The Musings of a Snail

where has snails been?

2010-10-15T09:30:00.003-04:00

Don't call this a comeback.

So, it's been about 5 months since I blogged. I really love blogging but I hate it too. It's kind of like working out. Ok, no, I just really hate that. I love blogging because I get to document my life and read responses and encouragement from others. But I hate it because I have to organize my thoughts first, and it takes a lot of time. Especially for a snail.

I will try to be better about blogging more often. I had a nice hiatus. I've had some time to think about my little blog. I've realized that I don't want my blog to just be about one thing. At first I thought this would just be a sewing/craft blog, but I want to write about more- my family, my friends, my husband, my cats, cooking, food, music, and.... well, anything. So I'm not going to limit myself. Ok? Capece? I'm glad we got that all straightened out.

So, how was your summer??? How is your fall??? Here's what I've been up to:

1. Our garden was very successful this summer. Oh how I will miss fresh salsa. We tried to can a lot of it.

2. We went to the Outer Banks with Josh's side of the family in July.

3. We went to Hilton Head with my family in August.

We did a family photo shoot complete with matching outfits. It was awesome. And by awesome I mean a little embarrassing.

4. More recently, Josh and I went to the Philly orchestra to see Joshua Bell. We had the cheapest seats but I think it's the best view.

5. We went on a fall weekend getaway with our best friends.

We played hard.

I love fall.

6. The cats are doing great. Snuggly as ever.

7. Josh got a full-time job working at an alternative school. It's been an adjustment for us, but he loves it so far.

8. I took a new job babysitting one little boy before he goes to school each morning. And of course I am still teaching all of my little punk violin students.

....and now you are all up to date! I did miss blogging.

I'm so proud, part 2

2010-05-13T09:55:00.009-04:00

My little sister Rachael also graduated on Saturday! Congrats Rachy baby!

Rachael is somewhat quiet and reserved, and reminds me a LOT of my mom. Sometimes when she answers the phone I actually think my mom answered the phone, she sounds so much like her.(me, Mom, Rach, at the Phila. Zoo a looong time ago)

Rachael is less than two years younger than me (one school grade), so we were always best buds growing up.

(me with the crazy hair, Rachy baby on the right)

We shared a bedroom, played softball, took violin lessons together, and were always playing outside together ("Back in the Olden Days," of course).

I love you Rach!

I'm so proud...

2010-05-13T09:35:00.003-04:00

This past weekend my husband Josh graduated from Eastern University! Yay!

It may have taken a long time...

But all the hard work

Will be so worth it.

(no, I'm not preggers, it was windy)

My husband is such a hard worker, sometimes working 50+ hours while in school.

I'm so proud and grateful to be married to this man!

Random pictures from my phone

2010-04-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

Ok people, I figured out how to get the pictures off my phone. And now you will enjoy a random post of things I've taken pictures of... randomly.

1. This is Junebug. I watch her once or twice a week and she is the best!

2. Isn't this so pretty? Seriously it looks like art. It's actually a vanilla caramel latte. I go to this coffee shop near where I teach in Wayne, PA and they make the BEST lattes. YUM.

3. Me and my babies.

4. I want this license plate.

5. Is this TMI? Sorry if it is. You know how I don't like to shave my legs? This was my leg back in Feb. Yeah, pretty bad. I laugh every time I see this picture because it looks like a man's leg. So gross! What is my problem??!

6. It's a little hard to tell in this picture because I was trying to be discreet taking a picture of this man. This is such a classic scene though- the guy was sleeping in his car while his wife was in Joann's. Poor guy. This will be Josh in 40 years. (sorry honey)

7. A typical Friday night for us. Three sleepy babies.

8. Did you know I am deeply attracted to Wrangler Jeans commercials? I mean, c'mon. I know I can't be the only one out there. Well, my husband happens to own a pair that he wears only when he's working. He wore them when we were working in the garden the other week. Mmm mmm mmm. I snuck a few shots. Here he is checking out the tiller, while I am checking out the tiller-er.

9. One day I was driving to work and looked up through my sunroof and saw this gorgeous tree. I love spring!
10. Josh and I seriously have the best cats in the entire world. This is how they were sleeping the other night. Sometimes I get scared because if only one of them were to die, the other would surely die soon after of a broken heart. And then Josh and I would follow shortly after that and die together holding hands and spooning, just like in The Notebook.How's that for random?

The End!

Newest aprons

2010-04-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

I made three aprons for my aunt, cousin, and grandmother recently.

Here they are modeling them.

Here are some better closeups.

This was my first time doing a ruffle top and I LOVE how it came out. I will definitely do more like this one.

And while I LOVE making aprons- they are simple and easy to be creative with, I am getting the itch to move onto something a little more challenging like clothing. I don't know though. I will need a lot of help from my grandmother. I think I will start with something easy like a skirt. Does anyone have any thoughts as to what I should start with? Or any easy pattern ideas?

I always love your comments and thoughts!

Spring and Sisters

2010-04-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Some Easter pictures...

Getting ready for our " big kids" Egg hunt where I got 20 bones! And my cousin Tanner got $70! Yeah, I said "big kids" egg hunt. It's serious stuff.

My sisters and cousin Julie

Never too old for a ring pop

My cute littlest sister Lydia with a blue mouth...

She might be going to college in CA... boo

She is too little...

And we will miss her too much...

And what if she comes back with some punk boy filling this space? No way. Uh uh...

But we'll always be sisters, no matter where we live.

And she knows that her bro-in-laws will kick those little punk-A's where the sun don't shine if they don't be respectin'. Yeahhh.

What I've been doing (or not)

2010-04-12T10:39:00.000-04:00

1. ... [not] blogging of course. Why? I'm not too sure. I'm a slacker. And I've been uninspired.

2. Babysitting a sweet girl, Junebug.

3. Watching Big Love, season 1. I didn't know this show existed until a few months ago (we don't have a tv, ok?). I'm not sure I really like it yet, or that I want to spend the time watching all the way through season 4. What I do know is that Bill Paxton sure gets a whoooooooooole lotta sexy time. Wow.

4. Taxes. Ugh. Not fun when you're self-employed.

5. Enjoying the gorgeous spring weather we've been having.

6. Sewing here and there. I've been making lots of aprons, but I'm seriously considering starting to make some clothes for myself. I will need lots of help though.

7. Planning our vacations. We are going to Hilton Head with my family in August, and Josh and I are hoping to go to the Cape Cod area for our anniversary this year. Please let me know if you have suggestions on where to stay/what to do!

8. Teaching my little rascals. 10 of my students are under the age of 8. Lord help me.

9. Making my own pizza dough. Here at the Macs, we eat a lot of pizza. Mostly homemade. It's kind of my go-to meal. I've been using Fleischman's pizza dough yeast (not bread yeast), and substituting some whole wheat flour. It turns out great!

10. Planting a garden with some friends. More to come on that later... As soon as I figure out how to get the pictures from my iphone to my computer. In the meantime, I can't wait for yummy veggies this summer! And we will have LOTS.

Baltimore Day 2

2010-03-10T09:05:00.000-05:00

Day 2 of our mini-vacay was another gorgeous day. We got up early (because there's no sleeping in when married to my man) and went for yet another walk.

We were trying to find a nice little cafe near the harbor. Who knew that there are NO places to eat breakfast on the water? None that we saw anyway. We walked probably 2 miles. We did pass Babe Ruth on our walk though. Good times.

We finally ended up back at our hotel, out of breath and starving (and me cranky because I didn't have my coffee yet).

So, when we got back we looked up some breakfast restaurants and finally settled on one back near the harbor, but not ON the harbor. We were so close. Well, it was a good decision (thanks again, Yelp) because the food was deLISH. Josh loves eggs benedict, so he got this "southern" eggs benedict with corn cakes and pulled pork barbecue on the side. Yeah, whoa. Definitely a man's meal.

I got a veggie and goat cheese omelet with yummy hash browns and a biscuit that tasted like Cracker Barrel's biscuits... YUM!

Then on our way home, Josh said, "You know, I'm craving a milk shake. McDonald's has good milkshakes. And I've heard great things about the Shamrock shake that they have out right now." So, we stopped at a dive of a McDonald's and got milkshakes. Josh went with the plain ol' vanilla, and I took a risk and got the Shamrock shake. Umm... disGUSTing. So gross. It tasted like chemicals. I do NOT recommend.

Josh happily sipping away at his safe milk shake.

(he shared with me, because he's nice)

Here's mine. Yuck.

It was a fun, much needed trip- minus the whole milkshake fiasco. When we got home we hugged our kitties. We always miss them so much when we are away, even if just for a night. Weird? Losers? Yep, Yep.

Baltimore Day 1

2010-03-08T08:25:00.005-05:00

Friends,
I'm sorry for being so MIA. I've been down in the dumps having not much to blog about, but the weather this past weekend brought me out of it a bit. AND it's supposed to be in the 50's all week long here in the Tri-State Region!

This past weekend Josh and I took a little mini-vacay to none other than Baltimore, MD. It's not far from where we live, and neither of us had ever spent any time there. Josh found a great deal using Hotwire for a hotel. So on our first day we went to the Aquarium ...

and found Nemo, who knew?

I gave some change to make a change

This poor guy only had three limbs

And forgot that you can't take pictures with flash in a mirror

Saw a dolphin show

Went to a 4-D show. We got squirt with water and poked every chance they got.

Josh was not amused.

Then for dinner, I used yelp for the first time and found a great tapas restaurant. It was so yummy and fun. And they had REALLY yummy sangria. We walked like a bazillion miles to get there because we didn't want to pay for transportation. We also walked out of the first restaurant we went to because it was NOT tapas like Yelp said. Yelp fail. I'd probably say I've never been MORE embarrassed, walking out of a restaurant after already being seated, but we had ONE night, ONE nice dinner to attend, and we weren't about to waste it on a restaurant we didn't want to be at. So, have any of you ever done that? How embarrassed were you on a scale of 1-10??

I'd say we got to know Baltimore pretty well. Let's just say my legs are still sore.
But that's not hard to accomplish.

I'll do Day 2 tomorrow!

Cupcakes for Haiti- Thank you!

2010-02-19T09:13:00.003-05:00

Hop on over to the cupcakes website to see some pictures from our cupcake baking night. Thank you to ALL who helped make this possible!

The reason our group wanted to do this was because none of us had a whole lot to give individually, and we wanted to do something very practical (and yummy) to give more money than we could have given just by ourselves.

100% of our proceeds went to Deep Springs International.

And we raised over $900! THANK YOU!!!

Sweater to Ruffle Scarf

2010-02-18T10:33:00.004-05:00

I finally got back to sewing a bit yesterday. I LOVE this project- it was pretty quick. I think I'll make like 10 more with old sweaters I have.

I was given this cashmere sweater from my friend Susie. Hi Sus!

(this is always what happens when I try to do projects)

Ok, here it is:

(oops, kinda fuzzy)

Just a plain ol' sweater. But soft. Really soft.

I came across THIS tutorial a while ago. That's what I used.

And here's how it came out!

(don't mind the background on these pics, I was in my 6x6 studio at the music store where I teach. Hey, I never claimed to be a great photographer.)

it won't stop snowing

2010-02-16T09:36:00.003-05:00

I'm so sick of snow. I'm sick of my feet getting wet, sick of the huge snow mounds outside of our apartment that make me have to walk all the way around to get to my car. Sick of being cooped up inside. And I'm REALLY sick of my hairy legs. I mean, it's bad. Really bad. But I have no reason to shave, wearing two pairs of pants everyday and all. So, here I am- me, my hairy legs, and my cats, just watching MORE snow come down. Will it ever stop? Will I ever feel the warm sun again??

You'd think with all of our snow days that I would be the sewing queen. But I'm not. I have projects to do, but I've just been putting them off to spend time cuddled with my hubby (apparently his name is Mr. Snails, who knew?) watching the entire HBO series of John Adams, old episodes of The Office, and doing anything but sewing and shaving my legs. It's been great, but back to the real world this week. Hopefully I'll get back to blogging too!

Guest Post: Things you may or may not know about Mr. Snails

2010-02-06T07:35:00.004-05:00

So Abby has asked me for quite a well to do a guest post, probably thinking my fame and popularity would bring her blog to a whole new level. Anyway, she said either her or I could do the "Things you may or may not know about Mr. Snails post." I decided that would be easy enough for me to do, so here we go:

1. No one has EVER refferred to me as Mr. Snails

2. The same person who started calling Abby "snails" tries to call me "slug", I refuse to accept it as a nickname.

3. Even though you will never see me wear a hat in public, I LOVE putting things on my head. If you buy a headband from Abby, chances are its been on my head (ok prob not true) but every time I put on one of her headbands and Abby walks into the room, the looks she gives me is priceless, its a mix between, "I can't believe I married a three year old" and "I am so in love with this guy" or at least that's what I tell myself it means, either way, I Love that look.

4. I write really long run on sentences, am terrible at grammar, yet plan on being an English teacher.

5. My middle finger on my right hand is grossely deformed from going through the crank of a bicycle when I was younger.

6. I secretly love reading blogs even though I would never comment on them because I am far to embarrassed. But I regularly ready: Morman Bachelor Pad, Busy Bee Lauren, Bekah Buttons, Everything but Important, Andrealand, and then other random ones all the time. Last week I found myself on one about traveling fat pants, it made me chuckle.

7. I have started multiple blogs in the past, they have failed, often after one post.

8. Abby makes me make sense, I am truly a mess without her, I get excited about the idea of growing old with her.

9. As a child, I cried all the time, I'm not talking baby, I'm talking like 10, 12, maybe even until I was like 14. Usually I cried because I knew it would get my brothers in trouble, but nonetheless, I put on the waterworks all the time. Now, I couldn't tell you the last time I cried (although Private Practice this week did come close.)

10. I have some OCDish tendencies, for instance, when I am in the shower, I need to first put facewash on my face, count to 30, keep my eyes shut and reach around and find the shampoo, shampoo very quickly, rinse my head, and then wash the rest of my body without splashing any soap up to my head which I already cleaned with other soap, I don't want to mix the scents. Sometimes Abby throws out random numbers when I am counting in hopes of throwing me off, and she will laugh at me whenever she sees my reaching around for the shampoo with my eyes shut.

11. Oh yeah, sometimes we shower together.

12. One time while being intimate on our honeymoon a little Dominican man walked into our bedroom to fill up our mini-bar, It was really awkward, but I also really wanted the mini bar filled.

13. I don't usually call it "being intimate" but this is the internet, like anyone can access it, I wanted to keep it PG.

14. One time I had a steak so good that I became a vegetarian for like a month, I didn't want to have meat ever again because I knew it would never compare. That is ridiculous but so true.

15. I meant to put this as number 3 but forgot and don't feel like going back and changing all the numbers. But the only nickname I ever had that stuck at all was Joshy Squashy. At times I wish people still called me that.

Well, that's 15 new facts for you. I hope you feel as good as I do right now. It's great to get all that off my chest. Abby just woke up so I would rather be with her now than all of you anyway. no offense. so in closing I will say,

aint no thang, k thanks bye

things you may or may not know about snails

2010-02-01T11:50:00.004-05:00

It's honesty Tuesday here at Musings of a Snail! (yeah, I just made that up)

1. I'm terrible in the kitchen. My food usually comes out tasting ok, but I make such a mess, I rush everything, burn lots of things, start fires, you know, the usual.

2. I eat a lot of macaroni and cheese. A LOT. The organic kind, though!

3. I never exercise. Partially because I haven't gained more than 2 pounds since 9th grade, and partially because I hate it. HATE it. I know, I know...

4. The earthquake in Haiti, my mom's death at age 48, and just contemplating humanity in general makes me question the goodness of a God I was brought up to love and worship.

5. I miss my mom most when I'm happy.

6. I feel scatter-brained almost all the time. It's Josh that pulls me together.

7. Sometimes I read the end of a book, just to make sure it ends happily- it's not worth my time if it doesn't.

8. I'm cold. All the freakin' time. I wear leggings under my pants every day (the thick kind, not stockings), and at least two shirts. It has to be at least 55 degrees out for me to not wear two pairs of pants. The other day my sister was over and she asked, "Why are you wearing two shirts?" To which I replied, "I think you mean, why WOULDN'T I wear two shirts???" Duh.

(A typical Josh and Abby picture- me freezing to death, and Josh not even wearing a coat, hole in the jeans and NO extra layer underneath. Ahh!)

Welp, that's the real me. What don't I know about YOU??!

Cupcakes for Haiti

2010-01-29T10:21:00.007-05:00

Please go to Cupcakes For Haiti to check out what I've been up to this week!

I am part of this great community of people (my house church), and this is what we're doing to try to raise money for Haiti. We figured everyone loves cupcakes, and we all know enough people in this area to get the word out about yumminess for a good cause. I'm so excited about this. I have no idea how many cupcakes we will have to bake. It could be 20 or it could be a lot more. I'm hoping for lots more! 100% of the proceeds go to Deep Springs International to help get clean water to the Haitian people. They are raising money to buy buckets and tablets to purify water and to teach people how to do it.

If you live around the "north of Philadelphia" area and would like some cupcakes, or know of people who do, or can help in any way, let me know! Sorry, we're not going to ship cupcakes this time around. :)

Read my sister's blog for a much more eloquent explanation of our house church!

2010-01-26T09:25:00.000-05:00

I finished this apron yesterday.

I was hesitant to use white for the ruffle and lining, but it's all I had that matched. I don't like when aprons aren't convenient. Maybe some people don't, but I actually use my apron when I am cooking, and I usually need it!

I did something a little different with this apron. I cut the bottom so it is rounded instead of straight, and I made the ruffle go up the back a bit.

The pockets are Lizzy Dish fabric.

Do you love aprons as much as I do? Here are some sites to check out with tutorials and inspiration!

Apronista
52 free apron patterns
Ruffle Apron tute (can't wait to make this)
Apron Goddesses

Lovebirds Wreath

2010-01-19T09:42:00.003-05:00

I made a wreath.

It's white because it's winter.

It has love birds because it's almost Valentine's day.

Josh thinks it looks like toilet paper.

I think it looks like a winter wonderland.

I used this tutorial.

It was easy, fairly cheap, and didn't take nearly as much time as the tutorial said it might. I kinda want to make some mini ones in different colors for a bare wall I have.

That is all!

What I want to do in Twenty Ten

2010-01-14T10:43:00.001-05:00

I'm still not used to writing '10. It's weird. And yes, I realize it's halfway through January. I better get movin'.

I didn't really make New Year's resolutions. I was so busy over the holidays I kind of forgot about it to be honest. There are plenty of goals that I have- be a better wife (you know- keep the house cleaner and cook more--- kidding), be a better friend, love God more, etc. But I want to tell you about what I want to DO this year! Real, practical sorta stuff.

1. Make (and eat) a red velvet cake.

yummmmmmmmm

2. Sew at least one item of clothing from a pattern. In my opinion, that's when someone is really good- when they can follow the pattern!

3. Do more thrift store shopping and upcycling.

4. Eat more "whole" foods and cook healthier. I just stumbled across this search engine, and I'm excited about trying it.

5. Take more pictures. I'd have a lot more to blog about if I had more pictures.

6. Be able to get through more than one circuit of Jillian Michael's workout DVDs. (And recover in less than 4 days.)She is a scary, scary woman.

7. Sew a quilt?? Maybe, I don't know. It would be a cute one though, not all country and stuff.

8. Sew more aprons in new styles.

9. Take a vacay to Cape Cod with my hubby.

10. Start/participate in/attend a crafty/sewing social event on a regular basis. I would love to sew/craft with others!

a minor tangent

2010-01-13T09:51:00.005-05:00

Allow me to go on a minor tangent from sewing.

I'm in love. With Schumann, that is. Robert Schumann. SHOE + MONN.

Oh, you don't know him? Let me share.

I am playing this Symphony for a concert coming up in February with my orchestra.

My favorite (non-musical)parts:
-the facial expressions in the first 15 seconds.
-at 1:04, the trumpet player on the right. (Looks like the Hawaiian guy who sings that new version of "Somewhere over the rainbow")
-around 4:25-4:30, the camera is over the whole orchestra, and it looks like a breathing organism with all the bows going in the same direction.

So tell me your thoughts. Your honest thoughts. Do you like "classical" music? (This is really "romantic" music.) Because if you don't, I don't think you're listening to the right stuff. If you get squeamish and have traumatic flashbacks of being forced to sit through long boring concerts, or have any sort of flashback to playing the clarinet in 3rd grade... I beg you. Give it another try!! (being able to listen to the music, that is... not playing the clarinet) Maybe I can help change your mind.

OH, you didn't know I was a dork? Sorry. Whoops. I let it out a little. (that's what she said!)

My Internet lameness

2010-01-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

It shouldn't be news to anyone that I am not exactly a techie. I mean, I can barely make a link. And I usually don't believe that the link works so I have to double check it. I have learned a lot since starting this blog (mostly thanks to this person- see that? Ok, just double checked, it DIDN'T work, go figure.) Well, there are a few things that I still don't get about the internet, and it's starting to annoy me. I realize there may be real reasons why these things are the way they are, but.... just, why?? If anyone would like to fill me in, please do!

1. When people write, "myemail (at) gmail (dot) com" .... Is that just to be cool? Seriously, who doesn't know what @ and . mean these days?

2. I guess the word "photo" is not a sufficient abbreviation anymore. Now, I've noticed that unless you want to be labeled uncool and lame for the rest of your life, you have to add the G. Photogs. I really just don't get it.

3. Ok, I'm going to really embarrass myself here. But you know on some blogs they say, "Subscribe to my RSS feed" and don't actually have a "Follow me" button? Yeah, I don't follow those blogs. I have not a clue what RSS feed means. So I just have to remember that I liked that blog and check back when I remember. Really lame. There's GOT to be a better way!!!

4. Apparently now the "internet" is called the "internets"?

5. My sister just asked me if I have "google analytics" set up yet. I had to google what that means.

I better just stick to sewing.

Happy Friday!!

What I made, Part 5

2010-01-06T20:29:00.001-05:00

This is the last of the "what i made" posts, and I will be getting onto new projects and new items for my [lame] shop soon!

I made these aprons for my cousins. I wanted a simple, flowy apron (mostly because I was getting really tired and needed to get my own Christmas shopping done!) These were so easy and only took about an hour and a half to make. I think I'll make some of these for my shop. I didn't line them, so that's part of the reason they went quicker, and it also makes them cheaper! Both are made from Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks line of fabric- LOVE!

Apron #1

Apron #2

I put rick rack on the bottom hem of each of them.

To make the flowy skirt, you just ruffle! Set your machine on the longest length possible, and the highest number of the tension control, and go! It will ruffle itself.

What I made, Part 4

2010-01-05T09:50:00.000-05:00

***
Updated to add:

Thank you soo much to Leelou blogs for my new blog look!! I love her stuff!! You should check it out- lots of free stuff too :)

****

Here is a bag I made for my brother-in-law to give to his girlfriend.

I love this bag because it is totally arms and hands free!

I bought this fabric because it is heavier home decor fabric and was on sale at Joann's. But when I got home I got really worried because of the seam in the front of the bag. You'll notice that I didn't match it up very well, so the shapes are off a bit. I actually was worried it would look a lot worse (though the back is worse!). I used this pattern before, but I never really had to worry about the seam in the front. When I do it again, I won't use a geometric pattern!

What I made, Part 3

2010-01-03T22:05:00.000-05:00

Aprons! Big surprise, right?

I wanted a full, non-complicated apron. So I used the "pattern" for the children's apron that I have (not exactly a real pattern, it's more like just a shape that I have in my head), and I enlarged it and added pockets and rick rack. I think they came out pretty cute and they were fairly simple and quick to make. They have ties around the neck and waist.

For this first apron, I found this fabric at a thrift store for like $3.00, and I still have lots more.

For this second apron, I found this fabric at Joann's on clearance for $1.50 for about 3 yards!

Even though I know I am getting paid for it, I still try to shop thriftily (if that's a word) so I can keep my prices lower.

PS- By the way, you'll notice that my new URL is www.musingsofasnail.com (dropped the blogspot!)

Best of 2009

2010-01-01T18:09:00.010-05:00

Ok, I know most people did "Best of" lists like three days ago... I'm a bit behind. I'm always behind. Does anyone else always feel that way???

Going into the new year has been hard for me for the past few years with my mom being gone. I always get sad thinking that I am another year older, and that's one more year I've lived without her in my life. All the memories from this past year did not include her, nor will any memories for the year to come. I really miss her. I miss her gentle smile and comforting presence.

Anyway, sorry to be such a downer. I did have some great memories in 2009, though, and below I will share them with you, my dear bloggy friends:

Best of 2009, Snails' style

1. Learning to sew, of course!!
I am so amazed at all I've learned in only a matter of a few months.

2. Starting the Snails blog, which will be getting a major face lift in a few days. Can't wait for you to see!

3. Starting my Etsy shop and starting to sell a few of my handmade goods. It feels really good to make a little money off of this hobby I've come to love!

4. Graduating from college. I've never felt more free.

5. Going to Mexico with my hubby for our 1 year anniversary.

6. Watching [some of] my violin students grow into young musicians, and seeing their hard work really pay off.

7. Watching my baby kitties grow into little adult cats and become the most loving, adorable, best kitties in the world.

8. Moving to a newer, more affordable apartment.

9. Making new friends and having a community of people who we know love and support us. This is our house church! 10. Loving this guy more and more every day.
Happy 2010!

What I made, Part 2

2009-12-30T10:30:00.000-05:00

This is the "Buttercup bag." I made this for my sister to give to her mother-in-law, and I think she really liked it.

(this is an organic button, by the way. I bought it because I thought it was cute, not for it's organic-ness. Seriously though... organic buttons??? What in the world is an organic button???)

The only thing I wish was different about this bag is that it came out a bit smaller than I would have liked. Perhaps I can enlarge the pattern or something? I really likd this pattern though- it was really easy to follow and the bag came out looking great! You can get a free version of this pattern here!

What I made, Part 1

2009-12-29T20:08:00.000-05:00

Well, since I've been MIA in the blogging world since before Thanksgiving, I guess I better tell you what I've been up to. Sewing. Sewing. Sewing. Sewing. Sewing..... you get the point.

I will do a series of posts this week to show you what I've made in the last few weeks. I made a lot of gifts for people, but mostly for people to give to other people. I myself did not give a whole lot of gifts this year, but the ones I did give actually weren't handmade. Isn't that sad? All this time spent sewing and I don't even give handmade gifts. But I did allow OTHER people to give handmade gifts. I guess it all works out in the end.

I made this "Mommy and Me" apron set for my sister's sister-in-law and niece.

I had to use the adult mannequin for this picture, even though this is the child's apron. Mabel (the mannequin) is a very small lady, but I also made the apron pretty big so it would fit my sister's little niece for a long time.

I've been doing this new thing with the pockets, sewing them on an angle. I think I saw them like that on an old vintage apron pattern. Either that or I totally came up with the idea myself! Haaa, doubt it!

Looky what I got!

2009-12-27T23:19:00.004-05:00

No, these are not real nakey people.

I got these two beauties from Josh for my birthday a few weeks back, but since I lost my camera cord I couldn't tell you about them (Sidenote: Thank you for your prayers - I (and by "I," I clearly mean my hubster) found my camera cord! It was between the couch cushions, in case you were wondering. So, crisis solved. Phew. I can now get back to blogging.)

I really needed a good way to display aprons at craft shows, and also the mannequins certainly help with picture taking for my etsy shop and blog of course. Aren't they so pretty!

Anyway, I decided to name these two lovelies: Josephine and Mabel. They are so close to looking like real people, I just can't have them sitting in my house not having names. I'm weird like that. Although, I'm not sure what healthy woman has a waist that small!

Also, for Christmas I got three sewing books. I absolutely cannot wait to try like 589 new sewing projects now. These are the books I got:

I must admit, I was feeling quite pooped after sewing so much over the holidays. I was feeling uninspired, tired, lazy, and I just wanted to put my sewing machine away for a while. But after paging through these books, I can't wait to get back to it! Good thing I took off from teaching all of this week so I can get sewing. And blogging.

Peace, Grace, and Hope

2009-12-25T09:27:00.000-05:00

Here at the MacNeill home, we celebrate Christmas. We celebrate it because we believe Jesus was sent to bring peace, grace, and hope.

However, I realize not everyone celebrates Christmas. But we can all join together to celebrate and strive for peace- we could use more of that in our world. Grace- couldn't we all stand to give each other the benefit of the doubt more, forgive more easily, and let go of past hurts. Hope- hope for brighter days, hope for an end to poverty, cancer, sex trafficking, and prejudice.

Whatever holiday you celebrate,

May you cling to your family,

Kiss your loved ones,

Cuddle the furry ones,

Drink some spirits (or non-spirits),

Eat lots.

Be merry.

Be thankful.

And may you find and give more peace, grace, and hope in 2010!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Much Love,
Abby and Josh

Lost (not the TV show)

2009-12-23T22:42:00.003-05:00

I had every intention of posting several times this week, telling you about all of the wonderful things I've been making. But I lost something... something pretty important to a blogger...

...My camera cord that plugs into my computer. It is lost and no where to be found. I've even cleaned several times this week hoping to run into it. So, I can't upload any pictures. And I am SAD because I have so much to show you!

Actually, I've lost several things since moving into this apartment. I'm starting to wonder if a thief lives here, or if it's the tight quarters, or maybe I'm just going crazy. I've lost:

-my camera cord
-my tape measurer for sewing
-my button hole ripper

HUMPH!

Things that make Snails happy

2009-12-13T21:45:00.003-05:00

1. Josh's semester is over, and he is now on break with only ONE SEMESTER LEFT!! Hallelujah, praise Jesus.

2. It's been a busy week for my etsy shop, Sewing Snails. If you had checked it last week, you would have seen "0 sales." But if you look now, you will see "7 sales." Seven!! Wahoooooo! This makes Snails very happy. Ok, half of them were family, but I did have a few real sales this week too!

3. I am a year older than last time I blogged. Yep, I turned the big two-three on Dec. 10. I don't feel much different. Just a little more blah. I feel like being 23 is a really boring age. 21 is like, "wahooo I can drink!" 22 is like, "wahooo people don't think i'm a drunk 21 year old anymore!" And 23 is like, "meh. blah." Oh well. I got some clothes for my birthday, and also... (see next point)

4. My techie/geeky sister Bekah purchased some URLs for me for my birthday. (Is that what it's called?) Yes, she thinks of those kinds of things. She's also the sister that helps me when my font gets bigger and bigger with each paragraph and I can't fix it. And then she laughs at me and posts about it on facebook. Well anyway, you will soon be reading my blog at musingsofasnail DOT COM. Yay! Or is it abisnails dot com? I forget.

5. I played Handel's Messiah this weekend. It was so lovely. I've heard so many of the pieces my entire life, but I never played it until now. I've been humming "All We Like Sheep" all weekend and trying to teach Josh the bass part. Hil. Arious.

6. I've been sewing. Sewing sewing sewing. I've had several orders for things from family members, and I'm trying to get it all done in time for Christmas. I definitely will, I'm just not sure anyone will be getting presents from ME this year because I have had no time whatsoever to shop.

I will post pictures of the things I've been making this week! Have a GREAT Monday, everyone.

You may think they are angels, but...

2009-12-07T15:34:00.003-05:00

I know two kitties who are not going to be visited by Santa this year.

Yes, they knocked the food over themselves. Naughty naughty.

I have a secret....

2009-12-04T09:20:00.004-05:00

Do you have a secret place you go to that you don't want anyone else to know about because you want it all for yourself? Well, I found mine. And because I love you, I will share what it is.

One evening while eating dinner I noticed how much fun the cats were having lying under the Christmas tree. Like this:

Ok, they're clearly not having fun, just sleeping. But they also like to play with the lights and look up at the tree.

So I wanted to try it. So Josh and I finished our dinner and scooched under the tree, heads all the way under on the tree skirt, and let me tell you.... it is magical. It's like you're in an enchanted forest, or Narnia. It's like the whole world goes away, and it's just you, the person next to you, and green and lights and Christmas galore. It's really breathtaking.

So the next night, Lydia was over and Josh and I told her about it. So all three of us got under the tree (yeah it was a bit tight), and she LOVED it. And that's when I knew I needed to tell you about it. Do it. You won't regret it. Oh and you have to turn the rest of the lights out to get the full effect.

Ok, now you think I'm really weird and you might stop following my blog? Well fine then.

What I've been doing, besides not blogging

2009-12-03T08:49:00.004-05:00

I haven't been blogging. Duh. I feel guilty, but I shouldn't, because it's supposed to be for fun and fun only. So there, I'm done feeling guilty.

Here's what I've been up to:

1. We had Thanksgiving in the good ol' US of A last week. I made mashed potatoes and two apple pies. I still have half of an apple pie in my fridge if anyone wants to come eat it! We had quite a potato peel incident right before we had to leave for T-giving- someone (ahem, Lydia) forgot to run the disposal until there were 10 lb. of potato peels in the sink. Let's just say we had to use the toilet plunger in the kitchen sink. Yuck.

2. Being a kitchen failure. It all started with the potato peel incident of 2009 (I blame Lydia only to take the real blame off of myself- I know, I'm a saint). On Tuesday, I was boiling a whole chicken, and while trying to take it out (with two large spoons) of the hot, greasy, gross water, it slipped and fell back in the hot, greasy, gross water and splashed ALLLLLL over me, the floor, the wall. Well, me being a genius thought that would just be a once and done thing- so I tried again. Slipped again. Tried again. Slipped again. Humph. Greasy, gross, chicken water all over me and my kitchen.

3. I started a fire. In the kitchen, no less. I think remnants of the greasy, gross, chicken water incident of 2009 were still on the burner of the stove the next day. I was trying to boil some rice, but I turned the wrong burner on. There was a lid to a pot on the [wrong] burner that I turned on, and while I'm doing dishes, Josh yells, "ABBY!" I turn around, and there is a flame coming from the burner. Yes. I caught the metal lid on fire. Oh, you didn't know that metal could catch on fire?? Me either. Welp folks, she's done it again.

4. Decorating for Christmas. Hopefully I won't catch our Christmas tree on fire with my mad kitchen skills. We got our tree this past weekend. I think it is the earliest I have ever gotten a tree in my life. Growing up we always got it about the week OF Christmas.

Also, Josh broke my kitchen scissors trying to cut the top of our Christmas tree off. I will be expecting a new pair in my stocking!

Dancing and [not] being a hipster. My sisters and I (minus Lydia- sorry Lyd) and our husbands/boyfriend went hipster bowling and dancing this past weekend. I'm REALLLLLLY good at bowling. I think my score was 54. Here's a pic of my great form:

Best picture ever:

I clearly didn't get the no smiling memo.

Love these girls! (I love you too, Lydia!)

New Etsy Items and Craft show Bomb

2009-11-23T11:52:00.004-05:00

My friend Jess and I went to a craft show this weekend. It was a flop/bomb/fail/hilarious day. There were lots of old ladies and a woman selling tupperware. It's a CRAFT show.... did she MAKE the tupperware? I don't think so.

Ha. Anyway, Jess and I had fun together. I sold one item and Jess sold two. It was at the local library, and I don't think anyone knew about it unless they happened to come in the library for some books. There was also this big parade going on outside, so that didn't help.

Here's Jess at our table

In the last two hours of the show I think about three people walked in the door. One woman came up to our table and said, "Aprons? People don't wear those anymore!" Well gee, thanks lady. That's half my table.

We had fun though, and we hope to do another one again soon. It was a good first show. Well, sorta.

So, now all of the items that didn't sell at the show (meaning, like, all of them) are now in my Etsy shop. Take a looksie! And don't forget my faithful blog followers get 20% off your order!

Auction items and zipper virgin

2009-11-17T08:27:00.003-05:00

So remember when I told you about the art auction that I submitted some items in? Well, I sold both items (woo hoo!), and just wanted to show you what they were.

First, the Delilah Bag that I had in my Etsy shop- she's all decked out with her 'sewing snails' tags.

The second item was something I made specifically for this event- this 'dishes' apron.

I love this fabric. I thought the cranberry color made it perfect for the upcoming holidays.

And here's my table at the auction!

I am still buried with sewing projects. I'm beginning to fear that I will still be buried until Christmas. I'm working on this one bag for a friend- she requested a zipper instead of a snap, which I usually do. I'm a zipper virgin... Let's just say my kittens have had to cover their ears because of all the cursing, throwing, punching, etc. I've been doing getting this darn zipper in. I have to work on it in like 5 minute increments now, or else something really nasty might happen. I mean it. I'm gettin meeeeeeeeaaaaaannnnnn. Andrea, I promise it will be done before Christmas, though don't count on any Christmas cheer from me. :)

Please still love me....

2009-11-10T08:57:00.003-05:00

Ohhhh dear blog.....

I hope you still love me. I have been such a bad blogger. You must understand... I have been drowning, drowning, in sewing projects. Sewing projects that I started weeks ago, before I moved- projects people have asked me to do. So if you are one of those people, I have not forgotten about you. I working on it. I'm WORKIN on it people, sheesh, give me a break!! :)

Believe me, I WANT to get these projects done. So badly. You see, I just got some fabric in the mail yesterday, and one of the cuts was for my linen "closet"- (more like a hole in the wall) I am going to make a curtain. See? It needs one. Bad.

But I promised myself I won't do it, even though it will take like 11.5 seconds, until all of my projects for other people are done.

So, in all my busyness, I have neglected my blog. And I shall neglect it more until I get these projects done. I'm sorry. Do you feel like you are on the back burner? Cause you are. Please still love me.

Sewing Snails tags

2009-11-05T20:06:00.004-05:00

I was invited to submit some items for auction at the Lansdale Silent Art Auction, to benefit the Boys and Girls Club. I am very excited for this- 1. because I will actually sell something (unless nobody bids... sad snails), and 2. it is for a good cause. I was honored to be asked to submit some items- I don't often look at what I do as "art," because I still feel like I am learning and often feel very inadequate! But then again, I feel very inadequate when I play violin too, but I look at that as art. I guess it's because sewing is still so new to me... it just feels different.

Anyhoooooo....

I made these tags for my items today. A little while ago I found this "snail" fabric from fabric.com, and it was on sale for like 2.50/yd or something outrageous like that! So I bought like 4 yards.

I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I thought I could at least make some snails tags. I think they came out cute, but you tell me what you think.

I used "Wonder Under." It's this paper-like stuff that you iron on to the wrong side, peel off, and it leaves this glue, and then you iron on another piece of fabric. So basically you're bonding fabric to fabric.

I did this all while the plumber was here today... I got out of the shower this morning and stepped in soppy carpet in our bedroom. Yuck. So I was being crafty all day while the plumber was here. Good times.

Stuff/Junk/Crap/I don't say that other word

2009-11-02T09:33:00.005-05:00

There's no time like when you move to realize how much stuff/junk/crap you have. I never really realized it until we put it all in one room to get ready for the move. Here's half of it:

There was still some stuff here:

And here:

And here:

And the thing is, we don't even have a whole lot of stuff. Compared to people who are older and have been married a long time, we really don't have much at all. But these pictures make me a little sick inside, knowing I have all this crap and some people can't even put food on the table for their family. The move has definitely made me more grateful for what I have, and we've realized we can live a lot more simply. So, we gave a lot of things away, and we put some things in storage (aka our parent's basements/garages). The whole moving weekend was a blur, and I'm just glad it's over now.

So... pictures of the new place, as promised:

"Oh, hi. Welcome to our new home! We love our new home, because mommy found the cat nip while we were packing to move, and we ate it alllllll while they were away this weekend. Puuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."

(they're telling the truth)

Front door (ok, only door)

Dining room (still in need of a few pictures)

Living room, this is also where I give lessons

(Can you tell Delilah needs a little attention?)

Laundry room

Kitchen

Bathroom

Where the magic happens

Messy sewing corner- we had room for it! just barely...

That's about it! I finally got back to some sewing this weekend. I made two aprons, so pics to come of those soon!

I'm back! Plus interesting article

2009-10-29T09:49:00.004-04:00

Oh, dear blog, how I've missed you. Oh yes, I've missed my bloggy friends too. This past weekend turned into a busy, non-internet time for us. Well, we didn't really have a choice, as the Verizon guy couldn't come until yesterday. But we are all moved, settled, and mostly unpacked. Pictures of the new place to come later! Unfortunately, I don't have time for a real post today... i have a mountain of sewing projects hanging over me that I put on the back burner while the moving process occurred. So, i must go.

But I want to share this article. It's long, but a good read. The article shows that buying SOLE foods (Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethical) can be done on a food stamps budget. I am pretty conscious of what food I buy and eat, but I could do a much better job. Honestly, it's laziness- it takes more effort and time to go to the Farmer's market for a few items, and grocery store for others. And also, I do have it in my head that buying organic, free-range, healthy food items is for rich people. Guess not.

I also looked up CSAs- in the article, she talks about being a part of this "community supported agriculture." I didn't even know that existed until now, and I think it's a really great concept. Basically, you buy a "share" of the farm, and usually from June-October/November, you'll get a box of fresh fruits/veggies every week. Some require a few hours of work every season, but you get to know the farmer and even the cows. I looked it up and there are actually a lot of farms around me that do it. I might think about it for next year. Have any of you joined a CSA or know anyone that has? Am I the last person in the world who has never heard of it?? (I'm always afraid that I'm the last person to hear about things, and then when I talk about it, you are all bored.)

Ok, I must end this non-post post. Will be back tomorrow... hopefully.

Goodbye...

2009-10-21T09:45:00.001-04:00

Goodbye, bathroom in the kitchen. Not exactly the best place for you.

Goodbye, slotted doors. You have made so many guests feel so uncomfortable while going to the bathroom. And yes, we could hear everything.

Goodbye, scary, creepy, dirty, leaky basement. I will only miss you for the storage you provide, though dirty and soggy it may be.

Goodbye, bright white bathroom floor. You show- magnify, actually- EVERY SINGLE HAIR AND MOLECULE of DIRT. I will not miss you. Not one bit.
(you don't want to see a picture of my bathroom floor at the moment)

Goodbye, closet that looks like a stage. Closet that was used as a stage. *Ahem* (Just kidding. I only said that to make you feel uncomfortable)

Goodbye, extremely loud, scares-me-every-time doorbell.

Goodbye, messy sewing corner. I truly will miss you. Back to sewing on the kitchen table.

Goodbye, wood paneling. You didn't look good, not even in 1982.

Goodbye, cold house. We turn the heat on and pay an outrageous amount of money, but you don't get warm. Ever. Ever.

Goodbye, crappy old dishwasher that smells like a moldy sponge.

Goodbye, window in the shower. You're not as camouflage-ing as one might expect. I realize we gave the neighbors a show for the first year we lived here.

Goodbye, kitchen faucet that burns me. I only loved you when I needed to boil water. Every other time, you just hurt me with your SCREAMING HOT water.

Goodbye, upholstery shop behind us. I will not miss your customers ringing our doorbell. I also will not miss delivering your mail every day. Nope, not a bit.

Ok, I feel better now. Operation MacNeills-are-Moving in 3 days!

We have LOTS to do- you know, like all the packing and stuff. No biggie.

I almost forgot...

2009-10-18T23:08:00.020-04:00

I almost forgot what it felt like to be a girlfriend.

I almost forgot what it felt like to have a boyfriend.

But then I remembered....

Being kissed on the cheek for the first time.

OBX, 2006

Holding hands in the car.

Hilton Head, 2006

Opening doors.

Christmas morning, 2006

Giving cards just because.

NYC, 2006

Getting dressed up to go on a date.

Senior Prom, 2005

Not looking at prices on the menu.

OBX, 2006

Complimenting each other.

Hilton Head, 2006Making out on my parent's living room couch. Yep, mmm hmmm.

Easter, 2007

Dreaming about our future.

Engagement June, 2007

Praying for each other.

Easter, 2007
Listening intently.

2005

Chasing each other around my parent's house.

Memorial Day, 2007

Getting a little nervous.

Phillies game, 2007

Kissing goodnight.

Hilton Head, 2007

On Saturday night, Josh took me on a date. A real date. Dinner and a movie. Well, in our case it was movie and a dinner (because Josh isn't too good at staying awake during movies, so we have to go earlier). It's been too long since we did that- just had a night being carefree, ordered an appetizer AND dessert. Somehow in the midst of our busyness, work, Josh being in school, money worries, and now moving, we forgot. We forgot to be each others' boyfriend and girlfriend. We forgot about trying to impress each other, being playful and carefree. And when life's so serious all the time.... things get to be too much. And you have to go back.

Back to a simpler time in life.

Moving

2009-10-13T08:12:00.004-04:00

Hello bloggy friends,
The MacNeills have some news- we are moving! No, we're not moving across seas, or even across the country. Neither of us got job transfers, and we certainly didn't buy a house. Nope. We are moving 5-8 minutes away from where we currently live because our utility bills are too high in this old house we live in. Exciting, huh?? Not really. We're moving to a brand new apartment complex, which should be pretty nice, but it's small. Very small. I am sad because we are leaving our first place together. I will miss it. I keep trying to tell myself, it doesn't matter where we live, as long as we're together! Cheesy, but true.

So, I apologize in advance if I am a little inconsistent in my blogging. Wait, I've never been consistent. The move is in less than 2 weeks. We started packing- and by packing I mean organizing- this past weekend. But there is still a LOT to do.

So you can expect several posts on me being sappy about moving and all the things I will miss.

Last night, Josh and I cuddled up by our fireplace because it was October 12 and it's freezing. We laid down on the floor with blankets and hot chocolate in front of the fire. So romantic, right? Um, the Phillies game was on. On the radio, that is, because we don't have a TV. I tuned it out most of the time.

I will miss our fireplace.

There are also many, many things I will not miss about this place. Thinking of those makes me a little more excited to move. A little. I will save those for another time.

New shop, New look, New bag!

2009-10-07T11:14:00.004-04:00

Since I'm all etsy-fied now, I figured it was time to update my blog look. Do you like it? I think it's a little easier to read. Check out LeeLou blogs! There are plenty of free ones. But don't steal mine.

Just kidding!

Did you visit my shop yet? I will be listing this bag soon, which will give a total of FOUR listings! WAhoo!

I used Amy Butler upholstery fabric so it gave it more form. I also lined it with wool felt inside so it's soft and comfy. It needs a name, so I think I will call it the "Delilah Bag." Because that's how much I love my cat. Sorry Samson, your name isn't feminine enough.

Here is the first one I made:

I messed up while putting the magnetic snap closure in (I was a magnetic snap virgin), so I just decided to keep it for myself. I needed a new fall bag anyway!

...and we're live, folks

2009-10-05T22:56:00.008-04:00

Hooray!! I finally got my Etsy shop up and running! Hooray!! I'm excited! Except sometimes I'm not very excited.

You see, I thought I'd have a lot of things to put in my shop by now. It seems like I do a lot of sewing, right? I do. I feel like I do, at least. Any spare moment I have, I try to make something. But you see, I guess I give away a lot of what I make. I've been making a lot of gifts lately, so it feels like I should have a lot more than I really do.

Well, go to my shop. Check how many items I have listed. 3. Three! Only three!? I was so excited to get this thing up and running, and then today I realized I don't have much to list!

Oh well. Three is a start. And I'll still be excited.

Ok, now for the good part. Are you ready for your special Sewing Snails surprise? Here it is:

If you are a Musings of a Snail blog follower, I will give you 20% off your whole order! yep! wahoooo! I'm not going to put an official "expiration" on it- yet, anyways. So if you order something in the next few weeks or months, tell me in the "message to seller" section that you're a blog follower, and I will update the total.

I told you I love my blog followers. I'm up to 12 now! This is so great :)

Ok, I better get sewing. Lots to do.

And because I love you all so much and I am feeling generous, I think I will do a giveaway soon. And if you read my blog, I think you'll have a pretty good chance at winning! So come on back, ya'll!

My all-time favorite apron (for now)

2009-10-02T13:07:00.005-04:00

This is the apron that I couldn't show you the other day. I LOVE it. I love it so much that I wanted to keep it for myself. But alas, I can't keep everything I make. I made this as a thank you gift for my friend Sheri. Here I am modeling it, though I really should have had her model it!

(sorry for the fuzziness. My photographer/husband is great at many things, but taking pictures is not one of them) I also just realized you can't see the pocket in these pictures.

There we go.

The fabric designer is Alexander Henry. It's a bit summery, but I couldn't resist buying it last time I was at Joanne's. Anything with fruit, especially for an apron, is gold in my book.

I made a similar apron to put in my Etsy shop. I'm finally feeling a little better today (didnt' die, so that's good), so I'm hoping to have everything listed by Monday!

Have a great weekend, bloggy friends!

Sad news

2009-10-01T09:27:00.003-04:00

Ok, there could be worse news.

But I'm sad.

I picked up a bug, probably from one of my students on Tuesday, and haven't had the energy to list my items in my Esty shop by today. I really wanted to have it open by today. But I've been laying on the couch being a bum, watching Regis and Kelly, lamenting in my sore throat, body aches, headache, and feeling like I'm going to die.

Ok, I'm not going to die, but I don't get sick very often anymore and this is just AWFUL!

Soooo... the grand opening of my etsy shop will be next week!

If you don't mind, I need to get back to Regis and Kelly.

xoxo

Pesto Panini

2009-09-30T10:11:00.003-04:00

I made the best dinner the other night. It was so easy and I just made it up on the fly because we didn't have much food in the house. I got the, "mmm, mmmmmmm, MMMMMMMMMM," from Josh, so that's always a good sign. (I know I know, go ahead and say it!)

Ingredients:
yummy, fresh, crusty bread (I used a round loaf)
pesto (I made my own using this recipe, but Trader Joe's also has good pre-made pesto.)
chicken (if you don't eat meat, substitute fresh mozzarella)
1 garlic clove
mozzarella cheese
tomatoes- I used cherry tomatoes b/c that's all I had
salt and pepper

1. Put some olive oil in a pan and warm it. Mince the garlic into the pan. Cut the chicken into small strips. Cook the chicken in the garlic and oil. You could also grill the chicken.
2. Get out your handy George Forman grill.
3. Cut the bread and layer pesto, cheese, chicken, tomatoes, and more cheese. You want the cheese to hold the sandwich together.

4. Spray your grill with cooking spray.
5. Load it up! Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until brown.

Yummy, cheesy, pesto-y goodness! Serve with whatever you feel like serving it with!

Why I'm called Snails

2009-09-28T22:39:00.000-04:00

I've had a few requests recently to enlighten you all on why I am called "Snails." But I fear you will all be very disappointed. Because there's really not a whole lot to it. So don't complain if you get bored with this story. Here goes.

My real name is Abigail. When my sisters and I were little, they called me Abisnail... merely because it rhymes. My friends tried other things, like Abbawhale, Crabby Abby, and my sister Rachael sometimes referred to me as Rotten Abble. (We had apple trees growing up, and the rotten apples REALLY smell when you step on them). Oh the memories, the hurt, the pain, the tears.... **sigh**

So anyway, none of them really stuck except for Abisnail. When my older sister Bekah's boyfriend, now husband, started coming around a few years ago, he shortened Abisnail to Snails.

And the name is now fitting because I am quite "snailish." You can read about that here.

And that is why I am called Snails! See? I told you it's not a great story!

Tomorrow is recipe time. It is a YUMMY, easy, dinner idea. We could all use more of those.

My weekend

2009-09-28T10:33:00.003-04:00

I had a fun weekend, so I thought I'd share it with you all.

First, my sisters, Aunt Janice, Mimi (grandma), and my cousin Julie went to Color Me Mine and painted pottery. It was PJ night, so we all wore our pj's to get a discount on the sitting fee! $1 instead of the normal $8! Well worth it to me.

Here are some pics from our night:

Bekah and Rachael, sisters

Rachael tried to copy the colors and design of this Sangria pitcher she got in Spain.

Sister Lydia

She also likes to eat the paint

Julie

Bekah

The whole clan

I did a welcome sign for our house. The "Welcome" is not very centered, but I can't complain because I didn't write it! A girl who worked there did it for me because I was too scared I'd mess it up. I used lace to get the texture- fun! We'll see what it looks like when I get it back.

Then yesterday, in the spirit of Fall, we went apple picking with some friends.

Me, reliving the memories from my childhood (we had apple trees growing up)

Some of the guys- Pulkit, Bill, Josh

Love these two! Pulkit and Emily

Cute! Ariah and Ella

Then we went home and had an apple party and made yummy apple pies!

Fun weekend!

I have lots of ideas for blog posts this week, including a yummy recipe, the grand opening of my etsy shop specials, and the requested "Why I'm called Snails" post. Check back! Hope you all had a fun weekend filled with fall activities!

Stuff that makes Snails happy

2009-09-24T08:59:00.005-04:00

Snails- that's me.

1. This man is so good to me.

The other night I told him that I didn't have time to make dinner, so he would have to make something. He had everything ready when I got home from work- grilled chicken, grilled veggies, cous cous. He even made banana bread... he forgot to put the sugar in... but it's the deed that counts!!

Ok, enough mush.

2. This flower that I made.

You can find the tutorial here.

3. Ric Rac. Where have you been all my life, ric rac?? I just used it for the first time last night. It adds charm and cuteness to anything.

I can't show you this entire picture because it is a gift for someone and I haven't given it to them yet. But this is a sneak peek, and I will show it off later. I LOVE how it turned out.

4. Rounded, pleated pockets. I'm not really sure if I did this right, but I think it is really cute.

Plus, I added ric rac so it makes it 10x cuter.

The pleat makes the pocket a little puffy.

5. Birds on people's shoulders while driving.

Sorry it's a little fuzzy and hard to see. The light literally changed to green as I took this from my car.

Isn't she afraid she'll get pooped on??

6. Twenty-five.

What's so special about the number 25, you ask?
That's the number of violin students I have this year. Twenty-five! That's very good for Snails. And very good for our bank account.

7. My little Sammy is purring on my lap and is making it very hard to type this. No, not a sandwich, my cat Sammy.

What are you happy about today?

**I have no idea why the text all of a sudden went all huge on me. This does not make Snails happy.

BIG NEWS!

2009-09-22T09:01:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not pregnant.

There is other big news! I decided I am going to open an Etsy shop. Wahooo!!! I'm very excited. This is pretty much how it goes: the hubby and I are broke, and being broke is not good for the seamstress. So, I need to sell my things if I want to continue to make things. Make sense??? I'm also hoping it will bring in a little extra mulah for ourselves. I'm not expecting a lot, but a little would be nice.

My shop will be called "Sewing Snails." I plan to be officially open for business by October 1. And all you Musings of a Snail followers best check back because I just might have a special deal for you. Just sayin'. I might. You never know.

Speaking of followers, I have 10! Ten! Welcome, new people! This is the place to be, I can tell you that much right now.

Ok, so anywho.... I've been trying to write my Etsy policies- payment, shipping, etc.- and it is HARD! (that's what she said) I am not good at this. (that's what she said) If anyone has any tips on policies, please let me know.

I feel like I can't do a post without putting a picture in it, so I leave you with this adorable picture of my kitties when they were babies. We just passed their 1st birthday.

And yes, they still cuddle like this!

Four years ago today...

2009-09-17T09:06:00.004-04:00

Today is September 17, 2009. That means it has been four years since my mom died on September 17, 2005. I just can't believe it. I can't believe it's been four whole years since I've seen or talked to the woman who birthed me and raised me.

Four years ago I had just started college.

Four years ago I was 18 years old.

Four years ago I wasn't married, I didn't have my own house, I didn't have my two cats, I didn't own my own business.

Four years ago I had this amazing boyfriend named Josh.

Four years ago my mom told Josh, "Take care of Abby." He promised he would.

This morning I woke up with a pit in my stomach because I knew today was the day. It seems harder this year. Four years, to me, feels like so long. Four years ago I was starting a new chapter in my life- college. And now that's all over. My mom missed a whole chapter of my life. I missed out on having my mom's support throughout all of my college years.

I miss her dearly. I miss her gummy smile, quiet spirit, and wisdom. I know she's in heaven now, dancing and singing with angels, Jesus, and my two brothers. But I really wish she would come back here.

I love you and miss you, Mom.

Lake Wally

2009-09-16T09:56:00.002-04:00

Dear Bloggy friends,
I am very sorry for my lack of blogging commitment. Life has gotten busy for the MacNeills. We were away two weekends in a row, and I haven't quite caught up yet. But I will tell you about this past weekend.

We went to Lake Wallenpaupack, affectionately called Lake Wally (by me) in the Poconos (that is, Pennsylvania, for those of you reading from afar).

It was our family vacation this year.

We stayed in this big lodge house right on the lake. It had a lot of dead animals.

And a very big dining room table.

(yes, we really ate dinner like this)

My Uncle Danny and cousins Travis and Tanner came to visit. They live close by. Where, we'll never be quite sure.

We made s'mores on the stove because it was raining. Boo.

We borrowed Travis' boat when it finally stopped raining.

Lyd looks thrilled.

But we couldn't all go on the boat at the same time because it wouldn't move. So we had to leave some behind.

I wore a wet suit because it was cold. No, I didn't even get in the water. But it kept me warm.

(if you're wondering where my boobs went... so am I)

The brave ones went tubing.

And just for kicks, here's a funny video of Josh's wipeout. Watch all the way to the end.

Aprons!

2009-09-10T12:01:00.004-04:00

Lately, I've been into aprons. Ok, well, I only made two. But I plan on making more. Lots more.

Here is my first one:

I gave this one away with this gift exchange I did. I liked this apron because it was my first one, and it was so easy! It's reversible, too! I'm sad because I didn't take a picture of the other side. I forgot. I made it so that the tie wraps all the way around to the front, or it can just be a big bow in the back. I hope she likes it!

Then, I received some GREAT fabric from Kaley, the person who sent me my gifts. It's Amy Butler, and I love love love it. It's SUCH a better quality than what I've been buying. You can just tell by feeling it- it's stronger and doesn't wrinkle as easily.

So, I made this!
(don't judge my messy cabinets. I sew, not clean)

Thanks, Kaley!!

I have a half apron already, so I wanted a full one because I always get my shirts messy.

I also made these mini pies, which were amazing. I made peach.

(this was before they were cooked, so they don't look that good, but.... mmmmmm they were)

Well, that's what I've been busy doing. What have you been busy with??

Girls Craft Night

2009-09-03T10:10:00.004-04:00

Last Friday a few girls from my house church got together for a craft/sewing night. It was SUCH fun! We had lots of laughs and stayed up very late. We made peasant shirts from men's button up shirts, like these. I did this project before here.

But I also made another one, of course!

Here are some pictures from our night.

Our before shot:

Lydia (my sister) making a fashion statement wearing her cut out sleeves and collar:

Karrie, can't wait to meet that little person inside of her!

Sheri thinks that I sewed most of her shirt, but look at this picture I got!

Lydia with the finished project- she did great, and it was her first time sewing!

Lyd's sleeve (ok, I did the sleeves) :)

Cindy- how cute!

Sheri- adorable

Look how proud:

Here's mine:

What a fun night. I can't wait to do it again!

Wine Bag

2009-08-31T11:40:00.003-04:00

I made this wine bag last week. Our upstairs neighbors fed our cats while we were on vacation, so we got them a bottle of wine and I made a cute bag to put it in.

I used a tutorial, but I can't find the link right now. I will link to it later when I find it.

But I'm thinking these would be cute for Christmas presents or a hostess gift. Since Josh and I have been talking about having an "imaginary Christmas" between ourselves, this would be something easy and cheap to make for others. Oh, but I'd have to buy the wine. Hmmm...

Don't mind the crumbs on the counter.

Another wristlet

2009-08-26T11:34:00.002-04:00

I made this wristlet for my sister-in-law Chrissy's birthday last week.

I really like this wristlet. It's the perfect size for my phone, camera, small wallet, and a lip gloss.

However, you can tell in the picture above that I really need to work on my pattern. It's very lopsided. That's just good ol' me again, rushing through the pattern making. I told Chrissy that it has several flaws, but she didn't seem to mind!

OBX vacation

2009-08-24T08:51:00.003-04:00

Sorry about the lack of postings. I was on vacation last week and had every intention of doing a few blog posts, but alas, did not get around to it. So... here are a few pictures from our week in the Outer Banks, NC! We went with Josh's family.

Beautiful BIG beaches

Our house

On the ferry to Ocracoke, a small island with a cute town and great beaches

Ocracoke Lighthouse

Josh and his brothers- Mike on left, Matt on right

The "kids"

We climbed the Hatteras light house- 248 steps or some thing like that, about equal to a 12 story building. Realized I am very out of shape!

Getting into position for this picture almost ended our marriage. "Go right, go left, more, other left, OTHER left..." Josh's head explodes. You know the rest.

But we made it, marriage AND lungs still intact.

Josh heading back down. My legs were about to fall off at this point.

I realized I didn't take any pictures with Josh's parents, but they were there too. It was a great week, and I finally got my summer tan on (the most important part of vacation, obv). All this sewing this summer has left Abby inside and very pasty.

More sewing projects to come! As for today, Hurricane Bill seems to have swept through my house, so I've got some cleaning to do.

Excited about...

2009-08-18T21:45:00.004-04:00

This!

Over at one of my favorite blogs, My Mama Made It, Alexis is hosting this gift exchange. Basically, you just sign up and send a gift pertaining to sewing to whoever signs up right underneath you. Just for fun! I can't wait. If you want to participate, there is still time! You have until Monday. Who doesn't like getting presents in the mail??

Confession time

2009-08-12T23:33:00.006-04:00

Well dear bloggy friends, there are a few things I need to get off my chest. A few confessions, shall we say, that I need to get out in the open. I don't want you to have the wrong image of me, so I will lay it all out for you, and after this post you can decide if you still want to be my friend. Here goes:

1. I used to iron on my kitchen counter. Yes, amidst the crumbs, butter dish, and, apparently, the booze.

But no, I don't sip on the Malibu rum while I sew, in case you were wondering.

2. I recently upgraded to a better ironing station: my floor. I just about burn the sides of my calves now instead of the linoleum counter top (*crossing my fingers on getting that security deposit back*). WHY didn't I just buy a tall, standing ironing board? The good Lord only knows. Ok, actually I do know- the small one was cheaper.

3. I use wrapping paper to make patterns. Christmas wrapping paper, mind you. It actually seems to work quite well, except it rolls up a lot from being on the roll.

4. I stay up til all hours of the night sewing sometimes. I hope I don't keep my upstairs neighbors up. It's not like I am ever really pressed for time unless I am making someone a gift (but let's face it, most things I make are for myself!), but I just keep saying to myself, "I'll go to bed after I do this." And then I do it and forget and just keep going.

5. I throw my extra threads right on the floor. Sometimes when I am done a project, I just leave the mounds of thread and scraps there on the floor for a few days and allow and my cats, hubby and myself to continue to track it all over the house. I find threads in my bed, on my husband, in the shower, and on the cats. A simple trash can would really solve that problem.

Ok, phew, I'm glad I got those off my chest. There's no going back, you know all my secrets. Do you still love me?? Now it's your turn- 'fess up!! It doesn't have to be about sewing, but could be about blah household chores or other crafty things.

Wristlet

2009-08-10T09:14:00.003-04:00

I went to the library the other week and picked up a few sewing books. (Yes, you may call me a dork.) Most of the sewing books at the library are pretty outdated, but I guess sewing techniques never go out of style. One of the books I picked up was called "Bag Bazaar." There were a couple of cute patterns in this book. Here is one of them that I made last week:

One of the things I need to work on is being more careful when I make patterns. I am always just so anxious to get the actual sewing part started that I rush through cutting out the pattern, and I don't double check my measurements, etc. Tisk tisk on me.

The irony is that if you rush through the pattern making/measurements, you'll spend a LOT more time trying to fix it all later than you will on the front end. That's what happened with this bag. You'd think I would have learned that lesson by now. Humph.

Next time I will do better. I promise.

Oh, and I forgot to mention in my last post one other thing that makes me happy. Scroll up. All the way to the top. See my followers? 8! Eight! Wahoo! And I think only one of them is related to me :) That makes me happy, and so do your comments, so keep 'em coming dear bloggy friends.

Things that make me happy

2009-08-06T09:20:00.003-04:00

1. I am ALL about breaking up the monotony of housework. I found these free lists from one of my favorite crafty blogs, How About Orange. Just download, print, cut, punch, and tie with cute ribbon. Walah! Now you will whistle while you work because of these happy lists. At least I will. Here are mine:

2. I haven't done this yet, but I am going to because just the picture of this makes me happy. Print your own free bookmarks! And they're cute. From this cute blog.

3. I made this iPhone/iPod pouch. It was my first time doing an applique. It wasn't too hard.

I love birds. Did I ever tell you I had a bird when I was little? Yeah well, my sister's cat ate it while we were on vacation. It was a sad, sad day. This little pouch is dedicated to you, Sunny. **tear**

4. My cats. I KNOW how crazy of a cat lady I am. So we don't need to dwell on that. But seriously, I love my kitties.

5. Cucumbers galore!! From our community garden.

Josh thinks this one should win an award. He is embarrassed because he knew when I took this picture that it would end up on my blog :) **Love ya honey bunny**

6. I've been making LOTS of pizzas recently... like, once a week. And they're yummy!

7. This sexy man makes me happiest of all.

Shirt #3

2009-07-31T10:07:00.003-04:00

According to my 15 year old sister Lydia, I'm not the greatest at making up creative titles for my posts.

I agree.

Shirt #3 took me a LOT longer than I anticipated, and actually I'm not quite done it yet, but you can't tell in the pictures :) I meant to have this be Wednesday's post.

Anyway, here is Shirt #3! Refashioned from a man's button up shirt, of course.

I made this shirt all by myself, without a tutorial. Very courageous, I know. At first I tried to copy this shirt that I love from Banana Republic, but it really didn't come out anything like it. I first put pleats in the front, but I ended up taking them out because they made it too small. I put in the boob darts instead. [Men's shirts really are just boxes.] I added the ruffles last because when I [thought I] was done, it still looked so masculine. Josh, at one point, told me I looked like a mail man. Thanks sweetypie.

I was so close to being done, after spending hours and hours on the darn thing, and I told Josh, "You know, I just really don't like this blue and white stripe." His eyebrows went up, as he realized I couldn't exactly "refashion" the fabric of the shirt. So I added the ruffle, and that seems to help a bit. I think it looks more feminine now. I could be way off base, though! Tell me your thoughts. About the shirt, I mean, not this hideous picture.

P.S. If you would like to volunteer to come to my home and take pictures of me in my new clothes, I would be delighted and can offer you nothing in return. Except maybe a cookie or two. My "photographer" (aka husband) seems to be a little impatient with me. Or is it the other way around??

Shirt #2

2009-07-28T08:59:00.003-04:00

Here is the next shirt I made. I didn't take a "before" picture, but you can just imagine it

Before: a black, button down, collared shirt.

[Place said "imagined" picture here]

After:

I got the idea here: Adventures from the Sewing Studio

Here is the back:

I liked this one because I didn't have to worry about sleeves at all. It made it go quickly. I just cut the shirt right under the armpits. Of course I was a naughty girl and thought I could do it without the instructions. So I tried it, stayed up late one night working on it, and then realized I should have read the instructions more carefully and had to backtrack a lot of what I did the next day. Why do I do that??? It's not just sewing though. I do that with cooking too, especially baking. You'd think I would learn my lesson, but nooooooo.

After many a frustration, I think it turned out pretty cute!

Weird/Funny Video Monday and New Peasant Shirt!

2009-07-26T21:19:00.006-04:00

Please admire my new shirt! It is a refashion from one of Josh's bazillion button downs.

From this:

To this!

I got the idea/tutorial from one of my all-time favorite blogs, My Mama Made It.

The back

Josh and I have really tightened our budget lately, so I've been trying to find things around the house to sew with so I don't have to go buy things. One of the things I needed for this project was elastic. I don't have a spool of elastic sitting around, so what better way than to cut it off your pajama pants? Josh hated these pajama pants, and I was ridiculed every time I wore them. I guess I have had them since 8th grade or so. It was their time to go I guess. For everything there is a season, folks. Yes indeed.

A big shoutout goes to my friend Cindy, who gave me some extra buttons she had lying around.

So anyway, just a little snippy snip around the collar and the length of the sleeves, take in the sides a bit if it feels too baggy (mine did), add some color to the ends of the sleeves, add some elastic to the neckline, add some cuter buttons (thanks, Cindy!), and you have yourself a new peasant shirt! Oh and I took off the pocket. Sounds so easy when I say it now.

Actually, this one was pretty easy. Easy peasy, as the crafters say!

Cats are way cooler than bunnies.

Naughty Kitty and Fat Kitty.

i'm back

2009-07-23T09:19:00.004-04:00

Hello my little bloggy friends,

Has it really been a week since my last post??? I was feeling quite uninspired in my sewing this week, and let's face it, my life really is not all that interesting, so I kept saying, "I have nothing to blog about!" Is there like a "blog ideas" website? If there isn't, I should create one. Except I never have ideas, so I guess that wouldn't work...

Pretty much all I did last week was make these flowers:

I upgraded my pattern to include a piece of velcro on the back to go around any headband or clip/pin.

They are a fun, quick, easy project.

But this week, I've been loving this site: Wardrobe Refashion

It's got me ALL KINDS of inspired. That is why I was excited when Josh brought home this HUGE pile of clothes from his parents house (he is still moving out).

Why I am excited about all these men's shirts that Josh won't wear?

And just why did I cut off the elastic shelf bra of the exercise shirt I never wear? Or the elastic waistband of my pajama pants that Josh hates??

Oh. Just you wait. Just you wait.

Ok, I will give you one little hint:

Josh's old shirts + elastic from clothes I never wear = New and improved clothes for me!!

Flower headband

2009-07-16T08:28:00.003-04:00

This is my 20th post! WAHOOOOO!!!!!! I feel like I should get an award or something.... alas.

Ok, so onto better news, I made this the other day:

I used this tutorial, but changed it up here and there. First of all, it says to use linen, but I'm a cheapo and went with "linen-look" fabric. It would definitely be better with linen because it wouldn't be so flat. It's still cute though. I like it and think I will try some other ones.

Best of all, I put a little "slip cover" on the back so you can take the flower off and put it on another headband, or pin it to a shirt or bag.

I think I will make mini flowers and put them on baby booties, too!

Campfires, kayaking, and roaches

2009-07-13T09:48:00.005-04:00

Well, I made it back safe and sound from my outdoor adventure weekend. It was a lot of fun and we had many good laughs with our friends Ben and Lindsey. Please share in our memories below:

Josh and Ben swimming in the river.

Here is a funny video of them being babies because it was cold (Ok, Lindsey and I are even bigger babies because we wouldn't go near the water!):

Ben caught this disgusting beetle/roach thing. When people talk about staying alive in the wild by eating bugs, I think they mean these kinds of small animals. I mean... it's so huge, it really could keep you going for a few days.

Lindsey and I at the fire:

I even went kayaking for the first time! It was a lot of fun and very relaxing. I SO WISH I had my camera with me. You see, there were only two kayaks (we borrowed from a neighbor), and Josh and Ben being the gentlemen that they are, let Lindsey and I use them. What did Josh and Ben use, you ask? Oh. An inner tube and a boogie board. Yep! We "towed" them on the back of our kayaks for a while so they could keep up. It looked so funny.

Before we left for kayaking:

Josh sat in the back and held the kayaks in the car:

He got a bit dusty from the drive on the dirt road. Who would have thought??

Oh, and I have to add:
One of the best parts was that I got to capture this fond memory on our way home:

I mean, how often does someone capture THAT MOMENT of sheer bliss on camera?? Only a true blogger would, folks. Yes, that is me.

It was a great weekend!

My dog, I mean cat, plays fetch

2009-07-09T10:26:00.004-04:00

Yep. It's true. It just happened one day. Delilah brought me her mouse, I threw it, and she brought it back.

Sorry for the shakiness. I hope you don't barf.

This whole fetch thing was cute at first, but now it's becoming a problem. She wakes me up in the middle of the night wanting to play. I wake up with a mouse on my back or on my pillow. Delilah is "chirping" like in the video. I think it's some sort of hunting call. Cute, but not at 3am.

And then there's Samson, who will just watch the mouse land near him. He won't move. His gut is starting to swing back and forth when he walks. Poor guy.

As for sewing, it has been a light week. I will be back at it next week though! In the meantime, Josh, me, and some friends are off to the mountains for an outdoor, adventure-filled weekend. Yes, me + outdoor adventure= oxymoron and/or disaster. However, should be fun nonetheless!

Peas and Clotheslines

2009-07-08T08:27:00.003-04:00

1. We picked a lot of peas in our Community Garden last night because pea season is just about up 'round these parts. See?

I will be busy looking up recipes to see what I can do with them today. The goal for our Community Garden is to give fresh food (or food made from fresh, healthy ingredients) to a local food pantry, Manna on Main Street. Anyone have any ideas?? Pea Soup?? Does anyone really like pea soup?? I'm not sure if I do. These peas are really good though, very sweet. Hmmmmm....

2. I finally got my clothesline up and running. (Ok it doesn't really "run", it is just tied to a tree). I love hanging my clothes out to dry because #1 it saves money on our energy bill, and #2 I feel like I am being environmentally friendly and that is a good feeling. The only downside, I have found, is the towels. They get too stiff. There is nothing like the feeling of a towel just out of the dryer! So soft and warm...

Anyway, I needed something pretty to put my clothespins in, so I made this!

Doesn't it just look so cute hanging there?

Maybe I'm overly sentimental.

I just like to have pretty things (especially things I can make myself) around when I am doing mundane tasks like doing the laundry. It really helps with the mundane-ness.

I got the idea from this blog that I like, Made by Rae . Of course hers looks a lot prettier than mine. But I wanted mine to have a hole on both sides, so I could reach in from either side of the clothesline. And see how the circle has little waves in it?

I kind of like it, but I didn't mean for it to turn out that way. I actually don't know how to sew a complete circle. "Seams" to me that there will always be a fold somewhere (sorry, couldn't help it!) Still lots to learn!

Monday Linky Link and Messy Mess

2009-07-06T10:40:00.003-04:00

Am I the last person in the world to discover The Pioneer Woman? I love this blog. She lives on a ranch, and her husband's name is Marlboro Man. So funny.

Give it a read next time your house doesn't look like this:

And this:

And this:

And this:

Crazy busy weekend! My house is such a mess I don't even know where to start. There are paw prints on the bathroom sink, fabric and THREADS all over the place because I don't clean up after myself, and laundry up to my ears. I still have clean laundry from last week that I never folded. This morning I woke up and I had a plastic lifesaver wrapper stuck to my leg. Sweaty and sticky. Gross! How does that happen? Sounds like a night of drunken debauchery, but it wasn't, I promise. I played Uno with Josh, Sister Rachael, and Austin. Yep, Uno. It was great.

Well, besides the whole mess part, we had a fun birthday weekend for both Josh and America. It was well worth the mess!

My Hubbypants, all growed up

2009-07-05T00:25:00.000-04:00

To Josh:

My loving,

Faithful,

Fun,

Supportive,

Cutie pie,

Best Daddy,

Prepared,

Sexy,

Sleepy,

Weirdo,

Gossip junkie,

Little boy,

Ever-Hungry,

Outdoors man,

Happy,

Intelligent,

Steadfast,

Keeper of my heart.

Happy 23rd birthday, to my best friend. I love you!! xoxo

Fork 'n Knife Quesadillas

2009-07-02T07:57:00.003-04:00

What I had planned on blogging today was my new ruffle shirt. But I have some adjustments to make to it because it didn't turn out so well. Soooo.... here we go! My first recipe (maybe my only, too!)

I made a yummy dinner a few nights ago: Fork 'n Knife Quesadillas. You can't really pick it up, hence the "fork and knife." Josh said, "Where did you get this recipe?" And I quickly and proudly responded, "I made it up!" (Well, it's partially true. Sister Bekah made me quesadillas once with corn and beans, so the corn and bean idea was hers 6 years ago!)

Here we go!

You will need:

corn (I used some leftover corn on the cob- 2 ears, already cooked- It's in season right now, so I highly recommend it! But you could use frozen if you want. Just DON'T use canned corn. Yuck!)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 lime
a few sprigs of cilantro
1 pkg. Mexican blend cheese
tortilla shells
salt 'n peppa
sour cream
salsa
lettuce
tomato

Mix together the corn and black beans. Add juice of 1 lime and the cilantro. I just snipped it right into the bowl. If you like the cilantro taste, add a lot. If you don't, well then don't! Add a little salt 'n peppa.

Spray one side of the tortilla shell with cooking spray and add a little salt to the shell. Flip it over onto a cookie sheet or stone, and add a small palmful of cheese. Add some of the bean mixture, and put more cheese on top. Top with another tortilla, spray the top, and add salt to shell. Repeat for however many you want to make. Two quesadillas were plenty for my hungry husband and me.

Bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown a bit.

When it is done, plop it on your plate and top with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and salsa, if you wish. You could serve it with Mexican rice. (I wish I took a picture of the final product! You can just imagine how pretty it looked.)

Easy!! And so yummy! And good for you too!

Cat video and Post of Randomness

2009-06-29T09:22:00.005-04:00

Happy Monday video! I saw this a while ago, so maybe some of you have already seen it. I just can't get enough of cat videos. Watch this one first!

Now watch this one:

As I was watching this, Delilah was purring and talking back too!

Ok, now that you know how crazy of a cat lady I really am, here is my post of randomness:

1. Wow, it's 9:24 AM and I have already planned my grocery list and meals for the week. Are you jealous of my amazing productiveness? Well, don't be too jealous because I don't have a job!!! ;)

(ok, I do have a job but I don't work full-time)

2. I made this bag for Sister Rachael last week. It came out really cute!

3. I had a good dose of children this weekend, and I think it will hold me over for a little while. On Friday, I babysat for my friend Becca. She has a 3 year old and a 1 year old. Julia (3) asked me, while giving them a wagon ride, "Abby, what are those green things on your legs?" To which I replied, "Oh, those are veins!" I guess my veins were sticking out. haha- Leave it to a 3 year old to point it out! Then, I wasn't sure if I could make it up a hill while pulling both of them in the wagon, to which Julia replied, "Abby, you just have to try your best and you can make it!" So cute. (I made it up the hill, in case you were wondering.)

Then, on Sunday Josh and I were the teachers for the children's ministry at church. I was with the babies, and Josh was with the older kids. The babies were very fussy. I don't seem to have that "motherly touch" to get them to stop crying.

4. On Saturday I went to brunch for my grandmother's (Mimi) birthday. I made her this purse and she loved it. It was my first time doing pleats. I think they came out pretty good.... but once again, my measurements were off. WHYYYYYYY???????? The pleat in the back ended up not being centered, hence, the reason it went to the back.

5. Then, Josh and I went to the wedding of one of his old high school buddies. The reception was at a beautiful farm with a pond and a creek on either side of the tent.

6. I am a techie. I think I just saved my computer from a virus. There was this pop-up that kept invading, wanting me to run this program, so I ran some virus tests, found the problem, and ZAPPED it. Yep. I feel like I am a techie (which is just ABSURD, because I clearly am NOT). But this morning, it seems as though the virus is gone!

7. I have lots of sewing projects planned for this week, including another shirt and some pillow cases for Sister Bekah. (I think that's how I will refer to my sisters now: Sister 'blank'. I like it because it makes them sound like nuns. I like that.)

Have a good day!!! Go hug your cat!!! (if you have one, if not, hug something else)

My Favoritest Thing

2009-06-25T09:50:00.009-04:00

"Most Favorite" just doesn't have the same ring...

Ok, are you ready??? I know you've all just been dying in suspense!! I must make a disclaimer, though. I can't really take ANY of the credit except for the sewing part. I will do a BIG OL' LINK to my source below.

This is my favoritest thing lately: (the shirt, that is)

I made this shirt from a pre-existing shirt (I know, I know, so GREEN of me!). It's called a "refashion." It was previously a collared, 3/4 sleeve, button up shirt from Target that I got on clearance because I needed a white shirt because I was an usher at an Eastern concert (wow, run-on sentence). I never really liked it. It was bulky. So, when I saw TH IS idea from My Mama Made It (that's the BIG OL' LINK), I just knew it was love at first SITE (get it??)

What I did was I cut off the sleeves and the collar and I used that fabric to make the ruffles around the neckline. I was technically supposed to have enough fabric to make the belt too, but alas I didn't, probably because the sleeves were only 3/4 length. So I used some other scraps I had to make the belt. I love this shirt!

Here is the back:

A close-up:

And here is me trying to be casual by petting my cat:

Let me know what you think. Now get off your bum and go make yourself a shirt!

Favorite things and non-things as of late

2009-06-24T10:26:00.015-04:00

Recently, I've acquired some new things around my house, and I wanted to share them with my treasured blog readers (Yes, Bekah, Becca, Josh, and Lula, that's you!) And if you read my blog but don't comment.... come out come out wherever you are.

I am loving my new bedspread. We had this other one and it was just too hot for the summer, so I bought this one at Homegoods at a pretty decent penny. I am planning on making some throw pillows to match though, because it's a bit bare. 2. I love the design of this new fabric I bought at Joann's. I bought it with the throw pillows for my bed in mind, but tell me your thoughts. Does it really go? It's hard to see in the picture, but there is blue in the comforter, it's just a lighter shade.

3. Josh and I went to Ikea last week with the intent of buying a desk, but we came home with a sewing table instead! We don't have room for both a desk and a sewing table, and the thought was to make it both, but I think I took over a bit.

4. This was one of my first sewing projects (well, I can't really call it a project because it took about 10 minutes): A curtain for the shower so our neighbors can't look in anymore! One could most definitely see shapes and colors through that window, so, sorry neighbors... no more free nakey shower shows anymore!
5. I FINALLY got my diploma in the mail last week! WAHOO! I was getting a little worried that something was wrong with my transcripts because it took so long to come, but, alas, it is here. It looks so official, doesn't it? Well, I guess it kind of is.

6. My new Pampered Chef knives! They are so awesome. You don't really know just how bad your knives are until you get really good ones. This was part of my anniversary present from Josh (that I picked out). Sooo romantic, thanks Josh :)

7. I had a gift card to Crate and Barrel from Christmas, so I bought this fun glass leafy bowl thing. It matches the green in my living room. Now I just need something to put in it...

8. This isn't really a thing, it's a non-thing, but I have to put it in here somewhere. This is Dangles. Also known as Delilah. Delilah Dangles. She will find any little ledge, and she will dangle. So cute.

9. I can't mention Delilah Dangles without mentioning Samson. He has been BEGGING me to give him violin lessons. (that's a shoulder rest he is hugging) Seriously though, I just found him like that one day.

10. This is a two-part favorite thing. The first part is this book I am reading, The 19th Wife, by David Ebershoff. It's really really interesting, and I am learning about a culture and history that I hardly even knew existed. It is a modern day fictional story, but in between chapters are historical documents and an autobiography... it's really two stories in one, a real one and a fictional one. Has anyone read it? I would love to know your thoughts.

The second part of this favorite thing is another non-thing... brace yourselves... Josh is reading! I have known Josh for about 6 years now, and I haven't ever seen him really read a book. He usually starts and stops books, and usually they are just Christian non-fiction books. I said, "When was the last time you really read a "storybook" (haha) A book with characters, and a plot?" He said, "Probably middle school." So, he's been reading The 19th Wife. I'm so proud!! (And I bet he's embarrassed right about now :)

Well, I have one more favorite thing, my favoritest thing, but I will leave you in suspense. I can't ruin the perfect 10 and end with 11 things, now can I?? You'll just have to come back tomorrow.

And what are your favorite things or non-things??

2009-06-22T10:46:00.009-04:00

I made this new bag this weekend. I present, the Lotus Bag:Let me tell you, it was QUITE a challenge for this novice sewer (what's the difference between a seamstress and a sewer? I like the word seamstress better but I feel like maybe it is only for people who make clothes?)

Anyway, I used this pattern/instructions from CraftApple. I am quite proud of myself, though. It wasn't really a tutorial, it was just measurements and very broad instructions, but I managed quite well, thankyouverymuch. I was supposed to put a little arch in the bottom seam to make the bottom a bit rounder, but I forgot to leave extra fabric so I just did it straight. I think that would have given it a better shape. I like it, but it's just a little long and awkward. I also didn't feel like buying leather straps, so I just made fabric ones.

For some reason, whenever I try to measure things out, it ALWAYS comes out wrong. I was never very good at math, and planning, thinking ahead, you know, all that stuff that is essential to sewing. I am getting better, but I usually just get frustrated that my measurements don't match up the way they are supposed to and I end up just doing it based on what looks "right." You can tell that my measurements are a little off because the diagonal lines aren't quite at the same angle.

(Yes, I was wearing my pajamas when I took this picture! And yes, those are my "booty sweats" Don't judge me. Who doesn't have at least ONE pair of tiny shorts and/or sweatpants with the words HOTT, or BABE, or SEXY LIL 'THANG, or HILTON HEAD written across the tush??)

Anyway, so that's the Lotus Bag. I think I will make more of them, and at least I have had practice now with using more than one pattern on the front and back of a bag.

I also made this, because I didn't have one!
The back.

I got the instructions from Whip-Up.

And can I just say, I am the WORST person at closing seams by hand, doing a slip stitch, I think it's called. Like, seriously, my cat Delilah could probably do it better than me. It's AWFUL, and I HATE doing it. I don't know what it is. I just can't get it to lay right. On this pincushion you can't really tell because the stuffing helped fill it out, but GOSH, I am awful at it. I learned from a YouTube video, maybe that's why? Any suggestions or helpful websites would be appreciated. I am glad that usually when I have to do it (and I avoid it to no end) it is on the inside of the lining of a bag, so it's not very visible. But if I ever have to do it in a visible spot, it won't be pretty, folks.

T-Swizzle and my weekend

2009-06-22T09:34:00.008-04:00

Happy Monday, everyone!

Here is a little Monday laugh for you: T-Swizzle and T-Pain. Maybe I am the last person in the world to see this? I'm not the most up-to-date person in the world, but Josh showed me yesterday and I thought it was entertaining, and who doesn't like Taylor Swift??

Well, I had quite a busy weekend. On Friday our friends Ben and Lindsey came over for dinner. I made an awesome dinner, if I may say so myself :) I made this and this and it turned out great! Josh usually says he doesn't like any Asian food, and I just told him I was making "chicken on the grill," even though the recipe is called "Asian BBQ chicken." Sneaky, I know. But he really liked it! (at least that's what he said at the time). And Lindsey made this:
It was so pretty, I just had to take a picture of it! I told her I would blog about it later and she laughed :) And Josh and Ben made mojitos:
They are good buddies. They made a fire in our fire pit out back and smoked cigars (from 7-11 across the street, haha) much to Lindsey's and my dismay. Ben and Lindsey got married only a few weeks before Josh and I did last year, so it's been fun bonding over newlywed trials and tribulations :)

On Saturday, I went out with my sisters for a girls day. We went to lunch at the Tea Room and it was yummy. Then we went to JoAnn Fabrics and got some fabric for me to make Bekah some couch pillows and Rachael a shoulder bag. Love these girls:

An oldie, in the bathroom at the Continental.

We did the whole Father's day outtings with both of my dads, haha. I ate so much this weekend. Too much eating out. We went to a small Italian restaurant with my dad for lunch, then went to Outback with Josh's dad for dinner. I wrote "Dad" on the outside of Josh's dad's card... it was so weird. I actually got the willies. When do people start calling their in-laws "Mom and Dad"? It's just so weird to me. My mom always called her father-in-law "Dad," but when does that start? The day you get married? If so, I sure missed my opportunity and now it's just awkward. Awkward turtle. Or do people in my generation not even do that anymore?

Well, check back tomorrow to see the sewing projects that I did this weekend. I can't put EVERYTHING in one post!

Vacation recap

2009-06-18T08:23:00.017-04:00

We got back from Riviera Maya safe and sound on Tuesday night. No swine flu, kidnappings, people forcing us to take drugs, etc. We had a GREAT trip! Lots of relaxing, eating, reading, eating, with some more relaxing thrown in between. We didn't do any extra "excursions," because we figured we got the trip so cheap, why turn it into something expensive? And we were happy just staying at the resort anyway. If we were there much longer I would have wanted to get out of the resort for a little while, but 5 nights was a good amount of time.

Some highlights:

Josh speaking Spanish... Josh continuing to speak Spanish by saying "si" to the girl in Starbucks in Wayne, PA yesterday.
Josh being the most prepared man in all of Mexico. Seriously people, my husband is the best person to travel with, so if you ever need a companion, just let him know. He is just ALWAYS ahead of the game. While I am immersed in my book or Martha magazine, Josh is just waiting for what we need to do next, passport and boarding pass in hand, opened to the correct page, boarding pass facing the right direction. He has every step of the traveling already planned out in his head. When he knows he will need to tip someone within the next two hours, he puts the right amount of money in his POCKET, so as not to take more than three seconds looking through his wallet for cash. The entire trip I did not have to worry about a single thing- room key, towel cards, dinner reservation ticket- he always had the proper card or document, in hand, ready to go, 5 MINUTES before we even reached our destination. This is why I want to have lots of babies with this man. (well, ok, there are other reasons too)
Topless women (sorry, no pictures). When we went to Punta Cana on our honeymoon, no one was topless, and we even stayed at a couples-only resort. This was a FAMILY resort, kids all around, and still, many many topless women. Josh didn't seem to mind. I know it's a culture thing- I am just not used to it because no one does it in the States. But... WOW, it really takes you by surprise at first! So, you know how you give people you never talk to names, based on what they look like or how they act around other people, even when you have never talked to them or met them? I do that a lot. I know you do too, so don't judge me. First, there was HOTT GIRL. Seriously, she was hott with two t's. Or is HAWT cooler? Whichever word is hotter, she was that. She sat in the very middle of the pool where there were lounge chairs, for all to see her hawtness when they walked by. I even saw her walk over to the bar and/or bathroom topless. I mean, she was HAWT/HOTT and she knew it. Then there was WATERMELON LADY. Seriously.... the girls were HUUUUUGE. I mean, she was a bigger woman, but... wow. Then there was CUTE GIRL, who got reallllly sunburned... ouch. Then there was FAKE GIRL... yeah, they HAD to be fakies. Well anyway, the funny thing is, all of these people laid in the same vicinity and they had their own club. It was like they bonded over their toplessness. Then there was Mrs. Sagsalot, who wasn't in their club, and I saw her one night at dinner. It's just weird eating my dinner, drinking my champagne, knowing that I saw this woman topless earlier in the day. Weird.
Every day, when we got back from the pool/beach there was a new towel figure on our bed. So cute! This was the first one. There were swans, mermaids, shells, and old ladies with hoods on (??). Not sure what that was about.
Pina coladas: I loooove me a pina colada. I probably had like 10 of them. All week though, there was this drink I kept seeing around that was like a pina colada, but it had this pink strawberry yummyness on top. I didn't know what it was called but I wanted it. I never figured it out. Humph.

All in all, it was a great trip. I feel very blessed to be able to go on a wonderful vacation, with the man I love! Now, I am back home and am really looking forward to getting back to sewing. Ohh, the projects I have up my sleeve! :)

I'll take a pina colada, please?

2009-06-10T13:48:00.003-04:00

Just a note to say that my husband Josh and I will be in Riviera Maya, Mexico until next Tuesday, so don't think I have given up on blogging. I look forward to blogging all about my trip when I get back!

Abby

My weekend

2009-06-08T08:50:00.014-04:00

Hi! I am trying to think of something special to do on Mondays- like a funny video or how-to or something- you know, to give Mondays a little lift (not that it matters to me, since Mondays are pretty much just like any other day for me!) So today, the special treat is this link:

Our Best Bites

I don't really know how I came across it, but seriously, these recipes are so good. Most of them are very easy, and you don't have to go all over the world to find the ingredients, which is important to me. I hate buying something I will only ever use once in a recipe.

I made the Spicy Honey Chicken, Spicy Honey Chicken salad with the leftovers, cupcake frosting, grilled potatoes, and creamy pesto pasta so far- YUM! Everything was so good.

Ok, now for my weekend update:

On Friday, I made these:

I actually didn't try them so I don't know what they taste like, but they look yummy! I used the cupcake frosting recipe from Our Best Bites. I did have a taste of that while I was making it and it was sooo yummy and creamy.

Then, Rachael and Austin (sister and boyfriend) came over and we watched He's Just Not That Into You. Did anyone else see that yet? I never read the book, but I didn't like the movie very much. A lot of it is about how girls just talk and talk and get these things into their heads about how much a guy likes them, and they read into these "signals" (which aren't really signals), and inside the girl's head the guy is in love with her, but the guy is actually thinking "when can I end this?" This all seems very true. So, this is what happens in the movie and it's funny and ridiculous, but then everyone is happy at the end and it doesn't seem like anyone learned any lessons! (sorry if I ruined the ending for you).

On Saturday, I had a recital for some of my students: (hence the cupcakes)

Me with five of my students.

They did a great job! I always get nervous before my student recitals because I just want them to do well (and all of their parents and grandparents are in the room). Don't they just all look so cute? I love it. I also make them introduce themselves and their piece before playing, for a few reasons:

because it is good for them to practice speaking in public and projecting their voice
I had to do it, so they should too.
It is just so darn cute! (is that mean??) "Hi, my name is so and so, and I will be playing such and such." but in a 5 year old's voice. I love it.

It was a very nice recital, very short, with yummy treats afterward.

After the recital, Josh and I went to the mall to get a few new things for our vacation! We decided this past Friday to go to Cancun for a few days! We are very excited/I am a little nervous. You know, just about the kidnappings, drug cartels, and swine flu.... that's all. So, if you don't hear from me by next Wednesday, please come to Mexico and rescue us. Gracias. No, but seriously, they say it is safe, and we will be at a big resort..... sooo, yeah.

So anyway, we (and by "we" I mean mostly "I") bought a few new clothing items for our trip. Then we went to our friends Ben and Lindsey's house for dinner. Fun day!

On Sunday, I made this:

A sunglasses case!

I noticed that I had a huge scratch on my sunglasses, so I need to get another pair before we leave for our trip. I always just buy the cheapos. But I wanted to make a case because that sounded easy and so that my new pair wouldn't get scratched in my purse. Here is the lining:
You can see that I kind of messed up the top stitch. I should have had it on a bigger stitch. It got a little crooked. However, in my defense, it was really hard getting it under the machine because I put some kind of felt in there to make it soft and give the sunglasses more protection. So it was a bit "fiddly" under the machine. I learned that word from a blog I read and I just love that word. It gets stuck in my head. Does that ever happen to you? Just one word getting stuck in your head?

Anyway, last night we went to Rachael's softball game. Good job, Rach!

I think she was embarrassed that I was taking pictures. I snuck this one on the right!

Josh was embarrassed too. Come on people, I am a blogger now! :)

Have a good Monday! Make something yummy for dinner!

Epic Fail

2009-06-03T08:52:00.018-04:00

I made another bag yesterday.

FAIL. It's so bad. I hate it. I hate even more that I spent 3 hours on the blasted thing. It was the first time I ever worked with a different fabric other than cotton, and I think that had something to do with it. I actually don't know what the fabric is. I got it on clearance, cute pattern, but I forgot to look at what it was. It's soft and wrinkly, but supposed to be that way. I thought it would be nice for a comfy bag. And it would be, if only it was sewn correctly!

Looking at this picture, I really should have matched up the design, see how the lines don't match up? Fail #1.

I will show my amateur-ness here, but there is some kind of "stretch" stitch on my machine. I read the manual and it showed how to use it, but not what it was for. Is it for stretchy materials? Or does it stretch out the material? I will have to do some more research.

But because the fabric is stretchy and wrinkly, there are all these unintentional pleats. Fail #2. It didn't lay right when I went to do the top stitch.

And then, the straps didn't end up being the same size, so I really messed it up when I was trying to sew them together. Fail #3.

So I thought of a new use for this bag.

She loved it! I carried her around for about 5 minutes while I made myself breakfast. At least we know the darn thing can hold 7 pounds!

Oh well. Live and learn. I need a lesson before I try any stretchy material again. I do like how the ribbon turned out though. That was my own little addition, not in the pattern.

On a brighter note, I organized the corner. I have this corner in my room that drives Josh crazy. I stash all my junk there that I use on a semi-daily basis. Usually it was filled with my school stuff, but since I am not in school anymore, my ever-growing pile of fabric and other sewing accessories has succumbed it. It went from this:

(Yes, I stored all my fabric in its original Joann's plastic bag.)

To this!

An organized junk corner! I wrapped all of my "stash" (as the crafters say) around some scrap cardboard pieces. And wa-lah! A somewhat better more organized pile (that will probably be a mess by this weekend).

I got that cute box from my friend Becca, who is an amazing scrapbooker and crafter. I will link to her sometime when I find her site. I put my ribbons, thread, and other accessories in it! Thanks, Becca! (I know it's supposed to be a photo box, but I didn't have any other place for my sewing things, and I wanted a cute box, not a cardboard one :)

Happy Monday

2009-06-01T09:08:00.017-04:00

Yep, it's Monday. Today I woke up at 7:30am (gasp). Yes, I set my alarm and got up early (gasp). I've decided I need to start being a normal human being after 3 weeks of pure laziness (gasp). Ok that's enough. (But speaking of lazy, I like this blog/site: www.lazygirldesigns.com. They have lots of sewing shortcut tips and cute bag patterns) Anyhoo, It's been a great 3 weeks, and I really needed it to debrief from my crazy semester/year of being in school and being a wife all at the same time. It's tough folks, it really is. I wouldn't recommend it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love being married and I love my hubbypants, but if I had to do it all over again... I'd probably just drop out of school. KIDDING Seriously though, if I had to do it all over again, I would do it all over again because it's been a great year but very crazy!

Ok, I'm rambling. Anyway, I've turned over a new leaf and I am going to set my alarm every night and get up at a decent hour like a normal human being. I am going to fit more than one activity in my day. I am going to practice every day like I tell my students to do! And I am going to make more of these:

Are you ready? I know, seriously, the suspense has been killing you all weekend. I unveil to you, my baby-sized project: These adorable baby booties!

These have velcro ribbon straps, but I think I like these next ones even better.

These were actually my first sewing project (besides the dress). I thought they would be easy, but they really are not. Making bags is so much easier. Just the fact that they are tiny alone makes it hard to work with. And then to get them to look the same, sewing around the curve at the top, making sure you sew each layer... etc. They are a challenge, but it was good for me to start with these because I learned so much that making bags is a cinch! Well, ok, not really. I bought the pattern on Etsy from Precious Patterns. It was a good tutorial and they have such cute things! My booties need some work (my own booty could use some work too, but that's for another time). And I also need to work on a pattern that can be used for baby boys. But they are super fun to make because they are just so darn cute!

PS- Does ANYONE (Yes, I am talking to you 3 readers) know a better way to upload pictures on blogspot? Why do they keep going to the top? I have to drag them all the way through my blog and it's so annoying. It might just cause me to move my site to a better host. (Is that the right word?)

I've been sewing these days...

2009-05-29T23:59:00.017-04:00

So, something that I have taken on in the past few months has been sewing. I have never sewed before, well, except for in 8th grade- I made fleece pajama pants in home ec. I bought the thickest fleece and I couldn't ever wear them because they were so hot and they were so staticky they clung to my legs! My teacher's name was Mrs. Sleeva- ha! She was destined to be a sewing teacher. Anyway, she was the meanest teacher ever and her hair never moved (not that that has anything to do with her being mean). I remember being afraid to ask questions because she would just get so annoyed. So, I put my sewing practice away for a while, never really picked it up again after that class because I didn't enjoy it. Thanks a lot, Mrs. Sleeva. You are an inspiration, really.

I started to sew again a few months ago because for my arts theology class, we had to do a "creative project." I had wanted to try sewing, so I did that for my project and made this:
Ok, I had a little help from my grandmother! She taught me all the basics of sewing again and using my machine. I made the dress for my class, but also I wore it for my senior recital. It took several days to make, and Grandma Trudi spent more time on it than I even did after I left. It was a fun project, but I don't think I'll do it again any time soon! I did realize I could take on smaller projects- baby sized projects- (that's a hint) and feel like I can handle that all by myself, even with my limited skills.

So now that I gots my edumacation and I'm all gradiated and stuff, I have more time on my hands. I've been browsing through craft blogs, and let me tell you, there are some really creative people out there. I also stumbled across some food blogs and I just want to eat everything. Especially when I am up browsing late at night, my tummy really grumbles. Anyway, that's for another time. I've been getting inspiration from websites like Etsy and Craft Gossip, where they just link to crafter's blogs and write up a little blurb about a cool project a certain blogger has on their site. Very cool, and every time I check it there is something new. And this weekend I am going to an arts and crafts show in Philly! I am excited! I will get more inspiration there.

This is what I did today:
I got the pattern from this lovely blog: tinyhappy.typepad.com. Thanks, tinyhappy!

I added a cell phone pocket and a bigger pocket- all by myself!

Take that, Mrs. Sleeva!

Lydia (my youngest sister) picked out the fabric. Good choices, Lyd! Came out cute!

I even made my own "button pouch" to match with some extra fabric. Yes, I made that name up myself so you can't steal it. kthanks. This was the first time I did button holes, so when I do it again I will make the hole bigger so I can actually fit a real button in there (instead of a bead!), and I will put it up higher. It's basically the same as the bottom of the shoulder bag but with no straps, and a button hole instead of a button strap.

I LOVE making bags. It is very fulfilling. And who doesn't love a new bag?! I learned so much today- I got so much better at sewing around the curves, got to know my friend/enemy the seam ripper really well when I accidentally put wrong sides together instead of right sides together. Arghh! I sewed my first button holes, thanks to good ol' YouTube I learned how to hand sew a blind stitch, and many other small triumphs.
Meanwhile, Samson and Delilah did this all day- yes literally, all day:

Look at my babies, oh how I love them. Samson on left, Delilah on right.

Ok, I will keep you in suspense until next time for my baby-sized projects. And no, this is not an announcement of any sorts! Sheesh, people!

Second post

2009-05-27T10:39:00.005-04:00

What a lame title! Can't think of anything cool...

Speaking of not being able to think, my nickname "snails," is quite fitting. It all started one day back in 1991 (I made that up) when my older sister Bekah Buttons started calling me Abisnail, because my real name is Abigail, and it rhymes. Genius, I know! Well, from there her husband, my brother-in-law David shortened it to just "snails." So that is my name. But it really has come to suit me well because I am just a slow person. Not like, slow, but I am quite "snailish." If you have ever heard me try to tell a story, you would know. Sometimes I will be in the middle of a sentence and I just stop- because I can't think of the right word I want to use. Hm, I think this calls for a numbered list:
1. I talk slowly. Usually Josh ends up finishing my stories.
2. I think slowly.
3. I've been working on this post for 25 minutes already.
4. I am the worst decision maker probably in the entire universe. I just go back and forth in my slow head about stupid things like what type of eggs to buy- brown? white? are all brown eggs organic? small? large? extra large? Josh always goes for extra large because he says it's more egg for your money. But now I am thinking, is it more painful for the chicken??
5. I read slowly.
6. I shower slowly... but what girl doesn't?
7. ... ... ...

I looked up some snail facts just now, and here is what I found. There are several things that make me NOT like a snail:
1. Snails are hermaphrodites. I surely am not!
2. Snails usually travel in irregular paths, often traveling in a circle. Ok, this happens to me sometimes.
3. Snails are nocturnal animals which means they are more active at night. Definitely not me.
4. Snails cannot hear. I have full use of my auditory system.
5. May 24th is National Escargot Day! 3 days too late!! Ahhh, can't believe I missed it. There is always next year.

Ok, I promise this will be my only post about snails. I just had to get it out of the way so no one wonders about my blog title. Stay tuned for upcoming posts about my latest sewing projects.

I leave you with a short snail tale by R. Wayne Edwards.

Where he goes he leaves a trail.
When he goes where he shouldn't be,
His trail is there for all to see.

Our life is like the little snail,
Where we go we leave a trail.
The things we do and the things we say,
Are the trail we leave from day to day.

a blog, you say?

2009-05-22T23:58:00.000-04:00

Hello! Thank you for reading my blog! I am excited for this for many reasons. I've wanted to start a blog for a long time, but haven't had the time until recently. I love reading blogs. Sometimes I read random people's blogs just for fun- I like learning about people and what they do and what they are passionate about. It gives me ideas, sparks creativity, and broadens my little world. So, without further ado (adoo, uhdo, a do?), I will answer some questions that I know you are just dieing to ask:

1. So, um, who are you?
Good question. Still trying to figure that one out. I am just your average college graduate, violinist, violin teacher, daughter of Christ (well, this is not average), wife, mother to two kitties, sister, friend, etc. I have been married for almost one year (whoa!), and I'm wondering when one is no longer considered a newlywed? My husband, Josh, is the most loving, hard-working, sensitive man, and our first year of marriage has been wonderfully wonderful, not only for the non-virgin-ness, but we are finally able to just be ourselves and be together, in our own space, the way it's supposed to be.

I am also a sister to three beautiful women, whom I love very deeply. There is something about a sister...
2. What do you like to do? Do you have any new hobbies with your newfound time?
I am glad you asked. Well, for one, I am a violinist, and I spend a lot of my time practicing and preparing for lessons. Secondly, I must say I have become quite the seamstress. Yes folks, I took up a little sewing. I secretly stalk craft-blogs, and I just love the creativity of people. I am excited to show off my very amateur craft projects on my blog. I am also enjoying reading again. Being in college left no time for pleasure reading (no, not that kind sickos), and I am really enjoying reading my new Jodi Piccoult book. I have this great dream of reading the great classics that I should have read in high school. One day...

3. What do you do when your husband Josh falls asleep at 8:00pm every night?
I will be updating my new blog.

4. What are your favorite things?
Well that reminds me, I love The Sound of Music, my rainboots, these new hair clips that I bought at Target, my Pampered Chef mix 'n scraper, my violin of course, pretty fabric and scrapbook paper, throw pillows, sweaters, clean sheets.

5. Tell us about your kittens.

Oh good, I'm so glad you asked. Samson and Delilah are brother and sister. They were rescued from a farm where the farmer was going to shoot them because their mother died and he did not want to care for them. They lived with a foster family for a while, and then Josh and I got to take them home. They are the sweetest, cutest, most loveable kittens ever. I say "kittens" because they will always be kittens to me, but really they are almost full-grown now. But they still cuddle, snuggle, wrestle (nicely), and give each other baths. They each have their own personality. Delilah is a little more skiddish when you first meet her, but she warms up pretty quickly. I always call her "whiny-pants" because she makes a lot of noises just when she is walking around the house. She loves to be held like a baby, and her favorite thing to do lately is to sit in the windows, since we've had them open, and watch birdies outside. She is also very good at catching bugs. Samson, well, he is a bit slow, shall we say. He doesn't seem to learn as easily and quickly as Delilah does. But he is so very loving. Sometimes I find him walking around the house purring so loud for no good reason. One of his favorite activities is to lay in the sink. He really likes water, which is strange.

6. What are your least favorite things?
Shaving, when my feet stick out of the sheets, cleaning the litter box, cold weather, stupid drivers.

7. Can I stop asking myself questions now?
Yes, please.

How does one end a blog? Am I supposed to say "goodbye"? I guess I can do whatever I want... More to come soon, thanks for reading, goodbye!