Today, I share.

A New Year

It is mid-January and I haven't posted anything in a few months. I've taken on some big projects in the meantime, for example...

I finally started my own Etsy shop, Fingers & Yarn! It is something I've wanted to do for a long time, and I worked my little fingers to the bone to get things up and running for the holiday season. Check it out here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/fingersandyarn

Posted January 21, 2012

Back to the Sweater

I'm finally making good progress on my sweater again, now that I have more free time. I'm really proud of how it's turning out. I was worried about the ribbing on the sleeves and connecting the shoulder bands evenly, but I think it turned out really well.

Now, all I have to do is finish a few inches on the collar and to sew on some buttons! Perfect for the cooler weather we're having.

Posted October 15, 2011

and it's done!

Amazing.

This was a really great project, and I look forward to trying out variations in the future! It's definitely not lined up perfectly, but it is a decent first try. To finish off my 2012 planner, I:

cut down the file folders to the right size for section-divider tabs.

had a hard time finding the right kind of board at the craft stores to make the cover, so I decided to repurpose an old book cover. I took a notebook that I wasn't using and sliced off the covers, trimming them down to size with a pocket knife (then evened the crazy edges with an exacto). I took a trip to the fabric store and picked out some fun stripes, wrapped it around the old covers, and used a piece of fancy paper and glue to seal all the edges in place.

used my awl and jig to punch holes in my covers and signatures. I printed up some labels for each tab, and sewed it all together with my waxed thread!

Ta-da! Too bad it's only October, and I have to wait three months to use it.

Posted October 3, 2011

supplies = gathered

Next steps toward my DIY planner: all pages are printed!

I'm still a little shocked at how quickly my old printer was willing to agree to all of these legal-size pages. Since I wanted to print the actual days and months on each page, rather than writing them in by hand afterward, I had to use my mathematics skills and draw little diagrams to figure out the order of the pages in each signature. All of the printing lined up great on each side and turned out beautifully!

They look like pages from a "real" book, even! I purchased my awl and wax thread. I cut out my jig. I gathered my folders for section dividers. All I have left to get is the chipboard and fabric for the cover.

The hardest part was keeping the dog from laying down on the pages as they dried. Lazy bum. Now I'm ready to punch some holes!

Posted September 29, 2011

what's that? ...a new project, you say?

Here we go again. I'm delving into another craft project that is totally new to me and I am SO excited. What could be better than melding two of my most favorite things... the exciting day each fall when I buy next year's dayplanner (I accept the incredibly high nerd factor in that last statement) and do-it-yourself projects. Not only am I pretty particular about the planners I choose, but I also carry around a separate notebook for lists and notes and projects I'm working on, and I LOVE the idea of making one myself that I can custom design for all of these things. I ran across this delightful blog by Kyla Roma that gives detailed instructions for making one, and I am so excited to try out these bookbinding techniques. Yes, I'll need to purchase some supplies to make it happen, but if it works out well I can use them to make a new planner EVERY year! (Can you tell I'm excited about this?)

My first steps are to design some templates and gather supplies:

Kyla's blog gave a great template that lets you make copies of the same page to fill in by hand with the specific month/day info. I decided to make my own template that has the days/months/holidays already filled in and has a bit more color involved. I wanted to add some personal tidbits: a dotted line so I can tear off the bottom corner each week, and separate Notes sections each day for extra info like directions and birthdays.

I'm attempting to print this on my wee home printer to save money and it's taken awhile to get everything to line up correctly on legal paper. But so far, so good. Then I added in some plain lined pages to the template for all of the different notebook-type sections, a small 2013 calendar for reference, and a separate section with a monthly (rather than weekly) calendar view. Anal retentive? ...yes, please.

Now I'm putting together the various supplies... legal size paper (of the "not white" variety, since that's more fun) to print on, chipboard for the cover base, an awl for hole-punching, heavy duty thread, colorful file folders to make section dividers, and fabric for the outer-most layer. I'm still in need of a trip to the craft store before I can really get going. But once I do... expect some pictures of the progress.

Posted September 27, 2011

it's good to have the boys back...

Posted September 8, 2011

Workout Challenge COMPLETE!

Well, I stuck with it and just finished my 33 straight days of online workout videos! I'm super proud of myself for staying focused, especially on those killer 100-degree days. Rather than any kind of numerical goal, like being able to run for 60 minutes straight instead of 30 or doing 40 push-ups at a time instead of 10, the best part about how my body feels is a sense of all-around strength that I had lost over the post-college years. I knew I could get through a long rehearsal ok, but it was the everyday tasks that seemed to get harder. Instead of feeling winded after climbing that flight of stairs from the subway each day, now my muscles revert to exercise mode and I feel them actually energize a bit. This is, of course, just a small change (not some super-human ability), but it makes a real difference when you know you're about to sit at a desk for 8 hours each day.

I kept a log of the different workouts I tried so I could go back to the ones I liked... and in the end, I did 21 different workouts over the 33 days! Most workouts I found were "pretty ok." A few were extra fun and a few I'd never do again (either the workout was not at all challenging or the instructor made me want to throw my computer out the window). In the end, I think this avenue of exercise is a really great option for me to stick with. No planning extra time (and money!) to get to regular class, no carrying around sweaty clothes all day. I can fit it into my schedule wherever I need to, I can change up the type of workout each time to get a great even balance, and I can walk the 8 steps to the shower afterward and be on with my day in no time. And the best part... no one needs to watch you sweat it out. No challenging yourself to bump that treadmill up a little higher than the person next to you or trying to look glisteningly beautiful in your aerobics class because people are watching through the windows.

I found almost all (and probably most of my favorite) videos through Netflix! Easy as pie for anyone with an account, which seems to be most people these days. But there are also a number of websites dedicated solely to providing these types of videos. Note: most of them charge membership fees and I stayed away from those, but there could be a whole world of other options for those willing to shell out a few dollars. Exercisetv.tv is a good free one with a number of options.

And now I am off for an exciting European adventure for 3 weeks. Good thing we'll be walking everywhere... gotta keep up my cardio!

Posted August 18, 2011

Pretty Things

I was picking through my parents' storage space last weekend, in search of one thing in particular that wasn't actually there. (Isn't that always the way?) But amidst all the furniture that my brother and I are holding until we become real people who have room for these things, I ran across a few boxes labeled "Becky." Excitement! My dad was giving me the we-dont-have-a-lot-of-time-here look, but he also had the but-if-there-is-anything-we-can-get-rid-of glint in his eye, so I did a quick dig-through. It was mostly sentimental items that I couldnt yet part with (and didn't need to be handy), but I ran across these beautiful tea cups and plates and I had to take them home with me.

I know they came from my mom's side of the family, but none of us knew exactly who's they were originally. I assume they were in with my mom's mother's items when we packed up her house... but my mom thinks they may have been one of her aunts' since the design is a little more contemporary.

I love the interesting shape of the plates and how the indentation for the tea cup is off to the side (making room for your cucumber sandwiches, of course.)

I haven't used them yet. I'm worried they will have the same fate as my last 3 french presses (i.e., broken). I also cant decide where to put them, as we have no cabinets in the kitchen and all of our items are in a continuous shuffle around two narrow, open shelves. I'd just be ASKING for them to fall off.

Too bad they can't whisper a bit of their history to me over a cup of tea. I am curious to know.

Posted August 7, 2011

my month of workout videos

I've struggled for a long time with finding a regular excercise program for myself. It's been 9 years now since I had regular classes handed to me (in college, of course), and "going to class" is such an ingrained urge/requirement in the dance world. The first year or two of living in NYC made attending classes really easy. It helped a lot that I was virtually unemployed for the first 6 months, and there were so many teachers that were new and exciting to try out. But for a number of years now, I've barely made it at all. I think I've averaged something like 2 or 3 classes a YEAR! This is terribly hard to admit out loud when most of my colleagues are going to more than that each week.

So, I've tried to excercise in other ways. I had a gym membership for a few months in Williamsburg (which I got for free at least half the time from the flirtatious front desk person.) I even forced myself to go running a few times a week for a few months last year leading up to Tough Mudder. Plus, I actually COMPLETED the full 12.1 miles of last-year's Tri-State Tough Mudder... which is a feat unto itself! Check it out, if you haven't already. But running is not something I enjoy. The feeling of having exercised, yes. Running, no.

Now, I'm trying something new. Workout videos. We laugh at the thought of them. And yes, there are a lot of really horrible ones. BUT, the chance to get in a good workout in the privacy of your own home, and not have to get on the subway or in your car sweaty afterwards (or have to carry around all of your shower supplies) is pretty great, you have to admit. AND, with the huge amount of videos available to watch instantly online, this could be a great solution for me. Add to this mix that my housemate is away for a month, and wont be there to laugh at my gyrations, makes it all the more enticing.

The plan is to rotate around different types of workouts, doing one everyday for a month. From cardio/dance to pilates to yoga to anything else I can muster. I'm on Day 5. And I'm actually counting the hours until I can go home and do today's workout because, yesterday, I found a website that has Volume 1 of Sweatin' to the Oldies available for my viewing pleasure. And I cant wait. Literally.

I think this is something I can stick to, feel good doing, and get a good laugh at at the same time. Now, if only it werent 100 degrees outside...

Posted July 21, 2011

My two favorite things about Bailey (part 2)

(download)

Not only did I catch my 2nd favorite Bailey-ism the other night, but he did it in a whole new way. Howling. Bailey will get up on the windowsill and howl when there are ambulance or fire truck sirens going off. It's the best little howl I've ever heard, and we like to join in with him. This time... he heard the sirens while we were tossing a ball for him and he tried to howl with the ball still in his mouth... which, as you will see, didnt work so well. Enjoy!

Posted May 25, 2011