Ooooh's and Ahhhh's

Despite the fact that I've had a rather rough day, this past week was a VERY exciting and momentous week with 2 very big events.

Numero Uno:

I started and finished my first quilt!

I was invited to a small baby shower last week and I really wanted to give quilting a try..so I thought why not start with a baby size...perfect! I started by picking my fabrics. The gender is still a surprise, so it had to be neutral (but I didn't really want yellow & green). These were my choices (with the brown on the bottom). I also was originally looking for different patterns, rather than just different colors...oh well!

I have to be honest and say I got ambitious...okay tired when I was cutting the squares, but this was the beginning of my sewing adventure. I chose to use a patchwork style with alternating vertical and horizontal lines. That way A) it didn't have to match up and B) I really liked it :)

From there it was a lot more sewing straight lines. I didn't take any more pictures until the end. I wanted to do free-motion quilting, but it turns out I don't have the right quilting foot for that. So I chose to stick with the square shape and make a spiral square for my quilting pattern. After adding a brown border and beige dot binding I ended up with this. It's not perfect if you look close enough (in person) but it will hold together and at a glance it's really not that bad. The momma asked me to "autograph" it and add the baby's name once he or she is born. Of course, I said ABSOLUTELY! After all it could be the first of many to come ;)

In other news, another very exciting event happened.

Are you ready....wait for it...wait for it...

I got a JOB!! and not just any job...a TEACHING job. I had 2 interviews in a matter of a couple days and was offered the job in less that a week. I've been hesitant to share this news here, just because there is some family who does not know yet--they will find out tonight or tomorrow morning. 

So want some details maybe? I will be teaching preschool in the morning (3s & 4s) and kindergarten in the afternoon. It's at a semi-local christian school. I'm very excited to get back into the classroom. [sidenote: this means I don't have much more time at Rita's--WAHOO!!!]

And #3 (not so much a big event yet), but we have a moving date. The current residents will be out by noon on the 24th. So we'll start cleaning that afternoon and maybe start moving Sunday or monday...yippee!!!

I.O.U.

I owe you a post. It feels like it's been forever. I actually wrote a couple other posts but opted not to post them simply because they were written by a girl in a HUGE life funk. So while I'm trying to get past it here are some pictures to catch you up on the past week.

A Saturday walk @ the women's retreat during my photography lesson.

My view Mondays-Fridays

My "fr-enemy". The custard machine and I have a
love-hate relationship. It's learning that I'm in charge.

Saturday we left @ 4am to drive to New Jersey for
a half marathon. [more on this to come]

Me and niece #2
**dreaming & wandering when God will grant me
one of these**

The beginning of my Prayer Journal

I took the plunge...

After much deliberating and deciding...

After days of research and shopping...

Price comparison and product comparison...

...I bought a sewing machine. Back in January I returned a camera lens [it was a HUGE telephoto lens] and although I originally thought it would be neat to have, I quickly realized it isn't something I would use very frequently. 

I have another lens that I need want to get, but figured that I have enough to satisfy myself right now. I don't NEED another one. Well really I don't NEED a sewing machine either, but being a short girl I have a need for hemmed pants. PLUS I have a few projects that I would REALLY like to make. 

I found what I feel to be a pretty good deal on a sewing machine. It's obviously not top of the line [thousands of dollars!!!] but it's not the bottom of the bucket either. It gives me lots of different options in stitches and capabilities and it's even computerized. That means time to buy fabric and thread :)

I can't wait until it gets here!

Can you call it a hobby if it stops?

I switch hobbies and interests way too often, which is one reason I wasn't sure if blogging would be good for me in the long run. I thought it might be something that comes and goes a month later. However I can say that it's a number of months later and I'm still here. One thing stays constant: my desire to be creative and create/make things. I love seeing the final products especially when they can then be used/worn/etc.

Anyway:

Last Spring I was into making Jewelry

In June I said Hello! digital scrapbooking--where have you been

June-August--jewelry & digital scrapbooking

September-ways to make money like Amazon Payments, designing blog backgrounds ohh and of course BLOGGING

October-Blogging remains, but everything is pushed to the side

November-January: hit a few blogging slumps, but I keep swimming

January: writing Children's Ministry curriculum & videos?!?! AND teacherspayteachers.com

February: here I am--blogging, making curriculum

but wait---what's this? [intro new hobby]

sewing.

quilts, dresses, bags

you name it--I want to do it. I saw this AWESOME book on things you can make with 1 yd of fabric. YES! 1 yard. Can  you say Cheap-o?!? Now I'm on the hunt for fun things to make. and luckily its snowing outside so I've got lots of time on my hands. I think this idea secretly started because I thought about asking for a sewing machine for Christmas. Nothing too fancy, but one that will get the job done. I think my hesitation is that I'm afraid this hobby will come and go like all the others. Don't get me wrong, I still like to do all of the other things of the past year, but only really when there is a need or a purpose.

I can't wait to see what happens. I am itching to start stitching--okay okay I know lame, but it's 1am, the guys are playing PS3 and well I was a kindergarten teacher first and I like to rhyme. enough said!

Eryn's Present Surprise

Since we are safely past Christmas, I can finally share with you what I was working on the during the 2 weeks prior to Christmas. It is what my brother in law called 'lots of work' and 'more than he was envisioning'. BUT that's what you get when I get involved with an artsy or crafty project. Not to mention there wasn't a lot of work at the time.

So you might remember me sharing this with you. I was knee-deep in paper, numbers, glue, and completely focused on the task at hand.

With that, I proudly present to you...Eryn's Christmas Present. A countdown calendar that starts no, started on January 1st and counts down [of course] to their wedding [on June 12th!] To save you from counting that is 163 days? I think--I don't completely remember...let's just say a big number.

A page for each day. Some included pictures (taken by yours truly)...

...while others had personal notes tucked safely in cute little envelopes  

(to eliminate any desire to peek ahead)

And just in case you are at all curious it was about 5 inches thick! I think she likes it. After all getting little personal notes from your fiance that you haven't seen in 3 months and might not see for another 5 months is pretty special.

Christmas is here

Really, I can't believe that Christmas is this week. Even though I put up a tree after eating Thanksgiving dinner, and even though I put up our "tree", and even though I've been listening to Christmas music for quite awhile, it still does not feel like Christmas is on Friday!

Why?? I think it's because I have had little to worry about in the way of buying gifts. Because of our current situation, it was pretty obvious that we would not be buying gifts for anyone. I have however, spent a good deal of time making gifts for people. [it's much cheaper that way..usually]


Here is one project...or at least part of a project. [I can't show the final project yet...since it is a Christmas present for someone] I used a cricut machine and it was lots of fun. I experimented with printing numbers, letters, and shapes of all kinds and sizes. (this was taken in the midst of experimentation)

I'm happy to say that all gifts are finished, so I have some wrapping to do. Maybe tomorrow it will feel like Christmas when Greg is done with school.

T-minus 2 days until another brother comes home.
T-minus 4 days until Christmas.

T-mines 7 days until another niece is born!

...now to think of some more projects.

Wordless Wednesday

My art project from subbing yesterday.

Stuck in a Rut

It's VERY obvious. I am stuck in a teaching rut. I've hit that point in the year (as I KNOW all teachers have) that it is time for a break. I truly did not want to work today. In fact I had convinced myself that I was not going to work...but then the phone rang. But not just once 3 times...then my mom called. Then I got a text. When schools are desperate for subs, they call...a lot. So luckily I got to teach art today. Soooo easy. Seriously. Had a blast. Even started my own art project. Maybe when it's done I'll post a picture.

Anyway, I still believe that if I had known my love & interest for art, just 1 or 2 years sooner I would probably be an art teacher today. Wow how my life would be different. I walk into an art room and feel at home. It never used to be that way, but now if I'm in one...I don't want to leave (unless it is to actually go home of course). It is such a comforting place.

So today, I thought of 10 reasons why I should be/should have become an art teacher: 
(in not particular order may I add, plus I know there are more but 10 seemed like a good number)

1. It is most definitely more relaxing.
2. The kids enjoy it..no usually they LOVE it.
   
3. You can pick what you teach....or at least HOW you teach it.
4. I could do projects forever and ever and ever.
5. I'm that 'adventurous' or 'crazy' teacher that painted frequently with my 5 year olds and did other messy but FUN and engaging activities.
6. Classroom teaching doesn't require very much creativity.
7. I love all things that are colorful...
8. ...have sharpie written on them...AND
9. ...lets me use my hands to create something.
10. It combines teaching with something else I love...what could be more perfect?

So in honor of #7...all things colorful...I leave you with this. [it's 2 loves in one: color & tissue paper]

 

Saturday happenings

I borrowed my mom's cricut machine to work on a couple projects. One of which was updating the Linsky stockings (so that I could be included on the stocking) as well as make one for my niece, no nieces sorry (16 days and counting). Anyways I found a cute bride and groom that I decided to cut out in honor of Ben & Eryn. And poor Eryn was on Skype at the time, so this is what we did. We put the bride in front of her face...because she is engaged! (Clearly I was lacking enthusiasm/momentum in the project I was working on at the time)

While I was playing around, my mother in law was hard at work. There is an old slate hearth in the living room that after 30-40 years of life it was turning green from the yellowing of the "protective coating" that was on it. She got the motivation to strip the old coating off and it looks soo much better now! (Even though there is still some left.) Here is an "ALMOST DONE" shot. The left side is the yucky side and the right BEAUTIFUL side is the uncoated/stripped slate. She did good work...no GREAT work.

And while the ladies were busy with these things, the boys tried to gather some wood for the fireplace. But the chainsaw did not cooperate, so no woodpile yet. We'll stick with the duraflame for awhile.

My Blog Wordle

This excited me enough to write 2 posts today.

While taking one of my masters classes, I discovered an awesome website called wordle. They've added a number of cool features since I was there last including scanning words from your blog to make a wordle. I guess I should mention that a wordle is a clustering of words that can be used to describe something. I know-still not a good explanation, so here take a looksie. This is my blog wordle:

Wanna make your own? http://www.wordle.net/create