The One Where I've Been Crafty

Oh that's right, I'm a crafter! The craziness of the last 4 months has made me push crafting to the back burner. Not only was most of my stuff in storage, but I just didn't feel like even thinking about knitting or scrapping. Then, once I got all settled in my new place, it hit me like a mack truck. I SO missed creating things. I do have a few LO's to share and (gasp) some knitting.

I think this one might be my most favorite LO I've ever done. It used a ridiculous amount of ribbon but I absolutely adore how it turned out.


One of my good friends and I. A super simple LO, but very fun to make.


This one I made at a retreat back in April, but don't think I ever shared.


And this is one that I made just a couple weeks ago. My creativity is coming back!


I was actually a bit worried that I wouldn't want to be crafty at all, ever again. But, I proved myself wrong and I couldn't be happier about it.

As for knitting, I am easing myself into it, LOL. I had been looking at patterns for lace shawls and they are really intimidating to me. So, I kept pushing knitting off and putting it to the side. Then, I found this cute pattern for a mesh dishcloth on another friends blog and started it immediately. It's super simple, but it makes me happy to be playing with needles and yarn again.



I've been working my way through a delicious stack of books. Mostly borrowed from friends or the library, which is even more awesome.

Right now I'm reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett, which is very good but a little heavy for me so I'm also indulging in The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer at the same time. Any book recommendations for me? I'll read almost anything. (Not that I don't have about 100 books waiting for me at home....)

Other than that, summer has been pretty uneventful, and I am so grateful for that. I've had enough drama in my life in the last 4 months than I want to have in the next 4 years! Except, the boyfriend has mono, yuck! But that's not too dramatic, just painful and tiresome for him. Hope you are all having a wonderful summer!

The One With a Ball Game

Last month was the boyfriend's birthday. We haven't been dating all that long and I wasn't quite sure what to get him. Our Minnesota Twins recently built a new stadium up in the Twin Cities, so I thought why not take him to a game? He absolutely loves baseball, so this was the perfect gift.



We had a blast! I haven't been to a baseball game in atleast 10 years and we had incredible seats. I bought them on Craigslist from someone who is a season ticket holder for an insanely good price.



The stadium is gorgeous. The game started at 7:10, so we got to watch the game go from day to night. It was so much fun because I grew up in Milwaukee, where the Brewers used to have an outdoor stadium. I remember many nights as a kid watching ball games, the bugs, the wind, the sun--it was all part of the experience. So, the game took me back to my childhood a little bit.



The Twins won, 2-1 which was great too. MN fans are so awesome to watch--they just really get into the game. I love it. (Here we are in our matching Twins gear. Dorky? Yes. But I love it. :)



The boyfriend said he had a great time and an awesome birthday, and so did I. Overall, an unforgettable day. I can't wait to go back again!

The Girly One

I've never considered myself to be a "girly" girl. I've always been the outdoorsy type, camping, hiking, etc. I am usually drawn to earthy patterns and colors: trees and lakes or blues, browns and oranges. However, Target's new Liberty of London line has completely changed my mind.

I am so in love with just about everything they've come out with, atleast where accessories are concerned. I don't know if I'd actually wear any clothes with these patterns, but I am a very simple t-shirt and jeans (all the time!) kind of girl.

Yes it's blue, but I just bought this (extremely flowery) purse and I am IN.LOVE. with it:


It is the perfect size and the straps are the perfect length. Plus, it was on clearance for $10! Can't beat that, my friends.

Check out some of the other amazing patterns by Liberty of London.

This bedspread is to die for:


I love this little bag too:


Oh, if only every sewing machine on the face of the earth didn't hate me with a burning passion:


I adore every one of these prints; I would love to hang them on my walls:


Totally diggin' the peacock pattern:


So fun and perfect for summer:


I could go on and on--they have so many fun things and patterns. Have any of you purchased any Liberty of London items from Target (or anywhere else)? What have you fallen in love with?

The One With A Book List

Just thought I'd share my list of books I've finished so far in 2010. I love to keep track of how many books I read in a year. My goal for 2010 is 52 books and I am well on my way to making that happen.

1. Stupid & Contagious by Caprice Crane 1/2 (320 pgs) ***
2. The End of the Road by Sue Henry 1/2 (214 pgs) ***
3. Family Affair by Caprice Crane 1/7 (348 pgs) *****
4. Unsweetined by Jodie Sweetin 1/9 (256 pgs) ****
5. Blackwork by Monica Ferris 1/13 (288 pgs) ****
6. Rotten to the Core by Sheila Connolly 1/23 (304 pgs) ***
7. Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult 2/1 (732 pgs (LP ed)) ***
8. Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich 2/5 (272 pgs) ****
9. Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult 2/24 (369 pgs) ***
10. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult 3/1 (469 pgs) ***
11. The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook by Ben Mezrich 3/3 (272 pgs) **
12. Bead on Trouble by Barbara Burnett Smith 3/7 (289 pgs) *****
13. Busting Vegas by Ben Mezrich 3/12 (304 pgs) ***
14. Beads of Doubt by Barbara Burnett Smith 3/17 (455 pgs (LP ed) ***
15. House Rules by Jodi Picoult 3/23 (544 pgs) ****
16. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 3/27 (546 pgs) *****
17. The Thin Pink Line by Lauren Baratz-Logsted 3/28 (296 pgs) ***
18. Crossing the Line by Lauren Baratz-Logsted 3/29 (320 pgs) ***
19. The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond 4/4 (384 pgs) ***
20. Accidentally Engaged by Mary Carter 4/19 (304 pgs) ****
21. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen 4/20 (265 pgs) *****
22. Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand 5/7 (416 pgs) ***
23. Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter by Blaize Clement 5/13 (320 pgs) ****
24. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz 5/15 (480 pgs) *****
25. Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund by Blaize Clement 5/27 (228 pgs) ***
26. Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues by Blaize Clement 5/30 (310 pgs) **
27. Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof by Blaize Clement 6/2 (275 pgs) ****
28. Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz 6/10 (448 pgs) *****
29. Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz 6/15 (416 pgs) *****
30. The Oxford Project by Peter Feldstein 6/26 (264 pgs) *****
31. Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs by Blaize Clement 6/26 (292 pgs) *****

Let me know if you've read any that I have this year or if you have any recommendations. Even though my "to read" list is almost 600 titles, I'm always looking for books to read. I hope everyone is having a great summer. Hopefully I'll be back to regular blogging sometime in the near future, that is if I still have any readers left! (: