Hey all! I know, I know! It has been awhile. Life has been hectic- and lots has been going on.
Work is going ok- lots of changes lately. Life is going pretty well- Work, Clean, Birds, Cooking.... same ole same ole as always. I have not really taken any photos lately, but I will soon!
I will be updating my Cooking page soon. Random Recipes that I have been making lately that I thought would be tasty to share. But that involves turning on my PC and that is something that I have not been doing lately- but I will try to work on that :)
Saw this quote today- and I liked it- and wanted to pass it along.
"Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death they would be asked two questions and their answers would determine whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife. The first question was, 'Did you bring joy?' The second was, 'Did you find joy?".
Dr. Leo Buscaglia
I thought it was a good one :)
Take care- and I promise that I will try to update this page soon!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Good\Bad
No real reason for the photo- but I felt bad for not posting pics latley- so I picked a random one that i used to have as a background photo- and it feels all spring like :)
Well- Here are some new Good\Bad things:
Good: Did my taxes today- and getting a touch over $600 back- Whoohoo!
Bad: All that and some more is going to pay for the root canal that I am getting really soon
Good: Tips at work today were awesome-
Bad: But that is becasue it was just me and the owner all day and I didn't get to see my friend that was supposed to work (I hear she ate some bad fish- bummer!)
Good: The Amoxicillin is doing a great job helping my jaw not hurt (due to needing a root canal)
Bad: I only have 2 days of pills left and at least a week or 2 before I can get the root canal- hello pain!
Good: The Rain has stopped
Bad: It is now in the 30's at night (very very bad!) without the warm cloud cover
Bad: I have to work again tomorrow
Good: But then I have the next 3 days off :) Whoohoo!
Also- Incase you are not on facebook (and really- I almost never am) Here is a list of 25 random things. I was tagged and so I filled it out and posted it... but if you are reading this than- TAG! Your it--- You can leave a list of 25 things in the comments if you like :)
Here is my list:
1: My full name is Lauren Anne Z***... I like that my middle Name has a "E" on it- it looks better i think
2: I really, REALLY do not like facebook\Myspace- I think it is a big waste of time- but I cannot stop myself from looking around at all the people that I know\used to know and seeing what they are up to (every now and then when I eventually log on)
3: I worked at a Starbucks for 3 years, and have worked at another coffee shop for 6 months now- but I HATE to drink coffee- I don't even like how it smells- but I love working in a coffee shop- go figure!
4: It is all about long hot baths people(with wine and a book if at all possible)-they are the best!
5: I have 5 Birds. 3 Parakeets named Gus, Ollie, and Mo (short for Mozart) and 2 Parrotlets- Sprout, and Pickles
6:I love to cook- I love love love to bake!
7: My goal for 2009 is to lose 5 pounds a month for a year- so far so so good- I am at 7 pounds for the month of Jan.
8: My homepage is set as yahoo.com
9: My little brother is one of my fave people in the world
10: I am tired of dating- I am SO ready to get married (I have been dating John for 4.5 years now)
11: I LOVED living by myself- but I love living with John more
12: I Watch A&E's Pride and Predjudice (the 4 or 5 hour one) about once a month, and have done so for the last few years
13. I love Tea. Hot Tea, Iced Tea, whatever, and drink at least 32 oz of it a day. mmmmmmm.....
14: I want to have 2 boys one day... but I can only come up with girl names that I love
15: If I had to move to another state- it would be Texas. It is pretty there, and I love Austin.
16: I don't like going to church- bible studies I love and enjoy, church not as much. It has always felt full of cliques that I am not a part of, or welcome in. So I gave up 5 years ago and stopped going. I now sleep in- it is kinda nice :)
17: My fave Season is Fall. I want to get married in the Fall.
18: I Love to watch Friends and Scrubs more than any other tv show.
19: If I could only eat 1 food for the rest of my life it would be Potatos. mashed, baked, souped, scaloped, breaded... you name it- you cannot beat a good potato.
20: If I could visit only 1 country it would be Italy.
21: I will be 26 in June and I am starting to feel old. the random greys don't help :)
22: I would love to make a living by being creative. So far all I have made is about $50, but it is a start.
23: I LOVE road trips with John... he can make a trip to the grocery store a fun adventure so road trips are really a blast.
24: Even though people tell me that working in a coffee shop is not a great way to spend my life- when customers tell me that I am the only one who has smiled at them that day, or the only one who asked them how they were that day, or the only person that noticed that they got a haircut\lost weight\etc it seems to me that maybe I AM doing the right thing with my life right now. Becasue what if I was not working there and that person never got a smile all day? If I can make someones day better by doing what I am doing, than I'm happy.
25: I used to hate my dimples- but now I love them. =)
Night everyone!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Things to Do Today
* Start my Taxes (ugh! I don't think a refund is headed my way this year!)
* Do some Grocery Shopping
* Do some Lap Swimming (while the rest of the US is in a cold snap we have a high of 85 here today- gotta love it!)
* Clean out some Bird Cages
* Clean up the Front Room
* Continue to work on Cleaning the Craft Room
* Work on getting some Photos to the Photo Lab for Printing
* Plan Dinner for the next 3 or 4 nights
* And the MOST exciting---- Get ready for a class with DONNA DOWNEY! Yep! one of my idols and a goddess of crafting is going to be teaching a class in Santa Maria next weekend (the 24th) and I was able to get into one of the classes that teach the very thing that I have been watching her do for a a few years and wishing I knew how to do. I am beyond excited.... and John and I struck a Bargain. If I could get the craft room up to snuff (meaning have the room clean and not have stuff stacked knee high across the floor so that I could actually USE the room when I get home from my class) than he was OK with me spending the money to take the class. (we are trying to be careful with money right now).
I am beyond excited about taking her Class. Donna is the one who really got me started in all this. John was out of town for business, and i went to the store and bought a book by Donna and I went to dinner and read the whole thing. I then decided to give this Scrapbooking thing a real shot, and now- 4 years later- I have a entire room dedicated to Scrapbooking, I have worked in 2 scrapbook stores, am known by name in the only one still around here, and have been reading Donna's blog for a few years as well... and now she is going to be 30 miles away from where I live, and I get to take a 3 hour class with her (along with 6 or so other lucky women)... (sigh)
I am so excited- but i am trying to keep it under control.... but for you that don't know her... well..... it is like taking a swim lesson from Michael Phelps, or a camera class from Steven Spielberg, or a Photography class from Annie Leibovitz.... so you get my meaning?? She is a HUGE reason that scrapbooking is where it is today, and she is amazing. (now if only Ali Edwards would be there I think that I would die and be in Scrapbook Paradise!)
Anyway- I have to get some stuff for the class done (get photos, and some other items that I need to take to the class) so I better get going on my day.
Sorry for the lack of photos- I have not pulled out the camera lately.... but I will soon!
Have a awesome day!
* Do some Grocery Shopping
* Do some Lap Swimming (while the rest of the US is in a cold snap we have a high of 85 here today- gotta love it!)
* Clean out some Bird Cages
* Clean up the Front Room
* Continue to work on Cleaning the Craft Room
* Work on getting some Photos to the Photo Lab for Printing
* Plan Dinner for the next 3 or 4 nights
* And the MOST exciting---- Get ready for a class with DONNA DOWNEY! Yep! one of my idols and a goddess of crafting is going to be teaching a class in Santa Maria next weekend (the 24th) and I was able to get into one of the classes that teach the very thing that I have been watching her do for a a few years and wishing I knew how to do. I am beyond excited.... and John and I struck a Bargain. If I could get the craft room up to snuff (meaning have the room clean and not have stuff stacked knee high across the floor so that I could actually USE the room when I get home from my class) than he was OK with me spending the money to take the class. (we are trying to be careful with money right now).
I am beyond excited about taking her Class. Donna is the one who really got me started in all this. John was out of town for business, and i went to the store and bought a book by Donna and I went to dinner and read the whole thing. I then decided to give this Scrapbooking thing a real shot, and now- 4 years later- I have a entire room dedicated to Scrapbooking, I have worked in 2 scrapbook stores, am known by name in the only one still around here, and have been reading Donna's blog for a few years as well... and now she is going to be 30 miles away from where I live, and I get to take a 3 hour class with her (along with 6 or so other lucky women)... (sigh)
I am so excited- but i am trying to keep it under control.... but for you that don't know her... well..... it is like taking a swim lesson from Michael Phelps, or a camera class from Steven Spielberg, or a Photography class from Annie Leibovitz.... so you get my meaning?? She is a HUGE reason that scrapbooking is where it is today, and she is amazing. (now if only Ali Edwards would be there I think that I would die and be in Scrapbook Paradise!)
Anyway- I have to get some stuff for the class done (get photos, and some other items that I need to take to the class) so I better get going on my day.
Sorry for the lack of photos- I have not pulled out the camera lately.... but I will soon!
Have a awesome day!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Oh dear!
Well I knew it had been along time since I had written, but when I finally checked my blog, I realised that it had been forever! Sorry about that- the last few months have been kindacrazy around here- trips, 3 holidays, parties, birthdays, crafts, job, fed the ducks a few times... and the endless housework of course.
John feeding the ducks after a jog to the Lake.
Well for a quick Catch up, in November John and I drove out to Tempe AZ to watch and cheer his brother on as he competed in the Ironman Event held there. It was really impressive to see someone compete on such a huge level for so many hours. He finished in just under 14 hours I believe. John and Matt’s mom had flown in from Texas to watch the event, and it was nice to be able to spend some time with her and Vicki (Matt’s wife) at the same time.
While in Tempe, we also went to the very large botanical garden, and it is filled with cacti and all manner of dessert plants and habitats. There was also a really cool exhibit being shown, and I am unsure of the artists name, but there were large and brightly colored glass sculptures all throughout the gardens.
I have also been busy at the Coffee house where I work. Most of the town disappeared for the holidays, and so with all the students gone, there were only a few of us left in town to work, and so I ended up working quite a few hours there. And the week before New Years, I went to a old job to help them out there for a week.
John feeding the ducks after a jog to the Lake.
Well for a quick Catch up, in November John and I drove out to Tempe AZ to watch and cheer his brother on as he competed in the Ironman Event held there. It was really impressive to see someone compete on such a huge level for so many hours. He finished in just under 14 hours I believe. John and Matt’s mom had flown in from Texas to watch the event, and it was nice to be able to spend some time with her and Vicki (Matt’s wife) at the same time.
tempe at sunrise
IronMatt!
While in Tempe, we also went to the very large botanical garden, and it is filled with cacti and all manner of dessert plants and habitats. There was also a really cool exhibit being shown, and I am unsure of the artists name, but there were large and brightly colored glass sculptures all throughout the gardens.
Also- for my Christmas gifts this year, I decided to go the handmade route, and had started all my gifts in mid October in order to finish in time (and still barely made it). I Embroidered tea towels (which took beyond forever to do) and also made a lot of homemade preserves. Triple Berry Jams, Strawberry Topping, Organic spiced apple butter, Vanilla Sugar- and on and on. The Canning was a lot of work, but was the easy and fast part of the whole project. I still ended up finishing things right up to Christmas eve, but it was nice to give things made with love instead of just buying everything from a store.
I have also been busy at the Coffee house where I work. Most of the town disappeared for the holidays, and so with all the students gone, there were only a few of us left in town to work, and so I ended up working quite a few hours there. And the week before New Years, I went to a old job to help them out there for a week.
They do a inventory once a year and it takes lots and lots and lots of counting to get it done, and they were short on help this year, so I offered to help out, and so I would work my 5 hour shifts at one job, and go work 6 or 7 hours at the other job, and then repeat over r and over for a few days in a row. I was very happy when it was all over and I could get back to my other routine (which included getting more than 6 hours of sleep a night!).
New Years was quiet. I had to work that morning at 5:30 am, and so by that night I was really tired, but John and I had some dinner, had some wine, watched “The Godfather” and we were asleep by 11 or so.
Well that is a quick update- and I hope to not be gone for long. I have lots of the “New Years” stuff to cover- resolutions, new happenings, and new directions to discuss and share. I will hopefully be able to get it to tomorrow (my day off!) but we will have to see how that pans out.
Have a great day!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Good Quote
I saw this and wanted to share...
"Eventually I discovered for myself the utterly simple prescription for creativity: be intensely yourself. Don't try to be outstanding; don't try to be a success; don't try to do pictures for others to look at - just please yourself."- Ralph Steiner
Today is full of chores- I have the day off from work, and that means lots of cleaning, and chores and getting ready for the holidays. Have a good one!
"Eventually I discovered for myself the utterly simple prescription for creativity: be intensely yourself. Don't try to be outstanding; don't try to be a success; don't try to do pictures for others to look at - just please yourself."- Ralph Steiner
Today is full of chores- I have the day off from work, and that means lots of cleaning, and chores and getting ready for the holidays. Have a good one!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Long Over-due Project
Well I finally got around to posting a project that I was working on for awhile. I still do it time to time, but I have not been as dedicated to it as I have been.
I call it "30 Days, My LG, & Me"... I decided to use my Camera Phone to capture a month in my life with a "photo of the day" type of feel. I ended up going longer than a month, but I kept the name. Here are a few shots taken with my LG Camera phone.
I call it "30 Days, My LG, & Me"... I decided to use my Camera Phone to capture a month in my life with a "photo of the day" type of feel. I ended up going longer than a month, but I kept the name. Here are a few shots taken with my LG Camera phone.
You can see the whole collection here ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/8707192@N02/sets/72157608813343680/ )
but if you check out my Photostream, they are all there as well- but for some reason Flickr didn't upload them in the order that I had them on my PC..... odd.. but I didn't want to go back and re-load them all again :)
New News:
Not much- after 3 years of the same ole same ole John and I rearranged the Front room. We have this long and skinny room and big furniture, and we finally found another arrangement that we liked- but it will take getting used to (and not walking into when it is dark in there)
On tonight's schedule is Dinner, Tea and Gingersnaps, and playing Canasta with John- very un-exciting I know, but we have fun :)
Good times :)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Long Time no Post!
Ok- After another ribbing from my mother (!!) I will post again.
I didn't realise that it had been so long since my last post- but life has been busy. And I do not have a desk job that I sit for 9 hours a day at computer- and so the blog takes a hit. Sometimes I don't even turn the thing on for days at a time :)
Well- not much to catch up on here.....
I have been working in the coffee shop (and loving it) and playing around with things here at home. John is out of town for a few days for work (as he is every year at this time) and I am excited to have him come home on Thursday night.
I promise to post soon, and add some pictures of what I have been up to!
Remember to vote today!
I didn't realise that it had been so long since my last post- but life has been busy. And I do not have a desk job that I sit for 9 hours a day at computer- and so the blog takes a hit. Sometimes I don't even turn the thing on for days at a time :)
Well- not much to catch up on here.....
I have been working in the coffee shop (and loving it) and playing around with things here at home. John is out of town for a few days for work (as he is every year at this time) and I am excited to have him come home on Thursday night.
I promise to post soon, and add some pictures of what I have been up to!
Remember to vote today!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Quick Note
(Taken with my LG Phone)
Well Just a quick note since I have not posted recently-
Here is what I am working on:
~ Getting my garden from the indoor "greenhouse" potted and put outdoors
~ Creating some Stationary (as pictured above) which while fun, is not going as quickly or as easily as I would have hoped- but I have not spent a lot of time working on it yet.
~ Embroidering some fabric for some cute cafe curtains that will hang in one of the kitchen windows
~ I'm Still Plugging away at sewing Yo's for a Quilt, and working on a Patchwork quilt as well
~ Still having fun working at the Coffee House that I am at
~ Got OBSESSED over the "Twilight" series, and read the entire 4 book cannon in 3 days (there were a few midnight oil burning nights in there!)
~ Made some 3 Berry Jam and Preserves (that went nicely with the homemade scones I also Baked)
And in general I had a really packed weekend- but it was nice and relaxing as well.
I hope to have more to share soon! (or at least some better pics!)
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Another PDF Pattern is here!
As Promised, here is the "AHOY!" Alphabet Font. I also included a larger version of my Ahoy Pirate, and Bubble Border at the bottom. I like the smaller version for embroidery, but I went to scrapbook something, and realised that I really like the Larger one shown here for a Scrapbook border. So- short post today, but I just wanted to let you know what was new! Visit the store at www.superchickenstudios.etsy.com
Happy Crafting!
Friday, September 26, 2008
New PDF Pattern in the Shop
Ahoy there! This is one of my new patterns that I have listed in the shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5962511) and it is called... you guessed it! "Ahoy!"
This has been one of my favorite ones to make... the "Long Live Mario" was probably the other fave, but this one was a lot of fun. I also have a "Ahoy" Alphabet that I am finishing up, and it will put to port in the shop in the next few days as well. I am only offering this one as a PDF right now because I am trying to figure out what kind of printing that I want to use, but I am not patient enough to wait to list it :)
I have now had 2 sales in my shop, and it is a slow start, but I am happy that other people think that my stuff is cute and want to buy it. My Friends that just moved- well one of them worked in a local Fabric shop (owned by her Aunt) and she told me that I need to make a Appt and speak with her aunt about selling my patterns in the fabric store. I am really excited about that prospect, but I feel like I need to really work on the look of the packaging, and my logo and all the stuff before I approach her about it.... I am not sure- it makes me nervous, but excited all at the same time. What if other people hate them? And they sit there and get dusty? How sad- but on the other hand- people may love them and snap them up.... we will see- it is something to think about.
In other news- I have started a Garden! Well- I have started the starting of a garden. I have planted seeds in a indoor green house, and I have been working in the yard getting it ready for some baby plants. We are growing Salad, Broccoli, Spinach, cilantro, green onions, and chives. (they do not mind the cold weather of winter so much) And when spring rolls around, we will be adding Tomatoes, Onions, peppers, and maybe some strawberries (who all love the heat of spring and summer). We already have the lemon tree in full production mode- the avocados are getting bigger, and the poor Lime tree is still not producing, but the leaves look nice and strong. So we hope that in a few months we will be enjoying some tasty fresh homegrown food.
Anyway- that is about it for now... I have to get back to housework (groan). Laundry is calling, and the birds need some new paper, and the carpet really needs some attention! Have a great day!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Today...
Today I-
~ Made my First "Hot Caramel Apple Cider" this morning. Tasty!
~ Danced around the front room while dusting and listening to a Frank Sinatra CD
~ Ate seedless grapes the size of small plums **no joke- they were huge!**
~ Did some work on a Pattern in Photoshop
~ Did some sewing on the new quilt that I am working on (not the Yo-Yo one- but a new one for now)
~ Vacuum and Dusted and cleaned the Front room, Bedroom, and one of the Bathrooms.
~~~ And the hardest of them all-- I had to say goodbye to a old friend.
We have been friends for more than 10 years, and he and his wife are moving to Texas on Monday morning. It may be a few years before I see him again, and it was hard to say goodbye. I was lucky that I was one of the lucky few that got the "Goodbye Visit" in the days before they leave town. He came over and we got to chat for about 30 minutes before he headed off to another task that has to be done before Sunday night.
We Used to be co-workers for 5 years, and in the last 5 years we have tried to stay in touch as much as possible (seeing as how we live in towns that are 30 minutes away from each other) but in the last month or so we have attended multiple "farewell" events, and so while it was nice to see them a lot lately, it makes it harder to know that they will not be around anymore.
They will be living in Texas, and right along the route that we take to go visit John's Mom. So the next time that we head to Texas, we will stop and visit with them, but that may not be for another year or so at the earliest. (sigh) I just hate when friends and family move away!
And that takes me up to now- and it is only about 1:30. I think that I will do some more sewing, and then some laundry. Tonight John and I have a Wine Tasting event to go to (which is always fun) and so it is the beginning of a good weekend. Today: Wine tasting, Saturday: Volunteering for a NPR station fundraiser on Saturday morning, a Avocado and Margarita Festival in the afternoon, followed by a trip to the best fabric store that I have ever been to and also a peek in the nearby antique store. Then Sunday is the Bird Mart in Paso Robles- where we got Sprout, and also Pickles (our Parrotlets) but we will NOT be getting any birds this year.... maybe just some toys. Our newest Bird (Mo) is a toy FIEND and he loves anything we give him, and so I want to make sure he has some new ones..... he loves them so much that some of the old ones are getting broken\worn out in the few weeks that we have had him :) it is so nice to see him play with so much enthusiasm that I do not mind getting him some new ones :)
anyway- another post without pics, but hopefully soon!
~ Made my First "Hot Caramel Apple Cider" this morning. Tasty!
~ Danced around the front room while dusting and listening to a Frank Sinatra CD
~ Ate seedless grapes the size of small plums **no joke- they were huge!**
~ Did some work on a Pattern in Photoshop
~ Did some sewing on the new quilt that I am working on (not the Yo-Yo one- but a new one for now)
~ Vacuum and Dusted and cleaned the Front room, Bedroom, and one of the Bathrooms.
~~~ And the hardest of them all-- I had to say goodbye to a old friend.
We have been friends for more than 10 years, and he and his wife are moving to Texas on Monday morning. It may be a few years before I see him again, and it was hard to say goodbye. I was lucky that I was one of the lucky few that got the "Goodbye Visit" in the days before they leave town. He came over and we got to chat for about 30 minutes before he headed off to another task that has to be done before Sunday night.
We Used to be co-workers for 5 years, and in the last 5 years we have tried to stay in touch as much as possible (seeing as how we live in towns that are 30 minutes away from each other) but in the last month or so we have attended multiple "farewell" events, and so while it was nice to see them a lot lately, it makes it harder to know that they will not be around anymore.
They will be living in Texas, and right along the route that we take to go visit John's Mom. So the next time that we head to Texas, we will stop and visit with them, but that may not be for another year or so at the earliest. (sigh) I just hate when friends and family move away!
And that takes me up to now- and it is only about 1:30. I think that I will do some more sewing, and then some laundry. Tonight John and I have a Wine Tasting event to go to (which is always fun) and so it is the beginning of a good weekend. Today: Wine tasting, Saturday: Volunteering for a NPR station fundraiser on Saturday morning, a Avocado and Margarita Festival in the afternoon, followed by a trip to the best fabric store that I have ever been to and also a peek in the nearby antique store. Then Sunday is the Bird Mart in Paso Robles- where we got Sprout, and also Pickles (our Parrotlets) but we will NOT be getting any birds this year.... maybe just some toys. Our newest Bird (Mo) is a toy FIEND and he loves anything we give him, and so I want to make sure he has some new ones..... he loves them so much that some of the old ones are getting broken\worn out in the few weeks that we have had him :) it is so nice to see him play with so much enthusiasm that I do not mind getting him some new ones :)
anyway- another post without pics, but hopefully soon!
Friday, September 12, 2008
New Happenings
Hey everyone! Sorry I have been MIA for SO long! I have been working thru a lot of changes and updates in my life, and my blog has suffered for it. sorry!
One of the changes I have been getting used to is not having a desk job where I spend 8 hours a day in front of a computer, and with the way things are now, sometimes it will be 2 or 3 days before I even turn the computer on. GASP! I know- I hate that I am falling behind in my blog writing, and keeping up to date on all the other blogs that i Love to read, but sometimes it cannot be helped- and to tell the truth- it can be really refreshing to not be a slave to the computer all the time. It seems to add many hours to the day when I avoid the office and Internet-land.
Well here is some of what has happened in the last month or so, and what I am working on.
In Crafty News:
I DO have a new Embroidery Pattern in the works, but not using the PC means that it has been gathering dust for the last few weeks- but I plan on dusting off the PDF and getting back to work on it pretty soon (maybe even some this weekend!)- it is really cute and I am loving this new one!
I have taken on a HUGE hand-sewing project. First off- I do not have a sewing machine, and I really like having the fabric and thread in my hand and doing it all myself, and so that is the direction that a lot of my projects go.... but I was reading around on a blog and discovered "yo-yo's" and I decided that hey! they are easy to make, and are cute.... so I wanted to make a quilt out of them. Yo-Yo quits were big in the depression era, as they were easy to make, and were made out of left-over scraps of fabric from old dresses and the like... and so I have started to make a ton of "Yo's" (as my boyfriend likes to call them) in order to make a quilt for our bed.
If you research them on the web, you might find some funky bright and (in my opinion) some ugly looking quilts.. but I am going with the 1920's theme, and I want to use very soft colors. lots of creams and light yellows and pinks and blues- to give it that really antique soft look... no browns and reds and dark blues here. I wanted to post a pic of what I wanted to make- but so far I have not found a picture worthy of what I am trying to convey, but here is a link that look ok.... http://pics.rubylane.com/graphics/shops/joysdolls/TX-JG560.1N.jpg but I will not be using patterns like she did- and not using those colors- but at least it shows something that is softer looking then some of the ones that I have seen online.
But here is the catch- I was not sure how many I would need to make a quilt, but I was not too daunted by the task... but after working on them for what seems like a good chunk of the last month of free time, I counted them all out, and I have about 200 of them made. I was happy with the progress, and then I decided to go lay them out over my current comforter and see if I could do a calculation of how many more I would need.... the answer- well for a CA King bed, I will need around 3700 more. 3700!!!! HOLY COW! and thanks to my boyfriend, he pointed out that I will need to make around 10 a day or more, and I would be done in about a year..... um yeah... thanks for that visual... but I am enjoying it, and I am spending about a hour or so a night working on them.... so I will let you know when I hit good milestones along the way :)
I am also working on a 365 type of project, but I have no real plans for it to be a full 365, and it is a bit more random. I am using my Camera Phone, and trying to remember to take a picture a day that will sum up the day in 1 photo, and not have me in it at all... only other objects. So fare I have around 40 something photos, and each time I look at them, I can remember that exact day, and not just think " I am not really sure what Happened in august- it just passed by" I can now remember every day of that month and what we did that day and what was going on. I have not posted any of them yet- but I will soon add them to my flickr account (I hope- it has been neglected as well!)
Other craft news is kinda slim at the moment- (yes- the craft room is a pit of despair at the moment- there is not even room to work at the table in there)... so on to Life Updates.
Well- I am loving my new job- and I am there about 20 or so hours a week... this week is closer to 30, but some weeks it is more like 18. It is also about a mile or so from my house, so I have been riding my scooter to work instead of driving... which is 2 good things, 1 of them is that I am not buying gas since it is a electrical scooter. and the 2nd is that my car broke down and it sure beats walking to work. John says that he thinks that it is the ignition switch or something, and so he will fix it as soon as the parts come in.
In the mean time I can drive my car at my own risk, since it has now 3 time died on me, (once in traffic) and takes like 5 minutes to get started... so Scooter it is, and it keeps me home more not having a car and when it is foggy and ugly outside (like today) and I do not want to scooter around.
Last Weekend my little sister got married up in the Bay Area, and we drove up to the wedding, and also stayed the weekend with John's Brother and Sister-in-Law. His Brother (Matt) was competing in a 1/2 Ironman that weekend, and so we went to Santa Cruz to Cheer him on (and get sunburned!) and we are excited to see him compete in the FULL IRONMAN this November in Arizona. I was also able to meet my new Niece at the wedding. My Older sister just had Baby #6 (and the last one!) and she was 2 months old, and since they live up in Oregon, I had not had a chance to meet her yet, and got to hang out with her after the Wedding.
She didn't seem to happy to meet me though- she was more interested in getting some dinner, but then to my surprise, (well maybe not too much) she was handed off to my boyfriend so I could take some pictures, and she quieted right down and started to fall asleep. I am not sure what it is about my boyfriend (who really has almost NO experience with kids at all) but all my nieces are IN LOVE with him. It is all "john this, john that" and apparently even my 2 month old niece has the "John Vibe" and was happy to lay in his arms for 30 minutes and just watch him. (humph! oh well- one day she will like me too!)
So on the agenda for today: I do not have to work today (WHOO HOO!) so today is a "at-home" day for me. Got up, Drank a Pot of tea (I LOVE that Hot-Tea weather is back!), caught up on some Emails and Blogs that I was behind in, and now it is time to move on to the tasks of today.
Such fun winners as : Clean my messy bedroom (which will involve laundry- ugh!) Clean out the bird cages and refill with fresh-goodness, Vacuum the Front room (and bedroom once I clear all the floor space) and then on to the fun stuff! I will be making batches of Shortbread today. It is SO easy and tasty, and I will be taking them to a BBQ that we have tomorrow. I will them take my shower, sit down with another pot of tea, some fresh Shortbread, and work on some more "Yo's" (gotta make my quota for the day!) and maybe watch a movie.
We are having dinner with friends tonight that we have not seen for many months (they are more booked up than the 4 Seasons during wedding season!! they are SO hard to get a "dinner date" with!), and then I have to work tomorrow morning (unless my co-worker can do it for me- she has to check!) and then we are headed off (with shortbread in hand) to a BBQ for some friends that are moving to Texas next week..... So in a LONG post- that is up with me :)
I am sorry that I do have a photo to share just yet---- I am still Photoshopping Pics of the wedding and more- but next time I will have some for ya :)
I hope everyone is doing well, and I hope to be better about staying on top of this blog better!
XOXO
One of the changes I have been getting used to is not having a desk job where I spend 8 hours a day in front of a computer, and with the way things are now, sometimes it will be 2 or 3 days before I even turn the computer on. GASP! I know- I hate that I am falling behind in my blog writing, and keeping up to date on all the other blogs that i Love to read, but sometimes it cannot be helped- and to tell the truth- it can be really refreshing to not be a slave to the computer all the time. It seems to add many hours to the day when I avoid the office and Internet-land.
Well here is some of what has happened in the last month or so, and what I am working on.
In Crafty News:
I DO have a new Embroidery Pattern in the works, but not using the PC means that it has been gathering dust for the last few weeks- but I plan on dusting off the PDF and getting back to work on it pretty soon (maybe even some this weekend!)- it is really cute and I am loving this new one!
I have taken on a HUGE hand-sewing project. First off- I do not have a sewing machine, and I really like having the fabric and thread in my hand and doing it all myself, and so that is the direction that a lot of my projects go.... but I was reading around on a blog and discovered "yo-yo's" and I decided that hey! they are easy to make, and are cute.... so I wanted to make a quilt out of them. Yo-Yo quits were big in the depression era, as they were easy to make, and were made out of left-over scraps of fabric from old dresses and the like... and so I have started to make a ton of "Yo's" (as my boyfriend likes to call them) in order to make a quilt for our bed.
If you research them on the web, you might find some funky bright and (in my opinion) some ugly looking quilts.. but I am going with the 1920's theme, and I want to use very soft colors. lots of creams and light yellows and pinks and blues- to give it that really antique soft look... no browns and reds and dark blues here. I wanted to post a pic of what I wanted to make- but so far I have not found a picture worthy of what I am trying to convey, but here is a link that look ok.... http://pics.rubylane.com/graphics/shops/joysdolls/TX-JG560.1N.jpg but I will not be using patterns like she did- and not using those colors- but at least it shows something that is softer looking then some of the ones that I have seen online.
But here is the catch- I was not sure how many I would need to make a quilt, but I was not too daunted by the task... but after working on them for what seems like a good chunk of the last month of free time, I counted them all out, and I have about 200 of them made. I was happy with the progress, and then I decided to go lay them out over my current comforter and see if I could do a calculation of how many more I would need.... the answer- well for a CA King bed, I will need around 3700 more. 3700!!!! HOLY COW! and thanks to my boyfriend, he pointed out that I will need to make around 10 a day or more, and I would be done in about a year..... um yeah... thanks for that visual... but I am enjoying it, and I am spending about a hour or so a night working on them.... so I will let you know when I hit good milestones along the way :)
I am also working on a 365 type of project, but I have no real plans for it to be a full 365, and it is a bit more random. I am using my Camera Phone, and trying to remember to take a picture a day that will sum up the day in 1 photo, and not have me in it at all... only other objects. So fare I have around 40 something photos, and each time I look at them, I can remember that exact day, and not just think " I am not really sure what Happened in august- it just passed by" I can now remember every day of that month and what we did that day and what was going on. I have not posted any of them yet- but I will soon add them to my flickr account (I hope- it has been neglected as well!)
Other craft news is kinda slim at the moment- (yes- the craft room is a pit of despair at the moment- there is not even room to work at the table in there)... so on to Life Updates.
Well- I am loving my new job- and I am there about 20 or so hours a week... this week is closer to 30, but some weeks it is more like 18. It is also about a mile or so from my house, so I have been riding my scooter to work instead of driving... which is 2 good things, 1 of them is that I am not buying gas since it is a electrical scooter. and the 2nd is that my car broke down and it sure beats walking to work. John says that he thinks that it is the ignition switch or something, and so he will fix it as soon as the parts come in.
In the mean time I can drive my car at my own risk, since it has now 3 time died on me, (once in traffic) and takes like 5 minutes to get started... so Scooter it is, and it keeps me home more not having a car and when it is foggy and ugly outside (like today) and I do not want to scooter around.
Last Weekend my little sister got married up in the Bay Area, and we drove up to the wedding, and also stayed the weekend with John's Brother and Sister-in-Law. His Brother (Matt) was competing in a 1/2 Ironman that weekend, and so we went to Santa Cruz to Cheer him on (and get sunburned!) and we are excited to see him compete in the FULL IRONMAN this November in Arizona. I was also able to meet my new Niece at the wedding. My Older sister just had Baby #6 (and the last one!) and she was 2 months old, and since they live up in Oregon, I had not had a chance to meet her yet, and got to hang out with her after the Wedding.
She didn't seem to happy to meet me though- she was more interested in getting some dinner, but then to my surprise, (well maybe not too much) she was handed off to my boyfriend so I could take some pictures, and she quieted right down and started to fall asleep. I am not sure what it is about my boyfriend (who really has almost NO experience with kids at all) but all my nieces are IN LOVE with him. It is all "john this, john that" and apparently even my 2 month old niece has the "John Vibe" and was happy to lay in his arms for 30 minutes and just watch him. (humph! oh well- one day she will like me too!)
So on the agenda for today: I do not have to work today (WHOO HOO!) so today is a "at-home" day for me. Got up, Drank a Pot of tea (I LOVE that Hot-Tea weather is back!), caught up on some Emails and Blogs that I was behind in, and now it is time to move on to the tasks of today.
Such fun winners as : Clean my messy bedroom (which will involve laundry- ugh!) Clean out the bird cages and refill with fresh-goodness, Vacuum the Front room (and bedroom once I clear all the floor space) and then on to the fun stuff! I will be making batches of Shortbread today. It is SO easy and tasty, and I will be taking them to a BBQ that we have tomorrow. I will them take my shower, sit down with another pot of tea, some fresh Shortbread, and work on some more "Yo's" (gotta make my quota for the day!) and maybe watch a movie.
We are having dinner with friends tonight that we have not seen for many months (they are more booked up than the 4 Seasons during wedding season!! they are SO hard to get a "dinner date" with!), and then I have to work tomorrow morning (unless my co-worker can do it for me- she has to check!) and then we are headed off (with shortbread in hand) to a BBQ for some friends that are moving to Texas next week..... So in a LONG post- that is up with me :)
I am sorry that I do have a photo to share just yet---- I am still Photoshopping Pics of the wedding and more- but next time I will have some for ya :)
I hope everyone is doing well, and I hope to be better about staying on top of this blog better!
XOXO
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Etsy Update
I have added 3 more Embroidery Pattern Sets to my Etsy Shop.
They are as follows:
"Sugar & Spice"
"Leaf &\or Feathers"
"Border Set #1"
I am also working on about 2 or 3 more sets on paper at the moment, and about 5 in my head--- so I hope that I can keep working away at them. The most "time consuming" part is that I want to create the patterns onto tea-towels to show to others how cute they are... but when that means making a few shapes from each pattern, it starts to back up the creative system- so I will keep working on that, and hopefully I will have the new patterns out soon.
In Other news- I had a great weekend. John and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary :) And as tradition goes, we spent Sunday the 3rd at the Fair. (Our First date was at the fair 4 years ago) and it was fun. It was HOT, but fun. We usually go in the evenings (because the 3rd has been during the week), and this time we went during the day since it was the weekend, and the heat was a bit much for us. We are used to 75 degree days, and it was probably 95 and not much of a breeze for the first few hours.
We also saw the new Batman movie. It was really good- and we liked it :)
I am also working on a new mini-creative. It is not a huge deal, but a fun way for me to journal this month. I will share that in a day or so ( I want to do the first week first- and that is a still a day away!) Did I mention that I love the month of August? I think that it is one of my favorite months in the year. You get Warm days (maybe hot), nice nights, great sunsets, and fall is on the way. Fruit is everywhere, and you can see the pumpkins and corn just around the corner. Plus it is the month that I fell in love with John 4 years ago- how can I not love august? [Well to be honest- I loved John from almost day one- which was July 4th, but we didn't start dating until August- so it is august that gets the prize :) ]
Anyway- Go check out the shop and see the new goodies ( http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5962511 ) ( I know, I know- still with the ugly links!) and I hope that you love the new patterns! :)
Cheers! SuperChicken :)
They are as follows:
"Sugar & Spice"
"Leaf &\or Feathers"
"Border Set #1"
I am also working on about 2 or 3 more sets on paper at the moment, and about 5 in my head--- so I hope that I can keep working away at them. The most "time consuming" part is that I want to create the patterns onto tea-towels to show to others how cute they are... but when that means making a few shapes from each pattern, it starts to back up the creative system- so I will keep working on that, and hopefully I will have the new patterns out soon.
In Other news- I had a great weekend. John and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary :) And as tradition goes, we spent Sunday the 3rd at the Fair. (Our First date was at the fair 4 years ago) and it was fun. It was HOT, but fun. We usually go in the evenings (because the 3rd has been during the week), and this time we went during the day since it was the weekend, and the heat was a bit much for us. We are used to 75 degree days, and it was probably 95 and not much of a breeze for the first few hours.
We also saw the new Batman movie. It was really good- and we liked it :)
I am also working on a new mini-creative. It is not a huge deal, but a fun way for me to journal this month. I will share that in a day or so ( I want to do the first week first- and that is a still a day away!) Did I mention that I love the month of August? I think that it is one of my favorite months in the year. You get Warm days (maybe hot), nice nights, great sunsets, and fall is on the way. Fruit is everywhere, and you can see the pumpkins and corn just around the corner. Plus it is the month that I fell in love with John 4 years ago- how can I not love august? [Well to be honest- I loved John from almost day one- which was July 4th, but we didn't start dating until August- so it is august that gets the prize :) ]
Anyway- Go check out the shop and see the new goodies ( http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5962511 ) ( I know, I know- still with the ugly links!) and I hope that you love the new patterns! :)
Cheers! SuperChicken :)
Friday, August 1, 2008
My Etsy Shop is now Open!
Whoo hoo! I have been trying to get this up and running for over a month now, and life has just been in my way so much lately. But today, during some down time (instead of a nap) I started to list things in my shop! :)
It can be found here http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5962511
(I know- my links are ugly! I need to learn how to make them pretty!)
But my user name is SuperChickenStudios and it is all one word (they cannot make them 3 words for some reason) but I will be adding more and more items in the next few weeks :)
Go and check it out and let me know what you think! :)
De Chickie!
It can be found here http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5962511
(I know- my links are ugly! I need to learn how to make them pretty!)
But my user name is SuperChickenStudios and it is all one word (they cannot make them 3 words for some reason) but I will be adding more and more items in the next few weeks :)
Go and check it out and let me know what you think! :)
De Chickie!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Changes and a cool new book!
Look what I bought today! I LOVE it, and I am only a few pages in.... this is the most awesome book ever! I have really wanted to be able to work on my "doodles" and after reading like 10 pages, I have already found some cool new ways to doodle on things, and I think that in time and with some practice, I will finally be able to draw stuff that people will think is cute :) My skills are pretty lacking at the moment :)
Well there have been some cool changes around here lately.... but I will not go into all of them right now.... but I am happy to say that I am now working only part time at a new job, and the rest of my time is dedicated to staying home, getting the house super clean and pretty, and after I tackle most of the main messes in the house, I will have TONS of time to create.... I am thinking that I will going heavy duty with the scrapbooking, cooking, jam making, sewing, making tea towels, and painting....... but I will have to get there when I get there- right now my days are full of regular house work- but I can feel the creative juice flowing and building up :) I will probably end up with a creative explosion soon :)
Stay tuned for more stuff soon- but in the mean time- see if you can find the book above and check it out- it is great! (and Candy, yes, you can totally borrow it soon!) lol
Cheers!
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