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! 

ahhh, to blog again

I am happy to be back to the world of blog and out of the stone age! I am not sure what sinister illness possessed my computer, but for the past few months, I have not been able to access any sites that require a secure log in...including my Yahoo email, Facebook and yes, even Blogspot-yikes!!! If it weren't for the hectic schedule of the holidays, I might have lost my sanity without these. Sorry for the hiatus, but thanks to the hubby, I am back in business.

And boy do I have crafts and news to report! The first and most exciting news is that we have yet another set of grandparents back in their home. Hooray! Brannon worked so hard to get them in. We had hoped to move them by Christmas, but there was no way to get everything accomplished and an inspection the week of Christmas, but shortly after, they moved in to their practically new home. I will post pictures later. Now, just one more flooded home to go! Maybe we can get everyone back in before the one year anniversary-keep your fingers crossed!

I have had some free time...or I forced free time to complete a lot of crafts for Christmas. I won't overload you but here are some crafts of Christmas past and present:

I apologize for the sun and shadows in this picture, but this was on my door during October and November. This wreath was the start of my new obsession. I made it in November 2009 at my friend Katy's "Craft Day." I didn't think I was very crafty at the time, but this is what I felt I could handle since I had to bring some project to Craft Day. Little did I know that a year later I would be a craft-addict! Moral of this story: start with something small, even when you don't think you would be good at something, and you will never know where you will end up!

I used Martha Stewart glitter-which is just fab, Mod Podge and styrofoam cones to make my sparkly Christmas trees. I punched card stock to make the other tree, which was inspired by a tree featured in the Stampin' Up mini catalog.

I made some more gathered clutches as presents.

 

I crocheted some more pot holders and wrapped them around the Pampered Chef bamboo spoon set.


Looking forward to a great 2011-what a great way to start the year-doing plenty of projects which I love, celebrating the joy of the birth of my friends' children, seeing more family members get back to better than before the flood and watching another friend build her dream home! And there is more to come in 2011 like getting Pap and Nana back in their home and seeing my sis-n-law's high school graduation and start of her first year of college!

weekend project

The ladies of the "crochet club" (yes, we're dorks) and I have been trying to learn how to crochet a hat. This is especially difficult since we do not know the crochet lingo or how to read a pattern. No worries, that is what youtube and ehow are for! However, after three attempts to make a hat from a tutorial Bonita found on youtube (I did everything right, but the hat was clearly made to fit an elephant not a human), I decided to make my own hybrid from the crochet stitch I learned on the tutorial and from counting the number of stitches on a crocheted hat that I already own. Fortunately, this hat did turn out because after crocheting the same hat three times and each time unraveling what I had done, I was ready to give up and just buy a hat and say I had done it. Luckily, there is an easy to follow tutorial for making the crochet flower that adorns the hat: slinky crochet flower. I did not have to repeatedly rework the flower....thank goodness!

I'm smiling because I am glad it is over. I think I will finish the scarf and pot holder that I started prior to making this hat...I could use a simpler project!

mom is spooky crafty!

Check out these cute Halloween cake plates that my mother made. You just take a black or Halloween-inspired plate (like the ones she found at Target), score a candle stick for a bargain at a yard sale and glue them together with some E6000. She even added some spiders for fun.

The spider web plate was my favorite and I was able to take it home with me, but not before she filled it with fresh baked cookies. Spooky and yummy!

craft update

Brannon and I just returned from a very relaxing, and much deserved (if I may say so myself) trip to the beach courtesy of my awesome in-laws. It was nice to sleep in and not have to get up and go sand something or hear nail guns and air compressors! We played some frisbee, ate a LOT of seafood, did some Christmas shopping and I spent some time crafting. I sat on the beach and crocheted potholders for our family members that flooded. I also completed a soft and cuddly crocheted scarf (see the green one below).

I also crocheted the gray scarf and made a ruffly scarf from flannel-I will be making another soon and will include instructions on how to make the ruffly scarf.

Prior to going on vacation. I completed some long overdue embroidery projects. My mother and three other ladies cook dinner for the youth group at White Bluff Church of Christ on Wednesday evenings during the school year. A local grocer donated black aprons to the ladies and I put their names on them for some pizazz.

I also embroidered a Built NY neoprene lunch bag that I scored at Wal-Mart for $4. I was just curious to see if my machine could even sew through something that thick and to see if my hoop would hold it. It was a challenge to hoop and I had to obsessively hover over my machine to repeat stitches for full coverage. So, even though I may not ever want to do it again, at least I know if I wanted to, I could.

Hope to post some more projects soon since my vacation continues with a day off from work on Monday-thanks to good ole Columbus for sailing that ocean blue!