Inspirational Quotes

My new quote board.

I love a good quote and am always collecting them with the intention of eventually displaying them some how.  I've got a few files on my computer for inspirational quotes and I finally decided to do something with some of them.  Enter pinterest and a growing collection of ideas of things I want to do... eventually.  I've pinned a lot of dry erase picture frame ideas.  Today, it donned on me that while I don't have a use for another dry erase calendar in my house, I do have a use for a pretty board that I can write quotes on and that can grace my bathroom wall.  When I find a new quote I like - it's as simple as erasing one of the current ones and writing it in.

The best thing about it.  I made it all with stuff I already had in the house: empty matted picture frame, scrapbook paper, tape (so the paper doesn't slide), quotes, and a dry erase marker.  I like it.  What do you think?  What is your favorite quote?

Inspector Kaylee.

Checking to make sure I spelled everything correctly.

She takes her job as inspector seriously.

Sorry about the glare.

Hanging on the wall.

For My Scrapbooking Friends

Cami is one of the many crafty bloggers that I follow.  She has found, what looks to be a pretty awesome scrapbooking software called Creative Memories and is currently hosting a giveaway that ends on Jan. 26th.  If you like to scrapbook, check it out.  Don't forget to browse Cami's blog for awesome craft ideas while you are there.

You Seriously Made That - Creative Memories Giveaway

Roxas Blanket Progress

1/18/2012


Here are some progress shots.  I even arranged the squares for the head to take a picture.  Progress is being made.

Can you see the hair and face?  So excited!

The box holds squares with tucked tails.  The popcorn tin is full of squares I still need to tuck in.

The squares draped over the edge are already connected.

Kaylee, my cute little craft inspector, at work.

Roxas head.

 "Only you could have made it this far in one piece, Roxas." - Saix {He's not in one piece yet, but he is getting there.}

"That's really getting old." - Sora

Of Dolls and Princesses

So my little sister turned 6 earlier this month.  Her gift from me was a doll that looks like her and wears her favorite color - pink.  The week before her party I was telling my Mom about the doll and she asked if I could make K Rapunzel hair.  We sized a hat for her head and I took it home to use as a template for a winter hat that I then added long strands of yarn hair to, two strands at a time.  It was very time consuming, but my little sister loved the end result and it is a favorite for dress-up right now. Before the party was over she asked for it to be un-braided so that she could twirl around and have it fly around her.  It was cute.

Princess K in her Rapunzel outfit.

I made the hair.  It took 4 skeins of yarn looped through a yellow winter hat that I also made.

Her first comment after I put it on.  "It's too heavy!"

She had fun decorating it with flowers like the girls in Tangled decorated Rapunzel's hair.

My sister as Rapunzel.

She had so much fun wearing it.

Such a pretty princess.

This is a doll I made to look like my sister.

I think she turned out pretty cute.

The headband is one my sister can also use in her hair.

And my sister has named her Kendra.

The finished hair before braiding.

Front view.

Back view.

Kaylee inspects everything I make.

Front view on the table.

Back view on the table.

Side view.

Roxas Blanket - 922 squares complete! On to tail tucking...

Project Name: Roxas Blanket
Status: In Progress
Source: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Video game
Project Type: Blanket - Crochet
Supplies [to be filled in as I make it]:
Crochet Hook Size I U.S.A.
Red Heart Yarn

• Color: 0319 Cherry Red - Worsted - Super Saver - Medium 4 - 100% Acrylic - less than one 7 oz/364 yds skein
• Color: 0312 Black - Worsted - Super Saver - Medium 4 - 100% Acrylic - approx. three and a half 7 oz/364 yds skein
• Color: 0324 Brt. Yellow - Worsted - Super Saver - Medium 4 - 100% Acrylic - approx. one and a half 7 oz/364 yds skein
• Color: 0230 Dye Lot: 5302 & 6819 Yellow (I call it gold) - Sport - Light 3 - 100% Acrylic - two 2.5 oz/165 yds skeins
• Color: 0365 Coffee - Worsted - Super Saver - Medium 4 - 100% Acrylic - approx. three 7 oz/364 yds skein
• Color: 0360 Cafe - Worsted - Super Saver -Medium 4 - 100% Acrylic - approx. one-third 7 oz/364 yds skein
• Color: 0400 Dye Lot: 4593 Grey Heather - Worsted - Super Saver - Medium 4 - 100% Acrylic - approx. two 7 oz/364 yds skein
• Color: 4601 Off White -Worsted - Soft - Medium 4 - 100% Acrylic - less than one 5 oz/256 yds skein
• Color: 0385 Royal - Worsted - Super Saver - Medium 4 - 100% Acrylic - way less than one 7 oz/364 yds skein

Caron One Pound

• Color: 501 White - Worsted - 4 ply - 16 oz skein
• Color: 503 Black (I call it dark grey) - Worsted - 4 ply - 16 oz skein
• Color: 0589 Cream- Worsted - 4 ply - 16 oz skein

Unknown

• Color: Light Blue - Yarn my Mother let me use that was missing it's label (probably Red Heart) - 1 granny square worth of yarn

So ever since seeing this: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=314101.0
I have been searching for the perfect piece of pixel art to turn into a blanket. Today I found it! I'm not going to say what it is until it's finished, but I will post updates as the project comes along and you are free to take your guesses.

3/8/2011 Update:

I have the pattern complete in excel and have calculated the number of pixels/squares that I need to make. This project is going to take 922 squares! Yipes! That's at least twice the number of squares that were used to make the Raccoon Mario rug.

My next step is to decide on the square size. 3 inch squares will make the blanket 12.75 by 9.25 feet. 2 inch squares will make the blanket 8.5 by 6.1667 feet. Hopefully I'll be able to do a mock up of both square sizes tonight. If not, it will need to wait until after this weeks move. I'm off to pack some more boxes.

*Another update for today. So I was super excited about my pattern and mentioned to hubby that I had figured out what I was making for his blanket. He then asked me if he could see it and because I really, really wanted to show someone, it didn't take any convincing. So this is no longer a top secret project. So the subject of the blanket is Roxas from Kingdom Hearts. My pattern is an alteration of bead art done by Exodecai101 on deviantart.com.

3/14/2011
I was really excited to have finished the baby blanket I've been working on for quite some time. As a reward, I decided on the square size for this blanket. I'm going with 2.5" squares and completed 2 red ones today. My husband pointed out that it is now 2/10 of 1% complete [what a confidence boost :p].

I ended up doing one more square after hubby went to bed. This is the granny square pattern I am using:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDEoLWcEEvQ <-Video of how to make it http://crochet-mania-grannysquare.blogspot.com/ <- Written pattern It is a really easy pattern to follow and I only have to worry about counting on the inner part of the square. It only takes me two rows to get to the square size I want - so finishing a square is pretty quick.

3/15/2011 I managed to make 11 more red squares today while babysitting. Steven and Kandra were fascinated by the project. Kandra wanted to help. So I introduced her to finger crocheting and chain stitches. She did pretty well with the finger crochet, but had a really hard time holding the hook and yarn for the chain stitch. She finished off a line long enough to make a bracelet (with much assistance) and then asked if she could start making squares for Bevan's blanket. I don't think she realized that she needs to get the basics down before I can teach her things like a double crochet. She is one determined 5 year old.

3/16/2011
I finished my 20th red square today. Putting me at approx. 2.2% completion on this project and only 4 more red squares to go. I was pretty excited, and since I was already taking pictures of the blanket I finished Monday - I figured I could take a progress picture of this project as well. As you can see, I just couldn't take a normal picture.

"Just sitting here won't change a thing. It's the same old stuff. So let's go." - Riku [Kingdom Hearts]

3/28/2011
I completed 18 black squares today. A great tiny dent in the project. I also had finished the four remaining red squares a while back, but forgot to post about it. So I've more than doubled my completion percent, bringing it to 4.55%. Still a tiny percentage, but it's growing! Plus, I had a knitting/crochet night with Linda and we got to chat (about many things, but also about her little one (my first niece) due to arrive in June). We also enjoyed watching Ever After. It is so nice to have someone to watch 'chick flicks' with [with a few exceptions like: Princess Bride and a few chick flicks that also contain a ton of comedy - my husband won't go near them and trying to convince him otherwise is like trying to pull a tooth from a crocodile]. Now I have less than 200 black squares to go! Yay! Also, I'm really curious to see how many squares I can get from a skein.

"One who knows nothing can understand nothing." - Ansem [Kingdom Hearts]

4/1/2011
Yay! I finished my black skein! I've found that I can get 60 squares out of a skein. I was able to crochet 17 squares while role playing tonight. Tonight's game was a lot of fun - especially when the pilot's husband tried to sabotage her race.

"He's strong, he's kind. He's always there for you, and he's handsome to boot. He's perfect. Perfect. Perfectly infuriating! He makes me crazy." - Hades [Kingdom Hearts]

4/3/2011
Started in on my yellow skein today during a project meeting for the Spokantina. I managed to finish 22 squares - so I am making great progress. Now I'm at 11.5% completion!

"This girl is the culprit. There's no doubt about it. And the reason is... because I say so, that's why!" - The Queen of Hearts [Kingdom Hearts]

4/4/2011
I was able to finish 3 more yellow squares while babysitting today.

"Giving up already? C'mon, Sora, I thought you were stronger than that." - Riku [Kingdom Hearts]

4/11/2011
4 more yellow squares complete while hanging out with my sis-in-law. She is doing well and they have decided on the name of my niece-to-be. She worked on getting her slipper pattern organized and we had a wonderful chat. Hooray for girl nights!

"Don't worry. There will always be a door to the light." - King Mickey [Kingdom Hearts]

4/14/2011
Finished 16 yellow squares today. Making progress! :)

"Maybe... waiting isn't good enough." - Kairi [Kingdom Hearts II]

4/15/2011
Finished another 13 yellow squares today.

"My thoughts exactly! If you have a dream, don't wait. Act. " - Axel [Kingdom Hearts II]

4/16/2011
7 yellow squares today. Almost done with the first skein of yellow.

"Belle, I'd like you to stay... With me... Please?" - Beast [Kingdom Hearts II]

4/17/2011
6 yellow squares which finished of the skein. Then I did 4 blue squares.

"What's gonna happen to me now? Just tell me that. Nothing else really matters anymore. " - Roxas [Kingdom Hearts II]

4/20/2011
So, I've spent the last few days looking for my crochet hook with absolutely no luck. I had stuck the hook in a pocket with my earrings and then forgot about them. I checked the pocket, but they weren't there. I've retraced all my steps and still no sign of the earrings or hook. I'm sure I will find them eventually, but I finally caved and bought a new hook (thankfully, I had written the hook size on this page). (I'm still hoping I'll find the old one along with my favorite earrings!). When I came home from work I had found that Bevan had invited our good friend Joe over. So between my turn at videogames, eating, chatting, and watching TRON Legacy. I managed to get 10 gold squares done. Then I apparently fell asleep. Some hostess I make - falling asleep with company over. *sigh*

"Is that the best a User can do?" - MCP [Kingdom Hearts II]

4/21/2011
I was in a crocheting mood when I woke up. I managed to make 19 gold squares. So I am approx. 20.28% complete in square making for this project. Now I should probably get to the chores I still have left to do.

Edit: I ended up picking up the rest of my yarn after work (hooray for coupons). Then I ended up doing another 7 gold squares. I'm just over 21% complete. I've got 17 gold squares left to go.

Edit: I realized I only needed 4 more squares to hit 200 squares complete. So I did 4 more gold squares - only 13 gold ones left. 21.7% complete.

"There's no knowledge that has the power to change your fate." - DiZ [Kingdom Hearts II]

4/22/2011
Not much progress today. Just one gold square.

"Even if it doesn't, I wanna know. I have the right to know!" - Roxas [Kingdom Hearts II]

4/23/2011
Another slow day, but I doubled yesterday's progress.

"A Nobody doesn't have a right to know. Nor does it even have the right to *be*. " - DiZ [Kingdom Hearts II]

4/24/2011
I managed to get 23 squares done (the rest of my gold squares and 13 brown ones) during times when we were waiting to travel places and while Bevan drove. We had a lovely Easter. Church was nice. It was great to see family. Steven's response to his cow stuffed animal was priceless. We were in the middle of the egg hunt and I was following him around with his bag. He found his basket. Said "cow" grabbed the cow and hugged it close, cradling it while cooing. He then said "I'm done." and left everything and walked into the house with his cow. It was adorable.

"He was the only one I liked. He made me feel... like I had a heart." - Axel [Kingdom Hearts II]

7/11/2011

I have not updated my progress in ages. I HAVE PASSED THE HALF WAY MARK!!! I am sitting at 53.36% complete. I'm not sure how many squares I had done on which days. I know that I managed to do several during my sister's college graduation back in May. I've had several knitting nights with my sister-in-law in which more have gotten done and I finished another 20 or so yesterday. All in all - I am very excited to be over the half-way mark!

"Riku, you've been hanging out in the darkness too long. You gotta try to think positive." - Sora [Kingdom Hearts II]

1/15/2012


I find it fitting that I haven't updated this since passing the square halfway mark.  Somewhere in the months that have passed I have completed all my squares.  Saturday I crocheted 21 grey squares.  And yesterday, I completed my remaining 31 white squares.  All of my squares are done.  I just have several hundred that now need tails tucked.  I really wish I had tucked the tail as I went.  Oh well.  I am currently sitting on the floor in a pile of squares.  Slowly tucking tails and organizing them neatly by color in my ready to connect box.  I think I will be doing a whip stitch through the back stitch of each of them to connect them.  Today was spent doing a lot of research on granny square connecting.  I am so excited that this project is nearing completion.  As soon as I get all the tails tucked I will be putting this blanket together.  So excited!


"Maybe... waiting isn't good enough." - Kairi
"My thoughts exactly!  If you have a dream, don't wait.  Act." - Axel [Kingdom Hearts II]

Owlways.

"Always." is one of my favorite Snape quotes and this twist was born out of an RP night.

My husband and I recently finished watching all the Harry Potter movies again (as I got the set on Blue Ray for Christmas).  So I've had Harry Potter quotes running through my head for days.  So when the following scenario happened at game night, it all just clicked and this was my resulting fun in photoshop.

One of the mugs brought out for coffee and tea was an adorable owl that stares at people while coffee is being drunk.  It has a nice perching place on the sofa to watch us all as we game.  So many jokes were made about bird watching and stalker owls.  I don't remember the exact comment that was said, but Mason's response was "Owlways" and the immediate image that popped into my head was Snape, as an owl, talking about his love for Lily.

2012 To Do List

Happy New Year!

Things I want to finish in 2012. This is just the bare bones of the list that I am sure will grow crazily by the time the end of the year has hit. I just hope to have achieved most of it, if not all of it.

{9/5 - Updated a bit - still a lot to complete}

January

Bevan's Roxas blanket [In Progress]

Millennium Falcon coffee table [Hubby Completed]

back room shelves [Eventually Completed]

back room sorting and organizing [Eventually Completed]

Five things to sell on the website [Done]

Website up and functioning completely [Completed - then Hacked - In Progress Again]

Find another part time job

One Star Wars Amigurumi

One Bomb Omb Amigurumi

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Dance workout three times a week every week

Strength training workout three times a week every week [Done]

Write at least 5,000 words in Jakzi’s story [Done]

Print out Filk song book [Done]
Rapunzel yarn hair hat [Done]
Kandra's Doll (she named her Kendra) [Done]

February

2 Amigurumi [Done]

5 things to list on Crafty Cranes [Done]

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Special t-shirts quilt

Dance workout three times a week every week [Done]

Strength training workout three times a week every week [Done]

Write at least 5,000 words in Jakzi’s story [Done]

March

2 Amigurumi [Done]

5 things to list on Crafty Cranes

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Dance workout three times a week every week

Strength training workout three times a week every week

Write at least 5,000 words in Jakzi’s story [Done]

April

Tauntaun

2 Amigurumi

5 things to list on Crafty Cranes

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Dance workout three times a week every week

Strength training workout three times a week every week

Write at least 5,000 words in Jakzi’s story

May

2 Amigurumi

5 things to list on Crafty Cranes

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Dance workout three times a week every week

Strength training workout three times a week every week

Write at least 5,000 words in Jakzi’s story

June

2 Amigurumi

5 things to list on Crafty Cranes

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Dance workout three times a week every week

Strength training workout three times a week every week

Write at least 5,000 words in Jakzi’s story [Done]

July

2 Amigurumi [Done]

5 things to list on Crafty Cranes

Dragon footy pajamas

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Dance workout three times a week every week

Strength training workout three times a week every week

Write at least 5,000 words in Jakzi’s story [Done]

August

2 Amigurumi

5 things to list on Crafty Cranes

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Dance workout three times a week every week

Strength training workout three times a week every week

Write at least 5,000 words in Jakzi’s story

September

2 Amigurumi

5 things to list on Crafty Cranes

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Dance workout three times a week every week

Strength training workout three times a week every week

Write at least 5,000 words in Jakzi’s story

October

2 Amigurumi

5 things to list on Crafty Cranes

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Dance workout three times a week every week

Strength training workout three times a week every week

Write at least 5,000 words in Jakzi’s story

November

2 Amigurumi

5 things to list on Crafty Cranes

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Dance workout three times a week every week

Strength training workout three times a week every week

Write 50,000 words in a novel (aka NaNoWriMo) - going for win #3

December

2 Amigurumi

5 things to list on Crafty Cranes

Learn 2 new songs on one of my instruments

Dance workout three times a week every week

Strength training workout three times a week every week