a little marm and a sweater vest

Okay. So. Today I started two different marmalade. Orange marm and grapefruit marm. I have always been a big fan of orange marm but we'll see about the grapefruit.

This is the grapefruit marm plus the yummy Strawberry & Banana Muffins I made yesterday! Only 4 of 12 left!!

OH YUM! Orange  marmalade simmering away. I can not wait til tomorrow!

And finally, I turned Peter-Leo's old sweater vest into a hip and cute cardi for Kody! With two different embellishments: a heart and a letter K.

crafting or at least attempting...

I have been promising myself that I would be trying new things.. things that I would never even try to attempt before. So, here are a few photos of the things I have attempted. Some were total failures others SCORE!
Enjoy.

Ok, so this was actually in the beginning of the month at a Super Saturday in a cake decoration introduction class. Nonetheless. I made it and I think it is cute. So, just sit back and think the little fondant penguin is cute.

This is my adorable daughter modeling her nightshirt and matching hair clips that I made. You can't see it in the photo but the seams and color bands match up perfectly. I am getting a hang of this perfection crap.

My son was jealous of the super cute ruffle scarf I made his sister, so Christmas Eve I pounded this scarf out from his old throw away t-shirts. He was so excited... that was until he opened a giant box of legos. ARGH.

And finally, today I turned an old soap dispenser and jam jar into a cute soap dispenser and... wait for it... wait... I made yummy Strawberry Banana Muffins... that tasted good. Miracles can happen!!

more projects!!!

Ok some I am on a crafty roll!! First, since taking this new job (and a hefty pay cut...half) things are tight. And so, here are two of the gifts I have made.  Both ideas I took from different blog pages... although I can't remember which ones... that is what happens when I follow a link to another link to another link.. I get lost.  Anywho.
The first one is a chalkboard mug filled with my homemade chocolate blocks and homemade marshmallows, plus two packets of powdered stuff and a candy cane. The cool thing about this... is it is a chalkboard... so you can leave a message like "DON'T TOUCH!" or "I love you mommy" Either way. I thought hey might be cute. And they were!

My next little crafty thing was this super cute ruffle scarf from old t-shirt. It was very cute. And I made it for our daughter, yes she is the super adorable model in the photo below! I am in the process of making a scarf for myself too!!

Alright. Back to sewing a scarf for me!!

and so it has been, is, and will be...

wondering what the heck that means! Me too. Nah. Just kidding. It is a reference to my new attitude of taking steps out of the shadows and into the sunshine.  This past few days I have found a few websites and blog pages with different crafty things to make.  The old me would have never tried to make any of them. I would have said to myself "nope can't do that. I can't do that as well as...." 
I made a simple, plain belt for my son, who has a waistline so small all the pants that are long enough for his spider legs fall down. So the belt helps. And it's made from an old army backpack. Nothing fancy or worth taking a photo but I did it. And it works.
The second thing I started was a quiet book for my daughter. And it is starting to come together. Honestly, not the highest and most perfect thing ever. But then again that's not the point is it?

The third project was a zipper flower necklace.

I posted this same photo on facebook and got one nice comment and that was from my favorite brother in law, Abram. And it was kind of a "I don't have anything good to say so I'll just say my girlfriend would like those types of things. Different." Great. But I tried. And I will be trying again.

I think I am going to take it apart and attach it to a sweater.. or a headband... maybe I will just leave it as it is. You know as a reminder of that at least I tried.

Michelle

and so it begins...

those awful little feelings of doubt. They just creep up on me the second I let my guard down. One moment the world is spinning at the right speed,  in the right direction and right on time. Then.. BAM! It stops, albeit just momentarily.. and it starts up again.. but things have been shifted since that lost stop... and I can not figure it out.. but the world is continues to spin at the right speed, right direction and right on time.. .but I feel off.  Somehow behind where I should be by now.  Maybe that's it.. I am behind. 

With that in mind... I am taking a step away from college for a semester maybe two. And I am going to figure things out.  I am starting with learning to play the piano. And you know what?! I may not be as good as my friend Tyna.. ever. And that is going to be okay. I am going to be okay with not being as good as her. And I am looking into cake decorating because I think it looks fun. And I don't care that I might not be as good or as creative as Jenn. It will be alright!

Right now I am raising a glass of sparkling apple cider to beginning new things! CHEERS!!