Craft Binge

I have always loved to craft.  Since I was a child, it has always been something that is very fun for me.  My mom used to be able to sit me at the kitchen table with some paper, scissors, glue, and probably some crayons, and I would be very occupied.  Because it is right before my last semester of college, I seem to have started about 5 projects in the past few days!!

I decided that in lieu of buying expensive graduation announcements, I would use scrapbook supplies that I already have, and make my own!  I love finding out about new crafts, and so I got on to trusty Google, and searched on how to make your own envelopes.  After reading a few tutorials, I was ready to go!!  I downsized my 12x12 pad of scrapbook paper in to 9x9 squares.  That is a lot of cutting (yay for cutting boards).  After that, I used a card that I already had (5x7), placed in the center, and started folding!  A little bit of clear tape, and they are ready to go!  I can't wait to start printing the announcements, labeling, and sending them out!! I love that every single person who gets one will have a different envelope!  How unique.

After catching up with an old neighbor (yay for facebook and blogs), I got the inspiration to make a quilt! Check Christine out at http://stitchniches.blogspot.com/! Don't ask me why....sewing is definitely not my forte.  I found really cute owl fabric at Hancocks, and decided to try it out! Here is a picture of the layout before I started to do any sewing.  I have decided to accept the fact that it will not be perfect AT ALL.  That is usually hard for me to do, I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to crafting....and every day life.  But I figure it is something new and exciting to try, and very different then knitting and crocheting!!  Right now I have groups of two, and I think I am going to start putting rows together.  Thank goodness for Google....so many tutorials out there to help you!!

Speaking of owls, I was searching through my favorite pattern website (Ravelry.com) and came across this baby hat that makes an owl!!! It is adorable!!!! Easy pattern so I thought I would try it out.  I have about half of the pieces, and hopefully I will be able to finish the other half and then start assembly!  Most people know, but I was in a sorority a while ago (Chi Omega) and our symbol is the owl.  That is where I started really liking owls, and even though I don't do anything with the sorority anymore or have any contact with members, I still enjoy the owl!  Can't wait to find a wonderful little girl to give this too.....all of my friends are having stinky boys!!  I'm crossing my fingers that I will have girls whenever I do have children....they will be little princesses!

One of my other favorite things to do lately is cook.  I finally have an amazing boyfriend who appreciates my cooking, and I try to make dinner for us most days a week!  I am a huge fan of Rachael Ray, and after Christmas I found some great sales on some of her cook wear!  I also love orange, so her stuff is right up my ally.  The two jars in the back are for olive oil and vinegar, then I got 4 bubble and broil bowls, and then a set of spatulas!  I am in love!  The other night I made dinner for Tim and I, and I made Chinese Chicken Lettuce wraps.  Very delicious, and I added a lot of veggies to the recipe I was following!  It was full of finely chopped red bell peppers, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, ginger, garlic, edamame, teriyaki sauce, and chicken!  Piled in to iceburg lettuce cups, they were a very delicious filling meal with no leftovers!

New Rachael Ray Gear!

Yum-O Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Bam and I with our gelato

Current flavors at Zaza's

Yesterday I got the pleasure of spending the whole day with my very good friend Amber!  We met a few years ago in our very challenging Microbiology class.  After struggling through that together, we became very close!!  We started off eating a delicious lunch at Zaza's up in the Heights.  Amber had some pepperoni pizza and I had a delicious Ham and Cheese Sandwhich (With Petit Jean Ham, field greens, fontina cheese, tomatoes, and dijonaise.....YUMMM).  After lunch we treated ourselves to some gelato which they hand make in the store.  Amber had mint chocolate chip and I had a blackberry mango sorbet type.  Our stomachs were very satisfied as we left.  After that we went over to this cute little paint-your-own-pottery shop called the Painted Pig (http://www.paintedpigstudio.com/).  I have been looking for some very cute measuring spoons after a tragedy in my kitchen back during Thanksgiving where I broke my tablespoon!!  These were perfect, and I picked the colors that I wanted to make them!!  The shop has this very cool paint called "fleckle" paint. When you are painting with it, it sort of feels like you are painting with sand.  But when they fire the pottery, those little sand bits turn in to tiny spots of color!!  The color of fleckle paint I used was called "paparazzi," and I picked the other colors based on the spots of color in that paint.  I can't wait to see how they turn out!!  I will get them in about a week and a half or so.  Go check out Amber's blog (http://asilvaslife.blogspot.com/) to see her beautiful "Happy Everything!" platter she painted, and the story behind it!

Well, back to crafting.  I have to take advantage of the three days I have left of free time before I have to start focusing on my last semester of college!!

Day two....

So, what should be a one day drive home has turned in to a three day drive!

Last night we stayed in Mobile, Alabama at a Holiday Inn....very nice!  We slept in till around 8 and then had to make a decision on what to do.  We looked at the weather and the road closures, and after talking to both sets of parents for about an hour we finally had a plan.  We were going to try and make it to Shreveport, but when we looked it up, all of the major roads in and around town were closed!! So...that wasn't going to work.  Then we started to look at the road conditions in Arkansas....and all of the roads going in to the state were closed (or completely ice and snow!).

SO....we made a super long drive from Mobile to Jackson, Mississippi.  A whole 5 hours in the car today!  That puts us at only 200 miles left to home, and hopefully we can slowly make our way home tomorrow.  We got in to Jackson at 2:30, and we both took a long nap.  I think all of this driving is wearing us out.  At about 5 we went out for dinner to the local Applebees....and then for dessert, Dairy Queen!  Now we are in our nice hotel room (at Staybridge Suites....so we have a cute little kitchenette and a couch!), and the football game it about to start!  Just enjoying our evening together.

Tim and I were talking about how wonderful this trip has turned out to be.  The majority of it has been unplanned and spontaneous.  For those of you who are close to me, you know how much I like to plan and be on time and know what is going on every minute of the day.  It has been so nice to just go with the flow and enjoy my time with Tim!!  We got to go to Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana without even planning on it!!  It has turned in to a tour of the southern states, and it has been so much fun.

So now, Tim is enjoying some football and I am about to curl up with my kindle (I'm reading The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest).  A great way to end the day.  Hopefully my next post will be from the comfort of my own home!

Blizzard 2011

So, due to the southern "Snowmagedon" of 2011, Tim and I left Savannah this morning a day early (after pressing the snooze button on the alarm from 6:30-8:30).  We decided that it would probably be best if we didn't go back the way we came (via Atlanta, Birmingham, and Memphis).  Looking at the weather now that was probably a wise choice since those cities are now getting snow!!  

So, we took the southern route down to Jacksonville, Fl, and we are currently in Mobile, Al.  We wanted to stop and eat some yummy food in Pensacola, but it seems to be closed for the winter, and there were no restaurants open!!  It was so wonderful seeing the ocean, however, and it was awesome putting up a picture on facebook to make all of our friends back home in the snow jealous!  After that, we continued on to Mobile! We got here just as the rain did, and we are glad we aren't still driving in this!!  Hopefully we can wait out the storm, and after a few hours of sunshine tomorrow the roads will be drive-able (and the crazies will all be at home!!).  Tomorrow we will head to Hattiesburg, Jackson, and then up to Arkansas.  Should be home in time for Tim to watch the National Championship football game (which I know nothing about....but I'm a very supportive girlfriend so I'm making sure we are home for that!!).  

Last night we went to a great restaurant named Rocks on the River, which was (shocking, I know) on the river!  It was GREAT food, and once again we both ate so much we were uncomfortable!!  We had delicious chili cheese fries that were piled high with chili and pulled pork BBQ, and deliciously flavored peel-and-eat shrimp for appetizers.  For our entrées, Tim and shrimp and grits and I had a yummy tomato-basil-olive oil shrimp linguine.  We ate way too much.  However, it was a great last night of our trip, and we had great company to share it with!!  I love Tim's cousins, and it will be nice to know someone when I move down there!  

So, for now we are warm and cozy in the Holiday Inn, and watching the Green Bay/Philadelphia game.  We might go down to the hotel restaurant a little later for some dinner.  I'm afraid to go anywhere else because I don't want to brave the weather!!

Hopefully my next update will be when I am safe and warm in my little condo back in Little Rock.  I am kind of wishing I had left the heat turned up a little higher when I left...I have a feeling its pretty chilly in there right now!!

Saturday on the Islands

Today Tim and I went exploring in Savannah.  We drove to the neighborhood where his Grandmother used to live.  It was really neat seeing where he used to stay when he came to visit and the park he used to play in!!  After that we headed to Tybee Island.  What a neat place.  We walked on the beach and sat on the pier for a while.  Then we had a delicious lunch at a place called Mexi-Cali.  Yummy Mexican food!!

After that we drove to Whitemarsh Island.  When I was here in November, I found an apartment complex that I really liked called Island Tree.  I was going to show Tim these, but as we drove by we saw another complex, called Colonial Grand at Hammocks, and decided to check them out!  I absolutely fell in love and wish I got to move in tomorrow!!  Here are some pictures:

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom

Master Closet (bigger than my current kitchen)

Master Shower/toilet

Washer and Dryer (comes with the unit!)

Guest Bedroom (probably will be an office/craft/yoga room!)

Guest Closet

Guest Bathroom

Very large living room (there is a fireplace too!)

Dining room, Tim is at the door to the deck

Kitchen (as big as my living room now!!)

Big pantry and breakfast nook!

Screened in deck! Keep those bugs out!

Private entrance, and up 6 feet in case of flooding!

This place is awesome, and it is about 10 minutes away from the hospital I will be working at!  There is a swimming pool, a nice big fitness center, tennis courts, two lakes, a 300 yard boardwalk access to the marsh, and they are BEAUTIFUL!!

Tonight we are going out to eat with Tim's cousins, should be great!!  This has been such a wonderful trip! I can't wait for everyone to come visit me here!

A note on the name

 un·ruf·fled Adjective   /ˌənˈrəfəld/

Synonyms:

• adjective: placid, calm, quiet, smooth, tranquil, peaceful, composed, imperturbable, still, cool, sedate,serene, undisturbed

• Not disordered or disarranged
  • the unruffled waters of the lake
• (of a person) Not agitated or disturbed; calm
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I chose this name because of the meaning.  It is what I want to be and what I am striving for every day.  I think it is a great word, and I will be naming my knitting/crochet business this.  
  
  
  
  
  Just wanted you to know.

Mission Possible!!

Well, we made it to Savannah at about 7:30 pm on Thursday night.  We got to the condo that we are staying it.  The owner of the house is this wonderful French lady named Claudia.  She showed us to our room, and it is wonderful!  After settling in, we walked across the street to this cute little pub called the Crystal Beer Parlor.  Even on a Thursday night at 8:30, we still had a 20 minute wait, so we knew the food was probably delicious!  We were right.  Tim and I shared crab cakes and fried shrimp, onion rings, and mashed potatoes!  Yummy.  Also, Tim tried a few of the local beers, he really liked them.  After that we just came back to our room and fell asleep--we were both exhausted from the drive!!

That brings us to Friday!  After sleeping in, we got up and I got ready for my interview.  Before Tim dropped me off at the hospital, we drove over to Whitemarsh Island (pronounced "Whit"marsh, I was corrected).  I showed him the Island Tree Apartments which is where I would like to live.  Super cute apartments with screened in porches, and a salt water pool, and tennis courts!  Its only about a 10 minute drive from the apartment complex to the hospital, where Tim dropped me off.  

When I got there I met with the director (Linda) and the manager (Palmer) of the respiratory department.  We talked briefly about what I wanted to do for my internship and then Linda had to go teach a CPR course. Palmer then took me around and showed me the hospital.  He is hilarious and couldn't figure out how (or why) I would move from Colorado to Arkansas...and now to Georgia!  He showed me the emergency room, the ICU's, and the neonatal ICU.  I got to meet a lot of the therapists that work there and Palmer kept telling everyone that I was going to be doing my internship there and then working there! After about an hour, Palmer got called to the operating room (to give a racemic epi treatment to someone who had been extubated and now had stridor.....).  Linda wasn't going to be done with her CPR course for another hour, so I had Tim come pick me up.  

We went to a place called Ta Ca which is a yummy Japanese place.  We ate way too much food (a theme on this trip) and we went back to our condo for a nap.  I had plans to go back to the hospital to meet with Linda again at 3.

When I went back, we started talking about the job.  She told me she really was excited that I was coming for my internship and that I would definitely be able to work while I am here and then move into a full time position after graduation.  So, I will be working part time, probably only two days a week, while I am here for my internship (I will be in the internship 3 days a week....so I will be doing 5 12hour shifts per week total).  I couldn't be more excited!! For my internship I will be doing half of it in the adult cardiovascular ICU and the other have in the neonatal ICU/labor and delivery!! I am so excited about this.  They have slightly different equipment than what I have been trained on, but a lot of stuff that I already know all about and have been using clinically since the start of the program.  

After the interview, I came back to the condo and we got ready to go walk around.  We are staying right downtown (the Historic District) and so you can walk anywhere.  We walked to City Market (for my Colorado friends, think Pearl Street in Boulder) where we were going to meet Tim's cousin, Caitlin.  After we met up with her we went to this wonderful Italian place called Corleone's.  All three of us were stuffed by the time we left! She kindly drove us back to our condo and both Tim and I went right to sleep.  

What a great start to the weekend!   

Savannah bound!!

Well, I'm on my way to Savannah!

Tim and I left Little Rock at six this morning...bright (well actually very dark) and early! The trip has been really easy so far. It's about 13 hours total so we should get there at about 8 tonight. We booked a cute little apartment right in downtown Savannah for our stay! We used VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) to find this place and it was such a great deal we couldn't pass it up! I highly suggest using this for vacations! Gives a much more unique travel experience compared to just staying at a hotel. And previous renters can comment so you can see what other people thought about their stay.

Well- tomorrow is the day I've been waiting for!! I'm meeting with the director of the Respiratory Care department at Memorial University Hospital in Savannah. This is where I'll be doing my senior internship this spring. We will be talking about my internship and who I will be with/what dates I will be there. She will also show me around! What I'm really excited about is the fact that we will be talking about a job for me!! We will discuss me working during my internship and after graduation!!

I am very excited about this because it means graduation is very close!! On December 22 I took (and passed!!!) my certified respiratory therapist exam. That means I am eligible to work!! In March I will take my registered respiratory therapist exam and then start my internship! And- May 20, 2011 I will be a college graduate! What a big step in my life!