My New Goal: to create

There are so many wonderful tutorials out there that make me want to drop everything I am doing and create things.

I usually run into a few problems...

1. I think I don't have enough time. (which I do, I just don't manage it well)

2. I don't have the supplies I need to create the things I see. ( which is solves by a few trips to a craft store every once in awhile)

So here is my goal.

I will try out a new tutorial EVERY week. It may be simple, it may be complex, I may fail miserably.

But you know what, that's okay. I can fail, but I want to at least try.

I will post the link to the tutorial and then share with you my process and the final product.

(I feel good about this) (yes)

**my first project is a scarf made out of some fabric I bought a year ago and never figured out what to do with it. So...I decided I should make something that I could actually wear out of it.

I will do this. I am kind of giddy about it actually.

I am going to start this week.

Wish me luck!

Quote of the day.

Pot holder tutorial (kind of)

Okay so awhile ago I made a few pot holders for myself and as a house warming gift for a friend. I was never satisfied will all the boring pot holders I see in stores. I took a few photos along the way so you can treat this as kind of a weak lazy tutorial on my part. I won't give you exact measurements or steps but I think if you have some sewing experience you will be able to look at the pictures and figure out the rest. So sorry for my lack of trying I just didn't really think to measure everything while I did it.

two pieces of fabric 8" X 8" 

two pieces of fusible batting 8" x 8"

I chose to quilt one of my pieces of fabric for the front of the potholder so I created a quilt square out of four squares to get a eight by eight piece. You could just do one piece of solid fabric or quilt it however you like. 

Iron on the batting to the backside of each fabric piece.

to get the "quilted" look I did some decorative stitching to the front piece of my fabric once the batting was ironed on (see the zig zag stitch below)

For a tab on the pot holder I cut a strip of coordinating fabric of about 7" X 2.5"

I pressed this piece so that when folded the edges were tucked in (see below sequence)

then I stitched it closed on one side.

fold this tab in half and then pin it between the two "good" sides of the front and back of your pot holder. This way when you flip the pot holder from inside out the tab will be on the outside. 

pin the rest of it to keep from shifting

sew around the entire square leaving about a 3 inch opening to turn the piece right side out. The two vertical pins above show the opening I left. So I started at the outside of the one pin and continues all around the square stopping at the 2nd pin. 

Then Flip it!

You will then have something that looks like this

I then sewed about a 1/4 inch around the edge to further finish and secure the pot holder. I also closed the opening that I left by doing this, just make sure that the fabric is folded over so that it closes it as you stitch along that side. You could hand stitch is closed as well. 

Ta-da!

My Man's Birthday

Today is a big day around here.

Why? you ask....

Well it just happens to be Benjamin's 23rd Birthday (about time if you ask me...I don't like being the "older woman" in our relationship haha)

23 reasons I fall more in love with Ben everyday.

1. He is almost always in a good mood, and handles any challenge with optimism.
2. He likes listening to music at all times of the day.
3. He usually is willing to try anything I bake/cook. Unless it contains vegetable chunks.
4. He is always willing to warm up my coffee in the microwave when I forget to drink it before it cools off.
5. He actually enjoys vacuuming. (how lucky am I!?)
6. His pet peeve is when I leave time left on the microwave so he can't see clock as it scrolls "press start"
7. He has kindly allowed my sewing and crafting stuff to take over a good chunk of our bedroom.
8. He patiently and graciously puts up with my random moodiness and tears.
9. He has learned how to use our coffee maker finally...so that he can make me coffee on occasion (he doesn't drink it very often and our coffee maker is a little complicated to inexperienced coffee makers)
10. His smile.
11. When he hugs me in his arms and refuses to let go until he is ready to
12. His competitiveness. Boardgames get intense with the two of us...just ask our family.
13. His willingness to encourage me in all my dreams and aspirations in life.
14. He lets me watch a chick flick with him every once in awhile
15. The way he reaches out to hold my hand even when we are only walking down the stairs of our apartment.
16. The easy way he laughs.
17. How he always makes sure to call me and text me while at work when our schedules don't allow us to see one another.
18. How he makes me feel beautiful even when I know I'm a scrub at times ;)
19. His unselfishness.
20. The way he never even mentions my books stacked up on our coffee table, sewing projects lying across our kitchen table and coffee mugs left just about everywhere I would think to place them and then forget.
21. The way he has to pace around the apartment, in and out of all three rooms, while he talks on the phone to anyone.
22. He is never afraid to dance.
23. He never hesitates to show his love for me, and for that I am truly grateful. 

Happy Birthday Ben. I love you!

Friday: favorite things

I am currently loving a few things...

such as... Lemon Zinger tea. I have had a sore throat for the last few days and this tea has saved me from losing my voice no doubt. (with help from all the sweet care Ben has given me)

 

Dark Chocolate Chocolate Covered Raisins. These treats depend on whether you like raisins and dark chocolate, and if you do....well you should get these. Seriously, they are delicious. I bought a container of them at Trader Joe's while I was home last week (no Trader Joe's here, ugh). I like to pretend they are healthy for me. Dark chocolate, fruit, no preservatives (there is no need for them when you eat the entire thing in a week)

All the spring dresses at Anthropologie. I will not be buying any of these dresses unfortunately (too much money for a dress if you ask me...but a girl can dream)

 

Birthdays!!! there are a lot of Birthdays coming up in the next few days and weeks. 

source

Okay now I need to get to bed. I have caramel rolls rising in the fridge for morning :) yum. I will share the recipe with you as soon as we make sure they are delicious. 

Goodnight!

SNOW DAY

So I have discovered that snow days do not loose their appeal with age (at least when you work in education). I woke up at 6 to discover that there was no school in our entire district and I couldn't help but feel the giddiness that goes along with realizing that the whole day is now freed up to do anything. Granted I didn't really have to work anyway since I am a substitute, but I didn't even have to feel guilty about turning down a job. It was also a good day because B didn't get snowed in at work last night (which was a possibility). So we both got to sleep in this morning and enjoy the blindingly white view from our porch. I also got to spend sometime with a few of my favorite ladies Bekah and Ellie. Overall it was a lazy Wednesday, and I am refreshed and ready for the rest of the week.

Goodnight!

 

Your timing is off

The first day of spring was a few days ago, and just the thought of warmer weather caused happiness in our household. While doing some grocery shopping we wandered through the outdoor/garden department, so I wishfully picked up some planting supplies so that I could start a few seedlings before the warmer weather arrives.

We only have a small patio for growing so I was very limited as to what I can actually grow, but we decided on some tomatoes and red peppers since those are two of the more commonly used vegetables in our kitchen. I also planted some oregano, rosemary, and chives. Here are some over exposed photos of the process. (I was too lazy to change the exposure because my hands were covered with dirt)

Now here is where the poor timing comes in.

There is currently a snowstorm barreling our way. Right now it is only sleeting a bit, but from the look of the local forecast we could get up to a foot of snow. Your appropriate response should be "are you kidding me?!". And no, I am not...but I wish I was. The snow is unwelcome especially when flooding is already such a risk. Snow storm warnings and flood warnings...

Snow.

Rain.

Sleet.

Cold.

Lightning and Thunder too?! (not kidding at all)

Where is the sun?

Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 3/4 cup Flour

1 package of fresh blueberries (about 1 1/2 cups)

Cream together butter and sugar in mixer. Add in eggs and sour cream. Mix salt, baking soda, baking powder,and flour in separate bowl. Gradually add in dry ingredients into mixer until combined. Gently fold in 3/4 of blueberries and then save the rest to sprinkle on the top once you pour batter into muffin tins. (use muffin liners or grease the pan before!)
Sprinkle extra blueberries on top and dust with cinnamon and sugar too if you wish.

Bake 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Recipe from my lovely friend and sister of my sister-in-law if that makes sense, haha. I stole this recipe from her a couple years ago when we were roommates so hopefully she won't mind me sharing it with you :)

Growing up.

Spending time at the home I grew up in has inspired me to share some of these old photos I have from years ago. In the following photos you will notice a few key things.

1. Usually someone was not happy to be in the picture

2. I did have a boy's bowl cut when I was younger and so I look a lot like my brothers at times.

3. There are four kids in our family: My older brother Josh, then me, then my sister Beth, and lastly my younger brother Jordan.

4. Yes, Jordan has a hair clip in his hair below. 

Hope you had a few laughs at our expense and perhaps remembered a few of your own memories :)