School, Sew, Run

These are the 3 things I have been up to lately...

School - I got accepted into Graduate School! Starting in January I will officially be a student again! I am very excited! Lately, however, I have begun the task of figureing out how to manage my new student-status along with my other responsibilities such as working full-time, being a caring and present spouse, and of course continuing my sewing. I know I will have to use my time more effectively, which ultimately is a good thing. I am also a bit concerned with weather. Indiana winters can be a pain. I am thankful that I have dear friends I can stay with if weather is bad. I also plan on saving up vacation days in case I get stranded in Indianapolis for a day or 2. If weather is awful, and I can't make it to class, that will have to do. I value my education (and the money I spend on it), but I value my life more! So no need to worry Mom and Dad! :)

Sew - Oh man, I have been a crafting machine lately! I've been finishing up a project involving crinkle- stuffed animals. This project took for.ev.er. Small tedious projects are not my thing... but it did improve my hand stitching and applique. I still haven't figured out the blind-stitch, but I will eventually. Anyway, I finally finished the project a few days ago! Hooray! I am now on to making making masks for a masquerade ball the the husband and I are going to through my work! After that I am making a gift for a friend that is getting married, and then I will make my first dress for myself! I have everything bought for it - I just need to make it! I also have a friend getting married in December and will be throwing her a shower/hen night and helping with wedding decorations. I can't wait! Obviously Sewing will have to take a back seat to school, so I hope to get a lot of it done in the next few months!

Run - I am up to running 18-20 minutes and walking 16! I am pretty proud of myself! I haven't noticed a change in the way my clothes fit, but that is okay. I have been eating too much bread and chocolate... so it is my fault. I like having more energy though.

On another note, my former roommate from college just got married in Barbados and I couldn't be happier for her and her spouse! I watched the video of their nuptials during work today. I cried, smiled, and laughed; all the hallmarks of a good wedding in my book. I know their marriage will be even more beautiful! Congrats Rose and Joe!

Website Wednesday!!

I get almost all of my craft ideas, inspiration, and tutorials online.... here are a few of my favorite craft places to visit online!

Prudent Baby - I get tons of inspiration and gift giving ideas from this cute website. it has crafts of all types, from knitting to no-sew! It also has recipes... but ive never tried any from the site. I am currently in love with this blog in regards to cooking.

Made By Rae - Yet another blog for babies/toddlers/kids. I used a free pattern on here to make my first dress. I made it for my Neice Remi. It is primarily sewing related.

Geek Crafts - The title explains it all. lately there has been a lot of Dr. Who stuff on there, which I dont really care about... but they have cute Nintendo, Star Wars, and even periodic table of element crafts. This is the only craft website I recommend to the husband... he is a bit nerdy... being a chemist and all.

Welp, there you have it. It is now time for me to go home and decide whether I am going to take a nap, wrap up sewing projects, or clean the apartment.

Potpourri

Craft-o-rama: Ive been feeling especially crafty for the past week or so. I have been trying to take advantage of the inspiration since I have a long list of things to make. So far I have make a slew of burp rags, 8 coffee sleeves, Easter cards, and some Easter decorations! I still have to finish a boppy cover for a friend and make more hair bows, but I have no doubt that I will be able to finish them before my birthday!

Birthday Time: Speaking of my birthday, it is in 6 days! I plan on making these for Bible Study tomorrow night to start off my birth-week. I am also bringing some strawberries and dip to work on Thursday to celebrate... and the Intern that works with me is bringing her cupcake maker so we can make them here and decorate them too! I am making the icing; there is no room for store bought icing in this girls belly. And when the actual birthday rolls around on Saturday I am looking forward to hopefully seeing my parents and spending the evening at our favorite coffeehouse with friends!

Master Zobrist: The husband and I have agreed that it is financially plausible and good timing for me to go back to school and get a Masters Degree! I am still in the early planning stages, but I am so excited!! My goal is to be able to go to school in Fall of 2012. That would give us enough time to save money and for me to take my GRE and apply. Chances are I would work full time and take classes part time.Of course it is all contingent of whether or not I get in, but I think I can do it! By the way, I would be getting a Masters of Public Affairs with a concentration in Non-Profit Management through IUPUI's School of Environmental and Public Affairs (SPEA). Its all very nerve-wrecking and exciting!

Potpourri

Sorry for the blogging break friends, but I was actually working... as a volunteer coordinator it always gets a bit busy before major holidays. Everyone wants to give back at the same time!

Anywho...

Things are going well here in good ole Indiana. Since it is the holiday season (YAY!) the husband and I will be spending a lot of time in the car traveling from here to there... which really means that he will drive and i will play sudoku and we will both listen to NPR for 3 hours straight. Because we are slightly obnoxious NPR fans, almost all of our stories start with "I heard on NPR that..." We are okay with this, but I'm not sure everyone else is.

My sister's baby shower went so well! My sister looked beautiful of course! We played the required game, ate delicious food, and she got a crap ton of awesome stuff! It was a great time and I got a ton of compliments on the invites, which was nice. Okay, very nice.

Now that the shower is dont I have to get cracking on the Christmas presents I am making. I am only making gifts for 2 people, but I am also going to make a ton of coffee sleeves... they will be great stocking stuffers! Speaking of gifts, the husband and I decided to forgo expensive gifts and to go on a trip/adventure instead. We still wanted something to open on Christmas though, so we are giving gifts of 20 bucks to each other. I'm pretty excited about this!

On another note, the husband and I are starting to build actual adult wardrobes. We are shopping clearances, sales, and consignment stores for all the 'essentials.' Goodbye ironic t- shirts! Hello v-neck sweaters and knee-length dresses! Of course I will still be wearing my vintage wear and retro dresses; they are the epitome of classy! And to top it off, this was not even my idea; the husband stumbled upon a mens fashion blog and the rest is history!

Okay, one more thing: I have started going to therapy again, and let me say the it. is. life-changing. I REALLY like my therapist. She knows what shes talking about, she gives me practical exercises and tips on how to manage my anxiety, and she makes it fun! We are focusing on my fear of storms, tornadoes, fire, water, and anything else that can potentially kill you and/or your loved ones. We are using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat the anxiety, and let me say... it is empowering!

I hope you all are doing well too; enjoy the holiday!

Holidays

I know its just the beginning of October, but I can't help but be excited about Christmas!! In my mind, Halloween and Thanksgiving are just precursors to a better holiday. I love the music, the atmosphere of happiness, and of course the Christmas gifts I give and receive!

This year, since I started up this new hobby of sewing I have decided to make a few of my gifts. I'm not quite sure if it will be cheaper, but it will be more fun and definitely more special to the gift-getter. I have most peoples presents figured out already, but others are more tricky to buy/make things for... but the good thing about starting shopping early is that I have plenty of time to figure something out.

This year also brings a new challenge - the ever dreaded budget. Working on a budget is not something I like doing, but I am getting better at it and it forces me to be creative, which is fun! The husband and I are also considering going somewhere or doing something special for Christmas instead of presents for each other... which is exciting!

Technically it is not the time for busting out the greenery and holly, but it is coming... I can feel it!

Hobbies do a body good... plus website wednesday

Sometimes I find myself getting bored with life; not that I am not like 112% happy to be living... it's just that I want things to be a bit more exciting. However, I'd like to tell you of some little things I've been doing in order to break up the day-to-day stuff:

1. Gardening - we live in an apartment, so while I cant have my own garden, I am able to help out with a community garden that my church is starting. All involved pay a small fee and water/weed the garden in exchange for fresh produce! Leftover produce is given to local shelters. Today is my first day there... so wish me luck!

2. Sewing - this hobby has been a long time coming. Since i adore vintage clothes and its very rare to find vintage clothes for big gals I knew I would eventually want to learn to sew. Also, I could make a lot of awesome presents for people with a sewing machine! This past Christmas I got a sewing machine and have finally learned to thread it, wind bobbins, and all that jazz. I'm practicing my straight lines now. Also, I have my first sewing lesson tomorrow at the local handmade store! I am so pumped! We are going to learn to use my machine and make a pillow. yay!

3. Cooking - I haven't been very good with this one lately as i've felt lazy after work... so ive been making things I am confident will taste good. Hopefully i'll get back into the swing of things soon.

4. Vintage Hair - This hobby has been lacking too; my hair is a bit long (shoulder length) for some styles, so i've mostly just been teasing the top and making it a 1960's look. It looks good, but im ready for a haircut! Oh, I've also mastered the victory roll, but they don't look good on me, so I wont wear them. The next goal is learning to pincurl my hair!

Also, since its Website Wednesday, I give you... My Parents Were Awesome. My parents are still awesome, but for those who aren't as lucky there is this website.