Fashion Statements

For: x-lisa-x chic casual - by KAMILKA on Polyvore.com

(I did not make this set, I just found it on Polyvore and added it here for a visual.)


Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. - Colossians 3:12

As girls (and guys), we know that fashion plays a big role in our societies and, therefore, our lives. It is a huge industry! Our clothes say a lot about us and our lifestyles. People describe their styles as being preppy, sporty, retro, glam, bohemian, 80's, etc. etc. because they want to identify with whatever they are styling themselves after. We express what we like and often times who we like or want to be like through the clothes that we choose to wear. I mean, you can tell a person has a 'thing' for the 70's if they always wear clothing styled after that decade. We can tell a person likes bright colors, or a certain color, if all their clothes are really bright or contain the same color all the time. You can often tell which bands and brands people like if their clothes sport their logos.

So, as a Christian, it makes me wonder. When people look at us do they see compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience? Can they tell we identify with our God who saved us, loves us dearly, makes us holy? God tells us to clothe ourselves with these things. I know as well as the next person that you can't weave a shirt or pair of pants out of compassion and humility. But I would like for people to look at me and say, "she is kind (compassionate, gentle, patient, humble)" and know that I identify myself as the child of the one true God who loves me (and you).

I want that to be my fashion statement.

New on my knitting needles

I finished the other scarf. I am pleased with the way it turned out. Now I'm making another one for another friend at a different college. :) I need to learn how to make something besides scarfs! I still have this dream to knit a skirt, but I think I need to do some quick 'stash-busting' projects first. I have a feeling that a skirt will take quite a long time to do..

Puppy love

Here are the puppies our dog had. Only three out of the five made it past the first week. Now they are four and a half weeks old and they are huge! They are pretty sweet too. I took them outside this morning because it is so beautiful outside today. It is sunny and warm...we made it past January and February and although March technically counts as winter, I feel like spring is on its way!I love this first photo.

Our grass is dormant right now...it looks so ugly!

I love pictures of yawning puppies.

These puppies are very dark. They are very hard to photograph so I had to go back and lighten up the photos after I took them. Sorry the quality of the photos isn't so good.

I should post pictures that I took of our Weimaraner puppies when we used to breed Weimaraners. They were so cute.

New Sewing stuff

Over President's Day my Dad asked me if I wanted to go to JoAnn's fabric store. That was the first shock. He never asks me if I want to go there. I used to have to beg him or my mom to take me there.
The second shock was that I didn't really want to go. This necessary self-inflicted/enforced budget makes going out to the store not so fun!
But because he asked me, I went with him. He was refinishing a chair his grandmother gave him and they were getting ready to reupholster it and he needed some foam or something for it.

While we were there I decided to look through the patterns and guess what?! Simplicity had patterns on sale: 5 for $5! So I bought 5, because even on this budget I can afford that. :)I have never watched Project Runway, but I like the idea of wearing summer dresses. That is what these will become. They will probably be a little bit longer, and will definitely have straps. The pictures make me understand the whole concept of 'less is more.' I think I'll wear a little more fabric and show a little less skin, thank you. :)

And I think there is a rule somewhere that states: if able to buy a Built by Wendy pattern(s) on sale, do so immediately! I am just following rules set in place for my good. Right?
And because all of my aprons have issues with laying properly I got this apron pattern. Hopefully it will help me get the idea of how to make good aprons.
And I got this fabric on sale at Wal-mart. I don't like Wal-mart's fabrics, but I did like this print. And the denim was cheap and I want to try to make a skirt so that is where those came from.

Now I really need to start using up my stash. Right now it is spread around my bedroom in a very disorganized way.

Wowza!

Hey, look! How sweet of Lisa from The Hem Line blog to tag me with an award. :) Thank you, Lisa! I'm completely flattered!

So I am supposed to send this out to 10 other bloggers, but I'm not sure I will make it to that many!

So I think I'm just going to send it out to the ladies whose blogs are what made me interested in blogging to begin with and to the ladies whose blogs are just beautiful and inspiring! I hope that someday my work is as good as theirs is!

- Chara Michelle
- Brin from My Messy Thrilling Life She has a great blog but she is shutting it down next month. I am not the only person who is very sad about this. :(
- Pleasant View Schoolhouse
- Sparkle Power
- Tiny Happy

Isn't blogging fun?

Breaks (Written on a Friday, posted on a Sunday)

It's Friday. I'm at work on my break. And it's a lovely day. Today I have the office basically to myself. It is rainy outside. Normally I don't enjoy rainy days like this. I'm a sunshine-loving girl. But every once in awhile I enjoy a rainy day. Especially when it feels almost like spring outside. I also (surprisingly?) enjoy working on Fridays. And I enjoy the opportunity to be alone for a little while with no sounds except my own breathing and the 'drip drip' of the rain outside and the 'tick tock' of the clock on the wall and the clicking of my keys on the keyboard as I wait for 3 o'clock to roll around so I can head home and enjoy the rest of my day. I have plans for this weekend! After a particularly long and trying week I am ready to spend 2 days with family and friends enjoying the people God has placed in my life. What would I do without those wonderful people? They are truly a blessing!

Inhale, exhale; drip, drop; click, clack; tick, tock...two and a half more hours until my lovely weekend begins!

Happy weekend. I hope it's lovely for everyone!

A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on. ~Carl Sandburg

A few months ago at work I was talking to a patient who was telling me about her grandchildren. I told her that my sister was expecting a baby and how excited I was. To my horror she looked at me and squinted her eyes and said, "I wouldn't bring a baby into the world! Would you?" Um...absolutely! Having a husband and family has been my dearest dream for a long time. I know times are difficult, but the world has faced dark times before and children are the hope for the future. They are the future. I was mad at that woman for trying to burst my bubble. Maybe I should have felt sorry for her because her perspective was so wrong.

So I was thrilled when I saw all the people who came out to the baby showers that the ladies at church threw last week and the one we threw yesterday. Friends and family who came to celebrate a new life and show their support for my sister and her husband. It was so encouraging and it meant a lot to our family.

I said I would show pictures of the other hand-made gifts. Here you go! Sarah made these beautiful baby hats. She made several sizes so the baby could grow into them. She used great colors, don't you think?
Holly, my younger sister, made this elephant. It came from Joelle Hoverson's Last Minute Patchwork Quilts and Gifts. I LOVE that book! I think I've used it more than any other sewing/craft book I own.
Sharon (my brother-in-law Matt's mom) got this kit and made it when he was a baby but never framed it. So she framed it and gave it to them for their baby. Sweet isn't it?!
Somehow, I think her quilt is sweeter! I just love the colors she used. SO gorgeous! I think log cabin quilts look so beautiful, but I'm not sure I would have the patience to make one. I can only imagine all the hard work that went into this.
Matt's dad made this cradle for their baby. That family is so talented! Everything they do turns out so beautiful!

And this perambulator is cool! The word perambulator makes me think of The Importance of Being Earnest. If you haven't seen that movie, go watch it. It's so funny. I get the song stuck in my head, but it's okay. It's one song I don't mind having stuck in my head. :) Matt and Jacqueline were given this pram by someone who Matt worked for. They aren't sure if they are going to take the baby out in this thing (though it would be kind of cool huh?) but it is so pretty! We used both the cradle and the pram to hold shower gifts. They were neat decorations.
So let me tell you (and show you) the shower!

Becca, Susan and Tasha helped us out so much. They helped prepare food, blow up balloons, and decorate. They were great! I don't know what we would do without them. :)

And speaking of food: We had two tables set up in the dining room for all of it! One large one for real food and a smaller one for the desserts. Tasha made the pretty crepe paper bow. None of us like using crepe paper, but she did a great job decorating with it.
Hmm...yummy. :) I don't even want to know how many calories are on that table. After all, you know what I always say: Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we diet! Only I don't really diet very much which is why I'm so skinny. Or not...hmm...
Jacqueline and Tasha decorated the cup cakes. Yes, Jacqueline decorated the cupcakes for her own shower. It's art on a plate!

Actually, speaking of art on a plate take a look at this veggie tray!A swan made from an apple. This was made by Christina (the picture below). She studied culinary arts in school. Isn't she talented?We tried to keep the decor simple. We used flowers and the gifts and food to make things look festive.
And all the beautiful ladies made the place pretty too. :) There is my pregnant sister! She is talking to Matt's aunt Christine and his cousin's wife, Tracy. I hadn't met Tracy before. She is very nice! And stylin too! And she owns a weimaraner Oh I miss my weimaraner. :(

We played this fun game where a few of the ladies put balloons under their shirts (to look like they were pregnant) and had to tie their shoes. The first one to tie both shoes won!
Susan is an expert mom. She has 6 sons! She was pretty quick!
Liz had a hard time. Her excuse was she adopted both her sons. :)We also did a little mixer at the beginning so people could meet each other. There were quite a few folks who came from out of town and we wanted everyone to have a chance to interact and meet each other. What they did was everyone got a slip of paper and they wrote down an unusual fact about themselves. Then they threw the slips into a basket and we mixed it up and they all drew one of the slips out. Then they had to go ask around and find out who wrote whatever was on their paper.
It was fun to find out who was a deputy sherrif, who rescued ducklings from a storm drain, who backpacked through Europe, who took the opportunity to reinvent themself and who managed to set their own broken leg after being kicked by a horse! Everyone got a chance to share something about themselves and most of us got a good laugh out of it!

Fun times. :) But I have to admit, I'm relieved it is over! I had a great time, but I was plumb worn out by the end of the day!

Handmade baby shower gifts.

These were some onsies that my co-worker gave to me to give my sister. They were gently used and the only fault we found with them were, "they're kind of...boring." Yes. The plain white and pink and yellow onsies were boring. Or they had little appliques that my sister did not like. Things that said ' I'm the Princess!' or some other such saying. I think the baby will be a princess (being that she is the King of King's child), but we don't want her to walk around with a princess complex or anything. So we covered it up!I used to look at yo-yos and think to myself, "ick!" Shocking because they were so easy and fun to make and are really cute! A quick way to dress up so many things. I think my yo-yo making days are just beginning.

Nothing like a baby shower to change your life. :)
Okay, so I have this fabric that looks like an ice cream cone. I was able to cut up pieces and applique them to this onesie/sleeper (whatever it is) and then I couldn't help myself and added the iScream writing to the bottom. It was supposed to look like the lettering for iPod.
I was told that flannel receiving blankets make better burp cloths than cloth diapers do. I heard that they are easier to wash and keep clean.
But aren't receiving blankets really big? I found this idea for homemade flannel burp rags on a blog somewhere awhile ago and thought it was a great idea.
I have a picture of this quilt when it was just a pieced quilt top. I finished it up and tied it off last week. With all the pink things I knew this baby would be getting, I decided to go for some neutral colors and chose green. She is due just after St. Patricks day and she is part Irish.
That doesn't actually have anything to do with why I chose green for the quilt. :) I just liked the colors.
I put these together in a basket with more onesies from Target (with little sheep on them...aww!) and some baby wash cloths and baby mittens and a rubber ducky (that says HOT on the bottom if the bath water is too hot) and called it a gift.

Wait till you see some of the other handmade goodies given at the shower from grandma's and friends. It was so fun to see the things people made.

In 2 days

I will get to post pictures of all the things I've been working on! My sister and her husband's baby is due in March and we are throwing a baby shower for her this weekend. There will be about 30 people at our house tomorrow! I'm so excited! There is so much cleaning and rearranging and baking and decorating to do tonight and tomorrow. There is nothing like a baby shower to have an excuse to get together with friends and plan and shop and do all sorts of fun things! My mom recruited me and Becca to run the games for the shower and I have had fun getting together with her and planning and shopping. And of course talking about all the crazy stuff going on in our lives right now. Thank God for friends!

I have been sewing like a madwoman these past couple of weeks! I have found that, like other crafters, I like to show love for people by making them things. Putting time and thought into a gift just for someone is something I really enjoy. And getting something handmade is really touching too. So tonight I will go home and wrap up my gifts for the shower and start in on the baking that has to be done by tomorrow afternoon. We are having too much fun getting ready for this baby!

This will be the first grandchild/niece in our family. I cannot tell you how excited I am to meet the newest little member of our family! We've been praying for this baby since before it was conceived and I cannot wait to see what she looks like and to watch her as her personality develops and as she grows and discovers the world around her. For someone I have never met (though I have felt her kick a few times!), I love her so much. And in about 3 weeks she is due to arrive.

And then I'll probably be so busy staring at her and begging to hold her that I won't be making very much stuff at all! So it's a good thing I've been getting it out of my system now!

I'll be back in a couple of days with pictures!

Have a happy weekend. :)

whew! What a week!

It's been one of those weeks. Stress levels are running high. Our hygienist put in her notice at work. My boss is really stressed out and I feel like it's affecting the office. I found out my plans for school have been changed. 10 more people are coming to the baby shower this weekend so Becca and I met up last minute to change our plans for games, which was nice and I am pleased with the alternative games we chose.

Sigh. I am so ready for this week...no...more than that...this time to be over. I can't stand not knowing what is going to happen to me. I can't stand waiting and waiting to find out what my future is tentatively going to look like. I'm so frustrated and I feel so alone. And I feel scared too. I hate feeling this way.

This past year has had its share of highs and lows. I've struggled with a lot of things this past year that have caused me to be kind of down. But when I am very stressed out or struggling with something, somehow God provides encouragement for me. Sometimes it is through a conversation with my mom or sister or a friend. Other times it is in unexpected places. I was browsing through blogs (so what else is new?) and on one of the blogs I was looking at the author posted part of Psalm 37. And it was exactly what I needed to hear (or read). I'm going to post pieces of the Psalm here, but you can view the whole Psalm by clicking on this link.

Psalm 37:3-8, 18-19, 23-24

³ Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.

⁵ Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
⁶ He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act. (so hard to do!)
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.

⁸ Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
it only leads to harm.

¹⁸ Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
¹⁹ They will not be disgraced in hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.

²³ The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
²⁴ Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Oh my, those last verses are the part that I really NEEDED to hear! I get so anxious about making decisions and facing unknown situations. Knowing God is holding my hand and directing my steps and delighting in every detail of me life is such a comfort. And even if I stumble, Jesus won't let me fall. What a beautiful promise!

Wishing...

Not that I need another sewing/craft book. I have a whole stack of them that I haven't made good use of *yet* and I couldn't justify buying two more. But if I could, I would want these two.I think the cover alone is just so inspiring. It's springy/summery for one thing. It makes me want to don a yellow (a color I am liking more and more lately) skirt and climb a tree just like the girl on the cover.
I have the other Sew What! books and I particularly like the Sew What! Skirts book. The Fleece one is good too, but fleece is pretty expensive so it's not as practical for me. This one looks like fun too.

What are your favorite crafting books?

Unknowns

The past couple of days I've been really stressed out over work and school situations. I hate not knowing what my future hold. For the past couple of days I've been especially anxious concerning my job. I wonder if I should just try to find a new job altogether as my current one doesn't seem very stable and it also causes me considerable stress. Now more than ever I feel motivated to get a job in something I am really interested in and want to do. But the idea of looking for a new job and possibly moving out this fall to go to college worries me too and I find myself thinking endless 'what if' questions and it's not like I have any answers to my questions. My eye is twitching again...it hasn't done that in a long time and it only happens when I'm really stressed. I think I need to take a breath and just chill. Unfortunately this isn't something I am really good at.

This verse is comforting though.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

In these uncertain times this verse is certainly encouraging. I hope it encourages you too.

100

1. I am addicted to chocolate. I know this is a sad truth. I have tried several times to shake the addiction, but so far I have not been successful.
2. I suspect that someday chocolate will be considered a drug you can only get through a prescription. Maybe.
3. I used to get mad at my parents because I thought we moved too much. I mean why couldn't we just stay in one place like 'normal' people.
4. I really want to move. Really. Want. To. Move. I love my home and my family and my friends here, but sometimes I just feel like I need a change.
5. I love that 'little darlin' song. (it's Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles)
6. My favorite books are A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Pride and Prejudice, and The Hobbit. I can read them over and over again.
7. When I was younger (like 6 years ago) I really wanted to be able to do contortions. My goal was to be able to sit on my own head. I was inspired by Cirque du Soliel's Allegria. (I never was able to do it)
8. I used to want to major in history. I read (most of) The Historian and watched National Treasure and just thought it was so cool how they knew SO much history. Not that I believe in Dracula or a real national treasure, I just thought it would be fun to be a history teacher. I would be cool. Like Linwood Thompson. And give cool homework.
9. Then I met the history teachers and other history majors at my school and immediately changed my mind.
10. In addition to those choices of major, I also wanted to be a nurse, a math teacher (I know...me?), an interpreter, a teacher, a nurse again, a chef, a teacher again, a nurse again, a dental hygienist, a teacher again, a dietician, a dental hygienist again and now a dietician again.
11. I am indecisive...as you can probably tell. It's a plague I tell you!
12. While I don't think I have middle child syndrome, I do believe that birth order can cause people to develop certain personalities.
13. I wish I read poetry and classic writers, like Charles Dickens. Or rather, I wish I enjoyed reading classic writers and poets. I think my favorite poet is Edgar Allen Poe. He's not the classiest classic.
14. I have a messy room. Always.
15. I have good intentions.
16. I am not a good speaker.
17. I say 'like' all the time without realizing it.
18. I procrastinate. Especially when it comes to homework.
19. Some people would say I am under-ambitious.
20. I don't really care what they say.
21. I guess. Most of the time. Unless 'they' happens to be my parents.
22. I work in a dentist office. I know I complain about my job sometimes, but I really am grateful for it. It is an interesting job and I a wonderful boss and co-workers.
23. The places life takes us are often times so weird.
24. I truly believe that God is in control of everything.
25. So in theory, I don't have to worry about anything in life. But because I'm human and sinful, I do. Even though the Bible commands me not to.
26. I get awful allergies. Mostly in the spring, but lately I have developed fall allergies too. Pretty tragic.
27. Obama's stimulus bill has me very worried.
28. I am hoping to buy a better camera eventually.
29. I talk a lot, but I am actually very shy about sharing the things I really feel and think.
30. I can't even describe how dancing made me feel. It was like everything was still, but everything was chaotic at the same time. And everything was peaceful, but I have never felt more energy. In some ways, you never even heard the music, instead, you practically became part of the music. I've never felt that way before and I miss dancing so much.
31. I miss our weimaraners. Very much. Someday, I might get my own. If I ever finish school and get my own place and have time for a dog.
32. I plan to finish college, but what I really want to do is get married and have a bunch of kids and be a homeschool mom. Last time I checked you don't need a degree to do this. But just in case that ever changes, I plan to be prepared.
33. I think only one of my friends is actually my age. The others are all either older or younger by a little or a lot. They are A.W.E.S.O.M.E. people. I love them.
34. I have met a lot of people on my job. Here is something I learned through them: there are a lot of hurting people out there. I heard so many stories about kids who were being raised by their grandparents or aunts and uncles because their parents were in jail because of drugs; men and women whose spouses had either passed away and/or left them with kids to raise; folks who had lost their jobs; parents who had children who were wounded in Iraq; foster parents who had to give the kids back, cancer patients, disabled folks...and learned that while there are a lot of people out there who are incredibly irresponsible and selfish don't know what they're missing out on (family etc.,), there are a lot of people out there who really care about others. It was an honor to meet some of them.
35. I'd love to go work in an orphanage overseas.
36. I'd like to adopt kids from other countries.
37. I'm taking yoga again and enjoying it!
38. I still want to run a 5K someday. Emphasis on 'someday.'
39. Autumn is my favorite season!
40. I do not like todays actors and actresses. There is not a single one I admire.
41. I go through phases where I try to eat healthy, and then someone buys a pizza and I cave.
42. For years I really wanted to be taller. Now I don't really care.
43. I love sweaters. They remind me of fall. Which is my favorite season, if I haven't mentioned it,
44. I spent the 4th of July in Austin and San Antonio TX with my godmother. :)
45. I spent New Years Eve in DC at a Marriott with 1000 college students. It was a Campus Crusade for Christ event. It was great!
46. I can only listen to talk radio at certain times. Like during an election or something. Other than that it really annoys me.
47. I sing in the car. Loud. And probably off-key.
48. I love that I live in a historic area. It's amazing to walk in old towns and battlefields.
49. If the area wasn't in such turmoil, I would love to visit Israel. Talk about walking on grounds where history was made...the most important history in the world was made in the middle east. I would love to go to Israel and try to visit the historic places mentioned in the Bible.
50. Books are almost always WAY better than the movie. I think this is a scientific fact.
51. I am actually a good student, believe it or not (for all the complaining I do about school). I was on the President's list twice and the Deans list 3 times (it took me an extra semester to get my 2 year degree).
52. My orthodontist said my braces might come off as soon as April! Woohoo!
53. I sleep with 6 or 7 blankets at night. My room gets really cold in the winter.
54. I don't like it when people act like because I'm young my thoughts or opinions aren't that important. It makes me mad.
55. I have the fondest memories of watching my Grammy make stuff. She made us blankets, dress-up clothes, doll clothes, aphgans...she could do it all. She inspired me to make things too.
56. I am a pretty mellow person. I am trying to be braver and more assertive.
57. I hate getting up in the mornings. I guess I need to take more vitamins.
58. I have glasses, but I don't wear them as often as I should.
59. May I just say that Cesar Milan (the Dog Whisperer) is AMAZING!
60. In 2008 I got laid off, visited TX again, started a new job, went back to school, found out I was going to be an Aunt, was a part of Campus Crusade for Christ, got to go to DC a couple of times with Cru, finished my 2 year degree, started blogging, said goodbye to my weimaraners, almost moved to Ohio, met new people, backed over my parent's grill, and did a lot of other things too. It was a busy year.
61. Being the middle kid can have it's disadvantages, but I am the only kid in the family who can look at my siblings and say, "you are my favorite older sister, you are my favorite brother, you are my favorite little sister, you are my favorite brother-in-law" without offending anyone. Cool huh?
62. I hate scary movies. When I was 8 or 9 I watched Abbott and Costello and the Haunted House and I hyperventilated I was so scared. When I was 16 I saw Wallace and Grommit and the Werebunny and I dreamed rabbits were chasing me. Those aren't even scary movies!
63. I used to want to be really busy because I thought it would make my life more exciting. Now I want to take time to smell the roses (we don't have roses...make that a chrysanthemum.).
64. When I was 9 I killed my hermit crab because I forgot to give it water for at least a week.
65. If I were to ever get another hermit crab I'd name it Kermit the hermit.
66. I hate driving during the day without sunglasses. Even when it's cloudy outside I have to wear sunglasses or my eyes hurt.
67. I love sewing and knitting. I crochet too, but I like sewing and knitting better.
68. I haven't used shampoo in years and my hair has never been healthier.
69. I like making lists. That's why I'm doing this.
70. I went on my first 'business trip' this year with my doctor and coworker. It was fun. Sort of. :)
71. I have been sneezed on by a horse. It was an unpleasant experience.
72. I can't wait to be an aunt. I have all kinds of ideas for baby stuff I want to make. It's going to be fun. :)
73. I crack my knuckles and wrists.
74. Today the checkout lady at Khols told me I look like I'm 16.
75. I'm 20 years old.
76. When it comes to natural disasters and wars, I haven't got an adventurous bone in my body. During hurricanes Dennis and Floyd I was probably living with an ongoing panic attack. On 9/11 I went into my room and cried because my sister wouldn't turn off the TV and I was terrified.
77. Weddings are exhausting. I found this out after being a bridesmaid in my sister's wedding. If I ever get married I think I'll just elope.
78. I got really close to doing a variation on King Pigeons pose in my yoga class. My form was a little bit off. I felt very...stretchy.
79. I love saying 'shock and awe' whenever it's appropriate.
80. I want to move out west someday. Go west young (wo)man, go west!
81. Our house was on the market for a year, but now it is off. We are not moving to Ohio anymore.
82. I once dreamed my eyebrows were as long as my regular hair. I was really disturbed.
83. I have taken glamour shots of my dogs.
84. I think they actually came out pretty good albeit a bit tacky.
85. I like working with kids.
86. I don't like working on kids who are screaming at me. I volunteered at the office for Give Kids a Smile day and the kid I was trying to get xrays on threw up right in front of me. I didn't like that either.
87. I like to help pull teeth. It's my favorite part of being a dental assistant.
88. I forget that not everyone likes to help pull teeth and talk to my friends (who don't work in a dental office) all about it. Then I feel embarrassed.
89. I hate cussing. I understand that people get tempted, but it's SO annoying. People are intelligent, they can find other ways to express themselves.
90. My crafting materials are taking over my room and my parent's house.
91. I need to either make stuff and get rid of it, or throw out a lot of my crafting stuff.
92. I try to drink a lot of water. It doesn't always happen.
93. I get a lot of headaches. It is not pleasant.
94. Aspartame gives me a headache. That stuff is seriously bad for you.
95. I like the name Jemima, but whenever I say so people groan. Oh well.
96. I think Jericho would be a cool name for a boy. Doesn't it sound manly?
97. I love Sarah Palin. 2012? ;)
98. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.
99. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. You get to make food, visit with friends and oftentimes listen to Christmas music all without the presents. It's like all the advantages of Christmas without the stress and fake-ness. It's good. :)
100. When I was younger we used to go to my Mom's friend's house to visit. Her friend was from Russia and always had hot water for tea whenever we came over. She had a large family and there were always extra kids there who were visiting. I loved sitting with them and drinking tea and listening to their conversation (and occasionally putting in my own 2 cents worth I'm sure). I still love sitting with them and drinking tea. I always wanted to be that kind of adult. The kind who drinks tea and has tons of kids running in and out of their house.

Scenes from Winter 2009

Aren't these kind of creepy?

We were trying to purge a lot of the excess things we have at work that are never used and these masks were part of the 'purge' pile. I know they are supposed to be cute, but I can't help but feel like they are kind of creepy. I grabbed a couple and brought them home with me to photograph because...well...because. Because I'm strange like that. Blogger does weird things to you. That's all I have to say. Suddenly you find yourself photographing what you had for dinner and what you bought at the store so you can blog about it. Sometimes my friends make fun of me. :) But that's okay. Some of those friends have started blogs too and they get to join in on the fun!

Finished project:

A yoga mat bag! For my yoga class this semester. I enjoy yoga so much that I decided I would make a bag for my yoga mat to make it easier to transport.

It's made out of canvas and part of an old dress I had that I never wore. I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out. It does its job well, which is the important thing.

WIP scarf

I've been working on a scarf for my friend who is away in school (or Uni as those charmin' Aussies put it...I think that's so cute) and it has been slow going. I just haven't consistently worked on it. I figure by the time it's finished she can wear it for her last year of school. Better late than never, right?It's just made with acrylic yarn and knitted in in a single rib stitch (my favorite stitch). I think I could finish it up rather quickly if I'd just put my mind to it. Whenever I work on it I get a lot done, but then I put it aside to focus on school or I am just lazy and don't work on it. I think it will look nice once it is finished. I'll take a picture of it to post once it's done.

Completed project!

This was my last project of 2008 and my first project of 2009. I made it out of 2 fat quarters and some suede-ish fabric and also a sweater that a friend gave me. I loved the color and texture of the sweater, but unfortunately it looked terrible on me. Now I can still 'wear' it and I think it is much more flattering this way. I'm pretty pleased with the way this project turned out. The handles are a little bit crooked and it looks a little bit lopsided, but it looks much better in person. You'll just have to trust me on that.


One of these days I am going to get a 'real' bag (maybe) instead of using these floppy fabric ones (maybe I should start to use interfacing?) even though I enjoy the versatility and fun of handmade bags. But I think that when you get to be a certain age you should probably get a good quality bag that will last you awhile and can be appropriately carried at all times.

But I'm not in a big hurry. For now I'll just enjoy this one.

Sooo...

I have worked on some projects since I last posted here. And while I would love to post pictures of what I was working on, I am instead going to just browse through blogs while snuggling a very new and rather weak puppy. My dog (unexpectedly) had 5 puppies on Friday night and we lost one on Monday morning. We took the other 4 to the vet to have their dew-claws removed and they gave us a feeding tube so we could help the one who was too weak to nurse get enough food to survive. It's pretty common to lose a puppy or two, especially during the first litter. Brandy (the mom dog) did very well, but I think a couple of the puppies went too long before they got to nurse and I think that just that much time can make a huge difference in how well the puppy does. Thank goodness for science and medical intervention! On Monday night I spent about 4 hours snuggling this little puppy between feedings. I hope so much that he will be okay.
Tomorrow I am meeting my friend and going to a "green store." It's not a health food store, but it is an all-natural/organic product store. Woo hoo!

Drooling over Ravelry

I went to a knitting party at my friend Becca's house last Saturday and while I was there Becca and I got to look through knitting books and magazines and I decided that I MUST make a knitted skirt. Now, I go through phases where I MUST do something and then it never happens because I'm a lazy crafter, especially when school is in session. But I've been looking on Ravelry (which is an amazing website! Go ask for your invitation now!) and they have some amazing patterns. They even have dress patterns! I tell you, there are some very talented people out there!

I really want to knit a skirt. That is the main point of this post. Oh, and the other point is to tell all you knitters who haven't already joined Ravelry to do so immediately!