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!

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, 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: 
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

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. :]

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

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!!
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.

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.

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...