So things have been crazy busy here. The sweetened condensed version is that Christmas is a week away, and I've been busy shopping for presents, working to make money to get presents, and working on craft projects to have them done by the end of the year. Mostly just to get it done an feel good about the fact that I did get it done in 2011.
The projects currently in progress are as follows:
1) the baby blanket from...well you know where. I *JUST* finished the binding. So now if my sewing machine cooperates I'll get it done. ASAP.
2) an advent calendar. Which will be completed by Christmas, mind you.
3) the snow white/Thomas kinkade cross stitch. That's currently on the back burner as I need to get the others done first. Plus it's going to take forever.
4) finish tooth officer for coworker. And tooth marshall/sheriff. Not even 50% done with this.
Projects I'd like to start:
1) Make felt princesses one at a time for my sponsor child Clara. These would be modeled after the Disney princesses.
2) quilt, crib bumpers with monkey fabric I have laying in closet waiting for me. This will be a long project also. However I am going to have to figure out how to quilt it because of how the fabric is. Pictures in future when this project gets started of this perplexing situation.
In other news, CONGRATULATIONS to my BFFTTAT Reanna and her new fiancé Josh! They just got engaged. They are getting married in march. I'm excited to go to their wedding.
Also, Re and Kim Robbins got me addicted on a site that isn't good for me. Pinterest. I'm hooked. I'm on t all the time getting ideas for new craft projects that I certainly don't have the time for. Oh well. All in good time.
I know this was a super long post. I'll have to post more often. I'm so bad at that.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
A child of our own...
So I've been hideously bad at posting. I'm sorry. I am really excited about this post though! A couple of weeks ago I felt that God was laying on my heart to sponsor a child from World Vision. And after looking through a lot of photos on their website, I decided to just go with a child from Ecuador. I do know a little bit of Spanish (albeit it's really bad...) and I would like to brush up on it to speak with my child a little bit better.
And so...here she is! Her name is Clara Rosaura Barros Lanon. I'm really excited to form a relationship with her. She's a beautiful 8 year old little girl, has a big family, and I am just so blessed to become part of her life.
The best part is a welcome surprise on God's part -- since I sponsored her, guess who no longer has the "baby itch"? ME! Thank you, Lord for answering prayers; mine AND a little girl in Ecuador! I wrote her my first letter tonight, so it will be going in the mail tomorrow. I am very excited and anxious to hear back from her!
On a side note, I am almost finished with physical therapy. I met with my MD yesterday and told him that nothing has changed...and the back pain is still there. So he ordered a lumbar MRI. I'm going in tomorrow to have the MRI completed. I'm a little bit nervous, but also anxious to (hopefully) get some answers as to where my back pain is coming from.
And so...here she is! Her name is Clara Rosaura Barros Lanon. I'm really excited to form a relationship with her. She's a beautiful 8 year old little girl, has a big family, and I am just so blessed to become part of her life.
The best part is a welcome surprise on God's part -- since I sponsored her, guess who no longer has the "baby itch"? ME! Thank you, Lord for answering prayers; mine AND a little girl in Ecuador! I wrote her my first letter tonight, so it will be going in the mail tomorrow. I am very excited and anxious to hear back from her!
On a side note, I am almost finished with physical therapy. I met with my MD yesterday and told him that nothing has changed...and the back pain is still there. So he ordered a lumbar MRI. I'm going in tomorrow to have the MRI completed. I'm a little bit nervous, but also anxious to (hopefully) get some answers as to where my back pain is coming from.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Congratulations!
A congratulations are in order for my brother Bryce and his lovely wife Karina! They are expecting their first child together. To be honest I am a little jealous (seriously, it's like everyone I know is pregnant or just popped a kid out) because I want kids, but I am still very excited for them! I love you both!
In other news, I felt that God was impressing upon my heart to sponsor a child through World Vision. They're a great Christian based organization that helps millions of people and children a year. My child's name is Clara. She's eight years old and lives in Ecuador. I can't wait to write letters to her and get to know her better. I also can't wait to get her some gifts for Christmas!
In other news, I felt that God was impressing upon my heart to sponsor a child through World Vision. They're a great Christian based organization that helps millions of people and children a year. My child's name is Clara. She's eight years old and lives in Ecuador. I can't wait to write letters to her and get to know her better. I also can't wait to get her some gifts for Christmas!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Bedtime Reading
My favorite way to wind down for the night is to curl up in bed with a good book. I finished book #17 in my Anita Blake series and #18 is waiting for me at the library. But because I work during the hours they are open, I have had to wait until tomorrow to get it. Which means no reading material for the last few nights. But then I opened up the drawer to my bedside table and there was my Bible. It's been untouched for a while. So what did I do? I opened it up and started reading Esther. It's amazing how much you forget from Sunday School. I'm so encouraged by the story so far. I'll keep you posted. :)
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Foilage, inches, and raises!
Okay so I know the title is super abstract, lol but here's what's been going on in my neck of the woods!!
First of all, I am proud to announce that my boss (DDS and the office manager) approached me on Thursday and told me that they're proud of the work that I've been doing, and I've been doing such a great job, they want to offer me a pay increase in the form of being paid HOURLY! Wahoo!!!! I've been being paid by commission the past like...oh...7 months. It kind of sucks, especially if patients don't show up and I'm stuck still doing work stuff.
This is the answer to TWO prayers!! One, that God would help heal our financial issues, and TWO, that things at work would turn around and get better. I "made a deal" with God (even though that's not entirely possible...) that if I worked extra hard and did my very best at work, then I would hope to see some changes at work. PRAISE GOD!
So as far as the "inches" goes, I went to have my first month evaluation with my personal trainer today. I haven't lost very much weight, because I've been building muscle. And everyone knows (or should know) that muscle weighs more than fat. So guess what? I've lost EIGHTEEN (18) inches so far!!! WAHOO! My trainer was so surprised that I've lost 4 inches around my waist already! WOW! I'm going to take some "1 month" photos, so we'll see at the end of my journey how I look as time passes!
Last but not least, yesterday Brian and I went to go look at the "fall foilage" in William O'Brien state park by the Saint Croix. The leaves haven't fully peaked yet, it's only about 50% or so. But still, it was beautiful! We had a great day enjoying each others company and nature, and went to dinner in Stillwater afterward. Here are some pictures highlighting the day:
First of all, I am proud to announce that my boss (DDS and the office manager) approached me on Thursday and told me that they're proud of the work that I've been doing, and I've been doing such a great job, they want to offer me a pay increase in the form of being paid HOURLY! Wahoo!!!! I've been being paid by commission the past like...oh...7 months. It kind of sucks, especially if patients don't show up and I'm stuck still doing work stuff.
This is the answer to TWO prayers!! One, that God would help heal our financial issues, and TWO, that things at work would turn around and get better. I "made a deal" with God (even though that's not entirely possible...) that if I worked extra hard and did my very best at work, then I would hope to see some changes at work. PRAISE GOD!
So as far as the "inches" goes, I went to have my first month evaluation with my personal trainer today. I haven't lost very much weight, because I've been building muscle. And everyone knows (or should know) that muscle weighs more than fat. So guess what? I've lost EIGHTEEN (18) inches so far!!! WAHOO! My trainer was so surprised that I've lost 4 inches around my waist already! WOW! I'm going to take some "1 month" photos, so we'll see at the end of my journey how I look as time passes!
Last but not least, yesterday Brian and I went to go look at the "fall foilage" in William O'Brien state park by the Saint Croix. The leaves haven't fully peaked yet, it's only about 50% or so. But still, it was beautiful! We had a great day enjoying each others company and nature, and went to dinner in Stillwater afterward. Here are some pictures highlighting the day:
Monday, September 26, 2011
This is hard!
Losing weight is so hard to do! I've been going to the gym as much as I can the past month...and 2 lbs. That's all I've lost so far!! I even signed up for personal trainers. I'll meet with them 3x a month to keep me motivated and on track.
I know what's holding me back from losing more weight...and it's one of those things that my brain is saying, "You can't POSSIBLY live without that!" And what is it? Sweets. Oh my gosh. I told Brian we're not allowed to have any sweets in the house anymore. No cookies, no pies, no brownies, no ice cream, no chocolate, no nothing. I have kettle corn -- that's my one thing I am not able to give up (and it's so much better than a huge bowl of ice cream!!).
I think once I give up sweets more (the last of it was eaten this weekend) I'll be able to lose more weight.
I've also been taking care of my poor husband who has been sick for the past week and a half!! He's had a fever every night...and when he went to the MD on Wednesday last week, they told him his WBC count was normal. I made him go back to the MD today and he said they took like 6 vials of blood to run more tests. I'm worried about him...I have nightmares that I wake up and he doesn't =(
Well...I have my "before" pictures for my weight loss journey...but I'm not ready to post them up yet. It's embarrassing, really. Once I get down about 20 lbs, then I'll take some "mid-journey" weight loss pictures and post them up. My goal is to lose 35 lbs or so. I started out at 168 and my goal is 130-135. A normal, healthy weight for a girl in her 20's that is my height.
I know what's holding me back from losing more weight...and it's one of those things that my brain is saying, "You can't POSSIBLY live without that!" And what is it? Sweets. Oh my gosh. I told Brian we're not allowed to have any sweets in the house anymore. No cookies, no pies, no brownies, no ice cream, no chocolate, no nothing. I have kettle corn -- that's my one thing I am not able to give up (and it's so much better than a huge bowl of ice cream!!).
I think once I give up sweets more (the last of it was eaten this weekend) I'll be able to lose more weight.
I've also been taking care of my poor husband who has been sick for the past week and a half!! He's had a fever every night...and when he went to the MD on Wednesday last week, they told him his WBC count was normal. I made him go back to the MD today and he said they took like 6 vials of blood to run more tests. I'm worried about him...I have nightmares that I wake up and he doesn't =(
Well...I have my "before" pictures for my weight loss journey...but I'm not ready to post them up yet. It's embarrassing, really. Once I get down about 20 lbs, then I'll take some "mid-journey" weight loss pictures and post them up. My goal is to lose 35 lbs or so. I started out at 168 and my goal is 130-135. A normal, healthy weight for a girl in her 20's that is my height.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
So tired...
I have had chronic lumbar back pain for ten plus years now. It's been nearly impossible for me to sit for more than 20 minutes doing most of the things I enjoy most, which includes sewing, crafting, and reading. I went and saw a medical doctor in early august, and he recommended physical therapy. My consultation was this past week and it went well. My first appointment is next Friday.
Other things that I have been doing to try to help is going to work out. I joined a gym and have been going at least 4x a week.
The most fervent thing I have been doing is praying. And now I'm asking others to pray also. I know it's a lot to ask for...but please pray for me every day. This is what I posted on my church's prayer website:
"My brothers and sisters in Christ, please pray for me. I am having another severe bout of lumbar back/spine pain. I am praying every day and I am getting angry that nothing I do physically or spiritually is helping. I know that the Lord is giving me this trial to further His glory, but I am tired of not being able to move to the best of my ability. I am tired of the pain. I am desperate for some healing. Please, please pray that God will heal my back. "
The bible says in Matthew 18:19-20, "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."
Other things that I have been doing to try to help is going to work out. I joined a gym and have been going at least 4x a week.
The most fervent thing I have been doing is praying. And now I'm asking others to pray also. I know it's a lot to ask for...but please pray for me every day. This is what I posted on my church's prayer website:
"My brothers and sisters in Christ, please pray for me. I am having another severe bout of lumbar back/spine pain. I am praying every day and I am getting angry that nothing I do physically or spiritually is helping. I know that the Lord is giving me this trial to further His glory, but I am tired of not being able to move to the best of my ability. I am tired of the pain. I am desperate for some healing. Please, please pray that God will heal my back. "
The bible says in Matthew 18:19-20, "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Yuck
So I've been pretty good about going and working out since I joined 3 weeks ago. I've gone like 10 times in the last 3 weeks! I'm so proud of myself! And then I get sick this weekend. Yuck!! It's not like, --I'm going to throw up --sick, more like my body doesn't handle extreme temperature/season changes well. According to "On This Day in 2010..." on Facebook, I was sick too. Yay. Lucky me. I'm feeling better, but I lost my voice this morning temporarily, so that was interesting working with patients with barely any voice and coughing all over the place.
In other news -- my sewing machine is on the fritz. Of course, when I bring it in to the repair shop where they "tuned it up", it works perfectly fine, and what happens when I get home? It freaks out and doesn't work properly. Serves me right. I'm getting to the point where I'm going to just trade it in for a Janome. I had a mini-sewing machine that was a Janome before buying the POS that I have now, and it NEVER gave me any problems. We're talking about hemming stuff without any fuss whatsoever.
I'm also putting up some pretty cool decals in my "sewing/craft/computer" room. They're supposed to look like this after it's done:
In other news -- my sewing machine is on the fritz. Of course, when I bring it in to the repair shop where they "tuned it up", it works perfectly fine, and what happens when I get home? It freaks out and doesn't work properly. Serves me right. I'm getting to the point where I'm going to just trade it in for a Janome. I had a mini-sewing machine that was a Janome before buying the POS that I have now, and it NEVER gave me any problems. We're talking about hemming stuff without any fuss whatsoever.
I'm also putting up some pretty cool decals in my "sewing/craft/computer" room. They're supposed to look like this after it's done:
This is how it looks right now. It's a lot more work putting it up perfectly than it would seem! And since it's close to 11 PM, I can't finish it tonight. I have to go to work tomorrow, lol.
Yup, one trunk. Oh well, the rest will be up soon.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Confessions
So, I realized during the sermon on Sunday that I've been hiding things from those most dear to us. Well, Brian and I as a couple have been. Pastor Peter talked about how we need friends, family to hold us accountable. Also that we need to be honest not only to ourselves but to others also, and that sometimes the hardest way to be honest with ourselves is to be open and honest and communicate that honesty with others. So here goes.
Brian and I are struggling financially. It's not to say that we're not blessed -- we certainly are in every aspect of our life. But are we perfect? No. Are we comfortable? No, we're not, actually. It is humiliating and disgracing and incredibly embarrasing to say that we're living paycheck to paycheck right now with bills, car payments, and credit card bills lining up. I'd love to blame the credit card debt (which is not an extravagant amount, but it's still there) on the move...but I can't. It's 100% my fault. Brian's so much better at getting his paid off than I am...and I'm the one always griping about it.
It's hard for me to even click "publish post" for this. Part of me is screaming, "Don't! Don't let anyone know! Just keep on pretending everything is great!" And the other, holy-spirit filled part of me is saying, "Part of being one of God's children is understanding and experiencing humility on a regular basis." So here I am, Lord, humbling myself before you and all of my friends and family, all those that I hold close and dear to my heart. We need prayer, we need advice, we need counseling, anything that will help us out and bring us closer to God.
Brian and I are struggling financially. It's not to say that we're not blessed -- we certainly are in every aspect of our life. But are we perfect? No. Are we comfortable? No, we're not, actually. It is humiliating and disgracing and incredibly embarrasing to say that we're living paycheck to paycheck right now with bills, car payments, and credit card bills lining up. I'd love to blame the credit card debt (which is not an extravagant amount, but it's still there) on the move...but I can't. It's 100% my fault. Brian's so much better at getting his paid off than I am...and I'm the one always griping about it.
It's hard for me to even click "publish post" for this. Part of me is screaming, "Don't! Don't let anyone know! Just keep on pretending everything is great!" And the other, holy-spirit filled part of me is saying, "Part of being one of God's children is understanding and experiencing humility on a regular basis." So here I am, Lord, humbling myself before you and all of my friends and family, all those that I hold close and dear to my heart. We need prayer, we need advice, we need counseling, anything that will help us out and bring us closer to God.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Edens Edge Concert and Japanese Memorial
So I meant to post this last week, but I've been crazy busy this week. So here's a summary:
Because Brian's grandmother (obachan) in Japan died, we decided to go to the Japanese Garden at Normandale Community College as a kind of way to pay our respects. Considering we all don't have two grand each to go to fly to Japan. Here are a few pictures from that trip:
It really is quite a beautiful place! We got some silly other pictures, but we decided to keep them on FB for friends :)
After that, we went to Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill to see....EDENS EDGE!! Okay, well, Roxie and I went to see Edens Edge. Brian went for the ribs. Of course. :) I was SO excited to go see this band, because their songs are so catchy and fun, and I love it! I bought their EP on iTunes a while back and of course knew *almost* all the words to their songs, so it was a blast being able to sing along with them!! The best part? Being able to meet the band afterwards!! Hannah Blaylock, Cherrill Green, and Dean Berner are all so nice and I'm fortunate to have had the chance to meet them! Hannah saw me and said, "You're my front row girl! I had so much fun singing along with you!" and gave me a big hug. One of my top ten moments of 2011, for sure. Here are some pictures!
All in all, it was a great day!!! :) I'm so glad to have such great memories! God sure has blessed me :)
Because Brian's grandmother (obachan) in Japan died, we decided to go to the Japanese Garden at Normandale Community College as a kind of way to pay our respects. Considering we all don't have two grand each to go to fly to Japan. Here are a few pictures from that trip:
After that, we went to Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill to see....EDENS EDGE!! Okay, well, Roxie and I went to see Edens Edge. Brian went for the ribs. Of course. :) I was SO excited to go see this band, because their songs are so catchy and fun, and I love it! I bought their EP on iTunes a while back and of course knew *almost* all the words to their songs, so it was a blast being able to sing along with them!! The best part? Being able to meet the band afterwards!! Hannah Blaylock, Cherrill Green, and Dean Berner are all so nice and I'm fortunate to have had the chance to meet them! Hannah saw me and said, "You're my front row girl! I had so much fun singing along with you!" and gave me a big hug. One of my top ten moments of 2011, for sure. Here are some pictures!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A very full day
So today was pretty eventful for different reasons. The first, is quite obvious; I updated my blog and customized it so it screams "AMBER"! I even MADE the blog title at the top. I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself and my mad photoshop skills. I'm going to have to learn more soon, but I'm happy for now :)
Secondly, my husband and I found out that his obachan, or grandmother in Japan passed away today. My mother-in-law is super upset, of course. I lost my dad when I was 15, so I know exactly how she feels right now. The only bad part is that she just became a US citizen, which means that she doesn't have her US passport yet. She's going to petition to the passport office to see if she can get an emergency passport so she can go to Japan for her mother's funeral. My thoughts are with Chiaki, Shingo, and Toshiki. I hope that Ojichan is okay. He's in a nursing home over in Japan and hasn't been doing very good the last couple of years.
Let's all say a prayer for the Owada family tonight.
Secondly, my husband and I found out that his obachan, or grandmother in Japan passed away today. My mother-in-law is super upset, of course. I lost my dad when I was 15, so I know exactly how she feels right now. The only bad part is that she just became a US citizen, which means that she doesn't have her US passport yet. She's going to petition to the passport office to see if she can get an emergency passport so she can go to Japan for her mother's funeral. My thoughts are with Chiaki, Shingo, and Toshiki. I hope that Ojichan is okay. He's in a nursing home over in Japan and hasn't been doing very good the last couple of years.
Let's all say a prayer for the Owada family tonight.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
My poor sewing machine
So here I am Monday night, feeling quite ambitious and wanting to finish machine quilting my baby quilt, right? Well, the needle tension has always been off on my sewing machine that I purchased in January, so I decided to try to fix the bobbin tension. Logical thing to do, right? WRONG. Not only did I screw things up, I totally delayed my quilting ambitions. =( Fail for Amber.
I went ahead and took it to a sewing sales and repair shop that has been around for 40+ years and has this amazing reputation. Well, I go there and of course two things happen. 1) It's pouring rain out. and 2) My stupid locks on my car doors are totally screwed up, so I have to unlock it from the inside while getting drenched. Yay. Went in and filled out the paperwork, and the older gentleman that owns the shop started talking with me because I was checking out the machines. I totally loved this one machine that was made for both sewing and quilting, but had quilting more in mind because it had a longer arm on it. Totally cool right? He said he'd offer me a great trade-in value for mine...and the price would be $3000 for the other machine. Holy man! I mean, I understand a shop owner has to sell his stuff, but talk about an expensive sewing machine! Maybe if I win the lottery someday I'll go back and say, "SOLD! I'll take it!" but since I don't play the lottery...I don't think it'll happen.
But the guy totally made me smile after we were chatting for a while. He said, "Be careful out there, you're a sweet girl, and you know what happens to sugar in water, right? It dissolves." Ha. Totally made my day.
I went ahead and took it to a sewing sales and repair shop that has been around for 40+ years and has this amazing reputation. Well, I go there and of course two things happen. 1) It's pouring rain out. and 2) My stupid locks on my car doors are totally screwed up, so I have to unlock it from the inside while getting drenched. Yay. Went in and filled out the paperwork, and the older gentleman that owns the shop started talking with me because I was checking out the machines. I totally loved this one machine that was made for both sewing and quilting, but had quilting more in mind because it had a longer arm on it. Totally cool right? He said he'd offer me a great trade-in value for mine...and the price would be $3000 for the other machine. Holy man! I mean, I understand a shop owner has to sell his stuff, but talk about an expensive sewing machine! Maybe if I win the lottery someday I'll go back and say, "SOLD! I'll take it!" but since I don't play the lottery...I don't think it'll happen.
But the guy totally made me smile after we were chatting for a while. He said, "Be careful out there, you're a sweet girl, and you know what happens to sugar in water, right? It dissolves." Ha. Totally made my day.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
BUMMER!
So yesterday I had my craft subgroup over at my house (even though the lovely Jana was the only one to show up -- that's because we ROCK IT) yesterday, and I asked her to be my accountability partner. I need someone to help me stay focused on the Lord and keep me going to church weekly, and to share my experience with and such. She kindly accepted :)
Anyway, so the first step was for me to go to church. I told her I love going to church, but I don't like waking up *early* on Sunday. Okay, granted it's not early if you're going to the 11 AM service, but still. I like sleeping in on the weekends. So what did I do? I went to the Saturday night service with her, of course! I found out that the church is having a "Riverboat Prom" type of thing this weekend, and I was SO EXCITED because I REALLY wanted to go. I never went to my prom, and I thought it would be a lot of fun!!
So I get home, talk to my husband, and talk him into it. He's not a big dancer. But I succeeded :) Come to find out this morning...that it's on Friday night. Which totally stinks because I already bought tickets to go see a show for my new favorite band Edens Edge. Never heard of them? Go here. They're amazing! And I had to talk my husband into going with me to that! Oh well.
I'm kind of bummed out, but I'm still excited to go see my favorite band.
P.S. I'm about halfway done with the quilting itself of the baby quilt. Pictures will be up after it's been binded and washed. I'm using chalk to fill in the stencils and it's going okay for my first time quilting. Hopefully I can finish it today. :)
Anyway, so the first step was for me to go to church. I told her I love going to church, but I don't like waking up *early* on Sunday. Okay, granted it's not early if you're going to the 11 AM service, but still. I like sleeping in on the weekends. So what did I do? I went to the Saturday night service with her, of course! I found out that the church is having a "Riverboat Prom" type of thing this weekend, and I was SO EXCITED because I REALLY wanted to go. I never went to my prom, and I thought it would be a lot of fun!!
So I get home, talk to my husband, and talk him into it. He's not a big dancer. But I succeeded :) Come to find out this morning...that it's on Friday night. Which totally stinks because I already bought tickets to go see a show for my new favorite band Edens Edge. Never heard of them? Go here. They're amazing! And I had to talk my husband into going with me to that! Oh well.
I'm kind of bummed out, but I'm still excited to go see my favorite band.
P.S. I'm about halfway done with the quilting itself of the baby quilt. Pictures will be up after it's been binded and washed. I'm using chalk to fill in the stencils and it's going okay for my first time quilting. Hopefully I can finish it today. :)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
God is GOOD!
To start off this post, I'd like to inform all of you that Brian and I have been struggling financially these past two months with the big move and everything. I said a long time ago that it's not expensive to move-- well, oh boy, I was WRONG. Brian and I couldn't buy groceries the other week, and because we had to throw a lot of food away when we moved, we really didn't have much in the fridge. So, of course, we have been praying every day, "Please, Lord, please help us financially. We lift this struggle up to you that you may provide for us." So, getting the mail on Thursday, we received a piece of mail from "Minnesota Revenue". This kind of scared me -- because my husband has his own eBay business, and if you make more than 20K a year, they will start taxing you. That's what I thought it was. To my surprise, I opened it up and there was a check to Brian and I. I almost cried, I was so relieved. I've been living paycheck-to-paycheck to pay the bills and such, and this was such a huge relief off of our shoulders. Praise God!!
On another note, my craft group is meeting at our new home today! Wohoo! It's kind of exciting, even though there only may be one person that comes over, I'm excited! Now that I have almost all of my craft stuff out and organized, I'm debating on whether or not I should keep working on my cross-stitch or if I should try to finish the baby quilt with the owls on it. It's basted and waiting for me. *le sigh* I just don't know how to work the "freehand" foot on my sewing machine yet, so I'll have to figure that out.
On ANOTHER note, I was so excited to find this other blog by this AMAZING woman that challenged herself, starting March 5th this year, to NOT look in a mirror for a WHOLE YEAR. How crazy awesome is that? You'll have to go check out her blog. How inspirational, in my opinion. Us girls look in the mirror way too often, I think. I check myself out while shopping, in the bathroom, etc. I look in the mirror too much! I did make a post to her, and SHE RESPONDED WITH A NEW BLOG POST! I am so honored. Here is the link to her response post!
http://www.ayearwithoutmirrors.com/2011/08/day-139-3-new-things-that-i-love-about.html
Hope all is well! I'm off to grab some new books from the library (#12 and 13 in the current series) and get some eggs from the store since I want waffles for breakfast :)
Ciao!
-Amber
On another note, my craft group is meeting at our new home today! Wohoo! It's kind of exciting, even though there only may be one person that comes over, I'm excited! Now that I have almost all of my craft stuff out and organized, I'm debating on whether or not I should keep working on my cross-stitch or if I should try to finish the baby quilt with the owls on it. It's basted and waiting for me. *le sigh* I just don't know how to work the "freehand" foot on my sewing machine yet, so I'll have to figure that out.
On ANOTHER note, I was so excited to find this other blog by this AMAZING woman that challenged herself, starting March 5th this year, to NOT look in a mirror for a WHOLE YEAR. How crazy awesome is that? You'll have to go check out her blog. How inspirational, in my opinion. Us girls look in the mirror way too often, I think. I check myself out while shopping, in the bathroom, etc. I look in the mirror too much! I did make a post to her, and SHE RESPONDED WITH A NEW BLOG POST! I am so honored. Here is the link to her response post!
http://www.ayearwithoutmirrors.com/2011/08/day-139-3-new-things-that-i-love-about.html
Hope all is well! I'm off to grab some new books from the library (#12 and 13 in the current series) and get some eggs from the store since I want waffles for breakfast :)
Ciao!
-Amber
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Parched for creativity...
So as of right now, for how much I've been working, most of my free time is spent reading this awesome series. I'm currently on book 11 out of 20. I started them in the beginning of June. What does this tell you? I'm addicted.
Now, don't be alarmed, because I have been working on that needlepoint!! But during the move I got an eyeful of that pink owl crib quilt that I need to finish. I know, I know....one thing at a time. I'm so bad at starting things that I finish. Except books of course.
I've decided that for the needlepoint that I'm going to take a picture of it each time I finish a color. Which means that...this could take a while. Well, I'm out of creative juices for today, so I'm going to lounge on the couch and watch So You Think You Can Dance...which is fun to watch the dancing, I fast forward through the "judging" though. Booooo-ring. Then it's up to bed for the night and reading under the covers with my booklight...hehehe. I'm such a nerd.
In other news-- my low back pain that I've had for the last 10 years flared up last weekend. So much so that I had to call in sick on Monday (not yesterday, the week prior) and go to the MD. I never go to the doctor. For anything. My parents were both RN's so that pretty much took care of everything that was ever wrong with me. Except broken bones and things of that severity. Anyway, the MD did a couple of tests (and I'm super out of shape by the way, and not by any means limber at all either) and said, "Why on earth haven't you come in sooner? You need to go to physical therapy at least three times a week or so for this. I'm astonished you haven't been in sooner." He also gave me a Rx for a muscle relaxer and an anti-inflammatory (kind of like an NSAID - aka ibuprofin, but stronger). I couldn't believe it -- this is the first time in ten years I was pain free for more than a couple of hours. I am not taking the muscle relaxer unless I absolutely need it because it makes me super drowsy if I take the full dose, and kind of loopy. But I know I need to get physical therapy for sure -- my consultation is on September 13. We'll see what happens!
Now, don't be alarmed, because I have been working on that needlepoint!! But during the move I got an eyeful of that pink owl crib quilt that I need to finish. I know, I know....one thing at a time. I'm so bad at starting things that I finish. Except books of course.
I've decided that for the needlepoint that I'm going to take a picture of it each time I finish a color. Which means that...this could take a while. Well, I'm out of creative juices for today, so I'm going to lounge on the couch and watch So You Think You Can Dance...which is fun to watch the dancing, I fast forward through the "judging" though. Booooo-ring. Then it's up to bed for the night and reading under the covers with my booklight...hehehe. I'm such a nerd.
In other news-- my low back pain that I've had for the last 10 years flared up last weekend. So much so that I had to call in sick on Monday (not yesterday, the week prior) and go to the MD. I never go to the doctor. For anything. My parents were both RN's so that pretty much took care of everything that was ever wrong with me. Except broken bones and things of that severity. Anyway, the MD did a couple of tests (and I'm super out of shape by the way, and not by any means limber at all either) and said, "Why on earth haven't you come in sooner? You need to go to physical therapy at least three times a week or so for this. I'm astonished you haven't been in sooner." He also gave me a Rx for a muscle relaxer and an anti-inflammatory (kind of like an NSAID - aka ibuprofin, but stronger). I couldn't believe it -- this is the first time in ten years I was pain free for more than a couple of hours. I am not taking the muscle relaxer unless I absolutely need it because it makes me super drowsy if I take the full dose, and kind of loopy. But I know I need to get physical therapy for sure -- my consultation is on September 13. We'll see what happens!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
A new, blond-ish me! :)
I've always been a brunette at heart. Those who know me the best know that I have the worst blond moments in the world. I had decided when I got my hair cut about a week and a half ago that I wanted to change it up and do something different -- my hairstylist suggested that I go lighter since I always go darker, so what the heck? Might as well!!
Here are a couple pictures of the process!
This first picture is of me with my new haircut, still brunette! :)
Me, marinating with my hair all crazy!
The end result!! It's subtle enough to blend with the rest of my hair, but it's different enough to stand out! I love it!! :)
Here are a couple pictures of the process!
This first picture is of me with my new haircut, still brunette! :)
Me, marinating with my hair all crazy!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Day two completion
Here's a picture of what's been completed after day two. Not much, still working on the trees. I always work with one color of thread at a time.
I'm using a pen that has ink that washes away with water to mark where my stitches should be going, since this is kind of a HUGE project. We'll see how it works out. So far, so good. I think after each thread color is completed I'm going to have to wash in the sink to get all of the ink out, then go on to the next color. Just so I don't get confused.
I'm using a pen that has ink that washes away with water to mark where my stitches should be going, since this is kind of a HUGE project. We'll see how it works out. So far, so good. I think after each thread color is completed I'm going to have to wash in the sink to get all of the ink out, then go on to the next color. Just so I don't get confused.
New project!
Well, technically I'm still on haitus, but because I joined a crafting group at my church, I needed something to craft. So off to Joann I went...
I've done some counted cross-stitch before, but nothing of this magnitude. I saw this, which is a Disney + Thomas Kinkade, so of course it had "WIN" written all over it. It's going to be a long project, but I'm very excited.
Here's a picture of the actual painting that Thomas Kinkade did. The one I'm working on is called "Snow White Discovers the Cottage". It's the first in a series called "Disney Dreams Collection by Thomas Kinkade".
It's pretty darn intricate, as you can see, and I suspect this should take...oh...6 months or so? If I don't get totally burnt out and end up like my mom, putting it away indefinitely. There's a few more that I saw at Joann that I'd like to do. My goal is to make all of them for when I have kids, have a Disney nursery room theme. I love Disney.
Here's a picture of the cross stitch when it's completed:
And here's my progress after day one (man this stuff is going to take forever!!!). It's not much, but it's part of the big tree directly to the left of the cottage!
I'll upload more as I go along. Probably on a weekly basis, since I don't want to take pictures every day. Maybe I will. We'll see. I'm pretty lazy =P
I've done some counted cross-stitch before, but nothing of this magnitude. I saw this, which is a Disney + Thomas Kinkade, so of course it had "WIN" written all over it. It's going to be a long project, but I'm very excited.
Here's a picture of the actual painting that Thomas Kinkade did. The one I'm working on is called "Snow White Discovers the Cottage". It's the first in a series called "Disney Dreams Collection by Thomas Kinkade".
It's pretty darn intricate, as you can see, and I suspect this should take...oh...6 months or so? If I don't get totally burnt out and end up like my mom, putting it away indefinitely. There's a few more that I saw at Joann that I'd like to do. My goal is to make all of them for when I have kids, have a Disney nursery room theme. I love Disney.
Here's a picture of the cross stitch when it's completed:
I'll upload more as I go along. Probably on a weekly basis, since I don't want to take pictures every day. Maybe I will. We'll see. I'm pretty lazy =P
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Hiatus....
Well, I know that I've been neglecting my poor blog as of late. With some personal stuff that's been going on at home, my hubby and I had to move all of our stuff temporarily until we move into our new place. So that means I haven't been able to sew or craft or anything, and won't be able to for another month or longer. Moving is such a pain!
As of right now I'm reading the Anita Blake vampire slayer series. I'm on book #6 of 18 (wowee!!) right now, and I can't get enough of them! My next series on my list of books to read is the Hunger Games series, I keep hearing great things about it!
So for now I won't be posting anything on the blog until we get settled in. As Tigger says; TTFN!!
As of right now I'm reading the Anita Blake vampire slayer series. I'm on book #6 of 18 (wowee!!) right now, and I can't get enough of them! My next series on my list of books to read is the Hunger Games series, I keep hearing great things about it!
So for now I won't be posting anything on the blog until we get settled in. As Tigger says; TTFN!!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Congratulations Stacie and Mike!
My "little sister" Staci got married today!! Her wedding was pretty small, like mine, and she was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. I couldn't believe it! She looked better than I did on my wedding day!!!
Here's a quick picture of myself and the beautiful, blushing bride on her wedding day:
Of course, I was bawling like a baby when her dad and mom walked her down the aisle. I lost my dad when I was 15, so I always get very emotional when "the walk down the aisle" comes along. Movies, real life, anything; say goodbye to my eye makeup because it's GONE. I'm so emotional. My husband was pretty good about me leaning on his shoulder when the crying commenced, lol.
Again, to my beautiful "little sister", congratulations!! :) Thanks for letting me be part of your special day!!!
Here's a quick picture of myself and the beautiful, blushing bride on her wedding day:
Of course, I was bawling like a baby when her dad and mom walked her down the aisle. I lost my dad when I was 15, so I always get very emotional when "the walk down the aisle" comes along. Movies, real life, anything; say goodbye to my eye makeup because it's GONE. I'm so emotional. My husband was pretty good about me leaning on his shoulder when the crying commenced, lol.
Again, to my beautiful "little sister", congratulations!! :) Thanks for letting me be part of your special day!!!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Back from vacation
Well, I went down and spent a whole week with my Mom in California. It was so great being able to see her again, along with all of my friends.
Mom and I went to church on Sunday morning, and then I went to visit my friend. He's having a really hard time because his girlfriend who he is ABSOLUTELY in LOVE with broke up with him. Poor guy. I'm glad that I was able to spend some time with him and console him a bit. Sunday afternoon we had a BBQ at mom's house, so some friends came over and it was great to see them!
Monday I went and visited with my friend Tiffany, who is so pregnant she's about to pop!! We had a lot of fun going shopping, and I treated her to a pedicure. She'll be going crazy with two kids in the house soon, so I wanted to pamper her.
Tuesday Mom and I drove down to San Diego and went to Sea World!! It was SO MUCH FUN! I haven't been there since I was a kid, so it was great spending a whole day together and relaxing, watching the shows and such. We had such a great time! We went to my niece's singing recital afterward and spent the night at my brother's house. It sure was great to see them again.
Wednesday Mom and I were planning on going to the beach, but it was pretty cold and gloomy so we decided to just head home and spend the day relaxing at home. We stopped at In N Out on the way home, so of COURSE I had to order some animal style fries!! Yum!!!!! We rented Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I, which was great!! I can't wait for the next one to come out next month!
Thursday Mom and I just relaxed a bit. I went to see my friend again, since he was pretty down-in-the-dumps. We watched a movie and then I had to say bye, which was hard because he's such a good friend. I miss him a lot, hope he's doing OK now. Mom and I went and ran some errands and then relaxed at home. I finished the second book in a series that I'm reading, so that was great.
Mom #2 and I went to Disneyland on Friday!!! It was SO much fun! It happened to be a little chillier than I had anticipated, so I ended up having to get a sweatshirt on the way in. Most of the rides that we went on didn't have that long of a wait, so that was really fun. I went on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror for the first time! It was fun! Sure makes you giggle like a kid once you're off!! A lot of the great rides like Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, the Matterhorn, and Peter Pan had such long lines we didn't want to wait. That's okay!!
Saturday my plane left pretty early in the morning. I get really bad motion sickness on planes...and I usually didn't up until my last plane ride in October. Funny how things like that sneak up on you as you get older.
It sure was great to see my mom and friends and such, but I sure am glad that I'm home. I missed my husband a lot, and it was great to give him some hugs and kisses when I got home!
Mom and I went to church on Sunday morning, and then I went to visit my friend. He's having a really hard time because his girlfriend who he is ABSOLUTELY in LOVE with broke up with him. Poor guy. I'm glad that I was able to spend some time with him and console him a bit. Sunday afternoon we had a BBQ at mom's house, so some friends came over and it was great to see them!
Monday I went and visited with my friend Tiffany, who is so pregnant she's about to pop!! We had a lot of fun going shopping, and I treated her to a pedicure. She'll be going crazy with two kids in the house soon, so I wanted to pamper her.
Tuesday Mom and I drove down to San Diego and went to Sea World!! It was SO MUCH FUN! I haven't been there since I was a kid, so it was great spending a whole day together and relaxing, watching the shows and such. We had such a great time! We went to my niece's singing recital afterward and spent the night at my brother's house. It sure was great to see them again.
Wednesday Mom and I were planning on going to the beach, but it was pretty cold and gloomy so we decided to just head home and spend the day relaxing at home. We stopped at In N Out on the way home, so of COURSE I had to order some animal style fries!! Yum!!!!! We rented Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I, which was great!! I can't wait for the next one to come out next month!
Thursday Mom and I just relaxed a bit. I went to see my friend again, since he was pretty down-in-the-dumps. We watched a movie and then I had to say bye, which was hard because he's such a good friend. I miss him a lot, hope he's doing OK now. Mom and I went and ran some errands and then relaxed at home. I finished the second book in a series that I'm reading, so that was great.
Mom #2 and I went to Disneyland on Friday!!! It was SO much fun! It happened to be a little chillier than I had anticipated, so I ended up having to get a sweatshirt on the way in. Most of the rides that we went on didn't have that long of a wait, so that was really fun. I went on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror for the first time! It was fun! Sure makes you giggle like a kid once you're off!! A lot of the great rides like Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, the Matterhorn, and Peter Pan had such long lines we didn't want to wait. That's okay!!
Saturday my plane left pretty early in the morning. I get really bad motion sickness on planes...and I usually didn't up until my last plane ride in October. Funny how things like that sneak up on you as you get older.
It sure was great to see my mom and friends and such, but I sure am glad that I'm home. I missed my husband a lot, and it was great to give him some hugs and kisses when I got home!
Monday, May 30, 2011
My new dress!!!
I was sick of going shopping and trying to find a super cute summer dress that I liked with a bold pattern (okay, I know I'm asking for a lot there...). I could never find one, so one day as I'm shopping at Jo-Ann for some odds and ends...I think to myself, "Why not just make one?" And voila! I go to the patterns and find this one!
And while it took a little while to make it...Here it is!! I am SO happy with it! My very first piece of clothing make entirely from scratch and by myself, and here it is!! I'll add a picture of me in it soon on my FB account, considering that I want to surprise my mom with it!
I just adored the blue fabric with the apples and pears on it, so I of course had to buy it and make a dress out of it! I also bought a shirt pattern from the same manufacturer, so hopefully I'll get that done before my trip down to CA. I'm so excited to wear this out and about!
Happy Anniversary, Nataku!
Yesterday marked the very first anniversary for myself and my husband!! I am so happy and proud to call him my husband -- he is such a wonderful, caring, thoughtful and loving man, and I couldn't ask for anything more from him. I found out that he didn't really have much or any of our wedding cake last year, so I called up a friend of mine that does custom cakes to make one for our anniversary. I knew that she was talented, and I gave her an idea of what I wanted from the cake...but I am just blown away by her talent and the thought that she put into the cake. The first picture is our wedding cake:
We had a cherry blossom theme, because my husband's maternal side is Japanese, and I thought that cherry blossoms are just beautiful! Just a way to honor his side of the family that couldn't make it to the wedding.
Here is how the anniversary cake turned out:
Thank you so much, Danielle!!! You did an awesome job!!!
I also got my hubby a little something extra....I know that he just adores sock monkeys, and what do I come across at Target? A baby sock monkey! Now the family is complete!!!
Happy Anniversary, my Nataku. I love you!
Here is how the anniversary cake turned out:
I also got my hubby a little something extra....I know that he just adores sock monkeys, and what do I come across at Target? A baby sock monkey! Now the family is complete!!!
Happy Anniversary, my Nataku. I love you!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Happy Birthday to me! =]
Well, Happy Belated Birthday to my lovely self =] My birthday was two days ago, but that's okay. My wonderful husband surprised me at work by bringing flowers and balloons!! Okay so it wasn't much of a surprise considering I told him that's what I wanted for my birthday, bu needless to say, I have the greatest husband in the world. I haven't got much for presents (which is totally okay), but my mom said that she'd treat me to whatever when I'm down in CA in about 3 weeks!! I'm so excited to see her again!
On a side note, I finished my "surprise" present for my bestie. It was going to be a birthday present, because I thought it would take FOREVER to finish and obviously as the queen of procrastination here, I gave myself ample time to finish it. But voila! I finished it tonight (albiet I should be in bed right now as I have to get up in 6 hours for work...) and I am kind of impressed with myself! I'm more impressed with my ability to *paint* Japanese characters pretty darn well. My husband was impressed with me, that's saying something =] I made it with pieces of felt that I cut out myself, and then sewed on to the little bag. I filled in any little characteristic things with black, white, and yellow fabric paint. If you know anything about the anime Naruto, then you know that this is the "chibi" version of Naruto's Jinchuriki: the 9 tailed fox.
Here's a picture of it:
And here's a picture of it next to the original art by my close-to-no-ink printer by some unknown fabulous artist online:
What do you think? So it's going to be Roxie's graduation present, and I'll get her something from CA for her birthday. Love you girl, I hope you like it!!!
On a side note, I finished my "surprise" present for my bestie. It was going to be a birthday present, because I thought it would take FOREVER to finish and obviously as the queen of procrastination here, I gave myself ample time to finish it. But voila! I finished it tonight (albiet I should be in bed right now as I have to get up in 6 hours for work...) and I am kind of impressed with myself! I'm more impressed with my ability to *paint* Japanese characters pretty darn well. My husband was impressed with me, that's saying something =] I made it with pieces of felt that I cut out myself, and then sewed on to the little bag. I filled in any little characteristic things with black, white, and yellow fabric paint. If you know anything about the anime Naruto, then you know that this is the "chibi" version of Naruto's Jinchuriki: the 9 tailed fox.
Here's a picture of it:
And here's a picture of it next to the original art by my close-to-no-ink printer by some unknown fabulous artist online:
What do you think? So it's going to be Roxie's graduation present, and I'll get her something from CA for her birthday. Love you girl, I hope you like it!!!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Update!
It's been a while since I updated my poor blog. I feel like I've been neglecting it!
Well, an update as far as crafts go -- I finally finished those darn crib bumpers. I decided I didn't want to tackle quilting the blanket (even if it is machine quilting) that goes along with it quite yet, so I decided to do a mini project! I made a "Moo Moo Measure" for my bestie's mom, fondly known as "The Mame" :] Here's how it turned out:
I also decided that I'm going to make a present for my bestie for her birthday. Hopefully I won't put it off too much and get it done by her birthday in June. Also, a big fat CONGRATULATIONS goes out to her for getting her B.A.!! I was so excited to see her graduate! Congratulations, Roxie!!!
The weather here has been so cold and gloomy lately that when we get some sunshine and the temperature is over 40 degrees it definitely is cause to celebrate! I'm hoping that it won't rain on my birthday next week, even though it's supposed to. Went shopping to the Mall of America on Saturday, with intentions of buying a sundress, but I couldn't find anything that I really liked for cheap. Thus, I decided that if I can't find something, then darnit, I'll just make it myself, so I picked up some patterns and CUTE fabric from JoAnn Fabrics. That's next on my to-do list (after the bestie's birthday present :).
Not much else going on here right now, just working and spending time with the hubby every chance I can get!!
Well, an update as far as crafts go -- I finally finished those darn crib bumpers. I decided I didn't want to tackle quilting the blanket (even if it is machine quilting) that goes along with it quite yet, so I decided to do a mini project! I made a "Moo Moo Measure" for my bestie's mom, fondly known as "The Mame" :] Here's how it turned out:
I also decided that I'm going to make a present for my bestie for her birthday. Hopefully I won't put it off too much and get it done by her birthday in June. Also, a big fat CONGRATULATIONS goes out to her for getting her B.A.!! I was so excited to see her graduate! Congratulations, Roxie!!!
The weather here has been so cold and gloomy lately that when we get some sunshine and the temperature is over 40 degrees it definitely is cause to celebrate! I'm hoping that it won't rain on my birthday next week, even though it's supposed to. Went shopping to the Mall of America on Saturday, with intentions of buying a sundress, but I couldn't find anything that I really liked for cheap. Thus, I decided that if I can't find something, then darnit, I'll just make it myself, so I picked up some patterns and CUTE fabric from JoAnn Fabrics. That's next on my to-do list (after the bestie's birthday present :).
Not much else going on here right now, just working and spending time with the hubby every chance I can get!!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
I am a Disney FIEND.
That's right. Guess what my WONDERFUL husband decided to get me for an early birthday present?? Well, see for yourself.
You'll see that only ONE movie is non-Disney. And that would be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1, but that's because it's pretty epic. Ah, I have the best husband in the world. The best part? All of these were either on sale or bought at a half-price store. Score one for the P household. I'm so excited.
I also found some great Adidas black tennies at Costco that I've been looking for. I had some "in style" tennies that always gave me blisters, and so I thought, "Forget being in style, I want to be comfortable when I'm walking around." Ah. I love my life.
Oh, and have I mentioned that I'm *still* not done with those crib bumpers? Good news is that I finished sewing shut 3, I just have the last 3 to do. Tonight. Hopefully.
** Also -- update on the whole dream/Mom situation: I'm going down to CA in June to see her for a week!! I had enough money left over with my paycheck to get a plane ticket! I love you Mom, can't wait to see you!
You'll see that only ONE movie is non-Disney. And that would be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1, but that's because it's pretty epic. Ah, I have the best husband in the world. The best part? All of these were either on sale or bought at a half-price store. Score one for the P household. I'm so excited.
I also found some great Adidas black tennies at Costco that I've been looking for. I had some "in style" tennies that always gave me blisters, and so I thought, "Forget being in style, I want to be comfortable when I'm walking around." Ah. I love my life.
Oh, and have I mentioned that I'm *still* not done with those crib bumpers? Good news is that I finished sewing shut 3, I just have the last 3 to do. Tonight. Hopefully.
** Also -- update on the whole dream/Mom situation: I'm going down to CA in June to see her for a week!! I had enough money left over with my paycheck to get a plane ticket! I love you Mom, can't wait to see you!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Bad dreams
Woke up this morning from a very vivid dream where my mom was about to die. Needless to say I was bawling and my husband couldn't figure out why I woke up crying.
My dad died when I was 15, very suddenly, from a car accident. I'm so blessed that my mom is still here and alive, it's a miracle really. I'm still a little shaken up from it.
Moving on...working today, then I'm going to finish those darn crib bumpers while watching TV (background noise, of course) tonight. Then I'll be able to a) finish the quilt that goes along with it, and b) start on other little projects! Yay!!
My dad died when I was 15, very suddenly, from a car accident. I'm so blessed that my mom is still here and alive, it's a miracle really. I'm still a little shaken up from it.
Moving on...working today, then I'm going to finish those darn crib bumpers while watching TV (background noise, of course) tonight. Then I'll be able to a) finish the quilt that goes along with it, and b) start on other little projects! Yay!!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Awww, look at the little babies...
First off, CONGRATULATIONS to my friend Leah for landing a fantastic dreamy job!!! I'm so proud of you, girl!!
I'm so excited for my friends Stephanie and Rebekah who both within the last 24 hours welcomed their newest member of the family to their lives. Congratulations to you both and your husbands (even though I'm not sure anyone actually READS this blog, haha). I've only seen pictures of Rebekah's daughter, but it's been interesting and exciting following their updates within the last 9 months.
Thinking about babies has made me think a lot about family planning for Brian and I. We both want kids, but it seems like my maternal/biological clock is ringing like there isn't a snooze button. But considering that we're only 10 months into our marriage, and we've got a lot of different things on our plates, I know that now isn't the right time. Brian wants to wait a while too.
But who's to say it's up to US when it's time? God has so many wonderful and blessed plans for every single person on this earth. I know it's not really up to us -- everything is in God's timing.
I've been making these crib bumpers (which, yes, I have STILL yet to finish...grumble grumble...) and I am so happy with the progress that I've made that I can't wait to see what the finished set is going to look like. Originally I was planning to sell the set of bumpers + fitted sheet + quilt on a website like Etsy, but I'm super attached to them now. We'll see what happens.
Well, altogether, babies are on my mind now. Maybe I'll go watch more Scrubs to get my brain cells to stop firing for the night. :)
I'm so excited for my friends Stephanie and Rebekah who both within the last 24 hours welcomed their newest member of the family to their lives. Congratulations to you both and your husbands (even though I'm not sure anyone actually READS this blog, haha). I've only seen pictures of Rebekah's daughter, but it's been interesting and exciting following their updates within the last 9 months.
Thinking about babies has made me think a lot about family planning for Brian and I. We both want kids, but it seems like my maternal/biological clock is ringing like there isn't a snooze button. But considering that we're only 10 months into our marriage, and we've got a lot of different things on our plates, I know that now isn't the right time. Brian wants to wait a while too.
But who's to say it's up to US when it's time? God has so many wonderful and blessed plans for every single person on this earth. I know it's not really up to us -- everything is in God's timing.
I've been making these crib bumpers (which, yes, I have STILL yet to finish...grumble grumble...) and I am so happy with the progress that I've made that I can't wait to see what the finished set is going to look like. Originally I was planning to sell the set of bumpers + fitted sheet + quilt on a website like Etsy, but I'm super attached to them now. We'll see what happens.
Well, altogether, babies are on my mind now. Maybe I'll go watch more Scrubs to get my brain cells to stop firing for the night. :)
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Holy shopping, batman!
The hubby and I headed down to Rochester this weekend for a CE conference. We stayed in a pretty nice hotel, and it was downtown so everything was connected to everything via skyways. The CE conference was great, we ate out way too much, but all in all, it was a good getaway weekend. We also spent too much money. Shopping on awesome things. I took pictures to elaborate.
First off, as a Dental Hygienist, I get easily excited by anything toothbrush or teeth related. Hence the reason we bought the two little guys in this picture. The red guy is a toothpaste cap that when you take his hand off his mouth...toothpaste squirts out of his mouth. Super fun. The little blue guy holds FLOSS and you cut it off with what looks like a little slingshot in his hand. The green guy that looks like he's hiding in the cup is a cotton swab holder thingy. It's pretty cool!
This second thing that I bought is a gift for a lovely friend of mine who professed to me once that she's a kitchen-gadget-a-holic. Which is why when I saw this (can you guess what it is?), I thought, "I bet she doesn't have this!!"
I'm also a self professed shoe-a-holic. I love shoes. I just know how to spend my money wisely to not have ten million pairs (although my husband, who has an equal-to-or-greater-than-me shoe problem, would disagree). So when I saw these shoes...and found out they are HAND MADE in the USA, I HAD to have them. I thought I'd model one of the pairs on my nice pasty white legs too hehe.
First off, as a Dental Hygienist, I get easily excited by anything toothbrush or teeth related. Hence the reason we bought the two little guys in this picture. The red guy is a toothpaste cap that when you take his hand off his mouth...toothpaste squirts out of his mouth. Super fun. The little blue guy holds FLOSS and you cut it off with what looks like a little slingshot in his hand. The green guy that looks like he's hiding in the cup is a cotton swab holder thingy. It's pretty cool!
From the same designer comes a toilet brush, but we found some nice mixing bowls/colanders/measuring cups that were equally as festive but from a different designer. And they ALL fit together. How cool and handy is that??
This second thing that I bought is a gift for a lovely friend of mine who professed to me once that she's a kitchen-gadget-a-holic. Which is why when I saw this (can you guess what it is?), I thought, "I bet she doesn't have this!!"
I'm also a self professed shoe-a-holic. I love shoes. I just know how to spend my money wisely to not have ten million pairs (although my husband, who has an equal-to-or-greater-than-me shoe problem, would disagree). So when I saw these shoes...and found out they are HAND MADE in the USA, I HAD to have them. I thought I'd model one of the pairs on my nice pasty white legs too hehe.
And today, at the end of our vacation, we treated ourselves to some gelato. Mine was lemon (my FAVORITE) and his was creme brulee flavored. Can you believe that this was the small size?Yum!!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Lazy and full
Well, it's official. My craft binge has indeed ended. I love doing it -- but I've been so busy I've had no time. So while I'm about 98% done with those darn crib bumpers *shakes fist in their direction* I still need to slip stitch them closed. Not the hardest thing in the world, right? Right. But there are other things I'd rather do. Like make dinner for myself...
Tonight I made some DELICIOUS tilapia for my husband and I. Keep in mind, I'm not a fish girl. Never have been. Something just doesn't sit right with me. But these were stinking AMAZING. We're talking a recipe that I graded "A". That never happens. Also made some zucchini chocolate snack cakes afterward, and I have yet to try one out. It looks pretty darn good though.
The hubby and I are going down to Rochester this weekend for a CE conference. I get 12 CE credits for my license, which is almost half of what's needed every two years. I already have 12 I think...and my license doesn't renew until 2013, so I'm pretty excited I'm getting all of this done so fast. Plus, it's great to keep up on the most recent studies and such.
Off to bed -- my library sent me a notice that a book I had put on hold 2 months ago is FINALLY ready for me. I'm so excited!! I was number 24 in line when I first "reserved" it. Pretty popular, eh? It's called "Heaven is For Real" by Todd Burpo. My mom recommended it to me -- apparently everything the boy encounters lines up with everything stated in the Bible. Anyway, g'night world!
Tonight I made some DELICIOUS tilapia for my husband and I. Keep in mind, I'm not a fish girl. Never have been. Something just doesn't sit right with me. But these were stinking AMAZING. We're talking a recipe that I graded "A". That never happens. Also made some zucchini chocolate snack cakes afterward, and I have yet to try one out. It looks pretty darn good though.
The hubby and I are going down to Rochester this weekend for a CE conference. I get 12 CE credits for my license, which is almost half of what's needed every two years. I already have 12 I think...and my license doesn't renew until 2013, so I'm pretty excited I'm getting all of this done so fast. Plus, it's great to keep up on the most recent studies and such.
Off to bed -- my library sent me a notice that a book I had put on hold 2 months ago is FINALLY ready for me. I'm so excited!! I was number 24 in line when I first "reserved" it. Pretty popular, eh? It's called "Heaven is For Real" by Todd Burpo. My mom recommended it to me -- apparently everything the boy encounters lines up with everything stated in the Bible. Anyway, g'night world!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Almost there...
I've been working on these stinkin' bumpers all weekend because I want them DONE. And also because my husband keeps complaining about the mess. I don't have a crafting room or table so I have to use the dining room table -- it's the only one big enough to spread out everything on.
As you can see, they're very girly. I'm so excited that I finally got them to this point. But considering how late it is already, and I have to work early tomorrow, I figured I would slip stitch the ends shut tomorrow. I'm tired and sick of working on them!!
This project took FOREVER to complete, mostly because of my laziness and only getting one thing done a day. I still have the "boy"/monkey set to complete, and I won't be doing those for a while. I still have to finish the quilt that goes along with this girl set, and I want to get some little projects done in between these big ones.
The tutorial for the crib bumpers is here in case anyone was wondering: Crib Bumper Tutorial
As you can see, I've cleaned up most of it already, my husband will be happy when he gets home :]
Here is a shot of the bumpers themselves:
This project took FOREVER to complete, mostly because of my laziness and only getting one thing done a day. I still have the "boy"/monkey set to complete, and I won't be doing those for a while. I still have to finish the quilt that goes along with this girl set, and I want to get some little projects done in between these big ones.
The tutorial for the crib bumpers is here in case anyone was wondering: Crib Bumper Tutorial
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Woot!
As if this week wasn't great enough already...it got much better :] I've been applying for more DH jobs because the one I have doesn't pay the way I originally planned, and I was only originally scheduled two days a week. I got a phone call for an interview yesterday morning, and I thought, why not? I went to work later that morning and towards the end of the day my boss said that he would like me to come in all four days that they are open if they have enough patients scheduled. I was kind of shocked but super excited at the same time! Needless to say, I went ahead and canceled the interview.
It's funny that things have been working out so well lately. I have been steadily giving more and more of my worries and fears up to God, and He never fails to listen or provide. The Bible reassures us that God will "never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it" in 1 Corinthians 10:13. Thank you Lord, for always providing. Since I've walked back into my relationship with God and tried to become closer to Him, He has been blessing me more than I could have ever imagined. He's always there, calling, "You don't have to worry, I'm here for you. Let me take care of your worries."
Okay, so as far as crafting goes...I've been SUPER lazy. I finished one fabric cube, but it turned out a lot larger than I thought, so I'm going to have to make the next few about 60% of the original size. I also was working on the crib bumpers, but they're taking SO LONG. I didn't realize how much work they are! It's amazing how long it takes to measure and cut everything. I should get done with the pink/girl baby bumpers this weekend, and I finally got the correct embroidery/darning foot for my sewing machine, so I should be able to finish the quilt also. :]
It's funny that things have been working out so well lately. I have been steadily giving more and more of my worries and fears up to God, and He never fails to listen or provide. The Bible reassures us that God will "never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it" in 1 Corinthians 10:13. Thank you Lord, for always providing. Since I've walked back into my relationship with God and tried to become closer to Him, He has been blessing me more than I could have ever imagined. He's always there, calling, "You don't have to worry, I'm here for you. Let me take care of your worries."
Okay, so as far as crafting goes...I've been SUPER lazy. I finished one fabric cube, but it turned out a lot larger than I thought, so I'm going to have to make the next few about 60% of the original size. I also was working on the crib bumpers, but they're taking SO LONG. I didn't realize how much work they are! It's amazing how long it takes to measure and cut everything. I should get done with the pink/girl baby bumpers this weekend, and I finally got the correct embroidery/darning foot for my sewing machine, so I should be able to finish the quilt also. :]
Friday, March 11, 2011
Family
I am so blessed to have married into such a wonderful family. I have the greatest husband a girl could ask for, and my in-laws are just plain fantastic. My mother in law is Japanese, and we were pretty worried about our family over in Japan when we heard about the disaster this morning. She was finally able to get a hold of them via cell phone because of how many people and businesses overseas have lost power. Everyone is O.K., and so that is a huge relief for all of us. I've been praying for the safety of everyone since last night.
In other news, I've been neglecting my crafts. I worked three wonderful days this week as a hygienist, and I couldn't have been happier since quitting my restaurant job. I love helping people and I LOVE what I do!! Thank you Lord! Since I have the next two days off (What? A weekend off?? This is truly bizarre) I'll be doing as much crafting as possible.
The hubby and I bought a new washer and dryer last week, and they are delivering it tomorrow! Hurrah!! The hubby says I have to wait to wash the fabric I just bought (which is KILLING ME having to wait...) so I'll try to work on other little projects in the mean time :)
Currently on the [small] project list:
1) Animal measuring tapes (see the owl in my previous post, I'm making other animals)
2) Tote/messenger bags with cute little felt animals sewn on front
3) iPod case
4) fabric baby blocks from scraps of fabric left over
In other news, I've been neglecting my crafts. I worked three wonderful days this week as a hygienist, and I couldn't have been happier since quitting my restaurant job. I love helping people and I LOVE what I do!! Thank you Lord! Since I have the next two days off (What? A weekend off?? This is truly bizarre) I'll be doing as much crafting as possible.
The hubby and I bought a new washer and dryer last week, and they are delivering it tomorrow! Hurrah!! The hubby says I have to wait to wash the fabric I just bought (which is KILLING ME having to wait...) so I'll try to work on other little projects in the mean time :)
Currently on the [small] project list:
1) Animal measuring tapes (see the owl in my previous post, I'm making other animals)
2) Tote/messenger bags with cute little felt animals sewn on front
3) iPod case
4) fabric baby blocks from scraps of fabric left over
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Crafting projects
So I am in the midst of making about 3 different things right now, with about 50 more ideas to come...
Here are some pictures of the things that I have already created!
Oswald the Owl (as I lovingly named him). He keeps me company while I sew and need to measure things.
My first tooth fairy :) Well, not for me. For a friend's daughter.
Molly monkey! I made her as a Valentines day present for my husband. He has a thing for monkeys. (He's the monkey...) :]
Another present I made for my hubby for valentines day. They have some of our love letters we wrote to each other when we first started dating. :]
Made this owl bookmark and found out that it's too fat for most of the books/novels I read. Sent it to my bookworm friend instead. I'm so glad she likes it!!
Here are some pictures of the things that I have already created!
I have a lot more on my mind!! Currently in progress I am working on quilting a girl baby blanket, with matching fitted sheet and crib bumpers. I already picked up fabric for quilting a boy/girl (gender friendly, more boy oriented though) set also. I haven't yet received the embroidery foot for my sewing machine in the mail, so I haven't been able to quilt yet. That's kind of a bummer, but I can always work on other things in the mean time!
I also was asked to make a tooth fairy for my friend's niece. I of course give all credit to mmmcrafts, with her lovely tutorial and pattern! I can't wait to make another one.
On a side note, I went to church this morning which was such an uplifting experience. I also promptly went to my place of work and quit. I was a little bummed (I had been there 3.75 years) but I felt so at peace about it. God has me going in HIS direction.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Pondering
So my posts thus far, which have only been two, have been quite lengthy. I'm really tired tonight so I'm going to sum up what's going on today and in my life in a nutshell (and while this will be somewhat long, it's seriously in a nutshell).
1) First and foremost, I am a follower of Christ and lover of almost everything he has created on this beautiful earth. Except mushrooms. Great taste, weird texture. I'm a texture gal.
2) Secondly, I have the most wonderful husband in the world. I can get crazy, be mistaken at many things, happy and hysterical all at once, and he gets it. He loves me for it. And I couldn't ask for anything or anyone more. He has my whole heart, as he did from day one. I love you.
3) I have worked my little tooshie off since I was 15 to get to where I am today. I have gone to school and am a RDH (Registered Dental Hygienist) in two states, and have finally landed my ideal job. Which brings me to number four...
4) I have been stuck at a dead-end "pays the bills..." job for the past three and a half years. And it has started to really wear me down. The people have gotten worse all around me (we're talking customers and those "more qualified" than myself...if you know what I mean...) and what do I get for working my tooshie off day after day? Nothing. No respect, no thank yous, no pats on the back. Just another shove in the direction of that line in the sand that I've been trying to stay away from for years.
Today was my breaking point. Yesterday is when it really started (with the whole gagging thing), but today, I finally had what people would call a nervous breakdown or an anxiety attack. I don't know what it was. But I do know that I was ripping the uniform off a good 15 minutes before my shift started and crying hysterically and screaming at the top of my lungs that I deserve better. Which is where my wonderful husband comes in. He calls in "sick" for me (Thank the LORD for that man...).
So I've decided to quit my job. As of tomorrow. No two weeks notice, no dilly-dallying and just torturing myself any longer, just a clean, cold cut.
I've been praying about it all day, and it's like God has his arms around me and is saying, "I love you so much, and I know that you've had to go through these trials, and I know how tough it's been on you, but I will provide. I will help you. I will love you no matter how hysterical you get on the kitchen floor. Thank you for opening up to me." I feel so at peace. And that's what God is, right? Peace in His arms.
1) First and foremost, I am a follower of Christ and lover of almost everything he has created on this beautiful earth. Except mushrooms. Great taste, weird texture. I'm a texture gal.
2) Secondly, I have the most wonderful husband in the world. I can get crazy, be mistaken at many things, happy and hysterical all at once, and he gets it. He loves me for it. And I couldn't ask for anything or anyone more. He has my whole heart, as he did from day one. I love you.
3) I have worked my little tooshie off since I was 15 to get to where I am today. I have gone to school and am a RDH (Registered Dental Hygienist) in two states, and have finally landed my ideal job. Which brings me to number four...
4) I have been stuck at a dead-end "pays the bills..." job for the past three and a half years. And it has started to really wear me down. The people have gotten worse all around me (we're talking customers and those "more qualified" than myself...if you know what I mean...) and what do I get for working my tooshie off day after day? Nothing. No respect, no thank yous, no pats on the back. Just another shove in the direction of that line in the sand that I've been trying to stay away from for years.
Today was my breaking point. Yesterday is when it really started (with the whole gagging thing), but today, I finally had what people would call a nervous breakdown or an anxiety attack. I don't know what it was. But I do know that I was ripping the uniform off a good 15 minutes before my shift started and crying hysterically and screaming at the top of my lungs that I deserve better. Which is where my wonderful husband comes in. He calls in "sick" for me (Thank the LORD for that man...).
So I've decided to quit my job. As of tomorrow. No two weeks notice, no dilly-dallying and just torturing myself any longer, just a clean, cold cut.
I've been praying about it all day, and it's like God has his arms around me and is saying, "I love you so much, and I know that you've had to go through these trials, and I know how tough it's been on you, but I will provide. I will help you. I will love you no matter how hysterical you get on the kitchen floor. Thank you for opening up to me." I feel so at peace. And that's what God is, right? Peace in His arms.
Friday, March 4, 2011
What a day...
Today was...long, to say the least. I wanted to sleep in but couldn't because I had to meet with the owners of the townhome regarding continuing renting and then buying. Then, while getting breakfast ready, I thought to myself, "Oh, great, I get to go to work at the OG tonight..." and promptly found myself gagging over the kitchen sink ready to throw up. Am I exaggerating? No. This actually happened. What does that say about how you feel about your job?
I got some "catalog" stuff done on AC, which was nice, but then the dreaded time to go to work finally came around. And it wasn't a good night. The highlight of my night (cue sarcasm) was receiving $7 on a $105 tab... How is that considered acceptable? While I'm thankful to God that I have a job (or two), I'm getting to the end of my rope at the OG. I can't stand being treated like dirt when I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off catering to your every whim. I have earned more respect than that. (End Rant)
I wish that I had more time to work on crafts today. Okay, that's not entirely accurate, I wish I hadn't been so lazy and had actually gone to the craft/fabric store to buy the materials I need to finish some of my semi-easy projects. Since I'm running errands with the hubby tomorrow, maybe I'll make time. Probably not. Sunday hopefully. I torture myself by looking at a bunch of different crafting websites and blogs, thinking to myself, "I should make that!!!" or, "How practical! I'll make that for this..." So what used to be a project list of 2 or 3 things has grown to about 20. If not more. Do I have time for this? Absolutely not. But it's fun to dream.
Speaking of dreams...I'm doing a lot of baby-centered crafts at the moment. For example...I finished some fitted bed sheets for two different colored/themed crib bedding sets for the future. Not having kids anytime soon, but it's better to be prepared than unprepared, right? I also decided that I was going to hand quilt...haha. Wow. What planet was I on? So as of right now I'm waiting for a specific "foot" for my sewing machine that will allow me to machine quilt. Much faster. And easier.
Okay, going to bed now. I've rambled on too much tonight.
I got some "catalog" stuff done on AC, which was nice, but then the dreaded time to go to work finally came around. And it wasn't a good night. The highlight of my night (cue sarcasm) was receiving $7 on a $105 tab... How is that considered acceptable? While I'm thankful to God that I have a job (or two), I'm getting to the end of my rope at the OG. I can't stand being treated like dirt when I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off catering to your every whim. I have earned more respect than that. (End Rant)
I wish that I had more time to work on crafts today. Okay, that's not entirely accurate, I wish I hadn't been so lazy and had actually gone to the craft/fabric store to buy the materials I need to finish some of my semi-easy projects. Since I'm running errands with the hubby tomorrow, maybe I'll make time. Probably not. Sunday hopefully. I torture myself by looking at a bunch of different crafting websites and blogs, thinking to myself, "I should make that!!!" or, "How practical! I'll make that for this..." So what used to be a project list of 2 or 3 things has grown to about 20. If not more. Do I have time for this? Absolutely not. But it's fun to dream.
Speaking of dreams...I'm doing a lot of baby-centered crafts at the moment. For example...I finished some fitted bed sheets for two different colored/themed crib bedding sets for the future. Not having kids anytime soon, but it's better to be prepared than unprepared, right? I also decided that I was going to hand quilt...haha. Wow. What planet was I on? So as of right now I'm waiting for a specific "foot" for my sewing machine that will allow me to machine quilt. Much faster. And easier.
Okay, going to bed now. I've rambled on too much tonight.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
So...a blog, huh?
Okay, so I'm not the most tech-savvy person in the world. And Lord knows that I spend (cough, cough...waste...) too much of my time on the internet. As of the last two months, I've been following a lot of different blogs that are craft and sewing related. As a result, I've been SUPER crafty. Which, of course, has resulted with me having a ton of things added to my list of things to make and do.
So why did I get a blog? I guess because I need an outlet. I'm a pretty quiet person, although a lot of my friends, my mom, and my husband would disagree. Truth is, I keep a lot of things to myself. I learned a long time ago that people are self-centered, and if you're talking to them about something that has to do with yourself, they'll snap their attention to something they find more interesting than you in a millisecond. And that kind of sucks.
Also, I got a blog because I somewhat was "pushed" into it. Okay that's a lie, I was asked what my blog web address was. And I don't have one. Or I didn't. I like to brag about the coolio new things that I want to make or am going to make (sometime in the near-distant future). Do people necessarily care? Not really. But I do. And this will be a way for me to keep track. And brag. And share about the great things that God is doing in my life.
Let the fun begin...
So why did I get a blog? I guess because I need an outlet. I'm a pretty quiet person, although a lot of my friends, my mom, and my husband would disagree. Truth is, I keep a lot of things to myself. I learned a long time ago that people are self-centered, and if you're talking to them about something that has to do with yourself, they'll snap their attention to something they find more interesting than you in a millisecond. And that kind of sucks.
Also, I got a blog because I somewhat was "pushed" into it. Okay that's a lie, I was asked what my blog web address was. And I don't have one. Or I didn't. I like to brag about the coolio new things that I want to make or am going to make (sometime in the near-distant future). Do people necessarily care? Not really. But I do. And this will be a way for me to keep track. And brag. And share about the great things that God is doing in my life.
Let the fun begin...
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