The Machine Chronicles: Part I

At this point, if you have been reading along, You'll know I love to quilt. This last Monday I finally cracked my machine out of storage to start on my 1001 Peeps Summer Camp projects, I was incredibly excited to break out my fabric and machine and have at it. I sewed into the first block of fabrics when suddenly, as I was trying to backstitch, my machine would no longer go forward. THE HORROR, my machine was stuck in reverse. Needless to say this resulted in frustration to begin with, anger next, and tears last. Plus, I think I bruised my hand on my VERY sturdy machine casing. (My baby not being one of those plastic things, It is an extremely brawny metal Husqvarna Viking.) It is currently in time out at my house, not being used, while I sew on my moms Selectronic. Hopefully I will get it fully up and running soon. :)

Sew. A needle pulling thread!

Ah, the smell of fresh fabric in the morning! I love fabric, all kinds of fabric. But mostly I love quilting fabric. I have taken to quilting like a child to its favorite toy, I pick it up, put it down, run around and scream a little and when someone tries to take it...well, you get the picture. With the move this last week I have hardly had time to string a full sentence together, much less break out my sewing machine and rev it up. (Have I mentioned I have a deep and abiding love for that small, but heavy, piece of machinery?) BUT the time will come this next week where I will be able to do so! I am participating in the Lizzy House 1001 Peeps Summer Camp EXTRAVAGANZA! You can see the nifty patch below.

(Did anyone else think of Troupe Beverly Hills there? Patches! We don't need no stinking PATCHES! *sigh* Love that movie). More about the summer camp...It is amazingly cool and I am super excited! I have missed several of the online projects during the move (thankfully they keep the patterns up for those of us who don't have the time to get it done on the actual schedule). Yes, it is an online summer camp! HOW COOL IS THAT?! Every week there is a project, with full instructions, hosted by a different blog. I will post the results of this summer camp as I get them finished. Wish me luck!

Peep Out! ;)

Living the good life...

One of my good friends is getting married, and I am so grateful that I can honestly say "Marriage is the best!" Today, I'm feeling all gushy and gooey inside over Zach, and our life together. It truly, honestly, is the best. We recently had our one year anniversary and I can't believe its been a year, it certainly doesn't feel like it. But, No matter how short a time it seems, in looking back over the past year I can see exactly how much we have grown as individuals and as a couple. We talk more, we certainly laugh more, and we love more. I thought, on my wedding day, that I couldn't possibly be any happier or more in love than I was right then. However, since that day, My love for Zach has grown exponentially. I am not saying that life is always easy, no way, but life is good none the less. We have learned new things about each other, new ways to approach problems, and when to walk away from an argument. Today is Zach's 23rd Birthday and I am so grateful for him and everything he has done for me, and I am looking forward to the next 60 years or so of birthdays, anniversaries and most of all Love.

Ribbons and Strings and all things Stitched

Over the last couple of months I have taken it upon myself to learn how to actually DO something. My mom (who is in my opinion the most accomplished person EVER) can sew, knit, crochet, and cook. My domestic skills are somewhat more...limited than hers...Meaning I have very few. As a project for christmas I decided I was going to learn how to crochet hair flowers, Which I am proud to say turned out quite nicely! I have also recently purchased a sewing machine, a Husqvarna Viking that may become my baby :), a Olfa Cutting Mat and Roller, and fabric enough to start a quilt top for Zach and I's bedroom. Its quite an undertaking and I don't think I have ever thought about the fact that there are so many small tasks that go into making a quilt. There is cutting the original length of fabric into small squares, matching them up into corresponding colors, marking the lines to sew on, sewing them together and then doing it again and again and again. However, It keeps me busy during my down time at work and I feel like I have definitely accomplished something at the end of the day! I will, eventually, post pics!

Giving Thanks and Many Blessings

Where to start? There are so many things I am grateful for this year, so many things I have been blessed with, and a couple of things that make me sad. I am grateful for my husband, who manages to put up with my crazy and can manage to love me around my steamer trunk, portmanteau, and the plethora of hatboxes that is my baggage. I am grateful for my mom and dad who love me and support me in my life choices. I am grateful for my sisters, who give me advice, break into song, and are my best friends. I am grateful that I was so blessed to have my grandpa at my wedding, but sad that he wasn't there at the dinner table today. I definitely missed him.

I had the opportunity to have some of my close friends over for dinner last night, and I am so thankful to have friends that I can rely on, who are good examples to me, and who are so much fun. I managed to pull together a spectacular pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner. Complete with homemade pies, stuffing, greenbean casserole, quiche, salad, and this wonderful slushy drink that zach makes. Oh, and of course the main course of any thanksgiving...THE TURKEY! It was Zach and I's first year doing our own turkey. It definitely turned out successfully. (Meaning I made zach deal with the dead animal. ;)


Again, I am so grateful for everything that I have, the family that I have been blessed with, and hope that all of you have had a marvelous Thanksgiving of your own!


Alex

Baby Boom...Not just a movie

So, Zach and I are newly married, happy, and busy living, and loving, together. I have to admit that I have had a lot of interesting questions posed to me since I got married. Not the least of which "Have you gotten sick of him yet?" "How well trained is he?" "How is the married life (insert eyebrow waggle here?", my answers are simple "Absolutely not, I'm surprised he hasn't gotten sick of me." "My husband is not a dog, so he doesn't usually respond to the command 'sit'" and "Its great. Thanks so much for asking."

But my FAVORITE question is this "When are you going to have a baby?". Usually at this question what I want to say, because I am a total smart alec, is "Never. We don't want kids." Now this is untrue, which is why I don't say it. Usually I smile and say "When we're ready. Right now we're just enjoying eachother." I am not saying in any way that those who choose to have kids right away are wrong, or that I think it is not a good idea for those people. It is just not right for me and zach right now.



Quite a few of the women my age, some I went to school with, some I grew up with, are having babies. It makes one have a feeling of being behind the times, but hey, I felt that when they were all married and I wasn't. So, to all those women, CONGRATULATIONS I am very happy for you, and maybe your kids can babysit mine, I pay well. :) As for me, Right now I am going to sit back and enjoy life with my hubby, sans a baby, and play with my two adorable little nephews who seriously rock my world.

Gleeful...

I am a musical JUNKIE. Which at times drives Zach not only up the wall, but around the corner and down the street. He takes this same trip when I get to the remote first. Just as an example this post is running commentary from a few evenings ago at our house.

I was sitting on the couch, happily chomping on my lettuce with spaghetti sauce (Hey, its awesome, don't judge it until you've tried it.) with the remote on my knee watching Glee. Zach was sitting over at the dining room table cleaning his Dads gun, the smell of the gun cleaner permeates the air so he is banished to the other side of the room because it makes me ill.

Zach: Honey, is that Journey?

Me: um...No. Its Glee, whats Journey?

Zach: (Gutteral sound of displeasure) I KNEW it wasn't journey...WHAT DID THEY DO TO IT?

Me: They made it all kinds of awesome. (Me humming along and more chomping on cruncy lettuce, which is the best kind. soggy lettuce is kind of gross and...well, soggy. BUT, I digress)

Zach: Right...(More gun cleaning)

Then a commercial came on, giving him the ILLUSION that it was all over. He put down the gun and came over to sit next to me. Which is one of my favorite evening pasttimes.

Zach: What are we watching?

Me: Glee still.

Zach: I need to clean my gun more....

I do feel bad that we have so few shows in common, but I am glad that he lets me watch my girly shows like Glee, and So you think you can dance, dance dance. He even will sit through them with me. In return I watch Warehouse 13 (syfy channel), Dr. Who (BBCA), and at times Eureka (syfy channel). Another show we can sit and happily watch together is Extreme Home Makeover. It has Manly house things for him, and I get the happy stories that make me cry. Plus, I like to look at pretty things. Anyways, Look for an update on our lives in the next couple of days.