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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Random Happy Things

a couple posts ago i blogged about some of my new favorite things. this post has kind of the same theme about it. there's lots of pictures so some of you may not get too far.
#1 Happy thing

the narnia-esque picture i took of the chapin family last weekend. i'm still working on editing their pics but it's one of my favorites.
#2

rayme working the camera just like the girls in his family. seriously i was crying i was laughing so hard. they are a bunch of silly gooses (geese?!) that's why i like them so much. he'll probably appreciate this picture. i warned him as we were taking the pictures that he might regret them.
#3

my aunt lauras pretzel/raspberry jello thing. it has a pretzel crust with a cream cheese/whipped cream middle topped with raspberry jello and pineapple and frozen raspberries. mmm freaking mmm. it is so good. (my aunt/uncle and family were up this last week and we had fun despite the snow.)
#4
knitting baby wash clothes and finishing them in just a short amount of time. that blue one has a butterfly on it and the pink one below is like an eyelet one with intentional holes that you can't really see.
#5
the hunger games book on tape. seriously. LOVE IT! i had the actual book but returned it after reading 3 pages now i can't hardly turn it off after getting it on CD. also those headphones were FREE thanks to my families addiction to diet pepsi i earned enough points to get some free stuff from amazon. but back to the book, read it or listen to it. seriously i love it and am almost done with the thing. very very good.
#6
not being able to find a cd player to listen to the hunger games and being too lazy to put them on my ipod so i've been stuck next to a computer for the last 2 days listening to it. so i've been knitting a lot. i love to read but i don't like to take the time but this way, i can listen to a good book and accomplish knitting projects, photoshoping pics for people and blogging...
#7

chrey got my these "grinch" slippers for christmas and i love them they are so warm.
chrey also got me this game which i think we'll be playing tonight =). abby also got me the twilight soundtrack which i also love.
#8
this purse that my dad picked out for me for christmas. this is a terrible picture but it's really cute. he got one for my mom too but hers has red handles. we just can't go anywhere together anymore.
#9
the recipe book my mom got me. i love it. the first day i already filled up most of my coordinating cards with recipes. luckily i can order more. (it's filled with some recipes from my aunt laura and uncle andy which i can't wait to try.)
#10
this kit i got from target for 4 bucks. i love anything minty.
#11
another target find for 20 bucks. a small bookcase to fit under my shelf. i finally got rid of the big white beast that took up 1/3 of my room. now i just have to refocus on the other side of my room.
#12
an overflowing yarn basket, with more in the michaels bag. but it's gross right now b/c i have a freaking cat who pushes my door open with his head and rips them all apart. it makes me mad.
#13
a new cabling needle so i can learn to cable knit. woot woot.
#14
my homemade stocking from when i was a baby. i love how in our PEACE stocking hangers mine is on the A, for amazing...or amanda...
#15
shelley rocking out christmas morning with her new, blue box (ipod shuffle). she hasn't taken that thing off her ears i don't think.
#16
after a long night of babysitting that was a little rocky in the beginning, this is how it ended. well i spent the night so we still had the morning and the only issues we had then were me not cooking the scrambled eggs right (who knew?!) and not having any leggings to go with a skirt. this was just before bed time i told them i had a special surprise for them if they all got ready for bed. then i told them to get a blanket and a pillow and a book. then we read christmas stories. i'm so glad nolan likes to read b/c i had him read aloud after my voice went horse after 2 books.
and a couple more favorite/happy things are the new 007 Wii game which i dominate. and shawn white snowboarding for the wii. and some spoonulas from rachel rays line. a new cast iron enamel pot from martha stewart. and this picture:
which about sums up our christmas morning. i guess it's a tradation even though i don't drink pop i guess it makes for a good photo. what better way to keep them cold?!?!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Updated Projects

in my last blog i posted about some cute knitted hats well they hardly take any time and are so easy. i've made two and each one took me just a couple hours each (spread over a couple days)

i'm going to be making a few more of these over the next couple days. they look way cuter on kids than just laying on the desk though. here's so you can see what it looks like on:

here's another knitting project i'm about halfway done with. baby legwarmers. i used strechy yarn so i didn't have to purl/stitch rib a bunch. then on the bottom is a little crocheted flower (although in the pic it looks like a pink blob).

i took my grandparents christmas pics but this one i got really quick before he stopped making that face. i tried to get him to be a tiger running throught the forest but he didn't go for that.
i've had lots of time to knit/read/wrap presents/hang out with family from out of town because the weather outside looks like this:

and that's after a lot of it melted and came back in the last day. i haven't been able to get my car out of the driveway so i've been stuck at home. we've made LOTS of snow ice cream. yummmmm.
i've also been helping my mom with a scrapbook for a friend of hers. here's a sneek peek we don't have it done yet.
and last but not least it's christmas eve and we are about to go across the street to our neighbors for dinner. then tomorrow we will have christmas morning at our house (we're going to take it SLOOOOW this year) and in the afternoon we are all going to our grandparents house for dinner/lunch and to open presents with the extended family. then i get to be up bright and early the next morning to go to work...yippy!

i hope everyone has a fun/safe/meaningful christmas with friends and family.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Some of my (new) favorite things:

lately i've been into the internet...well i am all the time but lately i've been into the whole blog scene a little more than usual and i've come across some really cute ideas/patterns/books/music etc... i have a new folder in my favorites called knitting patterns, here is just one of the 16 hats i have bookmarked to make:

umm YES please. i even have a pompom maker (please try NOT to be jealous) so now i just need to find some cute yarn (despite going to a 70% off yarn sale, i still don't have enough for all the stuff i want to make).
edit: ok so i have about a fourth of this hat done. i've never done one like this before. i only have to use 2 needles (yay!) but after i'm done i have to sew it up the sides. so we'll see how that goes it shouldn't be too hard and the hat is coming together real quick i've hardly worked on it. i'm also going against all i believe in and i'm using red heart yarn (it's that stuff that comes in big ball and it's pretty cheap) i just don't usually like how it looks but for this hat it's pretty good and making it go a little quicker next time i just need a little cuter color this was just what we had laying around. i'll post pics after it's done. since we're all snowed in again today i'll probably have it done in a couple hours.
this next is a book called A is for Apron. LOVE it. i love to pretend like i know how to sew...well i guess i do know how to i just don't like to spend money on fabric and that's kind of important when sewing. when the weather gets better (like the 14in. of snow melts) i think i might take a trip to value village to see if i can find some shirts/skirts that have cute/vintage-ie patterns and use that to make some aprons.
(story time: i was sewing some burp cloths several months ago and my finger went up into the part where the needle is {i used to know what it was called but can't remember} and it got stuck up there. it hurt real bad. the end. oh p.s. i found a really cute idea for burp cloths and if i can find it again i'll have to post them seriously so cute and easy)
if i were really really rich i would buy a bunch of this fabric:
there's a really cute pattern in that book that uses this fabric and i want it.
my next new favorite thing is this CD:
i'm not a fan of the cover so much but i surprisingly like the music. this girl was the actress on The Day After Tomorrow (another movie i love). and i never saw it but she was on the Phantom of the Opera and apparently she can sing. i saw a review on this CD and i thought well i'll give it a try. well i'm listening to it now on my Ipod... (whim much?) it's very different from what i thought. i was thinking more pop sounding but it's more like Imogean Heap (another love). it's very different and i didn't think i liked it but i've listened for a bit today and i really do like it. ok i made a playlist so you could listen to some of her songs but blogger isn't working with me so i guess you could youtube her and listen if you really want to. my favorite song is Slow me Down and a couple others. very different. anyways Oprah gets to do a whole show about her favorite things and i thought if she can devote a whole show to it i could devote a blog to it. there you go.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

New Purchase

I honestly think i need help...like from a therapist or something. i don't know what in this world compels me to do half the things i do or to like half the things i like. in a previous post from a long time ago i wrote about chairs, wing back chairs to be more exact. well the other day i went and saw twilight again (seriously OhEmGee) with my friend abby. i got to the theater a little earlier than i thought i would so i did a dangerous thing. i went into goodwill. i've been trying to find a chair for several months that i could reupholster and use when i take pictures for people. well i found a chair. it's body (fabric) is pretty hideous but it's soul (shape/structure) is perfect. here she is...it is a she...

sorry for the terrible pictures the sun is shinning right on it.

it is so comfortable and will be so cute when it gets recovered. and it only cost me...

for this kind of chair, the lowest price i've seen for new ones is upwards of 200 dollars, for the cheap ones. so i figured the chair itself is in good condition just the fabric is kinda gross. i'll buy a slipcover or get it reupholstered. then i decided, reupholstering can't be that hard can it?! well i guess we'll see. i have a couple books coming from the library so after i look at those books i'll decide if i can do it myself or if i need to pay to have it done. then i'll have a cute chair for my room AND a photography chair.
this is the cover i put on it when i sit on it b/c....there are probably germs on it...yick.
so now i have to decide what kind of fabric do i want on it. do i want a solid color that will go with lots everything, like this yellowish color?
do i want what i really really have coveted for several months, some sort of damask pattern?! i think it would be great with everything b/c i love it.

do i want something funky that i also love?! but might not be the best for everyone i take pictures for.
another funky....
or do i want a really....special fabric?! sike i don't want this fabric, i repeat i DO NOT! this is the most expensive fabric too, imagine that.

so what do i do? hire someone? do it myself? get a slipcover? and what fabric to use? so many choices so little patience.
here is some really stinking cute fabric i found while looking at fabric online. i want some to make aprons, burp clothes, blankets, pillows, and cute baby clothes with these fabrics. i love fabric. i just need to learn how to sew better now.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Easy Schmeezy Gift Idea

If you need any quick, easy or fairly cheap gifts this year, these are pretty excellent...they are...dun dun dun Magnets. i know i know...don't be too overwhelemed with excitement. i have made lots and lots of these things, they are cute and functional. here's how to make them:

supplies: E600 clear heavy duty glue, mod podge, sissors, pencil, foam brush, magnets and clear stone things (not pictured)

(here are those clear stone things)
first, pick out some cute paper (this set of 6 i did a christmas theme with paper not necessarly christmas-y so they can be used year round...if that makes sense)
you can get cute paper from any craft store, i would recommend Treasury of Memories if you live in b'ham but michaels, joannes or paper zone would work too :).

next your're going to place the stones on the paper (i did one sideways and one up and down to get some variety) and trace them, this is very important you need to remember which outline goes with each stone, each stone is different. After it's traced, cut the shapes out.

next grab your foam brush and mod podge and brush the back side (flat side) of the stone liberally with the glue, it will dry clear so when you first put the paper on the stone it might look whiteish. then stick the paper, design side down into the glue so when you flip the stone over you can see the paterned paper.

after you give the mod podge a minute or two to dry, grad your magnet, stone and that stinky heavy duty glue and put a dollop of the glue onto the magnet then stick it glue side down on the paper. you want to let this dry for several hours or overnight so it stays glued. don't put them on the fridge until they are dry otherwise they will fall apart.

ta da! here are the finished products (the six on the right side are the ones i just made and the other ones were done a long time ago.)
you can use any paper with these things, i've even made them with pictures. just cut out the face in the picture you want on your magnet and do the same steps. it's easier with paper though. anyways they make a pretty cute gift. good luck!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Shelley

sorry i've been so neglectful lately it's finals week and i've been working on a dang website and a bunch of other stuff so i haven't had much time for anything. anyways today my post is about shelley. i took a couple pictures of her today (they really didn't turn out but they'll do for christmas cards).
a little background on shelley. she's lived with my family since i was 6 weeks old so for over 21 years. we lived in a house and had 3 residents living with us bill, lisa and shelley (when we moved to ferndale only shelley came with us). they were all my favorites i remember specific things about each one of them. bill would practically squeeze the air out of you when he hugged you. lisa would "let" me vacuum her room for her. and shelley well, i guess there's WAY more memories with her (more on that later). bill died a year or so ago and it might sound bad to say it but i'm so happy for him. the place he's in is so much better than where we are, he has no more ailments, he's perfect. he's no longer restricted by his physical handicaps i can't wait to meet him again when i die.
is it bad to say i am so jealous of these people even though their life here on earth is hard. they were the most valiant in the war in heaven, heavenly father gave them their handicaps as a gift to protect them from the bad and evil influences we "normal" people fall for. they are going to be rewarded for their trials here on earth in the most amazing way.
sometimes i get really frustrated. sometimes i feel resentment towards shelley (for no fault of her own) becuase we've never really been able to take family trips or do anything spontaneous b/c we have to worry about what we will do with shelley (it's too stressful to always take her with us). every saturday and sunday mornings when i have to wake up early to take her to the bus so she can go to work i'm grumpy and annoyed. i'm trying to not be that way but it's hard. but those frustrating times are outnumbered by all the fun times i have with her. she is so funny and she always has the best outlook. nothing worries her. she has no concept of poverty, war, natural disasters, etc and i am so jealous of that. so i guess the point of this post is to remind myself that i should not be so annoyed when i have to rearrange my schedule to fit her in. i wish everyone could have a shelley or a bill. they are the kindest most uninhibited people you will ever meet. i should rent her out for parties....well maybe not rent but you get the idea. i think that will be the next big thing at parties, forget those big trampolines pish. well here are the shelley pictures...


they're all black and white because....

we had a hair dye mishap today....the color on the box did not match what came out. i guess that's what i get for buying dye on sale for 3 bucks. oh well she loves having madonna hair...?!
******edit******
so the whole point of this post, which i failed to mention last night (or i guess it was this morning), was about something i saw on the news a couple days ago. they were talking about this new technology where you can detect if a baby is down syndrome. about 1 in every 800 babies has down syndrome, but this number has been going down considerably over the last couple years. the reason that number is going down is b/c the mothers choose to abort the birth. after they find out that they're not going to have the "perfect" bouncing baby they do the most selfish thing a person can do. when in fact, that baby is WAY more perfect that any other you could hope for (that's just my opinion). i think any abortion is terrible and i hate the thought of it, but i understand there are circumstances (mothers health, ok i guess one circumstance). but when the only reason you are having an abortion is because the baby has a disability, that's disgusting to me. absolutely revolting. did you know that einsteins mother was going to have an abortion, and motzarts mother? you don't have the right to decide who gets to live and who gets to die. they were put here for a reason and it's not our rigth to end their lives. anyways that was longer than i meant it to be but oh well.
if you want to see a pretty good movie or read a pretty good (when i say good i mean sad) book, check out the Memory Keepers Daughter. i saw it on ondemand a few months ago and loved it. it just goes to show that each person is here for a reason.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Family Pics

today after church i took some pictures of my aunt jills family. we went all over from Elizabeth Park to a random house down to fairhaven. we got some cute pictures. they are all cute so it makes it easy for me!

















that's it for now there's lots of pictures but i don't feel like editing/posting them all.

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