more baby shower diys

Since I have been invited to many baby showers recently, thought I would share some of the other baby gifts that I have been making. Here is a "stats" blankie that was made for my best friends' most recent little addition:

I have also embroidered other blankies:

And some of those cute hoodie towels that look like a duck and a frog:

I also tried something new-applique! I have only made this one bib, and I still do not have the hang of it, but it is pretty cool. You just attach the material you cut out with some double sided fusible interface like wunderunder, stitch around the edges (this is the tricky part) and voila, you're done.

 

Now I have a whole slew of made-with-love goodies for my mommy-to-be besties!

diy burp cloths

So, I went to a friend's baby shower last year, and she was given a few adorable burp cloths that were monogrammed. When the gifts were passed around, I inspected the burp cloths and thought, "I could make those"-it's just monogramming and sewing two rectangular pieces of cloth together. I hopped online and searched for some dimensions for my next project (thank goodness for Google)! Here is what I went with: Homemade Burp Cloths from the baby gift hot list. I used a cotton print for the top and flannel for the bottom. I am going to use a minky dot material for the bottom once I finish using up the flannel. The flannel works fine and is absorbent, but the minky dot is softer on a baby's face. Here is the first burp cloth that I made (which I finished embroidering about 5 minutes after I should have left for the shower-yikes):

What is great is that I have already cut out the fabric to make many more, so I can just make burp cloths on the fly! Seriously, you would be surprised how handy it is to have these supplies on the ready. I have made many more since my first attempt:

silence, please

It seems to be a given, something we've all been taught...like don't stick your tongue to the frozen flag pole or look both ways before crossing the street. If you don't heed these rules, things could get ugly. But I guess curiosity or just plain stupidity gets the best of people and they just have to ask, insinuate or otherwise shove their foot so far into their mouths that they seemingly can barely cough it back out. I am talking about those people who just have to ask if you are pregnant!!

Recently, say in the last month and a half, I have faced two such shoe-chewers. The first proceeded to ask "Ooh, are we with child?" and the second, "Do we know yet?" as he rubbed his belly. 

For the first, I have no explanation of why they would ask, but do think it is funny that when I responded "Excuse me?" she actually thought I didn't hear her and then proceeded to stare at my stomach with each passing until she finally had to ask again a few weeks later-this time in a much more subtle manner. It actually became fun to pouch my belly out upon passing her and then suck it into my backbone when meeting her again-no wonder she was perplexed! Hey, if I'm going to be insulted, I should at least be allowed to have some fun with it! :) 

In defense of the second, he was a poor guy who worked at The Melting Pot and he did see me with a full out food-baby in my stomach, but still-keep it to yourself: think it, don't say it!!! It's not like I'm going around with a glow or anything-that's just the exertion from me carrying around my extra 20-pounds! I thought the pressure from family to have a baby was bad enough, but now the general public seems to be weighing in with a "well, you look it so you might as well have one." 

I guess their mommas did not teach them any better, but for the record, no one ask me if I am pregnant until I appear to be at least 8 months along! On the bright side, I can have a good laugh about it and just know that when the time comes, I will apparently play the role very well-I even have a head start! :)


Oh, and I blame this ranting on my hormones! ;)


-the non-pregnant pregger

finish line

Since I am blogging, that gives you the good indication that I am not laying on the side of some Nashville street dead from exhaustion. I MADE IT! The weather was perfect! The run was a challenge due to the unexpected early onslaught of hills, but it was a great run. I found my stride and I navigated around the wall that I had recently been hitting in my training. I didn't even have a single blister on my feet-that is a big deal! Here I am with my CMM Half Marathon buddy, Erica, excited to determine that I am actually wound and injury free (and enjoying some yummy cookies-what? I deserved them!):

So after only running about 8 miles at the most during my training, I ran about 12 out of the 13.1 miles. I crossed the finish line in 2 hours and 32 minutes. For the most part, I only stopped to walk when I was at a water station because I was tired of drenching myself with water and Cytomax and sadly, I also had to stop to text-this was a shameful moment of my life. Apparently, running and texting do not mix, so for the safety of myself and those around me, I stopped and walked while texting my cheering club to tell them that I was at mile 3. Speaking of, here is my awesome cheering club, mom-in-law, Joni and sis-in-law, Mallie:

Looking forward to the next 13.1~hoping to bring my time down below my personal best of 2:10.

sigh

In addition to my obvious lack of blogging, there has also been a lack of running. Something, I am told, that is essential to running a 1/2 marathon. Nonetheless, I shall run anyways...even if I will want to cut my own feet off when it is over! I am quite certain that I can move myself for 13.1 miles, I just know that I am going to want to run most of it to get it over with and I am quite certain that will result in pain for me. My former running self ran every step of the 1/2 marathon: here are my results from 2004. 9:55-minute miles, not too shabby! But that was many years ago, and I'm just hoping to get in under 15-minute miles this go round-ha ha! From now on, maybe I will just focus on being a Muddy Buddy: Columbia Muddy Buddy Ride and Run Series. Perhaps that is a better fit for me, but for now, I'm going to run this race as the least prepared runner out there. See you at the finish line-hopefully!

13.1

That is my new goal: 13.1 miles, also known as a half marathon. There was a time that I thought that was crazy and also impossible. However, that changed my senior year of college when I had too much time on my hands compounded by my best friend becoming a commuter student so I couldn't hang out with her in M'boro anymore. I was bored and a little lonely and I wasn't sleeping very well. The bored part came from loading up all of my previous semesters so I could have a fun and laid back senior year-guess I got what I wished for-huh? So one day, I, like Forrest Gump, just started running. I ran and ran and ran until I was tired. That night, I slept. I kept up the running because it seemed to tucker me out so I could sleep. 

Not too much later, two of my friends from church had decided to join Team ASK (Athletes for Special Kids). They were going to train to run the Music City Half Marathon to raise money for Special Kids, a not-for-profit that offered therapy services beyond what insurance would provide for special needs children. I was in! I figured if I was running, I might as well run for a cause. That was when the impossible became a reality for me. I loved it and I was addicted! I ran every step of the half marathon and lived to tell about it. That was nearly 7 years ago. Unfortunately, I graduated and "real life" started and there hasn't been nearly as much time for running as I wish there were.   

So, when there is not much time, there is a simple solution: just sign up to run on your company's team so that there is pressure to not back out! Forced running-even better! I have only had 3 training Saturdays, and I am up to 5.5 miles-yahoo!!!! I will keep you posted, as I hope to run every step of this one, too. Just one problem, I have started training almost 3 months later than I did the first time-yikes! Might not leave too much time for crafting, so my blogs may become the trials of the runner instead of the braggings of a crafter!
Speaking of crafting, here is some embroidery (what you didn't think I was actually going to write a blog without showing some of my creations, did you?)!

My parents bought aprons for my brother and his girlfriend and gave them to me to embroider.

My friend bought her niece a lunch bag, and I made it personal. The dots were something new for me.

Finally got around to embroidering my Mom's beach towel-getting a little more daring with graphics (the dots gave me the courage to try an image)!

Bought these dish towels at the IKEA in Westchester, Ohio. Great, quick gift and cheap, too! Gave these to Dad to put in Mom's stocking-he needs all the help he can get! Going to stock up on dish towels for shower/housewarming gifts.

hooked

My lunch buddies and I have been working to expand our crochet resume. We have finally learned to make some sense of crochet patterns, but instructional videos are still the best teaching tools for us so far. In addition to potholders, hats and flowers, we are now crocheting cowls. Also known as a mobius, as I was taught the other day. The exception, however, is that a mobius has a twist in it and my creations do not, so I think I will just keeping referring to mine as cowls. They are a cinch to make and rather cozy during this CRAZY, snowy weather we have been having here in Tennessee. Here is my first cowl:

I think it is a little long, so I made the next one a little more snuggly (I don't care that it is not a word...it just fits):

I have also been busy the past few months making many more hats for Christmas presents and I even sold a few...cha-ching! I am sure Brannon is glad to see some return from my expensive hobbies. Actually, I can't really say that crocheting is expensive, it's just that I seem to be hoarding yarn now in addition to my fabric hoarding that I mentioned in previous blog, but I digress... So, back to the hats, this isn't all of them, but a sampling:

 

I even started trying to make hats for kiddies, too. Although, not having children myself I have no idea how big to make hats. Good thing I found this guide:head size chart. I also started to add ruffles to my little girls' hats.

 

 Don't you just love my little models!