Friday, July 10, 2015

Finally I'm Finished: Bellatrix in Purple

Back in March a friend of mine asked me to make a blanket for his soon-to-be baby girl.  He asked that it be shades of purple and of course I obliged. At the time I was working on my first Bellatrix blanket and figured I'd use this as an opportunity to get more familiar with the color changes.
crochet gift
I chose 3 shades of purple and a cream.  There's something quite satisfying about a nice monochromatic color scheme.  I think I'll be doing more monochrome. Anywho, I really enjoyed working with the colors.  Plus, I was able to use up some of my yarn stash (which is always nice).  Since I knew this baby's gender, I chose to use a scalloped edging instead of the original reverse single crochet to make it more girly.
crochet gift
The baby shower was about 2 weeks ago and they loved the blanket!  I was secretly hoping that some of the guests would ask me to make them one, but alas no one did. I got lots of compliments tho. So hopefully in the future someone will remember me and my awesome crochet skills :)
crochet gift

Thursday, July 9, 2015

WIP Wednesday (on a thursday): Leo Baby Blanket

A few months ago a past coworker of mine asked me to make a crochet blanket from her grandbaby coming in august.  She sent me this photo from pinterest with the colors she wanted and I decided on the pattern.
The pinterest pin


apt-302.blogspot.com
I've been working on this blanket on and off for a couple weeks now and I'm probably half way done.  I must say that the chevron pattern is kinda boring, lol. Its repetitive fashion is really peaceful but since every row is the same and the stripes are the same size, it tends to wear on me.  I find myself only wanting to working on it a little bit at a time.  Hopefully I'll be done with it within the next couple weeks.  It is a really pretty color combo and I'm sure I'll log the pattern away as an item to list in my etsy shop.  We'll see :)
I named this blanket Leo after the constellation since the baby is due within that astrological sign.  Leo is also one of the first constellations I was able to identify.   It also shows a juxtaposition of ideas... a soft vulnerable baby and a powerful lion.  As I'm typing this so many other ideas are running though my head stemming from the baby & lion image. Thoughts of protection and Heaven.
apt-302.blogspot.com
I hope you like this blanket & I cannot wait to finish it and get it to it's new home!

Monday, July 6, 2015

Story Time! God's Protection

A couple months ago my brother-in-law and I were running an errand in my car when it began to rain.  Now my tires weren't in good condition by any stretch of the imagination and he rarely ever drives it.  So as you can guess, we hydroplaned.  Don't worry, we barely lost control at all.  Anywho, when we got to our destination, we looked at the tires to see if there was any damage.  They were nearly completely bald. 0.0  I made a mental note to get them replaced.  And we went about our business.

In the days following, I started noticing that my steering wheel was shaking quite a bit, it felt like the car was limping, and the breaks started making all manner of noise. (Sidenote: normally you know when your breaks are going because they start to whine, then squeak, then squeal, then scream... mine just jumped straight to screaming.)  I asked Lamar to take a look at it.  He took a Sunday evening to change the breaks and figured he'd ask one of his mechanic friends what the shaking could be.

When he took the driver side tire off to change the breaks, we got to see how good God is first hand.  This was the nearly totally bald tire and on the inside edge the rubber had ground down to the wires.  Those exposed wires were shredded and the tire insides were bulging out.  It was that bulge that was making the car limp/shake.

I could only praise God for keeping me as I was driving to and from work and in the rain and in traffic... because that tire looked like it was going to blowout at any moment.  Needless to say, I got a replacement tire the next day!

This whole experience reminded me of this text:

For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Psalm 91:11-12
Praise be to God for His continuing protection.  This is what my parents mean when they pray for Him to keep us from dangers "seen and unseen."

Friday, July 3, 2015

Garden Update: Attack of the Spider Mites!!!

Hello :)

It's been a while since I've done a garden update and as you can see from the title... tragedy has stuck!  My cucumber plant had been growing pretty well after I moved it into the bigger pot in May.  It even started blossoming.  There were SO MANY flowers!  So I started feeling really good about the garden.  I was excited to see the little cucumbers growing.
30 before 30
But shortly after the flowers bloomed, I noticed that the plant started drooping.  It looked like it needed water, but I was watering it enough.  Then I noticed the leaves were starting to get more and more discolored.  I was getting more and more worried.
 30 before 30
One particular day when the poor plant was looking particularly sad, I sat down to see if I could figure out what was going on.  Upon close inspection, I discovered many of the leaves were covered by a fine webbing... and inside that webbing were all these teeny tiny red bugs. WHAAAAT?!?!?!
30 before 30

I ran in the house and grabbed the neem oil bug killer and sprayed the whole cucumber plant and everything else for that matter.  After all my garden was dripping, I did some googling and discovered that the little bugs were spider mites.  Lemme tell you spider mites are a force to be reckoned with!  I thought that after the epic spray down I put on them they would be done for, but nope.  This is what they did despite the neem oil bath...
30 before 30
No matter how much I tried, the spider mites won.  They killed my poor cucumber plant.
30 before 3

So instead of pouting about lost plants, I decided to buy a replacement cucumber plant from the store.  I also picked up a tomato plant and seed pods for romaine lettuce.  Here are the new additions to the garden in their new homes.
30 before 30
30 before 30
Also... Dollar Tree gardening gloves... not so much the business.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Listers Gotta List: June Wrap-Up

Hi there!

Another month has come and gone... le'sigh... It's really hard to believe how fast the time flies. Anywho, let's get into June's Listers.
@theresetgirl
I used one of my handmade saddles stitched books for my lists this month.
With this month's Listers Gotta List prompts, I tried a few different things design wise.  I broke out the watercolor paints and brush markers.  I printed directly onto more journaling cards. I even tried writing within cut out shapes... But I didn't really like it. *shrug*
@theresetgirl
@theresetgirl
My favorite pages this month are: 18) My Favorite Possessions, 22) Happy Moments I Wish I Could Relive, 23) All the Places I've Lived, & 28) Favorite Comfort Foods.
@theresetgirl
@theresetgirl
Cori (@theresetgirl) has already released July's list of prompts, but I'll be taking a break for the month.  But fear not! I plan to start a new project/hobby spinning off of the fun I had with Listers Gotta List ^.^

Friday, June 26, 2015

Finally I'm Finished: the Andromeda Shawl

Hi there!

One of the items on my 30 Before 30 list is to crochet a sweater, a top, & a shawl and I figured making the shawl would be the easiest of the three items.  Now this shawl is the product of SO MUCH FROGGING!!! I mean, I must have restarted the thing something like seven times!  There was this picture in my head that I was trying to make real... I wanted it to be lacy but have enough body to give warmth.
30 before 30
I began with the idea to make it triangle shaped but it just wasn't working.  So I abandoned that shape to go with a rectangle design.  Then after some inspiration browsing on Pinterest and more frogging, I figured out that a few rows of trellis stitch followed by a solid row gave me the look I was imagining! Hurray!
30 before 30
I wanted it to be long enough to wrap around and have a bit of "hang-time" so I made it nearly 6 feet long and about a foot & a half wide.  It took me a while to do all that lacy crochet, but the end result is pretty awesome. I've been finding myself pulling it out and matching my church outfits to it just so I can wear it. ^.^
30 before 30
I used 3-4 balls of the Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool Blend yarn (65% acrylic / 35% wool) in Bakery Box White.  Now I want to make another in a bright color and maybe black.  I'm considering making the next using Caron Simply Soft yarn... we'll see how that turns out.
30 before 30
Finally, I named it Andromeda after the beautiful daughter of Cepheus & Cassiopeia in Greek mythology.  Her parents bragged about her looks so much that a sea monster was sent to terrorize their country.  To get the monster to go away, her parents had to sacrifice her to it, but she was saved by Perseus and went on to marry him.  Moral of that story, don't brag ^.^

Anywho, I do love how nice this shawl came out, but I won't brag on it :)  I hope you've had a wonderful day/week.  Hurray for finishing projects!

P.S. While I was taking my blog photos, Kiva decided she wanted to get in on the action.  She walked up and just sat down like, "Ok. I'm ready for my close up!"

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Our First Wedding Anniversary!

RyanAnniversary_2015
We Made It!!!!!

How awesome is it that Lamar and I have been married now for a whole year (plus 1 week)!!  *does happy dance* And to commemorate this, I found this cute list of questions for us to answer.  This will definitely be something nice to look back on as the years march on! ^.^



[1] What has brought you closer together this year?

Lamar: The many firsts we experienced together.

Caleisha: I think that our current housing has brought us closer, literally and figuratively.  Lamar’s brother has been super amazing and is letting us stay with him until we can get our own place.  That means most of my belongings are in boxes in the garage and I’m always on the hunt for ways to make the most of minimal space.  Sometimes I get frustrated but Lamar is always there to help me see through it and make the best of where we are in our life together.

[2] What's your favorite memory of your first year together?

L: Our first Communion together & our staycatiomoon.

C: We have done so many fun/memorable things this year that it’s hard to pick a favorite… so here’s a list Disney World, the Dali Museum, Cirque do Soleil, our Delaware reception, Thanksgiving with my family & him getting to see my VA house, many many #christianturnup nights, Caleishentines, Escape the Room, Christmas with his family, and our Staycationeymoon…

[3] Did you have a wedding or honeymoon disaster that you're already laughing at?  What was it?

L: "I WILL" & the 3 takes on our 'crossing the threshold' photo. (Our officiant phrased our vows in a way that Lamar had to say "I will" instead of "I do".)

C: I wouldn’t say “Disaster” but we do laugh about how late he was to the ceremony. Our wedding started nearly 2 hours late ^.^  The funny thing was when I talked to my Mother in law about it, she was like “eh… that’s my son”  lesigh… but those appetizers he was making were sooo good!

[4] What has surprised you most about being married?

L: How much things stay the same.  Our living situation may contribute to that since we're not in our own place yet.

C: It surprised me how easily I fit in with his family.  I was thinking that we’d have to warm up to each other because you always hear about “monster-in-laws” but his family is really awesome.  The other day, my father-in-law gave me a crochet kit and I knew this was all meant to be ^.^ lol!

[5] Anything shocking you've learned about your spouse?

L: Can't tell you that ;-)

C: Shocking… he doesn’t like pie.  Who doesn’t like pie! Who I ask!?!
RyanAnniversary_2015

[6] What is a bonus quality you discovered in your spouse that you didn't know about until marriage?

L: How loyal she is to her friends.

C: I didn’t know how dedicated he can be.  He’s always telling me that when he commits to doing something whether it’s in his personal life, career, or church, he wants to do it to the fullest of his ability and he sees it through til the end regardless of the opinions of others.

[7] If you could do anything different what would you do?

L: Be on time to the wedding. Do more financial planning before we got married.

C: Probably a wishing well instead of a registry.  We have yet to open the vast majority of our wedding gifts and they're all in storage.  Future brides… don’t let the Bed, Bath, & Beyond guy pressure you into putting random stuff on your registry!

[8] What have you learned from your spouse this year?

L: The importance of taking advantage of the time you have.  My late hours coaching and her weekend working schedule mean that we have limited time together.  So we have to take advantage of it.

C: I have learned to focus more on NOW instead of worrying about what might happen later on.

[9] How have your feelings changed in just one year together?

L: They have been reinforced.  I've seen everything I love about her demonstrated in our everyday lives.

C: More and more over this first year, I’ve been feeling appreciative and blessed to be married to Lamar. He is definitely the type of person that works to lead by example and he always wants to better himself as well as those around him.

[10] What is something you've done that has made a difference in your marriage, that you would give as advice to be successful to others on their wedding day?

L: Listen and make sure you communicate things clearly.  Be patient and be prepared to hear things about yourself you may not want to hear or accept.

C: We talk.  Talking about our days is a really good way to decompress and to make sure that we know what going on with each other.  Whenever we talk about something that’s wrong or upsetting, we try to use the active listening skills that we learned in pre-marital counseling.  When I’m expressing some feeling or another to Lamar and he can respond with his understanding of what I said, I personally find that very reassuring.


RyanAnniversary_2015

And there you have it. Thinking of the answers was a good memory exercise.  I did have to go back through instagram and my phone photos to remember random things we did over the year.  Also, I find it kinda funny that all my answers are longer than Lamar's because he is most definitely the talker between us lol :)

Wish us luck, send up prayers, and send us positivity as we go into our second year of marriage!  Let the adventure continue!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Listers Gotta List: May Wrap-up!

Helloooo!

At long last... after much procrastination... I have my Listers Gotta List May flip through video!
Woooooo!!!

I wanted to take really nice staged/styled photos of the different lists, but then I realized that wanting it to be "just perfect" was keeping it from getting done.  So I sucked it up and snapped these pictures on my phone.  I was all proud of myself for stringing them together in Movie Maker and adding some cute little music I found online.  It's not what I had in mind originally, but I'm glad it's done :)

Aside from completing the video, finishing this challenge was a lot of fun.  I'm glad that I stuck with it even though I did the last week or so on June 1st and 2nd.  There is a certain pleasure I get from actually seeing a project through from start to finish.  It's almost like at some point I thought I wasn't going to finish or it wasn't going to be any good... but then at the end I feel... victorious... but I think that word is a bit strong, lol.  Strong, but accurate. 

Enjoy!


Monday, June 1, 2015

Please Pray Either Way: A How I'm Feeling Post

I'm writing this right now as an attempt to dodge the melancholy that's trying to settle on me.  The first of the month seems to be a pretty reliable source of anxiety for me seeing that it's when bills are due making it the day I'm most likely to get stuck in a money driven pit of despair. I bet that sounds really exaggerated, but it's how I actually feel.

This morning I started thinking about student loans and how I really want to be able to pay them like a good grown up.  So I decided that I'm going to make the commitment to only spend money on absolutely necessary things... well after I pay Sallie I won't have much of a choice... heh *shrug*

So that thought was my first slip down the "rabbit hole" per-say.  It then linked to the ever-recurring thought pattern of slowly picking apart everything about myself.  My desire to make things and spend money on craft supplies... my need for a full-time job, but the fear I have that I'll never get one... and then the fear of rejection I've developed after so many seemingly good interviews fell through...  All the while I'm feeling myself slipping and losing grip on anything holding me up and all I can whisper through the din is
...God keep me calm...

Have you ever felt like that? Logically, I know that I'm not the only person who has these moments when things in life send them reeling and grasping at would be straws and twigs desperate not to get swept away.  But that doesn't stop me from feeling like I am.  Just in this boat alone.  Jesus calm this sea.  I'm really not that good of a swimmer...

I try to pull myself together with breathing techniques and self talk techniques and calm music and focus... I try gathering myself up but its like filling a cup with a slotted spoon... I keep sliding through.

So I'm writing this in an effort to dodge the melancholy that's crawling up my arms.  I'm at the point where I don't know if its better to let go an let it cover me or keep fighting.  Is this a one set of footprints moment?  Or is this walk on the water? *shrug*  Please pray for me either way.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Listers Gotta List: Days 15-21

Hi all :)

I must start with a confession... I have fallen behind with this challenge. *insert shame face now*  But, I have been a busy little bee and caught up on all the missed ones! Hurray!  Feast your eyes upon my craftiness ^.^

listers gotta list
(15) If I could have only 5 things on a deserted island.
listers gotta list
(16) Three major goals for 2015 & (17) Things I never thought I would do
listers gotta list
(18) Things I want to try & (19) My planner essentials
listers gotta list
(20) Ways I de-stress
listers gotta list
(21) Things I have learned
That's all for this week :) Oh and so sorry for the sub-par cell phone photos... I wanted to get this post up before I got to far into the next week.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Cherie's Wedding Waistbeads

Hi there!

Years ago, in college, I had a bad break-up and to get through it I started making waistbeads.  The meticulous stringing of the seed beads definitely helped take my mind off the negativity.  It helped me redirect my energy and I loved deciding on an emotion or theme to convey in each set.  Every color choice ws intentional and each gemstone was used for specific properties or meanings.  All the thought gave me a sense of control and peace that I really needed.  After I'd been making them for a while, one of my friends told me she'd like me to make her a set for whenever she gets married.  For some reason, after like 8 years later, I remembered her request. :)

Her wedding was a couple weeks ago, and I was able to make her that wedding waistbead set.  In true Caleisha form, the finished strand was chock full of symbolism.  From their birthstones to beads representing God's love.  I gave them to her the night before her wedding and I'm glad that she really liked them.
Cherie & Kwame Wedding
Cherie's Waistbead Meaning:
Light Green & Clear in sets of 7:  Peridot (her birthstone) & Diamond (his birthstone)
Sets of 7: the number of completion
Pink: Love
Sets of 3: the Holy Trinity
The cord: They are strung onto a 3-strand cord. One strand is blue (something blue).  A 3-strand cord is not easily torn apart.

I pray Cherie & Kwame have a wonderful married life.  I hope they experience many good times and learn to weather the tough times.  I want God's love and presence to permeate their home and overflow onto all their family and friends.  Much love guys & congrats again!
Cherie & Kwame Wedding
Their First Dance ^.^
Cherie & Kwame Wedding
These Nerds... changing facebook statuses :) How cute.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Garden Update: Cucumber Teachers

Hey there!

The hardest part, so far, about gardening is perseverance.  For instance, yes my cucumber plants have grown... they have big leaves and everything... they look good I suppose, but they're not flowering.  So I find myself wanting to go to the store and buy new seedlings to just start over because they MUST be dying.  I'm feeling discouraged and I want to throw in the towel on these current plants.
30 by 30 list
My 2 cucumber plants are having a struggle & need to be replanted.
But, I know that I can't just give up on them just because they're not flowering or producing the cucumbers when I want them to.  I have to be patient and let nature take its course.  I can't rush it.  I can't make them grow faster.  I can't make the cucumbers appear on the vine.  I have to suck it up and wait.
30 by 30 list
In their new home. Hopefully, this will work better for them.
So I guess that's what I'm learning from the garden experience right now.  Perseverance... seeing it through to the end... and patience to wait and see how they will develop as I try to problem solve.
30 by 30
This is a bit of the reason I'm feeling discouraged. Discolored leaves showing a nutrient deficiency.
Oh... and I'm also learning the importance of prior research.  Had I been knowledgeable about various plants and their needs, I would've known that fertilizer is really needed for container gardens. *shrug* You live and learn.  Onward and upward!
30 by 30 list