Graduation Day Part 1 (minus the snake)

(buffy reference, get it?)

I graduated from college!

We threw a party to celebrate, and the next day as I was searching around the house for randomly placed cornbread muffins (I was finding them everywhere) and Mr. Heller was picking up bottles and empty chili bowls, I turned to him and said, "We throw a good party."  Mr. Heller looked at me and replied:

"We have good friends, that's what makes our parties good."

The man speaks only the truth.  Believe me.

Pinterest has nothing on my friends and family. They inspire me every day.  Now that my college adventure is over, I have been going crazy trying to plan out a new set of lofty goals to accomplish with my time here on Planet Earth.  So, naturally, I turned to my friends for direction to new endeavors. 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Thank you to everyone that came over last week.  It meant a lot to me!

What do YOU want to be or do or experience in your life that you havent yet?

My Favorite Etsies

I love shopping online, especially at places like Etsy. When I'm bored, I hit up the site and type in words like "jedi" and "monsters" and "rainbows"  and then stare wide-eyed at the screen, salivating over other people's creativity. It's the greatest time-killer...I mean...it's so inspiring!

I've got some friends that make really awesome accessories.  When I went through their shops to capture my favorite items to make collages, it got way out of hand.  There are too many cute things!  I'm not the greatest at describing or reviewing, so I picked out a few of my favorite items in their shops to entice you- but click on the links and take a look at everything!

Juicy Lucy sells handmade Rockabilly, Psychobilly, Kustom Kulture and tattoo inspired earrings, necklaces, rings, and hair flowers.  I lovelovelove the glittery brass knuckles. Use code SUNSHINE2012 for 25% off everything in the store!

Cute and Creepy sells handmade hair accessories.  The range between cute and creepy is phenomenal, there is definitely something for everyone.  My favorite barrettes above are just a small fraction of the selection the store carries. She's offering 20% off for Cyber Monday with code CYBER20 - Check out the skeleton hand hair clips!  

If you're looking for something to make this season, I recommend the cute needlepoint kits at Modern Needleworks.  I dont know this shop's owner, but the kit comes with everything you need and the directions are really easy to follow.  You can also order the patterns separately.  I have ordered a few of the smaller kits from this Etsy store and everything arrived fast and in good condition. One day I am totally making a pillow!

Sunshine and Carousels makes my favorite headbands ever- I just bought the pink chevron headband and it is *awesome*.  (her blog is my favorite place for my holiday mocktail recipes)

I've posted pictures of my Arian Armstrong prints, and she just added some very sweet little gift tag PDF's to purchase and print out.

I know I didnt post any gift ideas for boys.  I should rename this post "places where I want you to buy me things for Christmas."  

Here's some boy-friendly plushies made by someone here in Colorado and some rad shirts and messenger bags that are screenprinted by CrawlSpace Studios, another local shop. (the selection for chicks is also rad)

I hope everyone makes an effort to by something handmade this year!  

Nov. 17th, 2007

Five years ago today, Scott Heller and I got married.  Five hours after we said our vows, I accidentally slammed his head in a door in our hotel room.

There was a bunch of people in it and I wanted to change out of my dress!  Right when I pushed the heavy, bulky door that separated the sitting area from the bedroom of the bridal suite closed, Mr. Heller turned around to come help me- and then CRACK!!

As he stood there surrounded by the wedding party, grabbing his head in his hands and saying "I'm good, I'm good!" over and over again- I wondered if this was going to be a metaphor for our life together... :)

This photograph is one of my favorites.  It was taken just a little bit after I slammed his head in the door.  That silly look on his face isn't because I gave him a concussion, its because he's a *little* drunk- but he wasn't drunk when we got married, just after.  That doesn't sound good either-  you know what I mean!  

I bought these prints by Arian Armstrong a few years ago.  I used to look at them on Etsy and think about what kind of lovely, heartwarming story the pictures were telling- a couple separated but still connected-I didnt think that when Mr. Heller put them on the wall last year, our lives would start to mimmick the pictures. As we speak, he is on the east coast, helping people in New Jersey make insurance claims on their homes.  

Life is full of change and it is definitely an adventure- and I'm thankful that Mr. Heller wants to have that adventure with me- and no matter how much our life changes, I still have a really big crush on him.

Pre-Holiday Craftiness

                                                  

I have been busy the past few weeks, so there's a little photo-montage summary. I didn't mean to neglect the blog, but sometimes life is crazy.

My brother in law is getting married early next spring and my future sister in law came up with the cutest idea for boutonnieres- so it was button-making night last week- super fun!

I know everyone goes crazy when stores start stocking Christmas stuff in October/November, but for the holiday crafter, I think its helpful to get a plan going a few months in advance.  I am going to make a kick ass Christmas quilt and if I want to have it done BEFORE Christmas, (because its not a present, its a usable decoration) I probably should have started it two weeks ago.  Anyway, fabric is getting washed and cut this week, so that is exciting!!

Also, I'm just letting everyone know that Sweetwater is currently in the middle of their annual Twelve Days of Christmas project showcase.  I lovelovelove this Fort Morgan-based business.  The fabric lines they create have an emphasis on fonts that is rare and very well done.  The quilt patterns are sweet and beautiful.  Every year they showcase twelve holiday projects and then sell the patterns, and in many cases the packaged supply kits, for each project in their etsy store.  Every year I get a holiday project from them and I am always, always overjoyed with it.   

The mailman brought me my Sweetwater package while it was snowing like crazy out, so it really got me in the holiday mood.  I can not WAIT to start these!!  

Since it snowed all day Saturday, I finished some pretty playmats!!  These ones are my new favorites!

What are your holiday craft plans?

Bugs and Frogs

This was my favorite.project.ever.

The same day my friends found out they were having a boy, I found this awesome bug-themed fabric.  It was like it was meant to be. (that white stuff on it is chalk, in case you were wondering)

I used the"Charm Squares Baby Quilt" pattern from Elizabeth Hartman's website, Oh, Fransson!  I lovelovelove Elizabeth Hartman's quilts.  I read her blog all the time, I buy her books and I watch her classes on Craftsy.  Her patterns and projects are very well designed- the instructions are easy to understand and the pictures are always really helpful.   

I only machine quilted the solid parts so the back would be interesting.  The binding was, of course, a challenge.  First, I made it brown.  Then I adjusted the seam allowance without changing the fabric strip size- THEN I decided to machine sew the binding. So, when I tried to wrap the binding around to the back of the fabric and "stitch in the ditch",  I missed huge sections of the binding on the blind side (bottom) of the blanket because it -surprise- didn't reach.  At least I ended up hating the brown binding, so ripping it out didn't make me feel like a huge failure.

The seam ripper and I, we're good friends.

No problem!  I fixed it.  Made it better.  Decided on yellow binding and cut the strips larger so all the binding wrapped nicely around the blanket.  I know there is a little more over-hang than most quilters like, but for me, well, I like it.

So do the parents- but what really made me feel like I rocked it was that their two year old wouldn't stop playing with it. 

I spent yesterday afternoon wandering around the Brass Armadillo.  I like to go by myself every now and again, it's like a little therapy/me time/style-and-craft inspiration.  The oldies they play are fantastic and I lovelovelove looking at the old quilts for sale......and I collect cute glassware and tiered serving trays.  I don't actually use them yet, but I have a cute stash going just in case I start having craft nights or something.  Here's today's retail therapy:

You NEVER know when you are going to need a pink tiered serving tray.

These say to me, "Cider and stitch'n bitch on a cold, autumn night"  Do you see it?

Have a great week!

Cuddly Little Pieces

I've been trying to finish up some blankets and playmats this week.  Washing, drying, cutting, ironing- I've been making all the little pieces, which will now wait in line to be made into adorable, soft, fun blankies.

I am working with minky fabric for the first time ever.  If you have any tips, I'd appreciate it. 

I finished a playmat-I really love this one!!  I was pretty sick earlier this week and somehow managed to mess up my sleep schedule, so my husband and I stayed up late on Friday and watched scary movies while I did a little hand sewing on the corners of this mat.  

You know that scene in all slasher movies where the chick with the large...bosom...thinks she's escaped her stalker and is walking slowly down a dark and quiet hallway....listening for the silence that would confirm her safety....until....wait for it.....BAM! 

Grabbed, stabbed, bloody...uh....mess.

This is where I jumped and then stabbed myself with my sewing needle.  I didn't bleed on the mat, but I learned a valuable lesson about what not to watch while hand sewing.

I thought I was going to knock out a bunch of playmats this week, but I became obsessed with finishing a baby quilt for my friend.  It turned out so flipping cute, but you'll have to wait until next week to see pictures of it.

After I finish a few more mats I am going to take the good ol' sewing machine in for a well deserved tune up...then I am going to make something for myself!! What could it be?  Here's a hint:

Is that a vintage-inspired, Christmas-themed fat quarter bundle?   

YES.