Google Maps is stalking you!

This is cool...but also kind of creepy!
A coworker emailed a link about google maps street view. So, naturally, I had to look up my house. Yup!...there it is! I can see my plants on the upstairs porch and my downstairs neighbors' old car in the driveway.

They're watching us!

Porch Flower Boxes

It's been a project weekend! We feel accomplished! (even thought the project isn't completely finished yet)

CJ had the day off from work on Friday and started building the flower boxes for our porch. When I got home from work, he had the first one (on the east side of our house) almost completely built and installed. On Saturday afternoon, he cut the boards for the next window while I painted the first box. But, as I was doing that, we figured out that painting the boxes after they were installed is a pain, so we decided to paint the boards before CJ installs them into the window. The great thing about how he made them is that he didn't have to nail or screw anything into the house itself. The boxes are removable.

Before... (picture from last year)

After...

Before I was married, I never pictured myself becoming a gardener! My mom was the gardener of the family. I never really cared. It must be something about having a place of your own. I love having a "real" garden now instead of my poor plants being confined to pots (we live in an upstairs part of a duplex).
And I like the idea of growing my own vegetables and herbs as opposed to a flower garden. Maybe I'll have a couple flowers...but flowers aren't my main passion. I'd like to plant plants that are useful and practical. I have some letuce and cherry tomato plants started so far. My only problem is that only the side windows (the east and west ends of the porch) get much sun.. The eaves of the house prevent a lot of sun from getting to the front (south) openings. So I'm going to have to research what plants like shade (Lettuce likes shade!).

And...Rachel and I went to the Public/Farmer's Market and some garage sales yesterday morning. I bought some dill and rosemary at the market and I found the perfect little table to use for my gardening at a garage sale...for only $3!

It was originally all painted that grey color. I painted a bit of it the green I was using for the boxes while I was waiting to put a second/third coat on.

Anniversary gifts

My husband never ceases to surprise me. I'll steal a phrase we use to describe the girl I work with..."predictably unpredictable".

These are the flowers that were waiting for me on our coffee table when I got home yesterday. I like red roses, but I love how these were not your typical red roses. And the sprig of little purple flowers and the random sprig of fresh euculyptus. It's a big deal for him to get me flowers...since he has allegies and usually doesn't like flowers. So a bouquet of flowers is definitely an expression of love for him.


But that wasn't all. He got me a locket and took the time to painstakingly put two tiny pictures of two paintings I've done inside.

I really wasn't expecting anything. Since our anniversary and my birthday and his birthday are all within 2 weeks of each other, we usually just get one big present for the both of us. I was just expecting to go out last night. We saw "Kung Fu Panda" and went to dinner at Red Robin.

My work schedule prevented us from doing our "tradition" of going to a new Rennisance Faire. (Can you have a tradition when you've only been married 2 years?) We always go to the "local" one in Sterling NY (about an hour away), but we have a goal of going to a new one every year. We want to go to one in Ohio this year later in the summer.

But I had a wonderful time last night anyway.

2 years...

When my husband and I were dating/courting, he gave me a CD of some music by this Celtic Christian Band called Iona. The song that was on the third track on the CD, a traditional Irish/Celtic folk song. I absolutely fell in love with the song and had it sung while I walked down the aisle at our wedding.

"I will give my love an apple without e'er a core
I will give my love a house without any a door,
I will give my love a palace wherein he may be,
And he may unlock it without any key.

My head is the apple without e'er a core,
My mind is the house without any door.
My heart is the palace wherein he may be,
And he may unlock it without any key."

(click the sheet music at this link to hear the tune)

Happy Anniversary my beloved!

Brother & Sister Monsters

More monsters with patterned bellies! These are T-shirt Remnant Monsters I finished this weekend. The belly of the girl is a fabric swatch I've had lying around for some time. The boy's belly is from a fabric belt (that I don't use) that came with a skirt I like to wear that is the same fabric.



2.5 more weeks...and then I can make monsters (almost) all day!

Content

It's so hot today and everyone has been complaining about the heat. But it's funny...I'm strangely happy and content (I'm usually a semi-moody person). Don't get me wrong, I hate being hot and sticky as much as the next person. But for some reason it's not really bringing me down. I'm sitting here on my lunch break at work with bare feet (I've litereally kicked off my shoes!) in a quiet , empty (albeit un-air-conditioned) room with a computer...I just finished a chicken ceasar salad from McDonald's...I have some beautiful, quiet music playing. Life is good. I'm strangely content.

Maybe it's because it's Friday. Maybe because it's another week closer to the end of the school year and my last day of work. Maybe because it feels like summer. Maybe it's because I'm happy my friend just had her baby. Maybe it's because of the beauty, comfort, and encouragement of the memorial/celebration service last night.

Or maybe it's just the peace of God.

Letting Go and New Life

My husband and I went to the Memorial/Celebration Service for Jacob Fahmer last night. It was beautiful. I've never cried so much for someone I've never met. After the initial service inside the church, we were asked to all go outside to the lawn, and on our way out of the church, the first 139 people would get a balloon...one for each day of Jacob's life. Once everyone was outside and all the balloons had been given out, we released them all. What a beautiful symbol of letting go and trusting the Lord.

"He left the arms of his earthly father and into the arms of his Heavenly Father."

And I found out, when I happened to check my email this morning before I left for work, that my friend Amy had her baby this morning! Congratulations Chris & Amy! Welcome to the planet Simon!
How poetically fitting. The day after celebrating the life of a child who has gone home to the Lord, we get to celebrate the Lord blessing us all with a brand new child.

Like my Dad says..."God is good. All the time."

50 Ways to Love your Lurkers...

I just came accross this blog entry tonight about "How to start a craft blog". I was most amused by this little snippet of it...

"Lurking - bloggers give lurkers (people that visit your blog without commenting) a hard time - but remember that your lurkers may be your most avid readers. They may just be little word-shy or perhaps they are not sure how to use the Blogger commenting function. Or they may just like lurking. It's okay, as long as they keep popping in. Learn to love your lurkers! "

I am so a lurker! But I do comment once in awhile.
Do I have any lurkers? (besides you Mom! I know you're out there! Stalker!) If you've been lurking, please leave a comment, even if it's just a random word (spatula!) And leave your name too, even if it's just your first name. "Anonymous" is just weird to me.

To smile...or not to smile? That is the question.

I've been on a monster kick lately. I just started to play with putting patterned fabric on them as an accent. I've had some random scraps of this crazy, bright, 60's-flower-child-looking pattern that I used on my newest monster that I made last night. All I have left to do on him is the handsewn features (teeth & heart). But I can't decide on how to make his mouth...

Happy? (the norm for my monsters)

Or frowny? (Not the norm for me, but strangely still cute)

When I asked my husband's opinion, he said "I'd be frowny too if I had that flowery pattern sewn on my chest!" I brought him into work today with the intent of finishing him up on my breaks (the monster...not my husband!). At the lunch table, I brought him out and asked the kids which they liked better and they said they wanted him happy.

What to do?...what to do? He looks so cute either way!
Any more opinions?

Polka-Dotted Messy-Haired Monster

On a much lighter note than yesterday, here is my newest monster!

He kind of reminds me of Red Fraggle.
(BTW: my birthday is this month and Season 3 of Fraggle Rock is out on DVD! ~hint hint~)

His hair is made out of a "fancy fur" yarn I bought at the Dollar Store a while ago. And his body is made of a scrap of a crazy polka-dotted sock. Here is a picture of his "brother" that I made out of the other sock (on the right...obviously). I've since given both of these monsters away .

It's interesting to see how much my sock monster making style has evolved since I started. In ther beginning, I was highly influenced by John Murphy's work (since it was his book that gave me the idea in the first place). But I think I've developed my own unique style.

If you want to see more of my "early work" go to my photobucket album. I'll be getting with the times and moving my pictures over to Flickr soon.

Perspective and prayers

Jacob Fahmer

January 14th, 2008-May 31st, 2008

There's nothing that puts things in life into more perspective than the passing of a child. Yesterday at church I found out that my friend Nancy's nephew, Jacob Fahmer, passed away on Saturday. We have had him and his family in our prayers for a long time. He was 138 days old. Jacob had a "genetic disorder known as Trisomy 18. This disorder is found in about 1 in 3000 live births and is the second most common genetic disease behind Down's Syndrome...50% of all babies born with Trisomy 18 die within the first week. Another 25% die with in the first month and almost 95% die within the first year."

I did not ever meet Jacob, nor had I ever met his mother, father, or siblings...but I cried when I heard the news. I'm misting up even now as I write this. It was one of those things that you knew was supposed to happen inevitably, but is a shock when it actually does. I love that his parents decided to spend their precious moments with him at home instead of keeping him in the hospital.

My words seem inadequate. If you want to read some wonderful, encouraging words, go read the awesome blog his parents kept that chronicled every day in Jacob's precious little life:

The Life of Jacob Ryan Fahmer

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

- Jeremiah 29:11

Yellow and Blue Striped Monster

After fulfilling my compulsion to clean the house last night, I decided to fulfill my compulsion to make a dent (well, more like a ding...or maybe a scratch) in the mountain of socks I've recently aquired. So I made this guy out of a toesock from Carrie. The sock was in great condition, but I couldn't see myself wearing a sock so bright. Yeah...I've grown up a little bit...but don't worry, just a little! I still have toesocks I wear, but in more subdued colors.

Look at the quirky little smile! It looks like he's up to something doesn't it?
I still have the mate to this sock...so keep on the lookout for when I make his brother!

I'm DROWNING in SOCKS!!!

Mucho kudos to my co-worker Sue for the bag of socks she said I could have! Kudos as well to my other co-worker Carrie who gave me a few pairs of socks as well (and toesocks nonetheless!).

Then I cleaned out my own sock drawer for socks who are either past their prime or just never get worn. I have soooo many soooocks! I am not allowed to buy any more monster making fabric until I've used up at least half of the socks I have!
I can't wait until school ends (for anyone who doesn't know, I'm a teacher's aide at an elementary school) Only 3.5 more weeks (June 25th is my last day)! Then I'll be freeeeee to be craftyeeee all dayeeee! And then maybe this can turn into a daily blog instead of a semi-weekly/whenever-I-feel-like-it blog.

Light Doodles

One way CJ and I occupied the kids while Karl hunted for frogs was using a flashlight and my camera. I'm usually very frusterated at my camera when I want the flash off because it automatically has a slower shutter speed and blurs the image very easily. But I've finally found an entertaining use for this annoying quirk...capturing light doodles (like those Sprint commercials)

These are with CJ moving the flashlight...

Here are the kids' attempts..

Fun stuff. Amazing what you can come up with to keep kids occupied.

A Night of Frog Catchin'

We went with Bill, Rachel, Karl, and Kim to Kim's parents' house on Sunday night. They live on a farm with a big pond near the house. Karl went frog catchin' and got each of the kids a big ole' frog to hold. Yee Haw! Good ole down-on-the-farm, country entertainment! I love it! CJ and I went with Karl and Bill to help keep track of the kids (ie: keep them occupied and quiet while Karl snuck up on the frogs). And of course I had to use my camera to document all the fun.

"Who wants a frog?"

"I do! I do!"

"Um...I'm not so sure about this!"

You can tell just by the looks on the kids' faces which of them had held frogs before and which ones hadn't! The boy and girl in the picture together are Karl and Kim's kids, who have been to the the farm before and have probably done this with their daddy before...the two boys are Bill and Rachel's kids. Yeah...we be city folk.

Frog Kisses!

By the end of the night we had about 4 or 5 frogs in a cage, and then we set them loose back into the pond.

Poor traumatized frogs. But at least the kids had fun! ;)

Pink, Pigtailed, Fleece Monster

Another fleece monster! I made this cutie this weekend. We didn't have much time to bond, since I gave her away within 24 hours of finishing her. My friend Rachel's daughter Maggie turned two years old this past week, so I gave the monster to her as a birthday present.

(BTW: The blanket in the background of the first picture is a work-in-progress crochet blanket for my friend Kim who just had a baby boy about a month ago)

"Oh thank you Miss Kira!"

He's not a tame Lion...

I recently saw the new Chronicles of Narnia movie "Prince Caspian" (on opening day to be exact!). And it has sparked anew my love of the Chronicles and the symbolism it holds.
I've loved The Chronicles ever since I read them as a 9 or 10 year old girl. My great aunt ( a wonderful Christian woman) had given me a boxed set of the books when I'd been much younger. They sat on my bookshelf in pristine, untouched condition until I "discovered" them in 4th or 5th grade. Now, as a 25 year old married woman, that same set is on my bookshelf in a dogeared, well worn, well read, well loved condition.

I can't remember when I understood the idea that Aslan was a Christ-figure and that the part where Aslan is killed in Edmund's stead in "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" is an allegory of Christ's death and resurrection. I know I didn't get it when I first read the books, but I do know that I understood it eventually and that it fascinated me.

After finding out that there was "hidden" meaning in the story, I was hungry to know what other allegories and symbolism were in the rest of the Chronicles. I spent a lot of time when I was 12 reading a book called "The Companion To Narnia" to try and dig out those concepts. I have grown a lot in the Lord since then, and am itching now to re-read the Chronicles and dig out even more.
Illustrations speak to me. I am all about symbolism and illustrations. It isn't unlike the way Jesus used parables in the Bible. Just watching this most recent movie spoke to me about things I have been going through in my own life...one big one being faith.

Aslan is not (physically) present in much of the story of "Prince Caspian". And a big thing for the Pevensies and the Narnians is to have faith in him and not to take matters into their own hands.

Before the last Narnia movie came out, I bought a book back called "Not a Tame Lion", a book that unpacks some of the spiritual concepts within the Chronicles. This is a quote speaking about a passage in "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe"

"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about being safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King I tell you."

"How is goodness a counterpoise to not being safe? Isn't goodness a synonym for safety?......Not safe but good? Reverse it, and you get the effect: Good but not safe. Goodness can't be trusted to leave us alone, untouched and unmoved. Goodness makes demands, putting something or someone at risk. Goodness has a very personal price tag."

Following God, in reality, isn't safe. It costs us a lot. But it's good.

Fleece Monster

I made this monster for yet another a friend of mine who's having a baby (Babies, babies everywhere! ) I'm crocheting a matching blanket to go with it. She had a baby shower that I didn't make it to, but I'm hoping I'll get to get together with her soon.

This guy is made out of some fleece I got out of the remnant basket at JoAnne Fabrics. His stomach and heart are felt. I think it's because of the fleece that he looks like the most "professional" looking monster I've done so far.

I have some pink fleece I'm itching to use to make another one.

Zentangle Characters

Some "zentangles" I doodled a few weeks ago. They just kind of evolved into characters instead of being abstract images...but I don't care, they're cool. The angry monster is my favorite. He looks like he's having a tantrum.

Repurposed men's shirt to toddler dress

Okay, I'm supposed to be buckling down and cleaning my house right now, but I need to post my most recent craft. I'm so proud of myself...I actually made a dress today. Granted it's not like I made it from scratch. It's more of a "repurposing" of a previous garment (specifically one of my husband's old button-down shirts). I got the idea from this link.

I decided to do something different witht he sleeves and crocheted them instead of sewing them. Here's a detail shot of the crochet embelishment on the front.

Darn, I forgot to get a picture of the back! And I already gave it away to my friend Rachel for her little girl. I'm sure I'll get to take pictures of it on her sometime. And I have plenty more shirts to use to make more. This would be a good type of thing to put in my future Etsy shop. If anyone is interested in one, give me a holler.