Baby Love.

So, I've got the baby bug, but it's not what you think. Lately it seems like it's been baby explosion here since I know so many people having babies. Boys, at that. So, I dove into my craft room and started working on my resolution to get started early on all the projects I set out to make and finish them on time. And I must say, it feels good.

My first project was a card for Mr. Bean's co-worker. Since I actually don't have too many embellishments in my craft room, I had a lot of fun cutting out all the shapes from scraps and getting creative with my patterned paper to give the card some texture. I got my inspiration from this amazing card. I actually saw it a long time ago and remembered it's awesomeness. Here is my take on it.


I had the same stamp and, surprisingly, an ink pad that resembled the color of a sky. (I actually purchased the stamp because I remembered this card and dreamt of making a Mario Bros themed card with it one day. Isn't that stamp just begging for some mushrooms to be put in front of it??) The rest is all patterned paper that I sketched, cut out, including the little heart, and then layered with pop up adhesive to give it some dimension. You can't see that too well in the picture, but each piece is popping up somehow.

The elephant's body is actually made from scraps from my very first project that ever took me inside a scrapbook store. The faux stitch is with my favorite thing in the world next to mascara, the Signo Uni-ball Impact Pen in white. And like mascara, it has become a necessity of mine. The twine that is "holding up" the heart balloon is a purchase I made in Iowa while visiting my sister. I got a yard of it, but now wish I got 30. Once I used it, I was addicted. It's the perfect thickness for cards. This was probably the most fun I've ever had making a card because I actually had everything I needed/wanted and it came out exactly like I pictured in my head. I got to hear from Shawn's co-worker's wife, and she apparently loved it. So, my work there was done.

My next project was for the newest member of a close group of friends. There are 6 of us total who have known each other for about 22 years now. Over the last 2 years, our group has expanded with the addition of some bundles of joy. The newest addition should be on his way as I type and I can't wait to meet him. In anticipation, I made some burp cloths in some mod baby boy colors and patterns. I had to throw in some Amy Butler, of course, but that was more for mommy and not baby. :)


It is basically cloth diapers with a sewn embellishment down the middle just to make it look nicer than a cloth diaper on mom's shoulder. On Saturday, I gave some away to another friend having another baby boy and it was received enthusiastically because, all the mothers there said, cloth diapers are the best burp cloths since they are so absorbent. So, I am looking forward to wrapping these up really cute and giving them away tomorrow!!
Enough for now! Off to bed!! We had some snow tonight, so I am praying the roads are slick long enough to sleep in a bit in the morning. It'd be only for my safety.

Happy Valentine's Day

No more love posts, I promise. I realize I haven't posted anything of significance lately. To be completely honest, I am waiting for my dear husband to take the photos off our camera and onto his laptop so that I can then access them. Why he thought it was a good idea to set it up on his laptop, I will never know. He works way too much to worry about my pictures. I will just wait patiently until he has the time to do this.

I've got a card to post that I think you will like. I have to give it away tomorrow, so I will be sure to take pics tonight so I can share.

Until then, Happy Valentine's Day! I actually love Valentine's. It was my favorite school day of the year when I was little. It was always a big deal for me and my sister to get the perfect cards and pass them out to everyone. You had to make sure you didn't give one that said "I like you" or anything that would suggest that you liked or cared about the weird kid or to the cute boy. Something about all the pinks, reds, and purples, the chocolate, the flowers, the cards. What's not to love??

Love.

Castle, if loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right.

A better post later. I just had a scare that Castle was cancelled. Apparently it is just rumor right now, but I wanted to declare my love to the entire world wide web before anything terrible happened.

New Years Cards are the new Christmas Cards

This year I made a vow to myself that I would send out Christmas cards, but well, that didn't happen. I even have some fabulous ones that I got 60% off at a store closing. *sniff* (I loved that store.) I underestimated - as usual - all the things I wanted to do/needed to do/still have to do during the holiday season. My solution? New Year's cards!!! Why didn't I think of this before?!?! Why waste your precious Christmas shopping time writing out Christmas cards? Send a New Years card instead! So, instead of doing the pile of work sitting on my desk, one day my sister and I sat and designed our New Year's cards that we will be sending out. I really like mine, although I wish that one of the fonts had printed bigger, but who is going to notice but me??

Anyway, I decided to brush up on my brush strokes (he he he.....get it? Brush up....HA! I kill me!!) when addressing my envelopes. My calligraphy instructors always encouraged us to practice our calligraphy anytime we are sending out anything. In fact, my copperplate calligraphy instructor would even write her checks out in copperplate. But, I have not whipped out anything in probably 3 years. So, here are the final results before I added the addresses.

I am really rusty so I apologize in advance for those that will be receiving cards that don't met my usual standards of excellence, but I didn't order extra envelopes so you'll just have to deal. These three were my favorite, and frankly, the only ones that received the stamp of approval from moi.

I will be leaving next weekend for India so this will probably be my last post of 2009. Happy New Year!! All the best in 2010! I hope your New Year resolutions include lots of crafting!!

It's not me. It's U (verse).

So, I have been MIA for quite some time. I still maintain that I am busy getting my U-verse fix, but honestly I haven't had much to write about. I have gotten so far behind on my shows that I sometimes feel like deleting them all because it's not realistic to watch that much television and still have a day job. I haven't really been making anything. Work has been very stressful. (I have two gray hairs in the most obvious spot to prove it.) Home life has been so-so. I actually dove into the infamous "blue room" and started my clean sweep of my former life. It's been pretty theraputic to see where I've been, who I was, and how different I am now. Sad sometimes. Motivating other times. Either way, I am feeling good about the amout of stuff I've gotten rid of while still getting overwhelmed at the amount of stuff I have to yet to go thru. But, my motivation to clean out that room has been a bridal shower I am hosting at my home on November 7. I will finish that room by November 7 and it will be pristine and beautiful and magical and clean and empty. Mostly it will be empty. And that is what I look forward to at the end of the day.

I also have my computer to blame. It has pretty much said it's goodbyes, so I haven't read up on my celebrity gossip or my daily blogs. I feel like I am neglecting my blogger friends, but then I realize 'oh, they don't even know who I am' and then I don't feel so guilty. But, I do miss them. Mr. Bean and I decided we will buy me another computer, but I am going to be patient for this one. I am at the point that I just want to finish buying all my furniture and get it over with. So. I will wait.

Anyway. I have recently made a couple of things worth posting. I will post them when I get some decent pics, so you'll have to just wait. I figure the one reader I do have has probably seen it already, so I am in no hurry. :) But for now I will just say, it's not me. It's U-verse. :)

U-verse has changed my universe....and other news.

Sorry for the lack of posts. Mr. B finally kicked Comcast to the curb and signed us up for AT&T's U-verse. We got a free 37" TV from my work and against all sorts of marriage/design/sleep principles, we put it in our bedroom. And it is great. Mr. B also splurged and got us Showtime and Starz. For $5! So, we have pretty much been in honeymoon phase with U-verse and recording everything we possibly can and then some. God is good.

In other news, I finally got my Le Creuset dutch oven and she is a beauty.

The color is being discontinued, so the sale price even beat the price at the Le Crueset outlet by my house! Mr. B said I could get it since he knew I've been wanting it longer than I wanted him.

My first dish to make was Williams Sonoma's Poulet Nicoise. Williams Sonoma had a picture of it on their cover about a year ago and I have been drooling over it ever since. The dutch oven and the recipe. Mine came out looking exactly like the picture on the front cover. Here's the iPhone version. Trust me. In real life, it looked amazing.

As far as taste, it was okay. I read that if you did not put in enough tarragon that it would taste like chicken soup. And that is pretty much what I got. I'm not too familiar with tarragon, but I read that since it is very strong, use it sparingly. I didn't have fresh tarragon, so I bought dried tarragon and only put in half the amount called for in the recipe. Apparently, I cut back too much. But, I will give it another go another time. It is a lot of food for just me and Mr. Bean to eat, so maybe sometime when we have company over.

That's all I got for now. There is an insane thunderstorm outside complete with wind, crazy thunder and lightening, and now hail. The electricity keeps going off and Freddie is actually pretty scared. So, I am signing off.

TODAY

Since I've seen this on about 50 of the blogs I read, I figured I'd participate...

Outside my window... Freddie is hoping to see a cat.

I am thinking... that I need to finish packing.

I am thankful for... air conditioning.

From the kitchen... nothing, nothing, nothing! My MIL made me some fish curry for my birthday and Mr. B is bringing me home some leftovers from his dinner with his coworkers.

I am wearing... a house dress my MIL gave me from India. The most comfortable thing I own right now.

I am creating... a dress. Almost done if I could finish packing. And get off the computer.

I am going... to IOWA!!!!

I am reading... Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven.

I am hoping... to get to bed at a decent hour.

I am hearing... Seinfeld in the background.

Around the house... NOTHING!! I had to clean like a mo' fo' because we are having company tonight.

One of my favorite things... Fish curry. And vacation. :)

A few plans for the rest of the week... Hang out with my sister and BIL and Mr. B. Reading. Shopping. Eating. Relaxing. Boat time. And definitely a lot of laughing. :)