1.24.2011

How is it Monday Already? And Why Do I Look Like I'm 50?

My life seems to be on warp speed lately. My days fly by without me getting half the work done I feel I need (this is a good thing... I think) and nights are filled with events and meetings. I'm exhausted... which is why I catch up on sleep on the weekend.

And all this means no blogging or crafting :(   If this is your time waster at work, I apologize for leaving you hanging lately.

So with all that said, all this work is giving me the worst dark under eye circles and puffiness. I catch my reflection in the mirror and I look like I did in college after an all night-er booze fest. Or like I partied with Sarah and Becky in Chicago. Which is basically the same thing. Is it my fault that the Hangge Uppe is dark and you lose all track of time and suddenly it is 6 am?

So thankfully my handy list of blogs I follow has some advice:

Not sure how badly I want to try this, but "Twelve Crafts till Christmas" suggests grated potatoes and unsweetened applesauce.

Then Classy Cosmetics had a whole post on concealer for eye circles. Loving Benefit as much as I do, I think a stop off at Sephora is in my immediate future.

Hopefully this week I'll be able to take some me time and make some jewelry... if I have the energy.

1.17.2011

Crafting ADD

I'm sure this is pretty normal for crafters... but I have crafting ADD.

It is bad.

I start making a craft...

                             ... almost finish...

... and then get bored and stop.

Vintage old book I half way turned into a journal. Still unfinished.

Or... 

realize I have one missing material and take three months to buy it.


Sometimes I even finish and get super pumped. I think...

"This is it. I have found my true medium and I will be come rich and famous making only this (or at least cover the cost of materials.)"

And then I never make it again (see my candle making supplies).

Etched glass candles I made for Sarah (before I put in the wax)


I'm like 90% sure my favorite part of crafting is the planning of the craft.

Dreaming of the decisions: blue or green? Pearl or bead?

And then I like sharing my craft.

Middle part? Kind of frustrating...

Unless wine is involved.
So right now I'm on a jewelry making kick.

But...


Have you seen this craft? I really wanna make it.



Family members and blog land readers (are you out there? Leave comments!)... please send toilet paper tubes!

Craft and image via Suzy's Sitcom

1.14.2011

Sorry

Sorry y'all that I have been slacking updating this week.

Work has been super busy, I said goodbye to my boss, and now James and I are off to visit my grandpa for the weekend.

Stay warm everyone!

P.S. google doesn't think y'all is a weird. Stupid google.


P.P.S. Enjoy a photo of where I took classes when studying abroad in Luxembourg. A real castle! 

P.P.P.S. Snow is pretty.

1.10.2011

Free Giveaway!

So if you remembered my tutorial on German Glass Napkin Rings, I love German Glass Glitter. I had just found out about GGG this last November on a tutorial in blogland about christmas ornaments. However, I didn't learn about Meyer Imports until this December. After I had already bought my not-as-good GGG elsewhere.

Meyer Import's GGG is like Martha Stewart Glitter in that it is completely incomparable to regular glitter. This stuff is goooood.

Well now they are running a giveaway contest on their website. If you leave a comment on their blog, you are in the running for a generous sample of five different colors of GGG. How amazing is that?

Even better is if you have a blog and let your followers know about the contest, they will send you a sample for free!

I'm excited to see what color I get so I can come up with a craft to use it.

So visit Meyer Imports and spread the word on their amazing product. Because nobody knows glitter like the Germans.

*As an Austrian I had to give some heritage pride!*

1.09.2011

Why I Can't Watch Wedding Shows Anymore

I used to love the horribly fascinating "reality" shows about weddings. Rich Bride, Poor Bride; Bridezilla (even James couldn't help but watch); and Platinum Weddings were amazing escape shows that allowed me to judge people happily from the comfort of my couch.

But now I'm wedding planning...

...And these shows stress me out.

HAVE YOU SEEN "MY FAIR WEDDING"???? My Fair Wedding with David Tutera is basically telling these brides "You are tacky. So tacky I can't even deal with the idea of you being tacky even if I weren't attending."

And this is now my nightmare. What happens if you have people over for dinner and have a bouquet centerpiece on the table? Nothing. What happens when you suddenly have a bouquet at a wedding? People judge your taste based on the flower combination you choose. Why do you people care? They are dead plants. This is not an extension of my taste. It is a decision I made one day, that mainly was about money because I care more about getting you drunk (for free) than dead things I carry for one hour.

Has anyone seen the Alfred Angelo commercials playing nonstop right now?


Oh mah gosh... I dared to buy a sample dress rather than a "made for me" specialty wedding dress. How can I twirl happily on the beach knowing I'm not wearing an overpriced dress that was made by the same company that made my mother's dress? I'm pretty sure I'll still be able to twirl.

So I'm sure if you aren't wedding planning right now you think I'm overreacting. And I probably am.

But...

That still doesn't change that weddings have changed from celebrating two people's love for each other to events that are just asking for people to judge how much money is spent, the couples' taste, and how beautiful the bride looks. I know because I have been to weddings. I have heard people (and am guilty myself of) judging weddings posted on facebook.

Why does it matter exactly how much I weigh that day? Why does it matter whether I have Michelle Obama arms or arms that jiggle more than jello? Why? It is one day in my life. I'm going to have many more days in my life. But what conversation did James and I have tonight? What diet/work out schedule am I planning on starting now in order to get in shape for the wedding. I'm starting with "Couch to 5k" before I start James' P90X work out.

I am not even wedding crazy. I don't care about half the things the wedding machine tells me I need to obsess about, but that hasn't stopped me from having my first wedding nightmare.

How have other people dealt with the stress and pressure of wedding planning?

Because tomorrow it will be 11 months till the wedding and I am sick of thinking about it. But now I have to pull pics for the wedding website.



BTW how fabulous is that photo? I die.

1.08.2011

Craft Day!

Today Christina and I are getting together to work on a few crafts. I am so pumped because I haven't seen Christina in a month which is weird for us.

So with access to her sewing machine, I can finally finish a few crafts I have been wanting to do :)

I realized today that I haven't knitted since before I left Indiana. This is so not good because winter is my go to time to knit (like everyone else!) and I'm afraid I definitely won't knit when it gets burning hot here. I need to just suck it up and buy some stitch markers and finish that sweater vest I planned on making in August.

I really really want to make this cowl though just because of how gorge it is. But I would never be able to wear it. le sigh.

via Purl Bee

1.06.2011

Today Has Been Strange

Professionally today was wonderful. I had one of those charmed days where meeting to meeting things just aligned and I felt like I could kick some serious butt. I felt invincible.

And then I got a call from my little brother. My little brother, who is 22 and 6'3", was robbed at gun point tonight. Thankfully they only took some cash and his phone and nothing worse happened.

But all I want to do is jump on a plane and watch really horrible 80's movies with him and eat really horrible junk food and hug him tightly.

Sometimes being really far away from family bites the big one. 


1.03.2011

Rosette Necklace Tutorial

This week I also made a rosette necklace.

I used an old pillow case for the fabric, ribbon I had around the house, and felt I had bought from the dollar tree. I also used the pearl beads from the last necklace for the center. So... free necklace!

I followed the tutorial on The Tootsie Wootsie and it was pretty easy, but a little time consuming. 

I also found it easier to glue all the roses to the felt first and then glue the ribbon on at the end. I'm going to eventually add snaps so I can change out the ribbon. 



How Does Everyone Take These Photos???? - Anthro Bonheur Necklace Tutorial

So I just want to start off my post by saying... How do all the other crafters manage the one handed shot in the mirror??!!?!?!?? I could not for the life of my figure this out. My body always ended up looking distorted and awful, let alone the camera was in almost every shot. Also... it sucks I can't take photos during the day. Taking photos in my dark apartment is not fun.

But besides all that. Enjoy! My take on two different necklaces out there.

My first necklace I did last week was my take on Mrs. Priss's Anthro Bonheur Necklace.

Her Necklace

Mine

I did mine a bit differently than hers. I used an opaque white fabric to make the circles and strung pearl beads onto elastic thread. I'm really happy with the outcome. My coworkers are trying to convince me to hold a lunch and learn at work to teach them to make these. I think I'm going to remake it with pink flowers next time.