Baby Projects: Baby Clark

Today was my sister-in-law's baby shower. She's expecting a little boy in June! Of course, I had to make a few things for my little nephew!! First thing on my list: crochet baby Converses!

I found the pattern at Topsy Turvy and modified it a little. It was my first time crocheting with thread. Probably the only time I ever felt that my fingers are huge! It was also my first time crocheting baby booties. Lots of fun! The only thing that I really disliked was making the shoe laces. ~100 sc into ~100 ch with a tiny hook and thread is not easy. At least it wasn't for me. They looked so cute when they were finished!

My next learning adventure was a loom woven blanket. I used my awesome Martha Stewart Loom Knitting Kit to make 4 squares which I sewed together before adding a crochet border. I used cotton yarn to make it lighter since the baby will be born in the summer. I really enjoyed this. It made me look more into weaving. I think they should sell additional loom pieces to allow you to make larger pieces. Anyway, the blanket turned out great and I'm looking forward to weaving again soon!

My last project was an owl hat.... Soooo cute! I found the pattern at Daisy Cottage Designs. Really easy, fast crochet project. I modified it a little in the eyes, ears, and nose but otherwise stuck to the pattern and it turned out great. I think I'll try to make an adult sized version since my best friend already demanded one for herself! :)

I placed them all in a basket along with diapers, a bottle, a pacifier, a bib holder, and a bottle leash. I got a picture with everything but the owl hat in it.

Looking forward to meeting baby Clark soon!! :)

Easter Eve

Easter Eve

Tonight is the last night of Lent. Starting tomorrow, I can resume my Facebooking 'til my heart's content. It also marks the beginning of a new way of thinking for me. I gave up Facebook and began attending mass regularly in order to remove stressors from my life and reacquaint myself with my faith. I think it's been a successful Lenten season! I do plan to dip my toe back into Facebook to better keep in touch with family and friends and look forward to catching up on what's been going on. I also look forward to continuing to strengthen my relationship with God and continuing to attend mass and further involve myself in the Church again. 

Being back at church has felt familiar. The church near my home is one of the smaller Catholic churches in the area which has been really nice. I recognize the faces every Sunday, the tones of each choir member's voice, when someone isn't sitting in his/her regular seat, etc. I know it sounds silly, but knowing all those things and recognizing them helps it feel more like home, and that's something I've been missing for a long time. Being active in my church is something that I grew up doing willingly and joyfully. Being a part of something that I know and feel is much bigger than me is humbling. 

Now, if I could just get Ripley to stop licking the comforter, life would be complete. Also rolling around in my head lately: I want bangs like Zooey Deschanel. Trying not to lose my mind entirely and cut them myself.

Coming soon: Sis-in-law's baby shower next week... I had so much fun making a few things for my nephew! Can't wait to post pictures and such!

Life sans Facebook

Everyone keeps asking me how I'm doing without Facebook. I'm pretty sure most people don't believe I haven't even glanced at it. But I'm doing great with it! At first it was like breaking a habit. I would automatically try to find the app on my phone whenever I turned on my phone, etc. However, after that initial need to see what was going on in the FB world passed, I felt (and still feel) really good about it. I'm much more at peace with things. Although I do still miss being able to post pictures of my puppies and seeing pictures of outings with friends and keeping up with family, I don't miss the anxiety that came along with it. I think I'm just a little too high strung to deal with that. I'm a worrier. It truly has meant a lot to me when I've received a phone call or text from someone since I've been off Facebook. It really makes me appreciate our friendships that much more.

I don't think I'll entirely pull the plug on Facebook after Lent is over (I still really appreciate the convenience of being able to keep in touch with certain people) but I don't feel like I need to check it every 3 seconds. Here's to a much less stressful life! :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Curtains

Our bedroom has those windows that are short, wide, and higher up on the walls. I tried and tried to find creative things to do with them that made sense with the layout of the room and our furniture, but couldn't really find anything. I had a couple of ideas that I found on Pinterest, but they seemed a little adventurous for my first attempt at making curtains. I'm not that courageous. So, instead, I decided to take the curtains we already had but did not fit our windows and remake them. Here's a "before" picture:

The process was pretty simple... I was glad to keep it that way. I cut off the grommets at the top, cut them into individual pieces, hemmed each grommet square, and sewed it back on the side to make a short, wide curtain.

When I finally got the curtains done, I went to hang them up. I found my curtain rods but no hardware to hang them up with! I ended up having to buy new rods anyway because the ones I had were too short. Once that was all squared away I finally got to hang them up!

Voltron loves the curtains, too. :) Although they aren't lined, the fabric is thick enough to keep the light out very well. Makes it that much more difficult to get out of bed in the morning! I have a couple of ideas on how to jazz them up a bit, but onto other projects for a while. I'll update when I get back around to them. What do you think?

My BFF Jess

I am so lucky to have a best friend. The first day we met, she told me her life story while we "watched" one of my favorite movies, "Bridget Jones's Diary." We've been pretty much attached at the hip ever since. She's been my partner in mischief and in lazy days. She's one of 3 people I can always count on to be brutally honest with me. We talk about everything and nothing all at the same time. She's probably the most considerate person I know. My BFF, Jessica, is amazing. I don't know where I'd be without her. It's really difficult to find people you can be entirely yourself around and not only feel like you're not being judged, but also feel accepted and loved. We don't get to see each other too much any more since I'm not in school and I don't get random weeks off anymore. I'm so glad I got to come up and spend some time like the old days - sitting on the couch with a bottle of wine, talking through tv shows.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Lent - 2012

It's a few days into the Lenten Season. This year I'm doing a couple of things. I gave up Facebook, and I went back to church.

I stopped really going to church a few years ago. I could go into all the reasons I made that choice, but it all really comes down to one thing - I lost my sense of "home" in the Church. Over the years I've visited other churches, other denominations, and nothing ever seemed to fit. Now, I live about 2 minutes away from a church that I went to briefly in middle school when we wanted to go to mass in Spanish. Over the last couple of weeks I felt that I needed to go. I haven't had that desire in a long time. Last Sunday I went back to church.... It still wasn't the "home" feeling I was looking for, but it felt nice to be in a familiar place with the familiar rhythm of the mass. They even sang my favorite hymn after communion. 

Giving up, or at least letting up, on Facebook is something I've been thinking about for a while. I've become too concerned with it. My fingers automatically search for the app on my phone or type the URL on my browser. I do what everyone else does on it - I see what everyone else is doing. I don't want to be that person. I want to focus on what I'm doing, what the people around me are doing. I was getting to a point where I took it personally when I wasn't included in something or if no one "liked" a post. It was really ridiculous. So, for at least the next 40 ish days I won't be getting on Facebook. I will be focusing on me, my relationship with God, my relationship with my husband, and my relationship with my family and friends.

So far, so good. I'm looking forward to mass in the morning, to hearing the readings and the homily, and to singing the hymns. As for Facebook, I'm okay not getting on it, but it does make me nervous sometimes to think that my absence will go unnoticed or that some who I thought were closer friends will not follow through without such ease of seeing my every move with the click of a button. We'll see. 

I'm very much looking forward to a meaningful Lenten Season!

Scarf Alternatives

So what's the deal with cowls? I never really got them. I thought they were kinda awkward and not nearly as cute as a scarf. But, with the weather being so nice lately (the last week or so excluded) I wanted to find something that still made me feel warm and cozy without being too bulky or hot in 70+ degree weather.

My first venture into this area is a t-shirt necklace. I used a couple of old t-shirts, cut them into long strips which I braided, twisted, and some just left as is. I sewed the ends together and wrapped a sleeve around the ends which I sewed into place. And voila!

please excuse the awkward smile in the picture. thx. :)

Next, I made my first cowl. I made it as a gift for my mother-in-law and forgot to take a picture of it before I gave it to her. I guess I'll have to make another! What I liked about the cowl once it was all said and done is the simplicity of it. It's still functional for those cool days when a thick/full scarf would be too much while being less fuss. The only thing I dislike about scarves is when they hang down and get caught on something or fall off your shoulder, etc. A cowl eliminates these problems. I still think scarves are cuter overall, but I think I get the cowl now a bit better.