Honey badger winter attire

It's 8:08 AM, 31 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm pretty sure yesterday at this time, it was 6 degrees. This is what we call, in a New England winter, a "heat wave." Bahah. But no, seriously. And it is supposed to get all the way up to almost 35 degrees. This is significant, considering the last at least two days have not gotten above 23 degrees.
This may sound like a bunch of crap that doesn't matter, but I have a point I swear. I have a Pose account and the app on my phone, which is basically just an app that you can "pose" a picture of yourself wearing something snazzy or whatever, and be able to tag where the stuff is from. It's like a little fashion community. Okay well, I was on it this morning just poking around and I noticed something. These women will wear barely a leather jacket and 5 inch stiletto booties and call it their "winter wear."
Really?
...Really?
Where do you live that that is what you can wear in January?

Every single day I wear this arrangement. Which, I might add, I wouldn't say is "Pose"worthy, but it's warm as hell and makes for good walking-Miss-Girl-through-the-woods-attire-because-she'll-keep-me-out-there-for-an-hour.
I think I belong in New England because we have winters like the ones we do. I have too cranky an outlook on life in general to live in a place where it's sunny and warm all year. If you're from Canada or Michigan or some other cold, baron wasteland that is your winter, then shush, its my blog and I'm going to complain about mine anyway LOL :3

By the way, the boots shown above are bad ass. They're BOGS, my parents got them for me this past Christmas and I love them. Highly suggest BOGS footwear. My mom made those mittens. And that coat is from LLBean and I'm pretty sure they don't even sell it anymore. But either way, LLBean clothes hold up like a champ.
I just had to say something on this subject, because I find it really silly when someone calls this their "winter wear":

You will break your neck, and be freezing doing it. Just. Saying.
Well anyway, I'm off to Bear's for the day and I'm a little late in getting ready now after writing this. Toodles.

My latest hiccup

As you probably already know, I like to sew. Although I've only made one dress from scratch before, I really like to alter clothes, usually ones I already have. Having said this, the only experience I have with a sewing pattern is in making that one dress, when I was 15. Well here we are, a handful of years later and for Christmas my aunt gave me a book of sewing projects that came with a little envelope with all the necessary patterns. I didn't really think about it until I actually took the patterns out of the envelope and unfolded them...and might I say, I think I've found a brand new hatred.
For starters, I'm only 21 years old and my vision is fine, but I can't see a damn thing I'm trying to cut out. The paper might as well rip into 37 pieces if I blow on it. It rips when I pin it for more than one cut. It just rips. I lose pieces if I move any fabric at all in the surrounding area because literally, a hurricane might as well have just torn through the room. Once there is a crease, there is always a crease.
And all of these things really suck because there are a lot of cute things to do in that book of projects and I want to do all of them. Maybe I'm just not gentle enough to use patterns...but seriously I better work on my gracefulness or I am no doubt going to punch someone in the jugular over patterns.
Here is the book if you want to check it out. I have no affiliation with the book aside from owning a copy and in having said all of these things about patterns, I have nothing against the book and their projects. I have just developed a universal hatred of pattern paper.

Happy New Year!

Well, we made it past the "end of the world," and onto the year 2013!
Nah, but in reality this country, and myself, as well as those around me, have had a rough year. I won't go into it, because it's now over and we have a seemingly fresh start, so I'll take it. I'm just optimistic about being able to start over.
Do you make a New Year's resolution? If you do, and you are normally the kind to actually stick to it for longer than...January...GOOD LUCK! GO FORTH AND CONQUER! I, on the other hand, have never set forth with a resolution and kept it for more than a few days. If in the beginning of this blog I'd have told myself I was going to post once every Wednesday, or something, I would have failed miserably at that for a very long time now. Yoga? Tried that, got into it for about 2 straight weeks or so and I really thought I might take off with it...nope. Every now and then I'll do it, but I'll unfortunately probably never do this:

But the normal stretching & breathing is nice.
No. This year, I think I'll do something different. I'll resolve things I actually feel I can stick to.
I'll resolve to try. I resolve to persevere. I'll resolve to do the best I can. I will be a better person toward everyone- my family, my fiance, and people I don't know.  I resolve to read more classics, and actually get my way all the way through Little Women (grandma gave it to me for Christmas when I was 12...I think it's time, don't you?). I will try new things. I will be crafty. I will pray. I will love. I will continue to be mindful of being patient with others. I might even do yoga again.
I'm not going to put myself on a schedule with these resolutions...because let's be honest, nobody ends up sticking to a New Year's Resolution schedule after January. Unless you actually did quit smoking...in which case, 'you go, Glen Coco!' But for me, putting myself on a resolution schedule is basically like telling myself "so you just made this list...of things you will never do. That was fun! See you next year."
Here's to 2013!

Cup of Feel Better

I normally have the immune system of a wet noodle but so far this season I've somehow managed not to get sick. Welllll I guess I've dodged it one week too long. Bear is currently getting over a sinus infection all his own.
While I don't think this is a sinus infection, I do definitely think I'm coming down with something. I feel worse now than I did this morning and I'm sure tomorrow morning I'll feel worse. So I've decided to make what I'd like to call the cup of Feel Better.
A mug full of hot water, about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of honey. The apple cider vinegar has all KINDS of benefits and the honey...is yummy.
Happy Day-After-Christmas sickness.

Merry Belated Christmas!!

I've been busy. Months ago I decided that I would embark on a mostly DIY Christmas this year, and it would have been easier had I not had GOBS OF HOMEWORK TO DO. But now that my semester ended just over a week ago, things have slowed down quite a bit and I have had time to do things I want to do- craft.
Pinterest has been an amazing resource for finding gifts to make for my family at low costs, which is what I was looking to do. I got lost in much of the shuffle and hubub of being here and there, I completely forgot to save receipts and actually do what I wanted to do originally, which was record exactly how much (or little!) I managed to spend. Oh well. It ended up being more than I figured anyway, because we ended up getting my parents tablets and accessories.
ANYWAY! I even made homemade gifts for the children that I babysit and they LOVE THEM. I was not expecting the response from them that I got from them- they're only 3 and the other JUST turned 6, and they got SO excited over stuff I literally estimate I spent $7.00 TOTAL on, including wrapping, for them.
Look what I made!!

For the kids:
Multi-melted crayons

I love these, and I actually made myself one while I was making the rest of them. We moved YEARS ago, and by the time we got into the house from staying where we were, we (sibling and I) were a few years older and had next to no use for the things we had in storage. Two months ago (about 10 years after we moved) we unboxed some things and I found a next-to-brand-new box of Crayola crayons. So basically, these crayons were free for me. I peeled them, broke them into pieces, and put them into a cupcake pan mostly according to color family, and a few I put together that included all colors just to make super multi-colored ones. And I baked them at about 250 degrees for maybe a half an hour, or until I could see the very center of the piles of crayons totally melted. Then I took them out, let them cool just a bit and then I threw them into the freezer until they hardened. Pop them out & BAM! Pretty!

Animal Masks

I found these being sold on Etsy, for more than I would have paid for them and they were sold out anyway. So I figured I would make some of my own! Basically all it took was some notebook paper that I made my own template out of (fold in half and draw half the "pattern" so each side is the same size). Double the sheet of felt (I got mine at Michael's), pin the template & cut. Any additions to the front of each mask, I only sewed onto the TOP of the two layers. Sew stretchy strap in between the 2 layers.

Hot rice bag
This is mine.

 I forgot to take a picture of the ones I made for them, but I actually ended up making 6 of these, two of which went to THEIR parents and two of which went to Bear's parents. I basically just made a 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 inch square rice bag out of my fabric that lined with flannel so the hot rice wont burn hands. Sew all the way around, leaving about 1.5-2 inches to flip inside out and fill with rice. Clip corners, flip inside out, use scissors to push out corners, blah blah blah. I filled mine around 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full with rice using a funnel, use a ladder stitch to close the hole. Microwave for about 30 seconds to 45 seconds depending on how warm you want it, and enjoy :)

For THEIR parents, and for the future in-laws
Baked design mugs

I LOVE these mugs. I did print out silhouette pictures of what I put on the mugs, but honestly I ended up free-handing a lot of it. I used a black Sharpie at first, and then decided I didn't want the shiny, inky, oily look of the ink so I went over it with a glass paint by Martha Stewart that I currently cannot find right now...but you put it on cups and mugs and plates and whatever and BAKE it, at 350 degrees for a half hour. And it comes out like that! So cute. Those were plain mugs from Target.

For ONE of my future sister-in-laws
Reversible bag

 

This was actually really interesting for me to make, because I literally don't think I have ever, ever made a bag before, let alone a reversible one. I found this post from Pinterest which provides a printable pattern, and tried it for myself. The only thing I didn't do was dart my corners but I loved it just the same. And my recipient LOVES it- the colors are just her thing. So cute! I may end up making one for myself, too. 

I also made this same person button earrings, that I also forgot to take a picture of. I just got earring things with backings from Michael's and hot glued small matching buttons to them and let them cool. Voila! I ALSO made her one of these, except in pastel blue with white polka dots, but this next one and the ones after are for my BFF:

Fleece ear warmer

 I made one of these for myself, too. So cozy! Found here, except I cut 2 instead of just 1.
  
Bracelets

Found basic instructions here and here :) ...I hope these fit. Her wrists are teeny tiny so I just hope I didn't make them TOO tiny.

DIY coasters

These are EASY and WICKED CHEAP. I literally purchased these 4 plain white tiles from Lowes for 16 cents a piece, and got scrapbook paper from Michael's. I sponged Mod Podge on the back of the paper, laid it on the glossy side of the tile, made sure it was straight and put them upside down to dry with the weight of its own tile keeping everything together. When it dries completely, Mod Podge all over the top of the paper, I usually do 2 layers of this, but wait for each application to also dry completely, or else you will pull the color on the paper and it'll bleed and possibly rip the now wet paper and it'll get ugly. When EVERYTHING dries, I went over everything with a clear gloss finish spray paint. When that dries, I Mod Podged a square of scrap felt to the bottom so they don't scratch. Done.

For Bear's Sister
Bow tie necklace

This was also wicked easy. I purchased a rose gold colored chain from Michael's as well as some hooks in the same tone. Measure around your neck a good chain length, and take off about 2-2.5 inches. This length will be added when we sew in the bow. I think I took a scrap of fabric about 4 inches wide and maybe...9 inches long? I don't remember. Fold in half lengthwise, sew at about a 1/4 in seam allowance. I literally didn't even bother pressing my seams, I'm super lazy. Flip inside out, fold ends to meet right in the middle of the back, and stitch them there. I hand stitched everything else. Scrunch the bow right in the middle, and stitch straight down to keep it scrunched. Take a tiny scrap of the same fabric, make a tube with it the same way you did for the bow itself, and use it to wrap and hand stitch right around the middle. Lastly, find the very center of where the necklace falls, and break that part of the chain so it comes off (use jewelry pliers for this.) Hand stitch the chain rings BEHIND the bow, and you're finished! I might have to make myself one of these, too.

For my mama,
Little hand bound notebooks

 Instructions found here. My mama just likes notebooks and places to write things. She's quite the DIYer also so I wanted to find something she HASN'T made yet and doesn't INTEND to make.

And LASTLY, for the Bear.
Mustache pillow cases

I used pillow cases and a yard of dark gray flannel. On the wrong side of the fleece (keep it folded, so both sides are the same) I literally just eyeballed and hand drew half a mustache, cut it out. I zigzag stitched them onto the pillow cases, with the "tips" of the mustache pointing at the opening of each pillow case. Again, I would love some of these for me. I love flannel pillow cases!



I'm so sorry this post is like 17 years long- I might break it up into separate posts...later. Between watching TV this morning, eating pie for breakfast, and writing this, I've been sitting here for like 3 hours. I'm gonna go play with the NEW SEWING MACHINE I GOT FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Remembering December 14, 2012 - Sandy Hook Elementary School

 I can't even believe that I can possibly be writing this right now. This is the most unreal thing I've ever heard. I've wept at least once a day for the victims of this horrifying tragedy, and I will continue to do so, I'm sure. My heart aches for the families of these victims and it aches for the victims' last moments of terror, pleading and pain. We should never, ever need to worry about something like this happening, especially in our schools. Our teachers love our students far too much, and our students are much too young to die in such a horrible death. This shooting did not happen exceptionally far from me, and never before have I felt quite the wave of shock that ran through my blood when I first heard of this massacre. I am on the road to heading into working in the field of early childhood education, and this put the entire world into perspective in a heartbeat. Among all the places in the world, school should feel like one of the safest places for children, as well as their educators. It disgusts me and saddens me that children who learn about this disaster will more than likely be afraid to return to school, and it disgusts me that I now worry about this possibly happening to my future students and myself.
I choose not to picture the murderer here. Such a heinous crime and murderer needs no more publicity than it has already received, and I will not take part in giving the individual more. This is for the victims and the families. I pray and will pray for the victims and their families daily.

- Charlotte Bacon, 2/22/06, female, 6 years old.

- Daniel Barden, 9/25/05, male, 7 years old.

- Rachel Davino, 7/17/83, female, 29 years old.

- Olivia Engel, 7/18/06, female, 6 years old.

- Josephine Gay, 12/11/05, female, 7 years old.

- Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 04/04/06, female, 6 years old.

- Dylan Hockley, 3/8/06, male, 6 years old.

- Dawn Hochsprung, 06/28/65, female, 47 years old.

- Madeleine F. Hsu, 7/10/06, female, 6 years old.

- Catherine V. Hubbard, 6/08/06, female, 6 years old.

- Chase Kowalski, 10/31/05, male, 7 years old.

- Jesse Lewis, 6/30/06, male, 6 years old.

- James Mattioli , 3/22/06, male, 6 years old.

- Grace McDonnell, 12/04/05, female, 7 years old.

- Anne Marie Murphy, 07/25/60, female, 52 years old.

- Emilie Parker, 5/12/06, female, 6 years old.

- Jack Pinto, 5/06/06, male, 6 years old.

- Noah Pozner, 11/20/06, male, 6 years old.

- Caroline Previdi, 9/07/06, female, 6 years old.

- Jessica Rekos, 5/10/06, female, 6 years old.

- Avielle Richman, 10/17/06, female, 6 years old.

- Lauren Rousseau, 6/1982, female (full date of birth not specified), 30 years old.

- Mary Sherlach, 2/11/56, female, 56 years old.

- Victoria Soto, 11/04/85, female, 27 years old.

- Benjamin Wheeler, 9/12/06, male, 6 years old.

- Allison N. Wyatt, 7/03/06, female, 6 years old.

Mind. Blown.

Every year when the Christmas season rolls around, and ABC family plays Christmas movies ALL DAY ERR'DAY, my mom and I make a point, no matter how many times we've seen it, to sit down and watch Elf whenever it's on. I own the movie, and I still insist on watching it on TV when it's on.
 Anyway, today I have an assignment due that was given to me at the beginning of the semester and I haven't really started yet, so I decided to Google search things entirely irrelevant to my assignment. I wanted to see what Ralphie from A Christmas Story looked like all-grown-up now. First of all, he looks practically the same, except with face scruff. Secondly, HE WAS IN ELF. Not with a big role but he was the elf that told Buddy he was behind schedule on his Etch-A-Sketches. I officially feel more oblivious to the world now than I did before.
He would show up in another Christmas movie...with a minor role...YEARS later.
I love Christmas. I'm still upset that I missed this completely though.