made by molly

terrariums!

2012-01-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

We had a terrarium-building day today! Here is all you need to do.

Step 1. Have your incredibly crafty, generous and gardening-loving sister organize materials. This may be tricky, unless you have an awesome sister like mine.

You will need: charcoal, pebbles, and soil, for the base,

eye-catching glass jars, fish bowls, or Parmesan shakers,

darling little greenery,

handcrafted miniature penants,

and other assorted flair.

Step 2: Spread the charcoal, pebbles and soil in thin layers on the bottom of your chosen glassware.

if you have very skinny hands you have a distinct advantage here.

Step 3: Arrange plants, shells, and flair in a pleasing display.

It helps if you and if you act like a mad scientist while doing so (also helpful: children's chopsticks).

Step 5: Gaze lovingly at your completed terrarium.

Step 6: Attempt to steal sisters' and friends' terrariums because they are cuter than yours.

Optional: Consume copious amounts of cheese, crackers, and cupcakes in between each step. Recommended!

this week in pictures

2012-01-28T10:46:00.000-08:00

It was a VERY busy, but good, week!

Highlights:

saturday: breakfast at randy's

sunday: pie crust

monday: class poll: boy or girl?

tuesday: my newest read

wednesday: dreaming of maui

thursday: our ultrasound! my class was right--it's a BOY!

friday: my revived jade saying, "spring is coming"

my new table

2012-01-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

Jamie got me a new table for making a breakfast nook near our kitchen. I use it all the time! It is this one from Ikea.

I didn't have patience to shop around thrift stores for a cool table, but I think I can hang with my ugly folding chairs until I find some awesome thrift store chairs. Help please? Anyone? Sisters/Cousins/Aunties . . . this means you.

Something like these, perhaps? :)

happiness is...

2012-01-25T19:37:00.000-08:00

...fresh baked bread!Even if it IS from the bread machine. I did a Google search for "best bread machine bread" and found this recipe. I have to say that it turned out just as good as the reviews said it would! I followed one reviewer's advice and added an extra 1/2 teaspoon salt, with excellent results.

oh...the guilty pleasure of white bread...

more quiet book pages

2012-01-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

More Quiet Book pages to show you today! This one was done except for attaching a few snaps (to my sadness I actually had to purchase more snaps...I was hoping to make the entire thing ONLY with existing items in my sewing room. Oh well):

It's a ferris wheel, can you tell? Yeah probably not. I thought it was too boring. So I added some passengers on the ferris wheel! Finished page:

And when you match the shapes...

And finally, count the birds on the fence:

I'm sorta out of ideas now. Anyone?

on my bookshelf...this summer

2012-01-21T17:54:00.000-08:00

I read a bunch of excellent books this summer!

The Sixteen Pleasures : : Robert Hellenga
I read this book to get ready for my trip to Italy. It made me excited to go there, drink wine, see art and old churches, meet an Italian man.... oh wait, scratch that last one. :)

The House at Riverton : : Kate Morton
This is the third book by Kate Morton I've read...and sadly, she has only published three! I loved all three (the other two are The Forgotten Garden and The Distant Hours). They are fantastic stories that span generations and involve unraveling mysteries...loved them!
**Also contributing to my love of this book is the fact that I read most of it on the beach in Italy........ah! memories!

Faithful Place : : Tana French
Another mystery, really well written (well, to my standards: it kept my attention).

Brain Rules: : John Medina
So, in virtually EVERY grad school class I was hearing someone recommend this book, whether it was the instructor or my fellow students. If you are a nerd like me that is fascinated by how the brain works and why, you should read this book too! Great for everyone, but a must-read for teachers.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks : : Rebecca Skloot
If you haven't heard of this book by now, which country have you been living in?? This was another one I'd heard recommended over and over. For good reason! It's the story of a woman whose cancer cells were taken without her consent...and were subsequently used in thousands of medical studies. It's not too over-your-head with medical jargon, though. Really interesting to read about her story and how it affected her family.

Italian Shoes : : Henning Mankell
This book was pretty dry, but worth slugging through. It's the story of an old hermit living on a secluded island in Sweden, until several people come along to shake him out of his hermitude. This was an audiobook, which is a good thing because you learn what all those Swedish names and places
are actually supposed so sound like!

Olive Kitteridge : : Elizabeth Strout
I like books where I really care about the main character. Olive Kitteridge is not a character I grew to love dearly, (she's a cranky old hag) but I found a soft spot in my heart for her by the end. Especially because a bit of a crankerton lives inside me. Would you guess? :) Looking back, I should have read it when I had a solid chunk of three days of so to really get through it. As it was, I started it after school began, so forcing me to read it 3-4 pages at a time (which is all I can get through on a school night before nodding off).

Plentiful summer reading! Alas, school really puts the brakes on the reading schedule. But never fear, I'm getting my winter "on my bookshelf" post ready...there are some real gems coming up!

fabric friday

2012-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

I am OBSESSED with yellow + gray right now. Here are some current fabric favs:

blockprint blossom in dandelion : : joel dewberry

chevron in gray : : riley blake designs

bloom in granite : : joel dewberry

standing stones in yellow : : lotta jansdotter

lodge lattice in vintage yellow : : joel dewberry

tarika in yellow : : dena fishbein

...and for Little Wiecks? Loving these prints with woodland friends:

field friends in shroom : : jay-cyn designs

woodland friends in natural : : monaluna circa 52

woodland party in natural : : monaluna circa 52

images courtesy of www.hawthornethreads.com (square images) and www.fabricworm.com (round images)

shhhh... it's a Quiet Book!

2012-01-19T15:28:00.000-08:00

It started with a banana. This banana, in fact.

Why would I make a zippered banana? For a Quiet Book of course! A Quiet Book is, by definition, a book of quiet activities (usually made from fabric or felt--so much more quiet than paper) with which a little munchkin might practice such fine motor skills as zipping, buttoning, lacing, snapping and such cognitive skills as matching, counting, and recognizing shapes and letters. And here you thought I just really liked bananas!

So anyway, I'm not sure exactly when I made it, but I'm fairly positive that I still lived in my old apartment with my sissy, so that was at least 2 1/2 years ago! Who knows what inspired me to dig it out today and actually continue the project. But here is the finished page...

Hmmm... what is it? Well, unzip the banana...

...and make your own banana split!

I had so much fun making the Banana Split page that followed it up with a Button-the-Flower-on-the-Stem page:

Sooooo...two pages down, at LEAST 6 more to go, I'm hoping. Also hoping that subsequent pages will be finished and appear here in less than one year...but I can't make any promises.

more snow day pics

2012-01-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

It snowed all day here! Really tiny flakes, but still! Some pics from this afternoon after my walk to QFC...

front steps

2.5" since this morning (ok, not that impressive)

thank goodness for my new boots!

evidence of some critter on our back steps. probably some vile squirrel..

not-so-cozy hearth

believe it or not, we have been seeing a hummingbird at this feeder on and off for the past 2 days!

guess it's been awhile since our last backyard party.

chilly greenery

one of my neighbors trying to get her Akita to give her a tow... I don't think he quite understood.

pretty for now, I'm sure it will be gone tomorrow though!

blog makeover

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Do you like my new banner? Oh thanks, I made it myself, with the help of 2 of my favorite (free!) online tools:

Flickr

and

Big Huge Labs

I'm sure you all know about Flickr, the online photo sharing/management site. I dump all of my photos there (OK, actually I upgraded to the pro version because you can get unlimited storage of photos and videos).

Big Huge Labs can link to Flickr to create lots of cool projects with your photos. My favorite tool is the mosaic maker. I use it all. the. time. Simply put the photos you want to appear in the mosaic in a Flickr set, select the size/type of mosaic you want (number of rows, number of photos in each row, etc.), plug in the link to your Flickr set, and SHAZAM! You have a photo mosaic that can be saved as a jpeg file on your computer. Or send it to facebook. Or email it to 50 of your best friends. You get the idea!

Here, I just made another one. I shall call it "Snopacalypse 2012" because that is the theme in the local news right now and the reason I have time to sit here and blog about it.

Happy Snow Day, Seattleites!

cupcake day

2012-01-17T12:06:00.000-08:00

Sunday was cupcake day! I made my favorite cupcakes from this book. Warning #1: the recipes in this book are EXTREMELY involved. Warning #2: the recipes in this book are EXTREMELY delicious and you will want to eat at least 3 cupcakes in one sitting.

So my favorites from the book are the German Chocolate Cupcakes. The key to the amazingness of this recipe is putting chocolate chips on the tops when they are still warm. Then you frost over them. OMG. seriously.Two of my favorite ladies were over to help keep me from consuming the entire batch that night. Thanks gals!

2011 in review

2012-01-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

It started one year ago--my resolution to take a picture each day during the year of 2011. I thought, as with all resolutions, it would get abandoned around valentine's day, but I managed to hang on...a photo a day for the whole year! Presenting ... my finished Project 365! Here are some favs:
1. 1.1.11, 2. 1.7.11, 3. 1.12.11, 4. 1.19, 5. 2.5.11, 6. 2.8.11, 7. 2.18.11, 8. 3.2.11, 9. 3.13.11, 10. 4.8.11, 11. 4.15.11, 12. 4.17.11, 13. 4.23.11, 14. 5.14.11, 15. 5.29.11, 16. 5.30.11, 17. 6.8.11, 18. 6.21.11, 19. 6.25.11, 20. 6.28.11, 21. 7.4.11, 22. Wheat (3), 23. 8.2.11, 24. 8.12.11, 25. 8.18.11, 26. 8.20.11, 27. 8.29.11, 28. 9.24.11, 29. 10.3.11, 30. 10.8.11, 31. 10.22.11, 32. 11.17.11, 33. 11.25.11, 34. 12.4.11, 35. 12.6.11, 36. 12.24.11

... see the whole shebang over at my flickr page!

So there it is--2011: the good (fun times with friends! trip to europe! and wait...is that a baby shot???) the bad (yes, I did take several shots of my laptop screen while doing homework), and the boring (did I really take a picture of my mac n cheese?).

Don't you want get started on your own Project 365 for 2012? Well what are you waiting for??? Go get started!

summer happiness

2011-08-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy summer, but I've been keeping up on Project 365! Here are some shots that highlight summer goings-on....

many happy hours

more rainbow projects

hanging out with O & O

I bought a bike! (and a sweet bike bag from here)

bike rides with alli

a trip home

lots of sewing (of course)

making whoopie (PIES!)

sampling french wine . . . to get ready for our upcoming trip to Italy & France!

Of course there was a lot of going to class, researching, reading, and writing too, but we don't have to remember all that.

Off to Europe!

more rainbow love

2011-07-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

The Rainbow Pencil Case is now available in my shop!

Click here to visit the product page.

extreme furniture makeover

2011-07-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

I was so productive this weekend! It's not often that you start and finish a project in one day (for me, at least). On Saturday I started and finished 2 projects in one day! yep. I've been using two old items from Jamie's bachelor days: a filing cabinet and a shelf. Both have been fully functional but a little lacking in the...ahem...looks department. A little spray paint and some scrapbook paper helped to solve my problem.

Before (and trust me--they look a lot better in these pictures than in real life):

After:
After:

Are you getting how cute these shelves are?? (yes, I am bragging) If not, here are a few more pictures.

Yay me!

i made a patchwork bag

2011-07-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here it is!

i heart patchwork.

rainbow days

2011-07-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

My love of organization make me love rainbows, all that order and all...but my love of rainbows is also inspired by my sissy Emily . Check out this rainbow pencil roll I made yesterday using mostly scraps from my insanely large collection!

organization happiness

2011-07-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to do this little job for a long time.

Before: Disorganized scrap chaos.

During:

After: Organized eye candy, lovingly folded and easily accessible.

Ok, so these make up just a portion of my scrap collection (which I know I have talked about before)--the fabrics I can make jewelry cases with. My even smaller scraps present another challenge....more on that tomorrow!

back in business!

2011-07-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

My shop is up and running again! Even though it may only be through the summer, I'm excited to take a few more orders. It is wedding season, after all. I am very close to having 1,000 sales! I loved this post about "world headquarters" ... above you see the madebymolly world headquarters--ready for business!

Springtime

2011-06-03T19:16:00.001-07:00

It's springtime!

new news

2011-03-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

There is a new option for monogramming in my shop: fancy script! For the girly-girls. Other new things around here: a tripod! Why did I not have a tripod before now? It has made taking photos of new items sooo much easier. Isn't the above image breath-taking, for example? ha ha.

new favorite seattle location

2011-03-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

These are the stairs I've been climbing with my carpool buddy Helena in preparation for our Mt. Everest trip:
just kidding about the Everest thing. But people do use these stairs to train for what must be serious climbing expeditions...you often see people going up and down with giant backpacks--very serious. You will often (about once a week) see me and Helena trudging up and back once...maybe twice...in our work clothes + sneakers. Quite the athletes we are!

On the way up there is this amazing little garden. It's so nice to see some color this time of year!

At the top there is a pretty view of Lake Union for a reward:

(can you see the Space Needle?)

I think it's even pretty on a cloudy day...
Love this city!

button inventory

2011-03-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

Do you know about my button obsession? This post was intended for a few weeks ago, when buttons were on sale at JoAnn's. Maybe this isn't the sort of thing that makes your heart go pitter-patter, but it makes me plan a weekend to hit all the different JoAnn stores in the entire area to buy tons and tons of buttons. Don't judge; buttons are crazy expensive, ok?? I feel like a hoarder when I sidle up to the check-out stand and plop my basket down. The clerk's raised eyebrow. The inevitable question: "What are you going to do with all of these?" The yard-long receipt. The things I do for buttons.... Look at these really cute ones!

spring!

2011-03-20T18:28:00.001-07:00

I was a little out of sorts this weekend. First of all, a bad cold. :( Second of all, my original plans were canceled, no homework and no orders. It is just weird for me to be so ... without purpose for a whole weekend! It was super wonderful though because I read and read and read and finished my current book. Thank goodness we are finally seeing some signs of spring around here. The front tree is budding and blue sky?!? Yay!

happy birthday em!

2011-03-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

It's Emily's birthday! I went window-shopping in her store and found some new gems! Aren't these the cutest?

: :typewriter personalized stationery

: : entertaining shower stationery

: : fit for a princess notecards

Happy Birthday Em!

open for business!

2011-03-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

I reopened my shop yesterday! That is by far the longest its ever been closed-almost three months. :( I think I'm ready for action again. I have grad school to pay for, don't I?? Here are some lunch bags in new prints! I tried to do some creative photo-shooting on these first two... dig or dis?

fun family times

2011-03-12T14:35:00.000-08:00

I'm back after a VERY busy couple of weeks! We've had a few ups and downs....a down being that we still have no heat - converting oil to gas...an up being that we had some very fun family times last week/weekend! Jamie's whole family came up to visit and my mom was in town also! Highlights were....
Oliver's birthday party:Pizza making and Little Mermaid Movie Night:
Lots of games:
And just generally loving little cheeks.
We just had a Sarah-Adam-and-Pearl shaped hole to deal with. Hope to see them soon!

Finally...drum roll please... winter quarter classes are now finished (yay!!!)

keep calm and...

2011-03-01T20:38:00.001-08:00

Whew! Today was intense! Out the door at 6:15 am, back home at 7:30 pm. Lame. My moment of zen today:PosterPop.etsy.com!

sunday supper

2011-02-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

Do you love this? He puts all the ingredients in separate little bowls as he cooks...food network-style. If this organization got your mouth watering, you should have tasted the stew!

little dress

2011-02-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

Here's how my latest crochet project is coming along...
At this point I am finishing the skirt...it is SUPER addicting! I just want to sit and work on it all day long.... but sadly my mid-winter break is over now. Back to school tomorrow!

mmmmmmonograms!

2011-02-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

So here's the sitch: no heat in our house right now! Our furnace is on the fritz (love that phrase). Our house was so cold yesterday that I stayed in my craft room all day, shut up with the space heater. It was actually the best day ever. I worked on a bunch of projects...all with mmmmmonograms!

In other news...oh. my. gosh. This is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my whole entire life!!! I fear I must make this or I shall surely die. Mark my words, you will see a copycat post in a couple of months. just sayin'.

snow day

2011-02-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Snow in Seattle! Didn't have to worry about delays or cancellation because we're already off for the week! There was barely anything at our house anyway. But my poor little tulips looked frigid under the inch in the backyard.

more quilting

2011-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Another quilt is finished! (this is how I roll--never just ONE of something...) Little bees and fleur de lis. Random? yep.
ps, I've only been using my stash for these quilts - still no new fabric purchased in two months! I did have to buy several packages of batting. I'm scientifically comparing to see which is best. On sale at Joann's last weekend - 50% off - score!

pie!

2011-02-23T18:42:00.000-08:00

See what a great stay-at-home-wife I make? Apple pie! Thanks to Emily for the Opal apples...yum!

a new quilt

2011-02-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

Would you believe that I started this quilt on Sunday and finished on MONDAY?!?! I know, I'm impressive. And it turns out baby quilts are super fast and easy! I just calculated a quick design, cut out some patches, and stitched 'em together on Sunday. Then yesterday I added the backing, machine-quilted it, and finished the binding lickety-split! Hurrah!

mid-winter break

2011-02-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Every year my staff debates: keep mid-winter break or get rid of it? I am happy to say it has survived through the years - no school this week! Yahooooo! Many of my co-workers are heading to warm and sunny places like Maui. Me? I'll be spending the break finishing my pro cert and working on my curriculum design project. Wild. And. Crazy. And. Depressing. Oh well...I ventured to the back yard (which has been visited about 2.5 times since September) to see if there were any signs of spring to make me feel better. Score!
I love the hens-and-chicks that grow in my rock wall...but can someone tell me if these are dying?Now it's time to start the big "sprinter" clean up. Too bad snow is in the forecast!

it's alli's birthday!

2011-02-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Alli, queen of stylin' eyewear and the suspender look!
I love you sissy!

use up the stuff

2011-02-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

the title of this post is "use up the stuff." See, I have LOTS of stuff in my craft room. Driving me crazy that it's not serving any purpose! Like these swivel latches, for example:

So I made a little pouch with a clasp. Attach it to the strap of your bag and you won't have to dig to the bottom for the little things you need. Would people buy these?

fabric friday

2011-02-18T06:50:00.000-08:00

I've been having fabric withdrawals since I used to order fabric at least once, sometimes twice, each week... I haven't ordered fabric for two months! Sad! So I'm making a wish list for future fabric indulgences..."Sacha" in pink : : Dena Fishbein

"Temple Tiles" in Sherbert : : Patty Young

"Bird on a Perch" in Blue : : Alice Kennedy

Hold on here a minute...am I seeing this right? Ty Pennington has a line of fabric? Why haven't I heard him shouting about it from the rooftops with his beloved bull horn? I LOVE the grey and chartreuse palette--here are my faves:"Foliage" in Chartreuse" : : Ty Pennington

"Tudor" in Grey : : Ty Pennington

"Blossom" in Chartreuse : : Ty Pennington

Happy Friday, everyone!

new project!

2011-02-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

ahhhhh, the gentle arts! My next crochet project! What will it be????

last week in review

2011-02-15T19:17:00.000-08:00

Sheesh! Last week was so busy that I fell off the Project 365 wagon! :( Rats! Well, I'm cheating a little, and have improvised by including a few pictures that were inspired by that day.

These two have been constantly on my iPod/iPhone:
The Forgotton Garden (Kate Morton) is so so so so good. Exactly the kind of book I like!

What else has been on my mind? Rocks! Rocks, rocks, and more rocks. The topics of the unit I'm designing for my curriculum design class. Therefore I get to spend A LOT of time thinking about rocks. More than I ever though I would in fact. And I love geology.

I had a retail therapy moment when I purchased a shiny new binder for my kids' reading assessments...go crazy!!
So there you have it! Guilty pleasures, great books, rocks, and school supplies. Yep, I'm living the dream!

happy valentine's day!

2011-02-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

valentine's day! I love love love valentine's day! Everyone come tell me how much you love me! I set the kids to making their Valentine bags. I love Megan's - super creative with the arrow going through the heart. Right now I'm laying on the couch while Jamie is slaving away over a hot stove. ...but let's be honest....that's not just a valentine's day thing. :) Hope you all had a great day!

on my bookshelf

2011-02-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

What I wouldn't give to just read. all. day. long. This one:(the sweetness at the bottom of the pie : : by alan bradley)
is taking me f o r e v e r to get through...not because it isn't good...I just have no time to read. :( But I did finish this one over Christmas break:

juliet : : by anne fortier

and this one recently via audiobook:

true grit : : by charles portis

right now I'm listening to...

the forgotten garden : : by kate morton

really good so far! Audio really is the way to go for me. Listening in the car = more than an hour of "reading" every day. Sad and awesome at the same time!

finished!

2011-02-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

I finished my big project! Hurray and yay for me!

best night ever!

2011-02-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

all three nieces/nephews under one roof? you bet it was the best night ever!!
so fun having Pearl and Sarah stay with us for a few days!

picture of the day

2011-02-01T20:13:00.001-08:00

The picture of the day is a pic of my dining room table before dinner:

So yeah. Teaching math to 2 second grade classes is pretty awesome until it comes to correctin' time. My rough calculation tells me that the approximate number of math pages I corrected today (that the kids did today) was around 300.......!

yikes!

To do tomorrow: let kids take breather.

happiness is...

2011-01-31T17:00:00.000-08:00

a new notebook!

weekend stuff

2011-01-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

Rainy Saturday spent at Seattle U for class...at least the fountain was pretty!

inspiration

2011-01-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

This sister has an amazing collection of inspiration binders. That's right, I said "collection" of binders. That's more than one. I myself have just one inspiration binder, and it is only in its infant stage.

The goal is to reduce my massive collection of magazines to one amazing book-o-greatness.
Time to start clipping!

I don't know though...Sunset might be a keeper as-is. Love that mag!

homemade ravioli!

2011-01-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

Jamie made homemade ravioli! Homemade ravioli, people!

weekend fun

2011-01-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

ONE of my weekend days was super fun (we won't talk about the other one)! We went to Keith & Suzanne's Stretch Island Oasis, and get this....it was actually SUNNY! It was soooo wonderful.

ps, yes, I did tag this post "vacation." close enough for me!

happiness is...

2011-01-20T19:57:00.000-08:00

my little jade plant, keeping me company while I do hours and hours and hours of homework. I mean literally, about 15 hours in the last 2 weeks. Not that I'm counting or anything.

is it spring yet??

2011-01-19T20:28:00.000-08:00

I am officially ready for spring. Aagggghhh. It was so cold today! But I have to admit it was a beautiful day. When the clouds finally subside this time of year, you realize the days actually ARE getting longer. Yay! I found this pic in one of my old picture folders...a memory from last summer! Someday it will be summer again...

check me out

2011-01-18T20:39:00.000-08:00

That's me! (obviously)But what am I doing? Clearly I am hanging out with a second grader, juggling three balls and a light bulb, while rockin' a tutu and my bolo tie. Being a teacher is sweet!

more monograms!

2011-01-17T19:53:00.001-08:00

My shop is on vacation, but these monograms are for my last order that got in under the wire. It's a good thing it's closed, too, because it's been homework 24/7 around here lately!

Besides having a homework day today, I did find time to
a cake today! I know, I know, I should have already learned my lesson about spelling things out with my monograms. Happy Monday!

progress

2011-01-16T19:55:00.001-08:00

The project is coming along...

saturday shopping : valentines

2011-01-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking that it's time for some Valentine shopping! Have I ever told you how much I LOVE letterpress? I think it's going to be a Letterpress Valentine Year. Check out these finds from Etsy!

: : le papier studio

: : sarahparrott825

: : luckybeepress

: : WordLetterpress

Now it's decision time...

an invitation

2011-01-14T19:46:00.000-08:00

We got a CUTE wedding invitation in the mail today! Here are a few of the pieces. Green, pink, and white. Love the pattern! And don't you love how they asked for a song request?It must have inspired Jamie, because he "accidentally" turned on our wedding video when he was trying to put Avatar on tonight. Aww.

cookies!

2011-01-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

What you see here, my friends, is photographic proof that I love my husband. Why else would I make oatmeal raisin cookies?

What you also see here is a handcrafted bowl from The Empty Bowl Project, a Tacoma organization dedicated to fighting hunger. My cookies are almost as awesome as that!

happiness is...

2011-01-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

...this one!

in the hat I crocheted for her for Christmas! The ears were supposed to be more "lamb" than "vampire bat."

next in knitting:

2011-01-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

What will it be? I was SO EXCITED to finish these so I could move on to my next knitting project!

Have I ever expressed just how much I love this yarn? It is "Cashmerino Aran" by Debbie Bliss. I have probably used this yarn in over 5 projects. It's just soft, doesn't get all fuzzy, and it's washable so it's good for baby items. Hint, hint.

a bit of sunshine...

2011-01-10T16:53:00.000-08:00

We actually got a bit of sunshine this weekend! As in, about 20 min. I ventured out...
...and saw that all is mossy in our backyard!

done!

2011-01-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

Yay, I met my goal of finishing these in one week! So, they are not identical, nor, surprisingly, is the second one better than the first. Wouldn't you think that the second one would turn out looking better than the first one, since I did it all before? Oh well, good enough!

floor flair

2011-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

I love January for freshening things up and reorganizing. I freshened up my craft room by buying a new rug for the doorway. Keeps my floor looking much cleaner!

my weekend

2011-01-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

Here you see what I've been doing this weekend. Each sticky is a homework assignment. These are for the next two weeks ONLY!!! aaaackkkkk!!!

Then you add correcting 20 homework packets and 20 reading tests and you get one REALLY fun weekend. saaweet!

whoopie!

2011-01-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

Do you know about Whoopie Pies? If the answer is no, you need to remedy this situation ASAP. I got the Whoopie Pie cookbook for my birthday:
Here's all you need to know: 1. Cakey Cookies. 2. Creamy Filling
That's all.
GO! Go get one!

dug out of dark places...

2011-01-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to resurrect old projects (like the crocheted bracelets). It drives me crazy to leave something incomplete, so I usually stash it away. Out of sight, out of mind! It's really bad. I don't dare to venture an estimate of stashed projects in my craft room.

SO, I dug these out of some random drawer hoping that the light of day shining upon them will magically help me find some inspiration. Just some stitching!
What to do???

baby love

2011-01-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

So many people I know are having babies right now! My cousin Liz and her husband Riley just had their baby girl yesterday! I have babies on the brain. (Not for ME to have, of course...yet) In honor of baby love, I found this picture- a little bear I knit ages ago. I would never give it to a small child though, because I'm sure the head would get ripped off and present a choking hazard. Yyyyyeah. Other than that I'm super proud of it.

pretties

2011-01-04T20:08:00.001-08:00

A while back, someone told me about this ever-so-cute crocheted bracelet pattern she saw on Etsy. Being the idea-stealer that I am, I bought the pattern, and, since I can never make just one of anything, about 6 balls of different colored thread to start making a gazillion bracelets. Roughly six months later, I have finished the first two bracelets!

Credit goes to kellymccaleb for making such a cute pattern!

christmas crafting

2011-01-03T19:37:00.001-08:00

There was a fair bit of crafting going on during Christmas vacay. Sissies and I made Christmas garlands for the fam. Take a bunch of felt...

Cut lots of circles...

Then stitch them all together!

There was also drawing...

And much photography...

Plus, of course, crocheting...and I only sustained a small injury when punching the holes in the leather soles of the slippers (ouch!)

Aaaahhh it was heavenly. SO hard to go back to school today!!

on getting up early...

2011-01-03T06:01:00.001-08:00

I love my family, my crafting and my job, but let's be honest: here is the real reason I get up in the morning:Mmmm, sweet nectar of life...

pic of the day: crochet project

2011-01-02T17:50:00.001-08:00

The pic of the day is a shot of my current crochet project. It's a slipper for Miss Pearl (if I can finish them before she grows out of them)!

Here's the thing about knitting or crocheting two things that need to be the same: it's not so easy to make them look exactly alike! Here is the completed first slipper:

Cute, no? I made them from a pattern from this book. It was one of those books I had to have right away once I found out it existed. Craft craving! I'm challenging myself to have these finished in one week. Might be a lofty goal since tomorrow it's back to reality (back to work). I'll keep you posted...

Hello 2011

2011-01-01T14:17:00.000-08:00

Well hi there! It's been a long long long time! It was a very very very busy fall! Now that I've had a chance to breathe for 2 weeks (Christmas vacation from school), I've been able to catch up and start a new incredibly long list of Things I Must Do.

One of the items on the list should help me become a better blogger...Sissy Shannon challenged me to a photo project: Project 365 -where you take a photo every day for the whole year. It's on...who will drop out first? :)

My first photo of the year is above--a pic of my first project of the year! I made over my camera strap because it was entirely too boring. You like?

Here's to a Happy 2011...and to taking a moment to slow down each day long enough to capture life flying by!

on my bookshelf

2010-09-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

What's been on my bookshelf lately? Lots! I was queen of the Summer Reading Club. Many are not pictured, like

#1. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Stieg Larsson)
It's not often I buy a hardback book. I had to because I could not wait for the third book in this trilogy. If you have not read these books, what planet are you living on anyway?

#2. Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert)
Again, if you haven't read this you might be an alien. I read it because it seems you must, but I have to say it was not my fav. There were some nuggets of wisdom inside, though.

#3. The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein)
ooooooooooomg, I loved this book. LOVED!

#4. I'd Know You Anywhere (Laura Lippman)
I listened to the audiobook (nerd alert). It was a really interesting story. Creepy. But interesting.

#5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society (Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows)
I loved The Art of Racing in the Rain, but I am in love with GLPPS. I'm still reading it - I don't want it to end. It makes me want a penpal. anyone?

#6. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford)
Really sweet story. Why am I reading all these WWII books??

Books I've Not Yet Read:
-The Lady and the Unicorn (Tracy Chevalier) - Recommended by the lovely Suzanne
-Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest (Beck Weathers) - Recommended by K9
because I love a good stuckonamountainprobablygonnadie story.

Why don't you read these too?

knitting season

2010-09-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

Hurray, it's knitting/crocheting season! I love "watching" football and cozying up with a yarn project of some kind. I am going to practice my granny squares. I also want to knit some more baby stuff.

I've been thinking about a project-sized bag just for knitting. So I made one! I've been thinking about this applique-style for possible monogramming, etc. It was pretty easy, thanks to my trusty Heat Bond Lite. Where would I be without that stuff?

my quilt!

2010-09-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

The quilt is finished! I love love love it and can't wait to make another. I know it's going to be my best friend this fall/winter. Hurray!

craft room makeover

2010-09-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

dining room: check.

living room: check.
craft room: . . . half-check.

I totally meant to paint the craft room. Here's what happens when I have five minutes of spare time: I create HUGE lists of Things I Must Do. That's how I spent the first five minutes of summer vacation. So when vacation started winding down, I started getting nervous because it was clear I wouldn't finish everything on my list of Things I Must Do. So the craft room didn't get painted. However, I did get a wonderful new cutting table from Ikea. Did you know such a plain table could make a gal so happy?I also got a new dresser at Ikea. So I put the old dresser under the new craft room table
I also got a new dresser at Idea. So I put the old dresser under the new craft room table for scrap storage. Perfect fit (thank goodness!). And in this corner we have the wonderful desk Em found for me - $15! Hopefully I'll get to the painting before next summer vacation!

living room

2010-08-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

I painted the living room! This was part II of my summer home renovation series (part I was the dining room, seen here). I love how it turned out - the shade is "Salty Brine."

Sadly, I didn't get all of the painting projects finished this summer. In fact I got a little stressed about it. But I will need something to do next summer, right?

Good Enough to Eat?

2010-08-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

I just finished a set of monogrammed jewelry cases for Meredith's bridesmaids. I love how she chose all different colors of the same fabric (Nature Elements by Patricia Bravo).

Yum! They look like candy! Thanks Meredith!

new additions to the family

2010-07-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

We're expecting some new additions to the family. Right now they are about a half-inch in diameter, and the loveliest shade of green. Yes, it's true, Jamie has been fathering two gigantic tomato plants!
It's pretty cute to watch him lovingly water and talk to the little guys. I mean, in a totally manly, tough, I'm-gonna-pasta-sauce-the-crap-out-of-you way.

i've never been paralyzed by perfection

2010-07-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

Excellent progress made on the quilt.

Let me start by saying, however: the title of this post is NOT true.

This was my Grandma Jeanne's favorite saying. I need to say it to myself more often.

Like today, when I was sitting on the bedroom floor, my quilt spread out, thinking to myself, WHY did I think this was a good idea? Putting a quilt together is no easy task. I almost let myself get frustrated until I remembered: this is only for me - who cares if I do it the "right" way??

So I figured out A way, even though it may not be the RIGHT way, to get my three layers assembled. Once I started running it through the machine, I fell in love with it again. As in, I can't wait to curl up with you all winter long.

You will not find any perfectly straight lines or many perfectly matched patches on this piece. Yay!! Down with perfection!

quilt top! (and bottom)

2010-07-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

I'm finished with my quilt top! (remember this post?) Oooohhhh I love it.

I also love going to The Quilting Loft (my favorite Seattle fabric shop) on a mission. Yesterday my mission was to find a quilt back. Some quilters might complete this step earlier in the process... ya know, when you're deciding what the top is going to look like. Details, details. I'm not to concerned that everything is really matchy-matchy. So I picked this:

I'm also not real concerned about other stuff, like, how to actually finish putting this thing together. Meh, I'll figure it out as I go. I am dying to get cozy under this thing, so I'm going to have to figure it out fast. Wish me luck!

in a jam

2010-07-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

Oh I was SO very proud of myself yesterday. SO proud. I made strawberry freezer jam all-by-myself. Yessirree. Read proud. Look how pretty it turned out!

THEN I tasted the jam.

So, it wasn't BAD. In fact, it was hard to put my finger on it. Almost ... sour patch kid. I don't know quite what went wrong, but my final verdict is that it tastes like really really REALLY sweet strawberry jello. yikes. Perhaps a little more research on method and another try will do the trick! In the meantime...dessert jam?

dining room : finished!

2010-07-25T20:20:00.001-07:00

Do you love my new dining room? With hand-me-down furniture from Grandma Jeanne. Thank goodness Jamie digs the orange!

bridesmaid bags!

2010-07-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Usually when I send off an order, I realize that I will never see it again (sniff) and that's that.

However, sometimes people are especially kind and come back to my shop to leave me a note saying they're happy with their purchase. So sweet!

Miss Mary (or should I say MRS. Mary - she just got married!) took it one step further on the sweetness scale by sending me a picture of her cute bridesmaids with the bags she gave them as gifts! Aren't they looking good with their monogrammed market bags?
I'm sure it was a beautiful wedding, judging by her pretty bridesmaids and her perfect color matching! :)

Thanks, Mary!

treasures

2010-07-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

I got featured in a lovely treasury! The theme is "Poppies." The photograph here is my personal favorite of the set:
Treasuries really are brilliant, because you end up discovering some really cool artists! The piece above is by Tim Irving, whose Etsy shop is called opart. Here are a few more favorites from his shop:
and
Feels like summer!

thrifting adventures

2010-07-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

My sissies and I have been on many thrifting adventures lately! Many of our found objects will be available at our next Fritzi's sale (date TBD)...however these pieces will be living at my house:wooden planter

Little blue stepladder

wee wagon
(some lady about ripped this from my hands. that's how you know it's good.)

Head over to the Fritzi's blog to see more of our finds!

dining room makeover

2010-07-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hey! Look at this boring, dreary dining room. Blah.

Who would allow such a room to exist in their home?
Blllah. I had Cousin Ann help me pick out some new colors to spruce up my white, white house. We picked "Live Wire" (C2 paints) for the dining room. I jumped in and got started today, finally!

First coat is done... Yowza, it's definitely brighter! I think I love it.

Doesn't the blue painter's tape make a lovely trim?

Next I'll paint one accent wall in the dining room: "Salty Brine." Wondering what color that might be? You'll have to wait to see the after pictures!

blue sky days

2010-07-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

We went for the music (Dudley Manlove Quartet) and the beer garden. Apparently Redmond Derby Days is really about a bike race?
We also found funnel cakes...
corn dogs...
and lemonade!
Since we were aaaallllllll the way out east, we drove out to Marymoor park to see the RC airplanes and the velodrome. A lovely day! How could it not be, with all that blue sky?

*note: Mr. Wix was the photographer of the day. I hate to admit he takes the better pictures!

scrap project

2010-07-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

With all this sewing, you won't be surprised to hear that I have a bit of a scrap problem. I won't even provide photographic evidence of the full extent of this problem...but I will tell you that attempts have been made to organize the chaos. So I've been rolling ideas around my head to address this issue.

What better way to get rid of scraps than with a patchwork quilt? I set to work cutting 5x5 squares. Did you know it takes 387 squares to make a full size quilt? sheesh!

I only wish this had made a slight dent in the scrap supply. Indeed it did not. But I am LOVING how it is turning out! The top is almost done...

another work in progress!

Project, Phase 3

2010-07-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

So, you know the clearance rack at Lowe's? Yeah, the one with all the random crap? Turns out you can go there to get mistinted paint at sweet discounted prices! For example, I got this lovely gallon of latex for A DOLLAR. I give you phase 3 of my project:I have to say the shade looks better in real life. Promise. Phase 4 to come. This one might take awhile.

Project!

2010-07-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

The weather in Seattle has been GORGEOUS. It was a beautiful day for some backyard painting projects!

I found this cute little wooden stool at Value Village.

Phase 1: Cleaning.

Phase 2: Priming.

Phase 3: Painting. To take place tomorrow...stay tuned!

And yes, I did say painting projectS - plural. Alli came over and we did Phases 1 and 2 with MANY little gems (you can see a corner of one such gem in the bottom left of the second picture). More to come about these, too!

new market bags!

2010-06-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

I took a bunch of pics yesterday and today of new Roll-Up Market Bags for the shop. Check back soon to see the new selection! Here's a preview...all rolled up!

scenes from the sale

2010-06-28T21:29:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun at the sale the weekend! Here are just a few shots. Aside from selling, we sisters and cousins had a great time chatting, eating, and just plain hanging out....rain and all. Can't wait for the next one!

Fritzi's!

2010-06-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

Announcing...

Fritzi's!

I'm so excited to be a part of this venture with my sisters & cousins! I will be contributing my bags & jewelry cases. I've got some new designs & fun found fabrics to showcase. Sneak peeks to come!

Read more about the collective and see available items on our blog and on flickr.

Hope to see you on the 25th or 26th!

scenes from the farm

2010-06-01T21:46:00.001-07:00

We took a trip home to see my mom for Memorial Day weekend! Lots to do and see on the farm...

Eggs to watch:Ball to play:

Boots to muddy:

Flowers to sniff:

Grass to roll in:

Views to see:

Tractors to ride:

People to remember:

Happy Memorial Day!

fabric friday

2010-05-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

I have been ordering fabric like a mad woman. I couldn't resist getting this new print, even though I didn't NEED it:

I have thing for tea cups right now. How much do you love this one? I need to post this in my shop:

And of course there are these lovelies:

That's a whole lot of tea time for a gal that doesn't really like tea!

modern meadow

2010-05-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love this project I did for one of my wonderful customers. She wanted 8 monogrammed jewelry cases, and she loved Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow in the "Berry" Palette. They look so great all together!

How fun was it to order a yard in each print? I also love the Pond and Sunglow Palettes. Yum!

extremely awesome cupcakes

2010-05-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Nikki made these amazing cupcakes for a recent get-together. Mexican Fried Ice Cream Cupcakes, or something like that. ! Delish ! There is cinnamon in the chocolate cake batter which makes them especially yummy. The "fried" part is actually crushed up corn flakes. amazing!

on my bookshelf

2010-05-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

I'd been doing tons of reading for my class; going to Hawaii gave me time for lots more (fun) reading! I made it through two books and started another. Here's what's been on my bookshelf:
Teacher Reads, Crafty Reads, Fun/Interesting Reads! By far the best of this bunch was "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. I kept hearing from all these people that it was so amazing. They were right! It was one of those books you don't want to end. Every day I would look forward to coming home and getting back to it. Love that!!