The Glass Hen

Future project

2010-11-22T22:19:00.003-07:00

See that lovely blanket? It is the Babette Blanket from Interweave Crochet and I LOVE it! However, I just don't know how to make it as a crochet blanket. Thus I bought the pattern and am taking the chart and will make it into a quilt! Not entirely sure who it will be for(it couldn't be for me could it??) or when I will start it, but I am SUPER excited for it!

I have lots of scrappy scarves done, lots of pincushions that need to be photographed, a couple craft shows, and some cute kitty picture that need to make their way onto Blog Land.... Let's hope one day they get there!

Anyway everyone, I just wanted to share that lovely blanket with you! Have a nice night all and as always, happy crafting!

These are a little late...

2010-11-15T01:32:00.004-07:00

Austin's birthday was the 5th. It's, oh, what, ten days later? Yeah, this pictures are a little late...Sorry friends! I am just lucky that I remembered to actually take pictures, because half the time I give the gift without taking a picture! Actually, I think I just gave away a baby blanket today that I didn't get a picture of...darn.

ANYWAY

So,want to see what my boy got for his birthday?

I made Dan a pillow to go with his quilt(that still needs to get up on here too! Darn!) and Aus was just miffed because HE didn't get a pillow with his quilt! So...

He got a pillow that coordinated with his hockey pillow :)

In passing, he had mentioned that a stuffed koi would be "cool". Well take a look at what I came up with and tell me if you think it is "cool"

I call it the dork fish. He is a little funky looking! Here's a close up of his little dorky head.

But look

At least someone likes my attempt at a stuffed fish :) My dork fish!

Well there you go friends! At least one blog post! I am trying to keep up with this and everything else in my life, but as you probably know by now, my blog suffers during the school year. But I'm trying :)

I'm off to make up some quilt contracts(long story).Happy crafting all!

Ireland Gift

2010-11-06T12:56:00.004-06:00

I didn't give an Ireland gift, but I sure did get one! I now work graveyard shifts at the hospital and the lady who I work with at the night Bistro, Mandy, took a two week trip to Ireland. Look what she brought me back!!!

She knows me so well :) A lovely little chicken necklace fits with me so darn well! I just love it! :)

That's all for now, folks! Happy crafting! I've got homework to do..... :(

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-04T23:01:00.005-06:00

Okay, a tad late... but better late then never! Enjoy the Haunted House of 2010!

I have been OUT this week! I had my wisdom teeth removed on Monday and haven't been doing much of anything since. At all. Kinda poopy. Oh well. Life goes on!
So I hope you enjoyed our creepy-crawly, evil, eerie, haunted pictures :) We just can't help ourselves, we just have too much fun!
Anyhow, friends, happy crafting. I am off to bed. Tomorrow, I will enter the Real World for the first time this week! Scary... I might just miss my bed!!!

Cake it Easy!

2010-11-01T19:27:00.002-06:00

Alright friends, I picked up a new little site on my Chicks Picks-- this one from a high school friend, Katie Wolfe. She is starting a cake business and I am, thus far, adoring her work! Her blog just started last week, but already, her Pink Cake she has posted is sooo very cute! I hope everyone checks it out :)

Happy crafting everyone! Or cake designing. Either one :)

Happy 19th

2010-11-01T02:04:00.003-06:00

Yep, Friday was my Birthday. Strange that it's already that time again! How time FLIES my friends! I am not sure, exactly, why I always use birthdays as excuses to make lists, but I think I'll use it again-- time for a list!

I call this one my 19 Things That Are Making Me Happy Right Now :)

Being engaged to the best guy in the whole wide world
Starting our new quilting business, Treasured Times Quilting and Gifts
Recently finishing my latest short story-- it felt good to write again
The new yarns I got for my birthday
The new Nancy Drew game that just came out that Presley and I are VERY close to finishing
I just finished all my math homework
On Tuesday I get to vote for the first time!
My new kitten who is oh so sweet and cute
I now know how to crochet- always love learning a new craft
The new ornate, antique dresser I got today from a storage unit auction
There is a Law and Order SVU marathon on right now!
My lovely new wardrobe-- full of long-sleeves and sweaters!
The wonderful sunflower lotion that has smells so wonderful and sweet I've been using
Another math one-- not only did I get all my homework done, but I have been doing very well in that class(which I normally DO NOT)-- 99 on my last test!
The new spicy cookies my mom made- yummy :)
The fact that I have knit about 5 scrappy scarves-- it isn't as many as I need, but it makes me feel accomplished
My wonderful Canon camera-- it makes me happy each time I take a picture
The PJs I am wearing right now-- red moose bottoms that were stolen from my dearest Aus!
The fact that I am healthy, loved, and able to celebrate another year of life!

And there you go-- nineteen reasons I am happy to be here, being nineteen!

So to wrap up this post, a "lovely" quote from my buddy Dan Smail on the fact that I am nineteen: "The big 1-9... well.... you can still buy cigarettes.... you can still gamble...you still can't drink... awesome!" Oh Dan...

Well, happy crafting all!

Bolts and bolts and bolts and bolts

2010-10-27T01:18:00.006-06:00

and bolts and bolts and bolts... need I say more? Yeah, probably :)

As you know, we are venturing into Treasured Times Quilting, and of course, we have a LARGE fabric inventory. We have bolts and bolts and bolts and bolts of fabric! But I love it! I think there are only 3 that I'm not wild about, but assuredly, it will be perfect for someone out there!

So, since I forgot my camera card with kitty pictures in my car, I thought I should show off some of my favorite fabrics :) Trust me, there are a LOT more that I like than just this! I can't wait to start playing with all our goodies!! Oh, yeah, and sell it :)

Well friends, thanks for taking a peek. I am still busy as all get out, but I am trying. As I said, there are Moxie pictures waiting to be posted... I just have to remember to bring in my camera :)

Happy crafting all!

Scrappy Scarves

2010-10-20T17:17:00.004-06:00

I've been knitting

From scrap balls like these

And they end up looking like thisWoo for Scrappy Scarves! I'll try to get another one done so I can have someone model it for me and you can have a full view!

Not much more to say, though I've got a couple craft projects piled up ready to get on the blog! Happy crafting all!

Dan Smail- Part 4

2010-10-16T23:55:00.003-06:00

Finally, a finished project! Look at that gorgeous quilt!

It is up at our Treasured Times Quilting show at St. John's. My buddy Matt and I had to go and tack up some of the quilts(we tired Command hooks the first time and it didn't end well! We had to go back and use nails!), then we were joined by my dear friend Katelin and lastly by Dan Smail himself! That was a really long explanation just to say that that is Dan in the picture up there :)

And also, I just want to apologize for being neglectful I hope no one calls BlogLand Social Services or they might snatch my little blog away from me! :( It has just been a terribly crazy week. Well, its really been a couple of crazy weeks! Well, I'll be trying harder from now on!!

Happy crafting one and all! :)

Quilt gallery!

2010-10-06T22:58:00.003-06:00

Okay, I already made one HUGE blog post on here not to long ago, so I don't think it's time for another one. But, I do want to let everyone know about our St. John's quilt gallery, and as I did make a huge post on the Treasured Times blog, I think you can just look at it there!!

But a little info about it in case you're not into link-clicking right now. Treasured Times Quilting and Gifts put up a quilt gallery at St. John's Nursing Home. It is up for the entire month of October and can be found in Chapel Court! I hope if you have any time, you might just stop by :)

Happy crafting everyone!!

Scrap Camp-- Fall 2010

2010-10-04T12:15:00.010-06:00

Scrap Camp.... ahhhhh.... how I love thee!

It was, in fact, too good for words. So, I will try to limit words and, instead, show you pictures-- which speak louder than words anyway!Had to explain this one-- we had both Scrap Camp and a quilt gallery to set up for, so here is my Subaru, Frida, packed full of craftiness!!I got a mini album done, one of my heritage albums.Peggy also got a lot done.this was her challenge pageThis was mine.Hello old friend.And greetings new friend(s) Jackie,Hanah,and Karlee.My mommy even stopped by to see what was going on. She didn't scrap, but she did help me finish a quilt binding! Love you mom!Took all of my travel stuff from our tripand began this album.All I have to say to finish all these photos up is

matching PJs rock!

And I'm out! Happy crafting! :D

Miss Moxie

2010-09-27T14:36:00.002-06:00

This is little Miss Moxie
She is my new pal.

She is about six weeks old and very very playful. She is, as you can see, also adorable! I like her quite a bit and am hoping that my big cat Loot will adjust to her so we can keep her! But for now, she is chilling with us and I am getting quite attached. Can you blame me? :)

Happy crafting all!

Dan Smail- Part 3

2010-09-22T00:01:00.003-06:00

Here is the backing

I has been ironed, cut properly, and sewn back together.

It will be quilted soon, and THEN I will take my mandatory picture with my quilt top.

Not too much else to say, mostly because I forgot to take more pictures of my quilt! And it just isn't the same without the pictures, right? :) So, I promise that I will share more once I have photographed more! And there should be more photos, because it will be quilted soon! Also, I have some knitting, crocheting, and a pillow to share with you.

So, for now my friends, happy crafting!

Do I want this?

2010-09-19T01:21:00.002-06:00

This adorable cake topper from Specialty Stores? Have not yet decided, but it is darn cute!!! If you look carefully, the lady bird has a veil :)

Sorry for the short post I am literally missing the end of my finger-- typing hurts :( Happy crfting all! Hopefully the bum finger doesn't slow me down too much!

Looking back

2010-09-15T14:49:00.005-06:00

At previous Scrap Camps
Ahhh, what wonderful times!

I only bring this up because guess what is right around the corner... SCRAP CAMP! October 1,2,3-- all scrapping, all fun. In case you've never heard me gush about Scrap Camp, here's a run-down.

It is put on by Sisters, a great, wonderful, adorable scrapbook shop located here in Billings. Take a peak at their blog, it's one of my favorites! I think the charge is $140, and this includes a scrap table all to yourself, meals, make-and-takes, and there are classes available. It is a full weekend of time to scrap, hang out with friends(both old and new), and RELAX! I would like to do some more of that ;)

So, I just had to promote this wonderful, amazing weekend. Promote, gush, whatever you want to call it :) Now that I'm done, I think I might get some crafting done! Happy crafting to all!

So says the non-traditional bride...

2010-09-14T16:19:00.005-06:00

I want to walk down the asile to this. It is our song, only in classical music! I have to stick with tradition a little bit, anyway :)

This makes me a happy gal! Hope everyone else is happy out there, and that hopefully, someone is happily craftin :) I'm happily web surfing!

Presley

2010-09-14T16:13:00.003-06:00

I love her

She makes me laugh. Same for you ?:)

And yes, those are buttons. Also, I do know it is blurry. She was laughing to hard to stay still.

Happy crafting!

I went camping

2010-09-06T16:29:00.005-06:00

Up to Woodbine for three days with the fam. One last long trip with Peep and I(being that I bought a new car! I'll show you that later!)I even cooked! Chicken Alfredo :) :)I lost that game pictured above, by the way!
Sasquatch! Oh, no, just a bear! And I couldn't leave all my crafting behind, now, could I?? :) Well that's all for now friends, happy crafting!

Album

2010-09-01T13:03:00.002-06:00

For the last couple of days Peggy and I have been working hard cleaning out her current bedroom to make it into a sewing room for Treasured Times. We've taken all the scrapbook stuff out, we've moved in furniture in, and made room for lots of fabric!

So, while I was unloading the numerous scrapbook albums from one of the book shelves, look what I found!Isn't it cool? Peggy let me have this album in payment for cleaning :) She knows of course(not that she would let me) that I would have BOUGHT the album from her like a normal person, but she gave it to me. It'll be perfect for my Montana road trip album! Which I cannot wait to make during SCRAP CAMP this year! October 1,2,3!!!!! I can't wait! :)

Alright all, just wanted to show off my awesome album. Happy crafting!

Card making

2010-08-30T13:40:00.004-06:00

So, our wonderful friend Nichole normally makes cards for Hospice for all the birthdays of the nurses and so on. However, being that Miss Nichole is away in the Philippians(so jealous, so jealous!), someone had to make the cards! So, in I step!!!
Which is fine with me, I always like making a good batch of cards every now and then. And my desk was too clean anyway :) I always find it a great way to use up paper from my scrap bin. That way I also get a good variety in the cards, as well.

I had to make 40 women's cards and 14 men's cards. They turned out pretty good, in my opinion! Though, I must admit, I'm biased :)

The men's cards are remarkably more simple than the women's, but they still look nice.
So, looking to make a mass of cards for all the birthdays throughout the year? I have a few pointers!

Like I said, use your scraps! Generally my scraps(who knows about yours!) are a little smaller than a dollar store card, but they're perfect for attaching to gifts

Use stamps! Especially if you are doing this in mass, a simple "Happy Birthday" stamp or my "Celebrate" that I used will be quite a bit cheaper than using stickers for all of them

You can make the cards fairly simple. Just use something big to make it special-- a paper flower, a big button, something like that.
Plus, if you only use the big decoration on the front(like my flower one on the rainbow paper) and leave it blank inside, you can use it for more than just birthdays!

Okay, advice over :) As well as this post! I may have the cards done(finally!) but I sure have other crafts to, well, happily craft way! Hope everyone else is doing the same!

We're FAMOUS! :)

2010-08-30T02:19:00.003-06:00

Okay... I am going to boast a little!

Look where our Treasured Times Todo folders ended up-- on the Plaid Project Gallery!!!!

Okay, you are thinking, who? Plaid makes awesome craft products, including Mod Podge. Thus, because we used Mod Podge to seal our folders, we got them featured on their website!! EEEEE! Nifty, huh?!

Alright, done bragging. Going back to crafting! :)

So.... I picked up another craft...

2010-08-30T01:54:00.002-06:00

Do you see what this is my friends?

It may well be a crochet needle. Size G. On a lovingbed of crochet that I learned out to do!

I am now working late nights. I mean late. I get off at 3:30 AM most nights. One of the gals(the only gal. The only person, actually) that I work with LOVES to crochet. So on a slow night in the Bistro(that is where we work in the middle of the night. I do Food Service at St. V's and the Bistro is the only food in the middle of the night) she taught me! I am in the process of making a scarf!!!

I know, I know, I have enough crafts on my plate, right? But I couldn't help it! Free lessons! And all Miss Mandy(my teacher) wants in exchange is quilting lessons! Well, I think Treasured Times Quilting and Gifts can help with that :)

Okay, all, happy crafting! I am going to keep on crochet! :) :)

Silhouette giveaway!

2010-08-25T13:54:00.003-06:00

Wow, it has been awhile since I have posted a Grosgrain giveaway! I thought it was about time for another one, though :)
And look at this nifty fellow! It is a Silhouette. Basically, it is a cutting machine for paper, chipboard, vinyl, and SO much more! Lots and lots of lovely things! It is kinda like a Cricut, which is what both Peggy, Nichole, and Pres has. However, this doesn't run off of cartridges ike that does. Or off of little SD cars like my Slice does. So although we all have cutting devices already, there is no reason that we don't need another one!! Such as this! :)

Well I've got a dumb work meeting to go to, so I'll chat with you all later. Adios! Happy crafting!

SILHOUETTE MACHINE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Wedding update

2010-08-22T21:59:00.005-06:00

So.... bought something cool today...

MY DRESS!!

Yes indeedy, I bought a wedding dress today! I would show pictures but that is just not right! We want more than just the groom to be shocked and awed when I step out in the gorgeous little number-- I want everyone to be in the same spot! :P However, I will tell you it is an Allure dress. You can peak amongst those and just guess which it might be! Now you are probably thinking, ah, Tabby, it is a little early for a dress when your wedding is TWO years away! But we couldn't help it. It was a good deal!

Cutie Patootie Boutique in Rimrock Mall here was having a sale, so we decided to stop by and "peek". And buy, I guess. We were only GOING to buy if it were a great deal. Well, after trying a couple of dresses on I stumped upon THE ONE-- I felt like a bride more than I ever had and mom cried. Well, terrible for the store, lucky for me, the dress was mismarked-- 659 instead of 1,100!!! So the store owner took the 40% off of the mismarked price, not the original price!!! We lucked out big time. Big time.

By the by, I can't say you will pick up such a steal at the same store, but let me tell you, it is a wonderful place. They have great selection and are extremely friendly. Great to work with and I am extremely glad we went in. I highly recommend at least checking it out if you need a prom or wedding dress of any sort!

So, just a bunch of writing this post, but I had to tell you about it!!! Happy crafting all! I'm off to day dream about my wedding and, hopefully, get some sewing in!

Hawiian quilt for the Hawiannese girl :)

2010-08-22T21:41:00.003-06:00

This is my buddy Sonja Choriki. She's been on here before. Well, Miss Sonja is Hawaiian/ Japanese. Hawiianese is more like it :)

I have not yet made a quilt for this gal, and I am thinking she'll need one eventually. But what kind of quilt, you ask?

What better than a Hawaiian quilt?! (by the by I found this pic at a place called Nuts About Needle Craft off of Google Images)The first pic is much more traditional, and this is a little more contemporary, fun. I found this off a favorite of mine, the Purl Bee!

Hawaiian quilting, basically, is using a pattern generally based on local flora(and fauna, I think) and the main part is cut out much like the childhood craft of snowflake-making. Then it is appliqued on, generally by hand not machine. The traditional quilts are then hand-quilted in an echo fashion around the design. However, I don't think I am up for that! Hand sewing the design on will be enough for me! :)

It is a very beautiful style and once I get some time for another project, this is the one I will be working on for Miss Sonja. She doesn't know about it, nor does she need to. Good thing she very rarely checks out the blog! (If ever! :P)

Well off to check out more about these lovely quilts! Happy crafting all!

Weird little magic plate thing

2010-08-21T20:28:00.003-06:00

I have always loved my machine. It is a simple beginner machine, a Brother who really wasn't all too expensive. But I love it. It is wonderful and has always served me well. The only complaint that I have ever had against her is that the feed dogs don't drop, and thus, I can't quilt on it.

See that? Do you know what that is? It's a funny plate I found the other day on my desk. I had no idea what it was and almost pitched it, but decided to throw it in a bowl of crafty stuff instead. Good darn thing-- later the same week, I was looking at the new machine(a Singer) that Peggy bought for Treasured Times lessons and I saw the little plate pictured above.

"What is this Peggy?" I asked, thinking of the weird plate in my crafty bowl at home.

Peggy looked over. "Oh, it's for putting over the feed dogs so you can quilt on machines when the feed dogs don't drop."

...

I guess that's what I get for doubting my beautiful little machine. Sorry little gal, I promise never to do so again!! Especially now that I can machine quilt with you! :)

Well, with this information, I am away to happily craft! I just had to share my epiphany! ;)

Dan Smail- Part 2

2010-08-20T12:56:00.003-06:00

So the quilt pattern for Mr. Dan Smail(my coworker who get to leave on a two-week vacation very soon... I am so stinking jealous...) called for 25 vertical strips. They were then cut to create a zig-zag type pattern. You can see it better here. Well, any who, I got all 25 sewn together!
Here they are all stitched together, still attached to the machine. And yes, you can see Phillip J. Fry from Futurama on my computer screen. Most of my quilts are built from South Park, but I've been into Futurama lately :) This was sparked by the fact that they've had NEW episodes on Comedy Central-- meaning I have to go back and watch the rest!

Anyway, I got the top as the pattern had it done. I would have a picture but I handed it off to Momma Peggy so she could even it out for me :) I am also making an addition of a border from all the leftover fabrics.

I promise that pile is all sewn together. I am HOPING it is long enough already... I don't have much more for scraps!

Well, this was my sewing from my day off yesterday! Fun, huh :) Happy crafting everyone, I think I am going to work on some Treasured Times stuff!

After three LONG night shifts...

2010-08-19T15:26:00.006-06:00

I slept in late and then decided to make muffins.
Okay, they were only Betty Crocker muffins and I only had to add 1/2 cup of water. But they are still muffins.Tiny little bite-size muffins. But they were darn good with butter! Also, while they were baking I took a leisurely stroll through mommy's garden, watered the flowers, and took some lovely photos.
Gotta love days off. Especially after three nights of working eleven hours shifts in which I get off at three... AM.... oh well. :) That's why I needed a day off! Now to get to some sewing...

I'm off to happily craft! See ya later all! Oh and I get to go to the MT Fair tonight! Woo!

A dose of cuteness

2010-08-15T11:51:00.002-06:00

Ahhhhhh :) I found these little Chicks(peas) over at a website called Fruity Cuties, in which they make cute little cartoons for almost any fruit you can think of! Of course I am partial to the little Chicks(peas)! :) Take a look and get a good dose of cuteness for today.

Dan Smail- Part 1

2010-08-11T22:06:00.003-06:00

Remember that quilt I was so determined to make? Well, a friend at my work, Dan Smail( the guy who taught me to drive a stick, who I may or may not have run across the hospital rooftop with :P, and who is lots of fun to hang out with at work!) so happened to want a quilt. And my wonderful Purl Bee quilt pattern fit the bill!

If you looked at the pattern on the website or my other post, you can see that the quilt is sewn in vertical strips

such as these and then cut to all be the same size. Twenty-five in all and they are all pieced and cut to size! I am booking on this thing!Now I just have to sew the long strips together to finish the top. Dan's specific orders were to have nothing match, so this won't be in color gradients like the original pattern, it's going to be more funky! To add to the "funk" I am also doing a 3-inch(I think) crazy quilt style border of all the scraps. I really like it!

So, information un-quilt or craft related. I had blood drawn today and it almost killed me! :( After five large tubes I passed out and then spent the next two hours trying to recoup and stop throwing up :( My dad had to leave work to come and get me. Luckily, I am house sitting again for Pfaffinger and her house isn't nearly as far from the hospital as mine is, so Dad dropped me off to sleep the day away.

Cute little Daisy is watching out for me though :) And I am feeling much better even though it took basically all day to come back to life! Ahhh, sucky. I only mention this because I had HOPED to have the top of Dan's quilt done today and it sooo didn't happen. Something about being too weak to get out of bed stopped that... :(

Anyway, I hope someone out there was well enough to be happily crafting away. I know it wasn't me... :P

Buttons Galore

2010-08-11T01:11:00.004-06:00

Okay, I know that I am not getting married for two years. But I can't help but make plans! For one, I am a girl. Haven't most of us been planning these things for most of our lives anyway? Also, I like to plan events like this so I just can't help myself.

Now that I've got that over with I'll show you my plans :)

TA DA! This picture is from an Etsy store, Really Bad Kitty. I am not ordering these, but they are inspiring me.
Anyone who has seen my craft, no matter if it is scrapping or sewing knows I have a crush on buttons. What would be better fitting than for me to walk down the aisle holding one of these unique, beautiful bouquets?I am really liking the first picture best(by the by, I just got the other two off of Google Images, not sure of real location, sorry!) and those are my wedding colors anyway! Kinda perfect, huh?

And as I mentioned, these photos are inspiring me to make my own! There are many Etsy stores out there selling these beauties but I am all about DIY and this looks like a perfect project for me! A large bridal bouquet, three for my bridesmaids, a boutonniere for Austin and three for the groomsmen, a little boutonniere for the bride's mom and groom's mom... I am going to need A LOT of buttons! :) Oh and wouldn't these also be lovely center pieces? In canning jars filled with tiny yarn balls...

I couldn't help it, I had to share! And now that I have started sharing wedding posts, I may not be able to stop... Lucky you :)

Well happy crafting all! Sorry my posts are a little far in between, but I will try harder!

BBQ!

2010-08-06T14:16:00.003-06:00

I know that I'm a little late on this post, being that the BBQ cookoff was Sunday, but I thought that I would show off some of the fun!
Every year since 2006, we've participated in the Absorkee BBQ cookoff! Our team is called Family Affair(a word play on Family Affair), and we hook up the huge BBQ(above!) and drag the whole family along to help!We've done pretty good in the last couple of years :)

There are five catagories(chicken, pork, brisket, ribs, and open) that you can enter, and whoever scores the highest combined wins Grand Champion. We've done that twice, and Reserve Champion last year, but this year we came in third overall(no prize, we just added up the points and figured it out!) But we still won awards

First in pork, sixth in brisket, third in open, and People's Choice!(that one always makes us feel good! We've won that for quite a few years in a row now!)But you have to know, the awards aren't everything.Having people enjoy our food is always awesome,it's great to hang out with our family,and it is always good to have outside opinions on our food, so we can know where to improve and what to change.

All in all, Sunday was AWESOME! We always have a darn good time, win or lose, because we all love to BBQ!!!! I hope everyone else's Sunday was as good! Happy crafting all!

The scrappy ball has evolved!

2010-07-31T00:47:00.002-06:00

Into a Scrappy Rug for Treasured Times Quilting and Gifts!

How darn cute! I love it with the little tied knots up, and they feel so nice on your little toes! Aus likes it with the plain side up, but I don't think he knows what he's talking about!

Well, if you want to see more about these rugs, check out the hyperlink on the Scrappy Rugs above! I just wanted to do a quick post of it because I LOVE it!

Happy crafting all! Or, if you get a Scrappy Rug, happy decorating!

I'm house-sitting

2010-07-31T00:30:00.005-06:00

Remember Ms. Pfaffinger, my high school teacher who is a good friend of mine? Well, she's in Orlando Florida. Enjoying Disney World. Land? One of the two... As well as the new Harry Potter theme park! So jealous!

Well, she is there, and I am here, at her house! I am watching the houses, and the animals too! Wanna see my charges?

This is Miss Daisy! She is a beagle-basset hound mix who is always hungry :) Daisy is just so friendly and loves to be pet and hang out on the couch all day.

She's actually modeling Treasured Times Quilting and Gifts new Scrappy Rug. Comfy looking, huh?

This gal is Tiny, a cross-eyed Siamese cat! She is actually very cuddly and likes to sleep with me. Cute huh? :)

Alright, I'm not taking care of these guys!

I walked out of Pfaff's house to water the front plant and look what I found! Duckies!

There is a ditch where she lives and they must have wandered up. They just decided to sit in the yard and hang out for about half and hour! Nifty huh? I am a big fan of birds-- you know about the chicken obsession-- and ducks are just fine with me!

So, aside from taking care of Pfaff's house, I went to college orientation today(technically yesterday, but you know how I stay up late!). Oh geez, I'm committed. 16 credits. Class every day of the week. Some of the classes sound pretty fun, however, so I'm pretty excited for college! Cheer!!!!

Well, happy crafting all! Daisy and I are going to watch some TV before going to bed! :)

Happy Birthday Nichole!!!

2010-07-30T23:12:00.006-06:00

Yes'm, today is Miss Nichole's birthday! Happy 27th dear! In honor of this great day, it's time to do a list-- 27 things I love about my friend/nearly sister!

I love crafting with you!

You will always listen to me-- I can talk to you about problems or even just weird nerdy Spanish stuff :)

You have a smile that truly warms my heart

You're a great shopping partner

I love your sense of humor! We're always laughing about something :)

Okay, this is an extension of #1, but it's a little different-- you're the one who first taught me to scrapbook. Thus, I love you for introducing me to the Wonderful World of Crafts!

Another crafting one-- I even love that you are the Selvage Nazi!

I love that you always look out for me

I love that you put other people before yourself and are always willing to help out

You are an inspiration to me

You have taken away all of my excuses-- if you can do what you do, forgetting the limitations of a disability, there is nothing that I should allow to stop me

Ah, thanks for letting me use the last two things I just mentioned for letters of recommendation! Man do I love you!

You're always willing to hang out with me, even on the days that you don't feel good

I love that I can trust you with anything

Thanks for always enjoying whatever I make, even if it has some flaws!

I love your dedication to your family

I love that you take on the hardest craziest quilting patterns that I could never do and make them look AWESOME!

I love that you help me with my projects whenever possible-- such as Presley's quilt, for instance

Although you are not always the most willing model, I love when you pose for me for pictures! You always look so lovely!

Also, I love that we have just as many pictures together as I do with anyone else in my life!

I love that even when you're feeling kinda crappy with headaches or whatever, you never let MS stop you. Not ever.

I love that you'll cruise out of town with me for quilt shows! How fun

Okay, this is kinda a lame one compared to some of the deeper one, but I really do love it-- thanks for letting me use your Netflix account! :)

On that note, I love how willing to share you are

I love that we have fun every time we hang out-- it's never dull!

I love that you're kinda feisty :)

I really love that quite soon, we'll REALLY be sisters!(though you already feel like one to me now!)

In other words, I love you Nichole!!!

So, wanna see the gift that I made for her?See all those magnets chillings out on Pfaff's fridge?(I am house sitting, thus her fridge is the demo!)Well look at this guy!

Apparently I am very much into needle felting lately! This is a lovely needle-felted sunflower magnet! This is the second try-- my first one came out looking like a daisy. A cute flower, yes, but not quite a sunflower. That's okay, I don't mind stabbing a whole new flower!

Alright guys, I know this was a bit of a long post! Thanks for hanging in there, and happy crafting, as well as happy birthday-ing! :)

Little bird, little bird

2010-07-29T02:09:00.004-06:00

I watched the newest episode of Futurama the other day, and at the end there was this beautiful song called "Little Bird, Little Bird" by Elizabeth Mitchell. I can't get it out of my head, it is just so precious. Check it out!It is a children's song, but is so charming that it appeals to me too!! And I bet it'll be the same for you :)

Happy crafting/listening!

I have been stabbing things

2010-07-29T01:29:00.003-06:00

Constructively :) And no living being(aside from my index finger) was hurt in my stabbing.

But stabbing is the only way you can create wonderful little needle felted koi for your koi-breeding fiance on your 4 year anniversary!!This little fella is my very favorite. Isn't he wonderful?
These little guys, with the strings on them are destined to be ornaments-- Christmas or otherwise.

The red-bodied one is pretty nifty too.
The white ones were the hardest! The foam that I stab these little guys on is white, and perfect white on white is just darn hard on the eyes...

As I said, these little needle-felted fellas were a present for my fiance on our fourth anniversary! Want a date recap?

Austin LOVED his koi! He is already requested a few special breeds for the next time I want to stab things.
Alfredo at The Windmill was very tasty
Despicable Me was very touching, quite cute, and FUNNY!(IT'S ALL FLUFFY!!! Hee hee, you just have to see it!)
Remember that ModCloth dress that I was going to purchase? Guess what I got for my anniversary!!! :) :) Thanks Austin!
We had a wonderful, wonderful evening. This day marks four years together, as well as the fact that in exactly two years, we will be husband and wife. Ahhhh :)

Well, happy crafting all! I guess my day involved for crafty giving than making, but it works! ;)

My day off

2010-07-24T22:16:00.005-06:00

Normally my days off are filled with crafting-- fabric and thread and paper and buttons. But not today my friends. No, today was a day filled with....My mom water skiing.

My lovely fiance finding extreme joy in get skis.
My father and his two siblings, Uncle Marv and Aunt Liz, having a great time on the inner tube behind the boat.And catching some major air while doing it!!!

My Grandma Ginny attempting to get into my aunt and uncle's boat

and having a great time once on!

My Aunt Liz and Uncle Steve bought a fancy boat not that long ago and invited us to Tongue River Reservoir for a day of fun. The whole fam went, including a lot of Uncle Steve's family that I hadn't really met before. There were tons of people, tons of fun, and LOTS of sun.

Of course I was behind the camera so there aren't any pictures of me, but I had just as much fun on the inner tube, not so much fun on the jet skis(I just don't like those things! I am so afraid of falling off, although Aus did it on purpose to get a dunk of cool water!!), and a nice time with family and friends. I am also a little more brown than I was previously :)

Well, I may not have spent my day off crafting, but I hope someone else did! Happy crafting my friends, or, in my case, happy boating!!! :)

I'm feeling vintage

2010-07-23T02:30:00.001-06:00

Which is why I want this

ModCloth rocks. I am pretty sure you'll see my prancing around in this number sometime soon.

Happy crafting/dress wishing... :)

Another Treasured Times product!

2010-07-21T00:51:00.002-06:00

I have made these before, but I am not sure if I've ever show them off before. But now, this little cutie is going to be FOR SALE!

This means that you, too, can have an adorable, lovely jar pincushion to store buttons or embroidery floss or yoyos or... as you can see, these guys can hold just about anything in their charming glass bellies!

And did you see the little pins!? I may have made the pincushion part, but my lovely fiance Austin made them! Man do I love that guy!!!! Who wouldn't love a man who can get down and craft? :)

This is basically what I have been up to. Making lots of wonderful little gifts for Treasured Times, attending my American History class, and WORKING like a crazy person. Gotta love dish washing... did I ever mention that? Yeah, I'm a dish washer.... that's my dirty(ha ha) secret!

Now that I've proved that I have indeed been crafting, I think I'll get back to the grindstone! Happy crafting my friends!

Sewing shoot

2010-07-17T12:06:00.005-06:00

Like a photo shoot, only with sewing :)

I had to create this

for the Treasured Times Qulilting and Gifts blog that I just started blogging at! But while I had this lovely little setup on Peggy's kitchen table, I did a little extra photo work :) Hope you're ready for a lot of photos !

Just so you know what this is, it is a ball of fabric scraps. Yep. It's cute to look at and I WILL knit a scarf out of this thing at some point in time. A lovely jar of yoyos-- both good decoration and good sewing additions!

They make so many beautiful colors of thread :)
I love my machine. I know it's a beginner machine, but it is my baby.

So, there you go! My sewing shoot! :) :) It was actually a lot of fun and kinda sucked my my morning. But these images will be used in our future website, in our catalog, and lots more! So really, I did work :)

Happy shooting! Photo shooting, that is!

Ruffles

2010-07-14T17:14:00.002-06:00

Aren't they adorable?

This is a product for Treasured Times Quilting and Gifts. I will explain more after I ask Peggy if I can fully reveal these babies to the world. Until then, I just wanted to prove that I was sewing something, and I had to show of my CUTE ruffles! :)

Happy crafting! Anyone else thinking something in their life needs a little ruffling?

Cupcake Creativity

2010-07-12T01:58:00.003-06:00

Now, I have before mentioned that I am not much of a cook. At all. I am the daughter of a chef with no distinct cooking abilities... which is why you never seen any cooking on this blog!

Until now.

My dad really is the chef of the household, but my mom makes a mean cupcake :) She is very good at making adorable little cupcakes, like pigs and chickens that I got for my 16th birthday. however, her company picnic Sunday called for these cuties:

Cow cupcakes!!!! Aren't those just precious? They have cashew horns, prune ears, strawberry noses, and that cake gel for mouth and eyes. They turned out wonderful!!!They look pretty happy in their little pasture... made out of a pan....
The cows were for the children's cake walk, but mom had to bring something to sit on the table for everyone else, of course. That's where these beauties came in.

Tye-dye cupcakes! These look like a cute idea for Presley's b-day sometime.... hmmmm.... :P

My momma may not be a big quilter or a scrapper, but she "takes the cake" (ha ha ha) when it comes to unique and ADORABLE cupcakes!!!!!

I hope everyone else out there is either happily crafting, or in my mom's case, happily baking :)

Plans

2010-07-11T02:41:00.002-06:00

There are big things on the horizons, my friends. Wonderful, awesome, BIG things. We(Peggy, Nichole, Presley, Auntie Bonnie, and myself) are starting a business. The one whose logo is above. Treasured times Quilting and Gifts.

To quote the description I wrote on the Treasured Times blog(yes, I now have another blog.... I won't abandon The Glass Hen though!!!):
"We are a direct sales quilting company-- meaning we come to your house, throw wonderful quilting parties where we sell customized quilt kits, gifts, and more. We aim to connect generations through quilting, cater to all ages and styles, as well as demonstrate that anyone on any budget with any sewing experience can be a quilter."

We are not yet ready for business, but we are getting there! THAT is what I have been crafting lately! We have had to wait until all our official business stuff has cleared before we could start talking about it. But now you know, my friends, at least a rough outline of "The Plan". I promise that I will keep you informed when there are any big things going on(like craft shows, etc.), and I'll give you the link to the other blog when I actually begin posting!!!

But, I thought I would let you in on the plan :)

Happy crafting all!!! I know that I sure am-- being that I'm now a Treasured Times girl!

MT Must-See: Lewis and Clark Caverns

2010-07-09T22:31:00.003-06:00

This was one of our last awesome stops on our trip. We went up from Bannack(we only did a day trip there) and camped out here for two days. And of course, we had to go see the caves!

I haven't been here since I was a wee little gal in Girl Scouts(I know, I know, not like I am much older now:)! ) It's quite fun, but it did look a lot bigger then :P There is about a half a mile walk up to the caverns, which looks like this:

this is the entrance where you have to whisper and not use flash photography so you don't disturb and confuse the bats!You can use flash later on as you travel down, but for me, it only worked so-so. The flash washes out the awesome rock formations, but without my flash it was simply too dark to get a picture. So I took about 100 pictures, but really didn't like hardly any of them. That's okay, it just means I'll have to go back there sometime to see it with my own two eyes!So even though the photos weren't great, the experience really was! There are areas where you have to get on your butt and slide, areas where you have to crawl up the stairs on your knees to fit, but also giant spacious rooms with countless formations that all have names and stories behind them. The tour guides are very knowledgeable and make the whole trip worth it!

Well, that is all for my MT-Must Sees! There are HUNDREDS more pictures, but I don't want anyone to die of picture overload(including myself and my computer!) So I think I'll stop here:) Unless, of course, I can recover the world's largest purple spoon pictures.... but that's another story. I promise I will be back soon with actual crafty things! Happy crafting all!

MT Must-See: Bannack State Park

2010-07-06T11:39:00.004-06:00

Before I started researching this trip, I had no idea the number of ghost towns in Montana. But trust me, there is LOTS of them! However, we only visited a few, my favorite being Bannack.
This was awesome! There is an entire town here with about 40 buildings that have a story behind them. There are only about 10 of them that you can't walk through.
It is a richly historic town with a lot of Montana firsts. For instance, it was the first capital of Montana. It also had the first jail in Montana.
When you look through the little window as I am, you can see the gallows up on the hills! Scary reminder of what;s to come, huh?

Some of the buildings have been restored, but have been restored in a manner that is true to the original building.The beautiful Hotel Meade is a great restoration example. I guess that when Pfaff last went there you couldn't go up the stairs, but look at them now!They're beautiful!

My favorite building, however, was the school house. Something to do with wanting to become a teacher or something, who knows :)There is even an antique merry-go-round outside!

Oh and in the school yard, Austin got this little guy to pose just so! Isn't he cute?

This was probably my favorite little tourist-type thing we went to see. It was awesome being able to walk through all the buildings, and to know their stories. I am not a huge history buff, but I found this incredibly interesting, so just imagine how cool this would be to a history fan!

Well, I am almost done with my MT Must-Sees, but there are still a few awesome places yet to come! Hope everyone is doing well and crafting happy!

The 4th

2010-07-06T00:58:00.004-06:00

We love the 4th of July because

we love smoke,

we love sparkles,
we love setting things on fire,we love flames,
we love anything shiny,
we love family,
and we love playing cards with friends afterwards.(A 2 year running tradition with Pez Aus and I!) We even love making 4th of July table runners :) This is Nichole's project for Peggy's table!
I hope everyone else had such an enjoyable holiday, and as you know, I hope you're all crafting happy too!

MT Must-See: Flathead Lake area

2010-07-04T01:14:00.006-06:00

I say "area" because the lake is beautiful, but that isn't where we spent most of our time!

Bigfork is a wonderful little artsy town(window shopping is awesome there!) with the Swan River running right next to it. Our campsite was about 5 minutes away from this wonderful spot. Of course, the boys had to get some fishing in at the river!

At last it paid off!!! The fly fisher guy at the fly shop basically told us fishing was poopy, but Aus still managed to pull this guy out! This one was at a fishing access by a bridge on the same river.
For most the other fishing pictured above, however, we walked a little ways down a nature trail on the edge of town. We finally found a not-killer part of the steep slope down to the river to crawl down, and that's where we stayed. So while the boys fished, I hunted down some flowers :)
I was strangely obsessed with wildflowers during the trip. Pfaff even lent me a book to help me identify them all! I just wonder what I will do with them... hmmm....
This is just a beautiful area, no matter where you go. There are tons of campgrounds all the way around the lake, as well as bed and breakfasts and hotels. Good for everyone! Although we weren't there at the right time, this place is also COVERED with cherry orchards and in late summer, they are ripe for the picking! (Just as Pez!)

Hope everyone is happily crafting something or other!

I haven't been crafting

2010-07-03T01:49:00.004-06:00

I've been solving mysteries

With Pez and Miss Nancy Drew. 22 crimes later and that lady is still full of surprises and frustrating puzzles.

After 6 hours(1 and 1/2 that we spent on a SINGLE PUZZLE!), we figured it out. A six hours not spent crafting, but defiantly worth it.

Did you read the Nancy Drew books? Do you just like sleuthing? Check her out. It's because of her I know how to work a HAM radio and that I (at one time) knew Morse code.

Gotta love Nancy! :)

I hope someone is crafting though, so happy crafting to you! Happy mystery solving to the rest :)

MT Must-See: Ross Creek Cedars

2010-07-03T01:04:00.006-06:00

Ross Creek Cedars. Now one of my favorite places in the entire world(I don't know, could have something to do with the whole engagement thing!). However, there are more reasons to love this spot than just because your boyfriend proposed to you there :D I mean, look at these trees!!!! You can hide in the darn things!
As we did :)Or you can just stand on them for some extra height!(Not that you need any, 6 ft tall Caleb!)
And now I can officially be called a tree hugger :P

But the creek winding through the tree is beautiful
And it creates some wonderful flora

And again, I am a sucker for bridges, and there just happens to be a darn cute one there!
Just adds to the magic!

So no matter if you gained a fiance at this location or not, it still had some wonderful charm and is a very fun mile walk through some amazingly gigantic trees. A definite must-see!

I'll be off quilting tomorrow, and I'll try to snag some pictures for you all! Happy crafting everyone!

Finally a crafting post

2010-06-30T13:05:00.003-06:00

To some, this may look like just a tube of fabric that I ironed flat. Which isn't anything special, right?Think again!

When you slide a camera strap in the secret two inch opening, it becomes a wonderful, beautiful personalized camera strap!

Sorry for the dorky photo. I don't generally use the mirror to take pics of myself, but I had already put the slip on the camera strap and it is A LOT of work to take it off again.

So, really, I have been crafting! This was just one night of it. There are super secret things(this time to the entire world...) that I have been working on that I hope I can soon share. Well, I hope everyone else is happily crafting!! Talk to you later folks!

P.S. Pez, if you read this before I see you, the strap in the first picture is yours, and you can come get it anytime you want :)

P.P.S. I think that I can find some links for some instructions for making thse, I can write some myself, or something. I'll try, no worries!

MT Must-See: Lake Koocanusa

2010-06-29T01:39:00.006-06:00

am You try and pronounce that one... I sure couldn't!

When we left Glacier, we decided that we were going to go up through Whitefish and Eureka about seven miles away from Canada so we could see this big weird lake as well as the Kootani River. Well, that weird big lake was pretty awesome.

There was this wonderful bridge, which the sign claimed it to be "The most beautiful bridge". I must say, it was pretty :)

We were so excited that when we pulled up alongside it that it had a spot for us to go walking over it! It was quite charming! I'm a sucker for things like that!
We later walked down the quite steep drop to the lake itself so we could go fishing. The boys fly fishedBut guess who casually tossed in a lure and actually caught a fish!!! :) Yours truly!!! Yeah, it was only a little white fish, and it did get off as I drug it up on the rocks, but that's okay. Both the boy saw it and that was enough for me! The only fish I caught, but that's alright too. I'm still proud :)

So if you are ever very near both the Canadian and Idaho(kinda) border, this lake is a definite must-see! :) Happy crafting all. I am actually just now taking a break of making something really neat that I can't wait to show you!

MT Must-See: Glacier National Park

2010-06-26T11:34:00.005-06:00

Oh Glacier National Park! It was just breathtaking-- everything from the view of St. Mary Lake
To the beauty of a mountain wildflower, everything was gorgeous.
Being that we came in early June, unfortunately glorious Going-to-the-Sun Road wasn't fully open(in fact, I heard there was an avalanche in Logan Pass while we were there!), which was kind of a bummer. I will probably go up there one day to see the whole road, but we got to see if from both sides, from the St. Mary entrance and the West Glacier entrance. Awesome both ways.

We hiked about a mile past this dock
to see this wonderful waterfall!
Perfect photo op!
The moss got a photo op too!

Since the road was closed, we did spend one day going up to Many Glacier, which I highly recommend. This area is full of wildlifeand it is great for hiking.There are trials that are only a mile, but they range to 5, which is a trail to a glacier. We were bound and determined to make it to a glacier while we were in Glacier National Park. So up the trail we went!We went past Grinnell Lake, this little blue beauty, and tried to make it to Grinnell Glacier. However, the snow cut off our path. That may sound like a stinky end to our adventure, but that is where we saw, THIS guy!

Actually, he is only one of SIX of these fellows that we saw while standing at the cut off of our trail! How neat is that!!!!

Overall, Glacier was simply beautiful. We saw everything from cute little chunky squirrels to bears(too bad I didn't get a pic of him... he ran across the road too fast!), not to mention the wonderful scenery. A definite must for anyone who has never been there!

I also had a GREAT sewing day, but neglected to take pics.... I'm sorry! I promise I'll have crafty posts soon. In fact, I have to include some(hee hee) wedding stuff sometime too :P So, happy crafting all, see you later!

The Glass Hen is on the move!

2010-06-26T11:19:00.003-06:00

Literally! The glass hen on my blog banner has been cruising!

To the Antiques Roadshow!!!!!! I got tickets for 8:00 AM this morning and Pez and I cruised on over to see what our goodies were worth! Little did I know, the glass hen my grandma bought for me for $3 is worth (DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!)-- $150!! Now that's a good profit! :)

I also brought a little brass(or so I thought) chicken that opens up. I don't know why it opens up, and neither did the little antique guys :P Oh well! Not worth poop either! :P

Presley brought her mother's set of Betsy Ross plates and bowls, which were made in England specifically for the Bicentennial. They were worth only about $5 dollars for each piece, but that's okay!

The little appraiser guy also told me that the glass hen that I have is a very rare color, and it had a unique basket weave pattern on the bottom. Cool, huh?

So I have been happily antiquing, but I hope someone out there has been happily crafting!

MT Must-See: Fort Benton

2010-06-25T12:18:00.004-06:00

Hello again! I'm back with another MT Must-See-- a little town called Fort Benton. You may remember the name from a Montana History class, being that Lewis and Clark were there and it used to be a very bustling city in our state.

Now, all those wonderful historic buildings are saved, but reused for something practical. There are tons of wonderful historical statues and signs all down the walking path next to the Missouri River.
My favorite spot, however, is this wonderful old bridge that is just for walking for little tourists like us :P
Okay, there is another nerdy favorite spot in Fort Benton that I can't help but LOVE!!! This is where my love of English lit. comes in! A.B. Guthrie Jr. was an author who grew up in Montana and then wrote about the old west(he started with the early trappers and then moved along as history did). His most famous book, The Big Sky, is about a boy named Boone who started a trek on the Mandan. Guess what I found????

THE MANDAN! When they filmed the movie, The Big Sky, they did it here in Fort Benton and used this boat! So now it sits here as a monument! EEEEE! I love the book and wrote my junior research paper on Guthrie, so I was so excited to find it!

But the city was just simply charming. There were lots of things to do and to see and it is perfect for walking. We spent a good hour or so just walking and reading the different historical signs. Although we didn't stay here, there was also a beautiful restored hotel that looked simply luxurious!

Well, happy crafting guys! I may only be showing trip pics but I promise there is crafting going on behind the scenes!

MT Must-See: Fort Peck

2010-06-25T10:56:00.007-06:00

Finally I am not running around like a crazy person trying to get back into the swing of things! I can sit down and blog.

I think I took.... 700 pictures just by myself? Our friend Caleb took a bunch too... so I thought to myself, how in the world am I going to show my bloggy friends all my awesome pictures without overloading them with Montana glory? So, I decided that I would post different Montana Must-Sees in the order that I saw them!

First up, Fort Peck. It is a HUGE reservoir that was created as a civil works project during the New Deal Era. The dam was the actual project, but it is kinda funny dam-- it looks just like a pile of rocks. The giant spillways are the only thing that looks like a Hoover-dam sort of dam.

And if you go down the stairs above, you can get up close and personal with the spillways :P

But Fort Peck is awesome for fishing, both in boat and just off the shore of the dam.

It was a little too windy for the boys to catch anything, but they still had some fun throwing in the ol' lure!

There are tons of campgrounds around Fort Peck, and we decided to stay at The Pines

However, I must warn you about this campsite: it is 26 miles down a gravel road and the campsites are not paved. Meaning, if it rains, THIS can happen

And then your boyfriend/fiance dresses up in funny yellow raincoats... And you can be stuck in the mud for, oh 4 hours? Enough time to try and push out a minivan as well as give up and watch a movie while the muck dried....

However, the nice thing about it being out in the middle of no where was that we got to drive in the beautiful middle of no where, passing farms, and even this cute little guy! And our campsite was beautiful(when it wasn't terribly muddy). There were lovely wildflowers all around and tons of wildlife.

It is a beautiful, wonderful area. If you like camping, boating, fishing, or history, this is the place to go. I know that we sure had fun! But again, just watch out for that mud :P That part, uh, not so fun!!

Well, I will be back with another fun MT Must-See soon! Happy crafting all! I do have projects going as well, so I will make sure to get those online too!!!

Breaking news!!!!

2010-06-23T00:06:00.005-06:00

I know that you are looking forward to awesome photos of random Montana wildlife, tales from the road, and awesome quilt store buys, as well as some crafty updates, but I have an announcement. A pretty darn big announcement.

I GOT ENGAGED!!!!

Yes indeedy folks, I am very officially spoken for. On our two week trip we went to visit Ross Creek Cedars(Those are some giant trees!) and when I went down beneath the trees that dripped with rain to take a picture of the little creek, Austin followed me down. He asked if I loved him(which of course I said yes to) then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I happily agreed(while crying from pure joy) and now am engaged to Austin Thomas Bourassa.

Friends, I couldn't be happier.

I just got home my blog friends and promise to be back with plenty more posts and exciting stories from the long Montana highways. Sorry for my absence, but I'm glad to be back! See you soon! Happy crafting everyone! I now have a new beautiful ring on my crafting hand :) :)

I'm taking this show on the road!

2010-06-09T00:41:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm taking my show on the road, not exactly this one!

Yep, I am all packed up and ready to hit the road for my two week road trip/camping trip around Montana! We are camping our way around the state! I'm all packed up

See, crafts and all-- ready to go! I'm going to be knitting and sewing yo-yos as I go-- as well as hitting up every quilt store that I can find!

So yes, my blog fans(whoever you are) I am leaving on a two week excursion! Don't feel too sad however, I am leaving you in capable crafting hands! Miss Nichole is taking over the blog! So all, happy crafting, I will see you when I return! Thanks again Nichole!

I'm determined

2010-06-08T00:57:00.003-06:00

to make this!

It isn't wonderful???? I found it over at The Purl Bee(these are their pictures by the by!) and fell in love with it. I have been commissioned by a friend at work to make a quilt and I think this is the perfect pattern.

However you mus notice the lovely color gradient of this quilt. Well Dan(the friend at work) had a specific color request: lots of greens and oranges and no matching. (??????!!!!!!) Not sure what I am going to do with THAT but Nichole and I have been gathering up our greens and our oranges and we will see what we can do... Geez Dan, what a color pallet!

Sorry I just had to show off this wonderful, wonderful quilt! The Purl Bee is full of some wonderful tutorials, patterns, and ideas-- this is just my favorite one at the moment! Happy crafting everyone!

My Nichole quilt

2010-06-07T00:03:00.002-06:00

You know me(or even if you don't, spend five minutes on this site poking around and you'll figure this out)-- I love handmade things. Quilts, scarves, scrapbooks, anything. I love gifts with thought behind them, like my camera(I really do love it!) and all the other gifts people lovingly gave me, but there is just something about handmade items.

I am now the proud owner of this Nichole quilt.

A beautiful, warm, cuddly quilt made totally of batiks. This was one of the first quilts Nichole ever did on her own and she has been hiding it from me ever since then! She kept telling me it was for Auntie Bonnie! However, look where it ended up :) In my arms and then eventually over my bed!!! I am so excited! Thank you so much Nichole, I love it!

Not to say that I don't love my camera everyone else-- how do you think I got the picture of the quilt? :P

Happy crafting all! I hope you get or give something handmade soon!

Another project bites the dust!

2010-06-06T12:16:00.003-06:00

I finally, finally got my She book done for Ms. Pfaffinger!
As you can see, it is quite fat. I love making big, plump scrapbooks! :) Wanna see some of the inside?

There are TONS of pages in the book, so I won't bore you with all of them :) I had lots of fun with flowers, butterflies, and some wonderful things that I got at Sisters and at Hobby Lobby. I also love scrap shopping!But I got it done! This will be delivered to Ms. Pfaff at 3 today and I can't wait for her to see it! :) I used lots of photos that I had randomly taken of her and I also called Pfaff's mother for younger pictures :)

Well, I am glad that I can finally show you an actual project! I've been happily crafting, and I hope everyone else is too!

Oh yeah...

2010-06-04T21:47:00.003-06:00

I forgot to mention that awesome gift that I got. Does the picture explain? Yes indeedy folks I got my own Rebel XS with carrying case and a fancy 75-300 lens(in other words a HUGE lens). Oh man. No more dealing with a non-focusing dinky old camera I got several years ago or the school's camera. I have my very own!!!!!! I wonder if I hear Karen Russel calling my name since I have my own??

Happy crafting all! Especially crafting images with wonderful awesome cameras!

I graduated!!

2010-06-04T20:16:00.004-06:00

Yep, after four long years of high school, I graduated.
As did Presley

And Austin
And Austin's little brother Greg, from eighth grade anyway.
We had grad parties and exchanged gifts(I got a sculpture about myself from Pez and I gave her a quilt!) We spent time with family(these are the two Virginias, my Grandma Ginny and Austin's Grandma Ginger)We BBQed and ate pie like there was no tomorrow(Grandma Ginger made pumpkin pie and banana pie just for Aus!)Skyview didn't get to decorate their caps, but Senior did. Isn't Aus's cap fun?
All in all we had a pretty great weekend. Sorry that I haven't been on lately. After this weekend full of excitement, it has been hard to settle down and do anything! I promise that I will now be able to reveal my super secret projects as soon as I get around to taking pictures of them.... Again, sorry about that! I will soon be going on a very long trip and will have to take another absence from the blogging world, but I must say that it is nice to be back. :)

I hope that everyone has been happily crafting while I've been away! Thanks everyone who went to the grad parties, the graduation, sent cards, anything. Everyone made this weekend really special for me and I appreciate it!

An explanation

2010-05-30T21:48:00.002-06:00

I am so sorry guys for not actually being able to post an appreciation a day. The problem of not having pictures for everyone arose and I still can't get pictures of many people(Brenda, Mrs. Rigler, etc.)
So I am stopping now with those that I have, because those are the most important to me anyway! :) And I am fairly certain that those who aren't here don't read my blog anyway.... oh well!
This is the explanation for why my Project Appreciation didn't turn out completely as planned! Oh that and I had to finish two quilts by this weekend!!!!! Which(WOOO!)were all finished! I promise that those will be coming soon as well as an EXCITING graduation gift I can't wait to share.
But unfortunetly for now, dear friends, I am pooped! I need to get up at 9 for graduation tomorrow so I am off to relax in the bath and then curl up in bed.
Happy crafting all!

I appreciate... Austin Bourassa

2010-05-30T21:19:00.003-06:00

Austin Thomas Bourassa. This is probably the hardest one for me to write, not because I don't appreciate Austin, but because there is SO MUCH that I appreciate him for.
He is my love, he is my best friend, my partner in crime, everything. We have dated for four years and been friends for a couple years more. I don't know what I would do without him. He is my other half, no matter how cliche that sounds. In many aspects we are polar opposites(in politics, religion, etc.) but on others we agree completely(our vaules, our love :P). He is my biggest support in the world and my safe haven; I can run to him for anything. I love him because he is the same man in the outside world that he is in his living room-- he never compromises himself and is true to who is through and through. I appreciate that so much! Thank you so much for being there for me through everything, thank you for being my best friend and my boyfriend, thank you for everything Aus. There are no words that can fully express what I feel. I love you. I know you feel it too.
You are soooo cute too bud!

I appreciate... Grandma Laureen and Grandpa Elroy

2010-05-23T23:30:00.002-06:00

My mom's parents, my grandparents!

Unfortunately they only get one picture because I couldn't find another one of them together!

I love my grandparents. They are wonderful people. I am lucky enough to have both sets of grandparents living here in Billings, and these are one set. My Grandma Laureen is one of the best ladies EVER! She is the true start of my crafting career-- she has always always always done crafts with me ever since I was little. She is an extremely active lady and very talented photographer. She is very kind and always is looking out for me. My Grandpa Elroy is one of the best talkers in the world! :) We can talk for hours and ever hit the same subject twice. He is great to spend time with! He has always been the "Mr. Fix-It" in the family too! They have always been there for me and always have been proud of me. Well, I am proud to be their granddaughter and I love them both! Thanks for everything guys!

I appreciate... Presley Myers

2010-05-23T22:55:00.004-06:00

Miss Presley Lynne Myers, aka Pez.(P.S. This is Pez's favorite pic of herself)

I have been friends with Presley longer than anybody else! We are celebrating our tenth year of friendship this year, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It is hard to write this about Presley because there are just so many things I can say about her. She really has been there for me for everything in the last ten years. We hardly ever get into fights(what, we've been in... one major fight??? Not back for 10 years!), and despite our general personality differences(she is organized always I never am, she is a neat freak and I am anything but, etc.) we get along beautifully. She was my friend through 8th grade graduation and will continue to be my friend through high school graduation. Thank you Presley for always being there for me, for being my constant companion. Our differences merely fill in each other's "holes" so to speak, and I thank you for being my "other half" :P. I appreciate all the times you've helped me drag in projects from my car, all the hours you have volunteered with me even when we have been so bored that we've had to play hide and seek(long story), and for all the other strange, crazy things we've done together. I love our long history and all of our wonderful stories together! I love you soo much Pez, and I thank you for putting up with me all these years.

This 9-year-old picture is testament to how long we've been friends! :)

I appreciate... Profe Zepeda

2010-05-23T22:42:00.006-06:00

Professor Zepeda, el persona que sabe todo.
Can you tell that he is my Spanish teacher? The phrase above means that he is the person that knows everything. I truly do believe this most of the time. Profe has opened my eyes to so much- a new language, a new culture, and world problems that I hadn't the faintest clue about. He has been my profe for all three years of Spanish(though Profe Carlson did have me for one semester!), and has shown me something new and amazing each year. Not to say that he's been an easy teacher-- I have always worked hard for my grade and I love for that. I am so much more proficient in Spanish because of his teaching style and I can't thank him enough for this. I know that I don't even have a quarter of the language under my belt, but because of Profe I do feel as though I could be functional with it! Woo! This year we had to do a week long presentation completely in Spanish for an hour each day over a country, mine over Mexico. With the help of Profe I discovered a new realm of history that I had never been aware of. Thank you Profe for broadening my horizons and also making it fun each step of the way. You're the reason I'm minoring in Spanish next year!

I appreciate... Matt Slacks

2010-05-23T22:26:00.002-06:00

Matthew Richard Slacks(yes, like the pants!), my friend with the awesome TV/movie announcer voice.But Matt has been sooo much more to me than just the guy with the cool voice. For one, he is the guy with the awesome hugs :P And again, he is so much more than that! Matt spent nearly all of the second semester of Sophomore year in my van. We have talked so much about so many things, he is just a part of heart. He is one of my dearest friends because I know that I can talk to him about ANYTHING, anything, and he'll never turn me away. We've been lab partners in dreaded chem., we've woken up at God knows what hour for early morning together, and we've shared some interesting ice scrapper jokes... :P We had a slight falling out last year(sorry, I can be kind of a jerk, huh buddy?) but we have reunited and I hope to remain friends with Mr. Slacks. Luckily, he is staying in town just as I am! Thank you so much Matt for being an awesome friend and a constant support. I hope we can continue to mean as much to each other as we do now down the road.
Stylin' toga, Matt :P

I appreciate... Danni Weston

2010-05-23T22:13:00.005-06:00

Donnelle Weston. Another editor, another friend.
Our relationship has been full of ups and downs, but I believe we have come out in the end as friends. She was part of the gang during The Year of The Van, we have shared some of our deepest secrets with one another, and she has been a wonderful help in newspaper this year. She, just as Jake, has helped me so much through this crazy year in newspaper. While Jacob was the one to comfort me, Danni was the one to, quite honestly, cry right along side me. We have been in this together thus far, us against them, though we don't like to admit it to the rest of the staff(it's okay, they don't have my blog address....). Danni thank you for all the fun times that we have shared last year and this year both. Thank you for always helping, no matter what. Thank you for understanding my frustrations. Thank you for being there for me, no matter how cliche that phrase is. I appreciate everything you've done for me over the years.
You have fun at Missoula next year, but don't forget to stay in touch!

I appreciate... Jacob Dillon

2010-05-23T21:56:00.002-06:00

Jake, Geno, Jacob Dillon. My fellow executive editor, my friend. This is his awesome picture that is his focal point in his senior page for newspaper :)
This has been a crazy stressful year in newspaper, and Jacob has gotten me through it. The poor boy has seen me cry almost more than Austin has seen me cry! However, although he is a little timid and charmingly clumsy, he has never backed away and has always comforted me. He has calmed me down when I have gotten worked up, reassured me when I saw no hope, and helped me with everything I have ever asked. We were debate partners for a brief time last year, he did the MS walk with us this year, and thus far we have stuck together in mock congress pretty well despite our political differences. :P I appreciate that you are a solid constant in my life and keep me going steady. You have so much for me, more than I can say, and I thank you for every last bit of it. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will miss you soooooo much next year, I can't even explain it!
Oddly enough he is wearing the same shirt in both pictures, but they are in entirely different times in two different years... weird!

Quilting away Saturday!

2010-05-16T21:13:00.004-06:00

Phew, taking a break from all this appreciating that I've been doing! :P I actually am really enjoying the project though, so no complaints. And I've been getting all the posts up, even if they aren't quite on the right day!

Anywho, on Saturday Nichole, Peggy, Beth(Peggy's friend) and myself went to Mountain View Quilt Shoppe in the Heights and quilted the day away! We had a great time and got a WHOLE bunch done between the four of us!

Beth worked on the quilt she started on the last post I had about quilting. This is for her granddaughter and it turned out wonderful.

Oh yeah, I know it turned out wonderful because she FINISHED IT! Stinker! I wish mine were done!!!! But look at how cute this darn thing is! It's wonderful! Don't you love the piano keys she used for her border??
Nichole worked on a quilt for her bed called a Trip Around the World quilt all in purples. There was a bit of a problem with it, however(she sewed the left half to the wrong side! :( Oops) but we got it fixed :) It really is pretty, I can't wait to show the finished product!

As you can see, Peggy helped Nichole out a bit with her quilt
And again, as you can see, Nichole just loved that :) :P Just kidding! This is just the funniest picture of those two!!!

I can't tell you what I'm working on. I can only tell you that I was working. See.

I was working. No need to know what. :) And I got a lot of work done and thing that I was working on. Life is good :)

So, all in all, a good quilting day! I am still plugging away on my super secret things and I have a feeling that other people are too. I know that Presley is up to something. I DEFINITELY know my mom, Austin, and Peggy are up to something. I have no idea what. I know that it involves secret conversations and Austin coming over to my house while I was there and me having no idea about it... weird, huh??

Well, I hope everyone else out there is happily crafting as well!!! Hope your super secret projects will get finished :P I hope mine will!!!!! :P

I appreciate...Mom

2010-05-16T20:58:00.002-06:00

Sandy Lee Maust, my dearest mother. Oh how I love her!

I look like her. I look like my father too, but when we stand together, it is almost scary. We sound alike on the phone. We are a lot alike, and I love her. She is an awesome mom. She gets up every morning, no matter if she has to go to work or not, and sees Shane and myself off to school. She has done this since I was in kindergarten and continues to do it and I graduate in two weeks!(EEEE!) She takes care of me when I am sick, we love to go shopping together, she has taken up scrapbooking(sorta) just for me:) She was the one who first bought me rubber stamps and started me on card making, which has evolved into the scrapping I do today! Although my mom plays the part of mom when she needs too, she is definitely one of my best friends. I love that we can just hang out together and that we can talk about basically anything together. She is a wonderful, wonderful woman and I am proud to be her daughter. Thank you mom for giving me my good looks :) and shaping the person who I am(she gave me my values, manners, and a lot of my outlook as well as my good looks!). I love you sooo much mommy!

This was years ago, and I promise I'm not drinking wine, I stole my dad's glass for the picture!

I appreciate...Ayn Rand

2010-05-16T02:18:00.003-06:00

Again, I know, another person I never really knew and will never know because she's dead... sad!I really still do appreciate her. She wrote The Fountainhead which I loved and many other works of fiction as well as nonfiction. I read The Fountainhead the summer before my sophomore year and it opened my eyes not only to another level of literature but to the world. It presented to me characters I had never before recognized-- Howard Roark, the pure, uncompromisable architecht who was cold, focused, and admirable; Dominique Francon, similar to Roark, but had to come to his way of thinking only through years of self-denial; Edward Toohey, the man who expects nothing of people and thus makes everyone equal despite the fact that they are not. I cannot say that this book completely changed my ways of thinking, but I do have to say that it expanded my thoughts and answered some questions that I had. This book was discussed for almost a year in half in my van while sitting in Matt's driveway, and it(as well the woman who wrote it!)has left a huge impression on me. Thanks Ayn Rand, I plan to read all the books of yours that I have sitting on my bed-side table. :)

And I appreciate you too, Roark and Dominique :)

I appreciate... Ms. Pfaffinger

2010-05-16T01:55:00.002-06:00

Kathy A. Pfaffinger. English teacher. Newspaper advisor. My friend.

There are teachers you love because they are fun, awesome teachers. Then there are teachers you love because they are fun, awesome, and you really do have a relationship with them. That is Ms. Pfaffinger. She has taught me SO MUCH in both my English class and my newspaper class, both about those subjects and life. She is the sort of teacher-- no, she is the sort of person(why just define her as a teacher? As I said, I consider her a friend)who will go out of her way to make sure others are taken care of. I have seen this with other students as well, but I know how many times she has helped me out. Who else would have unlocked the school for me over Spring Break just because I forgot my transcipt for a scholarship? Ms. Pfaffinger! I aspire to be that sort of teacher and that sort of person overall. I have learned so much from her through example and when I step foot in my own classroom, it will be her example that I have in mind. She is the best teacher that I have ever had and a very close friend to boot! Thank you for everything that you have done for me and thank you for being my teaching role model.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the help. Much love and appreciation.

I appreciate... Nichole Quilao

2010-05-16T01:37:00.003-06:00

Yes indeed, the woman who had read my blog from the start, who has her own label on the side for every post she's been in. Nichole Marie Quilao.

I have written countless scholarship essays about her. She inspires me constantly; she is my friend, my crafting buddy, my confidant, my everything. Nichole is truly one of the closest friends that I have. I know that I can count on her for anything in the world and she can do the same right back :) I have seen her at some of the best points in her adult life(I was the maid of honor at her wedding!) but I have also seen her at some low points due to her MS. It is the fact that she has experienced these points but never, ever quits no matter how tough it is that constantly amazes me. We don't have the MS Walk team Nichole's Enduring Hope for nothing. I appreciate her for the beautiful person that she is, for her strength, and her constant friendship. I love you Cole!

Keep on crafting dear heart! Love you!

I appreciate... Peggy Bourassa

2010-05-12T23:01:00.004-06:00

My Momma Peggy! Really, Austin's mother, but we get along pretty well together:)Okay, that's an understatement. I LOVE this lady! She has taught me so much about family, crafting, being a woman, and how that all fits together. She instilled in me the importance of immortalizing events through scrapbooking, of heritage and love through quilting, and fun through every other craft(though fun and love are in all the other crafts too! Heritage can be in scrapping too... sometimes crafts cross over in meaning!)Her personal strength and power amazes me, and I hope I can be even half the person she is! She has a deep and clear sense of her values and I can see where her son gets it from; however, she is also open-minded and has accepted me wholly for the person that I am, even when our ideas clash a little. That is hard to come across, and I appreciate her for it. I also appreciate that she taught her Austin to be the same way. Thank you Peggy for teaching me to be a proper crafty lady and still loving me for all the other not -so-proper things that I am. I look up to her and I love her. Thanks Peggy. I can't wait to be your daughter-in-law!(did I type that out loud?? :P)
Just like Grandma's picture-- who couldn't love that face? :)

I appreciate... Miss Kress and Miss Fettig

2010-05-11T22:14:00.005-06:00

They took their pictures together, so I may as well honor them both! I do appreciate them both, so it works out :)On the left is Miss Kress, my world history teacher sophomore year and my psych teacher this year; on the right is Miss Fettig, my EARLY morning American history teacher.

Miss Kress is lively and very fun. I feel likes she really tries hard to connect with her student and learn who they are as people. I love her hands on teaching style(we are always doing projects) and I have learned quite a bit from her(both subject and teaching style-wise!). As an aspiring teacher, I have a lot of respect for my teachers, but there are those that just stand out as rather awesome. She is one of them. I have learned the importance of student-teacher connection through her.

So is Miss Fettig. Though all teachers generally like their subject, there aren't as many who so obsessed(in a good way!) as she is, and it shows in her teaching. She knows SO MUCH, and will teach you anything that you ask. Trust me, if I have a history question, I would run to her! She is also a very hands-on and work-oriented teacher and I like that. I have learned the importance and effect of passion for a subject through her.

Both of these women are wonderful teachers, all in all.

Plus, they are pretty fun, too! Here they are sighting aliens... :)

I appreciate... Aunt Liz

2010-05-10T23:39:00.003-06:00

Elizabeth Herbert. Had I been named Ashley(yes, that was supposed to be my name...)I would have carried hers as my middle name!
I still love my aunt as though she were my namesake. She has the patience of a saint(something I could learn from her!) and because of this gift, teaches second grade. She is a fun, bubbly, wonderful woman who is vivacious and always lively. Unless, of course, you rent a movie and then she's out like a light!

My aunt has done so much for me. My first formal dance my mom couldn't be there to help me get ready, so Aunt Liz came to the rescue!-- despite the fact that she had a fever and was in pain from kidney stones!!! She never puts herself first, and always looks out for other people. I hope that I can be a kind, loving, and bright a woman as my aunt. Thank you for all that you have done for me and all the fun times you have spent with me.

I love you so very much! Isn't she just sweet? :)

I appreciate... Dad

2010-05-10T23:18:00.004-06:00

Mr. Allan Dale Maust, my dear father.

We are so much alike. We have the same sense of humor and we both use it well. We are both rather adventurous and we are the "dreamers" who always go for those dreams. My father has taught me so much in life, and I love him for it. He is always there for me and willing to listen to my problems or just what went on that day. I am very close to my dad(and my mom too, I promise I'm getting to you!) and have grown much from his influence.

He is an awesome man. He worked for years and years at St. V's as a cook and then moved on to Passages and Alternatives(pre-release centers) to become Head Chef and run his own kitchen as well as his own culinary program! He is said to have the best food in corrections :) A wonderful chef, a teaser to his dying day, and open-minded. He is one unafraid to show his so ft side(as he cuddles the dog in the above picture!), but can get all the manly-man things accomplished.

After all, he wins all the BBQ contests! I love you dad, thanks for helping mom in shaping the person that I am today. Love you.

I appreciate... Gary Bourassa

2010-05-08T21:17:00.003-06:00

Austin's pop. But he kinda feels like mine, too :) He oftentimes throws dark chocolate my way :) We make fun of Austin together. We have a similar taste for antiques. He's a good man with a good sense of family. If Austin will turn out anything like his father, he will be a good man when he grows up!

I appreciate that Gary will always, never fail, ask me how my day was. I know that seems like a small thing, but it really does make my day! He seems to know a little bit about everything and is always willing to help me out. He is an incredibly generous man.
And doesn't he look at home with all his boys? :)

National Scrapbook Day!

2010-05-07T00:33:00.006-06:00

Phew, now that I caught up with my Project Appreciation, I can finally show off some pictures from National Scrapbook Day!

I worked on my She book that I had mentioned previously.I told you, I love pictures of my hands at work :) Good photo Presley!

I suppose this photo of me is okay too!

Pez worked on the pictures from the Masterlube Mural(I mentioned in Sonja's appreciation blog that she had won that contest, we all helped her paint it. I was only there for 20 some minutes, but I got lots of pics for Pez to scrap!)Look at her hard at work!
And I had some fun with the camera :) Don't you love the blurred fore and background with focus on my new and adorable crochet flowers!? :)

Pez had some pretty good fun with the camera too.

She took LOTS, but these were my very favorite! All in all we had a good time and I got about a third of my book done. We didn't stay the entire time because we were POOPED from the MS Walk(plus I had just ended that whole week-long presentation thing....)

Well I hope everyone else's NSD was as good as ours! Happy scrapping all!

I appreciate... Mr. Kinman

2010-05-06T23:46:00.004-06:00

Biology was definitely the best science class I've ever taken. And truly, it is probably because of this guy!
Jeff Kinman was my sophomore honors science teacher, but I think I've hovered around his room for the last three years. My friends and I are pretty good Kinman stalkers. He is a great teacher-- he loves what he teachers and he has high expectations for his students. However, like I said, he is a good teacher, so really, if you work hard, it is easy and kinda fun to meet his expectations! But he has taught me quite a bit more than just bio. He taught me to reach for greater heights, to not underestimate my own intelligence and ability to achieve in life. He also reminded me constantly that it's good to be nerdy and good to enjoy the nerdiness!

Thanks Mr. Kinman for all your lessons, bio. and other! And I will always remember to believe in the stapler... :)

I appreciate...Frida Kahlo

2010-05-06T23:26:00.003-06:00

Okay, so maybe I didn't personally know her, but I appreciate her influence!Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist in the 40's-ish. From 143 paintings that she, well, painted, 55 were self-portraits. Many of my friends remember her as the woman with the uni brow :) And yes, that is her! She was a woman who painted herself and embraced her flaws. She did not hide her uni brow, her light mustache, her pain, nothing. As it said in the movie Frida, there has probably never been a woman who has put such agonizing poetry on canvas... ahhhh. I love art. She is such a strong woman and it shows in every painting, even if she's not in them. She was never afraid of anything in her art. I appreciate the impact she had not only on the art world, but on my personal viewing of art. I will never see art the same after Frida.

This painting, The Two Fridas, clearly shows the pain between her traditional Mexican self and her modern Western self. She never shied away from anything... These are MILD paintings! Check her and her powerful work out sometime!

I appreciate... Sonja Choriki

2010-05-06T23:00:00.004-06:00

Do you have those friends that you have just hung on to for years through everything in life? I have several, and this little girlie is one of them!(She won the mural contest for our school and it's what she's painting. P.S. vote for her mural! :)

Sonja has the biggest heart of anyone that I know. If you need help with something, she is the one to go to, no matter if it is big or small. She is one of those people who everyone seems to love and no one can say a bad word against, because she is just so wonderfully nice!

We've been friends since the Lockwood years, starting in, what, fourth grade? And we've held on this long! Like I said, you've just gotta love her.

We've spent the cold winter mornings together for nearly a year in my van, we've struggled through chemistry together(she, Cole, and I know the chem stress!), and I've shown Sonja much of Montana she hadn't seen before(she didn't realize Missoula was in Montana.... oh girlie....). She is one of my best friends.

Did I mention the whole Jesus-is-Sonja thing? Oh well, that's another Lord of the Flies story for another time!!! :P

I appreciate... Grandma Ginny

2010-05-06T22:44:00.002-06:00

Virginia Maust, Grandma Ginny, Grandma Dammit. She goes by many names :)

My grandma is a pistol of a woman. I hope to be as firey as she is when I am a grandma! She is the one who gets drunk at weddings and gooses the groom! As you say by the last name of the list, she knows how to use her cuss words! I love hearing all her stories of her adventurous(to say the least!) girlhood.

But she is also caring and grandmotherly. She can cook like no other and feeds Presley and I wonderfully each Wednesday. She may always say "It's nothing much", but she lies every time! She treats us well :)

She has been my babysitter since I was a baby and she has always been there for me. She is also the lady that made me sign up for the KTVQ scholarship that I recently won(thanks for the harassment Grandma!!!). I love her dearly.

How couldn't you love a face like that? :)

I appreciate... Dyson Maust

2010-05-05T00:02:00.003-06:00

Yes, my dog! He had to be on the list, I really do love and appreciate him.
He is a golden retriever who, oddly, has a fear(a HUGE fear) of strangers. When he gets scared, he picks up a shoe and totes it around. Never chews it, just carries it around with him. Also when he's happy he'll pick up a shoe. Or when he's bored and wanting attention. Or... well, there are a lot of occasions for shoes :)

He is my best canine friend I have. He is always, always happy to see me when I wake up, when I get home, or even when I just come into the room he's sitting in. He loves to be loved and loves to give love. He is one of the best hug-givers that I know! If I'm ever upset, he glues himself to my side, because of course, petting him will make me fell better :)

We got him sophomore year after my other doggie, Harry, died. He was a welcome member of our family and brightened up our lives after a hard loss. He continues to do so for me and my whole family every day. He is just a wonderful, loyal pup.

Plus he is just darn cute, right?

I appreciate... Cole Milton

2010-05-03T22:04:00.005-06:00

So we are starting off Project Appreciation with my good friend, (David) Cole Milton.

This guy.

We've been friends since sophomore year, but he really became a shoulder to lean on(my cliche "rock") junior year when we shared and worked through our stress(mainly induced by chemistry). He shares my love for chickens, literature, and writing. He is amazingly intelligent with a brilliant vocabulary. He will be entering a pre-med program and I don't envy the chemistry he will face! :) When I have questions over papers, it is Cole that I call and he has never turned me away. We've walked in gay pride parades together, studied for finals together, and been partners in evil together. :) Just kidding.

Thank you Cole for being there for me. I will never forget when you swore in your presentation for Mrs. Foley(bastards at the mill.... oh Charles Dickens....)and all the help that you have given me over the years. Despite the fact that we will not be going to the same school, I will still probably worry about you every day as I do now. I know you're not one for mushy stuff such as this, so I'll stop here :) Thanks Cole!

Ignore his middle finger. He's a little feisty :)

I am Queen Procrastinator!

2010-05-02T23:02:00.002-06:00

Okay, so really, this isn't so much the fault of my procrastinating on this project, but simply being too consumed with Mexico and Their Eyes Were Watching God. Is that the same thing? Oh who knows!

But remember my whole apprication project to end high school with(20 some days left... oh good god, I can't wait!!!!)?? Well, it was supposed to start yesterday.. with my grandfather.... and it didn't really do that.... and it won't exactly either...

I will start tomorrow, however, and I will be going in a little bit of an odd order. Oh well. I will still appricate everyone fully, and I will appricate them in the order of which I obtain good pictures of them! :) :) Don't worry guys, the Queen is busy at work and she always comes through. Mexico went really well! :P

Happy crafting all, I will start tomorrow with Project Appricate and I will share NSD with you guys too(that was a blast!) Bye!

We walked

2010-05-01T14:08:00.003-06:00

4 of us vs 4 miles in what felt like 40 mile per hour wind.

But we walkedWe walked for those who can't anymore.

We walked for Nichole Quilao
as it said on all of our bodies somewhere along the line.
And we had a pretty darn good time, if I do say so myself. Another successful MS walk completed. Thank you Presley, Austin, and Jacob for walking. Thank you mom and dad, Mike George, Rhonda, Austin's family, and Ms. Pfaffinger for donating to the cause.

Thank you, everyone!

Lo siento...

2010-04-28T22:37:00.003-06:00

I am sorry(lo senito :P) about abandoning everyone for so long!!!! What has it been, more than 10 days?! My poor readers(Nichole!) probably feel orphaned!

I do have an excuse however, though. This is the week of my Spanish presentation. The 5-hour, week-long entirely in Spanish presentation on Mexico. And if any of you have read this blog for any length of time, I think you understand I am wonderful at procrastinating... and then have to slave for hours and hours and hours on end in another language...

However, I do have some fun facts about Mexico for you! No crafts. No time for crafts. Facts on Mexico? Now that I can do!

Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexico's independence day. It celebrates a win over the French when they invaded Mexico. There's another fun fact-- the French invaded Mexico. Who knew?
The pointsetta came from Mecixo. The first ambassador to Mexico-- Joel Pointsett-- brought it back
The Mexican Hat Dance is the offical dance of Mexico
The Aztecs performed far more sacrifices than I care to think about....

Any more? I hope not, I am burned out on Mexico.... :) But it is almost over friends, and May 1st is nearly here! National Srapbook Day and MS Walk ahoy!!!!

Well, I hope SOMEONE is having a happy crafting day out there... :( Not me... It's just me and Mexico....

You do know what May 1st is, don't you??

2010-04-15T20:58:00.007-06:00

Well, other than May 1st, of course.... Well, for me, there are multiple happenings!(isn't it just strange that everything seems to happen in the same week or the same day?) For one, it's May Day(which no, doesn't really affect me aside from the fact that I found this tutorial for May Day baskets!). For two, it is the day of the MS Walk(woo Nichole's Enduring Hope!). And last but not least, it is NDS!!!

cricket,cricket

Oh come now, you must know what NDS is! National Scrapbooking Day!!!! The day that should in full or in part be dedicated to scrapping! Ahhhhh, what a wonderful day!

To celebrate the day, my favorite Sisters will host a range of classes and a crop! Unfortunetly, Pez and I(Peggy and Nichole can't make it all all! :( They have a fundraiser!) can't make it to the wonderful classes like this "Beyond the Page" which looks at scrapping in a decoration sense.

Sorry Sisters... I have camera issues and I borrowed your pictures.... It's good PR though! :)Any how, Janelle(she is the one who always puts on the classes during scrap camp and she is a wonderful, creative, and friendly lady to boot!) is also offering her signiture class "Use it up!"Pez and I are going to the crop at 6(it is from 6 to 12 and only 5 dollars! Who can beat that!?) and I finally know what I am going to be doing for once. There was a class at the last camp that I unfortunetly couldn't afford(stinks to have to save my life away for college....) but that I loved.It is the "She..." altered book! It is a published and very insirational book that Janelle(and I will be soon!) added her own photos and embellishments to make it about her daughters. I will be making it for Pfaf. I did actually write the name in that blank on the screen, but I don't want to give away who it's for to the whole wide world! Sorry guys I know I have a lot of super secret secrets floating around on this blog. Graduation is just so close and it's like Christmas all over again!!!

Anyhow everyone, happy crafting, hope your NDS is going to be as wonderful as mine will be!

The quilt trip

2010-04-12T01:17:00.002-06:00

And here I thought it was a road trip... :) Always gotta throw crafts in there somewhere!
So I think somewhere along the line I mentioned that Austin, one of our friends Caleb, and I are going on a big road trip around our big beautiful state of Montana. However, I came up with a wonderful idea so I would come out with somethign!
In every little town that I go to, I am going to scope out quilt shops(trust me, they are ALL over! You would be surprised how many there actually are) and when I find them, I will buy a quarter of a yard of fabric and put them altogether in a wonderful quilt! I am so looking forward to seeing some of these places!

Such as this darling little shop, obviously in Bigfork , Bigfork Bay Cotton Company.
This is the crew of the BackDoor General Store in Whitefish Montana. They look like a fun group!This homey looking shop, Big Sky Quilts, is found in Great Falls.I love the open look of Timeless Quilts and Friends in Missoula.

I like the log cabin feel of Deer Country Quilts that can be found in Seely Lake, MT.

And this is just a very very very small selection of stores our beautiful state has to offer. And I just know that they will all help to make a beautiful quilt!

Just so you know, wonderful locally owned quilting stores... I'm coming!

Stash Sunday(almost...)

2010-04-12T00:44:00.003-06:00

I've been trying to keep this up, but it's kind of hard! I did take the pictures on Sunday, but I posted on Monday. Sorry!

This week I have a sample of some wonderful, awesome, amazing, adorable chickens! Finally I'll let you see some of what came in my Easter basket!

My feet are just so happy in these. Generally my feet don't experience a lot of emotions, but they are practically giddy when I slip on my brand-new chickie socks! Thanks Peggy!

I actually just purchased this gorgous piece today(well, yesterday...) for a dollar! We went to the Boys and Girls club flea market and this fellow just called out my name from the half price table. Won't that be wonderful for a big pitcher of iced tea or lemon aide? Mmmmmm.

And of course, I gotta show off my new chicken fabric! This too is from Momma Peggy. She knows me so well.

They are just screaming out to me "MAKE SOMETHING, MAKE SOMETHING!" Poor chickens, you'll just have to wait until my super secret projects are all done. Then I can make you into beautiful things.

These hankerkeif ed little hens are really begging me, though :)

Anyone else's stash calling out to them? Hee hee, well, if it is, happy crafting!

I had the day off and I still worked! :P

2010-04-10T23:53:00.003-06:00

I finally, finally, finally had a Saturday off that I didn't even ask for!! Woo! I love when I see a little "x" on the schedule on the weekend that I did not request off. Ahhh, I'm a happy girl.

So, you must be perplexed by my post title-- "She still worked? I thought she was excited because she had the day off!"

Well let me tell you, this crafting day was no day off! Look at this stack.

Look at it carefully. Do you see how thick that stack is(the blue and purple part)?? That is because I cut out 200+ 5 1/2 by 5 1/2 squares! And then, after that, I sewed 200 of these squares together! Geez... :) Alright, it might have taken all day, but still, it is the sort of work day that I enjoy!

This stack is for a super secret project, so we'll just move on to what the other girls did today :) I had to brag a little about my hard day's work though, sorry!

Peggy, Nichole, a friend of Peggy's named Beth, and I went down to a local quilt store, Mountain View Quilt Shoppe, for a good day of quilting.

Miss Nichole worked on a quilt that is intended for her and Manny's bed(I think that would make it a queen size, but I am not sure...) It is so lovely and full of florals. She is moving really quickly on it, so I'm sure it'll be on here soon :)And Peggy took on another quilting student, the aforementioned Beth!Beth is a nurse, as is Peggy, and they've known each other for quite awhile. She decided that it was time for a hobby and quilting seems to suit her! She is currently working on an adorable pink quilt for her equally adorable grandbaby.

So although it was a day of work(:P)it was still a very good day! I have another super secret project underway and I have a feeling this little puppy is going to be whipped together before I know it!

Hope everyone else had a good "work" day too! Happy crafting all!

I'm back!

2010-04-09T08:44:00.003-06:00

Sorry everyone! The week after a break( I was on spring break) at school is always crazy. I know I promised more fun Easter things, and I promise to deliever!

We had a nice Easter at my Grandma Ginny's house this year(both set of grandparents live in town, so we just switch off every year), and had a pretty nice time.

Honestly, when Grandma is cooking, how could it NOT be a nice time? :D Got to hang out with family, too. Sorry that I have very few pictures...I had camera issues...

And I'm not going to lie, I got pretty spoiled with my Easter baskets:) But again, I will have to promise pictures of all the awesome bike(I'm trying to the the MS Bike Ride....) and crafting stuff I got... sorry!

I know these next two pics aren't Easter, but they were over spring break and just SWEET as all get out!

My boy working on his pond,

And his kitty being eaten by a large decorative fish :) :) Isn't he just cute?!

Anyhow, everyone, I am sorry for my late pictures. I hope that everyone else out there recovered properly from the sugar and egg coma that is Easter :) Happy crafting!

I love him

2010-04-04T01:34:00.004-06:00

This is not at all related to Easter, but I finally downloaded our prom pictures, and I just have to say that I love my Austin Thomas

And I am soooo lucky that he loves me too

Yes, a random post, but it happens :) Fun Easter stuff will come again, just after the lovey-dovey stuff!

Easter math

2010-04-04T00:32:00.004-06:00

Take 5 dozen eggs,

A table full of colors and fun egg supplies,

Add a ten-year-old who either wants to be a sicentist(something with planets and stuff :P) or an artistAlong with an eighteen-year-old who has a strange love of crafts...

And you get lots of lovely Easter eggs! Aside from the ones that eighteen-year-old dropped... oops... Who says I can't do math? :D

Also, if you take Fruit Loops, butter, and a bag of multi-colored marshmellows you get this!

Yuuuuuuuummmmm :D

Hope everyone out there is happily crafting! I sure am!

Must love Martha

2010-04-01T21:11:00.007-06:00

Unfortunetly, I haven't been crafting anything except for presents and super secret things-- neither of which can be put on line. We have a rule that if you see it, you don't get it, so I better not cause problems :) So, instead, I will show you a few wonderful things that Martha Stewart. I love that woman-- is there any craft she does not do? Aside from that whole prison thing, I just adore her! Just look what she(or probably the people that work for her! :P)can do!
Adorable egg votives

Wonderful chocolate eggs in real egg shells!

The most adorable and springy Easter baskets.

Oh and the most wonderful, delicate doily bowls. Ahhhh, so sweet!

I know that Martha inspired me, and there are LOTS of other adorable crafts on her site. Must love spring, must love Martha. :D
Happy crafting everyone! Hope you were inspired!
P.S. Happy April Fool's!

Woo for spring/Easter

2010-03-29T18:31:00.002-06:00

Spring is awesome. Around the first day of spring, stores really start to pay attention to all those springy- Eastery decorations. That means they start pulling out the CHICKENS! :) And I know that is exactly what everyone is excited for when spring rolls around, right? Everyone just loves chicken decorations :)

Such as these little guys

I'll let you pause for a big ol' AHHHHH :) I got these 15 of these chickies for $1(!!!!!!) at Big Lots. They just had to come home with me. In fact, I had some sort of scrapbooking something in my hand and they somehow magically took the place of the scrapbooking something.

They were originally just little chickens, but I transformed them into adorable Easter magnets. They look pretty at home up on our fridge with the other chicken magnet.

All I did was take some magnets that were sticky on the top and cut them into little squares. I printed out little "Happy Easter!" tags and then tacked them onto the magnets. Then all I did was stick their little feet to the magnets.

They turned out so stinking CUTE! Woo for spring/Easter!

Happy Easter crafting all!