Sunday, September 12, 2010
Moving on
I apparently just do not have the time/energy/creativity necessary to maintain this mess of a blog, and yet, I cannot delete it for sentimental reasons. Rather than put forth the effort required to massively overhaul it to better fit my energy levels, I'm just going to set it aside and move on. Happy Birthday to me! :) To celebrate, here is a lovely photo of moi in all my pregnant glory, munching on shower cake at work. Ta-ta for now, y'all.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Nesting… just a bit…
Here I am, over another month between posts. Sigh… This semester (and trimester) have been busy, to say the least. But fortunately, things have been winding down a bit. My Jr. League engagements for this “year” (through May) are done, and one of my three classes wrapped up this weekend. I dropped out of my public library volunteer shifts for the time being – not because of being tired, but because my summer practicum starts this week and I figured 8-9 hours a week at the library would be enough.
In the past two weeks, I’ve had enough free time to read my own books AND do a bit of crafty-sewing. I just finished reading “It Sucked and I Cried” by Heather B. Armstrong. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s pregnant or just needs a good laugh. This poor woman’s pregnancy was horrific enough to make mine seem like a dream… which it has been, really… so far.
One weekend afternoon even left me with enough time to refashion a Goodwill t-shirt and a onesie outgrown by a friend's baby into these:
I’ve also starting… dun, dun, da... nesting. Or whatever you called frantically tossing all my clothing into a donation box so I can make room for the invader that intends to take over my crafting space. So far, I’ve set aside 3 tubs of clothes for the Jr. League My Closet resale boutique, 1 large box for the Goodwill, and several tubs for storage… I probably don’t need to store them. I should probably let them go too, but it’s really really hard for me to part with clothing. Also put a bunch of stuff on Freecycle, and ended up scoring some free maternity clothing. Exactly what I need right now because none of my shorts fit, and apparently another symptom of pregnancy is the urge to shop a lot. Totally not like me!
Today's highlights have so far included a trip to the farmer's market with my mommy (the first market of the season - yea!), and some shopping. I bought jewelry; she bought me maternity clothes. Then home for the first tomato sandwich of the year...and the second. Sure, it's not a "real summer tomato" but it'll do. Now I'm searching for salsa or salad recipes to rid myself of all the radishes and green onions I just bought. Maybe this salsa, or this salad dressing...
I love spring...
In the past two weeks, I’ve had enough free time to read my own books AND do a bit of crafty-sewing. I just finished reading “It Sucked and I Cried” by Heather B. Armstrong. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s pregnant or just needs a good laugh. This poor woman’s pregnancy was horrific enough to make mine seem like a dream… which it has been, really… so far.
One weekend afternoon even left me with enough time to refashion a Goodwill t-shirt and a onesie outgrown by a friend's baby into these:
I’ve also starting… dun, dun, da... nesting. Or whatever you called frantically tossing all my clothing into a donation box so I can make room for the invader that intends to take over my crafting space. So far, I’ve set aside 3 tubs of clothes for the Jr. League My Closet resale boutique, 1 large box for the Goodwill, and several tubs for storage… I probably don’t need to store them. I should probably let them go too, but it’s really really hard for me to part with clothing. Also put a bunch of stuff on Freecycle, and ended up scoring some free maternity clothing. Exactly what I need right now because none of my shorts fit, and apparently another symptom of pregnancy is the urge to shop a lot. Totally not like me!
Today's highlights have so far included a trip to the farmer's market with my mommy (the first market of the season - yea!), and some shopping. I bought jewelry; she bought me maternity clothes. Then home for the first tomato sandwich of the year...and the second. Sure, it's not a "real summer tomato" but it'll do. Now I'm searching for salsa or salad recipes to rid myself of all the radishes and green onions I just bought. Maybe this salsa, or this salad dressing...
I love spring...
Thursday, March 11, 2010
books galore
It occurred to me that I'm just not posting enough. I really can't believe how busy I am this year. Growing a baby aside, I am swamped. Mostly reading. One of my 3 classes this semester is a Reader Advisory Service course, which involves reading usually 2 books a week in a specific genre. Sounds like not a big deal, but it's been unbelievably time-consuming. And I read fast! So far this semester I've read (title, author, and genre):
- The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver, Bestseller (not really a genre, I know)
- Seven Deadly Wonder, a Novel, by Matthew Reilly, Adventure
- Morrigan's Cross (the Circle Trilogy), by Nora Roberts, Romantic Suspense
- The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Steig Larrson, Thriller
- The Quilter's Kitchen, by Jennifer Chiaverini, Gentle Read
- The Missing, bu Sara Langan, Horror
- Natural Born Charmer, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Romance
- Flamenco Academy, by Sarah Bird, Women's Lives & Relationship
- On Beauty, by Zadie Smith, Literary Fiction (Multicultural or International)
- Talk Talk, by T.C. Boyle, Literary Fiction (American)
- Motor Mouth, by Janet Evanovich, Mystery
- Little Bee, by Chris Cleave, Psychological Suspense
- In War Times, by Kathleen Ann Googan, Science Fiction
- Push, by Sapphire, Movie Tie-In
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Our "project" for 2010
ML asked me why I hadn't posted this yet... The DH and I have a new project in the works:
Projected "completion date": September 29, 2010.
So far, so good - my main symptom is that I'm so tired that I can barely function. Not exactly helpful for someone who works full time, is taking 3 graduate classes, and 3+ dance practices a week, plus volunteering and homework. Ugh. So sleepy! Crafting has been on hold due to all the homework - one of my classes, Readers Advisory, requires reading 2 books per week. I've come to my senses and turned to audio books so that I can do housework and "read" on during my commute; hopefully this will lend itself to creative endeavors as well...
I'm keeping a separate blog on The Bump - http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/blogs/aimeerie/default.aspx.
Projected "completion date": September 29, 2010.
So far, so good - my main symptom is that I'm so tired that I can barely function. Not exactly helpful for someone who works full time, is taking 3 graduate classes, and 3+ dance practices a week, plus volunteering and homework. Ugh. So sleepy! Crafting has been on hold due to all the homework - one of my classes, Readers Advisory, requires reading 2 books per week. I've come to my senses and turned to audio books so that I can do housework and "read" on during my commute; hopefully this will lend itself to creative endeavors as well...
I'm keeping a separate blog on The Bump - http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/blogs/aimeerie/default.aspx.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
off the crafty path...for now
The DH and I have had a busy two weeks and far too much excitement. With school starting back up full swing (I’m starting to regret signing up for 3 classes!), and a big belly dance show coming up, my crafting time has been reduced to almost nil. Regardless, I have been doing some projects – mostly dance related. I’m working on a cute bra, pants, and vest outfit, and a vest and skirt/belt outfit for my tribal group. Hopefully I will be finished soon and post photos. This post is mainly serving to remind myself to kick things into high gear!
Soon I’ll be able to post info on another “big project” that’s going to take up most of my year – need to wait a little longer though… J
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Crafting in 2010! - Project #2 (and a final project from '09)
Since part of my Crafty Resolution for 2010 involves a bit of destashing, I started digging in "the Pile of Crafty Goodness" on Thursday. Thursday was a lovely day - black ice covered roads and a windchill in the negative double-digits. Lovely enough to stay home and off the roads. Instead, I worked from home for a while, then started digging. I came up with this hot pink quilted skirt, purchased for a few dollars from a street vendor one summer day who knows how long ago...
It doesn't fit, and never did; it was purchased specifically to become something else! But what, I wasn't sure. I was thinking bag, or skirt. So...why not both? Ripping the seams open, removing the zipper and tearing out the darts along the top yielded a pretty decent size piece of fabric.
A new skirt is still in the works; I need to cut a facing for the waistband...maybe on Tuesday! But as for a new bag...I thought this was the perfect fabric for a "belly dancer gym bag". I measured out both the skirt (bottom half of the fabric, to leave the lace trim intact) and then cut the remainder into an even-sided rectangle. Lucky me, there was a nice and long turquoise zipper in the stash as well. :) for the straps and ends of the bag, I used a pair of jeans the DH kept trying to throw away. (I say "try" because he would toss them on top of his trash can, only to have me "rescue" them for projects like this, wash them, fold them, forget that they were no longer wanted, and put them back in his drawer. And repeat.) Since my stash did not contain any kind of webbing for straps, I used one pant leg to cut strips of denim. These were sown into a long circular strip, folded over and sewn again, leaving the sewn edge raw. I'm sure the raw edge will start to annoy me eventually, but really it was a matter of patience (or lack thereof). Two nice large circles were cut from the other pant leg, and voila! The belly dancer gym bag, perfect for rehearsals and workshops!
This next lovely item is the final project of 2009. I started it sometime in the early part of 2009, put it in a bag for safe keeping, and then lost it. It turned up around Thanksgiving, and I found it to be the perfect addition to nights in front of the TV with the DH. The pattern is the Reverse-Applique Swing Skirt from the Alabama Stitch Book, a gift from Christmas '08. I didn't put as many appliques on as the original pattern called for, as I wanted a simpler design...and I'm lazy. However, I did sew the entire thing by hand. I used some FOE for the waistband...my attempts to create a folded over waistband with interior elastic were thwarted by the fact that I either didn't measure correctly when I cut the pieces out...or I've just gained that much weight. I couldn't pull the skirt in with a folded over waistband. So FOE it was. And it works. I wore this skirt for Christmas at Grandma's with some gray tights and a purple and silver T-shirt combo, plus the Peacock scarf for good measure.
It doesn't fit, and never did; it was purchased specifically to become something else! But what, I wasn't sure. I was thinking bag, or skirt. So...why not both? Ripping the seams open, removing the zipper and tearing out the darts along the top yielded a pretty decent size piece of fabric.
A new skirt is still in the works; I need to cut a facing for the waistband...maybe on Tuesday! But as for a new bag...I thought this was the perfect fabric for a "belly dancer gym bag". I measured out both the skirt (bottom half of the fabric, to leave the lace trim intact) and then cut the remainder into an even-sided rectangle. Lucky me, there was a nice and long turquoise zipper in the stash as well. :) for the straps and ends of the bag, I used a pair of jeans the DH kept trying to throw away. (I say "try" because he would toss them on top of his trash can, only to have me "rescue" them for projects like this, wash them, fold them, forget that they were no longer wanted, and put them back in his drawer. And repeat.) Since my stash did not contain any kind of webbing for straps, I used one pant leg to cut strips of denim. These were sown into a long circular strip, folded over and sewn again, leaving the sewn edge raw. I'm sure the raw edge will start to annoy me eventually, but really it was a matter of patience (or lack thereof). Two nice large circles were cut from the other pant leg, and voila! The belly dancer gym bag, perfect for rehearsals and workshops!
This next lovely item is the final project of 2009. I started it sometime in the early part of 2009, put it in a bag for safe keeping, and then lost it. It turned up around Thanksgiving, and I found it to be the perfect addition to nights in front of the TV with the DH. The pattern is the Reverse-Applique Swing Skirt from the Alabama Stitch Book, a gift from Christmas '08. I didn't put as many appliques on as the original pattern called for, as I wanted a simpler design...and I'm lazy. However, I did sew the entire thing by hand. I used some FOE for the waistband...my attempts to create a folded over waistband with interior elastic were thwarted by the fact that I either didn't measure correctly when I cut the pieces out...or I've just gained that much weight. I couldn't pull the skirt in with a folded over waistband. So FOE it was. And it works. I wore this skirt for Christmas at Grandma's with some gray tights and a purple and silver T-shirt combo, plus the Peacock scarf for good measure.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Crafting in 2010! - Project #1
I'm still working on determining my new year's resolutions. I don't believe in starting them right off anyway...best to wait until the 3rd or 4th of January, right?
One that I do know is that I want to do more crafting. I've gotten rather busy, and that's the first hobby to be set aside. Another resolution is to make use of my stuff...or get rid of it. This is going to include my monster craft stash as well as my shelf full of crafting books. I figure it's best to combine these intentions into one larger resolution - to use my craft books to inspire more crafty-goodness and de-saturate my stash. With that, I'm going to attempt to do (at least) one new craft project each week, from at least one of my many many books.
I just wrapped up Project #1: a quilted bag for my netbook. I've had this on my to-do list for a while, as I need a bag that lets me carry the battery separately - leaving the battery attached to the computer drains it, even when not powered on. I used the Ladylike Laptop Tote pattern from Jenny Ryan's Sew Darn Cute, but left out the ladylike part. This project helped me de-stash a bit too, using a red t-shirt and gray sweatpants from my refashioning box (ok, boxes).
The photo is of the Nebraska Cornhusker mascot Lil' Red, taken at a pre-game party in Lincoln this fall. I was messing around with GIMPshop - took the color out, "posterized" the photo, and printed it on fabric paper (also an in-stash find). I embroidered the outlines of the major photo elements to add back some color. The photo fabric was reverse appliqued onto the red t-shirt fabric prior to assembling the bag.
One that I do know is that I want to do more crafting. I've gotten rather busy, and that's the first hobby to be set aside. Another resolution is to make use of my stuff...or get rid of it. This is going to include my monster craft stash as well as my shelf full of crafting books. I figure it's best to combine these intentions into one larger resolution - to use my craft books to inspire more crafty-goodness and de-saturate my stash. With that, I'm going to attempt to do (at least) one new craft project each week, from at least one of my many many books.
I just wrapped up Project #1: a quilted bag for my netbook. I've had this on my to-do list for a while, as I need a bag that lets me carry the battery separately - leaving the battery attached to the computer drains it, even when not powered on. I used the Ladylike Laptop Tote pattern from Jenny Ryan's Sew Darn Cute, but left out the ladylike part. This project helped me de-stash a bit too, using a red t-shirt and gray sweatpants from my refashioning box (ok, boxes).
The photo is of the Nebraska Cornhusker mascot Lil' Red, taken at a pre-game party in Lincoln this fall. I was messing around with GIMPshop - took the color out, "posterized" the photo, and printed it on fabric paper (also an in-stash find). I embroidered the outlines of the major photo elements to add back some color. The photo fabric was reverse appliqued onto the red t-shirt fabric prior to assembling the bag.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Snowed in...again!
Ah, the Great Blizzard of '09. Or Snowpocalypse... whatever you call it, it certainly ruined Christmas. I've yet to leave our house since I got home from work 5 days ago...
That's a lot of free time, so I've been trying to be productive. I finished the Alabama Stitch Book reverse applique skirt that I started last Christmas (pics later)... and I baked. A lot. I've been handing out cookies to everyone who happens to cross my path... but that hasn't been too many people so I have tons of cookies left!
We are heading to the DH's family's house today (finally) for dinner and gifts. While looking up the recipe yet again for low-carb pumpkin mousse (a favorite in our house), it occurred to me to save it somewhere...like on the back of a Christmas card, with a bit of ribbon so I can hang it from a cabinet knob while I'm cooking. Damn, I'm smart sometimes. ;-)
Now...off to FINALLY open some gifts and have a cup of cheer...and get rid of some of these cookies!!!
That's a lot of free time, so I've been trying to be productive. I finished the Alabama Stitch Book reverse applique skirt that I started last Christmas (pics later)... and I baked. A lot. I've been handing out cookies to everyone who happens to cross my path... but that hasn't been too many people so I have tons of cookies left!
We are heading to the DH's family's house today (finally) for dinner and gifts. While looking up the recipe yet again for low-carb pumpkin mousse (a favorite in our house), it occurred to me to save it somewhere...like on the back of a Christmas card, with a bit of ribbon so I can hang it from a cabinet knob while I'm cooking. Damn, I'm smart sometimes. ;-)
Now...off to FINALLY open some gifts and have a cup of cheer...and get rid of some of these cookies!!!
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Snow Day!
Aside from the fact that I'm going to have to make up the hours I'm missing at work today, I'm still totally stoked about staying home, and very glad to not be "Mission-Essential" (those poor souls that have to report to work anyway). I swear I'm going to make it a productive day. Really. Just need to get started. :)
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Cuteness & Tears
First, the cuteness:
This is going on our Christmas cards this year. I did not get ONE decent photo the whole year of the DH and I. Mostly because of my braces, but also because I'm usually the one wielding the camera, so it just doesn't happen.
As for the tears... I've got a blocked tear duct or some sort of eye issue going on - I've been crying nonstop from my left eye for going on 6 months. Wow. It is the vary definition of annoying. I've been giving steroid drops, allergy drops, and underwent a tear duct irrigation last week, all to no avail. It has to be surgery related. I haven't mentioned it to my surgeon up until now because I figured it was temporary and would go away...but it hasn't, so I'll ask him next week when I got in for a checkup. I really wish it would stop! It's ruining my makeup! :)
November is almost over, and so far, I have actually managed to not acquire any new craft projects. I made two crocheted scarves for my lil sis, but since I didn't keep them, they don't count! As for wrapping up some UFOs...that's not really happening. I'm almost finished a animal-print (zebra and leopard, yeow!) ruffled hip scarf, but not quite. Maybe tonight?
Today I danced at the Bedouin Star Winter Bazaar. Vended too! I offloaded 4 hand-dyed silk veils and another item I can't recall (obviously, it was very special to me...). And I "only" bought two necklaces and two knitted capes (one of which is a gift). So I actually came out ahead, monetarily! Yea me! Here's ML and I performing our Karakas duet (blurriness the result of my phone's camera, not our lightening-speed dancing skills):
And now, to procrastinate further on the two Major Assignments that are due next Friday, I'm heading to pick up the above-mentioned Christmas cards. I've already received one card in the mail, so obviously I'm falling behind!
This is going on our Christmas cards this year. I did not get ONE decent photo the whole year of the DH and I. Mostly because of my braces, but also because I'm usually the one wielding the camera, so it just doesn't happen.
As for the tears... I've got a blocked tear duct or some sort of eye issue going on - I've been crying nonstop from my left eye for going on 6 months. Wow. It is the vary definition of annoying. I've been giving steroid drops, allergy drops, and underwent a tear duct irrigation last week, all to no avail. It has to be surgery related. I haven't mentioned it to my surgeon up until now because I figured it was temporary and would go away...but it hasn't, so I'll ask him next week when I got in for a checkup. I really wish it would stop! It's ruining my makeup! :)
November is almost over, and so far, I have actually managed to not acquire any new craft projects. I made two crocheted scarves for my lil sis, but since I didn't keep them, they don't count! As for wrapping up some UFOs...that's not really happening. I'm almost finished a animal-print (zebra and leopard, yeow!) ruffled hip scarf, but not quite. Maybe tonight?
Today I danced at the Bedouin Star Winter Bazaar. Vended too! I offloaded 4 hand-dyed silk veils and another item I can't recall (obviously, it was very special to me...). And I "only" bought two necklaces and two knitted capes (one of which is a gift). So I actually came out ahead, monetarily! Yea me! Here's ML and I performing our Karakas duet (blurriness the result of my phone's camera, not our lightening-speed dancing skills):
And now, to procrastinate further on the two Major Assignments that are due next Friday, I'm heading to pick up the above-mentioned Christmas cards. I've already received one card in the mail, so obviously I'm falling behind!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)