Tuesday Favorites #11: Christmas List

I never really make Christmas lists.  Like never... My answer to 'What do you want for Christmas, Caleisha?' is always 'I don't really need anything, so whatever you decide will be great.' 

So I figured, 'Hey, why not make a ridiculous list of the things I want?'

1. An Instax 210 Camera with film. I have a polaroid cam that I found in a thrift store for $3 and I use to use it to take fun pictures of my friends when they'd visit my house.  My fridge was covered in them... these were the days when the film was still in Walmart (provided it was like $15-$18 for 10 exposures).  But now, since the supply has pretty much run dry, the cost for film takes away from the spontaneity that (I think) should accompany instant cameras.  You shouldn't be like... Hmmm... should I pay my utilities bill or buy film for this camera??  Oh well. So I miss having an instant camera to use.  Yeah Instax film is still more expensive than getting digital pics printed, but that's why it's on my Christmas list and not my shopping list.
   
2. A new large Moleskine notebook without lines.  Lamar gave me my first Moleskines and I LOVE them!!! I dunno... they're durable and have a stuff pocket (something I use to always make in the back of notebooks/journals), the pages aren't white, they have book mark ribbons...  The one I'm using now is this one.  I like the size, but I find myself wishing it didn't have lines... sometimes I feel like they're hemming me in... that's weird, I know. But I'd like another one because I'm getting close to the end of this one.  I've had to duct tape the stuff pocket back together. I guess I store too many things in there, lol.
   
3. An Ipad... nuff said.  If anyone out there has one they'd like to give me, I'll love it sooo hard!
   
4. A spinning wheel.  I just want one.  Nothing fancy.  Just to be able to spin my own yarns faster than on my drop spindle.
   
5. More brightly colored tights & socks.  One can never have too many colors.
   
6. Cute Christmas dog sweaters for Kiva and Toot.  Yes, I will dress my dogs up for Christmas with no.shame.
   
7. A new phone.  I'm not sure what phone I want tho... Any suggestions other than Iphone. I'm with sprint. 
   
8. A job in Florida that I'll truly enjoy.
   
9. An apartment in Florida with lots of storage space.
   
10. Peace on earth and good will to all and walks on the beach at sunset with ice cream and donuts for everybody!!! lol.

Yeah, so if anyone knows how to make any of my Christmas dreams come true, let a girl know ^.^ Tomorrow I should have a good update for What's on my hook Wednesday. I'm excited... and nervous... this Christmas countdown is in FULL swing...

Will our crochet hero make it out of Handmade Holidays alive??? Stay tuned to find out :)

Loving Now!!!

So this song has started playing on my Lisa Hannigan Pandora station and I LOHVE it! (BTW- if you haven't listened to Lisa Hannigan, you should check her out. She's so sweet *.*) 

Anyway, the song is Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.

Ok, lemme tell you how much of a softie I am.  When he sings to her at the beginning I totally teared up!  I was like "OHHHHH the LUUUUUUVVVVV!" ::turns into a teary girly mess:: lol

Anyway, that's my favorite thing today.

He Lamarzapan, home is wherever I'm with you :~)

Tuesday Favorites #9: Mail Time!!!

Hi there!

Color me SUPER EXCITED!!! Why? I received a package in the mail!

The unboxing!

The whole shebang!

Lamar and I went over to my house to let the dogs out & I really squealed when I saw the box by the door, lol!  I also danced around the room before getting down to the business of unboxing my stash.

As you can see, the colors are very much baby blanket-esque.  Hopefully I'll be able to integrate that pink and the pastel variegated into something.  I just haven't got an idea yet.

The wooden rings to the left of the yarn are bag handles, 3 sets.  There are also 2 sets of knitting needles, 3 little steel hooks, an embroidery hoop, and some sewing machine pieces.  I plan to use the majority of the non-yarn items, but the sizes are WAY smaller than I normally use and one of the sets of knitting needles is a bit skinny for me as well.  It never hurts to have a few extra knitting needles or hooks around, tho. ^.^ 

I couldn't help making a gif...  Thanks for the crafty supplies Dad!

I also got another package from my mom. She sent me a webcam so that Lamar and I can talk over skype while he's in FL. That will be awesome.  He hasn't left yet. He's planning to leave tomorrow.  He had originally planned to leave early yesterday morning, but the weather prevented him from packing the U-haul and then today he was super tired from all the moving and packing he did yesterday.  I wish I could pack the whole truck while he's sleeping now.  Pray for safe travels for him as he leaves tomorrow and drives the 10-12 hours from here to FL.

I hope you had a great Tuesday and good night.
~Peace~

What Day is It?! lol

[Not So Blue Monday #14]
[Tuesday Favorites #8] 
Good evening.

Let me take a moment to explain this post. I started writing this yesterday morning at work, but stopped because Photobucket was having issues and whatnot.  I mean it was down for the entire day and I didn't want to do the post without the pictures.  So here it is, my Tuesday Favorites of my Not So Blue Monday on a Wednesday... (phew...) Let's get on into it, shall we?

Monday was a wonderful extra day off and I was so so so grateful for it.  I didn't do as much crafting as I planned to, but I was productive in other ways.

Let's see... I did a good bit of cleaning and rearranging in my bedroom. It's still "under construction" because I have a bookcase to move and lots of laundry to put away and clothes to sort out for thrift donation and carpets to vaccuum... etc.  This list makes me feel like I should be home instead of in this office.

In the midst of moving... I basically flip-flopped my bed and dresser.

Wow... looking at this picture I must say there is a lot of stuff in my room... I have a lot of stuff... It really is time to fill bags for donation.

Anyway, I made my bed with a new sheet set and the pillow cases I snagged from my mom the last time I went home. It's all flowery and makes me smile.

Love the floral motifs and the colors are great ^.^

I straightened up my dresser top and framed more pictures. I love having framed photos around. I want to have a photo wall one day. You know, the ones with shots of family vacations and milestones framed in the staircase or something like that :)  I'd like that...

I just realized how blurry this picture is... sorry.

I'm thinking about doing a photo shoot of just my dresser top... once it's all finished. That would be fun and a challenge to photograph my photographs in interesting ways.  Woot! Future project!

Kisses!

These two pictures are from when Lamar and I went to Delaware for my bestsisterfriend's wedding. The day before we left we went down to Rehoboth beach. It was a really fun trip within a trip. We took lots of jumping pictures in the waves... trying to get a perfect one. Of course I got soaked up to my waist by a huge wave that I wasn't prepared for, lol. I'll have to find those pictures and post a few.

Lastly, I went thrifting on Monday. Thrift Mart had a 50% off everything sale for Labor Day. My roommate & her friend went early-ish in the day and ended up standing in the line for like an hour... When I went in the evening, it was like a regular Monday night at the thrift store. That was nice.

I found a few really good pieces & now cannot wait for fall to get its butt here so I can wear them! Check it out.

Thrift Mart Haul-age! I only spent $20 and change. Yay me!

Ok. I picked up some frames, because most of the empty frames i already had were 5x7 instead of 4x6 standard size.  The two slacks are UH-MAZE-ING!  The picture doesn't do them justice.  The grey pair is wool and the brown one has a thin orange/tan window pane pattern on them. They both fit wonderfully and scream "wear me on a fall day drinking chai tea outside at 5 Point Books!!!" lol. I can't wait until it's cool enough to wear them ^.^

The tops are also cool. Top row: green cotton button down, pink & teal scoopneck tee shirts, batik/ethnic print collar shirt.  Bottom row: navy blue silk button down, textured silk sleeveless, cream silk/viscose cardigan.  I am such a fan of silk shirts.  I started wearing them this summer and I'm always on the lookout for them in thrift stores.  I like that they're so light on my skin and stay cool when it's hot out.  Although I'm not sure how that's going to translate in the fall and winter.

Alright, this has gotten long enough! I hope you all have enjoyed your weeks thus far, and I'm excited to be coming down to another weekend.

Goodnight!

Tuesday Favorites #7: Warm & Cozy

Hi :)

Let me give you some background on how I'm feeling today... Yesterday it rained... a lot... and I had to walk in it to my interview with another department on campus... My little flats were soaked through and it was COLD.  Now, it's been pretty warm and summery lately, but after yesterday's rain storm, the temperatures have dipped back down.

All that being said... I just want to go back home and snuggle up in a blanket and sleep.

So, since that's not happening until I get off work, I decided to browse Etsy for pretty, snuggle-y, yarn-y, blanket-y goodness ^.^  Enjoy!
 



source: Allies Handmade Blankets

source: Fortune Crafts

source: CanterLily

source: Props4Play

Well... It seems that I have a pattern preference and a color preference :) I do love a simple chevron afghan, but I just can't get myself to commit to all that single crocheting!  I did see a granny chevron stitch once upon a time, so maybe that will be my next blanket project.

I've always been drawn to warm earthy colors (as you can see). They just make me feel happier. I really want a blanket like the last one pictured. I like the 'vintage' feel of the color scheme. Very "That 70's Show" I think.

Maybe I should do a granny chevron blanket in those colors... That could work ^.^

It looks like I have my next big crochet project brewing. I can feel myself getting excited... I'm such a yarn nerd >.< lol

[PS. since starting this post, the weather has changed again... It now feels like 87 degrees outside... ugh. These temp changes are going to make me crazy!]

Tuesday [on a wednesday] Favorites #6

Good morning :)

Here I am, yet again, returning from randomly being ghost on my blog :-/ Let's see... my last post was a week ago... what has happened since then...

• Thursday: I went to the Art Stroll and picked up these 'wishing stones' from a glass artists. My plan is to use them as worry stones, but so far they've been on my nightstand waiting to be needed. And that's not such a bad thing.
  
• Friday: I spent HOURS cleaning and purging things to donate to the thrift store.
• Sabbath: Lamar & I went to Madison Mission for church. It was truly a blessing.
• Sunday: More cleaning... no crafternoon :(
• Monday: I honestly cannot remember what happened... and this was 2 days ago... That just means that I got up, went to work, worked, came home, played with my dogs, hung out with Lamar... the usual :) shrug

_________________________________________________________________________________

On to the Tuesday [on a wednesday] Favorites!

1. This song is quickly becoming one of my favorite sweet songs. Thanks to Pandora for finding it!
   
   
   Hazy by Rosi Goland feat. William Fitzsimmons
   
2. I am reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is really good so far. The way she writes is very conversational & I find myself laughing out loud at times. :)  Yesterday evening, I decided to set aside an hour to do nothing but read. It was very peaceful. I think I'm going to do something like that everyday... set aside a deliberate amount of time to do a specific thing only.
   
   
3. I was suppose to go to a Knitting/Crocheting group at this yarn shop across town called Yarn Expressions, but when I got there, it was pretty empty & since I was really nervous about being alone with strangers I gave up on that plan very quickly.  All the way over there, my stomach was all fluttery and I kept thinking things like 'what if they think I'm weird...' & 'what if it's a bunch of old ladies and no one will talk to me...' on and on...  So I went home and started working on a new bag design.  Here's a little peek:
   
   
   
   It's worked in the Crosshatch stitch aka Crazy Brick stitch and it's a bit hard to see in the picture, but there are 3 shades of grey in it. So I suppose you can call it color blocked.  I'm writing the pattern down so that I can reproduce it once I get the kinks out :)  I'm glad I got a good chunk of creative time in last night. I felt physically/mentally well when I went to sleep (even though it was past 1am).

Well that's it for my Tuesday Favorites.  It was a good day. Hopefully today will be just as nice, or even better for me and for you. :)

Tuesday Favorites #5

Hello there :)

Today is day two of Caleisha as the account-mutant (if you dont understand, you should watch Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium).  I'm still buried beneath a ton of paperwork, but I'm still enjoying the challenge of learning a new thing. 

I feel like my eyes have been reopened to Oakwood. Like I am seeing all the things I loved about this place again... they had gotten so skewed and foggy because of where I was.  I'm remembering how great it is to be able to begin the work day with a group worship, to hear someone praying with a coworker as I walk to the time clock, or to get a 'have a blessed day' goodbye on the phone.  These are the things I love most about this place. I'm so glad that my cloudiness has been shaken so they're visible again.

I'm feeling very peaceful... even in the midst of the actual chaos of being in an unfamiliar situation/job. I've found myself really appreciating the huge glass door that takes up the back wall of this office. I have a great view of the trees on the inside of OU campus.  Theyre like a constant source of calm each time I look over my shoulder.  Plus, my Melody Gardot Pandora station is so wonderful. I haven't listened to it in quite a long time, since there were so many restrictions in my old office.

On my lunch break... I'm loving this right now.

I was thinking about Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and I really think I'm going to watch that after work today.  It is such a purposeful movie- completely full of those 'follow your heart' sentiments and 'appreciate each moment' thoughts.  My favorite quote from the movie is:

"37 seconds... We breathe. We pulse. We regenerate. Our hearts beat. Our minds create. Our souls ingest. 37 seconds, well used, is a lifetime."

 It makes me think, when was the last time I just enjoyed 37 seconds?  Enough writing about it. I'm going to go now & enjoy the rest of my lunch break. :)

Peace.

Tuesday Favorites #4... on Wednesday...

Good morning!
So I'm a total bum because I thought & thought about this post yesterday while compiling a really cute collection of free printable craft posters, but I never sat down to write it. ::rolls eyes::

I decided to look for printable artwork for the walls of the Apt-203 crafting workspace since I went total overhaul cleaning it last week.  I will do a little walk-thru on it later when it’s more complete.

Anywho, this all began Monday after I finished the bulk of my office tasks.  I was doing my daily blog reading & spent some time going back thru Curbly.com.  There, I found a post featuring lots of free printable artwork.  Naturally, I browsed the options (you can take a look at that post here).   There were a bunch of really cute posters, but the one that caught my eye and wouldn’t give it back was this one:



From: compulsivecraftiness.com



And! Not only is the poster awesome, the blog is really interesting too. I was probably reading through her posts for another half hour or so J… It is now hanging above our inspiration board & project organizer.  Let me tell you, it’s perfect for us!  So, of course when I got back to work on Tuesday, I had to find more of these adorable printables to create a photo/poster collage.  This leads me to the Tuesday Favorites list!  ::happy dance::

(Click poster to be linked to original post on the artist's blog.)

1.       May Your Bobbin Always Be Full

From: mypoppet.blogspot.com

2.       Tim Gunn Make it Work

From: amymorby.com

3.       Keep Calm & Get Your Craft On

From: funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com

4.       Hello Lover: Sewing Machine

From: missiekrissie.blogspot.com/

5.       Hello Lover: Camera

From: missiekrissie.blogspot.com/

6.       Happiness is a Warm Glue Gun

From: manmadediy.com/

Searching for these was a much needed creative break from office monotony.  Currently, #1 and #3 are framed and hanging on the wall, while #4 is framed on our craft book shelf.

The only thumbs down I had with this whole search was that there were virtually NO knitting or crochet themed posters available.  But hey, that just means I need to pull out my computer & design a few of my own :D

That’s it for my Tuesday Favorites on a Wednesday J. I hope you enjoyed & are having a pleasant day!

Tuesday Favorites #3

This Tuesday has been an up & down roller coaster for me... but here are a few of my favorite aspects of today. Most of these are from a playlist about puppets & such.

This first video really made me smile. Which is something I needed today.

Whenever I get emotional or really sad, I am always drawn to water. I've been aching to get to the beach, but the only "beach" close by is a shell covered lakeside... Be that as it may... I think I'll make the trip so the water can clear my head.

I was absolutely enchanted by this video... that is all.

--EDIT--
I thought that was all I wanted to share... until I heard this... There's something about string instruments. Some strange melancholy that seeps into your veins and curls into a ball between your ribs... I can barely breathe listening to this piece... I want to describe the feeling of this in words but they don't do it justice.  Colors won't even do.  Put your headphones in & close your eyes & take a listen.

Tuesday Favorites #2

Hello there!

I was thinking about what favorite things I could write about today & was coming up short... Why? Because more than half of today was spent sick in bed :( Poor me...

But here it is 11 at night & I came across this video by The Girls with Glasses on youtube. The background song is one of my favorite movie moments from "Girl, Interrupted." Plus their video is quite cute ^.^ Enjoy!

Tuesday Favorites #1

I want to write so much about this day. It was very nice. So instead of paragraphs of text, I'll just show you a few things that made me smile. :)

Yummy sushi for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants ^.^

The sushi leftovers... I was hungry & forgot to take a picture of the pretty plating...

Sitting out in the sun after work with Lamar after work.

Walking barefoot in the grass

Spring is sneaking in...

And last, but not least...

Crocheting the night away with another row added to the granny square blanket.

I hope you have had a pleasant day as well :)