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!!