Like a Fox....

I know I have been talking a lot about how I want to be more crafty. Well, I finally feel like I have made some progress.

Dan helped me move my Desk out of the guest room and set up a little craft area for me in our living room. I like the setup, because I can still watch TV or Dan play Xbox while I am crafting!





First, I made some hair clips for my nieces out of buttons. I just needed to by the special bobby pins and buttons. I used a glue gun to attach the button to the bobby pins.
It was pretty easy, and I liked picking out the fancy buttons to use.






My next adventure was making magnets. I made some out of bottle caps and some out of the decorative glass pebbles. The bottle cap ones were fairly easy. I just need to sand out the inside of the bottle cap, glue a nut a magnet then to the back of the bottle cap. Next, I will try to flip the magnet over and put a picture in and fill it with resin. I just need warmer weather so I can open our windows, so I don't gas myself with the fumes of the casting resin.





The glass magnet were my favorites, I cut out cool designs from magazines and glued this to the back of the pebble with fabric glues. That way the glue will not eat through the paper. then I glued a magnet to the back of the paper.





I also started to make paper beads out of magazines. I love finding pages that will make interesting beads.






Lastly, I started making stencils and making T-shirts! This was a hard process. I found the template online, then printed them off on card stock. I cut out the stencil with an exact-o razor and then taped the stencil to the shirt and used a roller brush to paint on the shirts. I am very pleased with how they turned out. We have a white chair from Ikea that I would like to stencil on, but am not sure what design to stencil on. Any suggestions? I did get this book, Stencil 101, so I am excited to keep stenciling things! My nephew is obsessed with Lawrence Welk, so I think I am going to try and make him a shirt for his birthday!








When I finally finish my granny square blanket I will post pictures, but it won't be for awhile.



What are you making? What should I try next?

Update from Dan

Hello readers. It's Dan again. It's been over a year since I wrote in our blog, and Amanda always asks me when I'm going to write in here. I've started a few entries here and there over the past year, but I've never finished any of them. Today, however, the sun reading on my horoscope said the following:

Mars and Pluto supply raw power for enhanced opportunities today. The planets help you cut through red tape and attack matters with decisive action and resourcefulness.

Clearly, I took this to mean that I should write a post in our family blog. Decisive action has never been my strong suit, but with the raw power of Mars and Pluto flowing through me, I will summon the energy to write a short blog entry.

The last time I wrote in our blog, I was just about to start my new job. I'm now starting year 2 of that job, and it's going pretty well. It's not super demanding, it's fairly flexible, I get to work with students, and I have my own office. I also get to take free classes and utilize all the benefits of the university. I can't really complain. Amanda's job is more stressful than mine, but it's also pretty good company to work for. They have a bowling league, too.

The problem I find myself with now is what do I do with my life? Yes, I work full time, but I've never been too eager to define my life by what I do at work. When we were in school, it was easy to defer this question - your only calling is to study, go to class, work occasionally, and fill the rest of the time playing video games, drinking with friends and sleeping. Once that's over (and including any grad school, internships, study abroads, volunteer corps, etc.) and you actually find stable employment, it's easy to think that you're on track. But if you're like me and not a workaholic career-driven individual, you find that your life is no longer on a track. You've left the railroad tracks and now you're just rolling across the open desert in an American Gladiators Atlasphere steel ball - no direction and very little momentum other than what you provide yourself.

What the hell do we do now? We're happily married, I'm actively saving for retirement, and we're not planning to have kids for a few years. It seems like my days are spent in a 50/50 split waffling between a) frantically investigating new life or career opportunities online and b) being completely at peace with my current life situation and seeking out new activities to enrich it: reading, working out, playing music, freaking out about political news, thinking up small business plans (to reduce the need for regular work) etc. Does this ever go away, or is this a constant life deal? It's actually probably unchartered territory, at least in terms of previous generations, because ours was really the first generation to grow up with creative spelling, "everyone's special, unique and wonderful" and "you can do whatever you want in life if you set your mind to it" guidance. With our "limitless" yet guided upbringing, our first steps into the uncharted real world are a tough adjustment. It's just one big game of Atlasphere.

Lately, though, I've been seeking out more things to actively pursue instead of watching TV and freaking out about what to do in the future. Amanda has been helping with this too; it's easier for me to do stuff when I see her working on crafts and printing t-shirts, etc. I'm still taking Swedish at school, and I've been reading books on the bus everyday. I've also decided to try and write more, both in this blog and in another blog I'm starting about how much I hate advertisements. Amanda, as much as she loves me, does not love my constant deconstruction and criticism of TV and internet ads, despite the fact that they're hilarious and thought provoking. Since we don't have kids yet to listen to my stories and learn from them, I'm forced to turn to the great void of the internet to share my opinions. Hopefully I will gather a large following and become an invited speaker at internet events and daytime TV shows.

So that's my update. I hope you've enjoyed it. I will be sure to try to write in here more, and I'll also post the link to my new advertising blog if/when it gets off the ground.

Side Swiped...

Well...This week went pretty fast! Monday was Valentine's day and I did get some roses and really good chocolate. Dan got an art print and some Xbox points. We went out to eat the Chile Verde Cafe, and it was delicious!
All in all a pretty good week.

That is until Wednesday night... Dan and I are in a bowling league with my work. We play every Wednesday, and it pretty fun. On our way to the bowling alley on Wednesday night we were side swiped...There was a car trying to get off the exit onto the interstate, but we were there. Most cars would slow down and go behind, which this car eventually did, but then it went around us came up on our left side, came into our lane and hit our car and then drove off...
WHO DOES THAT?!??!

It was probably once of the strangest thing that have happened to us while driving. I don't think Dan saw it coming, as most of it occurred in his blind spot. Once I saw the car that hit us was not going to stop and in fact sped away, I yelled at Dan to get the license plates number while I tried to call 911.

I called 911, and it was strange experience. I never called them before so I am not sure what I expecting, but it was weird...
I hadn't seen the damage that was done and was expecting the worst, but it was not as bad as I had imagined it.

The officer came out and gave us the info of the person with the license plate number we provided, it was for a Hispanic woman, but I saw a white male driving. Which doesn't mean it wasn't her car, but we aren't 100% sure we had the right plate number.
I don't think any charges or tickets will be issued to the person, but our insurance company is looking into it...

Not sure if we will fix it or not, because in all honesty it isn't super bad, and would rather get a couch.

Here are some pictures I took aright after we pulled over at the Speedway gas station and were waiting for the police officer to come check it out.







We were lucky that this is all the damage that was done, and that we only missed 7 frames of bowling, and could play our whole second game!

Feb, R U Ary?

Well we are well into the month of February, so I thought I should probably write about something...

Last week Abbie and Alexis came to visit me and it was a lot of fun! It makes me miss when I could see them everyday!

The weather has been really cold here, it really feels like Iowa here...Dan and I ordered new coats, and they should arrive next week, just in time for our 50 degree weather....The ONLY reason I will be sad winter is over, is that Boot season will be over....BOOOO! Speaking of which Zappos and Piperlime are having sales!

I am still trying to get through the Freedom book, for the book club I joined...

Lately I have been feeling a lot like Jessie Spano at work, minus the caffeine pills. There are lot of projects with deadlines looming and I am finding myself saying,"There's not enough time...there isn't any time...." a lot. Don't worry I have people checking in on me!



I am working with Abbie and Alexis on planning Sarah's Bachelorette party on May 7. WE are going to go to the Cubs/ Reds game. I will cheer for the Reds. I want to make some schnazzy shirts for it...Any ideas?!?

Dan and I will probably do the same thing we did last year for Valentine's Day! It should be nice, and I will probably blog about it!



Now that February is almost over, March is well on its way here, which means March Madness is coming! YES!!!!!

Put A Bird On It!

We just watched the first two episodes of Portlandia. The show pokes fun at hipsters, yuppies, and of course Portland. It was pretty funny. Below is a clip found especially funny. I do love putting birds on things!!

Maybe, I am crazy...

So, I am not afraid that I may be a little neurotic or maybe that I am a little eccentric. Everyone has their ticks, right? I usually keep these crazy thoughts in my head and only to myself, but now I got this blog and not a lot to talk about, so why not let them out?!
Sometimes I laugh out loud when reading PostSecret on Sunday mornings, because I also have the same secret (none of the racy or suicidal ones, more like the I am scared of spiders ones). I have a lot of irrational fears. For example, I hate (am afraid of) horses, but have never been attacked by one. I check my shoes for crickets and other creepy bugs before I put them on.

Lately, I have a fear that I look like Shaun White.



Probably because I am growing my hair out and it is in a weird phase...I am really paranoid about it, and it is probably not true, but I can't help to think that it is. My husband and best friend both assure me this isn't the case, which makes me wonder what if it is and they are just trying to cushion my fall? Like most irrational thoughts and obsessions, I am sure I will snap out of it...I hope...I am getting my hair trimmed and eyebrows waxed this weekend, so hopefully that will help!




It could be worse...I could look like Carrot Top...oh no =[.....

27 on the 25th

Happy Birthday Danny!
I love you!
About 5 years ago, I started to make a list in of my journals of all the things I loved about Dan. The list stopped at 232 items, probably in 2007, as that is when I quit using the journal. I found the old entries this weekend and thought I would share some of the list for his birthday!

3. You can cut your own hair.
6. You have become my best friend.
14. You love your breakfast!
18. You used to meet me in between classes on the sidewalk.
26. you used to read the Babysitter Club Books.
29. You aren't the best at keeping secrets...
35. You understand why sunscreen is important.
47. You said I love you first!
53. You are nosy.
61. You hate doing the dishes.
72. Elven Raids!
80. You are in band for fun.
88. You love viral videos.
90. You think Jennifer Garner looks like a Centaur.
96. You leave your snot rags(used kleenex) all over the place...
105. You take forever to pack.
109. You are eager to offend.
118. You like to get to places early...
129. Our first conversation topic was about Captain Planet.
142. IKEA
144. I want spend all my time with you.
151. You don't dance.
159. You are going to take me to Spain someday.
177. I always cry when we have to say goodbye.
182. You are stubborn.
190. You rented Bend it Like Beckham.
197. You told me you were saving money for a ring!
198. You swear during Catch Phrase.
203. You don't like the sun.
230. You let me sleep in.

I know have a quite a few more reasons to add to the list for example, you often look creepy in the pictures I take, Your obsession with Eric Northman from Trueblood, You are a karaoke star, and I don't know what I would do without you!

I love you Dan!
Happy Birthday!