Laura's Birthday Bag

Even though I ordered and was inspired by Alabama Studio Style ages ago, I just finally got around to trying some reverse applique myself in the last week. And I am HOOKED.


This bag for big sister's birthday is made from two of the hubs' old t-shirts. They were particularly ugly even by old t-shirt standards, and it was very gratifying to take materials that were basically garbage and turn them into something pretty and useful.

Hand-stitching is such a meditative way to spend an afternoon, especially when you're working with a fabric as wholesome as jersey.


I've got about 6 projects similar to this percolating in the back of my mind right now. There will for sure be more where this came from!

Love, J

Aaaaand, I'm back

No good reason for the break, I just didn't feel like putting together posts for a while.

But now I do.

The biggest perk of taking a blog holiday is that I've now got tons of stuff saved up to share. I've been sewing, knitting, crocheting, reupholstering, teaching the rabbits how to shake, etc.

(Just kidding about the rabbit tricks. Unfortunately. How awesome would that be?)

Be back soon,
love,
J

Nerds

"Nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff.... Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like, jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can't-control-yourself love it. When people call people nerds, mostly what they're saying is, 'You like stuff.' Which is just not a good insult at all, like, 'You are just too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.'"

- John Green, as cited by Finslippy

And now I'm stuck on italics and can't turn them off. So apparently I'm a nerd, but the useless kind who's no good at running computers.

Love, J

Me and Thoreau and my work

This really ought to be two posts, but instead I'm going to link together two totally unrelated rambles, so get ready:

Because I get excited about little, silly things, I've constantly got something to look forward to or celebrate. An impromptu walk around the block, a new episode of Grey's Anatomy, glancing up at the clock right when it reads "4:56," and hundreds of other tiny things can perk me up, make me smile. But I've been thinking lots lately about making the choice to be happy, even when I don't have any particular reason. And then I saw this quotation this week, and it is just so apt:

"I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite--only a sense of existence. My breath is sweet to me. O how I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches. No run on my bank can drain it, for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment."

Henry David Thoreau

I am definitely rolling in vague indefinite riches.

But I will have to wait until tomorrow to be happy for no particular reason. Tonight I celebrate with a cause: I had big success in one of my cases at work today. (Like, *BIG*!)

It is a little confusing to swing so wildly between feeling like a fraud in grown-up's clothing and utter smugness at my mad legal skillz, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the smugness. I look forward to the day when I settle into a happy medium of feeling generally competent with an odd good or bad day. But for now, I'll take smug as it comes.

Whew! Did that messy segue make you tired? Me too. Goodnight.

Love, J

Here comes your man

This is my favorite music video right now.

Love the bike, dress, street, lipstick, and weather.



Love, J

Hot bun

After sitting in a patch of sun like this for a while, her ears are BLAZING hot. I wish I absorbed heat as efficiently as she does. Like a lizard on a rock. Only snugglier.

Love, J

Crochet Dodecahedron Stash Buster*

*This is to blog post titles what Plan Nine from Outer Space is to cinema.

Pattern:

- Crochet 4, join as ring
- Ch 3, dc into ring 9 times. This gives you 10 dcs, (first ch 3 counts as first dc). Join last dc to ch 3.
- Ch 3, dc 2 times into gap between dcs. Ch 2, then dc 3 more times into same gap. This makes your first corner. Skip one gap, and into the next, 3 dc, ch2, 3 dc. Repeat all the way around the ring, then join together when you get to the end.

Make 12 pentagons, and crochet them together. Fill it with a piece of t-shirt before closing the last gap. (The holes in the pentagons are too big to use normal stuffing, tiny baby fingers would be able to get in there and pull it out.)

Callie, you want to give this a shot for me and tell me if it makes any sense? Probably it's gibberish, but I've never written my own before...

Love, J