New toy!

Brian and I decided that we wanted to get rid of the old laptop that we had, mostly because it was only used sporadically and for minimal uses. So we decided on getting an iPad to replace it! Today we went and got it and I looooooove it! I'm actually typing on it right now :)

So this week has been pretty mellow besides that. I went to the gym this morning and had a "class" with my personal trainer and a bunch of other clients that she works with. We were pretty worn out by the end of it, but that's what you need when you work hard toward getting in shape!

I will be starting up Herbalife again soon. It worked pretty well back toward the end of 2010 to help me lose weight, so I think that I want to start it up again. I am determined to get down to my goal weight this year, and I want to lose at least 10 lbs by my birthday in May.

Nothing else really new here!

Hooray for Etsy!

So I've finally finished four nook covers. Including the first one I was going to keep for myself. My mom and my husband actually said, "Wow, those look great! You should try selling them!" So...I decided to give it a shot.  Nothing lost, nothing gained, right?

So...drumroll please.... I finished making a shop on Etsy and I listed my items up!!! I'm really excited.  I decided that I'm going to finish items first, then list them on Etsy after they're completed so that if someone wants to buy one, they don't have to wait. Not to mention how big of a procrastinator I am.

I've got a stack of fabric right in front of me right now that needs to be cut out so I can make some more. But I'm really kind of sick of this, so I'll probably work on it next weekend. I'm planning to sell ereader covers, iPad covers, and even little felt animal measuring tapes.

Here's a link to my shop!!!

Konomi's Kreations

7 Years Ago

Today is the 7th anniversary of my father's death.  It's crazy for me to think that I was just a sophomore in high school 7 years ago and that's the last time I saw him.  I'll never forget the last time that I was together with my dad.  That morning was pretty typical, I'd get up early about the same time as my parents, go and eat breakfast with them, talk with my dad over breakfast about whatever (usually we fought over the comic section), and then I'd walk down the road to the bus stop. Or he would drive me. It was always nice to have him drive me in the winter to the bus stop because I could sit in the nice warm car and wait instead of outside where it was so stinkin' cold!  That morning he drove me down to the bus stop.  We were talking about the movie "Napoleon Dynamite" and I loved that he loved how stupidly funny it was as much as I did. We were listening to something on the radio, I can't remember.  When the bus pulled up, he looked over at me and said, "Okay, have a good day at school. I love you!"  I said, "I will, I love you too," gave him a big hug, and hopped on the bus.. I would always sit on the side of the bus closest to the road so that I could watch him drive back up to the house as we drove away toward the school. 

Not once did I feel like something was going to go wrong, not once did I feel anything but happiness that my father drove me to the bus stop.  The rest of the day passed in a blur, and getting that phone call at 6:15 PM...20 minutes after they were supposed to be home...from some random lady that was hysterical saying my mother needed to talk to me and there was a car accident was the one thing that changed my life.

There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about my dad. I love him so much and I miss him so so much. I would trade everything I have to see him one more time.  I see friends say that they hate their dads or moms, or that they can't stand being around them, or just complaining about them in general. It breaks my heart because I'm one of the many who can just say back, "Don't, because you never know how much longer you'll have with them."

I love you, daddy. I don't know what you're doing up there in Heaven, but Lord knows I can't wait to be on that motorcycle again with you when I die.

My dad and I when I was just a newborn!

What a wonderful heavenly Father we have!

Every night before I go to bed I do a daily devotion on my iPod. I started it because I want to strengthen my relationship with the Lord. I've found that it's been helping me feel much happier lately. I was so depressed a couple of weeks ago and I just didn't know what to do to get out of the funk. The devotion today really resonated with me. Here is the verse:

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38, 39 KJV)

This in a nutshell means we are NEVER separated from God's love. He is always with us, loving on us. And suddenly it occurred to me: I am the one that pushes Him away. It's like I suddenly heard the answers to all my cries for help lately:
"I know it's tough. Just keep going. You will be rewarded in the end."
"Trust me, this hurts me more than it hurts you."
"Amber, I love you. Let me love you."
"Amber, you are my daughter. Why would I hurt you? I love you. Just be patient. It will work out according to MY plans for you. And boy, do I have plans for you!"

I'm sorry, Lord. Forgive me. Forgive my crazy emotions. I love you too.

What a busy life I have!

So it's not like I don't like blogging. I do. I've just been super busy lately. Working 4 days a week for 9-10 hours each day, finishing up crafts that needed to get done, and reading. A lot.

Christmas and New Years were pleasant and uneventful.  My husband and I are pretty low-key and boring for our age group.  We stayed at home and he worked on his eBay stuff.  Pretty exciting, huh?  I was pleasantly surprised to get a Nook Simple Touch for Christmas! Best present this year!!

I finally finished the tooth fairy that I have yet to send to my friend with her baby; I finished quilting and binding the baby blanket of doom; I finished the advent calendar I started on the 3rd of December on New Years Eve (yeah, make fun of me all you want...); and I just finished a cover for my Nook and I love it! I didn't use any templates or anything, just kind of winged it and it turned out fabulous. My mom thinks its good enough to sell on Etsy. We'll see!  I'll have to upload a picture of it when I get onto my other computer.

Currently I'm working on a top-secret project for my mother in law ;)  We even went to Joann together and she picked out the fabric she likes.  She doesn't know what it's for though.  Anyone want to take a guess?

Im such a bad blogger

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.

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.