my p&p reverie

I read Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters in high school, like many of us did. Jane Eyre was a particular favorite, I recall.

The day after Christmas we were joking about celebrating Boxing Day, which has never been a thing for us, of course, since we aren't British... but that led my train of thought to British literature. I looked at all the e-books that my library offered and decided to reread Pride and Prejudice. 

Reread it I did, in quick order, and I could not get the story out of my head. Lizzy and Mr. Darcy were stuck there and I wanted MORE. The natural progression is to watch the movie, right? So I watched the 2005 movie with Kiera Knightley and Matthew McFadyen and HOLY SMOKES I loved everything about it! So I watched it again, and again, and well, again. And I downloaded a couple songs from the soundtrack because I loved all the music, too. The last scene, although it is admittedly a departure from the novel, is my favorite. Watching Darcy cross the field to his love was intense, and the speech he makes to Lizzy is beautiful. "You have bewitched me body and soul and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on." Ahh, my heart!

Then I started watching clips on YouTube (the internet is a spiraling rabbit hole of fun information on all the classics) which led me to the reviews for the 1995 BBC adaptation, so of course I had to watch that too. And of course I loved it. Of course I did. Who doesn't love Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy? Plus it's a six hour mini series that is very close to the novel so you get to see live versions of almost all the scenes in the book. So I watched it again. And, well, again. Yikes. I'm in for a lot of hours of tv at this point. Lest you think I neglected my family, fear not. I totally did. (Thankfully I have an amazing husband. And, by the way, don't bother watching the 1980 adaptation. It was awful.)

It wasn't just the visuals of the films I couldn't get out of my head. I was fully immersed in early 19th century life in Regency-era England. The fashion, the music and dancing, the formalities that have faded away over time. God bless the internet for being a treasure trove of information- tidbits that increase understanding. Life was so different then! I think sometimes that history feels so cold and far in the past, but people loved and laughed and felt all the same emotions we do. I think, too, that it speaks well of Jane Austen that hundreds of years after she wrote the story, it still feels relevant and fresh.

British period dramas get me right in the feels and I love all of them intensely... but this was something I had forgotten until a couple years ago. I was late jumping on the Downton Abbey train but that was such a great series and I was sad when it ended. Now Pride and Prejudice, and a couple days ago I read Sense and Sensibility (I needed a P&P palate cleanser but don't worry, I'm watching it as I write this so my reverie continues unabated.) Watching S&S is next on the list and I've already started rereading Jane Eyre. 

Now, if only I could stop thinking my thoughts with a British accent, I'd be all set. I'm on the struggle bus with that. A double decker, bright red struggle bus. 

crazy mom quilts retreat 2012

For the third year in a row I was able to spend a weekend sewing with Amanda Jean of crazy mom quilts! She is the co-author of one of my favorite quilting books, Sunday Morning Quilts. I always enjoy hanging out with her and Tara at the fabulous B&B that Tara runs. There is always yummy food, plenty of laughter, and lots of sewing time!

As per usual, my camera stayed stuffed in the bottom of my purse, but I took some pictures of all my goodies as soon as I got home (after I kissed my baby, of course!).

Here's the adorable nametag that Tara made:

And some swag and prizes! I won a a set of Wonder Clips and a fat eighth bundle of Liberty, yay! Plus Amanda signed my copy of her book (which if you've been following Instagram, you'll know I found it just in the nick of time! I'm @seaschellquilts).

We also did a potholder swap... I got the awesome set that Tara made! And I snagged some great scraps out of the scrap bin. Not that I needed more scraps, but who can resist?

This great Liberty tote was part of my fat eighth bundle!

Hannah made this lovely Nicey Jane quilt top at the retreat. Nicey Jane is one of my favorite fabric collections and I reeeally loved this quilt!!! (So I guess I did bring my camera out after all, ha!)

This is what I worked on at the retreat... a curtain for our kitchen window. At night it was very creepy in the kitchen... anyone could see in, but I couldn't see out. Not that people were clamoring to see into my kitchen, lol.

I love that it just hangs on clips... no pocket for the rod needed... and I can just push it aside during the day to let in all that great natural light.

 

I didn't realize how satisfying it would be to have something I made be so functional in the house!



tiny... so tiny

I knew that eventually I'd end up crocheting a baby hat and booties for Baby (who is still in the breech position, by the way. Stubborn girl.). Hubby said a few nights ago that he was surprised that I hadn't done it by now, and I'm kind of surprised at myself, too. After all, there are only about two weeks left until she arrives!

We went to Barnes & Noble last week and I picked up this book because I loved the Star Booties. My first attempt was a teeny tiny booty that was cute but also a bit on the wonky side. It was supposed to measure 3 1/2 inches but barely ended up at 2 inches.

My second attempt was more successful. It's the right size and not wonky. Best of all, the third booty actually matches the second in shape and size!

I'm also doing a hat, but having some issues with it. We'll see how things go.

{baby update} 19 weeks

I figured it was time to post a baby update! I'm sure you all are riveted. :)

Size of baby: a small chicken breast. All of the size comparisons in What to Expect When You're Expecting use food. Weird but true.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've lost 4 pounds since December. Also weird, but true. Especially since my belly has definitely expanded.

Clothes: Maternity pants and shirts to maximize the belly!

Gender: Ultrasound is scheduled for March 25th. Ten days! (Not that I'm counting, lol.)

Movement: Flutters in the beginning of last week, more solid movements later on. Sometimes it feels like Baby is doing jumping jacks in my belly. Especially when I'm sitting down.

What I miss: Diet Coke. Deli meat. Bleu cheese. Ahhh, bleu cheese, how I miss you!

Cravings: Chocolate milkshakes. I've had six in the last week alone. Also, cereal. Doesn't matter what kind!

Interesting to note: I slipped and fell on the stairs on Saturday. I've got a huge purple bruise on my rear. Baby is okay... we went to the emergency room to make sure. I was pretty freaked out!

Also, if I think too hard about how Baby's moving in my tummy, I start to get a little weirded out and feel like an alien experiment. I mean, there's a HUMAN GROWING INSIDE ME!! Unreal. So I try not to think about it, just enjoy the feeling.*

*Sorry for the blurry photo.

cravings, hexagons and the nook

Hi friends! Sorry for the long absence. A lot has been going on, and precious little of it involves crafting. Growing a baby is HARD! Two more weeks until we find out what we're having. I'm sporting a small baby bump that I try to enhance as much as possible, so that I'll look pregnant and not just chunky. :)

Also, I think I've figured out my cravings... cereal (doesn't matter what kind) and chocolate milk shakes. Mmmmmm... I want a milk shake right now! I wonder if Hubby will stop and get me one on his way home from work?

A tiny bit of sewing has been happening... a couple of weeks ago we had a Modern Quilt Guild meeting, and Penny showed us how to piece hexagons. I made the cutest flower! I came home with  more hexagons, a bit of gorgeous fabric, and a hankering for MORE!

I finally tracked down an acrylic hex cutting template and I'm thinking I might do either a mug rug or a baby quilt with hexagons.

Switching to my third tangent of this post, (I can do that, I'm pregnant) (okay, I do that anyway) I got a nook last month and I LOVE IT! I was really nervous about buying an e-reader... I love the feel of holding a traditional book in my hand and was having a hard time with the idea of giving up the kinesthetic experience. Turns out it's really not that big of a deal... I also like that I don't have to connect the thing to my laptop to download my books, it's got wireless internet so I can do it automatically. Which is a good and bad thing, because I've already spent a ton of money on books. By the way, I'm not getting compensation for this, blah blah blah.

My only complaint is that in almost all of the e-books I've downloaded, there are a bunch of typos. It's so frustrating! I really think these things should be edited as well as a regular book and I hate seeing so many mistakes in the text.

knuffle bunny

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, by Mo Willems, has long been one of my favorite picture books for kids. My favorite part is when Trixie is trying to tell her dad that Knuffle Bunny is missing, and she says "Aggle flaggle klabble! Blaggle plabble! Wumby flappy?! Snurp.". So sweet!

When I saw this pattern for a Knuffle Bunny on emilie handmade, I knew I had to make one! One of my very dear friends is having a baby early next year, and since she's also a teacher I thought it would make a nice Christmas gift for her.

Knuffle Bunny will be accompanied by a copy of the original book. There is also a Knuffle Bunny Too and a Knuffle Bunny Free! Mo Willems is a great writer. Have you ever seen Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus?

I do have one question that I'd like to pose to you: Is it bad to give my pregnant friend a baby gift for Christmas? I'm also giving her a baby quilt closer to when the baby is born, but I really wanted to do this for her. Is it considered bad etiquette? Discuss. :)

the retreat

I was fortunate to spend a weekend with this group of lovely ladies! We talked, laughed, ate, and of course, quilted. Warning- this is the longest post I've ever written!

I arrived Friday at about 11:30 and set up my station. I was right next to a window with awesome natural lighting and a nice view:

and we had a great lunch of minestrone, salad, and homemade focaccia. All the food was made by Tara, innkeeper extraordinare. :) Afterward, our instructor, the fabulous Amanda Jean of crazy mom quilts, talked a little about thread, needles, making quilt sandwiches (pinning vs. spray basting) and other tips on quilting. Then we got some time to work on our individual projects, so I pieced my placemats, which I'll show you later because I *love love LOVE* them!

Friday night after dinner we had a scrap bag free for all. Everyone brought a gallon ziploc full of scraps and we dumped them out on the kitchen floor... and the frenzy started! We turned that pile over and mixed it up and threw scraps around, trying to root out the good stuff from the *ahem* not so good and I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! I also returned home with twice the scraps I left home with, having caught scrap fever (you didn't really think I was destashing, did you?).

Did I mention the fabulous goody bag? There were coupons to local fabric stores, soaps, lotions, and lip balm all made by Tara, a great key chain, a cool pincushion, a magnet, a fat quarter, and a nametag (also all made by Tara... she was a very busy lady in the months before the retreat!), all for me!

There were several ladies staying at the inn, but since I live just 20 minutes away I went home each night, which was great because I got to see my hubby. So I showed up on Saturday morning for breakfast and Amanda's next workshop, free motion quilting. It was so nice because I really didn't know what I was doing when it comes to free motion, so it was great to hear from a pro! We started by practicing doodling on paper with a marker...

and then had a partner hold the marker while we moved the paper to simulate what happens when sewing...

and as you can see my second doodle was a little more spastic than the first. :)

After a demonstration, we got a chance to go practice for ourselves, so I did some free motion quilting on my fall pot holders.

Not too bad. I did a little meandering stippling, and some wavy lines, and one poor potholder got a mishmash of techniques and is definitely unique, ha ha.

After lunch on Saturday we had more time to work on our projects and splintered off into little groups to shop and such. I went with Amanda and Tara to a fairly new fabric store in the area and an adorable yarn store just down the street from the inn. I bought several fat quarters and a copy of One Yard Wonders.

I also started piecing this little table topper on Saturday afternoon... I've since finished the piecing and need to start quilting. Yay for red and aqua at Christmas! The best part? All of this fabric came from the scrap frenzy! Special thanks to Penny and Amanda Jean for showing me how fun scraps can be!

Saturday night I had dinner with my hubby... but woke up Sunday morning thinking about quilting and piecing and binding, which is a switch because normally I wake up thinking about school. Definite improvement. :)

Sunday's workshop and demonstration was about using a walking foot while quilting. This was one of the reasons why I bought a new sewing machine... my old one didn't have a walking foot and I really wanted one for the retreat. I'm so glad I did! I hadn't ever used a walking foot before but it was so much fun... way less stress (for me, a beginning quilter) than free motion and my first walking foot project turned out FABULOUS!!

I  pieced some placemats on Friday afternoon and quilted them with my walking foot after Amanda's demo... I absolutely love them!

Sunday morning was also prize day! There was a slew of prizes, so much so that everyone won something! Unfortunately, I didn't win this gorgeous quilt, but I did win this great bundle of black and white fabrics. I was happy, too- I was eyeballing this very same line at my local quilt shop a few weeks ago!

Sunday afternoon, after a yummy lunch of chicken pot pie, I also had time to finish (except for the hand sewing of the binding) another changing pad for a pregnant friend,

plus Amanda helped me redo my quilt along quilt sandwich because I hated the orginal backing. Here she is talking to her hubby on the phone while taping the backing to the table. (Come to think of it, not sure if she knew I took this picture. Hi, Amanda! I took your picture!)

I also had time to finish the ugliest brown table runner EVER. I have decided I don't like anything about this project, and it will be relegated to the Dark Hole of Ugly Projects. I'm not even going to finish hand sewing the binding. I'm chalking it up to practice.

Everyone was so encouraging and friendly! I really enjoyed getting to know new people and hearing about techniques, strategies, and creative ideas. It was also so nice getting to meet Amanda, whose blog I've been reading for quite a while... she is SO NICE in person! Not that I expected anything less. :)

Amanda Jean on the left, me on the right. She knew about this one. :)

Probably should have made this a two-part post, but I was so excited to share! Thanks for sticking with me to the end. :)

What a great weekend! I can't wait for next year's retreat!

this and that

Well, August kicked my butt and I can't say I'm sorry to see September come along. A ginormous class size has taken some getting used to, but we're getting into the Kindergarten groove and I'm hoping things will settle down into routine pretty quickly.

In the meantime, lots has been going on at home, too! We hosted my brother in law and a friend of his for a few days a couple weeks ago, and will host my sister and her boyfriend this coming weekend.

I finally got my sewing machine back (YAY!!) but have had no time to finish the several projects on my list (BOO!!). Actually, I have time now, but I decided to update the long-neglected blog and read. Priorities, people. :)

What am I reading, you ask? Excellent question! I just got this book...

...which I had been lusting after for a while, and I'm getting excited about pulling the sewing machine off of the kitchen chair where it's hiding and going through the projects, lesson by lesson.

Stitch by Stitch is really a beautiful book. The photos are gorgeous and I love the spiral binding.

You can read bloggy reviews of this book here, here, and here.

Oh! I almost forgot my most recent piece of news! I signed up for a quilter's workshop/retreat in November in the next town over. It'll be my first one and I'm super excited!

laughing and quilting

I went to the dentist last Friday morning to have a temporary crown taken out and a permanent one put in. Since I'm a big weenie, they give me nitrous oxide to relax me (in addition to all kinds of numbing... I'm usually numb for at least three hours after the appointment). Man, I love nitrous oxide. I know why they call it laughing gas... my dentist says the funniest things when I'm gassed up! (Bet this isn't what you thought you'd be reading about when you saw the title, huh?)

Anyway, after the dentist when I was clearheaded but still numb (my lower lip felt about ten pounds too big), I went to a local quilt show. I'd never been to one before and figured a Friday morning was a good time as it wouldn't be too busy, right? (Plus there's no way in heck that my husband would set foot anywhere near this place on Saturday.)

WRONG! There were tons of women and a few bored husbands holding purses milling about. People were bumping into each other at every turn. There were only 17 vendors there so it was a really small show. I got sucked in to all kinds of beautiful fabrics and spent way more than I originally intended. I love fabric. Want to see my haul?

Isn't it great? That rolled up goodness is a Hello Betty by Chloe's Closet Retro Honey Bun (sheesh, what a mouthful!) and just below that is a Fresh Squeezed Charm Pack, both from Moda. I also got a pattern for a cute wallet and several other fun fabrics.

I love the Moda Bake Shop. I love Moda fabrics. I saw a quilt at the show made out of the same Honey Bun that I bought and it is so cute! I can't wait to make something out of it.

Here's a close up of the Honey Bun. I have really been into retro and vintage fabrics lately, and these fit the bill! I almost can't bear to unroll it. Almost.

I've saved the best for last! Every woman at the quilting show was carrying some kind of quilting bag. Luckily I was carrying my trusty Vera Bradley bag, so I didn't miss the boat there. I was trolling around the different booths and came across this (blurry) vision of loveliness...

Yay! I love it... so roomy without being too big. I've retired the trusty Vera Bradley in favor of this new bag. There were a lot of items for sale that I thought were beautiful, but I didn't want to spend tons of money on something I thought I could make myself.

Sadly, quilting scares the heck out of me. My stepdad's mother is an awesome quilter and whenever I see things she's done I'm hugely intimidated.

I bought a beginner's quilting book a long time ago and used a pattern in it to make a quilt top. It was the most frustrating thing I've ever done. From the beginning with the measuring and cutting to the end with ironing seams, I hated it. It was way too complicated for me with what seemed like millions of squares and triangles and rectangles. I put it aside and never finished it. PLUS... I lost it. I've been looking for the bleeping thing for a month and can't find it.

I decided after that disaster that anything I ever quilted again would have to be much easier. I have a couple of patterns I'm considering. Hopefully sometime soon I'll pull my sewing machine from it's hidey hole in my crafty cabinet and get to quilting!

personal cookbook redo

My recipe binder was a disaster. I had old recipes mixed in with ones I hadn't tried, there weren't enough sections for all the types of recipes I have, and the cover was a scrapbooker's embarrassment... from way back when I thought stickers were all you needed, haha. I refuse to take a picture, it's so bad.

But... I guess if other bloggers are brave enough to show their embarrassing stuff, I can be brave enough, too.

Captivating! Let's move in for a close-up, shall we?

SEE? I told you it was bad! Oy. I want to cringe. I finally decided enough was enough when I opened the binder and half the recipes that didn't have a home fell out all over the floor.

I pulled out Every. Single. Recipe. It took forever, because I had a ton of stuff. I had to decide if each recipe was binder worthy... if so, I filed it under one of my new categories:

Methods (cooking tips and tricks... right now I have a grilling cheat sheet filed there)

Breakfast

Appetizers

Sauces (yes, I actually had enough recipes to make this it's own category!)

Entrees

Soups

Sides

Breads

Desserts

Entertaining

Holiday Meals

Holiday Baking

Recipes to Try

Here's the plan: Each week I fill in the menu on my personal weekly planner. The recipes for the week go in the front of the binder. Then I don't need to flip through the binder constantly to find the recipes for the things I want to make.

If I make something from the "Recipes to Try" category and we like it, it moves into a permanent spot in whichever category it fits. I made caramel rolls for Easter morning from a recipe from a coworker and they were AWESOME! so that recipe will move into the Breakfast tab shortly.

This week I'll make Linguine with Asparagus and Pine Nuts from Real Simple, Ricotta Gnocchi from a Pampered Chef cookbook, and *hopefully* Mia's Bagels (that's how I think of them). Those recipes are waiting for me in the front of my binder!

And of course, I needed to make a new cover page to go in the front. I took out my scrappy supplies and got to work. It's simple, but I like it.

I am especially fond of the bow I made from ribbon and hot glue.

I'm really liking this new system! Yay for organizing!

happy easter!

My mom and stepdad are visiting for Easter, so I bought tulips to put in the guest room. Tulips are one of my favorite types of flower!

Last night we dyed eggs (well, I dyed most of them and managed to get my mother involved whilst Hubby and my stepdad subjected us to ridicule... party poopers). I had the newest issue of Martha Stewart Living and thought the eggs on the cover were just gorgeous... much more sophisticated than regular old Easter eggs! I used electrical tape to make stencils for a few eggs.

This next one is my favorite. I dipped it in orange with electrical tape on it and then took off the tape and dipped it in yellow. It's a subtle look, but I love it!

I also read this blog regularly and loved how their eggs turned out. So, without further ado....

I used them as place cards on the table... they aren't as pretty as I'd hoped but not bad for a last minute night-before-Easter project!