in the peppermint wind

heat wave

2010-08-06T21:38:00.000-05:00

It seems as though summer is dragging on. The heat zaps my energy, appetite, and general desire to do any outdoor activity. ...sigh. I'm ready for Christmas! So, I'll have to settle for the next best thing - the smell of Christmas. Last night I made some oatmeal raisin cookies. The cinnamon and cloves made my apartment smell absolutely festive!

We're going on a mini-road trip to visit family this weekend. I'm really looking forward to it. It feels like it's been ages since we went anywhere.

Happy Weekend!

oh happy day!

2010-07-26T11:05:00.001-05:00

I have been wanting to collect vintage paint by numbers for oh so long. I go thrifting fairly often, but never seem to come across any. Soooo, you will understand my excitement when I found one at Goodwill this weekend for a mere $2!

Although the frame isn't in great shape, it could be replaced... and the colors are still so bright and vibrant.

On an unrelated note, I made blueberry scones for Sunday breakfast. They were delish! Next time I'll use raisins and a bit of cinnamon.

summertime

2010-07-15T21:29:00.000-05:00

Few things are better than iced coffee in the summertime with one's sweetheart. :)

out of the heat

2010-07-14T11:27:00.000-05:00

I love waking up in the morning with a project on my mind that I can't wait to start! It's blazing hot outside, so I feel no guilt at all about staying inside allllll day and sewing to my heart's content.

a few peeks from my apartment

2010-07-08T11:07:00.000-05:00

I think carnations get a bad rap. They're very pretty flowers. (Not to mention affordable.)

<-- some placemats waiting on quilting. and apparently a good pressing.

It's going to be a good crafting day... I can feel it!

happy anniversary

2010-07-01T12:05:00.001-05:00

Charles and I recently celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary. I am a little late with this post, as our actual anniversary was last Saturday... but, better late than never, right?

Anyway, I thought I'd post a few pictures.

We went to Pink Elephant Cafe for lunch (which is now my new favorite local restaurant). The decor is so charming and vintage, and the food is delicious!

Then, we went to Cuppies & Joe. Of course it didn't occur to me to take a picture before we ate the cupcake... but trust me, it was just as pretty as it was tasty.

Then we had dinner in Bricktown and walked around a bit. It was an absolutely lovely day. I love you honeypie! Happy six years!

a bit of sewing

2010-06-19T13:39:00.001-05:00

New project... a baby quilt. (for no baby in particular) I'm in love with the colors, but not in love with the lighting in my apartment. I really need to start taking pictures outdoors.

Happy weekend!

birfday!

2010-06-11T11:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday. It was a wonderful day! We went to The Diner (one of my favorite local restaurants) for breakfast. Then, we drove to Fort Worth to have dinner with some dear friends and to see Imogen Heap in concert. Dinner was lovely and the concert was absolutely fantastic.

I got up early this morning to hit up some garage sales. Unfortunately, no treasures were found. Oh well. win some, lose some.

Charles always jokes with me that I did not get the girl gene of being able to take a decent outstretched-arm picture. :) I'm working on it.

back to real life

2010-06-08T12:20:00.000-05:00

We're back from Myrtle. It feels SO good to be home. Especially since I left the apartment so neat and tidy. (Doesn't that make coming home so much better?)

My first order of business (after unpacking, of course) was to give my sewing machine a much needed cleaning. For the rest of the day I will be tackling all the quilting bee blocks that I am ridiculously behind on. Here goes!

Oh, and here's a pic of myself and the hubby after graduation. :)

blogging break

2010-05-26T22:38:00.000-05:00

I'm on vacation! in Myrtle Beach ...so that's my excuse for the severe lack of blogging. I realized that I haven't even posted a picture from graduation! I would do it now, but I'm not currently using my computer. Will be back soon, hope everyone is enjoying the beginnings of summer.

new project

2010-05-04T14:03:00.001-05:00

I must say, I had one splendid weekend. I relaxed, sewed a bit, cleaned house, made/drank lots of coffee (per usual), and spent some quality cuddle time with the hubby. It was wonderful! Plus, the weather has been gorgeous lately. It seems like we rarely have a true spring season here in Oklahoma, but this spring has been lovely. I feel rejuvenated, and ready to take on these last two weeks of school. (YES!)

SO. Here's my new project. I hate to gush, but I am in loooove with this quilt. (Although, it can hardly be considered a quilt, as it is still in block form. But I am sure it will grow up to become a b e a u tiful quilt.) The photo doesn't really do it justice, as the lighting in my apartment is terrible.

This is one of my favorite color combinations for spring. (robin's egg blue & yellow is my other fave). I never used to like yellow, but it has really grown on me. Actually this quilt started because of the yellow solid fabric. I mis-cut some yellow strips for some placemats I'm making (will blog about soon, SO cute), and I didn't want them to go to waste - especially since my stash is nearing depletion of that color yellow.

Anywho. Hope everyone is having a nice week!

pretty flowers

2010-04-22T22:24:00.000-05:00

I am so addicted to English paper pieced flowers. Couch, coffee, some good tv, a needle and thread, and I'm ready for a nice evening in. However, it blows my mind that there are actually people out there who make entire quilts this way. I think I'll stick to making small flowers for embellishing bags and pillows.

It's almost the weekend, yay! I'm going to do my utmost to be super organized and get all kinds of crafty stuffs done. We'll see how that goes.

burp cloths and the countdown begins

2010-04-20T23:56:00.001-05:00

Another gift for my sister-in-law : 12 burp cloths! Aren't the colors so bright and happy? These were quick and easy - I just added a strip of fabric to the middle of Gerber pre-fold cotton diapers. It almost seems a shame to use such pretty fabric for spit-up and such. But... only the best for little Maggie!

On a school-related note, I think the countdown to graduation should officially begin. I have 3 more weeks (counting this one), then finals week, then graduation! I cannot wait. But I will. only because I have to.

looks like someone has a case of the mondays

2010-04-19T23:38:00.001-05:00

and that someone is me. It's been one of those days...
BUT, as promised, here's a picture of my Itty Bitty Baby Dress. Isn't is absolutely precious?! I love it.

I don't think the picture captures just how small it is. It really is tiny. which only makes it cuter. I followed made by rae's tutorial to a T, except for the piping at the waist. I didn't have any piping, so I opted to instead use a plain fabric strip (minus the piping inside). OH, and all the fabric came from my stash. Go me.

bee block

2010-04-18T18:43:00.001-05:00

Today I worked on a block for Corey of my Scraptastic quilting bee. She sent the Kona charcoal, and we each supplied the colorful prints from our stash. I love how it turned out! Plus, I got to use up some scraps. I'll be back later to post a picture (as soon as I take one) of my Itty Bitty Baby Dress. Hope everyone has had a pleasant weekend!

friday night in

2010-04-16T23:18:00.000-05:00

My poor Charles is sick. So, we spent our Friday night on the couch catching up on t.v. shows we had missed throughout the week, and then going to bed rather early... except I wasn't tired yet, so I brought my laptop with me, and took advantage of the time by perusing Flickr and my favorite blogs for inspiration. I could really spend hours and hours online without evening noticing... probably not a good habit. Anyway. It hasn't been a good week for sewing, and I have to work tomorrow, but Sunday... Sunday is going to be a crafty day - I can feel it.
I've had the Itty Bitty Baby Dress bookmarked on my computer for a looong time, and I think I'm finally going to get around to making one. My sister-in-law is expecting in June, and baby Maggie definitely needs a handmade dress from her Auntie Claire!

it's a beautiful day

2010-04-10T14:23:00.002-05:00

I had such a successful morning out garage/estate sale-ing! Along with the cute little owlies above, I got a small fawn AND a bunch of gorgeous vintage fabric. Now I feel fueled up for a weekend of studying for my tax test. Bring it on "taxation of capital gains" and "depreciation recapture"!

Goodness gracious, did I fall off the face of the earth?

2010-04-08T09:47:00.001-05:00

Okay. Clearly I'm not great at this blogging thing. It's been many many many days since I last posted! Geez...

So why the long hiatus? Well. mainly because I graduate in May, so I'm finishing up my last semester here at OU - something that is both exciting and stressful. Also, I've been in somewhat of a crafting funk. Anyone else ever get that way? I have lots of ideas, but I feel like I can't get my brain focused in one direction. And, I realized that I am NOT happy with my fabric stash (which is of a moderately large size)... maybe I've just been staring at the same fabrics for too long, I don't know.

Anywho. On a more pleasant note, I've been taking an Indie Business class (taught by Elsie Flannigan, Leigh-Ann Keffer, and Jill Munro), and it has been absolutely wonderful! I will admit I was a bit hesitant at first to blindly take a class like this, but I am sooo glad I did. It has been incredibly valuable. I'm really hoping that Charles finds an oh so wonderful job that will financially allow for me to stay home and focus full-time on getting my crafty business going.
I actually did do some sewing this past weekend... but alas no pictures to show. Note to self: must take more pictures.

Well. If anyone is still reading this... have a wonderful day!

-claire

!!

2010-02-19T21:37:00.000-06:00

Liberty of London has a collection coming out at Target!

Be still my beating heart. 

-claire 

not a good day

2010-02-18T08:02:00.000-06:00

Hello folks
I'm writing this post in an effort to truly blog about everything that happens in my life - not just the positive. Last night I had to make a trip to the ER for some weird allergic reaction I had. My eyes were swollen about halfway shut (which has actually happened before, I was advised to take Claritin every day, and if it happened again and my throat started feeling tight to go to the ER). So, I of course took my Claritin yesterday like a good girl. But around 4:30 my eyes started swelling. When my throat started feeling puffy as well, I decided we should go. It's scary, and I hate it. ...Luckily we have some savings (I've been able to work more this semester, as I'm only taking my last two classes), to pay for the ER visit and a forthcoming visit to an allergist (since I have no idea what I'm allergic to). Blech. Not a good day.

But on a happier note, anyone noticed that Teddy Grahams have belly buttons? It makes that much more delicious I say. : )

-claire

P.S. Looking forward to some major crafting this weekend. major.

all you need is love

2010-02-14T10:09:00.000-06:00

I must confess, I'm not a big Valentines Day person. But, I will admit this V-day snow was magical!

Enjoy your day with the one you love!

-claire

tax on the brain

2010-02-10T20:06:00.000-06:00

I'm doing this:

(studying for a tax accounting exam)

but I would rather be crocheting... or basically anything but studying.

brown bear, brown bear

2010-02-01T09:30:00.004-06:00

I am in love with this hat! I finished it over a week ago, but haven't been able to get a good picture of it. So when we were out walking around downtown yesterday morning I had Charles snap a quick picture of it in front of the pretty red brick. (By the way, I LOVE our downtown.)

I've really been making an effort lately to experiment with things, and not be bound to patterns. So, this hat was definitely an experiment. Next time I will: 1) make a ribbed brim instead of rolled, 2) make the bow bigger, and 3) change up the way I do the decreasing stitches towards the top. But still. I lovelovelove it. 

-claire

chalkboards

2010-01-31T09:25:00.004-06:00

Lately I've realllllly been wanting a chalkboard wall. But alas, I cannot have one, because we will soon be moving... which I'm sure I've whined about before on here :) (And really I have no right to whine, I mean, we're blessed to have been able to get college degrees, and have the opportunity to look for jobs - whether out of state or not.) So, I've been trying to think of smaller projects I could do instead. Like, maybe little chalkboard plaques that I could write cute messages on. Or maybe an actual chalkboard. (a small one, and with a cute frame of course.) 

Someday, soon I hope, I want this: 

[source] (She has the cutest flickr) 

(Although, it's technically a chalkboard door, not wall. but still)   

I hope everyone has been enjoying their weekend!

-claire

snow days are the best!

2010-01-29T23:55:00.001-06:00

We didn't attempt to get out on the roads today, and I'm not sure if we will tomorrow either. My car is going to take foreverrr to de-ice. I will hate to miss our Saturday morning doughnuts though...

Anywho. I did get one project completed today: a tote bag out of some of my feed sack scraps. I'll post a picture at some point. It turned out pretty cute, although there are few things I will change for my next one. It felt good to use up some of those scraps. They're odd/small sizes, but I definitely didn't want to waste them.   

Happy Weekend!

-claire

P.S. I have no idea what this is... but, I'm using it to hold knitting needles. Maybe it's meant to carry wine in? I think it would be big enough to hold the average size bottle. Anyway. I love the peach-colored flower print - so pretty!

wintery weather

2010-01-29T10:53:00.001-06:00

We're enjoying a snow day here in Oklahoma. :)

I'm snuggled up with my hubby drinking coffee and listening to the Shins. 

mmm mmm good.

-claire

thrifted owls

2010-01-28T10:41:00.056-06:00

I found this owl lantern at a local thrift store. I just love him! He looks even better with a little tea light candle inside.

I found this one when I was thrifting with my Mom over the holidays. We found the best thrift store that benefits the humane society. They had so many cute things, I will definitely be returning! ...anyway, I'm not really sure what this is meant to hold. change or candy maybe?

Have a great weekend!

C for Charles, C for Claire

2010-01-21T11:30:00.000-06:00

We drink a lot of coffee. like, a lot.

Charles spotted these mugs when we were at Anthropologie while on vacation in SC. Although I love that store, I usually don't buy anything because they are oh so expensive and I am oh so cash-poor. But I couldn't resist. Mine is on the right. I love the bird in the middle. So feminine and pretty!

Hope everyone is having a splendid week!

-Claire

home again, home again

2010-01-11T00:20:00.000-06:00

Had a wonderful time visiting the in-laws in South Carolina. Especially my sweet sisters-in-law:

As usual our flight home was delayed. Also, our bags were delayed. so yeah. that was quite inconvenient. With each trip, flying becomes an increasingly unpleasant experience. It makes me think seriously about the option of driving out to SC- even though it is a 19 hour drive... eww.

I did come home from our trip with some goodies - both vintage and new. But I haven't taken photos of anything yet, so that will have to wait for another day. I spent most of today unpacking bags, tidying up the apartment, and crocheting granny squares (which are dangerously addicting). On to a new week!

-claire

it's a new year!

2010-01-01T11:09:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!

The arrival of a new year always makes me want to redecorate. Unfortunately, since we're moving this summer (when Charles and I graduate), there's not much point in redecorating. I'm so looking forward to moving and getting settled in to our new home - wherever that may be.

So for now I'll just admire all the pretties in blogland.

These rooms are the decor of Elise Vaughn - found on Design*Sponge.

[source]

[source]

[source]

So vintage and chic. lovelovelove.

merry christmas to all!

2009-12-25T20:16:00.004-06:00

I love Christmas, and a white Christmas is even better! (as long as it's not delaying my travel plans) On Sunday we're heading out to Myrtle Beach to visit my hubby's family. Good bye snow and ice, hello sunshine and sand!

granny squares

2009-12-20T22:18:00.001-06:00

Why am I just now learning to crochet?? After a few hours of following along with youtube tutorials, I can do it! I want to make a granny square blanket, because I have always loved them. They aren't perfect yet, so I think I'll make a scarf out of my practice squares.

good day

2009-12-19T18:30:00.002-06:00

My brother got married today. It was b e a u tiful!

We're headed back home tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a little crochet time in the car on the way back.

Lately I've been knitting/crocheting these headbands using this tutorial:

They're so quick to make and are a great way to use up scrap yarn.

Happy Weekend!

christmastime is here, happiness and cheer

2009-12-18T23:48:00.005-06:00

I've been seeing lots of cute wreaths in blogland lately. So, I had to make one of my own. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I used pages from Emma. I had two copies so I didn't feel so bad about ripping the pages out of one. I crocheted the hanging loop. So pretty, and I think I'll leave it up all year round!

Here are some other pretties I've been eyeing:

source

 source

Have a great weekend!

red

2009-12-15T10:26:00.001-06:00

yummy red goodness:

 source

source

source

source

I'm feeling festive. and crafty. Off to make a crochet garland for my tree!

a bit of a break

2009-12-02T11:06:00.000-06:00

My little newbie blog and my crafting activities are moving to the back burner while I muddle through these last few weeks of classes. Once finals are over I'll be right back to crafting/blogging!

clever title

2009-11-18T19:30:00.000-06:00

I. love. this. book. I have been waiting oh so patiently for it to come out. And, I just so happened to have a 30% coup to Borders and some Borders Bucks, yippee! Unfortunately, I've had zero time to make anything from the book yet, and I probably won't until winter break. (Ohhh winter break, PLEASE come rescue me)

On an unrelated note: we have a great new coffee shop. It's called Gray Owl Coffee, and I lovelovelove it. It has such a great indie feel, and the coffee is wonderful (french press)! So if you're in Norman, OK you should totally check it out!

latte. num yummy.

revive

2009-11-05T23:18:00.003-06:00

Finally something fabric-y to show! It's just a quilt top, so not technically finished. But what the hey, I'll show it anyway. This is actually a shop sample I made for work. Now that it's finished I can make the fabric kits! The fabric is absolutely gorgeous - it's a line by Patricia Bravo (of Art Gallery Fabrics) called Revive. These pictures don't do the colors justice (the lighting in my apartment is terrible, and I didn't have a chance to take a picture outdoors before I had to take the top back to work). So just trust me when I say it is sooo much prettier in person.

The flower print in the middle is my favorite. I love it, it's so soothing. Lately I've been working with really bright, saturated colors, so working with these fabrics was a nice change. (Kindly ignore the wrinkles. I should have pressed before pictures)

The pattern came from this book. (Great book, by the way!)

Looking forward trying a new coffee shop this weekend, and a little relaxation time with the hubby. That's it for now!

quilting bee and pretty flowers

2009-11-03T23:03:00.003-06:00

After seeing this to die for quilt top over at Film in the Fridge, I have been wanting to join a virtual quilting bee, but didn't really know how to go about it. Then, I came across the Block Party! blog. They've started a quilt along (yay!), and you can join just that if you're not into the idea of a bee. I am seriously SO excited.

This picture is not the greatest, I took it while I was walking to class this afternoon. The landscapers have been doing a great job keeping campus lookin' good.

That's it for now!

Hopefully there will be an actual sewing-related post this week!

ode to after-halloween candy sale

2009-11-01T22:28:00.002-06:00

If I am patient, you will reward me with copious amounts of candy candy candy.

I've been studying all weekend, so no time for sewing. But I did manage to squeeze in a bit of bread-bakin' of the punkin variety this afternoon. I didn't realize I was out of ground cloves until I was in the middle of things, but I can only slightly tell the difference.

On to a new week!

happy halloween!

2009-10-31T20:59:00.001-05:00

I intended to dye the frosting orange... but alas, I was out of food coloring. Oh well, they're still cute. and yummy. Happy Halloween!

"there is another sky, ever serene and fair"

2009-10-30T22:09:00.004-05:00

I love that Emily Dickinson poem.

I met the hubby for dinner after work, but I had to take a quick picture before we ate. The sky was gorgeous! I love this time of year.

Looking forward to celebrating Halloween tomorrow, although I have tests coming up this week, so unfortunately the weekend will consist of obscene amounts of studying. Yuck.

rain rain rain

2009-10-29T21:11:00.003-05:00

It's been gray like this all day. I had to walk to class in the rain today And, even though I had an umbrella, I still got wet. Mostly because I was trying to shield my backpack (which was holding my laptop) with my umbrella rather than my head. Usually though, I love the rain. I think I could live in Seattle. Maybe I should visit first.

Now for a bit of sewing:

I love piecing blocks like this - no pattern, just random. These are destined to be a birthday gift. Not the blocks themselves, of course, but the quilt they will become. Can't wait to start putting it together!

fall is finally here!

2009-10-28T23:06:00.001-05:00

I finished another started-over-the-summer project. It's a string quilt (sew & flip style). I just picked some fabrics and started sewing, making it up as I went along. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out! It doesn't have any batting between the front and back layers of fabric, so I don't know whether it's technically a quilt... ? Anyway, this blanket is a gift for a lovely couple I know, and I hope they like it! The weather has been so wonderful recently, I absolutely love fall! Trying to get this picture was a little tough, because it's been so windy.

Can you see the changing leaves behind me? YAY!

I've been dying to make one of these lately. I saw a pillow a couple years ago at Anthropologie that looked really similar. I bookmarked it online thinking I would try my hand at making one (Anthropologie is awesome, but I'm not spending $88 on a pillow). But it must be buried in my excessively long list of bookmarked stuffs because I can't find it now, so I was glad to come across this lovely tutorial.

This never gets old. ever ever ever.

finishing up summer projects

2009-10-25T15:18:00.002-05:00

I have a bad habit of starting a project and alllmost finishing it before getting distracted by an idea for a different project. Sewers' attention deficit disorder, I suppose. And every time I walk past the s.o.u.p. (shelf of unfinished projects) they look at me with sad eyes like the money with the big eyeballs on the Geico commercials. So anywho, I've finished up a few, and here they be:

My pots and pans can't wait to rest their shiny bottoms on these lovely things. Now I have to make time to cook...

It wasn't of course until I got done that I noticed I had put the loops on different sides of each potholder - blast! Unfortunately, it will be noticeable when they're hanging because they're slightly rectangular instead of square. Oh well. Better luck next time. I'm sure not ripping them apart to fix one pesky loop. The pattern for these potholders came from this book - which I got with my 40% off coup from Hobby Lobby. (YEAH!) This is the first project I've made out of this book, but there are several more I have my eye on.

These placemats weren't from a pattern, just out of my head. I got this yummy Phillip Jacobs fabric at the 2009 OKC winter quilt show (the 2010 show is coming up soon!). I tried some wavy line quilting, and I'm pretty pleased with the way it came out. It looks like a wonky grid. I'm thinking of making some solid purple napkins to go with... or maybe some pieced napkins like these out of several different purples and a bit of blue.

Also, I got two new pieces of fabric from Hobby Lobby, and I love them. I haven't decided what to do with them (maybe a baby or lap quilt), but for now I'll just fondle and pet them.

Had a fantastic weekend with Charles, although it was spent mostly studying. We did watch a movie though - Away We Go, with John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. It's a great movie, and the music is by Alexi Murdoch (♥ x a bajillion).

New How I Met Your Mother tomorrow! wahooo

Here goes...

2009-10-18T13:21:00.002-05:00

I don't know what I'm thinking starting a blog... just one more thing to lure me away from my studies. However, I would like to document the process of my humble crafty creations, and also to document my life in general. So, here goes.