I was so excited to get my copy of the 2010 Sewing Calendar in the mail. It's a great calendar with over 100 projects from many different blogs all collected in one space. Three of my projects are in there and it was so fun to see them printed all officially in something published by a real publisher.


The calendar box opens up to have a handy stand.


Each page is folded with full instructions and patterns if needed!

I've already flipped through the calendar and found a ton more projects I want to try, and some new blogs to read, too. How fun! Available where calendars are sold...

Fine print: My payment was a copy of the calendar - I don't get paid if you go buy one. I just thought it was really neat and wanted to share!

Labels: me

Another of my resolutions was to keep my craft room tidy and inspiring. Not doing too good since this is what it's looked like for the past several weeks:



But after some spring cleaning (and house cleaning procrastination) it now looks better!



I've also added some new storage... I picked up these drawers and glass jars for my scraps at Ikea:





And my mother-in-law saved these awesome skinny drawers from the dentist's office where she works - they had to get all new furniture/equipment after the hurricane and were getting rid of these! They're a perfect fit for 12x12 paper and I also think I'll use them to sort my huge box of zippers (under the desk in those pictures above).



Now I'll feel better sitting at my sewing machine without the mess around me...



I've been in a little bit of a craft funk and just "wow the year is going quickly" funk the past while so this post at Toni's recently was a nice boost. I thought I'd share it here for those that might enjoy it too.

1. I am a one of a kind creation. There is no one else just like me nor will there ever be.

2. I stand tall because I am at peace with who I am, I like myself.

3. I take joy in my strengths, talents and skills. I have many.

4. I am aware of my faults but do not let them become a millstone around my neck.

5. I love and accept others freely because I am loved and accepted unconditionally.

6. I am free to praise others because I am not inferior.

7. I can laugh at myself because sometimes I am clueless, awkward, and say the wrong thing. I won't beat myself up for it.

8. I will take my mistakes as opportunities to grow and then move on.

8. I do not look for faults in others to make myself feel better. All of us are in process.

9. I am beautiful because I focus on the inside of who I am, and that overflows to the outside.

10. I will remember this list when my confidence feels shaky, because that certainly happens.

Labels: craft room, me

I finished my 6th half marathon this morning. Goal - sub 2 hours. Actual - 1:55:34. Woo!

Labels: me

I'm not big on resolutions, but I thought it might be fun to set a few challenging craft-related goals for 2009 and see how I can do.



#1 - Keep my craft room under control. I want my room to be inspiring (like Happy Zombie and Alicia) and right now it is plain and messy!

#2 - Use fabric faster than I buy it. Right now I am stashing fabric a lot faster than I use it and I want to reverse this so I don't feel guilty coming home with the latest and greatest!

#3 - Learn how to sew clothes. I have bought many patterns and books and yardage to do this and never actually made anything I'm proud of. First on my list is a skirt from my Built by Wendy book, but I'd really like to make some clothes for work, too.



If I can handle three this year, maybe I'll try a few more than that in 2010!

Photos courtesy of our trip to the Grand Canyon. Traveling and improving my photography are ongoing goals!

Labels: me, photography

I had the chance Sunday to go on a glider ride with the Greater Houston Soaring Association and if you ever have the chance to do this, I highly recommend it!



The plane is so small! Once you're up in the air, you just float. Well, glide. You have no engine, so you soar from one thermal to another, climb, glide, repeat.



We would look for a bird riding a thermal and turn that direction, or get under a cloud where the air is usually warmer.



It really didn't feel like flying a plane, you didn't power up the engines and force yourself where you wanted to go. The strength of the thermals, to so easily lift our 1000 pounds, was so impressive. What an experience!

52 Nights Update - Night 34 - I finally feel back on track. Last night I planned some projects, caught up on chores, made dinner, and went to yoga. I did use the computer for editing pictures, but I count that as productive! Craft content coming soon, I promise.

Labels: 52 nights, me

I had such a fantastic time in San Francisco last weekend, but surprisingly my camera stayed in my bag for most of my visit!





We spent several hours walking on the beach, numbing our feet to the freezing Pacific Ocean. (Above.) And we had a fantastic view from our hotel. (Below.)





Sunday we ran the Nike Women's Marathon (well, I ran the half marathon) which was a fantastic race, topped off by a finisher's award of a Tiffany necklace presented on a silver platter by a San Francisco fire fighter in a tuxedo. They sure know how to make girls happy!

Labels: me, travel

Today is another anniversary, not quite on par with my wedding but still important to me - my 4th blogging anniversary! When I look back at some of my old posts, I feel like I have come such a long way, in my crafting skills, my photography, and even what crafts I enjoy.



I wish I had something fun to giveaway, like Beki. Instead I'm sharing the quilt I finished over the weekend for a friend's soon-to-arrive baby girl.



If you had told me four years ago when I started this blog that quilting would end up being one of my favorite activities, I probably would have chuckled and rolled my eyes. But now I love picking out the different fabrics, watching how my designs on paper turn into a finished quilt, pulling the quilt out of the dryer for that crinkly goodness.



I'm here in large part because of all the inspiration in the craft blogging community, all the wonderful folks who share tips and techniques. Thank you!

And, as always, thanks to all of my wonderful readers for your kind comments, and stopping by to see what I've been up to. You're all the best!

Labels: 2008 Quilts, me, quilting, sewing

My office building is still closed, a reminder that there is much worse damage out there from Ike than my fallen fence. To stay out of the way we haven't ventured too far from home - less than three miles from my house is (was?) the Kemah Boardwalk, and I've heard the wood of the boardwalk is all gone, the ferris wheel is tipped, and sailboats are washed up on the access roads. It is tempting to go see the damage, but how can you be a tourist to the suffering of others?

Instead we fixed our fence, helped our neighbors when needed, got our shutters down, and tried to put our house back in order after frantically moving things upstairs to avoid potential floodwaters. With that work complete, and work still closed, I moved on to putzing.



I finished a project that was abandoned during our evacuation, chose fabric for two new quilt projects, did a few random neglected chores, and cuddled the kitten - who is now named Addie for no particular reason other than we liked it (Pete thought of it because of how easily she is distracted, like she has ADD).



Now that the repair work is done around our house, if work is still closed tomorrow I think I'll go see if I can help, distributing ice and ready meals or just putting together care packages for our friends that are still without power. It just didn't feel right treating this afternoon like a vacation day when so many are still trying to put things back together.

(Edited to add: Last night would have been Night 28 for my no tech nights. I think the events of the weekend earned me a quiet night with a little TV on Monday!)

Labels: 52 nights, fabric, me, wip

We're back home and all is well. We escaped with just a few sections of our fence down and some leaning trees - all in all, ridiculously lucky. Thanks to everyone who expressed their concern. We don't have power back yet, but my mom does (I'm at her house now, thank goodness for A/C). Thanks again to everyone who checked in on us!

Labels: me

Good morning and happy Monday! It's a lot easier to be chipper on Monday after a good weekend. I am currently trying to keep my spirits up despite yet another big storm, Ike, which looks like it's heading right to Houston!



I fixed the botched Garden Party bag over the weekend, and got one of the birthday gifts done - I had a few other things that I didn't get to because it was much more appealing to cuddle up on the couch with my book. Now it's back to work, back to my to do list, and back to hurricane watching!

Labels: me

Thanks for all the comments on my bunting!

Sorry I've been quiet. We had a great 4th, then a quiet Saturday.

Sunday was one year since we lost my dad. I can't believe it's been a year. Life goes on, even if we don't feel like it should. I miss him.

I'm in class in the city this week, which means early mornings, long days, and a long commute. Thanks for being patient while I'm quiet for a little while!



I hate a post without pictures so I thought I'd share the results of my sister's play-doh party! Wait, I mean fondant. We had so much fun a couple weekends ago learning about fondant, we decided it was like grown-up play-doh.

52 Nights Update - Night 19 - Super productive last night but not on crafting - worked to make room for a piece of furniture my sis is passing on (she's moving back to Virginia, I'm so sad!), went for a run, made dinner, did chores. It was a great night! Now it's way past my bedtime for how early I have to get up! Back soon.

Labels: 52 nights, me, misc

I've been in a little bit of a slump this past week. A few contributing factors, including a broken big toe (ouch), and a distinct lack of after-work-crafting motivation. So nothing's been done this week, despite ambitious plans to work on several different projects.



I know times like these come and go, that I will feel productive again soon, but it's hard to see that from inside a slump.



One advantage of my toe injury is that I don't have to get up at 5am tomorrow to run with my running club, so I'm hoping that will provide a little extra energy to find my crafting mojo.



In the meantime, I have enjoyed gazing at these amazing lillies, a gift from a good friend who came to visit last weekend. I swear you can smell them in my whole house, just delicious!

Labels: me, photography

The fact that I have a blog, a flickr account, a really long blogroll over there on the side, etc, should be evidence enough that I love the internet. But I am sometimes still surprised by the things that can come about from it!



I got an email towards the end of April from Amy in Kansas - she found my blog while searching for Relay for Life information, and sweetly requested a tote for their Survivor Dinner. They have a dinner to honor cancer survivors, and at the end of the evening they raffle off prizes for the survivors, and she wanted one of the prizes to be a tote of mine!



I was so honored to be asked, and so happy she found me. It's very nice to hope something I made is brightening the evening of someone who has battled cancer! Maybe that's why I chose the sunny colors?



52 Nights Update - Night 14 was back on track! I skipped the gym (busted my toe this weekend in my soccer game so no running, etc) but did everything else on my "to do" list. It was a good night!

Labels: 52 nights, bags, me, sewing

A little peek of what I worked on this weekend...



This is not my master bed quilt. Yes, it is June, so I missed my OPAM deadline. I never would have gotten as far as I did without the OPAM motivation, so thanks Tara! Hopefully I'll get back to it soon, though the quilting is still a little daunting and I discovered today I didn't get enough material for the backing. Things don't always go well on the first try!

Even though I didn't make it for May, I'm going to try again in June. For June, my OPAM project is get our office nook in order - "before" picture forthcoming when I have some daylight.

Also, I was super excited to be blog browsing this weekend and see this on whipup...



My tea towel apron, so cool! Thanks, Nicole!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Labels: me, OPAM, quilting, sewing

The house is still a total disaster because we've moved on to the floors in our main living area, but luckily we have some progress to show for it. Our dining room is done! It only took two months...



It's hard when we only have time to really dedicate on Sundays, and not even every Sunday...



When I look at this room, I dream up plans for the walls, the windows, recovering that couch... Someday, when we finally finish all the other floors! Luckily they should go faster since we learned so much doing the dining room.

Relay for Life Drawing - I can't believe I forgot to pick a winner of the RFL drawing! I am so excited to announce that my cousin Megan won. I can't wait to make a bag for you! And thank you for supporting the American Cancer Society.

52 Nights Update - Night 9 has come and gone! I followed what is becoming my routine - got a little exercise (mowed the lawn), worked on a project, made dinner, did some chores... Of course, I was especially motivated to sew, since my sewing machine is away for a tuneup! The novelty of getting so much done on a work night hasn't worn off! In fact, even on non-Mondays, I'm getting more done, often not getting on the computer or checking Tivo until just before bed, for a much shorter amount of time. After only nine weeks! I'm excited to see how my habits will change after the full 52.

Labels: 52 nights, homework, me

I mentioned yesterday that I got a new car... I can't resist showing off my new baby!



It's a 2008 Nissan Altima, and I think we stumbled into a perfect time to buy a new car because we got an amazing deal on it. I went around for about a week feeling very smug about my negotiating skills!

My favorite feature... This is my whole key, and I get to just leave it in my purse:



Magic Key, as we like to call it... (On my new vegetable ivory key chain from Costa Rica.) And I get to start my car with a button! So cool.



Okay, I'm done showing off. Back to our regularly scheduled craft blogging...

Labels: me

I can't believe it's already April - it's almost time for the church auction! I agreed to donate two bags this year, this one and this one:





After all the zipper totes I've been making, and the pleated bags, it was only natural I'd combine the two! Amazingly enough, there are only a few tweaks I'd make if I did this style again.

Relay for Life Drawing - I reached my goal!! Thanks so much to everyone who contributed. I passed my fundraising goal, and as a team we raised over $11,000 for cancer research and as an event, we raised over $800,000! I'll do the drawing tonight and notify the winner. Thanks again!



52 Nights Update - Night 7 was fantastic! The weather here is amazing, blue skies, sunny, bright so late, and in the 60's in the evening. I got out last night and washed my new car (!!!), went for a run, then cooked peanut chicken with pineapple salsa before working on a very special project... I can't recommend strongly enough stepping away from technology for a night! I love it!

Labels: 52 nights, bags, me, sewing

There is just something so restoring about a good weekend... Relaxing night Friday and morning Saturday, first soccer game of the season, dinner last night with friends...

Today my in-laws came over and while the boys worked on the floor, us girls worked on sewing, it was so much fun! My awesome mother-in-law finished the valance for my kitchen window - I ran out of steam after the three I did almost three years ago and never finished the last one for the window above the sink! How embarrassing - thank goodness Karen came to the rescue! She's actually *excited* to do the valances for my sewing room next weekend, wouldn't that be awesome??

Ooh, I also wanted to show off my new hardware:



Half marathon #4 under my belt this morning... only missed my personal best by 3 minutes, not too bad!!

Labels: me

Those of you that have been reading for a while might remember last year when we found out my dad had cancer. A few months after his diagnosis, we all participated in our local Relay for Life benefiting the American Cancer Society.

I am participating again this year, without my dad. It is going to be a very emotional event for my family, but it's a cause we believe in strongly, since we want to do anything we can to prevent other people from going through what my dad did.

To help raise awareness of this event I'm having a giveaway!



Here's how it will work:
1. For every $5 you donate at my RFL page or via PayPal (email me for details), you will get one entry in the drawing.
2. If you link to this entry on your blog (send me an email to let me know), you will get five entries in the drawing.
3. If someone donates based on your referral, you will get a bonus entry in the drawing.

The winner will receive a zipper tote made just for you! Color suggestions, pocket requests, etc, will be welcome. I will draw the winner on Sunday, April 13, the day after Relay.

Please consider helping - in memory of my dad, and so that others might survive. Email me if you have any questions, and thanks in advance for your support!

Labels: me

Some of you are probably familiar with Chick-fil-A, especially if you like waffle fries! A new location was opening near work, and if you are one of the first 100 through the door, you get a year of free Chick-fil-A (52 coupons for a free combo meal). The catch is that to be in the first 100, you have to get there early. Up to 24 hours early. And camp out. All night. Crazy right?? Well...





Yes, we camped out all night. You sign up when you get there, so there's no risk of anyone cutting or anything - no way I'm staying in a parking lot overnight without a guarantee of free food! We were with a few friends, and had a blast, and now have more free Chick-fil-A than we'll be able to eat... So if you're someone that knows me in real life, chances are you'll get some of the free chicken love!

Labels: me

At least that's what I'm telling myself, as the bright side to how I started my weekend... Let me preface this by saying that I AM OKAY!!! Now on to the results of my Friday night:







I babysat Friday in the city for my nephew, and was almost home (only 1 mile from my house), about midnight. I was sitting completely stopped at a red light when I got hit from behind by a drunk driver doing about 35MPH (his airbags deployed, which the cop says usually happens at speeds 35MPH+ - so he could have been going faster). I was stopped behind an SUV, so the damage to the front is actually the worst.

Anyway, we don't know for sure but we think the car will be totaled. These pics are from the lot where it was towed. I'm really sad, this was the first new car I'd bought myself, it was paid off, and we planned to drive it a lot longer... But we'll figure it out! I'm just glad I made it out of there with only a sore neck!

Oh, and to top off a fantastic weekend, today I have the stomach flu. Oh well, I guess we can't win them all!

Labels: me