Things that make me super happy

1.  Lists.  I could write a list of why I like lists, but I fear it might break my blog.

2.  Starting a knitting project.  Currently I’m making a striped sock. 

3.  Finishing a knitting project.  Notice I left out the middle portion.  

4.  Finding free sewing/knitting/crafting patterns online.  I print them and put them in a book to try out one day.  It’s my goal to do them all.

5.  Giving away sewing/knitting/crafting things.  This is why I’ll never make money with my handcrafted wares.

6.  When I make something for dinner and The Hubs says it’s really good.  It doesn’t happen often, sadly.

7.  Traveling on airplanes.  I’m about to do this next week.  With The Hubs.  Which makes it even more fun.

8.  The rare occassions I’m able to teach someone something. 

9.  When I find my blog name on a stranger’s blogroll. 

10.  Late night The Office reruns when I’m tired and everything is hilarious.  Last night, Hubs just stared at me for awhile as I laughed and laughed. 

11.  Listening to music that I know all the lyrics to and belting them away in my car.  Even more fun when my girls sing along with me.  Like this morning it was Paramore.

12.  When my children randomly come up and hug me.  Now that they’re older, they don’t do this very often.

13.  Teaching my daughter, Emma, to knit.  She likes it when we knit together.

14.  Foot rubs.  When I’m old and rich, I’m going to hire someone to rub my feet every night.  Hubs will be super happy about this.  I’m hoping whoever I hire looks like Tom Welling.  Hubs will not be super happy about that.

15.  Reading.  Such a nerdy thing and yet I love it so much.  I’ll stay up way too late to read. I’ll read at lunch, at the doctor’s office, on road trips, wherever.  Just started Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion.  It’s like the literary version of Dawson’s Creek but, it’s something to read.

16.  Going to the movies.  I’ll pay exhorbant prices to be entertained.  Kind of want to see Fame. 

17.  Playing card games with large groups of people.  Seriously, so much fun.  All my years of playing Solitaire have paid off.  Without paying me anything. 

18.  Getting packages in the mail.  Who doesn’t love this?  I found the secret to getting regular packages in the mail- I signed up for a website that sends me samples.  I have about 47 tampons.  They were free and I got to open lots of packages.  Win win. 

19.  Striking up conversations with strangers.  Like at Chick-fil-A, this woman at a nearby table spotted Catching Fire open on the table and we had a 20 minute conversation about the books and upcoming movie.  I wonder if I could be a politician in the making?  Hmm, I’ll bet once talk of my Edward doll came out, there’d be a scandal. 

20.  Fall.  Sweaters, cushy knitted socks, lap blankets, hot chai tea with Hubs, Pumpkin Cheesecake at Olive Garden, Pumpkin scented candles, turning leaves…come on.  It’s the best time of year.

21.  The smell of gasoline.  This does not mean “I get high by sniffing gasoline”.  Also good is scent of skunks.  Not like, on me.  Just driving through it. 

22.  Daisies.  They are basically weeds and they smell like a dog drooled on them, but I love them. 

23.  New fabric.  Sometimes a friend will find cool fabric and pop them in the mail to me and I love it.  It’s hard not to be a fabric hoarder.

24.  Tie-dye.  It’s not in style, but hello- have you looked at me?  I’d still wear it. 

25.  Clean stylish homes.  I wonder what that would feel like to live in a clean and stylish home?  I’ll bet there wouldn’t be hot pink silly putty ground into the carpet.

26.  My Dope Mixes of Beats.  That’s code for mixed CDs.  You’re all invited to send me your Dope Mix of Beats.  I need new music.  Unless you’re a country music fan.  I’ll just admire yours from afar.

27.  Musicals.  Like Singin in the Rain.  Or Glee. 

28.  Disney World.  Please, God, send me a vacation package to Disney World.  Love, Kearsie.

29.  Blistex.  I don’t go anywhere without my handy dandy tube of Blistex. 

30.  Blueberries.  Anything with blueberries. 

31.  Mountains.  I don’t want to climb them or ski them or anything.  I just like to look at them.

32.  Christmas lights.  Best place for Christmas lights – Opryland Hotel.

33.  Christmas Story.  Best Christmas movie ever.

34.  Wait.  I forgot about Elf.  Best Christmas movie ever also.

35.  Crazy dreams.  Like last night where I dreamed I plugged a bullethole in a man with a tampon.  I was half grossed out/half impressed with my creative nursing.  Then that one detective guy on CSI: Sexual Bad Stuff came out and asked me where I got the tampon.  Then I got really scared and wanted out of the dream.  But the blood had congealed in the bullethole and when they pulled it out the guy started freaking out and crying and then everyone was like WHY DID YOU PUT A TAMPON IN HIS BULLETHOLE?  Crazy, I tell you.

36.  My G-ma’s chicken and dumplings.  I try to make it using her recipe but I’m pretty sure she is magic in the kitchen.  Me, not so much.

37.  Sarcasm.  I’m a big fan of sarcasm.  Like, dumb bumper stickers that say stuff like “My kid beat up your honor roll student” or “Stupid people shouldn’t breed”.  Not nice, but funny.

38.  Haikus.  I sooo want this Tshirt.

39.  My iPhone.  With no innernets on the farm, this is what keeps me connected to the world.  Or at least to Bejeweled. 

40.  Chinese food.  I’m pretty sure I could eat it every.single.meal.

41.  Wait.  But I forgot about lasagne.

42.  Fine point pens. 

43.  Connecting with people.  Surfacy talk is fun, but it’s nice to go deep with someone too.

44.  Lunch with the Hubs.  It’s a rare occassion with we can dine sans kids.

45.  Use of the word “sans”.

46.  And “alas”.

47.  Old school movies like The Dark Crystal, Sixteen Candles, Airborn, and Mystery Date.

48.  New jeans.  I shall hunt for some today as my car poked a ginormous hole in the seat of my other new jeans.  Alas.

49.  The Perfect Cupboard Turkey and Cranberry sandwich.  Tis manna. 

50.  Finishing lists.

Happy Friday!

How to make a stick horse

To prepare for party favors for my oldest daughter’s Cow Girl birthday party, I made a stick horse. 

Here were my materials:

 

I used:

* Dowel rod (I used just under an 1 inch dowel rod, so it wouldn’t be flimsy.  You could also saw the handle off a broom.  I don’t have a saw or the motivation to hack away at a broom stick with a knife.  So I went with a dowel rod.)

* Sock (I chose white, because I’m boring that way.  Plus you can draw on white.)

* Polyfill or stuffing

*Red Twine (regular twine could work)

* Red ribbon (for the bridle and reins)

* Googley eyes

* Buttons (for decorations)

* Glue (I will use a glue gun instead of a bottle of glue at the party because HELLO it took forever to dry, even though it is called Quick Dry Glue.  If you’ve got time on your hands, though, this is a cheaper way to go)

* Yarn for hair

* Scissors (To cut stuff, you know.)

 

Ok, so step one:  Stuffing sock with polyfill.  Stuff head, er- foot of the sock, then insert dowel rod and continue stuffing around rod.  Be careful of dowel rod busting through the heel of the sock.  I stuffed to around mid-calf of the sock.  Then I secured the sock to the dowel rod with my red twine.

Step two: Adding eyes and bridle.  I did eyes first.  Because I wanted to place the bridle around the eyes so I needed those placed first.  I cut ribbon and placed it around nose and glued both to sock and the ends of the ribbon.  I cut another length of ribbon and placed above the eyes, what would be the forehead of the horse for top of the bridle.  Once again, glue ribbon to sock and then ends of ribbon.  Now wait an eon for it to dry if you used regular glue like me.  If you’re using a glue gun, you’re super smart but might have burned your fingers.  I’m having sympathy pains for you.

Step three: adding ribbon to make the reins.  Measure enough ribbon to have a set of reins.  Both ends of the ribbon should be glued starting at the nose section of the bridle and to the forehead section of the bridle. I also added some buttons to kind of hide all my glue and cut ends. 

Step four: the hair and mane of horse.  I just looped some yarn around my hands, cut both ends of the loops.  I zig zagged some glue lines along the top and heel of the sock and added the hair.  I also glued some of the hair to come down on the forehead just a bit. 

Aaaannd here’s the finished product.

My daughter plans on adding eyelashes, nostrils and a mouth with markers. 

Happy trails.

I got a pain.

I am not a sporty person.  My eyes glaze over when I hear that ESPN Sports Center ditty.  But it seems to me that athletes get hurt all the time, no matter what sport they play.

Tennis Elbow

Golfer’s Knee

Swimmer’s Ear

Broken ankles from gymnastics

Not to mention jammed fingers and thumbs from basketball and football

 

Sports work your body.  However, it’s not just sports that work your body.  Arts and crafts do as well.  Yes huh, they do too.  I’ll prove it.

Exhibit A:

 

This is my thumb, all corroded looking from holding knitting needles every spare second in my day.  Plus I wash my hands every few minutes to avoid The Swine so they are drier than um, really dry stuff.  Gross, I know.  I never claimed to be a hand model.

Exhibit B:

 

That, my friends, is what I refer to as “Knitter’s Knuckle”.  It is where the yarn rubs over the first knuckle of my finger.  It’s sore.  I know because I keep pressing it to see if it hurts.  It’s a weird compulsion.  I must press it. 

 

So knitting is now in league with basketball and it’s many injuries.  At least I won’t lose any teeth like in hockey.

The Giveaway Weiner!

The Random Number Generator has spoken and the winner of the Scrapbook Album and Set of Cards goes to…

*Drum roll*

#19! 

Misty, step right up, you’ve been selected as this giveaway’s winner!

Misty and me go way back, we were even roomies in college.  So I know she’ll love these!

 

 

Thanks again to Rhonda and Amie from A and R Design Studio for donating these awesome handcrafted items!

Craft A.D.D.

When I’m not plugging away at my computer at work or propped up on the couch with a book, I am a crafter.  I am not just a plain jane boring crafter though, I am a multiple craft crafter. I work best when I have at least three projects going at the same time. 

Right now at home, I have:

1) a baby quilt for Nikki half way done

2) 30 gagilion face/body scrubbies I’m knitting for the future and

3) my new craft choice, fabric yo-yos. 

 

I know.  My life screams adventure. 

 

For now, I’m attaching the fabric yo-yos to some hairbands.  Here’s some pics, for your viewing pleasure.

Fabric yo-yo hairbands

 

And because I know you’re all begging for a closeup, I shall oblige you.

 

Ok, so my life is a bit on the boring side.  At least I make pretty things.

I type with bleeding fingers

Well, not really.

My baby sister is having a baby.  That so sounds like an After School Special.  She might also yell at me for typing this. 

My sister is having a baby (her second) and she asked me to make some wall art for the baby’s room.  I had the crazy notion, once again, of busting out my wool sweater stash and going to town.  It didn’t turn out quite the way I imagined, but nothing ever does.  However, I am pleased with the results.  Would you care to see? 

First, let me explain what I’ve done, in case you can’t figure them out.  I took three art canvases and painted them (erm, they were supposed to be light pink and light green.  Haven’t a clue as to why they turned out peach and teal.  Help, Sean?)  Then, I cut out flowery petally thingies from the sweater and sewed them to the art canvas with embroidery floss, so the stitches would be big and glossy-like.  Hence, the bleeding fingers.  It is way hard to push a big fat needle through painted canvas.  I eventually had to use pliers.  I should have thought of that in the beginning, but a little torture is good for the soul.

Anyways, here they are.

One of the set of 3

 

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Two of set of 3

 

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Three of 3

 

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And so you can get a feel for the size and scope of them, here is one of them all together.  Try to ignore the fact they are propped up on my office chair.

All three

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They are meant to look imperfect and irregular.  That’s just the way I roll.

Well, Kammy Whammy, I hope you like them and that Mayer will learn to love art, so Aunt Kiki can have something to offer besides gum.

The post where I tell you how stellar I am at getting things done in a timely and professional manner

I know, you’re thinking, can you make that post name any longer, Kearsie?  Well, smart alecky blog reader, I’m sure I could if you really want me to go there.

Sorry.

I’m grouchy today.  It’s Monday, and I so do not want to be at work.  I’d much rather be curled up in my flannel jammies watching A Christmas Story or listening to Addie have imaginary soap operaesque conversations on her cell phone.  Alas, here I am. 

So, last year, around Christmas, I told my mother in law that I was going to make some new stockings for her house.  See, the stockings she had were just…paltry attempts at Christmas cheer.  They were drab and boring and I really hope she didn’t make them and is reading this because I will so be getting something terrible in mine. 

Anyways, so I said I was going to make her some that would reflect all our personalities.  (Just us adults, the kids get snowmen and junk.)  She agreed, and I got to work. 

My father in law is a cowboy.  Like, for real, there are cows surrounding our house and he’s as comfortable on a horse as I am on my couch.  He’s got a successful horse boarding and horse riding training business.  So, of course, I made him a cowboy boot.

Reitzel's Cowboy boot

 

Ok, so it’s not a perfect boot.  Dude, it’s way hard sewing leather, so just nod and let’s move along.

My mother in law is supa stylish and classy.  So, I made her a black satin high heeled boot.

Ginger's black boot

   

Once again, way hard sewing with satin.  But since love is in the details, I added a zipper.  Try to ignore the fact that she’ll be lucky if we can fit a pencil in there.   

My sister in law is always at the height of fashion.  She’s bold, she’s daring  and she makes me feel frumpy.  But I love her anyways so I made her an Ugg boot.  Which was popular last year and will most likely be on the “Do not wear unless you want to be thought of as unstylish and ugly” list soon.  Whatevah. 

Merriem's Ugg boot

There was white fuzz on me from head to toe, but I thought this was nice.  Details included gathered seam, just like on a real boot and giant poofy puff balls.  The fact that the poofy puff balls weigh the entire thing down and make the stocking fold over on itself is best left unmentioned.  You see how I had to prop them up on the window ledge?  I know, nice.

For my brother in law, Danny, I made a clown shoe.  Danny started writing not too long ago and is way too funny.  Seriously, we mustn’t tell him because he already has a hard time finding a hat to fit his huge head.  Just kidding, except for the freakishly large head.  Haha, Danny, I know you’re reading this.  You may spike my fruit tea but maybe I made your assistant, Laurie laugh and that’ll make three weeks in the hospital worth it. 

Danny's clown shoe

 *Shudder*…sorry, I was having It flashbacks.  “Oh yes Georgie, they float.  They all float down here”… *shudder*.

So, then it was just down to me and Lance.  All year long, I would remember that I had to work on them. 

March 18th:  Hmm, what to do for me and Lance.  Oh, I’ve got 9 months, who cares?

August 3:  Dude, what should I make for me and Lance?  Psh, I’ve still got time.

October 29:  Dang, I really need to figure this out.  I’ll get right on that.

November 30:  Crap, WHAT SHOULD I DO FOR ME AND LANCE?  MUST MAKE THEM NOW.

December 21:  Sigh.  I just don’t care.  My fingers are bleeding from all the knitting I’ve done and I cannot bring myself to think of another crafty thing.

 

So this is what we have:

Stockings for me and Lance

You know what?  I think that reflects our personality perfectly.

How to make a hooded towel

(#2 in the series started a bazillion posts ago)

A few years ago, a friend of mine made my two girls some hooded towels.  They were so cute and looked so easy that I began to make them for folks as baby gifts.  I thought I’d spell out how to make them, they make great Christmas gifts.  

 

Your supplies:

 

Towel, washcloth, needle, thread and decorations (optional)

So, you see you’ll need a towel, a washcloth, a needle and some thread.  Decorations like buttons or ribbon are optional.  I always say love is in the details, so I’ll show you how to add those, too. 

 

First, add your decoration on the washcloth.  You’ll be folding the washcloth so keep that in mind.  I chose rick rack for this project, because I liked the color.  You can do ribbon as well.  Cut your ribbon/rick rack or whatever leaving about a 1/2 inch extra on each side.  I suggest this because you don’t want to sew it and realize there’s not enough.  I don’t want to make you cuss.

 

Using my lap as a display for this project = not such a good idea.

So, now that the ribbon or whatever is ready to be sewn, sew it.  I hand sewed it, but you ambitious and talented folks can use your machine instead.  Me and my machine = don’t play well together.  Besides, rick rack is butt hard to sew on a machine.  Just sayin.

 

How can a hand look so fat? That's my question.

Sew, sew, sew. Also, it’s way hard to photograph yourself sewing.

 

Washcloth embellished adequately.

I added some buttons, because I like to guild the lily.  So now, you’re going to fold the washcloth in on itself with the ribbons and junk on the inside, like this:

 

Fold the washcloth. Also, I'm watching Reign of Fire in the background. Just sayin.

Ok, so now you sew the side that is opposite from the ribbons and junk.  Just a simple stitch.  I always double up my thread so it’s supa strong stitched.  

Here’s the finished hood:

 

Ready to be attached to the towel. Still watching Reign of Fire.

Get your towel and fold it in half.  That is where you will pin the hood to the towel, using your newly sewn crease and the fold of the towel.  You’re just centering.  You may need to check this a couple of times to make sure you’re not doing this off centered.  Check, lest you cuss.  Pin the hood across the center of the towel.  You’re now ready to sew.

 

Dude, it's virtually impossible to do this one handed.

Sew, sew, sew.  Now that your hood is attached, wash and use.  

 

Here’s Addie modeling this towel:

 

Addie, future model.

This sized towel is good for little kiddos.  Emma, my 7 year old needed a larger towel, so I made one using a hand towel instead of a washcloth.  Same concept, just lots more sewing.  

 

Here’s Emma:

 

I said "Smile!" Emma heard "Look like you just sucked a lemon!"

So, hooded towels, easy peasy mac & cheesy.  Enjoy!