After months of anticipation, my hubby and I are off to NYC tomorrow to embark on a week-long cruise. It should be fun! We’re looking forward to having time together with no computers, no TV, no projects, no work!
The Swatch My Hubby Gave Me for Graduation
I hope the trip restores my energy and gets my creative juices flowing for sewing projects when I return!
Categories: Ramblings
Three years. Twelve classes. (Two statistics classes included!) Nine semesters.
The time has come. I have finished my grad program!!!
Some Crazy Boy Decorating! What Would Martha Think?
Thanks to my super sweetheart husband, we celebrated in good fashion last night when I returned home from my class.
With cake. Champagne. Presents. Streamers. And Balloons!
On Saturday we’re off to celebrate in high style with a cruise from New York to Canada. Yay!
Categories: Ramblings
In an effort to de-fur my house, I decided to sew up some cat beds to coordinate with our living room and bedroom (the places where the cats spend the most time). I wanted the cat beds to look nice in the rooms and coordinate well with orange fur, which is why I made them instead of running to the nearest pet store.
Napoleon Showing Off the New Cat Bed
I followed a pattern found on the Pretty Little Things blog. It was super easy to put the beds together (each one took about an hour). While there has been only one cat sighting in the bed so far, I am sure these will become beloved in no time.
Napoleon in the Cat Bed
The Downstairs Cat Bed
Last weekend, Napoleon and Abe were having a bonding moment. Despite the fact that their two personalities are very different, sometimes I catch them doing cute things like this.
Napoleon and Abe
In other news, the tide is changing around here. I am wrapping up my graduate program this week, with my last class (ever!) on Monday. All that is left is a take-home final and word that I passed my comprehensive exam (fingers crossed!). I have been feeling a bit at a loss with graduate school coming to an end since I’ve been working toward my degree since fall 2006.
Despite my mixed feelings about the coming change, finishing school is going to free me of lots of obligation. This means I’ll have more time (and money) to travel, sew, volunteer, and figure out what I want to do with my life. To celebrate my achievement Steve and I are heading on a cruise to Canada on August 1. I can’t wait!
Categories: Ramblings
Though I haven’t completely finished the color wheel quilt yet (I’ve quilted eight of twenty six lines), I can’t help but begin cutting out pieces of fabric for new projects. I like the idea of never running out of projects. Besides, it’s time I start thinking about a busy fall birthday season and the winter holidays. I need lots of time to prep my projects, and there’s nothing wrong with getting a few out of the gate before the summer humidity ends!
Some Amy Butler Daisy Chain Fabrics
I am working on a few Amy Butler patterns from her new quilting software and, to pay homage to her, I decided to buy fabrics from her Daisy Chain line for my pilot project. I absolutely adore these beautiful blue, green, and gray fabrics! I don’t think I’ve done an all Amy Butler fabric project before, so I am excited to see all of her prints come together for a design.
Steve With His Cartoonishly Sized Beer in Brooklyn in May
I wanted to give a shout out to my baby brother who turned 21 yesterday. While I can’t believe that my little bro has grown up so much, I am so excited that he can join the ranks of the “of age” folks. I am sure we’ll have many good times together in sports bars and at cultural events slugging a few cold ones back.
I also have to give him a shout out for his drive to get in super good shape and lose weight lately. Both he and my husband Steve have been work horses for the last few months and have dropped some significant extra weight. With their inspiration I am back to hitting the gym.
I’ve been in a crabby mood this week, which is a bit unusual because I generally see everything as the glass half full. But I hope to have a restful summer weekend, complete with a screening of the new Harry Potter, watching the British Open final round, and finishing up some big sewing projects. I hope to snap out of my black cloud by weekend’s end!
Categories: Ramblings
I haven’t had the best week, if only because my week-long vacation is still two and a half weeks away and I am in desperate need of some adventure and perspective. However, before I leave for vacation, I am hoping to wrap up my color wheel quilt, which has been in the works since April.
I finished piecing the quilt on Sunday and sewed the backing today (I am still not sure what I think about it, so I am going to sleep on it and resume the project tomorrow). I hope to begin quilting Friday and (maybe?) finish by the end of the weekend. It’s good to be optimistic about something, right?
I am very happy with this project because it’s the first quilt project where I am going about the process in the traditional sense (measuring and cutting carefully, quilting [vs. tying] and binding). Once I have this baby under my belt I’ll feel very accomplished.
I have the most amazing husband. After I returned from my three-hour comprehensive exam for graduate school yesterday afternoon, Steve gave me a present to commemorate the comps being over: Amy Butler sheets!
Amy Butler''s Modena Collection!
Steve loves that I get excited about certain designers and other specific things because he’s the type that loves a challenge. And, believe me, his story about acquiring the Amy Butler sheets is amazing! Not only are these not in stock yet at every Bed, Bath, and Beyond in the country, he has been scouting out how to get these for some time.
Steve ended up buying this set at the BB&B in Wilmington, Delaware, as the brand is being released at specific stores prior to the official release date nationwide. Apparently, this store was the only one to carry them so far, and Steve just happened to be on the ball last week when they came out and drove down I-95 to get them. Thanks sweetie!
We’re going to wash them and put them on our bed later today. I am really looking forward to the 400-thread-count and organic qualities the bedding has. I also love the look of the Modena design, it’s a great match for our bedroom.
In related Amy news, now that comps are over I am ready to start sewing up a storm again! I can’t wait to try out some of Amy’s patterns from her sewing software. Now that I am such an Amy junkie, I am uber excited to have gotten an autographed copy of her software at my local fabric store.
My Autographed Software
This Saturday marks a big moment: my comprehensive exam happens! In the afternoon, I will be taking a three-hour long exam that will culminate my MPA. I’ve been a studying zombie this week, so I’ll have to make sure to make the most of my post-exam euphoria next week!
Categories: Ramblings
Olivia's Glow-in-the-Dark Bracelets Make Great Art!
Loved this weekend. It was full of activities/eating/drinking/laughing. I even got so relaxed I am starting to prepare for my big exam on Saturday. Here are some highlights of the weekend:
Though I now live in the Philly area (and am very happy here), my heart will always belong to Boise, Idaho.
Design Sponge recently profiled my hometown and I thought the overview was great.
If you ever pass through The City of Trees on I-84, use this guide!