my camera stayed in my bag for most of my visit!
We spent several hours walking on the beach, numbing our feet to the freezing Pacific Ocean. (Above.) And we had a fantastic view from our hotel. (Below.)
Sunday we ran the Nike Women's Marathon (well, I ran the half marathon) which was a fantastic race, topped off by a finisher's award of a Tiffany necklace presented on a silver platter by a San Francisco fire fighter in a tuxedo. They sure know how to make girls happy!
We spent several hours walking on the beach, numbing our feet to the freezing Pacific Ocean. (Above.) And we had a fantastic view from our hotel. (Below.)
Sunday we ran the Nike Women's Marathon (well, I ran the half marathon) which was a fantastic race, topped off by a finisher's award of a Tiffany necklace presented on a silver platter by a San Francisco fire fighter in a tuxedo. They sure know how to make girls happy!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Christmas Sewing
I think this is by far the earliest I have started on any Christmas sewing, which feels fantastic. I saw something in California that gave me a great idea for the ladies on my list and I just had to get started!
(Sorry for disappearing! I flew home from San Fran on the red eye Tuesday night, spent Wednesday night unpacking and sleeping, then had a volleyball double header last night! I'm glad things are quieter for the weekend...)
Labels: sewing, simple pleasures, wip
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Repetition
I saw this great idea for center pull balls of yarn on whipup and thought I would get ready to start some more knitting. I love the simple task of sitting and winding yarn. Well, I love it until I get my yarn into a big tangled mess. We'll just forget about that part...
(I am heading off to San Francisco in an hour and am so excited! But it will be quiet here for a few days... I'll be back on Wednesday! Have a great weekend!)
Labels: knit/crochet, simple pleasures
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
All Owls, All Etsy
My sister knows me so well. We both have an obessive love of Etsy and are constantly sharing favorites with each other, and she has long known of my love for owls.
So for my birthday she got me an all Etsy, all owl present! The adorable stamp above is from The Mayberry Sparrow. These awesome earrings are from Heatherly Designs:
I got a print from Berkley Illustration, too.
Even the card has an owl on it and is from e.soule.
And probably my favorite, from a shop I had managed not to stumble across on my own, this completely fabulous stuffed owl made from upcycled clothes from squishyfish.
Thanks, Katy! I love everything!!
52 Nights Update - Night 32 - Last night was quite busy! Sweet Addie had to go in for her shots (she has doubled in weight since we got her! You can't say we don't feed our animals well), and we had a woefully neglected yard to take care of. I used my birthday as an excuse to skip all my chores this weekend, so there was some catching up to do there, too. I was never even tempted to come to the computer!
So for my birthday she got me an all Etsy, all owl present! The adorable stamp above is from The Mayberry Sparrow. These awesome earrings are from Heatherly Designs:
I got a print from Berkley Illustration, too.
Even the card has an owl on it and is from e.soule.
And probably my favorite, from a shop I had managed not to stumble across on my own, this completely fabulous stuffed owl made from upcycled clothes from squishyfish.
Thanks, Katy! I love everything!!
52 Nights Update - Night 32 - Last night was quite busy! Sweet Addie had to go in for her shots (she has doubled in weight since we got her! You can't say we don't feed our animals well), and we had a woefully neglected yard to take care of. I used my birthday as an excuse to skip all my chores this weekend, so there was some catching up to do there, too. I was never even tempted to come to the computer!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Okay, I'll Share
Without further delay, here is the quilt I've been frantically working on the past week!
Haha, that's just the back. Which I love to death. It was so much fun figuring out how to make the most of that green fabric, since I only had a yard.
Here's the front:
I feel a little guilty sharing this quilt because it was so heavily inspired by this doll quilt. But I am just so happy with how it came out! I used Jenny's wonderful tutorial.
The quilt is 51"x51" - kind of a random size but great for a play mat or cuddling. I used thin cotton batting, making this my third true quilt sandwich quilt! Binding is mostly the blue dots with a few green dots thrown in.
I ended up wrapping it with the binding unfinished. I still had most of the handsewing to do, but there was just no way to get it all done. I finished while we sat around visiting after the shower!
Haha, that's just the back. Which I love to death. It was so much fun figuring out how to make the most of that green fabric, since I only had a yard.
Here's the front:
I feel a little guilty sharing this quilt because it was so heavily inspired by this doll quilt. But I am just so happy with how it came out! I used Jenny's wonderful tutorial.
The quilt is 51"x51" - kind of a random size but great for a play mat or cuddling. I used thin cotton batting, making this my third true quilt sandwich quilt! Binding is mostly the blue dots with a few green dots thrown in.
I ended up wrapping it with the binding unfinished. I still had most of the handsewing to do, but there was just no way to get it all done. I finished while we sat around visiting after the shower!
Labels: 2008 Quilts, quilting, sewing
Sunday, October 12, 2008
I think I'll keep him.
Yesterday after my crazy prep for the baby shower, and the baby shower itself, I got to spend a little time with my sister and my nephew who came to town for the baby shower. Then we were going to meet up with Pete for dinner - much to my surprise, when we got to the restaurant we were greeted by about 20 friends there to surprise me for my birthday! It was so fun.
AND. Pete made cupcakes. From scratch.
And took pictures because he knew I'd want to post about it.
So awesome.
AND. Pete made cupcakes. From scratch.
And took pictures because he knew I'd want to post about it.
So awesome.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
So Close!
My first experience with meringue frosting on a cupcake. I love the way it looks!
Quilt is quilted, label is on, cupcakes are baked, favors are ready. I'll just hand sew the binding until the last minute and cross my fingers I finish! Honestly I'm surprised I made it this far...
Labels: cooking, simple pleasures
Friday, October 10, 2008
Slow and Steady
I really love the quilting process, especially when it goes so smoothly.
(Yes, it's another quilt tease. I promise I'll show the whole thing soon.)
I think I'm in over my head getting this quilt done in time for the 11am baby shower tomorrow, including hand sewing the binding, adding a label, making the shower favors, and making the cupcakes. Yikes! Wish me luck...
Labels: quilting, simple pleasures, wip
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
It's about time...
After nearly five years in this house we finally updated the light fixture in the powder room. That's one down, three to go! Amazing how such a small change made me like this little bathroom so much more.
52 Nights Update - Night 31 - I was on a plane last evening to Blacksburg, Virginia, to recruit at Virigina Tech, so I don't think that counts towards the challenge! I'll make up for it, though - I've got to get my latest project quilted and bound in two nights plus get ready to host a baby shower Saturday morning, so I'll have more no tech nights this week just trying to get it all done!
Labels: 52 nights, homework, simple pleasures
Monday, October 06, 2008
Such a Tease
This was the craziest weekend I've had in a while. I am so proud though - yesterday between church in the morning and taking my mother-in-law out for a belated birthday dinner, I made a complete quilt top from first cut of the fabric to final press with the iron. I've never done that before! (Sorry for the tease again, AmandaJean - I'll show the whole thing when I get it quilted!)
Labels: simple pleasures, wip
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Checkbook Cover
I think I'm obsessed with felt and the blanket stitch. This is the project I've been stitching on at night. It's nice to have something pretty to look forward to when I pay the bills!
Labels: needlework, simple pleasures
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Fair Weather Fan
I woke up this morning to temps under 70F. What a treat. Tonight it's supposed to get down to 60! I always look forward that first cool evening of the fall after our hot summers. How lucky that it has come so early this year!
Thank you all SO much for the comments on the quilt and my anniversary. It was so hard to put that quilt in the mail! And I am really looking forward to the next year, I hope you all stay to share it with me.
52 Nights Update - Night 30 - In addition to making the tag for the quilt (which I forgot to photograph, dang it!), I popped over to the gym for yoga only to find no one else there - the instructor had canceled the class with the regulars but not bothered to notify the gym. And I was so proud for getting over there for the first time in weeks! Maybe next time...
Labels: 52 nights, simple pleasures