LOL

I guess it's not a huge secret I've been depressed lately.
I've been trying to find more things that will lift my spirit, but it's not easy. Sometimes when I do find something that makes me happy, all of a sudden, right there in the middle of a giggle or smile I feel the tears forming.
It's hard.
My Acupuncturist told me I need to laugh more. See a comedy, stand up, go to laughing therapy. I am not even sure what that is. I promised him I would do something that would make me LAUGH this week.
The other day I watched Saturday Night Live. I'm a big Lena Dunham fan, I just adore her and everything she stands for. I admire her a lot and hope she can (this sounds dramatic, I know!) but actually make a change.
Did you see SNL? Oh my goodness, I have not laughed that much in a long time! And you know what? It felt good. It was nice to let go and just laugh at nonsense. Having something to remember later on and make me chuckle to myself.
Laugh? Check!

On my list of things that have made my week slightly brighter:

-  Another big plus for me watching SNL was discovering The Nationals. New instant love.
I love finding new bands and songs to listen to, Ane Braun, Daughter, Nicolas Jaar, Skye, those are just a few of them.
My current favorite song on repeat mode- I Need My Girl. This song and video makes my heart ache with love.

-  Wes Anderson has  new movie! I cannot wait to see it! Hotel Grand Budapest, doesn't it look amazing?
I remember when Moonrise Kingdom came out, we saw it in a small and intimate theater. I felt lucky being able to share that experience with others who appreciated it as much as I did.
All of his movies remind me of how much I wanted to learn film making. How I would love to live inside his head!

-  Tula Pinks new fabric line, Fox Field. I just bought a fat quarter bundle and will be pawing at it forever when it comes. I be be most definitely be #MakeSomethingAmazing with it! (now just need an instagram account!)
Check it out on her FB page
A while ago, before I understood anything about designers and who's who, I bought some of her fabric from the line Nightshade. It was cool, I liked it. Little did I know that it was TULA PINK. I still have a bit of it left, which of course I cherish, since it can't be found anymore, and if you do find it, it is quite costly. Which I don't get.
So, now when I see a designer I know I love, yardage is bought, ASAP. I do not want to be looking at beautiful yardage that costs 75$ for an eighth quarter. gulp.

-  Why did I allow myself to buy new fabric? Because I have finally finished off 4 quilt tops! Yes, I know that the top is only half down, but still, by finished a top I made a lot more room for new fabric! I am sup[er proud of myself, because I am also "mastering" free motion quilting. It still looks a bit sloppy, but practicing every day or two is definitely paying off. In the meantime, I'm still going with straight lines.
Pictures soon!

My goals this week are to:
Go to Pilates
Swim
Finish off a quilt
Have a nice relaxing bath
Laugh more. Actually, I really did enjoy it!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend ♥

Eat up pinterest pins!

Ever since upgrading to a smart phone 2 months go, I'm into apps. I only downloaded about 5 or 6, because I don't like a cluttered screen. Plus, when I have so many, I can't find what I'm looking for, goodbye usless apps.
One of my first, and favorites is of course Pinterest. what can I say, I'm a junkie. I disabled the notifications on my email, they cluttered everything up (I am not as tidy as it may seem), but I get the notifications on my phone. That's fun. I get a daily reminder of what I pinned before, I pin so much, sometimes I forget.

Around the holidays I noticed one pin in particular was getting repinned. A lot. As in, everyday a few times a day, after checking, I noticed that it has been repinned 103 times! Wahoo?!
I know that there are some people that have about a gazillion repins, but to me, this is a lot!
I need to find that recipe! Find out what's so special! So, what is it?
Gingerbread!
I love Gingerbread, I love anything ginger, it is probably my favorite spice, I eat it, I drink it, I put it in pretty much 80% of what I bake.
I made Gingerbread about 10 years ago, but I mixed up the recipe and got real chewy cookie globs instead of the biscuit type of gingerbread. It was a bad (although tasty) experience. I was still living at home, and my Dad thought that anything I baked that wasn't exactly how it was supposed to turn out was a waste, which is also pretty much why I stopped baking until I moved into my own place. I got hell for it, even though it was tasty.
I have the most amazing Candied Ginger chocolate chip cookie recipe ever, there are only about 5 left after the finish cooling, and none by the end of the next day. They are seriously that good. I'll share, you can make your own though :)

Back to pinning, I never made that recipe, I pretty much pinned it because it was cute and that was all. I hope at least 1 in that 103 found inspiration and baked them.
But that got me thinking I should definitely start doing more of what I pin, right? Scrolling down my "eat up" board I came across another "lots of pinned" post- but I am not going to even try to make those, as easy as I know meringues are. But they sure are pretty, right?
Take a look at another great pin- How amazing would that be to serve at a girls night?! Some people are so talented and creative!

So, what am I going to make? try to make?
Bagels?

Totally Delicious Homemade Bagels From Food on the Food blog

Gotta love fresh bagels and cream cheese! They'd make a great sandwich on Sunday too.

Maybe Bread Rolls?

Rosemary Bread Rolls From Sips and Spoonfuls

Don't those look amazing? I'd be afraid to make them for just Y and myself though, I might eat them all myself!

Or maybe these little guys?

Soft and Buttery Pretzels From Averie Cooks

I'm waiting for Y to come home and then ask his opinion, but one of them will be in my oven by this evening.

Maybe I'll be able to sneak in some ginger cookies as well!

Computer trouble

I bought my first computer in 2007, when I was a student. I had just met Y, and him being a computer junkie, helped me pick the right one out. He came over, attached this wire here, and that wire there and voila.
A year later we moved in together and my computer became our computer. I still had all my mega heavy junk files on it, and Y would do backup sessions, add more memory, reboot and all the other things computer guys know how to do to get your computer working.
Over the years, the only thing that remains from "my computer" is the box. I think every single component has been upgraded, removed, replaced or just thrown out. But I still think of it as mine.
Last week one of the memory drives went kaput. Y tried to save what he could, and rebooted everything. I started to save all my work, and anything I actually cared about on an external drive. We got that up and running, and so for now we have a Microsoft default screensaver and about 3 programs.
None of my graphic programs would work, the whole computer would shut down. All we have is paint. I don't even know how to use that. Even my phone has more functions that my computer right now. But I hate to think that this old box will have to go, we've been through so much!
I really wanted to blog about my Sew Lux BOM, or my I Heart you quilt, I took pictures, but they really need some working on, I can't even crop.
I'll just have to write about them, and take more pictures later.

I am really, really enjoying this BOM. I like to wait until I have 2 blocks and then make them together. They're quick and easy to put together, and so much fun. It's a lot less stressful, I don't have to worry that I'm taking too long, or getting bored, I'm just sewing them as they come.
I will definitely be joining in the next BOM, which is supposed to be up for viewing next month.

old BOM pictures

My I Heart You quilt is so close to being finished! I completed the top panel and cut the border. I have the binding all cut and pressed, I just need to buy some plain white backing and filling. I think I'll go simple with straight lines. I still need to my master free form quilting!
I can't wait to share it, I am so proud of myself, I truly love that pattern.

What a boring post without any pictures, but I do have one to share!
2 weeks ago we got a new kitten, Y picked him out and gave him his name- Albert. I think he looks like one, he's got a little beard and I think he's quite smart.
He's a fun little guy, way to energetic! I love the little guy and he's growing like crazy, I just think of him 3 weeks ago when we picked him out how absolutly tiny he was!
I know right now we sometimes have a hard time keeping up with him, but that soon he'll just be a lazy cat and we'll miss those days he always wanted to play.
Now, if I thought taking pictures of food and fabric was difficult- taking a picture of a kitten is way harder!
Meet Albert ♥

14 projects for 2014- Part 1- knitting

This next year I'm going to try and focus on actually completing projects in my queue. I've got way too much yarn for my own good, all bought for specific projects, that have obviously not been knit.

So here's my countdown:

Image taken from the Brooklyn Tweed Website

1. Y really wants a new sweater, and he's more into knit items this past year than before.
I let him look through Brooklyn Tweeds mens collection, and he really liked Hugo by Veronik Avery.
It's a favorite of mine as well. I can't wait for Y to wear it.

 

Image taken from the Brooklyn Tweed Website

2. My hands are usually cold, like, freezing cold. This is new this year, I don't ever remember my hands being this cold. It's the worst in the morning when I'm driving to work, last year Y drove us both to work, so I had my hands wrapped around my coffee. I have gloves, but isn't a handmade pair much better?
I've had my eye on Shipyard Mittens by Carrie Bostick Hoge since it came out. I just need to find the 2 perfect colors to go together. Maybe a nice gold with cream.
Carrie has such beautiful patterns, I've made both her immie blanket and Imogen Cowl (which I'm wearing right now!) and I've got so many more in my favorites.

 

Sheepish, by Alana Dakos, Imageby Alana Dakos

3. This just might be the first project I favorited when joining Ravelry.
I don't think I need to say anything else about it but CUTENESS!!!

 

Image taken from the Ravelry Project page

4. Wee Austin Hoodie by Connie Chang Chinchio. And of course anything else by Connie. I loved the adult version of this hoodie, but the little one is way too cute. It's got a little pointed hood, and it's made with fingering- awesome for our warmer weather.

Image by DavidWhitfield, Taken from the Ravelry project page

5. My sister "gently" hinted that she's like a new knitted garment for her little girl.
Her kids are picky about their clothes, and I would like them to have something they can use over and over again, and not just this winter. We use our blankets all the time, and Y has asked me to make more, they are so warm and cozy, and so homey.
I think a blanket would be best. Plus, I love knitting blankets. And you cannot ever go wrong with Anne Hanson!
Hazard, by Anne Hanson, can also be knitted as a wrap, in either fingering or DK weight. I think I'm going to go with the small throw,  but the baby blanket just might work as well.

So these are the projects I will most definitely have knit in 2014 (hopefully!) I hope I can squeeze in some more knitting projects, I'd love to get a pair of socks done for Y, another throw for our living room, a stole for my mom, and the list goes on...
(I really want to knit this, but don't want to commit just yet!)

What are you planning on knitting in 2014?!

Goodbye Twenties

I have a birthday coming up this week. The "big" 30. I am so ready to say goodbye to me twenties, which although have been full of wonderful things (meeting my wonderful husband, marriage, career, our first home/mortgage), I feel like I'm more than ready to move on and say hello to my thirties.
It's got to be better.
These past few years have been, well, horrible. Unemployment, disappointment, and then, loss.
This past year has been nothing but pain, tears, sadness and loss. I'm not going to get into it, I feel it's still to personal, but 2013, 29, good riddance. I had such high hopes for you, but you really dissapointed.
I'm ready to move on.

Have you heard of Jonathan Carrol? Did I mention him before?
I can't even remember how I heard of him, but I follow him on Facebook, and I always look forward to his posts. (Please follow him here! You won't be sorry!) Most of them are amazing quotes by others, and amazing photographs. Every now and then he adds a quote of his own. I've yet to read his books, but they are on my list.
This was one is from his feed today:

"“There are times in your life when, despite the steel weight of your memories and the sadness that seems to lie at your feet like a shadow, you suddenly and strangely feel perfectly okay.” 

 -Kevin Brockmeier

I'm trying. Sometimes it's just really hard ♥

I've made a huge mistake

No really, I've made a huge tiny mistake. Any other Arrested Development fans out there?
Once I found out I made a mistake (and a stupid one at that) Mini Gob immediately sat down on the speaker next to the table, crossed his legs and laughed uncomfortably.
I buried my face in my hands. How did this happen?!
I say tiny because it's somewhat fixable.
A while ago (I can't remember when, if I could it might solve a few questions) I ordered white fabric. It wasn't Moda. It was Riley Blake, and I have no idea why I ordered it. And I don't remember how much.
I always buy Bella solids bleached white (which really isn't all that white. It's more yellow. Thanks Riley Blake).
I started my Snow Blossoms quilt with the Riley Blake white. I started my I Heart You quilt with the Bella bleached white.
I finished half the snow blossoms about a month ago, before we moved, and just the other day took out the rest of the fabric to cut. Yesterday I cut the white fabric, today sat down to piece everything together and to my horror realized I had cut the bleached white instead of the (snow I'm guessing) white.
I spent all morning going over my orders in the past year looking for some kind of white. It took me a while to remember it was Riley Blake and not another company. But I remember it being a part of some collection... Which is why I'm remembering snow. Maybe Santa's Workshop white? Why are there so many whites?! None of the orders had anything in them, and most of the shops I buy from, while they do have an account page, they don't have recent orders.
Why do I care so much- because I probably don't have enough white to finish the Snow Blossoms. What a quilter rookie I am. I'm so embarrassed.

I'll be buying some of Santa's workshop and hope it matches. If not... Well, half a quilt can still work :)

Now, let's have another bit of Gob to make me feel better!

Back to the beginning- building a stash

I have a few favorite quilting blogs, one of them being Blue Elephant Stitches. I found her a few years ago on etsy, and was delighted to find her blog.
Her quilts are simply, the fabric choices are amazing. There are some really simple quilts, and the fabric- they definitely make the quilt! I have been inspired by her quilts, there are more than a few I have on my checklist.
I just have to find the perfect fabrics for them- like hers.
A pattern is always pretty simple, and you see hundreds of people who have sewn it- they all look different. A pattern is a pattern, but you bring it to life with the colors, and fabrics you choose.
I guess that's why I like flickr groups, to see one quilt, the same pattern, different in every picture.
It's no secret I have a hard time matching colors and prints. Always trying to be perfect, but perfect only comes together once the quilt is sewn together, binding and all. I'm still on fat quarters, charm squares, perfectly matched collections. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's wonderful to have that choice, but I so do want to try a mishmash of different collections.
Jolene Klassen, of Blue Elephant Stitches, put together a "quilt course". I am following of course! I want to know her little secrets and tips, I definitely want to know where she got some of her fabulous fabrics from, some of them look seriously soft! And I'm really interested in what she has to say about batting and quilting.

Starting off is fabric selection, or "Building a Stash", of course it starts there. It is really helpful, and I know I'll go back to it and read the posts again and again. I need to get it through my head to experiment a little! Try!
Damn perfectionism!
Jolene must know her fabric choices are drooled over, so she offers pre-cut "charm pack"s of different fabrics in her etsy store, like below.
I think I'm still playing it safe by buying a "charm pack" like this from her, but it is a start!

Blue Elephant Stitches etsy shop