Notes to self:

1. Rainy days are much more romantic in old movies {and instances when you can stay inside and read or watch said old movies} than in real life.

I am already awkward and clumsy enough. So imagine me walking to class. I'm wearing this awesome blue trench coat that I got at Old Navy on clearance, but unfortunately, this trench coat makes it impossible to carry bags on my shoulders. They just slide off. I'm carrying my school bag, my purse, my umbrella, and a large pizza box (which I converted into a flannel board to use for a preschool activity at the center).

It looked nothing like this:

But at least having one of these beautiful vintage-style bubble umbrellas makes things a little better. :)

2. When I got on Yahoo to check my email, I saw a news headline that said, "Bieber Parodied," with a picture of Justin Beiber next to Michael Buble. It led me to this video.

I seriously have a crush on Michael Buble. And this video made me laugh so much. I don't know anything about Justin Beiber except for the Elvis Presley teen girl mayhem he induces. But of what I've seen of him, Michael Buble's impersonation of his mannerisms is spot on. And he sure does have the James Dean "Rebel Without a Cause" angry brow thing down perfectly. :) *Note: There are a few content issues in the video when he's parodying a rock star...skip from 0:35 to 1:00 to avoid them...but the rest of the video is worth watching!*



3. I love Etsy. So much.

I just found a couple of new shops that sell art (and art prints) that are beautiful! I really want this shirt and I love this and this. And I really love those mugs that have P&P quotes on them...but I wouldn't pay $20 for one (including shipping). I want to make one of my own. I have a feeling that after this craft festival this weekend I'm going to be doing a lot of selfish crafting and sewing. :) By the way, I am possibly going to be opening an Etsy store quicker than I had anticipated. I've had so many questions lately that I'm really considering starting one as soon as possible. I've even ordered an Etsy success kit, which will hopefully help me out a lot.

Until next time,

Giveaways!

I just wanted to let you guys know about some awesome giveaways. Who doesn't love a giveaway? :)

Lindsay over at "Content in Christ" is giving away this beautiful scarf and a pair of earrings. Check it out!

And I've also decided to take part in this event over at Shannon's blog "Beyond the Plateau."

1. Ring! Ring! You receive a phone call from a national sweepstakes organization saying that you have won a life-time supply of your favorite beverage!! What would that drink be?
Well, I drink water more than anything else, but I really already have a life-time supply of that. :) So I guess I would say V8 Fusion: Acai Mixed Berry. I drink a glass of it everyday, because it has fruit and vegetable servings, and I really don't eat enough of those. Plus it's really good. :)

2. If you could live in a Jane Austen novel, which book would you pick? What character would you be?
Well, considering it's my favorite book and movie, I would have to say Lizzie Bennet in "Pride and Prejudice." For obvious reasons, which I'll tell you anyway. :) She's pretty, she's clever, she's not perfect, she's intelligent, and she gets Mr. Darcy.

3. What is your theme song, that favorite song that absolutely matches you?
Probably "I Am Understood?" from this Relient K CD...I can't think of another one right off.

4. You are trapped on a deserted island. Your only supplies are the clothes you have on, and a box with five things in it. What are those five things?
1. My Bible.
2. Matches.
3. My iPod. :) (and some sort of solar charger for it) Or maybe my "Gilligan's Island" DVDs for extra moral support.
4. My journal.
5. An inflatable life raft. Because after I've been there for a while, I'm going to float back to civilization and become an author by publishing my island journal. :)

5. Chocolate or Caramel?
I love chocolate. Not so big on caramel.

6. Vacation! If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

A grand tour of Europe...Britain, Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, etc.

7. If forced to do one of the two, which would you do: sky diving or scuba diving? Why?
Probably scuba diving? Because I've been snorkeling before, and although it was terrifying at first, I rather liked it. And I think scuba diving would be pretty similar, as long as it was very safe. :)

8. Favorite TV show, and why?
"I Love Lucy." Lucille Ball was hilarious, and this is the one show that can make me laugh until I cry no matter how many times I see it. Plus, it's clean. One of my personal favorite episodes is "Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her." This show is closely followed by "The Andy Griffith Show" and "The Dick van Dyke Show."

9. Are you a coffee and donuts sorta lady, or a tea and scones type of gal?
Well, I like doughnuts and scones, but I don't drink coffee or tea. :) I do occasionally drink sweet (ice) tea, but lately I've been thinking about trying real, hot tea.

10.The time machine has finally been created, and you are the first to be able to use it! What era would you travel too?
Nearly anytime between the 1930s and the 1950s. :)

11. What is the last movie you watched?
"Titanic," I think. 1997 version.

12. Ding-dong!!! Your favorite actor/singer/celebrity is at your front door! Who would it be?
Dead or alive? :) Sorry, but most of the "celebrities" I would like to meet have already died. Including C.S. Lewis, Jane Austen, Cary Grant, Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Stewart, etc. As far as living people go, I guess maybe it would be Johnny Depp or Julie Andrews or Dick van Dyke or maybe all of the guys from Switchfoot. :)

13. What was your absolute favorite toy as a baby?
I had these two "bunnies." They were basically a small blanket with a bunny head? Actually, this is amazing, but I just found a picture of one online here. And I had another similar one, too. I slept with them for years and years, until I got too "old" to sleep with stuffed animals anymore. :) Mine are ragged and worn out and stitched up many times by my grandma...yes, I still have them in my closet. Hopefully they'll last for my children, too.

14. What types of blogs do your like best? (examples: DIY, cooking, journal, etc.)
Any type, as long as the author shares some interests with me. I like crafting/sewing blogs, DIY, photography, etc.

15. What is your favorite Bible verse, your "life verse?"
Right now, probably "Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportant because you are young. Instead, be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life." -1 Timothy 4:12

Until next time,

Ready for this?

Hi, guys. I just wanted to catch you all up on the newest things that I've made. I think this is everything that I've finished this week, but I might be leaving something out...Sorry for the bad lighting in some of them, by the way.

Sunflower hoop art. Many, many yellow felt petals. :) And the middle is a brown felt circle with many French knots to make seeds. This is pretty much life size...it's in a 10 inch hoop, I think?

This one was heavily inspired by this hoop art and the famous children's book. It's in a 8 inch hoop.

See my smoke? I got a little carried away. :)

The grass looked plain, so I added some button flowers.

New bag.

I love the grosgrain ribbon around it. My mom's friend has a pink bag similar to this, and I've been wanting to try it. I'm not too happy with the "bow" and the button, but it's okay for now.

Zippered pouch, with pale pink zipper and bright pink interior:

I sold my other wallet like this one, so I made another.

I'm really proud of how much I've made and have to take to the craft/fall festival: 5 bags, 12 wallets, 7 iPod cases, 4 pouches, 1 apron, 4 hoop arts, and a few other little random things. And I'm hoping to get in a few more things this week. I hope I do well...I'll actually be relieved when it's over, so I can do some "selfish sewing." :)

Until next time,

Again?

Wow, I had no idea that there were so many Titanic fans among you guys! :) It's nice to know I'm not alone in my fascination with the ship's history. All of this Titanic talk really made me want to watch the 1997 movie again. So I did last night.

I really should have been sewing (my first craft festival is a week from tomorrow!) or doing homework, but I watched the movie instead. I used the TV Guardian that's build into my DVD player, and it actually worked! It doesn't block actual scenes, but it mutes sentences with profanity in them. I usually struggle to get it set right. It goes from the extreme of letting all profanity through to blocking every other sentence, including any that contain "shut up" or "stupid." But this time it worked perfectly...it blocked out every single swear word. :) And that made me happy, because I despise cussing, and there is a lot of that in this movie.

So a fun little thing that I just noticed for the first time last night: you remember Malcolm Merriweather in "The Andy Griffith Show"? For you "The Dick van Dyke Show" fans, this guy also played the English night teacher who hits on Laura Petrie and the father of the little girl who beats up (and loves) Ritchie:

He's in "Titanic"! :) I was thinking...I know that face and that voice. I tried to do the math in my head to see if the age was about right, and then I pulled up IMDB. And it's him.

So..."Titanic" really is a gorgeous movie. Despite all of the profanity, violence, and other inappropriate material, the filming and scenes themselves are really beautiful. I love all of the clothes, and I wish I could get away with wearing a hat like this. And it's purple!

And while I don't find the whole relationship between Rose and Jack especially touching, there are some moments in the film that I love. Like the steerage dancing scenes. And the ship's orchestra playing until the last few minutes, especially when they play "Nearer My God to Thee." I own the soundtrack to this movie, and it's beautiful (and highly recommended), even if you don't like the movie.

Well, that's enough Titanic for now. I'll hopefully be back tomorrow or Sunday with some pictures of some of my new creations.

Until next time,

Titanic.

I sort of have an obsession with the Titanic.

For as long as I could remember, I've been fascinated with the whole story of it. I think it started a few years after the big movie came out in 1997. Me and my friends were "in love" with Leonardo DiCaprio, and we watched the movie over and over (of course, with my parents skipping over several scenes and muting large portions because of the language).

As I got older, I always checked out books about the Titanic from the library. I even did my senior research paper a few years ago about the ship and who was to blame for the tragedy. The whole incident is so heartbreaking and chilling...and the pictures and videos of it on the ocean floor? Wow. It is the oddest feeling to see beauty and elegance rusting away miles below the surface.

I only intended on using a few pictures in this post, but there were so many beautiful ones that I went a little overboard (no pun intended).

I bought this movie at Sam's Club months ago, but only watched it for the first time this weekend. I loved it! It's "Titanic," made in 1953 and starring Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck. It's not especially historically accurate, but that's okay.

It's about a couple on the verge of separation because of the society they belong to. The wife takes her children and leaves for America, and her estranged husband buys a steerage ticket from a man so he can stop her. During the trip, the couple is arguing over custody of their children, and a family secret is brought out. I don't want to spoil anything, especially the end, but I'll just say it was heartbreaking, yet hopeful. This movie struck me as so different from the 1997 one. This one involves anger and corruption and family issues, like the 1997 one, but this ending is peaceful. The other movie ends in gunfire and despair, while this one ends with the passengers singing a hymn. It had a completely different feeling. There's also a part involving a fallen priest coming back to God, which made me pretty teary.

And movies about the Titanic really make me think. I try to imagine what it would be like, standing there on the ship as it sank, fighting that panicky feeling because there's nothing you can do. Just standing there, waiting for death. If you were a Christian, you might feel some peace or comfort, but what if you weren't? Or trapped on the ship, not able to even have a chance to live (some of the crew were trapped, and some of the lower class passengers, even women and children, were hindered from getting to lifeboats).

Or maybe even worse yet, being on a lifeboat and floating away from your husband, or your brother, or your father, or possibly even your son. And watching the ship that they're on sink under the surface. Wondering why you lived while your loved one(s) died. I can't imagine what those people went through.

The romance between a young college boy and the daughter (not pictured) was one of my favorite parts...it was so sweet.

Warning: This video may contain slight spoilers...skip to 5:40 and watch to the end for one of my favorite parts. :) You can watch the whole movie on YouTube!

Until next time,

Crafty overload.

Hello, lovely readers. I didn't disappear. :) It's just that my time has been completely divided this week between school/homework and sewing. I've got that fall craft festival coming up at the beginning of October, and I have a list of goals of what I need to accomplish each week. So I've been super busy sewing and crafting. And I have a ton of new things to show you, but first I wanted to show off this:

It's an "Alice in Wonderland" skin for my little 3rd generation iPod Nano. And it was completely free! Want to know how?

I'm a member of the Disney Movie Rewards Program. If you're a big Disney fan like me, this is a really cool thing to participate in. Many Disney DVDs that you buy come with a rewards code. You go to the website, create an account, and put in your code. Each code gives you a certain amount of points. If you've bought any Disney DVDs over the past year or so, those are likely to have codes that you can use, too! When I joined the program a few months ago, I went through all of my Disney DVDs that I had bought or been given (animated classics, live action classics, and newer ones like "Prince Caspian") and put in all of my codes and ended up with over 500 points! You can also get points through Disney CDs that you've purchased or movie tickets (I did this with two of our Alice in Wonderland tickets-I couldn't find the other one). When you build up points, you can redeem them for really cool rewards. Like this iPod skin from SkinIt. It would have cost $14.99 plus shipping, and I got it for free (well, about 400 points). This was the first thing I ever redeemed points for, and it was really easy. And even though some of the rewards require huge amount of points and some aren't very exciting, there are some cool ones, too.

No, I was not paid for that little speech in any way. :) I just wanted to let you Disney fans/obsessive DVD collectors about a way to get some freebies!

Okay, now on to some sewing goodies. I apologize for the poor quality of some of the pictures in this post, but the lighting was bad and my battery was going dead so I was in a hurry.

I made little zippered clutch last night. It's the "Perfectly Pleated Clutch" from my new Amy Butler book. This is going to be mine, as it was my first trial attempt and I got rather attached to it and can't bear to part with it. When I first saw this bag in the book, I didn't like it too much, but now it has grown on me tremendously. I thought that the pleats would take a really, really long time, but they're really quick and simple because you sort of do them on your own and don't have to be precise about measuring and whatnot. It did take two very long pieces of fabric: 8 inches x 56 inches, I believe. My pieces were only 46 inches long, but it still worked out fine. I wasn't too crazy about the main bag fabric, so I was glad that the pleats sort of distort it in a nice way. I do love the top band fabric, though (which I also used for the interior).

The little handle on the back is a little awkward. I think it would work better if it was off to one side a bit instead of right in the middle. My hand is so big that I have to struggle to fit it all the way through, and when you just hold the handle, the clutch sort of leans forward in an odd way.

Yes, that is an Elvis keychain. I bought it on our trip to Memphis five or six years ago. And there's a lovely turquoise zipper.

I recently became disgusted with paying $1.50 for a 7 inch zipper, since I've been going through a lot of them. So I ordered 50 zippers, in assorted colors, from this Etsy shop. The service was very fast and friendly, and the zippers evened out to be 44 cents each. Which is a big improvement!

This owl bag is so adorable! I desperately want to keep it for myself. But I can't. I'll just have to buy some more of the fabric and make one for myself some day. I guess I need to start making things out of ugly fabric. Because I always want to keep the things made out of cute fabric. :)

Matching wallet.

I bought this penguin fabric last winter and this was the first time I used it.

Cute little zipper pouch made from leftover fabric from my last bag.

Two more zippered pouches, with slightly different dimensions:

Two iPod/cell phone cases:

So there you have it. :) I've sewed more in the past week than I have in a long time. I really want to have a lot to offer at the craft festival, which I'm nervous and excited about. I'll be back soon with some new items to show!

Until next time,