congrats to random visitor from february 18th!

I guess I hit 1000. hits, that is. I don't know who it was... but if you were surfing my blog on wednesday, february 18th... it could have been you. congrats! you win... well, nothing. other than the satisfaction of being number 1000. seriously though... I have "three" jobs to pay my basic bills... I don't have the extra cash-cash for even a small gift. and well, I don't know who you are anyway... so I guess it wouldn't even matter. :)

things have been insane lately. things for the bridal shower; things for soccer; things for home; things for work. ugh. hopefully after april... things will start to calm down. the soccer season will have started; the wedding will be over; job #3 will be "off-season"... and maybe I'll be able to get back to some quilting and stamping. :) now, my downtime pretty much consists of lounging on the couch wishing I wasn't so tired. (sigh)

so I'm thinking of putting in a garden in my backyard. not flowers... but some leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans. with only four things, the garden doesn't need to be large, but it'll still provide enough tasty produce for the summer. now does anyone know how to grow these things? because I *so* don't have a green thumb. :) but I'd like to try...

anything else that I should add to my plate while I'm feeling ambitious? :)

lastly, in this minor update, I wanted to thank those who volunteered to send some green fabric for my friend's quilt. I will email you with the sizes we need (so you don't need to send twelve yards when all I need is an eighth of a yard)... just let me know if you're still willing to help out!

holy cats!

so... turns out that TOMORROW is my blogoversary. it was totally random that I stumbled upon it. I only looked because, well, this post is number 99... thus I'm almost at *that* mark. the 100th post. I have been planning (like a huge dork, I realize as I write this) by prepping a 100 things about me post. I now want to post this tomorrow for maximum effect!!!... however, that means I have to think of about 70-75 more things about me. yikes! I better get thinking...

so for those of you following along... my american heart association heartwalk was on sunday afternoon. it was a huge success for me. my goal was $750 and I raised $850! I am so pleased with the outpouring of support from my friends and family. this organization means a lot to me, especially after my mother's heart surgery in may of 2007.

my depressingly small "quilting accomplishments" listing:
1) finished my center for my kosher pickles hanukkah border exchange

for next month... I have to do a border on the two centers that came to me from the online group and I should finish up the baby quilt, too. all I have to do is sew it, turn it, and tie it. now that I have retrieved my embroidery needle... it shouldn't be too bad.

so... I have been seriously considering becoming a stampin' up demonstrator (representative, whatever, they all have such lame-o names... you are selling the stuff regardless!). this isn't a sudden decision... I have been interested in stamping for a while, I just haven't had the... well, get-up-and-go to use them. I enjoy creating with quilts, but also with the stamping. I created my save-the-date cards using stamps, have done various holiday cards and invitations, among other things. I could even use some for scrapbooking... if those magical 25-30th hours appear on my clock soon, I could really get into that. but anyway, there is a current deal going on where you can sign up to be a demonstrator for about half the cost as you normally would. I asked das and he said no. then, when a kind of pouted and whined a tiny bit... he said that he would make a deal with me that if I could be on time for work for a full QUARTER (yeah, 12 weeks), then he would let me become a stampin' up demonstrator. which I suppose is a fair trade-off... in order for me to do the things that I want to do and get into the habit of finishing my projects, I need to learn responsibility in the things that, well, I have to do (but really don't want to). I am horrible about getting to work on time... lateness means nothing to me, really. it's annoying and I hate it, but I just can't seem to break it. but... if I can do it, and then become a demonstrator... maybe I'll be fixed! well, I won't go that far... but at least it'll look better in my work reviews. :)

so here's to day one of being to work on time. only 62 days left... ugh.

hi again!

it is SO hard to come up with titles for posts. I mean you don't want every post to be "quilting stuff" or "I sewed today!" or something like that. perhaps I should just arbitrarily start naming my posts after things I find on my desk: "golfing calendar", "reid state park photos", "spy phone", or even the intriguing - "stress ball!" ok maybe that plan won't work so well. :) but don't say I didn't warn you.

ok, so all silliness aside... I wanted to show you some pictures! my friend storey's birthday was last weekend so I, with the help of heather (another friend), created a card for her. we collaborated. I stamped; she did the card. she did the embossing with her cuttlebug, which was the most awesome-est thing ever. really cute for paper products... but wouldn't be strong enough to do any fabric for applique I don't believe.

so tomorrow is the drop-off day for the durham fair crafts. I am entering my irish chain, a photo of my cat (gabe), and some hot pickles I made. das is entering two photos. I was going to do, also, another quilt... a baby quilt, but I won't get it done in time. I am essentially done... but I am tying it and need to quilt around the quilt so I can turn it inside out (the kit didn't call for, or include bindings, which is fine) then, of course, tie it. das and I were at the uconn/baylor football game this evening and got back after midnight, so it wasn't going to happen this evening. oh well... such is life. it was a last minute decision to enter it anyway because I had wanted to surprise my friend with it while we were at the fair together... however, I never heard from her to see if she was going to go with me. SO, that plan backfired and now I'm going a different day with a different person with no quilt expectations. :) I do still need to finish the baby quilt though... just not for tomorrow morning. did I ever post the picture for the irish chain?!

so that, too, will be going. we'll see how it does. I meant to wash it before but our washer isn't big enough for a queen-sized quilt. and I forgot to bring it to the laundromat to wash it in their larger capacity machines. so I put two dryer sheets in and put it on the non-heat, fluff option to get some of the cat hair off. I'll probably run an iron over it before submitting, too, just to be on the safe side. that's the thing about entering in the fair... if I finish a quilt (especially one that's for me), I want to use it or give it right away (because usually it's late anyway) but if I want it to go into the fair... well, then I have to wait, or suffer the cat-hairy consequences. (sigh) it's worth it for my two little furballs though (not that bowser doesn't contribute though). :)

well I need to go warm up under the substitute quilt on our bed (since the irish chain is awaiting delivery to the fair) because it is freezing in CT this evening.

something other than quilting?!

so the past couple of days I have been working on a few things of the "non-quilting" variety. I know, I know... who could possibly think there is craft in this world OTHER than quilting. ;)

I had wanted to get back into knitting after several people had attempted to teach me the craft. my darling friends lisa and melly were very patient with me, but alas, once I came back to connecticut... I would make mistakes and not necessarily have a local outlet to question my methods. it also didn't help that I am a very visual learner and the books I had just didn't cut it in terms of adequate explanation. actually I *did* finish something, The Misshapen Pink Scarf, but then I just didn't know what to do after that.

there were a lot of dropped stitches and the tension was way off. it was like I knew something was wrong... and just didn't know how to fix it. so, as any logical crafter would do: I scrapped the whole mess. until now. I have been wanting to get back into knitting. so I was a little more proactive this time... I signed up for ravelry. this site is so fabulous for organizing your knitting and crocheting projects, finding like-minded individuals... which is what I did. I found someone in town who had a gazillion more projects under her belt than I did... and she taught me. well, we mostly just talked (we do have a lot in common), but it was a fun time and I'm looking forward to having a knitting outlet now. of course, in typical kt-fashion... I have already screwed it up... I switched my stitches (knitting when I should have been purled, and vice versa) and I added a stitch somewhere... I know how it probably happened, but *dont'* know how to fix it. :) I'm really helpless right now. :) but hey, I didn't know how to purl before, and now I do. it's already an improvement. and I'm glad, too, for the knitting because I do like to spend free time with das as much as I can and this is much more portable than my sewing machine. I do like doing embroidery, too, but I worry about all of the threads and whatnot getting lost and keeping thing organized. maybe I just need a better system. :)

also, last night, one of my friends from work came over for dinner and to see the new house. after some socialization and all that jazz, we busted out with her cuttlebug, I brought up the stamps and we worked on a couple things. one is a super secret project that I can't post for a little while lest the person who is receiving it reads the blog by chance. the other things were my "we've moved" notification postcards for our family and friends. yeah yeah, I know. you're thinking, "hey kt. did you move in, oh, july?!" that's a resounding yes. but... well... I'm a procrastinator. ;) I'm a little upset by the sheer volume of them... I think I did fewer cards for our save-the-dates. (sigh) I also realized that I need my colored pencils, which I believe are still at our other house. go figure.

it was definitely a late night though... and I slept in late today. which is why I have to sign off and finish up some cooking before heading out for uconn football. game's at 7:30p... but I'm getting picked up for tailgating at 2:30p! have a great day!

(note: sorry about the card photo - it's landscape on my computer, but it's uploading as portrait. anyone know how to fix that?!)

I almost forgot!

I know that jacob is already born and all that jazz... but I completely forgot to post pictures of the card I made for deb! I used the "unfroggetable" set from stampin' up plus some random cardstock from michaels (it was on sale).

you can see the front and inside... then my way uber-geeky stampin' up stamp. :) it's mainly supposed to be used if you are selling your cards using the stampin' up materials and stamps, but both my mom and I have one. I like it... it adds the personal touch. wouldn't it be neat to just have a stamp for personalizing quilts?! well, I'm sure it's out there... I just haven't seen it... yet.

this brings me to... well, jacob (aka "jake and bake", or, my personal favorite, "cubby bear"). I went to visit him for the first time on tonight. I brought deb dinner (yummy baked ziti) plus some extra materials to make another batch later. her fridge has been a bit bare since she just got back from the hospital on saturday after being there for a month! anyway, jacob is just absolutely beautiful. he was born at 6lbs. 14 oz., but has lost a few ounces since then... you wouldn't know it though - he eats like a little piggy wiggy! :) I got to feed him and burp him; he was gracious enough not to spit up on me - though he may be reserving that for visit number two. everything about him is just perfection... his little eye capsules (which were mostly closed when I was there), his tiny ears, his teeny nose and mouth. and there is nothing more serene and calming than having a newborn sleeping curled up on your shoulder. I'm so honored to be able to experience this with deb and matt... congrats you two - he's wonderful!

now about that baby quilt... :/

how creative!

so my friend deb is pregnant. (yay!) she's due june 6th. unfortunately, she has been in the hospital for the past few weeks with some complications. she's fine and the baby's fine, but it's just precautionary.

however, because of that... her baby shower was held at the hospital yesterday evening. of course, I had to work (which ended up being later than *anyone* expected)... so I didn't make it, nor did I make it to the "actual shower" at her house this afternoon (her DH opened the presents; deb was there via webcam). BUT, I did do presents tonight with her at her hospital room. I did a diaper cake (with some onesies as the top layer), plus gave her a baby timer (which is so way cool), a "coming home set" with scratch mittens and booties, spoons, and snack cups. her theme was frogs (among other things) which, for a boy, is so incredibly cute. I had to force myself to stop buying clothes... it's addictive... a disease. there should probably be support groups or something... BCA (baby clothes anonymous). anyway, here are some pictures of the diaper cake I did (in order of assembly). enjoy! (sorry they are all in a line - blogger wasn't playing nice w/ my layouts)

it was so much fun to make... and deb just loved it. I am glad I was able to give her something homemade (since the quilt hasn't even left the "design stage" yet).