Treasured Blessings!

2011-12-11T02:41:00.001-08:00

my "Charlie Brown" tree

Cant believe Christmas is already upon us. This will be our third Christmas in this house. I figured by now the adoption would have been finalized, but it looks like the Lord is teaching me some more patience. Next year. But until then I will just have to prepare for a Christmas for "two". Starting with my "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree....

This year my parents are going away for Christmas, so we will be having some birdie visitors. Three boy birds to be exact. My girl birds are not going to be thrilled, especially when my parents bird "Edward" starts his usual flirting. Edward tends to be a little girl crazy, but he's cute so he can get away with it. Merry Christmas!

Rootin Tootin New Design?

2011-12-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

Out with the old, in with the new eh? My personal blog has been a little stale as of late. Haven't blogged here in over a year because I don't really have much to say or don't really know what to say. So I have decided to revamp a little. Its hard for me to change things around. I get attached and have a hard time making needed changes. For instance my banner is the wrong size now with all the new blog system advances. This means I need to redesign it. ugh. I like my banner. Any who, bear with me and maybe I will have a personal blog worth visiting soon.

Coastal Rest

2010-04-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

This past week, Harrison and I attended our Church retreat in Pacific Grove, near Monterey. It was so beautiful by the Ocean. We get such peace from the ocean, so we decided to take our family photo for the adoption agency by the sea. My mother rode up with us which was very nice. Thanks to her we got the perfect adoption agency photo.
We had a really great time with our Church Family. I already want to go back. Lord willing, if things go smoothly, we will have an addition to our family for the next retreat. If thats the case, then we know exactly where to go for another family photo. :)

Our "Tootsie Girl"

2010-03-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been one of fear and turmoil because our beloved pet bird, Tootsie, is in the hospital. We noticed something that wasn't quite right and brought her to the avian vet. If we hadn't have done that, it is very likely very soon we would have found her on the bottom of her cage, dead.

The Lord was in all of this, because last Thursday I was prompted to call Harrison and have him call the vet. You cant always go by feelings, but sometimes there can be a nagging that you need to follow. In this case, that feeling that I believe was prompted by God, saved my bird's life.

She ended up having serious kidney problems. She has been having fluid therapy since last Friday. I miss her so much, but I know she is getting all the care she could possibly get.

She is not out of the clear yet, but I know that she is in good hands.

We were able to visit her on Saturday, which is something I needed. It is so strange that such a small bird can have such an impact on ones life. We were able to visit her in the surgery room. The nurse brought her in to us holding her in her hands.

Tootsie is so scared of being grabbed. So when she got on my finger she knew she was safe and started cuddling with me while blurting out sweet coos. She just stood on my finger, enjoying me kissing her head. She then hopped on my shoulder and started preening, like "ok, I'm ready to go home now".

After handing her back to the nurse, Tootsie rode on her shoulder back to the treatment room staring at me with her big black eyes all the way down the hallway. She even let out a chirp as she rounded the corner.

You might say, thats a lot of work to go through for just an animal. But in the Bible it says, even God's eyes are on the sparrow.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God." Luke 12:6

We were meant to care for everything on the earth and that includes birds. :)

I love you Tootsie!

Its Here....WHOO HOO!

2010-03-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

It has arrived! My new JUKI TL-98 Q sewing machine. So excited to finally be able to finish my quilts instead of just acquiring quilt tops. I will even be able to reupholster and sew curtains with this industrial strength machine.

But first....my craft room must get organized. Talk about incentive. :)

New Couch

2010-03-10T12:29:00.001-08:00

We finally bought a new couch! Since we moved, our living room has been a mess. Its amazing how a couch changes all of that. So, I have been busy sanding, painting, and decorating. Our home study visit from the adoption agency is driving me to keep going. After the living room comes the dining room. I have some very special furniture for that room. :)

Simply Providential

2010-03-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

The search for an adoption agency is a scary thing. Wanting to pick the right one amidst the many options, but not quite knowing where to look. Then Harrison hit the jackpot, a website that lists all the adoption agencies in California by County. So cool!

So Tuesday night after Harrison went to bed, I began searching the site. Up until then, Harrison was doing all the research. So I was very curious what was out there. I went through link after link until I found one that intrigued me.

They had everything we were interested in AND they had interviews from adoptive parents who used there agency. It was wonderful. I cried through most of the interviews. So many wonderful stories of adoption. In my heart, I felt this was the one for us.

But this was in my heart. I wanted Harrison to feel like this was right without any input from me. So I prayed that if this was the Lord's will, that He would show Harrison this agency and put it on his heart this was the right one.

The next day, Harrison e-mailed me from work with his top 5 choices and said his first choice already e-mailed all the information we needed to him. Wow! that was fast. I looked at his top choice, praying it was the one I found last night.

There it was. The agency I found right on top in number 1 position. I was thrilled. I called Harrison and said in tears "We found our agency". We are both so at peace with our choice.

This is what I call.... Simply Providential.

We are so excited to jump into this process. We have so many fears and worries, but I know we are surrounded with prayer. The Lord has worked everything out so perfectly. I know He will work the future out. We are excited to see what His will unfolds.

Let the Journey Begin!

A day to Remember

2010-03-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

Sunday was such a beautiful day for Harrison and I.

The weather was so beautiful, cool, crisp, and sunny. Flowers were blooming and bird's were singing.

Two days previous we told my parents about adoption and on this beautiful day we told Harrison's parents.

We told my parents at the Cheesecake factory and then Harrison's parents at Claim Jumpers. Things just went so smoothly and joyfully. Our families reactions of joy really meant a lot to us. With our families support, we are so very excited to start this new blessed adventure.

We have enjoyed our new rental house tremendously. We even have a little park, literally a 1 minute walk away. So we decided to take advantage and go for a walk.

Excitement was in the air as we walked hand in hand to the park. What a fun park it was too and to live only 2 houses down is awesome.

Who knew that only around the bend was a lake full of fish, turtles, ducks, geese and even a bunny sighting. First, we met the ducks and geese with a bag of bread. They welcomed us warmly. Wait till we bring them cracked corn, they will love us. :)

We even found this cute little cotton tail.

If you look closely at the photo below, you can see a turtle sun bathing.

It was a lovely day indeed.

A Heart for Adoption

2010-02-28T23:40:00.000-08:00

Since the beginning of our marriage, Harrison and I have always felt the Lord's leading to adopt. A desire to care for a child that wouldn't otherwise have a loving home to go to. We are so excited because we feel now is the right time for us to adopt.

My mind is already starting to envision those baby quilts and knitting I will be doing in preparation. We are both so very excited to start the adoption process. This will definitely be an adventure and a lesson in patience while we trudge through all the paperwork and legal processes. But we know it will all be worth it, when we hold that tiny baby God saved just for us in our arms. What a joyous day that will be.

Thyroid Troubles

2010-02-24T15:42:00.000-08:00

I have been really slammed recently with sickness. It turns out the whole time, I have been having problems with my Thyroid. My Thyroid and immune system have been battling it out. This has been going on for the past 5 months.

I finally was able to get an appointment with an endocrinologist, thanks to Harrison and his e-mail skills to the doctor. With Kaiser it is extremely difficult to see a specialist. Especially when they deny its my thyroid all because they say the tests come back "normal". Ignoring symptoms and family history, just because a so called test says I am in the "normal" range. ugh

This past week has been terribly hard with extreme breathing and fatigue problems. But without the trials of the past week, I would have never made progress with my thyroid diagnosis. It is sad that it takes 5 months of suffering to get what I needed all along. Finally they start believing me, when my thyroid gland swells up so much I can barely breath.

So on March 3rd, I get to see a specialist. It scares me, but am so thankful for the chance to try out thyroid medication.

I will say one thing. Being sick sure helped me accomplish a lot of knitting and crocheting. :) http://www.bekahjan.com/bekahjans-whimsical-ventures/2010/2/24/glacier-hat-by-karen.html

a Treasure so sweet...

2010-02-03T13:02:00.001-08:00

My most recent project is scanning all of the family's photos to distribute to our whole family. My grandma kept so many photos it can be very overwhelming at times, but I am enjoying every minute of it.
When my grandma died back in 1998, I was devastated. But I was given a special necklace to remember her by. I have always wondered if she cared about the necklace or even wore it for that matter. No matter, it was hers. I have worn it for every special occasion. My highschool graduation, my senior photos, my wedding, and even my grandad's funeral.

Late last night my questions were answered. Going through her photos, I came across this photo. It was so small, I almost missed it. My necklace! She is wearing my necklace! :) I blew up the photo and grabbed my necklace for a comparison. No doubt in my mind, it is THE necklace!

Thankyou Lord for that Treasured-Blessing.
I love you Grandma.

New Growth

2010-01-27T15:54:00.000-08:00

It is amazing to me how when I mention rainbows,
I start seeing them all the time!

On the drive down to my Grandad's funeral, I saw 3 rainbows. A reminder of God's promise.

The funeral went very well. The Lord was in it all the way. The service bought the gospel message and the time with family was healing. I was given a peace that I didn't have before the funeral. Closure is always hard, but I am on my way to the mending. Saying goodbye to my grandad's house is also hard because it holds so many memories. I'm not very good with change, but with the Lord's help I will be ok.

Today, is a sunny day. A day for new beginnings. A day for new growth. Harrison and I have been doing a lot of planting as of late. With a house comes gardening and we are enjoying it together.

Stormy Weather...

2010-01-21T15:11:00.000-08:00

...always ends with a rainbow.

Psalms 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

2010 is here and it is already bringing happiness and sorrow. This past month has been filled with celebration of marriage and sorrow of death.

The stormy weather outside my window very clearly explains my current emotional state.... Sadness.

Over the weekend my Grandad past away from cancer. Right now, he is with my Grandma and his parents in Heaven with no sorrow or pain and in this I rejoice.

Even though I know he is in a better place, my human selfishness cant help but seep through. So many chapters in my life ending right now. Its hard not to be sad. I just need to keep remembering my last visit, My Last Goodbye...

...and remember Stormy Weather always ends with a Rainbow.

Curtain Fabric Finds

2009-11-02T16:47:00.000-08:00

I found a great deal recently on fabric. I spend only 60 bucks and bought 20 yards of home decor fabric.

Compared to Joann's prices that is a savings of 440$. Blogged here: one-happy-homemaker.html

A New Home! :)

2009-09-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

Lily wanted to let everybody know that we got the house! :) After almost a week of waiting for the results we found out the owner chose us over the other applicants! So very excited!!!! :)

The great thing is it will only take 7 min. for Harrison to get to work. He never has to get on the freeway to get to work again! So cool! :) Although it is dangerously a close walk to Taco Bell fountain drinks AND Starbucks! hehe.....perfect for the stay at home wife with no car. :) *maniacal laughing*

Also, it will be only 2 minute drive to my quilting group when they move to their new building. :) Thanks to everyone who prayed! :) We are so happy to be moving into a house!

New Home? Yippee!

2009-08-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I blogged here. These past 3 months have been very hard on me. Filled with unending jaw/teeth problems that most likely wont be fixed for a while. I am slowly learning to wait on God's timing. Constant pain is not my cup of tea, but I am learning to cope with my constant bite changes and TMJ pain. My jaw has decided to have a mind of its own. :P

There is great news though! I love good news! We could possibly be moving soon! Into a house! wooohoo! So excited. We are taking a second look at it today and turning in our application. SO, if all goes well, we will be moving October 1st!

I have been in so much pain lately that going on the computer is exhausting, which unfortunately has been affecting my crafting. So all my crafts have been mindless crocheting. :) Which I love!

Papa and the Ducks

2009-07-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

For all of you Gleaner Readers:

Here is the video I made of: Papa and the Ducks. Sorry for the poor youtube quality. The quality lessened when I uploaded the video.

Enjoy!

Seaside Bliss

2009-07-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Harrison and I went to a family getaway. Harrison's side of the family rented a nice house near Jenner, CA on the coast. It was beautiful there. Our bedroom had double doors that opened to a view of the sea. It was really breathtaking.

Of course, I HAD to bring some crafts. So I decided my Granny Ripple would be the perfect craft to enjoy by the sea. :) The pattern even looks like the sea with all the wave like ripples.

Below is the view from our room.

The ocean is my favorite place to be. I just love the Coast of Northern California. It really was beautiful.

Monday, Monday

2009-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Monday is finally here. I am so happy last week has come and gone. I am praying this week holds lots of dental relief and crafty fun! :) Finally able to get my retainers adjusted, I have now entered into the stage of more waiting as the head pain slowly decreases.

Being the craft addict that I am, I have begun to dabble in jewelry making! I have already made 2 necklaces. One for me and one to sell! I even wore mine to church yesterday! So excited, will have necklace pictures soon. But for now, I wanted to share some other pictures of my newest flea market find! Posted.... Here....

I hope everybody has a lovely Monday and a week full of happiness.

Artfire Fun and Dental Woes!

2009-06-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

I cant believe how long it has been since I have blogged! This past month has been wild! I have been dealing with a lot of dental issues that have affected my jaw and my retainers. I think my TMJ is coming back which I am hoping the orthodontist can help me with this friday. It seems like trials have been coming my way.... But in the midst of trials there is always a glimmer of hope. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. I cant wait!

I have been trying to keep myself busy with lots and lots of crafting! :) I am so excited because I finally have items in my Artfire Shop! In fact, I listed a Susan Branch Pincushion just last night and already sold it! I will have more Jello Mold Pincushions coming soon to my store. I also added a variety of beaded stitch markers for those knitters out there! Check out my pictures below and go check out my new Shop! :)

I also was FINALLY able to go to Room With A Past this month. I found some great treasures to spice up my craft room! Cant wait to share pictures of those! :)

Did I mention I am donated a set of stitch markers to a giveaway? Check out BekahJan.com for details! :)

Colorful Bobbins!

2009-05-21T14:37:00.001-07:00

So excited about my recent craft! Go check it out at: BekahJan.com! These Embroidery Bobbins were so fun to make! They were so easy too! I found this great idea from Heather Bailey! I even used her fabric as background for my pictures! :)

In the midst of Chaos.....

2009-05-13T16:38:00.000-07:00

In the midst of Chaos... there is always beauty!

Some days there are times where everything goes wrong...but if you look hard there is always something of beauty. Today is one of those days for me.

My Apartment Complex. Enough said. If you read my blog you know that they have caused so many problems and today is no different. There are a total of 9 fire sprinklers in our apartment. We were informed after one postponement that there were annual testings to be done. 2 days worth. One for everybody and one random apartment with fire marshal. Ok, fair enough, even though they should have done that 6 months ago when the complex opened instead of waiting for people to move in. This entailed lots of cleaning and hiding stuff that could get ruined by the workers or that were in their way. We even had to move our 3 birds over to my parents for today and tomorrow.

So today comes, my husband took 1/2 day off of work unpaid, and we got up by 8:00am and waited and waited and waited. Harrison left for work, then I waited and waited.... Until 3:15pm. Harrison called and was informed that they went into every apartment and if you weren't home they had keys. Well, just our luck, they missed us. Everybody is already gone, So they might have to reschedule which entails another shifting around of stuff and another hassle of transferring our birds somewhere else, and another wasted day waiting when I could be getting stuff done. Oh, ya and all that happens after I put everything back to the way it was.

I spent a lot of time working around this apartments demands and they pass over us. Anger set in real fast. It is times like these where I just need to realize that the Lord is in control over my life. In hindsight I might laugh at this, ok, I said might. :) Even though things went awry, I know that...

all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

I then start to think about the positive things that have come out of this. For example, my craft room is really shaping up! But most of all, in the midst of chaos I am thankful for things of beauty God has given us. For example..this lovely picture (above) I took today of my Hydrangea blooming. The Lord knew I needed to find these beautiful blooms.

This Bible verse has given me comfort this past month when I feel discouraged...

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5,6

No matter what life throws at me, I know that I am in His hands.

Mother's Day Craft

2009-05-12T02:37:00.001-07:00

Go check out my latest blog post at BekahJan.com!

DIY: Pampering Body Scrub!

2009-05-01T00:52:00.000-07:00

Want to make some fun Do It Yourself body scrub? Check out my craft blog for the info on where to find the instructions!

Mine turned out great! I even found a cute jar to put it in! :)

Where's Waldo? aka Lily?

2009-04-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

My sweet little parrotlet, Lily....I went to change his water dish and he lunged at me! sigh..he can be so sweet, yet so aggressive. And of course I freaked, dropped the water dish in his cage. Water Everywhere! I let the little guy out, so I could change his cage papers. The vacuum scared him and he took off. Can you find him in the picture? hehe..so cute!

Blooms all around!

2009-04-22T19:13:00.001-07:00

Today, I was able to go outside on my patio and enjoy the dry heat and water my plants! I was thrilled when I saw my cactus had bloomed. Granted it was just one small flower, but it was beautiful!

I then noticed, my hydrangea starting to bud! It had blue flowers last year when it was given to us for our 2 year wedding anniversary by my Mother-in-law. I didn't do a thing to it, but cut it back and water it. So I have no clue what color it will be. I am voting for pink!

My Little Brother - Engaged

2009-04-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my younger brother David and his fiance Steffany! They became engaged last Monday and plan on an October Wedding. My little brother is not so little any more!

Spring has Sprung

2009-03-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Well, Spring has Sprung and I have a new project that has NOTHING to do with Crochet, Knitting or Painting! ;) It is dreaded and it is called "Spring Cleaning"! When we move into a house, I will be ready and organized. I know, I have said this before! But this time I mean business. The month of April is my "Spring Cleaning" month. I have already written out an itinerary. Each day has a task and by the time April has left, I will be all caught up! :) Each week will be a new room to spring clean and organize. I also plan to find lost items such as my cell phone!

I have begun to walk around with a pad of paper just encase I remember a task in my head. I tend to remember things at all hours of the day and Night and am too lazy to write it down. Which means they never get done and they all pile up!

April here I come!

Blog Tweaking

2009-03-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to changing my banner for my BekahJan.com website. I joined a blog critique on ravelry and the main suggestion was making the banner shorter. Not really feeling like working on my blog design, I put it off...until this week. I think I have everything finished to look right. But being the perfectionist I am, I just dont know if I am completely happy with it. Any suggestions would be awesome! :) Anyone have a second opinion? :) Please check it out and let me know what needs improvement. :)

Late Night Safeway Trip = Detection Work

2009-02-28T18:10:00.001-08:00

I have come to realize that a normal night is never normal. It seems since we moved, we cant seem to find a normal evening at home. Last night was no different. Harrison and I decided we needed a trip to Safeway at about 11:00pm. So we hop in our car and head down the road. On our way to the intersection, we notice a parked car with a man wearing all black sneaking around a locked gate that enters to the construction zone of our apartments.

This is not normal! So we turned around to investigate, nonchalantly of course. :) The man, with his car running and waiting, was no where in site. We get back to the top of the hill and call security and wait. Ok, so that did no good! So much for security. So finally the man emerges and hops in his car and takes off. We follow, thank goodness he is heading toward where we are going. :) So we catch up to him get his license number and call it an evening.

Today we promptly delivered the information to the apartment management. Come to find out, this happened once before. They were very thankful to know we got a license number. I am feeling very happy we did a good service, yet wondering, is it really safe to live here? That is the second suspicious thing we have come across.

Dream apartments are now becoming Dreaded apartments. The end of our lease cant come fast enough!

Most Unbelievable Place!

2009-02-25T16:51:00.000-08:00

A sign use to be displayed on the side of the freeway that stated:

"The Most Unbelievable Place You Will Ever Live"

This sign referred to my apartment complex. This statement is quite hilarious because it really is the most unbelievable place! But so not how they meant it. This place is so Unbelievable for all the wrong reasons.

I start to think how this place could not get any more unbelievable, but then I am always proved wrong. I will list a few of the things we have and are dealing with, then I will tell you about the newest development of this "Unbelievable" Place.

To list a few: open draining pipe hanging over bathtub, humidity of average 51%, fire alarm going off about 10 times at night and morning, neighbors above pounding, car almost getting broken into (scared off by car alarm), Gates not working, a rodent in the wall, drag racers on our street, power going out in bedroom and craft room (because I was running the vacuum), waiting one month for phone and internet because apartment didn't have what we needed, sliding door didn't lock, no hot water when we first moved in, Bathtub pipes clogged from mud from construction, heater broken (still is broken), had to bug them for 2 months just to get the early move in bonus they promised us, smoke alarm going off because I ran my popcorn popper, solicitors because the gate isn't fixed, Must I really go on? Too many more to list...

Now on to the most recent problem. A fight between 2 neighbors buildings. I will set the scene, 4:30 am, loud thunderous pounding. I hop out of bed scared out of my mind someone is braking in or the roof is falling. I wake up Harrison and we head to the front door and wait for the sound again. More thunderous pounding down the hall. Then we hear it, a man yelling at the top of his lungs loud obscenities with complains of the other neighbors being loud at all hours of the night. More ranting and raving continues followed by our neighbor going back into his apartment with a door slam. Peep hole on door finally comes in handy! lol We wait, moments later the police come to settle the argument. Finally after things quiet down. I fall asleep.

Does the story end here? Of course not! Next day, I am in the living room with the birds. I quickly put the birds back in their cages because of loud voices outside our door. I go to my trusty peephole and spy our neighbors fighting about last night. Back and forth the argument went "your being too loud at night", "I can do whatever I want its my apartment and you scared my wife" "not after hours you cant!".....and so on. Just when I am about to call an apartment manager, they part ways angrily. Of course I am a little worried about the threats they hurled...so we shall see how this even will unfold more.

But until then, I have plenty of problems to deal with. Renting a house cant come any sooner. I will miss my craft room and huge bath tub though. But are those things really worth it when we deal with so much more! I think not.

Chocolate Lava Cake

2009-02-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

I found this awesome video recipe for Chocolate Lava Cake! I am dying to try this recipe! Yum! Check it out!

Bath Time For The Birdie!

2009-02-20T16:13:00.000-08:00

Lemon loves baths! While Harrison was in the Kitchen washing dishes, Lemon tried every trick to get to the running water. We finally got the clue.

She wants a bath. So we filled up a bowl of water and she plunged into the water. We grabbed our cameras and started taking pictures. Silly birdie parents!

Popcorn Fun!

2009-02-02T17:20:00.001-08:00

Last night Harrison and I decided to pop some popcorn. I have not done this in ages!

The birds were scared of the popcorn. But once Tootsie saw me eating it, she had to try some! Lemon didn't think it was cool. But Tootsie Loved it!

So, I just had to share the fun pictures of Tootsie Eating her Popcorn.

Birthday Fun!

2009-01-24T22:47:00.000-08:00

Today was a fun day for me. For my 26th birthday, Harrison took me to 3 new yarn shops on the way to see Point Reyes Light House. He was also able to use his new SLR Camera to take pictures of my knitted projects. The yarn stores were great! I of course couldn't leave each store without buying at least one skein of yarn. :) It was very chilly outside which made my new gloves and neck warmer all the more fun! We ended the day at our favorite waterfront restaurant in Suisun City; The Athenian Grill. All in all it was a fabulous day!

Quilting for Soldiers

2009-01-17T17:37:00.001-08:00

Today was my first time attending a group hosted by blue star moms that meets once a month to make quilts for our wounded Soldiers. We send the quilts we make to Quilts of Valor. I had a blast! It was nice to enjoy the company of other quilters while supporting our Heroes. I added a ChipIn to the right and below if any one is interested in donating fabric money for the quilts my group makes.

Starting New Year with a Bang!

2009-01-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have started out the new year with a Bang! The sickness Bang! Yes, I am sick....again! and just in time to ring in the new year, yay for me. Sorry to say, Harrison is also starting the new year out with a bang. Maybe I should postpone my new year to start on February 1st.

I have been so sick, I cant even get out of bed. I am dying to get out of bed to put my crispy Christmas Tree out of its misery. Thanks to my laptop, I have at least been able to be in touch with the outside world....better drift off to sleep.......zzzzzz

Vintage Driving Gloves

2008-12-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

Check out my new post on BekahJan.com! I crocheted these adorable Vintage Driving Gloves from a pattern by WhileTheyPlay! They turned out so cute!

New Goal

2008-12-27T19:45:00.001-08:00

Harrison and I have a new goal for this year. We have decided that apartment renting is not for us any more. So our goal is by the time our lease is up we will have enough money for the down payment to rent a house. Since it is not our time to buy a house yet, we can at least rent one.

We have been having problem with a child running and pounding above us. The neighbors are very friendly above us and have apologized. Today was especially noisy. Harrison went up to talk to them and found out they are having the same problem above them. In fact it is so bad, the sprinkler cap fell off the ceiling and hit the grandma in the head. I feel so bad that they also have to deal with noises. It can be very frustrating. So I am finding out more and more that these so called "Luxury Apartments" are the kind where they put extremely nice appliances in, yet skimp on important things like "soundproofing" (which I might add they advertised they had). Since we have moved into this apartment, we have had more problems. We are still living in 50% humidity. I have decided that Seeno property living is NOT for us.

This new year is going to be a wonderful time to catch up on things, organize and save money. I am also very excited about crafting this year. I will have a better work space and get to finish all of my projects that have been put on hold. 2009 Here I Come!

2 1/2 years this Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve is by far my favorite time of year. Growing up it was because that is when we would open presents. It became even more special the day I got married, because Christmas Eve marks the half way mark of our anniversary. So not only do I get to Celebrate the Reason for the Season, I also get to celebrate my marriage. There couldn't be a better combination in my eyes. So here is to Christ's Birth and 2 1/2 years of Marriage! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And don't forget to Celebrate Christ's birth because that is the most important part of Christmas! :)

Early Christmas Present!

2008-12-22T00:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, so all week I have been enjoying my early Christmas Present. I cant believe that this gorgeous present is all mine! I made my usual monthly trip to my favorite store, Room With A Past. I walked in the door and came face to face with the most beautiful White Shabby Chic Hutch I have ever seen! It was in amazing condition and an excellent price! Harrison and I have been looking for a buffet table, but a hutch was even better. I called Harrison immediately and told him of its beauty and of course trusting my judgment Harrison said Yes! So I said, "Merry Christmas to me!" Harrison has always wanted to buy me a hutch so this was the perfect Christmas Present. Take a look below at this lovely find!

Before.....

Can you say super Cute?

and After! I still have some rearanging to do. But for now this is how the hutch looks until I find the perfect spot for everything it holds. As soon as I get everything in my apartment just the way I want it. I MUST share pictures with you of everything I have bought from Room With A Past. I find so many treasures at this store!

Tootsie's Flour Bath

2008-12-21T00:11:00.000-08:00

Friday was a very bad day for me. We had to deal with loud neighbors above us that made me lose sleep, I found out someone from my past died and our family was never told of it..and so on. It was definitely a "Jonah Day" as Anne would say. It felt like I was crying all day. Just when I was about to feel better and my puffy eyes started to disappear ....it happened....

Our little bird Lily bit our Cockatiel Tootsie's foot so bad she started bleeding like crazy. If you know about birds, you know that it doesn't take much loss of blood to die. Frantic, I grabbed the flour and poured it on the coffee table. After her flying around scared and bleeding, Harrison and I finally were able to grab our scared Tootsie and wrap her in a towel to attend to her wound. If you know Tootsie, you know this can be a difficult thing. She loves to cuddle, be close to you, and will even stand on your finger on command... But she is very scared of hands.

Flour or Corn Startch is what stops the bleeding. So I dunked her little feet in the flour to try and stop the bleeding. While Harrison called the emergancy vet, I sat with her to make sure she didnt start bleeding again. After a few minutes of her preening and standing on one foot she waddled over to me to cuddle.

Her foot stopped bleeding and just had pink sores on it. So for bedtime I rolled her close to our bedroom in case she got nightfright and hurt herself further. Today, you couldnt even tell she had hurt herself.

I am so thankful that the Lord was watching out for our birdie and kept her safe. She is really special to Harrison and I. I would be devistated if anything happened to our Tootsie Girl. I am just thankful that no matter what life throws at us. The Lord is always there to comfort us.

Cuddle Buddie

2008-12-18T19:14:00.001-08:00

Today, Tootsie did something very sweet. I was sitting on the couch enjoying the Christmas tree and a Rawhide while crocheting a doily with Tootsie sitting on my knee. I looked over and saw her cuddling with her foot! I was able to grab my camera which just happened to be right next to me, and shot a few pictures. Here are three pictures that I captured.

Christmas Spirit!

2008-12-18T14:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is here and I am lovin it! Today, I was able to enjoy the cold crisp air, clear blue and sunny sky. Granted it was to help bring home my brother from his wisdom teeth surgery. But none the less it was a beautiful day.

We have our tree, I am 98% finished decorating, have been knitting and crocheting like crazy for presents, and have been watching Christmas movies left and right. Buying and decorating the tree this year was a real treat. Harrison and I grabbed our hot chocolate, borrowed my dad's truck and headed off to find the perfect Christmas Tree. The next evening we had a wonderful time decorating the tree while watching our favorite Christmas film "White Christmas". Oh yes, and don't forget the Hot chocolate, with marshmallows, and whip cream. Our birds also came out and enjoyed the fun. Lemon had to help Harrison decorate. Coming soon....The Early Christmas Present

Thanksgiving out, Christmas in

2008-12-13T12:51:00.001-08:00

The Thanksgiving season was a nice time this year. For Ladies Bible Study, I was able to make crocheted pumpkins for everyone. I used this wonderful pattern by PlanetJune. I also brought pumpkin spice bread, and some fun pilgrim cookies. My grandma gave me a subscription to a food magazine where I found these fun cookies. They really were a blast to make!

Christmas time has come upon us now and I have already caught the Holiday Spirit....

Van Johnson - end of a Golden Era

2008-12-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

It makes me very sad to have to say that Van Johnson died today of natural causes at 92 years old. He is one of the last actors to die from the Golden Era of Hollywood. Not many of the good old fashioned actors are alive today. Van Johnson stared it many movies. My favorites being, Brigadoon, The Cain Mutiny, and In the Good Old Summertime. I also love the episode where he appears on I Love Lucy. To find out more about his death, click on the article below.

NEW YORK — Van Johnson, whose boy-next-door wholesomeness made him a popular Hollywood star in the '40s and '50s with such films as "30 Seconds over Tokyo," "A Guy Named Joe" and "The Caine Mutiny," died Friday of natural causes. He was 92.

Johnson died at Tappan Zee Manor, an assisted living center in Nyack, N.Y., said Wendy Bleisweiss, a close friend.

With his tall, athletic build, handsome, freckled face and sunny personality, the red-haired Johnson starred opposite Esther Williams, June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor and others during his two decades under contract to MGM.......

Glass Explosion!

2008-12-05T18:16:00.000-08:00

It was another normal night at the Farr household. The night before we had to evacuate our complex building with all the other tenants for the false fire alarm. This night we decided to have a glass explosion....

I was about to cook the most amazing dish that I found online. Harrison was in the computer room with the birds. I was in the bedroom on the laptop figuring out my game plan for dinner. My corningware glass baking lid was on the kitchen counter.

To my horror, I heard sliding baking sheets in the kitchen followed by an explosion of glass. While jumping from the bed with a scream, Harrison darted out of the bird room with a "What Happened?!" We both arrived at the same time to see the carnage of my glass lid. It literally exploded. The biggest piece of glass left was the little handle. Glass had flown across the dining room and some even wedged into appliances. Shards everywhere! Thank goodness no one was even near this explosion. The kitchen tile and dining room carpet were covered in glass!

I guess this just goes to show, it is never boring around my apartment!

After we cleaned everything up, I was finally able to start the amazing recipe I found. :) We had Mozzarella filled turkey meat balls with a tomato & basil pesto sauce. It turned out great and it was super easy to make. Not a fan of raw meat though.

Fire Alarm equals evacuate!

2008-12-03T00:30:00.000-08:00

My days and evenings as of late haven't been to normal. Tonight was no exception. The day started well enough. I was feeling better after being sick in bed for 5 days. I cooked an after-thanksgiving-year-old-turkey (long story). I made the bed and did some other housework. When Harrison came home we had a nice dinner and a relaxing evening. Then it was time to settle into bed and watch an episode on the laptop.....so I thought.

The time was about 11:00pm. The whole apartment building Fire Alarm went off. This might not seem like to big a deal. But when you consider the alarm goes off inside your apartment AND outside, it definitely makes you jump!

So after making sure it was a false alarm, we uncovered the birds so they wouldn't be as afraid. Then we went outside to call for help along with everyone else who shuffled out of their apartments. 10 min later 2 fire trucks roll in. 5 min. later the apartment management showed up.

So we all spent the next 30 min. outside in the 45 degree weather waiting for them to figure out which alarm pull went off. Finally about 45 min after the alarm started they turned it off.

One thing about this new complex, they definitely keep you on your toes.

4 am Madness!

2008-11-28T18:44:00.000-08:00

Black friday. Woman in need of sheets. Cant resist over 60% off. Jcpenney card in hand. She leaves her sleeping husband in bed and heads off to JcPenney at 3:30 am with coupons in hand. Finds great deals. Comes home happy. The end. :)

Harrison thinks I'm nuts! But he loved what I came home with. So success! :) I saved over 60% off. I finally got that down comforter I have always wanted. Normally this 5 star down comforter is 300$. Me? I got it for 100$ :) And I got discounted sheets and comforter set! Can't beat that! Everything I bought was at the least 60% off.

Now all I need is a duvet cover.....hmm... drat. oh ya, and some sleep. zzzzzzzzz

Draining Pipe Over My Bath Tub?

2008-11-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

Slowly, I am starting to get a little weary of our new apartment. Granted it is a beautiful area, all new appliances, the place looks amazing.... but there are 2 little problem areas that are just getting me a little down.

I noticed when we first moved in that there was an open pipe above our bath tub. A little weird in my opinion, but nothing was happening. So I ignored it. Until one day.... I was in the kitchen. I heard this weird sound. I ran to the bathroom and looked in the tub. The open pipe above our tub was streaming out water! Once it finally stopped it dripped the rest of the day. There is something terribly wrong with this picture. Something must not be right. Whenever the air conditioning went on it poured and dripped overflow.

We asked about it and we were told it was the overflow pipe from the air conditioning and that is how it was suppose to be. WHAT?!!!

Ok, a little confused here. I am expected to take a bath in that tub and never know when that pipe is going to poor or drip water on my head? I am also suppose to take showers with the air conditioner overflow pipe above my head? Ok, this seems a little bit absurd.

Maybe this is part of the reason why we have an average of 50% humidity in the apartment!!!!
Oh, yes, lets not forget that our heater is a humidifier! :P

It looks like we are going to have quite a battle next week dealing with all this. Just what I want to do Thanksgiving Week. But even with everything that has been hapening, I definitely have many things to be thankful for. :)

I have Returned...

2008-11-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

Internet has arrived! I can finally start working on my business. I have this really cool craft room! I am so excited to start putting my workstation together. I still have so much to accomplish with this new apartment. I am slowly starting to feel like this is my home. As soon as we get the humidity problem taken care of and I finish setting up, things can get back to normal.

Is it normal for an apartment to be 50% humid? We got a humidity detector because I thought maybe I was going crazy. Not the case, at this moment outside it is 25% humid and in the apartment it is 50% humid. Hopefully the apartment can get this taken care of. I do not do well with humidity. :(

I still have so much to do, as usual, but am starting to accomplish so much! Let the creativity begin!

5 min.....

2008-10-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

5 min....is all I have for this blog. Let me explain my life at the moment, new home almost full, old home almost empty, new home not yet home, no internet or phone till Nov 13, cell phone reception very bad, air conditioning on the fritz, Soaking tub amazing, energy zero, construction every where, new washer has cold and hot mixed, something needs to be fixed every day but doesn't, beautiful things about me....so many wonderful and annoying things happening all at once! Did I mention no internet till Nov 13th!? Oops! 5 minutes up, still have internet at old 90% empty apartment till 31st, better go pick up the hubby and get back to new home..... My home life is in limbo, when will the insanity end. :) Hopefully soon!

The Egg

2008-10-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

It was the birds bed time. Harrison went in to cover the birds. Harrison exclaimed "Oh, No!", and I knew. It was only a matter of time. Tootsie has been acting weird for the past 2 days. To Harrison's dismay and my dread, we saw it. The Egg! Our little birdie is the mama of an unfertilized egg. We were afraid she would lay one. She sits on her egg day and night only getting up to eat. Do not get near her egg or she hisses. So we had to move Lemon away from Tootsie, because Lemon is seen as a threat. There is a lot to deal with when a bird lays an egg. Not the greatest timing with our move.

Our move.... Well, the apartments are done! We went yesterday last minute and looked at a model of the kind we are getting. Ok, so I wont go into detail now because that is a whole other story. But I can say....."WOW!!!!! Its gorgeous!". It is beyond our expectations! :) The rest of the story coming as soon as we start moving....

A Treasured Experience....

2008-10-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

It is not everyday where something happens and I have to blog about it....immediately. Today is one of those days. One thing I am going to miss about this apartment when we move is the window by my bed. At night when it is cold, it is left open to allow the fresh air to breeze through. We are on a second level next to a tree that blossoms soft white flowers in the spring time. It really is a beautiful thing to behold....waking up to blossoms. Sadly, it is not spring and I will never see those flowers bloom outside my window again..... But God's Creation has a way of surprising you. That is what happened to me today.....A small treasured blessing....

I woke up to hear a bird squawking near my window in the tree. It was not a pleasant thing to hear, so I got up to investigate. I leaned against the window ledge and looked out. I couldn't find the bird. But to my dismay, I saw a hummingbird sitting in the tree. Now, I have never seen a hummingbird sitting completely still, so I wasn't sure it was one. But it did have a very long beak. So being a bird owner, I did the obvious. I clicked my tongue to get attention. Birds like that right? hehe....I don't know but that is the first think I thought of.

The little hummingbird looked around for the noise and saw me through the open window. He started at me for a couple seconds and then took off flying...toward me! Sure enough it definitely was a hummingbird. :) The little guy flew over to me and hovered no more then 12 inches near my face. He hovered there watching me for at the least 10 seconds. I could see his beautiful red belly. His feathers were shiny and smooth. After his curiosity was gone he fluttered away, leaving me completely amazed and in awe of God's Creation.

That was an experience I will never forget. I have never thought of a hummingbird with personality until today's connection. He was so close to my face and was just as curious about me as I was about him. I am thankful that the Lord gave me that one little blessing and I will treasure it.

My Little Picnic Ant

2008-10-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

I posted pics on my other website, but wanted to show them on here too! :) Here is one of my newest designs....

My Little Picnic Ant. :)

30 day notice to the Rescue!

2008-10-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

We finally were able to give our 30 Day Notice, after months of not knowing when or where we were moving! I am ready to celebrate! I have been packing slowly for months. There is nothing like a 30 day notice to give a jump start. I have been scrambling like crazy packing everything up! And yes, I mean Everything! I have 95% of all my crafts, fabric, books, magazines, stamps, etc...Packed! Of course that 5% of my crafts are by my bed so I don't have any crochet withdrawal.

I have come to the realization that I have WAY too much stuff! Of course, deep down inside I already knew it. Tonight my husband took out 3 boxes (overflowing with stuff) to the car for a garage sale in about 2 weeks. I am so ready for that second bedroom, 2 walk in closets, and a second bathroom and a pantry!

What does this second bedroom mean to me? It means no more computer and crafts in the bedroom, it means no more birds taking away our dining room, it means no more tv, sewing machine, and excess super cute furniture taking up our living room. It means I will finally have a totally functional apartment. October 31st is not coming fast enough for me!

I am Counting down the Days.......

Photo Shop Fun!

2008-09-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

I found this cool new site called Zazzle.com where you can create your own designs and put them on all sorts of merchandise to sell. So, because my husband and I are both addicted to Photo Shop, we have been having a blast making our own.

Well, I woke up this morning to find....I have already sold 3 Sarah Palin/Rosie the Riveter Shirts!(UPDATE* I have sold 13 items already from t-shirts to bumper stickers) So excited about that! At the moment most of my stuff is political, but soon I want to add other interests. So if you are a republican, patriotic, or love photography, check out my store!

buy unique gifts at Zazzle

Edward and His Magic Straw

2008-09-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a video my mom took of Edward their princess of whales parakeet stealing her straw. Also, check out my youtube page at www.youtube.com/bekahjan

Grand Prize Excitement!

2008-08-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys! Guess What I Won!

Wanna See More?!

Ta Da!!

Pretty Cool, Huh?!

Ok, so heres the story! My Favorite Store, Room With A Past was having a Raffle/Drawing! You got tickets for coming, bringing friends, and your purchases. Ok, I never expected to win. But I did, however, looong to win! :) Winning would be great! I mean, after all, it is my favorite store in the whole world! You could probably say I am their biggest fan. Although, it being a great store, I am sure others think they are the biggest fan. :) But I just may have them beat. Every time, I get a compliment of furniture or cute items in my home, I always say...."I got that from Room with a Past" I mean, my home is filled with treasures from them. :)

Well, yesterday morning, I got THE Call!
I won! So Excited!

Of course, I called my husband first! Because he loves the store just as much as me! Then I called my mother! And of course she was ecstatic too. :) My mother in law also called me to say congratulations. Thanks to her for coming on Sunday, I got 2 extra tickets! Can you tell, I am super excited!? Ok, enough writing....off to the pictures! The adorable shabby chic, vintage bird cage was filled with goodies....oh ya, did I mention the 100$ Gift Certificate!!!? :)

Chapstick Cozy Purse Accessory

2008-08-22T15:32:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to share with you my newest store item - a Chapstick Cozy! I found many different kinds of pictures for chapstick cozies and decided to blend everything I saw with a few twists of my own. I think it turned out perfect! I have already made one for me and one that is listed in my store. I am also going to be making a couple as gifts for friends. I am also planning on making more for my store depending on how well they sell. So dont forget to check out my store listing at: Chapstick Cozy

Fireproof!

2008-08-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Website Launch

2008-08-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

For the past week, I have been working on my craft website, BekahJan's Whimsical Ventures. It is finally up and running. I still have a few more things left to do, including blog posts. I am stopping my recipe site, because as much as I love cooking and recipes, I have decided it is time to move onto my real passion....crafting. My vision for my website is to have helpful information, tutorials, links, books, photos, and more from different types of crafts/projects I am working on.

I am also excited to display some of my crochet pattern designs. I have already sold 2 patterns and cant wait to complete my current designs. I have also been absorbed in Quilting and Knitting. There is just so much to learn and so little time. Only 2 more months and I will have that crafting room! Cant wait!

Don't forget to stop by and sign my guest book!

Apartments here we come!

2008-08-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Harrison and I are so excited about our upcoming move. Granted it is only one mile away from where we are now. But it is also one mile closer to our families and work and seconds from the freeway. We will be nestled into the hill side in a two bedroom apartment. We cant contain our excitement! I wanted to share with you the layout. It is aprox. 1092 sq ft. or bigger if you include the patio. I have been taking pictures of their building progress and will post that soon. They just finished the exterior painting and are starting on the landscape and the inside. It looks like we will be moving now at the beginning of October instead of September 15! But that is ok, it will give us more time to prepare financially and more time to pack!

BekahJan's Amigurumi Crochet Patterns!

2008-07-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

A few blog posts ago, I explained about my upcoming crochet patterns and Etsy Store! I have two crochet patterns created and one in progress. Today I officially finished my instructions for my first pattern! What took so long, was finding the time to get pictures taken I needed for the PDF pattern. The pattern was already written on paper over 3 weeks ago! So I will officially have items in my Etsy store this Wednesday! I am so excited to finally share a couple pictures of my first creation with you!

Introducing my Amigurumi Clownfish!

As of late, I have had literally over 10 projects on my to do list! In fact, I have even started at least 5 of them! I tend to overload myself! However, I will be able to work on my store full time when we move into our new apartment with the glorious second bedroom!

Remember to check out my store this Wednesday:
http://www.bekahjan.etsy.com
If all goes well, I will have my crochet clownfish pattern for sale and a couple of other items!

New Endeavors!

2008-07-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

I decided it was about time I update everyone on our recent turn of events. Harrison found this great program online through Embry-Riddle to get his bachelors degree in Aviation Business Administration. He needs his bachelors degree to become an air traffic controller, what better a way then online? Not only does this bring him closer to his dream, but it also gives him another great profession to fall back on. It also means that we will not be moving.

If its one thing we have learned, it is to wait on the Lord. We made our own timing on our plans but the Lord had other ideas. I have learned the only way to find true contentment is to follow God's plan for your life. We had our own direction, but he halted us and showed us His direction. We are very thankful for his direction in our life. We now are heading full throttle ahead. I am ready for this adventure. Let me explain at least 3 of these adventures in store for us...

1. In September we are moving to new apartments! So thrilled! This apartment is being built as I write. We have already signed the lease! We are moving into a new 2 bedroom apartment with better sound proof walls! So excited! I am so excited to move and to start decorating and setting up our new place. But I am even more excited about having my own craft room! So fun! However, I do have to share it with the birds and Harrison! The computer and tv will also be in there. But I don't mind at all!

2. Harrison received his acceptance letter to Embry-Riddle. So he will start beginning classes as soon as move! He is so excited about this!

3. I am starting my own online store! In fact, I am in the process of working on it. I still have a few more things to do, but I should have it up and running very very soon! My goal was tomorrow, but with all the house and pet sitting we have been doing this week, it has been postponed.

I better run! Harrison and I have a date that I have to prepare for. We are house sitting this week and the house has a pool! So I will be packing a picnic, Harrison will be getting off of work 2 hours early, and we will get the pool all to ourselves! I haven't been swimming in ages! We went shopping for some fun snacks yesterday! So I better pack that ice chest!

Sewing Station to die for!

2008-07-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

A while back, I bought the cutest sewing table from the store: A Room With A Past! I had the perfect sewing stool for it, but it needed a face lift very badly. So I grabbed some of my Heather Bailey fabric and upholstered it. I am loving it!

So I just HAD to share some pictures with you! :)

My Newest Plant!

2008-07-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

So I am loving my new Hydrangea Plant! It was a very sweet anniversary gift from my mother-in-law, Andrea (and father-in-law too of course). How did she know I have always wanted a Hydrangea? I don't know. I am assuming it is because of her mother-in-law super powers. She is just cool that way! :)

So, I thought I would share a picture of my beautiful new plant! Oh, ya! I also got a really cool balloon with the plant! I think balloons are so fun! I remember in high school, Melissa and I would always get each other balloons for our birthdays.

Rosie the Riveter and our Brave Women...

2008-07-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

"Pearl Harbor Attacked! U.S. Enters World War II! 80,000 Women Find Work In Defense Plants!"

Recently, Harrison took me to see the Rosie the Riveter memorial in Richmond. I am a big Rosie the Riveter fan! Rosie the Riveter was a media propaganda creation devised to represent and encourage those women who filled in during World War II for our men fighting over seas. Women were a giant part in winning the war. They braved the discrimination by men and went against the odds to take over the men's job while at war. They faced many obstacles and overcame them. Across the nation women worked in defense industries and support services including Shipyards, foundries, steel mills, warehouses, lumber mills, offices, hospitals and daycare centers.

The memorial is located in Richmond where a shipyard bustled during the war. We were not only able to see the Rosie Memorial, but we were able to see remnants of Richmond's ship yard where many women worked. We also were able to see the cargo ship SS Red oak victory ship. Loaded with cargo, this ship departed San Fransisco for Pearl Harbor on January 10, 1945. During the war, she served as an ammunition ship for various ships in the South Pacific. She is now laid to rest in the old Richmond Shipyards. They do tours, but unfortunately, we got there 1/2 after they closed. We are hoping to make another trip for the tour.

I wanted to share with you some quotes from real life Rosie the Riveter women on working during the war.

"When I got my first paycheck it was $16.50 a week. I was so happy. I stuck it on my wall in the bedroom, then in the kitchen. I didn't want to cash it. I thought I was so rich."

"It was hard to convince your lead man that you could do the work. When he assigned jobs, I used to follow him around and say, "I could do that, I could do that." He got sick of me and said, "Okay do it!" And of course, I could. I could do it."

"It was in all the newspapers-they needed women workers in factories. We all got raises because my boss was afraid we'd quit and get defense jobs."

"Let me tell you this. I was 23. I never had a job. My husband was an electrician. I told him, "I'm going to work, too." He said,"No you're not." That same afternoon I went to the hiring hall."

"You must tell your children, putting modesty aside, that without us, without women, there would have been no spring in 1945."

A blog that I will be working on for the future will be in honor of our WASPS of World War II: Women Airforce Service Pilots. Stay Tuned!

Logo Preview & Etsy

2008-06-30T19:35:00.001-07:00

I am so excited! As most of you know, I have been crocheting like crazy! As of late, I have been interested in creating and selling my own crochet patterns. Not quite sure if I could do it, I started crocheting a toy that I envisioned in my mind. I am almost done with it. I am dying to give you a glimpse of my creation, but that will have to wait until I finish it to perfection. Since I couldn't quite share yet what I have been working on, I decided I couldn't help but show you my new pattern logo. It also goes with my Etsy logo which you can view at my under construction Etsy Store.

I have a few more blogs under my sleeve that will take a little time to put together, but until then, enjoy the glimpse of my logo! :)

2 year Wedding Anniversary = Fun

2008-06-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

For our 2 year Wedding Anniversary we decided to do whatever we wanted! First order of business was request Tuesday, June 24, 2008 off of work! Tuesday finally came and we headed off for fun! Harrison took me to my favorite quilt store where I bought some fun new fabric! We went to the fair for rides, a Mark Schultz concert, and a LOT of shopping on the side. :) Then headed home for movies and Strawberry Shortcake.

The concert was a blast, and the shopping was so much fun! Harrison found 2 Pepsi tin signs (which of course is hard to find), and I found an I Love Lucy sign. We also found some great vintage memorabilia. Last but not least, what is a day at the fair without stopping by the Republican booth to buy a pin! Ok, I could not bring myself to buy a McCain pin, so Instead I bought just a plain old republican pin. We ended the fair with some rides. I even got Harrison to ride a couple! All in All it was a fun and relaxing day! We both had a blast! A whole Tuesday to spend with my husband! What could be better then that?!

My 2 Year Anniversary Present! Yay!

2008-06-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! On June 24, Harrison and I will have been married for 2 years! If you include dating and marriage that makes it 7 1/2 years together! Wow!

So Harrison ordered my Anniversary present! So cool! I get Mary Engelbreit's magazines and in the last issue there was an article on this artist by the name of Jennifer Maestre.

She makes sculptures out of Colored Pencils! Crazy huh! Well, she also does jewelry. The jewelry is pretty unique! I found her Etsy Shop and was able to see all the jewelry she is selling. I found some I liked and put them in my favorites. Well, my sneaky husband looked it up online at work and bought me 2 necklaces for our Wedding Anniversary! So cool! I am dying to get them! I thought I would share a picture of the necklaces with you. Oh, how I love that Man!

Necklace #1

Necklace #2 Front

Necklace #2 Back

Little Turtle & Brother-in-law Graduation

2008-06-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

He was so much fun to make! He turned out so cute! I love this little guy! My next project is a teddy bear. I just have the two legs left to finish him. Then I will be experimenting with different sized needles to make a bigger teddy bear! I love this hobby! Hopefully someday, I will be able to create patterns myself!

Here we are at Andrew's Graduation! He barely made it to the ceremony because of complications from his appendix surgery. He was released from the hospital the morning of graduation! The Lord was watching out for him!

Gretel - my little Austrian Girl

2008-06-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

I crochet this cute doll from an Ana Paula Rimoli pattern! I absolutely adore her! She reminded me of the little Austrian girl in the Sound of Music, so I named her Gretel. :)

Enough for Strawberry Shortcake?

2008-06-02T00:55:00.000-07:00

I don't think I have enough strawberries to make Strawberry Shortcake. Although, however small the fruit outtake, I am still enjoying my strawberry plant. I thought it would be fun to share pictures of its metamorphosis - from a beautiful flower to a luscious berry. This is the first Strawberry on our plant, and I enjoyed every bite of it!

Another Crochet Toy Finished!

2008-05-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

Meet my newest Amigurumi Crochet Toy!

My Elephant!
Isn't he just adorable? Does anyone have a good suggestion for an elephant name? I want him to be my mascot for my blog: Matters-Of-My-Heart.
Pattern by: Ana Paula Rimoli.

Cute Mushroom!

2008-05-24T23:58:00.000-07:00

My Newest Crochet Toy! A little Mushroom!

Pattern by: Ana Paula Rimoli

Puzzle Thief!

2008-05-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

Harrison and I found out that our bird Tootsie is a puzzle thief! She has to steal every puzzle piece she can get her beak and tootsie on and shred it! We unknowingly did something very stupid! We started a puzzle near her play area. We had no clue she had a puzzle problem. I have pictures to prove it!

She would sneak over and grab a puzzle piece with her beak and then run away. To the left is Tootsie getting ready to pounce! If she got away without me catching her, she would hold it with her tootsie and shred it to bits!

Here is the one moment I let her hold it, so I could get a picture. I had to take it fast though, because she is a fast worker. A couple of times she got away with it and shredded the piece. So now some of the pieces have Tootsie's markings on them. Even with Tootsie around, the puzzle is still making good progress ....

Fun with Crochet

2008-05-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

I have found a new craft that I just love! So much Fun! I have been crocheting like crazy! I tried lace crochet and failed miserably. So I decided to try my hand at crochet toys! I found this great book titled: Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet by Ana Paula Rimoli. You can also visit her blog at: Amigurumi Patterns. I have a few other toys up my sleeve by another author that I will share later!

I have crocheted a lot of toys and am still working on a few. I thought it would be fun to share some of the ones I have done in pictures. The owl, I made for Andrea (my mother-in-law), the Apple and Worm for Harrison, the coffee Cup for a girl at my church, and the Cupcake for me! :)

Needed Prayer

2008-05-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

This past two days has been very hard on me. I just finished saying goodbye to my Grandfather on the phone. He is having strokes and doesn't think he is going to make it. So he wanted to say goodbye to me and tell me he loves me. My mom and I are having a hard time. Please pray for us and our family. But most important pray for my Grandfather. Pray that the Lord will keep him with us a little while longer so I can see him again. But if that doesn't happen. The Lord gave me a short phone call with him, and a goodbye kiss the last time I saw him.

Happy Ending to a HOT Day!

2008-05-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

In order to keep your sanity, some days you just need to laugh. However, I found it hard to laugh yesterday afternoon. Yesterday, after I finished with my blog, I went into the living room to wait for the air conditioner to be fixed. He got it all hooked up and had a few more things to do. I knew he must be so tired! Bless his heart! Working so hard in this heat. I found it hard just to sit in this 95 degree heat, much less have to fix someones air conditioning. So I gave him an ice cold can of coke, much to his delight. He then went on his merry way, most likely happy to be done with the air conditioning unit.

So here I was, a new air conditioner. I had it on for 5-10 min and the power went out! Ok, here is when I should have laughed. I thought I was going to go insane! I was sweating because my apartment was a sauna, I couldn't do my laundry, the birds were getting to hot, there was no good water in the house, so I did what any wife should do..... :)

I called my husband to tell my troubles. So he got off of work early, picked me and the birds up and whisked us off to my parents house for the air conditioning, where I was able to do my laundry for a spa party I was going to. My mom made us a milkshake and gave me a glass of water. And my dad pulled out the fan and I just laid in my mom's recliner sipping my shake. Aww, the good life!

I was able to spend the night at her house from the relief of 3 days of constant heat. Wheres the happy ending you might say? I am home in a cool apartment and it is 102 degrees outside! And my mom is bird sitting! So I get an afternoon of cool relaxation alone!

I still feel down because of my Grandfather's mini strokes and having to say goodbye to him over the phone, but I will at least be able to relax my weary body; while I pray for him constantly.I love you Grandfather!

The heat and bad news!

2008-05-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

Wow, second negative blog in a row. Hopefully my next blog will be more positive. This one is a bit on the sad side. For the past 2 days we have been without air conditioning. Which wouldn't be such a bad thing except it has been 90 degree weather for the past 2 days. And of course today is a whopping 100 degrees. We finally were able to get a guy out here, and of course he said we needed a new one. So because of lots of prayer, he is installing a new one at this very moment! I am so thankful for that because I am roasting. But more important, I worry about my birds in this heat. I just pray that this new air conditioning is amazing!

But the saddest news of all is that my Grandfather had another stroke and he is paralyzed on one side. He is at the moment in the hospital. It has been a hard day for me, but with God's help, I know I can make it through. And I know He is watching out for my Grandfather.

I am comforted by some verses that I got from Ladies Bible Study from my Handy Little Chart. I picked out the ones that I am dealing with right now.....

I say: "It's Impossible" God Says: All things are possible ( Luke 18:27)
I say: "I'm too tired" God Says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)
I say: "I cant go on" God Says: My grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9 & Psalms 91:15)
I say: "I feel all alone" God Says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)
I say: "I can't do it" God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

Just Me and the Neighbors!

2008-05-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

Today has been a trying day for me. A day, when I realize, I want to get out of this apartment as fast as I can. Overall when everything is working and the neighbors are quiet: it is a nice place to live. But on a day like this, when the air conditioning isn't working in 90 degree weather and the neighbors are playing loud booming video games (with their speakers attached to their wall near the ceiling), there is no peace or solitude.

I find myself putting the birds in their cages and retreating to the bedroom where it is slightly more quiet and cool. I sit on my bed with a huge fan (as Harrison calls it, the typhoon maker) blowing on me and masking the noise of the neighbors while giving me some relief from the heat and my daily chores. It seems I have bad luck with neighbors. I always get stuck surrounded by constantly loud people (day and night) who have no regard for anyone but themselves.

So at this very moment of wanting to rip my hair out, I decided to rant and rave on this blog (lucky you!) and then retreat to my Bible where I can get peace of spirit. So when I am in better spirits, I will blog my promised blog entry. Until then......pray for my sanity! :) lol

Tootsie and Lemon - Beak to Beak

2008-04-30T23:55:00.000-07:00

This evening our two birds Tootsie and Lemon met for the first time! As far as I know, Tootsie has never met a cockatiel before in her life! Lemon, on the other hand, had a cage mate when she was with her previous owner. Each bird has such different personalities. It will definitely be interesting. I thought I would share pictures of our birds first meeting! Harrison video taped their meeting, so I hope to put it on youtube soon! But first I need to make it over to my mom's house to use her computer.

Talk about seeing Double!

Blog Posts: Puzzle Thief! and Rescued! coming soon!

Officially Back from the Dead

2008-04-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

Finally! I am over my sickness! After over a week and half of being sick, I am finally feeling well enough to start getting things done. I have only been able to do a little every day. Everything has gone on hold for so long! I am now ready to start accomplishing things! It's back to work, work, work.

So many things to do! Ok, so I wont look like this Lady while I work, but I can dream, cant I? :) I need to get back to my quilting, cooking, packing, cleaning, organizing, painting, laundry, bird training......and the list goes on! There were only a few things going on in my life while I was sick. So I thought I would list them:

1. I had a very wonderful companion who would sit on my head while I was bed ridden. She is being quarantined from the other birds until we know she is healthy. And I was being quarantined from life until I lost my sickness. We had that little thing in common. Lemon would watch movies with me. Such a sweet caring bird! :) We would share in our loneliness together waiting for Harrison to come home from work. ;)

2. I found a great new show that I am addicted to! And that show is called: Adam 12. A half hour police television show created by Jack Webb from 1968 to 1975. Thanks to netflix instant play, I was able to watch them while I was sick in bed.

3. The next thing I was able to do after I was able to get out of bed was a puzzle. Harrison and I started this crazy Photomosaic puzzle of Joe Cool that we got from Target. Warning: this is not a puzzle you want to do when you are sick and get headaches easily! :) We are nuts for working on it..lol. We are STILL working on it! Be looking for my next blog post titled: Puzzle Thief!

Mother and Daughter Road Trip - Slideshow

2008-04-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

While Harrison and I were dating, I made a ton of stuff for him! The main source of my creativity came from Susan Branch's stickers! I became a big fan of hers! I still have a good stash of her hard to find stickers! So when I found out there was going to be a Tea Party at her store for her Birthday, I decided I was going to make the trip! And what better a way to do it then with my Mother! Just us girls! So off we went! :)

We were both very excited to get away for the weekend and have fun! We headed out early Friday afternoon and drove 4 hours to San Luis Obispo to stay in a fancy hotel. We stayed at Apple Farms Inn. The grounds included a hotel, a restaurant and bakery, 2 gift shops and a mill house. The grounds were very nice. Lots of flowers!

We checked out our elegant room and then headed off to their gift shop where we found some great goodies! Then we had a leisurely dinner at Apple Farms Restaurant.Then headed off to the hotel room to hook up the portable dvd player and netflix instant play. Snug in our pajama's we hopped in bed and watched a new show for me, and blast from the past for my mom - Adam 12! Ok, so I am now hooked on the show!

Finally, the next day came! I was going to meet Susan Branch! I have been dying to go to her store, Heart of the Home, for a while. I finally was getting my wish! We packed up our bags and checked out of the Hotel. Then walked to the Inn's Mill House gift shop and found some more goodies! Then it was off to meet Susan Branch!

Her store was so fun! I found so many great things to buy! I was in heaven! I shopped for a while, before Susan Branch made her entrance. In the back of the store they had drinks, cupcakes, cookies, and sandwiches! I was able to buy some fun things, meet Susan Branch, get her Autograph, and take some great pictures! My mom and I had a blast! Check out my slide show below!

Sick as a Dog!

2008-04-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

I will post about my trip to meet Susan Branch soon. But until then, I will be recuperating from sickness. Yesterday I had a terrible bout with allergies then at night a soar throat came on. And now today I am sick as a dog! Yuck!

Fun at the Beauty Parlor

2008-04-10T16:13:00.000-07:00

Today has been quite a productive one for me! This morning I went to the salon and got a deep hair condition. They put all sorts of deep cleansing conditioner in my hair and stuck me under the dryer! I then got my hair its long needed cut. Then it was off to do my errands! Harrison is sick and needed some things from the store. Poor Boy! So I bought him fudge bars and orange soda. Lucky!

Then friday and saturday it is a mother daughter road trip to Apple Farms and then to meet Susan Branch at her store! It is to celebrate her birthday and preview her new fabric line and maybe even get an autograph! If you have never heard of Susan Branch, she makes great stickers! I used them all the time for projects when I was dating! So Cute!

Introducing Lemon - As Sweet as Sugar

2008-04-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share pictures of our new birdie addition: Lemon! She is the sweetest bird you will ever meet! She just adores humans. She will cuddle and get scritches (scratches) every chance she gets.

Our Sweet Lemon

She came over to Harrison for some scritches, so I had to take some pictures. Here is Lemon enjoying the good life! She just loves to nuzzle into your hand and get scritches!

Fun at the Bird Store - To Buy or Not to Buy!

2008-04-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

My gruesome bite is finally starting to heal up nicely. I decided to make another trip to Feathered Follies to see sweet lemon. I arrived at the bird store with cage in the backseat of my car, just in case I bought her. I swiftly made my way to the cage where Lemon was, being very careful not come in contact with the beast below. I was able to talk to the manager who said that I didn't have to buy Lemon with her cage mate! Very thrilled at that information! She then said I could take her in the back room and play with her! So I agreed very thrilled at the idea.

In the back room, Lemon stepped up onto my hand and started to instantly cuddle. I knew then and there I couldn't leave her behind in that store! She wanted everything to do with my hand. She wanted to be rubbed and loved. I called Harrison and we decided to take this little angel home.

At the moment she is on my shoulder burrowing herself in my hair. She is one lovable yet quirky bird. Of course I thought this would be a piece of cake, but Lemon does have a problem. She wants to be with you sooo bad! She doesn't like to be in her cage. She wants attention 24/7. If she doesn't get that attention...squawk, squawk, squawk! She is quarantined from the other birdies for a while to make sure she is healthy. So they chirp back and forth. Once she can be with the other birdies I know she will calm down.

So the answer to the question? To Buy or Not to Buy? Is.....To...BUY!

Pictures coming soon!

Lily visits the vet in Style!

2008-04-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

Lily our pacific parrotlet needed a custom cover for her travel cage so she could go to the Avian vet. I got tired of wrapping a towel around her travel cage. So I began on my fabric search and picked out this wonderful flannel fabric and started planning my design!

(which was a hit at the vets office!) The Office Lady brought in at least 2 women to come and see the cover. Lily shined at the vets office because she was traveling in style. So I decided to show you pictures of Lily's experience and my sewing project!

First the Fabulous Material

Then it is Sew, Sew, Sew until the cover is completed! I attached ribbon to secure the cover on the cage and then added a button so Lily could look out if she wanted to! It turned out to be a Success!

Lily in the car and ready to go!
Do I have to go to the Vet?!

Lily waiting for the doc!

Meanwhile, she turns her head upside down to beg for scritches (scratches) after her millet snack.

End Result: A beautiful cage cover, Trimmed Wings, and Tips on how to tame the sweet yet wild beast. :)

The End? NOPE!

Doc says Lily is a boy! Oh No!
I think a second opinion is in order!

Fun at the Birdshop - The Big Bite! - Installment One

2008-04-02T00:17:00.000-07:00

It is always fun to visit the bird shop! I love to look at all of the beautiful birds. However this trip to the shop was to show my mom the sweetest bird, that I want to join the family. While visiting this lovely bird, I ran into a little dilemma. The cage was on top of another bird's cage. However, I did not notice until I felt a tugging on my hoodie draw string. Well, needless to say, the biggest bird I have ever come into close contact with was pulling on my jacket string. How cute I thought! How sweet he is playing with the string in his beak and holding it in his mondo bird feet. How cute.

"Ok, little guy let go!" I said. After repeating those words several times, he finally let go. Why did he let go must you ask? Well, because he had both his feet sticking out of the cage holding onto my fingers. How sweet! Or so I thought! Everyone in the store thought it was the cutest thing. My, how he has taken to me! Well, after holding my 2 fingers for a few moments, he decided to also stick his big beak through the bars and take a little chomp! Ok, A big Chomp out of my finger!

Lets just say that the pictures were too gruesome to show on my blog. I took the bite like a man! Looked at the bite and thought....few that wasn't too bad. Until I turned over my finger and looked at my cuticle. That bird split my finger from my cuticle 1/4 of an inch. I was bleeding like crazy, so with tissue in hand, I calmly went to the front counter and got 2 bandages. On the outside I was a trooper but on the inside I was freaking out! My finger stung like nothing else and would not stop bleeding. Ok, so now I have a phobia of huge birds with big beaks.

I wasn't going to let a little bite cut short my visit with Lemon, the bird I came to see. So I went back to visit Lemon who was on top of big birds cage! Every time I got close to this big bird's cage, he would stick his huge claws out of the cage to try and grap me. So I decided to say goodbye to Lemon, and headed off. Planning to come the next day to get more info on Lemon who will hopefully be Tootsie's new sister and companion. Till the next installment....Fun at the Birdshop - To Buy Or Not To Buy!

Steppin Out With My Baby - Date # 2

2008-03-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

Harrison took me out on the town this evening. First we headed off to the Apple Store in down town Walnut Creek to buy new ear buds for my i-pod. As we walked to the store we passed by a Le Creuset store and saw some great items in their Caribbean color! So we had to pop in! And we came out with some great buys for our kitchen!

After Le Creuset and the Apple store we went to Suisun City to our favorite Greek restaurant called the Athenian Grill. The food and scenery was amazing! After a relaxing dinner we headed off to Borders for some great book finds! I ended up getting 2 great books! Harrison got some great books too, which I am sure he will mention on his blog.

My First Great find is titled: Amy Butler's In Stitches: More then 25 simple and stylish sewing projects. This book has some great, fun and easy sewing projects! I highly recommend this book!

My second great find was in the bargain book section titled: Better Homes and Gardens, New Cook Book, 11th edition. I can tell this is going to be a great book! It has so many must know recipes, tips, and information.

Date Night at Barnes & Noble

2008-03-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

I always love a date night to Barnes & Noble! Harrison heads off to the bargain books and I head off to the quilting magazine, craft books, and Christian Fiction! Then it's off to the cafeteria to sit together, soda in hand, and sort through our prospective buys.

Harrison always find great books! I on the other hand have to search very hard to find books that I want. But as always, at the end of the date we have some great buys! Tonight's date we walked away with a few goodies.

My Finds:

1. I bought that very needed book light! No more Book Owl LED lights for me! I found the perfect book light! Granted it is quite big, but it is the best I have seen. It is called the FlipLite. I absolutely love it!

2. I then got a Christian Fiction book titled: Oregon Brides.

Harrison's Finds:

1. How to Be President - What to Do and Where to Go Once You're in Office
Harrison loves this book! He has already read most of it. It gives a guide to the formalities of being president. A few Examples of the topics would be: How to get snacks, how to order out, secret passage ways, or how to get your laundry done.

"You've won the election and you wake up on your first day in the White House - Where's the bathroom? How do you get breakfast? Where do you sit at a cabinet meeting? When can you use Air Force One? This essential, illustrated employee manual explains the real nuts and bolts o being the President of the United States."

2. Always Grace - A Novel , by Tim LaHaye

Happy Easter!

2008-03-21T12:59:00.001-07:00

Quilting Away and Pincushions!

2008-03-20T15:22:00.000-07:00

First I want to share with you the first pincushion I made! I got the pattern in a better homes and garden's quilting magazine. It was created by Heather Bailey, so I had to try it. I didn't use her fabric line for it, because I am saving that for a quilt. By the Way! Thank you Heather Bailey for commenting on my blog! That was really cool! I am such a fan!

The fabric I used for the top of the pincushion is from Anna Griffin's Line. It turned out really great!

My Current project is a quilt, well 2 quilts to be exact! My first quilt is my practice quilt. I decided to try everything for the first time on this quilt. I have never done the quilting before! So keep your fingers crossed! For my practice quilt I am just doing a simple patchwork quilt. Polka Dots and Flowers! I have already sewn most of this together, which I will share with you when I completely finish the quilt top.

Practice Quilt

For my second quilt, I am using a layer cake by Moda. The fabric line is Simplicity. A Layer Cake is a pack of 10X10 fabric squares. In the pack I get one Fabric square from each fabric in the line. For the pattern, I took each 10x10 square and cut it on the bias/diagonal and then paired each triangle with a different fabric and sewed them together. I then arranged each block on the floor as seen in the photo below. I am now in the process of sewing together each square.

Last night Harrison and I decided together how it should be arranged. And we are very happy with the result. Below is a picture of part of the quilt. I cant wait until it is finished, so I can show you the end result. Until then....

Quilt #2

Lots to Blog!

2008-03-17T13:50:00.001-07:00

I have sooo much to blog about! But for now, I will make this one short. Just wanted to share with you a couple of necklaces I got! Harrison bought me the Heart one just for fun! Isn't he great?

I blogged earlier that I am trying to make a charm necklace of Rosie the Riveter! So with lots of help from my mother, I am well on my way. I have my picture, she has the glass and the silver tape. Now all I need is the time to do it! She started practicing and came up with a first necklace design and gave it to me? Isn't she great too? :) That's all I have for now. Will post more later! I'm off to the Concord Sewing Center to get myself a quilting foot and a 1/4 foot with guide for my brother sewing machine!

Knitting, Knitting, and more Knitting!

2008-03-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

While buying yarn for the patriotic scarf I promised to make Harrison, I found this lovely Blue, Brown, and Cream yarn. So I decided to make a scarf for me too! The yarn is so soft!

For some odd reason the scarf is turning into a zig zag pattern. I am very happy with it! This pattern is super easy. Using a size US 11 needle, I cast on 25, then *knit and pearl* to end then repeat until it is at the desired length! Then Bind Off.

Harrison's was a little bit more difficult. He wanted a patriotic scarf. He wants the colors to be in bands of Red, White, and Blue. He searched for the pattern and found just what he wanted. A scarf that was ribbed. I haven't got much done on it yet, but am swiftly working on it in between getting ready for a garage sale, house and bird sitting, quilting, and fabric hunting.

The pattern for the scarf I am making Harrison is as follows: Using Size US 8 needles cast on 35 stitches. Row 1: K3,*P1,K3* Row 2: K1, *P1, K3*, end with P1, K1. Repeat rows 1 & 2 until desired length. Bind off. This one is pretty simple too!

Overwhelming Crafting Desires

2008-03-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

These past 2 weeks, I have become aware of a new addiction. I have a fabric addiction! Yes, I can't get enough of fabric. I love fabric! But what good is fabric if you don't do anything with it. So I have decided to remedy that and take up Quilting. I like to sew, but hate sewing clothes. I can get by with the basic clothing sewing such as costumes for our church Harvest Festival and the occasional pajama bottoms. But that is not my forte. I think quilting just might be my forte. We shall see.

I love shabby chic and retro fabric, but never knew where to find such fabric that didn't cost a fortune. I grew up only knowing about your local Joanne Fabrics and your typical craft/fabric store. But what I didn't realize is that there are all sorts of quilting shops that specialize in stocking the newest fabric lines and quilting! I am now addicted!

I found one quilting store in Danville thanks to the world of blogging, which caused me to look up other quilting stores! I found out that there are 3 really good quilting stores within 30 miles. I have their store websites on my links list or at the end of this blog.

I have 3 absolutely favorite lines of fabric. The first would have to be Fresh Cut by Heather Bailey, second would have to be Swell by Moda, and third would have to be Simplicity by Moda! Below are pictures of some of my fabric finds!

I have been searching far and wide for any store that carries Heather Bailey's line called Fresh Cut. It has been like a scavenger hunt. Many of the stores are out of her line and since her new line comes out soon, they will not be reordering. I will post all of the fabric I purchased from her line in a later blog. I went back to the quilting store today searching for anything I can find by Fresh Cut. I came to the realization, that I would have to order some of her fabric online. That is if I can still find it online.

Just when I decided to give up, I started talking to one of the employees and found out she has some extra fabric that she doesn't need! So we are meeting on Thursday and she is going to show me her fabric to buy. I cant wait! Isn't the Lord wonderful?! He dropped it right in my lap.

I found 3 great quilting stores in my area! The first is in Danville, The Quilters Inn. The second is in Concord, Thimble Creek. And third is in Lafayette, The Cotton Patch. I was able to get some great fabric and quilting idea's from these stores!

Screen Cleaner

2008-03-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friend Marian for this great new cleaner! Great for cleaning your dirty computer screen. Click on the link for an easy way to keep your screen clean and germ free! Thanks Marian! ;)

New Great Product!

Pictures

2008-03-10T00:46:00.000-07:00

I will be posting a blog soon on my fabric spree and all of the new goodies thanks to tax money returns. But until then, I wanted to post some pictures of my Grandfather and I.