Beads

Yesterday, my niece was baptized. My sister and her husband asked me to be Sofia's godmother (or as my sister says, fairy godmother).
Yesterday was a wonderful day, spent with family and friends. We started at church. Sofia was dressed in a gown that my sister, mom, all of our aunts and uncle, and I all wore. She enjoyed all having her head dunked in the fountain, but did NOT care for all of the oil that came next.
Emily and Tony hosted a lunch after the mass. It was delicious and we had a great time watching Sofia's every move.
As Sofia's godmother, I wasn't sure what to get her. I decided that, when in doubt, go sentimental. Emily and I traveled around Europe together when I was studying aboard. We ended our trip in Rome. When we were visiting Vatican City, we both bought rosaries. I passed mine along to Sofia.

As for my craft this week, I decided to stay with my beads theme. I have a necklace I LOVE that I bought on my trip to Mexico City to see my friend Whitney a few years back. But, the strands kept breaking. I decided to make a bracelet (and save most of the beads for future projects).

I secured the beads onto the strands by knotting the strings. Then I tied the strands onto the bracelet clasps.

Voila! New bracelet.

On my last day of being 27, I declare my list officially list officially finished!

1. Finish changing my name on all documents. (I sort of stalled mid-change)-some progress MORE has been made
2. Write four three two one more blog posts featuring a craft.
3. Finish a knitting project for a friend's new edition. 
4. Run 27 22.5 14 6 miles.
5. Update information for my Illinois teaching certificate. -some progress has been made
6. Four three two one weekly visits to the dog park with Mosby.
7. Use a new pattern to make a fun Spring skirt for myself.
8. Clean out my (and Jeremy's) closets.
9. Donate items to Goodwill.
10. Try one new food. DISASTER! I tried a chicken foot. It was HORRIBLE.
11. Call Haley.(Hal, hopefully this weekend!!)
12. Do some landscaping on the back patio. (Even though we rent, it's nice to maintain for guests.)
13. Purchase the graduation gift I've been eyeing for a certain grad.
14. Catch up on Mad Men.
15. Visit Maggie (and Michael and Grace).
16. Organize my craft room.
17. Purchase a few needed items for our home (including a new pillow for Jer).
18. Take one instagram photo a day. So far, so good.
19. INSIST that I watch Sofia while my sister and Tony go out on a date. 
20. Formally introduce Jeremy to Moscow Mules. (I mentioned them here.)
21. Ask for a recommandation, buy, and listen to an album of a new band. (Feel free to leave me a comment with a recommandation!)  Thanks, Lizzy, for recommending The Civil Wars. They are awesome.
22. See The Godfather. 
23. Call my Gram.
24. Finish The Paris Wife. SO GOOD! 
25. Change my blog heading. 
26. Start our honeymoon photo album.
27. One random act of kindness. I gave a Dunkin Donuts gift card to a homeless woman so she could buy a few meals.

27 was a wonderful year. I am looking forward to what 28 brings me.

Until next time, keep crafting,

SB

Stuffed Friends

Hi all.

First and foremost, I want to extend Jeremy and my thoughts and prayers to everyone in Boston. Our good friend, Nicolle, is out there right now running her first Boston Marathon, and we are so relieved to report that she and her husband, Vince, are safe.

Jeremy's birthday was a couple weeks ago. Jeremy and I have a few birthday traditions we love. We always give each other a gift (more on that in a minute).

We also always take advantage of living in Chicago, which, in our opinion, has some of the best restaurants in the country. We treat ourselves to a nice meal at a restaurant that we can't afford to go to everyday.

Being total food dorks, we COMPLETELY geek out over Top Chef, a TV cooking competition featuring up and coming chefs. Chicago is home to a lot of these chefs, including Heather Turhune, the chef at Sable. We had great food, great drinks, and a great time celebrating there.

So, back to Jeremy's gift. Jeremy (and I) are big fans of a new group called Of Monsters and Men. They are kind of indy folk/pop rock type band from Iceland. They are coming to Chicago in May. I jumped at the chance to get tickets to the show.

So, Jeremy's gift was decided. But, I hate giving just pieces of paper, so I wanted to do something a little more creative.

I decided to give Jeremy two clues. He had written instructions to open the first at breakfast and the second at lunch. If he couldn't guess by dinner, I would tell him what the gift was.

Luckily, a band by the name Of Monsters and Men lends itself well to being creative. 

I decided to make Jeremy little stuffed animals. One of a monster, and one of a man.

It should be noted. I made these stuffed animals assuming that we would just give them to Mosby (to destroy) after Jeremy got them as clues. They would have been cuter, with more details and probably some buttons had I known Jeremy would keep them.

Anyway, the process was actually pretty simple. I started by googling and printing off coloring pages in the shape of a monster and of a man.

I cut them out and used them as patterns for the stuffed animals. I used left over fleece to make the bodies. I cut out two of each, one for the back and one for the front.

 I used embroidery floss and more fleece to make the faces.

I turned put the "wrong-sides" together and sewed them up, leaving just a little opening to flip them right side out and stuff them.

Then came the stuffing and hand sewing.

Jeremy ended up guessing his gift correctly right after breakfast (after receiving the monster). I played it off until lunch, when he opened up the man.

He was really excited about the concert. He also decided to keep the little friends at the office for company.

And now a quick update on my "27 List". I crossed out what has already been done and used italics to show progress or changing in quantity for my works in progress. 

1. Finish changing my name on all documents. (I sort of stalled mid-change)-some progress has been made
2. Write four three more blog posts featuring a craft.
3. Finish a knitting project for a friend's new edition. done
4. Run 27 22.5 miles.
5. Update information for my Illinois teaching certificate.
6. Four three weekly visits to the dog park with Mosby.
7. Use a new pattern to make a fun Spring skirt for myself.
8. Clean out my (and Jeremy's) closets.
9. Donate items to Goodwill.
10. Try one new food.
11. Call Haley.(Hal, hopefully this weekend!!)
12. Do some landscaping on the back patio. (Even though rent, it's nice to maintain for guests.)
13. Purchase the graduation gift I've been eyeing for a certain grad. Purchased, came today, just need to send it out.
14. Catch up on Mad Men.
15. Visit Maggie (and Michael and Grace).
16. Organize my craft room.
17. Purchase a few needed items for our home (including a new pillow for Jer).
18. Take one instagram photo a day. So far, so good.
19. INSIST that I watch Sofia while my sister and Tony go out on a date. We have the date set.
20. Formal introduce Jeremy to Moscow Mules. (I mentioned them here.)
21. Ask for a recommandation, buy, and listen to an album of a new band. (Feel free to leave me a comment with a recommandation!)  Thanks, Lizzy, for recommending The Civil Wars. They are awesome.
22. See The Godfather. 
23. Call my Gram. I called her, but she was out. 
24. Finish The Paris Wife. Getting close.
25. Change my blog heading. 
26. Start our honeymoon photo album.
27. One random act of kindness.

Until next time, keep crafting.

SB

Spring Break and a Chevron Update

Hi all!

Somehow, even over Spring Break, I managed to keep myself busy enough not to share one of my new favorite projects.

Here's a rundown of my (two week) Spring Break and the project I completed between all my fun.

Spring Break started off quiet. Jeremy was out of town, and I spent most of the weekend relaxing with Mosby and dogsitting for our favorite furry friend, Fate. There was much relaxing done by all.

Once Jeremy got home, we went for some corned beef and cabbage (pizza) and beer to celebrate St. Patty's Day. (I am talking about St. Patty's Day, I know, I am FAR behind!!!)

My first week of break consisted mostly of crafting and babies. Lots of babies. 

My first stop was to see my friend, Cathryn, and her 16 month old, Emma. Right before I left to see them, Cathryn graciously offered to let Mosby come along to play with Emma.

This was Mosby's first playdate with a non-furry friend. It went well. Emma enjoyed giving Mosby treats (and later, food from her highchair). Mosby really enjoyed Emma giving him the food, too! 

As far as playing, Emma followed Mosby around, then Mosby would follow Emma. They enjoyed putting each other's toys in their mouths (before the adults could reach them). Mosby jumped on Emma a few times, but Emma was a really good sport about it all. 

Getting a dog and a one year old to both stand still or look at the camera is pretty much impossible.

Later that week, I took a trip out to the suburbs. I have a couple friends out there, and it worked out to have lunch with one and dinner with the other.

Lizzy and I worked together for two years, right when I first moved to the city. We have been close friends ever since. I've mentioned her in Casey's post and probably several others. 

When Lizzy had her daughter, Audrey, she left her 9 to 5 job, to start her own business and be a stay at home mom (lucky duck). It's been great for her, but our impromptu coffee/tea/beer dates after work have been harder to work out, as she is no longer working downtown.

(*Shameless plug for Lizzy's business, Home Sweet Hale. She does embroidery and sewing for your little ones and home. It's adorable and fantastically made. Check out the link here.)

Ms. Audrey

After a lovely afternoon with those ladies, I went to see one of my favorite families. My best friend, Maggie, her husband Michael, and daughter, Grace. I've mentioned them plenty of times, including in this post, where I framed my maid of honor speech.

Well, I love this little family, and now that it's "facebook official", I can share that this little family won't be little for much longer. Maggie is due with TWIN GIRLS this summer!! 

It was fun to go to see these three while they are still only three. Grace is getting so big, and we had fun playing and reading books. It was nice to spend time with Maggie and see her belly start to grow. We stayed up late (9:00 pm people) chatting. (Maggie is the only adult I know who goes to bed earlier than me, pregnant or not).

I rounded off my week of babies by spending time with Sofia. My parents came back from their nine week trip to Florida and the Dominican Republic, and the seven of us had a nice time spending Friday together.

I even got to get in the pool with Sofia for her swim class. She LOVES the water, singing songs, and especially looking at the other kids in the class. My parents took photos, but I forgot to snag a couple from them.

We did bundle Sofia up for a walk. It's nice to finally be able to get out of the house!!

On Saturday morning, Mosby and I left with my parents to go up north for a week.

We were greeted by icy, muddy roads and about a foot of snow in the driveway. Happy Spring Break!

We had a nice time relaxing in front of the fire and drinking Moscow Mules, which is our new (old) favorite drink.

vodka, ginger beer, and lime...yum!

Mosby enjoyed going for muddy walks, although he wasn't a fan off meeting some aggressive new "friends" or the baths that uncaked the mud from his belly and paws.

We did meet up with my Pat and Den, my in-laws, and Michelle and Tim, my brother and sister-in-law for dinner one night. We also saw our friends Karrie and Randy, and Craig and Anne for dinner. I always seem to forget to take pictures when only adults are around.

Although it was cold, there were signs that spring was coming. 

We walked out to Lake Michigan, through the woods, and were relieved to see that the beach and water were snow and ice free. 

And of course, the most tell tale sign that spring is here....the year's first Oberon. (Never mind that snow in the background.)

Spring break was good. It went too fast. And now, after just a week back at work, I'm already counting down to summer (12 more weeks).

But, my project this week has brought a POP of summer fun into our apartment.

Jeremy and I have these TV trays. They are in good shape, structurally. However, the paint had seen better days.

I decided to spruce them up a bit. I had left over off white spray paint from some wedding projects, so I decided to spray paint them. I used about 3 coats to completely cover up the black.

Then, I decided that my tables needed some color. I LOVE pops of bright color. Jeremy and I have neutral, black, and oak toned furniture and walls, but I love using room accessories to add color.

   

I have been really liking the chevron lately. (Not sure what chevron is? Click here.) I had some red acrylic paint left over from another project. While acrylic may not be the best choice, it was on hand and it worked out well.

The hardest part of the project was making the chevron pattern. I used this blogger's pattern to make the pattern and her advice on how to apply it. My pattern is now one of my prized possessions.

my pattern

 

the pattern applied (using pen) to the top of the table

From there, I used a paint brush to carefully apply two coats of the red paint.

coat one

The first coat needed some more POP. Here's a look after the second coat.

After both coats dried. I sprayed a clear coat of spray paint to protect the stripes.

And the finished product.

Whew, that just about sums up Spring Break. Sorry for the LONG and rambling post.

Until next time, keep crafting!

SB

Love: Freak Flag

During the month of February (and now March), I've decided to create a series of posts based on the different real life love stories that inspire me. I'll be featuring friends and family, and their different types of love.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Jeremy and I are so lucky to have our friends. They all mean so much to us and play such an important role in our lives.

We are especially lucky to have couples whose company we both really enjoy.

Lindsay and Tyler are one of our favorite couples. They live in Michigan, we live in Chicago, but due to long weekends of visiting each other, we probably spend more time with them than any other friends.

They came into town earlier this month.

Tyler and Jeremy went to the same high school. They became friends in high school and college. They are two peas in a pod. They enjoy a lot of the same things, namely, putting things on their heads that are not hats, drinking beer, playing video games, staying up way later than anyone in their mid to late twenties should, cooking, and dancing (yes dancing, and yes, there is always alcohol involved). 

Tyler and Lindsay started dating about a year before Jeremy and I. When I came on the scene, Lindsay and I soon realized that we were also two peas in a pod. We enjoy many of the same things, namely, laughing at the boys' shenanigans, drinking red wine while discussing (or watching) Harry Potter, passing out on the couch mid conversation way earlier than anyone in their mid to late twenties should, and eating the food the boys have cooked.

Since we stay with them when we are back home, and they use our apartment as their Chicago home base, we've come to realize that despite of because of our personality quirks, we get along quite well. It's pretty difficult to hide these quirks when spending days at a time with another couple, so we all unofficially decided a long time ago just to let our freak flags* fly when we are together.

for those of you unaware of the meaning of the term "freak flag": A characteristic, mannerism, or appearance of a person, either subtle or overt, which implies unique, eccentric, creative, adventurous or unconventional thinking.

Together, we all enjoy watching our mismatched dogs.

Mosby and Frank: best buds

discussing our favorite TV shows, dreaming of taking a vacation together, trying new foods,

great French restaurant, Restaurant Week 2013

and letting those freak flags fly.

From Tyler's Facebook, at another friend's wedding

In honor of our fellow freak flag waving friends, I made a Valentine's Day banner.

It's a more simple, no sew version of my Give Thanks Banner.

Again, I started with cutting a triangle out of paper. I found that if I cut the paper in half first, it's much easier to get even sides.

Then, I cut out the fabric.

I used hot glue to glue the fabric to some twine.

And here's a look at the finished product.

Next time, I hope to finish up my Love series.

Until then, keep crafting.

SB

Halloween Costume

Happy Halloween

Hi all! And Happy Halloween! I LOVE Halloween! I love the leaves on the ground, the decorations, the imagination, and the kids' excitement! Jeremy and I live on a very "neighborhood-y" type street. We get TONS of trick-or-treaters, and we both love passing out the candy each year. This year, we are making turkey pumpkin chili and looking forward to some Halloween fun!

To get in the Halloween mood, we have put up a few decorations. (Just so you Ludington folks know, the ghost and witch sign were both purchased at "Kmart North")

And we went on a little Halloween walk with Mosby the other evening. A lot of our neighbors love to decorate for Halloween. Notice the outrageously decorated house? You should see it at Christmas.

And yesterday, I brought Miss Sofia her Halloween gift. 

For my second knitting project, I made a little pumpkin hat for Sofia. I had a little help from my instructor (especially on the top), but I think it turned out SUPER CUTE!

My mom and I had already found the little outfit, and Emily had it on her when I stopped by. Adorable!

Of course, I decided that Mosby needed a costume wear while greeting the trick-or-treaters. 

 Last year, Mosby was a baby dinosaur. He was very ferocious. (Actually he was growing so quickly last year, the costume was too small for him by the time Halloween rolled around, and he was pretty miserable.)

This year, I decided to make Mosby a costume. Dog costume are kind of expensive, especially considering Mosby will probably only wear each one once, and after about a half hour, I feel bad for him and let him take it off.

For Mosby's costume, I wanted to play off his looks. He has a big white strip down the center of his head, much like.....

A DOUBLE STUFF OREO!

Yup, Mosby is an Oreo this year. 

Here's how I made it happen...

I bought a dog t-shirt from Target that was on sale.

Then, I used some scrap cardboard to make the bases for the two outside cookies. I used a bowl for perfect circles.

I used the bowl again to cut out slightly larger circles from an old t-shirt.

 

Next, I sewed the two "cookies" to a piece of white fabric (the filling).

 Then, I sewed one end of the filling to the collar of the dog shirt. I placed the cardboard on either side, snug to the black "cookies". I used some left over stuffing from my pillow project to stuff the cookie. Then, I hand sewed the rest of the cookie to the shirt.

I also had to put a piece of cardboard between the cookie and Mosby's back, to keep in nice and stable.

And here's the finished project. One Oreo!

Wishing you a SPOOK-tacular Halloween!

Until next time, keep crafting!

SB