My Nest

Making the Move

2010-11-04T22:34:00.001-07:00

This is (probably) my last posting here. Please visit Smith & Daphne from now on!

I Voted

2010-11-02T22:52:00.000-07:00

Did you?

Starting Up

2010-11-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

I have a new Etsy account, a new blog, and a Twitter account now! I'm (slowly) working on getting everything set up and still making things to put in the shop. The Etsy store isn't open yet, but it's getting closer! I finally picked a name:

Smith & Daphne

You can find me here:

Etsy: SmithAndDaphne (nothing to see, YET)

Twitter: @SmithAndDaphne (again, nothing there yet)

New blog! smithanddaphne.blogspot.com - I will be using the new blog soon. I'll update when I've officially switched.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T19:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween

This was the extent of my pumpkin decor - and it turns out, the acrylic paint worked fine this time!

Mouse Pad

2010-10-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

I would love to have a new mouse pad at work. Just realized that I saved this tutorial a while back - I have cork and scraps of fabric. I might try making myself one this weekend...

via Funky & Delightful

His and Hers Pillowcases

2010-10-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

A while back, I decided to make a "his and hers" set of pillowcases. I saw a floral flannel that I liked, but didn't think hubby would be too fond of the coral-y pink and the flowers. So I bought him a circle print.

Now that it finally feels like fall, I really wanted to get these pillowcases finished. I bought the two main fabrics a while back, but it was on a whim and I didn't really know how much I needed. Once I washed it up, I saw that I needed just a little more to get them the right size. I decided to make the cuffs match each other to bring the two cases together a little bit. There was a big sale at Joann this weekend, and since I was there anyways I bought the last little bit I needed. This was a pretty quick project, and I did hardly any measuring and only a little cutting. The construction is simple, too.

I used 3/4 yd of the "main" fabric on each one, plus 1/4 yd of the contrasting cuff (so 1/2 yd total of contrast for 2 pillows [or] 1 yd total per pillowcase). I washed it all first, then trimmed it up to make everything straight and make the two main fabric pieces the same size. I just cut the contrasting fabric in half (lengthwise - to get 2 long strips). I don't know what size I ended up with, but pillowcases are pretty forgiving so let's not worry about that.

I decided to use French seams to keep everything nice and enclosed. I also hadn't used French seams before and wanted to see how it went. I started by lining up one cuffed piece (folded in half, wrong sides together) with one body piece - keep wrong sides together first, and line up the raw edges. Sew along that edge (3/8" allowance?), then flip them around so right sides are together, like usual. Sew along there with a slightly bigger allowance (or trim the 1st one down and sew with the same allowance, but I didn't want to mess with trimming, etc). It helps to press the seam open after the 1st step, then press it again when you flip it so that 2nd seam is smoother.
You'll end up with a nicely enclosed seam. That's the finished seam between cuff and body below. (I didn't take pics of the other pillowcase because I sewed it right sides together to start and didn't want to rip the seam out. So it has one "regular" seam, haha).

I did the bottom seam next, exactly the same way (make sure it's all lined up, sew with wrong sides together, then right sides together). Then I trimmed everything before I sewed the side seam, because I must sew crooked and my sides weren't lining up nicely. :)

See how you have an ugly outside seam for a while? That's what you want for the first step. I am always messing up on right sides together/wrong sides together/make sure things match/etc etc. I had to keep reminding myself to do it this way, which is why the first seam on "his" pillowcase isn't a French seam.

You're all done! Just three seams to sew (6 if you count the inside out/outside in/doubleness of French seams).
Stuff with pillow.
Admire your new sew of pillowcases. (Ignore how they don't match the rest of your bedding).

Enjoy the lovely snuggliness of flannel.

Sewing Class

2010-10-26T22:49:00.001-07:00

For my birthday, my parents gave me money to use for a sewing class. Now, I have to decide what class I want to take. I've looked at a few options:

* A 5 week "Intermediate Sewing" course covering sewing a shirt? That would help me with a lot of garment sewing things that kind of scare me (like arm holes!)
* A 2-day class to sew a knit dress? Has the garment construction things AND knit (which scares me a little)
* A class to sew a pencil skirt
* A "dresses" class
* Something else???

I need to do more research on what's available around here, but I'm also indecisive and might take too much time trying to decide! It might be better to wait until after the holidays anyways. We'll see.

Bag Swap - Finished Bag

2010-10-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Since I know my partner, Bess, got her bag, I'll go ahead and post all the pics. I used the Ruthie Clutch from Anna Maria Horner with Amy Butler's Wallflower print in Sky. I lined it with a yellow Kona cotton (I think it's Maize), and I found a nice wooden button for the closure. I love this big, oversized clutch! And I love the fabric. And I had fun making it.

I changed two things in the pattern:
1) I added a slip pocket on the lining, basically just a big rectangle divided into 3 pockets. *note* I totally forgot that I wanted to do this until I'd already sewn the lining... so it took a bit of trickery to get it sewn in there! I wrote myself a nice note on the pattern for next time

2) I pleated the exterior instead of just gathering it. It's sort of a hybrid gathered-pleat thing, especially in the back. I just wasn't liking the way it was looking with regular gathers. I was more purposeful on the front and actually ironed out (in?) the pleats before gathering; on the back I did the opposite (which is why it became the back).

I had a little trouble with the interfacing on the top band too, because apparently it was a couple of inches narrower from the bolt than the pattern called for. I didn't even think to check the width, because I used the interfacing she recommended. Oh well, nothing I could do about it by the time I figured it out (sorry, Bess!) It's one of those things that gives it character. When I bought the pattern, I was told that her instructions for the band were a little weird and the shop owner told me another way to do it. When I got home and read the pattern, though, I decided to just do it as written. The only trouble was keeping the interfacing at the right spot in the fabric band when I was fusing it, because the fabric ends up wrapping around it and getting stitched into the lining very nicely - but I had several spots where it didn't go as nicely because I had the interfacing too high. If that makes any sense at all... Basically, I might just cut the band bigger next time so I can get it to cover my inside seam.

I also sent her a little zippered pouch because, well, I wanted to make one. My last attempt at a zipper was not great. This one was much better.

I wanted the package to look fun when it arrived too, and I got a great bag from a store the other day that I decided to re-use. It was a flat bag, so I just cut off a little from one side of the top, like so:

Rounded it off to make a prettier flap:

And put a piece of paper on top for the address.

And I definitely plan to make one of these for myself. But not until I finish at least a few other things... I did get a WIP finished yesterday, though! However, I have managed to destroy the pictures. Well, not destroy, but Aperture thinks they're lost. And this being the first time I've ever used Aperture, I don't know how to make it see them. And unless Aperture sees them, I have to re-edit them all. Boo.

But the bag is done, and I'm expecting a package in the mail. Lovely!

Slow Sunday

2010-10-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

Today feels like fall, which makes me happy. It's rainy outside, and we get to stay inside where it's nice and cozy. We had pumpkin pancakes for breakfast - they were really good (I used this recipe, from Martha Stewart Living through Urban Comfort). I'm in the midst of washing fabrics, sewing, some crocheting... and I think there will be some Grey's Anatomy in a bit. With hot apple cider.

I'm also working on getting an Etsy shop up and running. Right now, I'm stuck on figuring out a name! I know it's not the most vital thing ever, but I can't really change it once it's done and all the names I've liked are already taken!

My clutch for the Bag Swap is done and mailed as of yesterday. I'll give it a couple of days and then post pics.

**I went to go find my camera and got totally distracted. Pictures tomorrow! Much crafty/sewing goodness going on today, including new flannel pillowcases. Yay. :) Now it's time for Grey's & apple cider.

Cashews

2010-10-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

Crazy. I had no idea.

from TrekNature

Bag Swap! Part 2

2010-10-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

The bag is finished! I need to take some pictures, wrap it up, and ship it out. And then make myself one, because I really like it. :)

That means there's 1 less item on the WIP list, too!

I also did a little thrifting over the weekend. Pics to come. (I always think of these things at night).

*Finished: here*

Birthday Pt. 2

2010-10-19T22:50:00.000-07:00

Today is my husband's birthday, and we celebrated our birthdays together with my family last night and with his family tonight. I now have money for sewing classes, fabric, new clothes, and coffee - these people know me well!

Colors & Value

2010-10-18T22:52:00.001-07:00

Last month, I went to the library and ended up checking out First-Time Quiltmaking: Learning to Quilt in Six Easy Lessons by Becky Johnston. I wanted something to flip through in case I got stuck somewhere on the baby quilt. At the back of the book, it shows quilts made by beginning quilters (the book is basically the lessons she teaches to new quilters in classes). These caught my eye, because they're all the same design but it comes across so differently in each one. I think it's just the values of the fabrics they each chose, so I popped them into black & white to make the value more obvious. Here they are:

In this one, the center (plain) squares are the lightest value,
stripes are mid-tone on edges with darkest in the middle-
to me, the centers look like a background and stripes pop off
(forgive the weird cropping, they overlapped in the book)

center squares are darkest
stripes have mid-tone (one a little darker) on edges with lightest in the middle-
the centers float over the background of layered squares

centers are very light,
stripes have very dark on one edge, light in middle, midtone on other edge-
ends up looking like squares with edges chopped off; also pattern looks more like the first one

this has a midtone in centers,
stripes have dark tone on one edge, mid-tone on other, and lightest in middle-
the center squares at the "intersections" float above the background squares

I'm not into analyzing what values do to each other at the moment, but I think this is an interesting reference in case I ever make a quilt and happen to actually consider the values before I pick out fabrics (not likely - I'll probably see/buy fabric and decide to make a quilt, not the other way around).

Autumn Potholders

2010-10-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

Aren't these cute? I plan to make myself a version of this. I say "version" because I'm not going to go buy wool felt for it, but I have an old sweater that's a pretty rusty red that - I just checked - is 100% wool! It doesn't fit, and at one point was in a Goodwill bag. Luckily I saved it. And kept it with no specific plans. But voila! Instant made plans. Maybe I can rescue some other fall colored sweaters at Goodwill itself, because I'd really rather have a multicolor potholder.

I also love that blue Le Creuset in the background. And I want to make a pretty little tablecloth. And eat soup. And have fall weather (it's been in the 90's!!!)

Instructions at Design*Sponge.

October 13

2010-10-13T20:01:00.001-07:00

Today is my birthday! It's been pretty low-key, I went to work for about 1/2 a day, my mom took me to lunch with my aunt & grandma, and then I went shopping! :) I didn't buy much, but I got some fabric, an Anna Maria Horner pattern, and some yarn. The WIP list will be growing.

I found a cute (little) fabric store today! It's called StitchCraft, and it's in downtown Petaluma. There's also an Etsy store! If you're in the area and you want a helpful, local place to shop, I highly recommend it.

Off to go hang out with my man.

Progress on the Quilt

2010-10-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

I've got nothing to show for it, but I spent a bunch of time picking out stitches tonight - woohoo! But not really. Pretty boring.

I am making progress, though. I just need to restitch a corner and then I think I'll finally be ready to trim it down and work on the binding. Oh, and I need to tie off and trim some threads.

WIP: Baby Quilt

2010-10-10T17:50:00.001-07:00

Here's another WIP; I've been planning to work on this one all day. This sounds like more fun than laundry and cleaning the bathroom, but won't happen till those are done. So here I am at 9:30 trying to find time to work on it...

I don't even really know why I'm making this. I bought fabric with someone sort-of-in-mind, but then I didn't make it for them. Now I'm just making it because I want to. It's the first quilt I've made (other than a mini one). It's pretty simple, but it should be warm and cozy. It's all quilting cottons on the front, but the back is a nice soft flannel. I made a lot of progress on this when I was sick a few weeks ago, but I haven't gotten too far since then. This is due to two things. 1: I did NOT pin good enough when I was quilting it, so I caught the edge up in the quilting in two spots. Those have been picked out, but I need to requilt them. 2: My sewing table is actually our kitchen table, which is also my husband's "desk," and he's been busy with homework.

I think this is going to go to my cousin, who's due with her first boy (she already has 2 super cute girls) at the end of January. So at least I have some time till it needs to be finished.

Hopefully I'll have an update on this soon!

Pumpkins - To Carve or Not?

2010-10-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Instructions at Country Living

I saw these super cute painted pumpkins at Design*Sponge - I LOVE that wood-grain one! It would also be cute as zebra... or another animal print...

I think I tried painting on a pumpkin last year, though, and it didn't work out so well. I feel like I'm always trying to do something cool to my pumpkins but it never works out. I'm not even good at carving them. Maybe this year I'll stick with something basic... I like this bat, though. And look, it has little beady eyes! And there's a stencil for it. But using a stencil for a pumpkin seems complicated. So does attaching wire. And a twig. And beads.

Better Homes and Gardens

I also think I like the look of a black pumpkin:

Better Homes & Gardens - "Black and Bling"

And I think I'd like this swirly design even better on an orange pumpkin:

Better Homes & Gardens

I think it's also about time to make some pumpkin cookies (mmm, I love cookies). I made some last year and topped them off with some sort of cinnamon/brown sugar glaze (because I wanted to do a powdered sugar glaze but had no powdered sugar and lived too far from a grocery store to run out and get some), but I do not remember the recipe. I don't know if I even wrote it down, or if it was something I found online, or in a cookbook - no idea.

And on a(nother) side note - I think the Amy Butler book I was looking for is actually out at the house we were living in when those pumpkin cookies were made. No idea when I'll be able to get back out there, though. Am seriously contemplating making up my own clutch pattern... ?

Knit Owls

2010-10-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

Um, these amaze me. And I kind of want to learn how to knit (not because of this, but I am highly impressed).

by kate at needled

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

2010-10-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

Mmm, I saw this on Orangette - I think this will become a Sunday lunch sometime soon.

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon
Adapted slightly (by Molly Wizenberg) from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, by Melissa Clark

4 Tbsp. olive oil, plus additional good oil for drizzling
2 large yellow onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
A few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne or Aleppo pepper, or more to taste
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups red lentils, picked through for stones and debris
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add the onions and garlic and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the broth, 2 cups water, the lentils, and the carrots. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Continue to cook until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste, and add more salt if necessary. Using an immersion or regular blender, puree about half of the soup. It should still be somewhat chunky, not completely smooth. Reheat if necessary, then stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. Serve the soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted very lightly with cayenne, if desired.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Love These

2010-10-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

I saw these pillowcases somewhere a while back, but I can't remember where it was. Oh well. I love them, looked them up, saw how much they cost (for pillowcases?), and decided it was a no-go. Then I kept thinking about them and decided to go ahead and buy them. And I think they're lovely. Haha.

They need to be ironed after washing, though...

They also come in 4 other colors! And Lush Designs also sells things like this cute monkey plate.

Bag Swap!

2010-10-02T16:57:00.001-07:00

It's October! I am absolutely in love with fall. Every season, I think to myself, "This is great. But so are spring/summer/fall/winter. Maybe I don't really have a favorite season." Except in fall. Then, I know. THIS is my favorite. It gets to me in a way that the other seasons try to but never quite succeed.

I realized the other night just how many projects I have going on right now. If you asked me before then how many things I was working on, I'd guess two or maybe three. It's sort of like my delusions about loving all the seasons equally. Because the list is more like ten. And that's without counting the "projects" that aren't actually being worked on (such as the changes I want to make to things I already have), much less the ones that only exist in my head.

The newest one is the Super Style Bag Swap, hosted by Sew, Mama, Sew. After anxiously checking my email all day yesterday and wondering if my email got lost somewhere, I received my partner info this morning. Yay!

This should be a fun project, and it has a deadline so I know it's not going to be an "in progress since 1928" type of thing. I'll be making her a clutch, which is a first. I haven't made all that many bags to begin with, but I like trying new things. Now I need to decide what to make, pick out fabrics, and get sewing! I remember there being a clutch in my Amy Butler book, but I can't seem to find the book - that's my next task. There are quite a few other options I like, though. These are a few:

Pocket Clutch by Keyka Lou
pattern sold at Sew Mama Sew

Ruthie Clutch by Anna Maria Horner

Scrappy Clutch at From An Igloo

*Finished: here*

Happy Anniversary!

2010-09-24T08:16:00.001-07:00

I have so many things I keep meaning to blog about... This is just a quick one - it's my & my husband's 5th anniversary! Love him so much.

Farmer's Market

2010-07-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

Things I learned at the farmer's market:

1. Don't eat powdered sugar covered beignets while the wind is blowing into your face.
2. Beignets are delicious.

We went to the farmer's market last night, and I had my first taste of a beignet. It was delightful. We bought some fat carrots and green beans.

When we went a few weeks ago, I got some perfect strawberries, honey, and some sort of greens (which I accidentally threw out). I ate a few of them that weekend on top of applesauce with chopped walnuts and honey. Also delicious.

They were bright red and perfectly ripe and sweet

I'm trying to eat more fruits and veggies, and it's easy when you have this to work with

Bookcase - Finished!

2010-06-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

The bookcase is finished! Don't look too closely or you may question my use of the term "finished"... But it looks complete enough and is fully functional so I'm done!

Note to self: Do NOT let the guy who made the wrong cuts pick out new pieces for you. He has shown his incompetence in cutting and it may carry over to his 1x4 choosing - and you might get several pieces of curvy, crooked, junk wood. Which you cannot make straight by trying to nail the heck out of it. Please don't look at the side of my bookcase.

That unstained piece there? Was supposed to be the bottom shelf. You can't
see the other side, but it is stained - and facing this way, would be against
the floor. Had to pull that apart and redo it.

I did like making this, though! I learned several things (see above), including a lot about staining, drilling, and following your plans! I had to make a few adjustments due to my own forgetfulness. I forgot to attach two pieces in the right order, and unless I was going to try to pull them back out I had to just go with it. I didn't realize until later that that meant I had to alter several other pieces also, but hey - it holds books.

Staining the wood. I used Minwax gel stain in Cherrywood. This was
pine, so I used the pre-stain conditioner, too, which worked well.

I also made some fabric baskets to hold our bits of stuff that didn't have a home. It added some nice color to our beige rental. The blue and green vases I got from Cost Plus when they were giving away gift cards for helping review their website - they've been boxed up for over a year, waiting for a place to belong. The little owl was something my Dad brought me from a trip to Italy, and it sat on my desk in college. His beak is broken, but I think it just gives him character. :) I made sure the bottom shelf could hold binders, since we have several and they're kind of hard to store. It was really nice to be able to customize everything.

I realized we have way too many books for one bookcase, though. I actually suspected that already, since this is what we had in our old apartment:

Two bookcases. But this being my first building project, my hubby thought one would be more practical than two. I'm sure one got completed much more quickly than two, and even that took plennnnty of time. So, it turns out he was right (shhhh...).

Also - this bookcase was practically free because we bought it with a gift card we got with our credit card rewards. Score! Can't wait to try something else from Knock-Off Wood. I'm thinking some nightstands are in order... Perhaps something like this?

One item checked off the list, another one added.

Puppy Pillow

2010-06-20T15:39:00.001-07:00

I've been busy working on several different projects - including trying to figure out my little camera. The following pictures are not great, but hey, it's a work in progress (well, I'm hoping there will be progress).

A few weeks ago I made a pillow for Giuseppe, our dog. He loves laying on blankets, throw pillows, etc. I wanted him to have his own because I didn't like sharing, haha.

This puppy pillow cost me about $4. I bought the center pieces at Joann's as discontinued samples. They're a tough, stain resistant/water resistant/who-knows-what-else material, which is nice because, well, our dog lays on it. The red fabric is recycled, although I can't remember where it came from. The stuffing is from an old pillow that had been replaced. (And why I still had it, I don't know.)

I had my first try making mitered corners and boxed edges with this pillow. It wasn't too hard. I looked online to figure out the mitering, and there were several different methods people seemed to be using. I did basically a combination of this and this. I started by sewing red strips of fabric to the center panel, overlapping at the corners, and folding one strip at an an angle to get a crease where the mitered edge would be. Then I just sewed along that line. I didn't topstitch like the sham example, and I didn't mess with all the marking and line drawing on the BHG example. It worked pretty well. The only problem was one strip that I had to redo because I didn't line it up to overlap with one of the other sides.

Giuseppe's verdict? He likes it. Most of the time.

When I started writing this, he was laying next to the pillow. Now he's actually on it. Works for me.

Salsa Makes it Better

2010-06-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

It's taken me 5 years (well, to be fair, about 3 yr) to make tacos that my husband actually liked. The problem has been with the ground beef mixture. I started out making them the exact same way my mom does, then revised that, then re-revised that, then made him tacos with plain ground beef (gross), then something else, on and on, until I made this, and he liked it. This post has been just a saved recipe for... I don't know, months. I keep looking it up to make sure I'm making my own tacos the right way, haha. Now I'm finally finishing it.

Brown a package of ground beef (how much? I don't know, a pound? We bought a bunch of beef that my uncle raised, so we have all these little packages of ground beef...)
Add chopped onion (about 1/3-1/2 of a white onion)
Slice 1 clove garlic, add to beef
Chop some oregano (2 small stems?), throw it in
Add salt & pepper
Add red salsa and a little bit of water; cook until water is evaporated

Just add everything to taste. Sometimes I add other stuff; tonight I used a little cumin and 2 cloves of garlic. I'm sure it would be great with homemade salsa, but I just use medium Pace chunky salsa.

Salsa is also the secret to my guacamole. My husband makes better guacamole, but he takes forever and sometimes he just doesn't feel like making it. I just smush up an avocado, add some lime juice (1/2 a lime? if we have fresh), a little garlic salt, green salsa (not too much), and Cholula. Mix it all together, add salsa if needed. Or anything else if needed.

Apparently, tacos also taste better when I actually put them together for him... suspicious, yes?

PS - Costco sells raw tortillas that you cook at home - LOVE.them.

Adding Details

2010-05-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend was nice and productive! I didn't have plans over the weekend (for the first time in a while), which gave me time to just work on things around home. The bookcase is completely built and in place, it has books on it, things are getting put into their "real" places around the apartment, and I even got to buy some new fabric. We've had our main furniture set up (ie, couch and TV) but the dining table is in the middle of our main space, sort of between the living room space/dining room space, and not much decorating has gone on around here. I'm almost done putting everything into the bookcase; the last step is some fabric boxes to store some loose odds and ends. I made one box tonight, and I have everything ready to get the other three done. This is the fabric:

Joann

It was kind of a last-minute decision, but I really like it. I tend to spend WAY too long shopping for everything, and this was no exception. I was in a hurry to meet my parents at Starbucks, though, and I had to just pick something. Worked out well!

Tonight was the first time I'd used my sewing machine in about a year and half - it felt good! I've been using my mom's machine, but even then it's been a few months since I've sewn anything. More projects are on my mind to work on soon - we'll see when they happen... Hopefully the boxes will be finished tomorrow. They're adding some nice color to our beige-y living room.

Settling In

2010-05-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

I have several WIP's going on right now, and I keep thinking about (and planning) more. We're still settling in to our apartment and trying to find places to put everything is still a challenge! Right now, my biggest project is a bookcase. We sold ours before we put everything into storage two years ago, and when we found the apartment a few months ago, I started looking for replacements. Bookcases are expensive!

Then one day, I came across Knock-Off Wood. It is one of my new favorite sites! Ana builds furniture, provides free plans, lives in Alaska (my birthplace!) and is generally just awesome. I'm working on this. When it's finished (someday) I'll get some photo evidence.

In other news, we watched Iron Man on Friday night and went to see Iron Man 2 on Saturday. Liked them both!

Long Time No See!

2010-04-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

I keep thinking about things I want to record here, but I haven't posted anything since September! We are now in our own apartment, with a constant Internet connection. It's been great to be able to catch up on blogs and shop and waste time in all the other silly ways I missed.

Speaking of things I do on the Internet - Do you ever watch a commercial and really like the song? I love the songs in the Kindle commercials, and I looked them up to see who sings them. The first one that came out around Christmas didn't have anything to download, but tonight I looked it up again (there's a newer commercial with another good song) and guess what? The song is on Amazon for FREE! Check it out!

Lovely Package - From Me

2009-09-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

Short post - my Internet is working at home today!

This is the package I sent off for the Lovely Package exchange:

Haven't received mine in the mail yet, but I'll post when I do (and can).

August Already?

2009-08-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that August is already here. It's been quite a busy summer. My husband just got back about a week and half ago - he's just about done with the Navy and is home for good!

He was totally sweet and surprised me when he flew in. My parents knew and tricked me into going to the airport to supposedly pick up some packages my dad needed for work. When we walked into the airport - there he was! I think I just stared at him at first, because it took a minute to sink in. The thought had crossed my mind during the week that he could surprise me, but I didn't really think he would. It didn't even occur to me that night, because I didn't think he'd be flying in to that airport.

It's wonderful to have him back.

The Internet, on the other hand... It's slightly difficult to get to right now. We're staying at his parents' vacation house, which does not have Internet access. We're using a wireless network which is kind of sketchy. I had high hopes to get back into some sewing, crafting, blogging, etc. but it looks like it will be slow going. I'm using most of my time trying to catch up on some of the blogs I like!

Lovely

2009-07-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

Heidi alerted me to the Lovely Package Exchange. I just signed up. Tonight's the last night - hurry!

Another Goodbye

2009-07-11T21:41:00.001-07:00

It's been quite a hectic few weeks. Last night, my grandfather passed away. This is the second grandparent I've lost, one on each side of the family. He fell a couple weeks ago and cut open the back of his head; since then, his health just got worse and worse. Much of the family was there last night, and I'm so grateful for all the support we have through these tough times. He was a good man who always made us laugh. He'll be missed.

In Memory...

2009-06-22T22:33:00.001-07:00

My grandma passed away this weekend. She was diagnosed with cancer in December, and her body was too weak to fight off an infection that hit her last week. It's hard to believe that she's really gone. This is the first grandparent I've lost, and it's just so strange to think that someone who has been a part of my life since I was born isn't here anymore. I believe that I will see her again someday, and knowing that this separation isn't forever and that she's been freed from the troubles of this world brings me comfort. My family and I appreciate any prayers - thank you!

Projects I Plan to Finish... Perhaps

2009-06-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

I started a few "refashioning" projects a couple of months ago. Then my husband came home on leave, and since then I've just been busy. I have a couple of bridal showers coming up, and a very low budget for new clothes, so if I just had the time to finish these... problem solved. However, this is what it all looks like right now:

What's in the box? (Not cheese, but I do recommend this company!)

Unwearable clothes - yippee!

A soon-to-be cardigan: Old pullover that had just shrunk too much, with hand-crocheted trim and flowers (still not sure about the khaki trim)

An old shirt (already cut apart): I was thinking about using this to make some floppy flower embellishments, then wasn't sure, then I saw Blair's post and I'm back to that idea...

Another old sweater which will become a cardigan - and this one needs hardly any work, just some sewing up the middle. Not too summery, though :(

My tank top! I was ALMOST finished when I hit a bump in the road and stopped...

This is the section that gave me the trouble! There's some hand sewing here and I totally messed up on that. But I got some tips from Amy (thank you!) and I'm ready to finish it up!

So, those are my projects. Maybe someday I can show the completed "new" clothes!

Traveling Turkey

2009-06-18T11:45:00.001-07:00

I just had to share these pictures I took on my phone the other day....

If you look closely, you can see the TURKEY sitting in the front seat of this man's car. (I know it's a man's car because he came outside soon after I took these pictures.) Pet turkey? Dinner? Who knows!

New Job!

2009-06-15T22:18:00.001-07:00

I've been looking for a new job for a while, and I found out on Friday that I got one! I had an interview at a Chase branch last Monday, and I start work as a teller two weeks from today. I called my husband as soon as I found out, and he must have called the florist right afterwards, because look what showed up on Saturday:

(Sorry for the poor quality, I forgot to take one during daylight hours so this is a quickie from Photo Booth). Isn't that sweet of him? :) We've been apart for a while now, and it was so nice of him to think of sending flowers from the other side of the country.

There were several reasons I was looking for something new. #1: I needed more hours (right now I've been working 2 part-time jobs totaling only about 20-25 hr. a week, plus some subbing off and on when school was in). I thought this one was going to be about 20 hours a week, but they told me they had a 30 hour position also, and they'd like me for that one. #2: One of my current jobs is constantly on-call, where I find out around lunchtime when (or whether) I'll be working that afternoon/evening. It's not ideal to begin with, and I especially didn't want to deal with that once my husband and I are back in the same house.

This is a huge blessing, and such a relief. My husband is leaving the Navy this August, and we'll be relocating back home to Sonoma County. I think I've applied for something like 50 jobs or so (several of which were very vague, Craigslist postings), and this was the first one that I got called in for an interview. The job situation has been stressful, but this opportunity has really helped with that. I'll keep one of my other jobs (which is only about 8-10 hrs) but I gave my notice for the other already. Now we just need to figure out what the boy will do. Yay!

Swallowfield

2009-06-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

Over at WiseCraft, Blair has started having monthly sponsors. This month the sponsor is Jen Judd-McGee of Swallowfield. The previews on WiseCraft tempted me to wander into her Etsy store, and now? Well, now I'm trying to decide what I want.

I recently found a gift card from Christmas that I'd thought was long gone (I have a tendency to put things in weird places and find them months later....) so I designated part of it as "Etsy money." The problem with vague "Etsy money" is that there are far too many things I like on Etsy. Swallowfied, though... Like I said, I'm trying to decide what I want. It appeared in the right place at the right time. I'm fond of the collages, such as this one:

However, I think my budget is running more towards prints. (Check out WiseCraft for some special offers!)

Browsing Registries

2009-05-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

My (little) brother is getting married this August. I was taking a look at their registry and thought about how interesting it is to look at what people have picked out for themselves. Whenever I hear that someone I know, even slightly, is getting married, I try to find their registry. Does anyone else do this? I feel a little stalkerish, but it's fun. You can see what someone's taste is, how well they put things together (or don't), and sometimes how well tastes or ideas are combined between bride and groom.

In this case, however, I am supposed to look, so yay! And then I start looking for other things, putting my own twist on their style... but that's mostly all daydreaming. I tend to "shop" for things I can't afford. This, though, is cute:

And it's only $28. The brother and fiancee are doing all sorts of bright colors, especially orange in the kitchen. This has that accent of orange that really stands out against the blue, and it doesn't even need flowers! I have several vases that rarely get used, but they're clear. Clear = hard to use as empty accessories. Hmmm...

And on a(nother) side note, looking at their registry makes me miss all my stuff. I've been living with my parents since August, and I can't wait to be back in my own home with my boy and all of our things. I'm super grateful for my parents, and my mom has some stuff that I don't have, but it's hers. It also makes me remember registering and how I would revise some of that if I were to do it over again today. Did I really need to register for a pineapple corer/slicer?!

I Love Free Things!

2009-05-22T00:11:00.001-07:00

This morning I got a phone call asking whether I'd like some stuff from an old house that's about to be torn down. Score! I now have a little chest of drawers just crying out for a makeover, and two old doors on hold - one with 10 panes of beveled glass and a fabulous old glass knob, and another solid wood paneled one that may become our 1st headboard (that's right, after 3 1/2 years we still don't have a "real" bed, just a box spring and mattress on the frame that came with them). No picture, since it's now nighttime and it's in the back of the car, but it may reappear as my own before & after another day.

Being on a *very* limited budget, haha, I've been slowly collecting things for our one-day house. I was catching up on some Design*Sponge before & afters and had to share this one. I have chairs that are similar:

This photo is the one from their Craigslist listing, and it doesn't quite do justice to the color... Aren't they a great shape, though?!

I got them for free off of Craigslist, and I want to reupholster them myself (because it sounds fun), but I don't know what I'm doing so I'm afraid to start. I'm also afraid of how much it will cost to have someone else do it, so I'm in a bit of a pickle. But someday, they'll be great! :) I'm glad she used a print on the ones on Design*Sponge, because I've been wondering how a print would look with those backs... The jury is still out. I'm not exactly close to working on that project, though, so I guess the fabric decision can wait.

Tomorrow I'm off to SoCal for my future sister-in-law's college graduation - Hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Green Things

2009-05-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

I have a thing for trees (not unlike a certain Dr. who has a thing for ferry boats... haha). But seriously, I really like them. Trees and ferns and mossy things. Green things. Forest-y things.

So I give you some forest-y photos:

Also: One day during my student teaching, a little boy described to me something he found at the park. It was "tiny little grass", he said. "Like this," and he pointed to some moss.

Weeder's Digest

2009-05-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing at Design*Sponge is the Weeder's Digest. LOVE it. The photos are beautiful and make me happy. They make me want to be a florist. Check it out if you haven't seen it before.

Hello, again!

2009-05-17T22:13:00.001-07:00

Well, my husband headed back to Virginia for the summer; the bright side is that I have more computer time. Semi-bright.

I just wanted to write a quick post to get back in. A few vacation photos - Monterey and Disneyland:

Monterey Bay Aquarium - loved it!

My boy & me at the aquarium :)

View out of our window at the Disneyland Hotel

The Matterhorn from an Autopia car

Us!

Time Off...

2009-04-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks I've been BUSY trying to get ahead on schoolwork, so it's been quiet over here. The reason? My husband is back! He was stationed overseas for the past 8 months, but now he's on leave and we're just busy spending time together. :) We have a vacation coming up next week - should be fun!

He'll be around for about a month - so until then, there may not be any updates. But check back later on.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T20:48:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter!

Image from The Kitchn

My Purse

2009-04-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is the purse I mentioned. I used the Fiona bag pattern from Jenna Lou's Etsy shop, and it was very easy to use. She sells completed bags, too. :)

I made this last fall, and was really wanting something plaid. The upper part is a green/blue/cream plaid, and the rest of the bag is a brown corduroy. I lined it with a blue/tealish fabric and made myself some wonky little pockets for my cell phone, iPod, and lip gloss. I also made a little loop for my keys (which I keep on a caribiner), because I loathe digging for them.

I keep seeing this, the Buttercup bag, all over the (blog) world. It'll be one of my next projects, as soon as I decide what to make it with.

Tote Bag

2009-04-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this since last week, but when I went to upload the pictures, my camera decided its battery was dead. So I took the battery out, charged it, and forgot. Today, I decided to finally get those pictures onto my computer, but when I tried to connect the camera, nothing happened.... Lo and behold, I had forgotten to put the battery back in. :) Oops.

This bag itself had quite a lengthy, yet unexciting story as well. A while back I made myself a small purse, and my best friend asked if I would make her a bag - not a purse, but a bigger bag she could use for school. Sometime before Christmas, we met at Joann's to pick out fabric, and she bought a pattern, too. Then we headed back to my house to teach her how to sew. We had quite a bit of trouble with the bobbins and threading the machine and other things that I really do know how to do, but for some reason everything kept going wrong. We made it about halfway through before the thread got weird again, and she needed to get home. I set it aside and meant to get together with her again to finish it, but things kept coming up and it never happened. About two weeks ago, I pulled the bag out and decided to just finish it myself. And I did just that.

So, this may be anticlimactic by this point, but I present: our tote bag

The bag was pretty big - there are two 2-liter soda bottles inside of it holding it up, and I could have fit one more inside. The pattern was for an unlined bag, but we decided to line it since the fabric she picked for the outside wasn't great on the wrong side and a lining is just more fun. It's basically a big rectangle hemmed and sewn up the long sides. Then the bottom corners were boxed, which was really confusing in the pattern directions. I had seen a website before, and I looked back it when I was trying to figure this out and it made much more sense. Now, however, I can't seem to find the website... This one is pretty good, though. I've seen others cut a square out of the corners and then sew it up, but that seems more complicated to me. It was very easy once I figured it out!

Update: The pattern is The Green Pepper Market Tote, found here

Spring Wallpaper

2009-03-25T19:02:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you, but I change the wallpaper on my desktop ALL the time. Over at Kindred, they have great, free wallpapers. They're using it as a way to showcase independent artists and designers. The first one I clicked happened to be from Hadley Hutton, whom I've seen (and loved) over at Etsy. No need to look farther! Although I did, in fact, look farther because I was curious. Now my computer looks like this:

Yay for pretty spring things! Head over to Kindred to get your own.

Barry

2009-03-17T22:54:00.000-07:00

This is "my" band's album cover, or something like that... haha. I think we're kind of mellow but not too serious.

This is just something I got from Dork-a-thon, a fun little time-waster :)

Here’s how it works:

1 - Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random”

The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to Quotations Page and select “random quotations”

The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”

Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together.

Wicked

2009-03-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

Guess where I was on Friday night? That's right - we went to see Wicked! This was my Christmas present from my parents. I didn't really know what to expect. I knew it had something to do with the witches of Oz, and I'd heard it was good, but that was all. I really liked it. It was funny and entertaining and had a good story, plus it's just fun to go down to the city and see a show. We had dinner at PF Chang's on the way there - which was delicious.

If you're in the Bay Area, or New York, or if you can catch Wicked on the tour - I highly recommend it! Catch it before it's gone...

Coming Home Someday

2009-03-03T22:54:00.000-08:00

Lucky
Jason Mraz featuring Colbie Caillat

Do you hear me,
I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying
Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair
Though the breezes through trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I'm lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

I'm really liking this song right now.

Rainy Travel

2009-03-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

It has been rainy around here, which I must confess, I enjoy. I don't enjoy getting wet on my way from the car into a store, or into work, but other than that, I like the rain. I also like thinking about places I could travel to someday... some far distant day. Here are a few of the places I want to visit, rainy (or not):

Clockwise: Paris, Egypt, Costa Rica (somewhere rainforest-y), Ireland, Japan, San Francisco (my favorite city!), Venice (this is technically Murano), and Germany.

Tickled Pink!

2009-03-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

I won fabric! Sew, Mama, Sew! was doing a weekly giveaway during February, and last week, I won a set of pink fat quarters! It was so fun to get my package in the mail. :)

I got:
Alexander Henry - All Cotton - Cute, yes?

Pink Gingham - maybe from Tanya Whelan's Darla collection?

Erin McMorris - Park Slope - Poppy Dot Floral

Amy Butler - Midwest Modern - Happy Dots - how great is that name? Happy dots. :)

Alexander Henry - Spring Mix

Heather Bailey - Bijoux - Tiled Primrose

Yay for winning things!

"Through"

2009-02-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

I love images that are peaceful and calm but somehow brimming with that energy that beauty brings. This one that I saw on Design*Sponge caught my attention immediately. Abbey described it as "magical." And it is.

Photo by Caroline Somp (see her work at Etsy here and her blog here).

Flowers

2009-02-16T21:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday involved quite a bit of flower arranging, which is something I enjoy doing. I can't say that I'm much good at it, but as long as I'm given something decent to work with, it works out fine.

I'd love to take a class on flower arranging someday.

Flowers for a meeting at my dad's store tomorrow night - white and yellow alstroemeria and greenery

Flowers for my grandma, who made us dinner last night - white alstroemeria with yellow roses, some little pink flower I don't know, and greenery including eucalyptus - which I love, but you can't see in this picture

A little bouquet for the house made from the early spring flowers in the yard - Camellias (isn't that bud delicious?), azaleas, and some pinkish/purple fuzzy thing (as you can tell, my floral knowledge is kind of limited). It's in this cool container that my mom picked up at Butchart Gardens on a vacation stop. It's a small glass dish with lots of little holes in it for individual stems - it might have a name, but I don't know it.

And finally, roses for my mom, who just got back from Africa today after 2 weeks there with a missions group

Matryoshka

2009-02-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

While I was looking up all sorts of "Nest" goodness, I kept running across nesting dolls, or matryoshka. These have always been fascinating to me; the smaller they get, the better. Turns out they're a pretty popular icon! I tried to find out what the biggest one ever was, and I think it was a 72-piece Matryoshka, seen below:

Isn't that crazy big?

Like I said, there are matryoshka everywhere. Here are some of my favorites:

This necklace with a tiny doll accent:

"MY LITTLE BABUSHKA" Locket Necklace
(these are also sometimes called Babushka, but apparently that's not
correct terminology... but I'm no expert, so whatever)

I love these. Wouldn't they be a great accent to a dressing table? I'd love to have a big closet that could be a dressing room, with a little vanity and big mirrors... But these are a realistic compromise:

LUNE DE MIEL nesting dolls

Matryoshka dolls in fun, modern colors and designs:

nikita // nushka dolls

Cute notecards!

Pear Girl Nesting Doll Note Card Set

And last, but not least, this print:

What's Inside

Twilight

2009-02-12T23:38:00.000-08:00

So, I gave in to the whole Twilight thing. I just finished reading the first book. It's not great writing, but it was hard to put down. Engrossing story line, I guess? I have no money, so I check books out from the library... who know how long it will be until I get the next one! Right now I am #107 on the list for the next book. My mom bought this one, though, so maybe she'll buy the others.

I don't know if I want to see the movie or not... I didn't hear anything great about it, and I don't want a bad movie to ruin my reading. Once I've seen a movie adaptation of a book, I have a very hard time reading the book without seeing the actors and movie setting in my mind. I think I'd rather just keep my own mental movie, thank you very much.

Sewing: "Gadget" cases and rice pillow

2009-02-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

Today I made a case for my cell phone and my iPod. The outside is brown corduroy, and the inside is a brown and coral patterned fabric. I've tried to make a little fabric case for my phone before, but I made it way too small. I just didn't figure out the measurements and gave up after two tries. Today, I thought I may have done the same thing - close, but a little too small, but it worked out almost perfectly. My phone is now snug as a bug. :) On the other hand, I DID make the holder for my iPod too small, so it's more like an iPod wrap than an iPod case.

The lining is something I've used before. It happens to be the back of my "warm." (Warms care of Blair at Wisecraft.) I found the front fabric at Aubergine (which I was tempted to go into after Heidi talked about it here); I went in to look around and found this little mini-runner thing. It's brown with a tan edging, and sweet coral and white embroidery. I found a 99-cent fat quarter at Joann that matched the coral, and voila - my warm. I highly recommed them for chilly toes on chilly nights.

Domino

2009-02-01T21:08:00.000-08:00

I just found out Domino is closing! So sad. My brother bought me the Domino book for Christmas, and I was so happy to discover that the book comes with a year's subscription to the magazine. Today, however, I realized that my subscription to Domino will never get fulfilled.

In honor of Domino's departure, these are a few images from a recent feature they had on the White House:

The Lincoln Bedroom - Apparently, Mary Lincoln bought this bed, but President Lincoln refused to sleep in it due to its extravagant price during wartime. The room was put into a room that has since been called the Lincoln Bedroom, and it has gone through various forms.

1945-1953: Truman 1961-1963: Kennedy 1969-1974: Nixon

1974-1977: Ford 1993-2001: Clinton 2001-2008: George W. Bush

I was going to post a few more pictures of other rooms, but I just got my first CA subbing job! So, I'm off to print a few emergency worksheets (let's hope I don't need them!) and then get to bed.

Settling In

2009-01-31T22:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my nest! I chose a title that felt cozy, homey, and safe to me - just like the items and projects I plan to post. As I nestle into this little cyber-nest, I'm working on building something with all the little "twigs" of things that I like.

In honor of the name I chose, I thought my first post should be about the plethora of nest items I have found. I have had to work hard to narrow these down, because I found so many! *Note: These are all from Etsy. I love Etsy!

Naturalist Dream No. 1, from Beetle and Bloom

Contains a real nest! This makes me want to build shadow boxes and fill them with all sorts of natural curiosities.

Nestbuilders - Papercut Print from Fog and Thistle

I like the theme, I like papercutting recently, and the colors are nice, too!

Blue by The Art of Whimsy Photography

Blue Bird Nest Soap Set from LoveLee Soaps

How cute-funny are these?

Nests fabric from Pippijoe

I like fabric. This one is nice and simple, I'd like it as a lining on a purse or something.

White Nest Eggs de Leaf 2 pendant from NatureAutumn

Simple but interesting.

Watching Over by Hadley Hutton