they're legs
Amazing art from the Netherlands.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
show me your bootie...
...and I'll show you mine. I used a tiny portion of the fabric mentioned in the previous post to make these warm little shoes for Avery this weekend.
I used the cutie bootie pattern from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones. I don't usually work from real patterns so it took me longer to read through the instructions than to actually sew these together. I modified the pattern slightly by using a stiffer exterior fabric and therefore omitted the interfacing (plus I fused the fabric to the ironing board), waited until the end to fit the velcro pieces instead of midway through as suggested, and added the felt buttons to hide the velcro stitching. The ankle holes are a bit snug, and I've seen this complaint from other crafters on the internet, but I'm not sure if it's because I only allowed a quarter for the seam allowance instead of the half inch suggested. It's one piece of fabric that wraps around and attached to the soles. It does suggest slip stitching the sole lining in to cover the raw edges, which I had never done before, and am very proud of their tidy interior.
Now for the matching jacket...
...and I'll show you mine. I used a tiny portion of the fabric mentioned in the previous post to make these warm little shoes for Avery this weekend.
I used the cutie bootie pattern from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones. I don't usually work from real patterns so it took me longer to read through the instructions than to actually sew these together. I modified the pattern slightly by using a stiffer exterior fabric and therefore omitted the interfacing (plus I fused the fabric to the ironing board), waited until the end to fit the velcro pieces instead of midway through as suggested, and added the felt buttons to hide the velcro stitching. The ankle holes are a bit snug, and I've seen this complaint from other crafters on the internet, but I'm not sure if it's because I only allowed a quarter for the seam allowance instead of the half inch suggested. It's one piece of fabric that wraps around and attached to the soles. It does suggest slip stitching the sole lining in to cover the raw edges, which I had never done before, and am very proud of their tidy interior.
Now for the matching jacket...
Monday, January 26, 2009
spending hiatus - week two
Wants last week:
New fabric
Andrew Bird's latest album
A cradle toy for Avery
Dance lessons
Purchases:
Fabric store: $27 on some great material in which I can hopefully use to make more money
Thrift store: $7 - $3 on a robot clock for Henry (do gifts for other people's children count?) and $4 for some little stuffed animals for Avery.
BabiesRUs: we used a gift card, but did find the cradle toy there on sale...so does this count?
I convinced Bobby to buy the Andrew Bird album with an iTunes gift card he already had.
Total money spent: $34
* I brought coffee to work every day last week, so therefore saved $10. We had to skip the salsa lessons b/c $90 just wasn't in our budget and Bobby didn't seem too excited about them.
Wants last week:
New fabric
Andrew Bird's latest album
A cradle toy for Avery
Dance lessons
Purchases:
Fabric store: $27 on some great material in which I can hopefully use to make more money
Thrift store: $7 - $3 on a robot clock for Henry (do gifts for other people's children count?) and $4 for some little stuffed animals for Avery.
BabiesRUs: we used a gift card, but did find the cradle toy there on sale...so does this count?
I convinced Bobby to buy the Andrew Bird album with an iTunes gift card he already had.
Total money spent: $34
* I brought coffee to work every day last week, so therefore saved $10. We had to skip the salsa lessons b/c $90 just wasn't in our budget and Bobby didn't seem too excited about them.
Monday, January 19, 2009
hey mambo!
I attended The Mambo Room open house on Saturday. It's a dance studio specializing in, as you can easily guess, latin dance. For five dollars, one was able to sample some of their classes for 4 hours (each class was condensed to 1/2 an hour). My coworker Erin met me up there - we had no idea what to expect - and we fully enjoyed making fools of ourselves for three hours.
The first class offered was hip-hop. When I tell people this, the first thing that comes of their mouth is "you? hip-hop? HA!" Yeah, I don't know why. The green velour track suit and the matching green asics should have given me some credibility, right?
After 15 minutes, I was sweating so hard I had to shed the jacket and roll up the tshirt sleeves. Thought about rolling up the velour (not the most breathable fabric by the way) pant legs, but didn't think I should subject the other dancers to the wooly winter legs underneath. Somehow I managed to wind up front and center, which would have been cool if I hadn't looked like a lanky ballerina imitating Britney Spears. But if the class was offered on the weekends, I would so totally take it.
The next class was Zumba, which is like meringue on speed. The teacher was a tiny woman who's hips moved so fast, I could barely do one hip thrust for her every four. "Mira, mira!" she'd exclaim, which is basically all I could do, as I thought I was on the verge of passing out and hitting my head on the mirror.
By the time I could catch my breath, the class switched to Delirio (sort of an afro-latin fusion) and another petite adrenalin-filled woman bounced onto the floor inviting us to imitate her moves. This class was my favorite because the movements were so fast that I didn't have time to feel self-conscious. Everyone looked goofy jumping around and it was fabulous!
The next two classes were in salsa and bachata. There were twice as many women as men, so we rotated partners, which would have been fine had I not been matched with the most uncoordinated man in the room. Poor guy.
We finished the day with an Afro-Cuban class and towards the end, were asked to form a circle in which pairs would take turns dancing in the middle. I managed to slink away before the teacher pulled me out.
So, to conclude, I had so much fun and realized how much I missed dancing. What was so great about this particular studio is that the emphasis is on having fun and less about technique (at least the fitness-style classes like hip-hop, delirio and zumba). The teacher would dance at the front and you would try your best to imitate. No complicated routines to memorize or combination to perform across the floor by yourself.
But, it's not cheap and you guys know I'm not spending anymore money. Today I figured out if I give up my $2 cups of coffee every day, then I can use that money guilt-free for one class a week. Yay! So, I'll keep you guys posted about my enrollment into the Delirio class offered on Saturdays. And if anyone wants to join me...
I attended The Mambo Room open house on Saturday. It's a dance studio specializing in, as you can easily guess, latin dance. For five dollars, one was able to sample some of their classes for 4 hours (each class was condensed to 1/2 an hour). My coworker Erin met me up there - we had no idea what to expect - and we fully enjoyed making fools of ourselves for three hours.
The first class offered was hip-hop. When I tell people this, the first thing that comes of their mouth is "you? hip-hop? HA!" Yeah, I don't know why. The green velour track suit and the matching green asics should have given me some credibility, right?
After 15 minutes, I was sweating so hard I had to shed the jacket and roll up the tshirt sleeves. Thought about rolling up the velour (not the most breathable fabric by the way) pant legs, but didn't think I should subject the other dancers to the wooly winter legs underneath. Somehow I managed to wind up front and center, which would have been cool if I hadn't looked like a lanky ballerina imitating Britney Spears. But if the class was offered on the weekends, I would so totally take it.
The next class was Zumba, which is like meringue on speed. The teacher was a tiny woman who's hips moved so fast, I could barely do one hip thrust for her every four. "Mira, mira!" she'd exclaim, which is basically all I could do, as I thought I was on the verge of passing out and hitting my head on the mirror.
By the time I could catch my breath, the class switched to Delirio (sort of an afro-latin fusion) and another petite adrenalin-filled woman bounced onto the floor inviting us to imitate her moves. This class was my favorite because the movements were so fast that I didn't have time to feel self-conscious. Everyone looked goofy jumping around and it was fabulous!
The next two classes were in salsa and bachata. There were twice as many women as men, so we rotated partners, which would have been fine had I not been matched with the most uncoordinated man in the room. Poor guy.
We finished the day with an Afro-Cuban class and towards the end, were asked to form a circle in which pairs would take turns dancing in the middle. I managed to slink away before the teacher pulled me out.
So, to conclude, I had so much fun and realized how much I missed dancing. What was so great about this particular studio is that the emphasis is on having fun and less about technique (at least the fitness-style classes like hip-hop, delirio and zumba). The teacher would dance at the front and you would try your best to imitate. No complicated routines to memorize or combination to perform across the floor by yourself.
But, it's not cheap and you guys know I'm not spending anymore money. Today I figured out if I give up my $2 cups of coffee every day, then I can use that money guilt-free for one class a week. Yay! So, I'll keep you guys posted about my enrollment into the Delirio class offered on Saturdays. And if anyone wants to join me...
Saturday, January 17, 2009
ridiculously cute
Since I'm no longer buying anything and Avery has enough socks, I feel comfortable in sharing these with you. Avery has some little Converse socks with real laces, but those Birkenstock socks are cracking me up.
I was a loyal Birkenstock wearer in high school. The Bostons, the Arizonas...in green, black, brown and sand. I considered my black birk clogs to be my "dress-up" shoes, so I wore them to a minimum to keep them clean. I parted with the last of them during my recent January purge, not that I had wore them for years, but I had previously had a hard time letting go. Sometimes it feels good to free yourself of attachments, like you can wholeheartedly embrace the present.
Since I'm no longer buying anything and Avery has enough socks, I feel comfortable in sharing these with you. Avery has some little Converse socks with real laces, but those Birkenstock socks are cracking me up.
I was a loyal Birkenstock wearer in high school. The Bostons, the Arizonas...in green, black, brown and sand. I considered my black birk clogs to be my "dress-up" shoes, so I wore them to a minimum to keep them clean. I parted with the last of them during my recent January purge, not that I had wore them for years, but I had previously had a hard time letting go. Sometimes it feels good to free yourself of attachments, like you can wholeheartedly embrace the present.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
january resolutions
Sometimes it takes publishing your resolutions online for one to actually feel like she's being held accountable. My resolution list is usually the same every year and I recently found this post documenting my resolutions from two years ago. Let's take a look, shall we?
Resolutions of 2007:
1. EXERCISE
This one remains on the list. If memory serves me correct, I joined Gold's Gym later that summer and it finally opened for business the following November. I worked out a few times a week until I found out I was pregnant in March 2008. I never went back and finally just recently canceled my membership after the one year contract expired.
I went for a postpartum diabetes check-up a week ago. I had to take another glucose tolerance test and wait for what seemed like an unbearably long two hours in the hard lobby chairs while my body processed the glucose solution. And guess what!? The blood test results put me in the classification of prediabetes, meaning if I don't drastically change my exercise and eating habits, I will develop type II diabetes. Fun, right?
So, I guess that's incentive enough to keep resolution #1.
2. EAT BETTER
This is an obvious keeper. Though I don't need to be as strict as when I was pregnant, I need to watch my sugar and starch intake. If only I had known what I know now over the holidays. I ate dessert with EVERY meal.
3. READ AT LEAST THIRTY MINUTES A DAY (BOOKS - NOT MAGAZINES)
Another keeper. I think I kept this resolution for a little while in 2007, but it should be easier now with another resolution I'm adding. Besides, I'm reading at least 30 minutes a day while pumping at work.
4. CURB MY SPENDING and REEVALUATE MY BUDGET
I made this resolution in 07 so I could save for a Canon Rebel XTi, which I purchased later that March. I still made many purchases I could have lived without.
Of course, with a newborn and many new expenses, I have to keep this resolution. And in order to track my spending habits, I've decided to participate in a group spending hiatus support group of sorts. Meaning, I'll bore you guys once a week with the details of my purchases. Want vs. Need, ya know?
My biggest weakness is finding something I like on sale. Even though I don't need it, I'll convince myself I need to purchase it anyway because the price is slashed. Doesn't make much sense.
5. SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMY
Hmm...I went to the Boot a couple of times - does that count? I still use Amazon and iTunes for most purchases. Sorry.
6. DRINK LESS
I think I still continued to consume a nightly glass of wine in 2007. This won't apply anymore since I've nearly given up drinking altogether. First pregnancy, then breastfeeding. I don't miss it. Plus, it'll help save money only if I could convince Bobby to stop buying wine, too.
7. I WILL TRY TO REMAIN MORE POSITIVE
Whatever. I like sarcasm, bitch.
8. I WILL DEVOTE MORE TIME TO ART
Um...no. I started painting again, but then got all involved with the Handmade Parade and most of my time was devoted to sewing owls in 2007. I don't have a studio anymore, so I'll see how this goes.
9. I WILL TRY TO CLEAN THE CAT BOX MORE
This has become Bobby's duty since the pregnancy and the toxoplasmosis risk. And since one of our cats had toxo in the past, this is something we take very seriously. So no, let's drop this resolution.
10. I WILL MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO APPEAR LESS SOCIALLY AWKWARD
I probably didn't keep this one nor do I really care anymore. Dropping this one, too.
11. I WILL STOP OBSESSING ABOUT MY HOUSE
Done. I still obsessed but now I can't afford to, so I'm happy with how it is. Drop this one.
12. I WILL STOP OBSESSING IN GENERAL.
What?
13. I WILL STOP TALKING/THINKING/DAYDREAMING ABOUT ACCOMPLISHING THE ACTIVITIES/TRAITS LISTED BELOW AND WILL PROACTIVELY WORK TOWARDS ACHIEVING THESE GOALS:
LIST OF THINGS TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED BY AGE THIRTY - THE NEXT 9 MONTHS:
1. Learn Spanish
Well, didn't happen. I want Avery to learn, so maybe we'll learn together.
2. Learn how to embroider and crochet well
Hmm...I can embroider well enough and have lost my desire to crochet.
3. Learn how to partner dance with my husband - and not thrash about rhythmically.
This didn't happen either, but we're taking a salsa bootcamp lesson in two weeks!
4. Update my portfolio, which means creating my own webpage. No template blog - the real deal.
Yeah, this didn't happen either. Where did the time go?
5. Update etsy account and sell mad product. Design skills=product=profit=Canon Rebel for moi.
I sold some items through etsy and made some extra spending money, but the whole process is kind of a pain in the ass.
---
So, what happened to 2008, you ask? I was pregnant and everything was out of whack. I consider it my "lost year." I spent alot of time watching American Idol and Dancing with the Stars to distract myself from getting sick, which leads me to the resolution addition.
I'M SWEARING OFF TV:
For real. Now that I'm back at work, I want every minute of my time spent with Avery to be mindful. One time when I was feeding him and staring at the tube, he sucked a bunch of milk up his nose. And oh, he looked so pitiful - snorting and carrying on. I am excluding DVDs though.
Okay, off we go!!
Sometimes it takes publishing your resolutions online for one to actually feel like she's being held accountable. My resolution list is usually the same every year and I recently found this post documenting my resolutions from two years ago. Let's take a look, shall we?
Resolutions of 2007:
1. EXERCISE
This one remains on the list. If memory serves me correct, I joined Gold's Gym later that summer and it finally opened for business the following November. I worked out a few times a week until I found out I was pregnant in March 2008. I never went back and finally just recently canceled my membership after the one year contract expired.
I went for a postpartum diabetes check-up a week ago. I had to take another glucose tolerance test and wait for what seemed like an unbearably long two hours in the hard lobby chairs while my body processed the glucose solution. And guess what!? The blood test results put me in the classification of prediabetes, meaning if I don't drastically change my exercise and eating habits, I will develop type II diabetes. Fun, right?
So, I guess that's incentive enough to keep resolution #1.
2. EAT BETTER
This is an obvious keeper. Though I don't need to be as strict as when I was pregnant, I need to watch my sugar and starch intake. If only I had known what I know now over the holidays. I ate dessert with EVERY meal.
3. READ AT LEAST THIRTY MINUTES A DAY (BOOKS - NOT MAGAZINES)
Another keeper. I think I kept this resolution for a little while in 2007, but it should be easier now with another resolution I'm adding. Besides, I'm reading at least 30 minutes a day while pumping at work.
4. CURB MY SPENDING and REEVALUATE MY BUDGET
I made this resolution in 07 so I could save for a Canon Rebel XTi, which I purchased later that March. I still made many purchases I could have lived without.
Of course, with a newborn and many new expenses, I have to keep this resolution. And in order to track my spending habits, I've decided to participate in a group spending hiatus support group of sorts. Meaning, I'll bore you guys once a week with the details of my purchases. Want vs. Need, ya know?
My biggest weakness is finding something I like on sale. Even though I don't need it, I'll convince myself I need to purchase it anyway because the price is slashed. Doesn't make much sense.
5. SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMY
Hmm...I went to the Boot a couple of times - does that count? I still use Amazon and iTunes for most purchases. Sorry.
6. DRINK LESS
I think I still continued to consume a nightly glass of wine in 2007. This won't apply anymore since I've nearly given up drinking altogether. First pregnancy, then breastfeeding. I don't miss it. Plus, it'll help save money only if I could convince Bobby to stop buying wine, too.
7. I WILL TRY TO REMAIN MORE POSITIVE
Whatever. I like sarcasm, bitch.
8. I WILL DEVOTE MORE TIME TO ART
Um...no. I started painting again, but then got all involved with the Handmade Parade and most of my time was devoted to sewing owls in 2007. I don't have a studio anymore, so I'll see how this goes.
9. I WILL TRY TO CLEAN THE CAT BOX MORE
This has become Bobby's duty since the pregnancy and the toxoplasmosis risk. And since one of our cats had toxo in the past, this is something we take very seriously. So no, let's drop this resolution.
10. I WILL MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO APPEAR LESS SOCIALLY AWKWARD
I probably didn't keep this one nor do I really care anymore. Dropping this one, too.
11. I WILL STOP OBSESSING ABOUT MY HOUSE
Done. I still obsessed but now I can't afford to, so I'm happy with how it is. Drop this one.
12. I WILL STOP OBSESSING IN GENERAL.
What?
13. I WILL STOP TALKING/THINKING/DAYDREAMING ABOUT ACCOMPLISHING THE ACTIVITIES/TRAITS LISTED BELOW AND WILL PROACTIVELY WORK TOWARDS ACHIEVING THESE GOALS:
LIST OF THINGS TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED BY AGE THIRTY - THE NEXT 9 MONTHS:
1. Learn Spanish
Well, didn't happen. I want Avery to learn, so maybe we'll learn together.
2. Learn how to embroider and crochet well
Hmm...I can embroider well enough and have lost my desire to crochet.
3. Learn how to partner dance with my husband - and not thrash about rhythmically.
This didn't happen either, but we're taking a salsa bootcamp lesson in two weeks!
4. Update my portfolio, which means creating my own webpage. No template blog - the real deal.
Yeah, this didn't happen either. Where did the time go?
5. Update etsy account and sell mad product. Design skills=product=profit=Canon Rebel for moi.
I sold some items through etsy and made some extra spending money, but the whole process is kind of a pain in the ass.
---
So, what happened to 2008, you ask? I was pregnant and everything was out of whack. I consider it my "lost year." I spent alot of time watching American Idol and Dancing with the Stars to distract myself from getting sick, which leads me to the resolution addition.
I'M SWEARING OFF TV:
For real. Now that I'm back at work, I want every minute of my time spent with Avery to be mindful. One time when I was feeding him and staring at the tube, he sucked a bunch of milk up his nose. And oh, he looked so pitiful - snorting and carrying on. I am excluding DVDs though.
Okay, off we go!!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thursday, January 01, 2009
handmade for the holidays
I avoided the stress of the malls by making most of my gifts this year. Everyone received/will receive one of these ornaments.
It was slightly time consuming, but I didn't have to purchase any materials.
And for Avery, since everyday since his baby shower in August has been Christmas, I made him a mobile. He loves the bird mobile hanging over his crib, so I thought he would really enjoy another simple mobile over his changing station. After making so many ornaments, I decided just to purchase these mobile adornments.
It cost $10 and took less than an hour to assemble.
I used:
2 embroidery hoops (just the inner hoops): $2 each
3 Martha Stewart ornaments from Kmart, purchased after Christmas at 50% off: $1.50 each
Amy Butler fabric tape purchased from Michaels: $2 on sale
embroidery thread: $1
And voila! He loves it.
I avoided the stress of the malls by making most of my gifts this year. Everyone received/will receive one of these ornaments.
It was slightly time consuming, but I didn't have to purchase any materials.
And for Avery, since everyday since his baby shower in August has been Christmas, I made him a mobile. He loves the bird mobile hanging over his crib, so I thought he would really enjoy another simple mobile over his changing station. After making so many ornaments, I decided just to purchase these mobile adornments.
It cost $10 and took less than an hour to assemble.
I used:
2 embroidery hoops (just the inner hoops): $2 each
3 Martha Stewart ornaments from Kmart, purchased after Christmas at 50% off: $1.50 each
Amy Butler fabric tape purchased from Michaels: $2 on sale
embroidery thread: $1
And voila! He loves it.
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