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Sneak Peek!!

 Check it out!  Here are some sneak peek preview pictures of what I have been working on lately! 

These are rolled fabric flowers made out of my old sheets...I am back to a twin bed right now and I figured that the next time I'm in a queen sized one, I'll have much better quality sheets (yea for registries!)  But I didn't want to just throw out these sheets...I love the cotton candy pink color!   I'm currently just making them like crazy but I have a few ideas in mind as to what to do with them when I finish :)

I'm also remembering how much I adore paper.  Everything about it makes me happy :)  I love the feel of it, the textures.  I love the colors and seemingly infinite possibilities of combinations and patterns.  I also love those $1 bins by the check-outs in Michaels.  I frequently fall for them!  I found these great little alphabet stamps last time I was there!  Stay tuned for some fun paper items in my Etsy Shop!

Teeny Tiny Letters!

Honeymoon Planning!

As I type, my lovely fiance is booking our honeymoon!  We are headed back to my favorite place in the whole wide world...South Carolina!  We are booking a house on Fripp Island!  Woot! 

It's Great, to be, a Michigan Wolverine!

I'm a college graduate!

Definition

pas·sion·ate:   –adjective[pash-uh-nit]expressing, showing, or marked by intense or strong feeling; emotional: passionate language.

I'm rediscovering my passion in art...stay tuned for big changes!

 

Apparently I know Enough Things Now?

I'm done.  Graduation on Saturday.  Five years of college and its all over.  I don't think I'm old enough to be set free in the real world yet.  Ann Arbor is home and I'm scared of moving away from here in a few months!  So, for now:

For Today, Good Bye

For Tomorrow, Good Luck

Forever, GO BLUE

Eye Candy ...

 ...in the form of pictures of my happy place.  I recently got back from Fripp Island, South Carolina-a much needed family vacation to the Lowcountry.  This area is my most favorite place in the entire world...which is saying a little bit because I have seen some pretty neat places.  Alas, now I am home and its snowing.  Yes, snowing.  In April.  I'm very upset.  So, I uploaded my vacation pics and I leave you now with sunshine and sand and seashells and happiness.

A Little Wedding Inspiration...

Here are a few of the pictures from The Knot that have helped guide some of my plans for the wedding that I wanted to share with you all!

Restlessness

Sometimes, especially during this time of year, I get the urge to drive to Detroit Metro Airport and just pick a flight.  Max out my credit card and leave.  Restlessness, I guess.  The weather in Michigan in the spring is so fickle and upsetting.  It can be bright and sunny and 20 degrees.  Or 60 degrees for days in a row and then a snow flurry.  It makes me feel uneasy and makes me long for the joy of traveling.  Traveling is one of my biggest passions; inspired and grown in me by my amazing parents.  They would pack my brother and me into our motorhome and take us out to see the country.  I've seen so much and yet, there is always more.  The new places, the amazing people, the delicious food that you can eat guilt free because they are "vacation calories" and don't count, the crazy stories and amazing bonding with your fellow travelers.  B and I are currently trying to plan our honeymoon and I'm absolutely paralyzed by the immense list of places I would love to go. 

Thankfully, only one more week until Spring Break....Fripp Island, SC <3

Photo from the airport in Auckland, New Zealand....my thoughts exactly

In Limbo

I know what I'll be doing on April 30...graduating from college after 5 years of extremely hard work (ok, that one year at Spring Arbor was a piece of cake but the other 4 at the University of Michigan make up for it...).  I'll be the first person on my mom's side of the family to graduate from college!  And I know what I'll be doing on August 5...marrying the love of my life.  But in between those two dates?  Limbo.  I'm not sure if I should be looking for a full time job just to tell them that I need 2 weeks off in August?  I'm not sure if I should stay in Ann Arbor for the summer or move home to save $?  Should I work a few part time jobs so I can relax for once in my life and spend time going on family vacations because this would be my last chance?  What to do...what to do?  I wish someone would just tell me what the right thing would be.

Wednesday List!

After many weeks, I've decided to do another Wednesday List!  So, this week's is my favorite children's books:
1.  Goodnight Moon-I still have this book memorized :)
2.  If You Give a Mouse a Cookie-this book is so precious and simple and the illustrations are so fun
3.  Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel-this was my dad's and my book.  He read this book to me so many times that he would dread asking me what I wanted read at night :)
4.  The Napping House-my parents used this book to trick me into taking Sunday afternoon naps
5.  The Foot Book-I don't know what it was but I adored this Dr. Seuss book

Book Review: The Match ("Savior Siblings" and One Family's Battle to Heal Their Daughter)

Another book from LibraryThing!  I finished reading The Match and found myself wanting to learn the rest of the story, how Katie is growing up.  This book is about amazing, new fertility options that can help people who either have a genetic disorder that runs in their family or help out a family with an already sick child.  Selecting fertilized eggs for healthy genes or certain genes that match a sibling is a complicated new field of medicine and ethics and this book takes the academic arguments surrounding it and puts names and faces on the controversy.  In the book, you meet the Trebing family, whose daughter Katie is suffering from the terminal condition of Blackfan Anemia.  Her parents eventually decided to have another child whose genetic makeup with be a perfect match for Katie's, and therefore able to donate cord blood or bone marrow to help heal Katie.  This story follows their decision making process, the controversy they encounter and the long months of Katie's healing through the help of her brother, Christopher.  Sprinkled in amongst the story is the technical knowledge regarding the procedures that brought Christopher into the world and the battle to save Katie's life.  This is a well-written book that never gets too bogged down in the technical and yet gives enough information to help keep everything in perspective.  Oh, and it will probably make you cry. 

Back At It

I'm back!  I realize its been quite awhile since I've written.  My life has been crazy ever since Thanksgiving!  My boyfriend of 3 years proposed to me the day before Thanksgiving and our lives have been filled with wedding planning and preparing for our marriage.  Its been magical and amazing and hard and wonderful.  B has been the most amazing fiance and has taken on so much of the planning.  We are doing a lot of things ourselves, such as making the save the dates and its been fun to work together.  Also, this semester, I've been student teaching full time.  Its absolutely exhausting and I've never slept so much during my time in college as I have these past 2 months.  Its been hard to continue doing the things that I love, such as art.  I'm already looking forward to being done just so I can get back to creating and crafting.  Thankfully, I'll have a lot of wedding things to create!  I'm going to try to be more faithful in posting because I find the writing to be therapeutic and relaxing in the face of the stress of this semester. 

Book Review: Outside Wonderland by Lorna Jane Cook

I recently received a book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program!  Publishers give out books before their publication date so people can read them and and post reviews online.  I read Outside Wonderland by Lorna Jane Cook and it was an absolute pleasure to read.  It didn't take me long to finish the novel because it was interesting and enjoyable.  The story follows three siblings whose parents passed away when they were young.  Their parents get the opportunity to look into their childrens' lives from a place they call "Here."  The now-grown children live out their lives unaware that their parents are lovingly watching out for them and hoping that they eventually find happiness in their earthly lives.  Free-spirited Alice lives in New York, working as an actress in off-Broadway plays, hoping to eventually get her big break.  Her sister Dinah lives with their grandmother and works in Washington DC.  Their brother Griffin lives in Chicago with his partner Theo and works as a chef in a nice restaurant.   Through the course of the book, all three find their lives turned upside down and intertwined with each other.  It is a beautifully written story that moves along with grace and and handles the topic of death with quiet dignity.  I highly recommend picking this up in March when it comes out and making it one of your lazy day summer reading books. 

Wednesday List!

Thanksgiving is next week!  Who else cannot believe that its that time of year already!?  Maybe I'm in denial because its oddly warm here in Ann Arbor (its supposed to be 52 degrees today!)  In any case, I'm very excited because B and I are going to my house for the holiday and this happens to be my very favorite holiday (don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, Easter and the 4th of July too.)  So, here are my 5 favorite family traditions revolving around Thanksgiving:
1. Dinner not being done until Papa (my grandpa) says "eat every carrot and pea on your plate"  (yea, say it out-loud to yourself...its ok, I'm 22 and still giggle every year :))
2. Listening to my mom and aunt argue with my grandma about helping out with the food (they are only allowed to bring a pie..haha, my grandma is amazing)
3. Watching the annual dog show before the game starts...hilarious Thanksgiving fun
4. The Lions game...I know, we lose.  But its the tradition that counts!
5. And of course, the food coma nap :)
I hope this helps you think of your favorite parts of Thanksgiving!  Please share them in the comments!

Wednesday List!

For fun, I decided to do the 5 things I couldn't live without if I was stranded on an island:
1. B-I'm a hopeless romantic...and he generally takes care of me
2. a dozen books-I know this is more than one thing but I read quickly!
3. my camera-I'm sure the island will be pretty ;)
4. my sketchbook-easier to carry than my beads and paints!
5. food...in particular, yogurt and my blender so I can make smoothies with all the tropical food :)

The First Step in the Creative Process

I've spent some time recently thinking about my creative process because I'm trying to plan my best holiday strategy.  I've come to realize that I'm a very visual and tactile person.  Especially when it comes to my bead work, sketching out my thoughts isn't a very productive use of my time.  I find myself being more inspired by opening up a few of my bead boxes and looking and touching the various beads.  By touching and playing with various textures and colors, I can begin to visualize the finished product.  Knitting, I have to touch every yarn before I purchase it, color is important but the touch and texture is much more important to me.  I think its interesting how this process can be so different for so many people.  Some find their creative inspiration by sketching, others by letting their mind wander and daydream.  I'm sure that each artist has their own unique view on how they begin to cull their ideas and set on the path to a finished piece.  Feel free to share your own beginning of the creative process in the comments!

Wednesday List!

As I get closer to graduating, becoming engaged and hopefully decorating my own place next summer, I've begun to collect ideas and pictures that catch my eye.  So, today's list is 5 things that I want to use in decorating, including some that I already do use. 
1. Seashells-they remind me of the beach, the sea, Lake Michigan (the zebra mussel shells, of course), family, vacations, B (who brought me back a pile of white shells from a spring break trip b/c he know I would appreciate those more than anything he could buy), basically everything I adore
2. Colors-brown, white, red, purple, yellow-its a random mix but I have rooms in mind for combinations of these...red is a new one for me but I'm picturing kitchen accents

3. Crate and Barrel-omg, enough said (especially if you have ever been to the store in Chicago on Michigan Ave..swoon)
4. Wood and Stone-not a fan of metal and glass, feels like living in a spaceship...I want cozy and earthy
5. Michigan Stuff-haha, this one is mostly for B...our office spaces or basement will be completely maize and blue...and it will be awesome :) 

Its November! Holiday Season!

I know, it sounds crazy, but I figure with the way the rest of my year is shaping up that I should probably start thinking about my holiday to-do list.  I need to figure out gifts, first of all, many of which I will probably make.  My goal for this task is getting them all done by December 1, which means the clock is ticking!!  My most challenging gift will probably be B again.  Its impossible to shop for the boy who has everything :(  I also am setting a goal of getting 15 more ornaments listed on Etsy before November 15, which means I need to get my butt in gear and start taking the photos I've been putting off!  I'll reevaluate on the 15th to set my new goal for the rest of November.  I also have a few ideas for decorating my room for Thanksgiving :)  Basically, this month is looking busier and busier! 

The Other Boleyn Girl: "There is no room for mistakes at court"

So, I watched the movie several years ago, and while I enjoyed it, it did leave me in a bit of a funk.  It was such a crazy story and the ending was nuts and I didn't know what to think about it.  Ever since then I have wanted to read the book.  I finally got around to it at the end of the summer and beginning of the school year.  First of all, it was a much larger book than I had figured so when school started, my reading time decreased significantly and it took a while to finish.  I'm glad I did, however.  The book is well written and the characters are developed in such a way that you are conflicted in your feelings for some and have the utmost sympathy or disgust for others.  The story moves through quite a series of years and offers an interesting look into medieval England.  This story is a historical fiction because the characters and the general story was true but the author took many liberties with filling in the details of everyday life and the details regarding the lesser known characters' lives, including Anne Boleyn.  Even still, though, this book was a fascinating read.  Again, the ending left me in a funk but now that I've had some time to digest it, I'm glad that I finished it and it is one that I may pick up again for another summer reading.