chimesblog

… Steph and Steph!

I’ve got 3 more invites if anybody would like them. Just drop me an e-mail.

I may or may not have stolen this idea from my friend at Domestica.

Regardless, I’m doing it.

Recently I was invited to a wonderful community where people can curate and share things that they love with one another. It’s called Pinterest. It was pretty much what I used to use tumblr for, but better. It’s like visual bookmarks for things I want to come back to. Not to mention, it’s helped me find all sorts of new things that I love to look at.

Here’s something lovely I found and posted on my designy board.

However, Pinterest is invite-only for now. BUT: I have 5 invites to give away!

Interested yet?  I know I would be.  How do you win?

Well … let’s see here … how about we make this contest about social networking — since that’s what Pinterest is about. To enter, comment on this post and tell me your favorite social networking site and why I should use it.

Good luck! I’m closing the comments at midnight on August 15 and a winner will be posted that day (winner chosen with the random integer generator).

I’ve been looking for a necklace or a pair of earrings that match my lovely jade ring that Mark brought me from Antigua when he visited for his sister’s wedding in February.

Finally … I found something!

… and it was from a Cedar Rapids vendor, to boot! (HeatherBerry) So that’s pretty cool. I love it. And I’ve put in an inquiry about matching earrings and another necklace  in these styles …

I’m pretty excited. And I’m anxiously awaiting a response from her.

So, I’m kind of a big deal. Maybe?

I’ve been in the paper a lot lately. Featured in Des Moines Register a while back and I’ve had my photo in various publications advertising for Market Day. And the etsy shop has been HOPPIN’ this week. Not sure what the deal is, but I’m getting to the point where I might not be able to keep up. No autographs, please.

Here’s all the lovely pretty things I sold on etsy this week (since last Sunday!):

Birdies and Coffee Creamer

Birdies and coffee sugar dish

Bluebirds and coffee oversized mug

2 of the It’s a teacup. Literally. cups

Pink musical flowers plate

Teatime with Gram set

The last 3 items went to the same lady in Korea. Not sure how she found me (guessing on Etsy), but I’m going to ask because I’m curious.

And sadly, I let my lovely butterflies and wonderland quilt go … it was bittersweet. I love this. I hope it is happy in its new home.

Anyway, I can’t believe how much press I’ve gotten and how popular my etsy shop has been this month alone. I need to get making!

Yay … I broke down and ordered more fabric. I probably shouldn’t have because my stash is kind of ridiculous, but I needed some new stuff. I had a custom request come through Market Day last week for a black and white wallet. I didn’t have any wallet-worthy black and white fabric. I like using oversized prints for my wallets, and all I’ve got in black and white is quilting fabric (for my black and white quilt that I have yet to post anything about).

So, I visited etsy, fatquartershop.com and fabric.com. Nothing really to be found on the latter two. Lots to be found on etsy. But, I realized they were all from the same seller, and that it was a familiar seller, so I just went to her website instead — Fabricworm.

Here’s what I picked up for the wallet … plus a few other things that I’ve been eyeing for a while.

Not sure what I’m going to make out of some of the stuff, but I had to have it for my stash. I also picked up a random fabric scrap bundle which gave me a couple other goodies. I wish I would have picked up more of the top black and white fabric. It is gorgeous. It’s going to make fabulous wallets.

This past weekend I realized I have an awful lot of projects that are WIP, unfinished or just plain sitting around — UFOs (unfinished objects).

So, in effort to finally finish up some of these, I present to you in no particular order (and when I started the project):

My Embarrassingly Long List of UFOs

1. Mug for a friend’s birthday present (2 weeks ago)
2. Tattoo Dish Set (July 2009)
3. mom’s pleather jacket restyle (September 2009)
4. quilt for my mom (March 2009) — in my defense, I just haven’t had the extra $75 around to get it professionally quilted.
5. coin stack quilt (March 2009)
6. Thea’s Puzzle Quilt (April 2010)
7. Roseanne Afghan (November 2007) — this project is to work on when I don’t have any other projects to work on
8. fabric scrap greeting cards (May 2010) — I have 45 blank cards left to create
9. camera cases (July 2010) —  I have 10 cases left to sew — just need to buy buttons and elastic to get them done
10. fabric scrap flowers (July 2010)
11. jeans into summer pants/shorts (July 2010)
12. Map of the states quilt (April 2010)
13. Yellow fake-esta ware dishes (July 2010)
14. Nerdy cross stitch (April 2010)
15. cookbook (December 2009)
16. Portfolio/website/resume revamp (May 2010) — don’t worry — just time for a refresh.
17. Wonky Log Cabin Quilt #1 (February 2010)
18. Wonky Log Cabin Quilt #2 (February 2010)
19. Workout/Recipe/Craft project binders (February 2010)
20. Family recipe book (January 2008)
21. ironic greeting cards (May 2009)
22. T-shirt quilt for my cousin (August 2009)
23. Fabric Frame (June 2010)
24. touch up painting my kitchen (May 2010)
25. recycled t-shirt rug (September 2009)
26. Black and white quilt (March 2009)

I’m sure there’s way more UFOs than what’s on this list,  but this is what I’ve got so far. Problem is, I don’t have deadlines for any of these, except maybe the stuff I make for Market Day, but those are rolling deadlines at best.  Gifts always have deadlines, so there’s 3 on here I know I can mark off for sure.  Mom’s quilt is getting done next month so I can have it ready by September.  The birthday mug is going to get done this week.  And there’s one more on here that’s going to be a wedding gift for a friend.

Anyway, in an effort to demolish this list, I’m going to present one finished project (or at least progress on something) each week.  Obviously, the granny square afghan and other projects (like quilts) take a little time, and some take some funds I don’t have.  But I promise (girl scout’s honor) to work on this list as best I can before starting any new projects.

Wow.

I’m surprised I still have hair after what it’s been through this year. Whew! I didn’t realize just how much my hair has changed until a passerby at work said “oh you got your haircut … again.”

So those of you who’ve met me this past year have no idea, but my hair was pretty much the same from 8th grade until January 2009. I chopped it off then.

I’ll save you the painful explanations and descriptions and regale you with photos. Enjoy. Most are courtesy of my daily mugshot … so they’re not the best quality.

1997–2009 (curly or straight? otherwise, same old and boring)

January 2009 — cut and color courtesy of my friend Sarah

August 2009 — cut courtesy of my friend Lora (the hair genius) — and no, I’m not nekked. I have a tube top on. Thank you.

September 2009 — the infamous break-up dye job. Courtesy of Feria. I don’t recommend it. Get it professionally done unless you want it to look like you used shoe polish.

October 2009 — I evened out my uneven cut … and dyed it darker using another box of shoe polish, er, I mean, Feria.

November 2009 — after a professional dye job courtesy of Lora … YAY. I love this color.

after another cut and color (yeah … I lost track of when. January? February?)

Februaryish

May 2010 — a few months after a cut and color in March — may or may not have used box dye to touch it up

July 2010 — my hair last Thursday … after 3 or 4 box dyes blonde (yeah yeah yeah) and some sun in (yeah yeah yeah)

July 2010 — aaaand my new haircut.

whew. that was a LOT of hair.

I’m getting my hairs cut … I’ve been pining over this haircut ALL week — saw it in Glamour magazine on Monday or Tuesday during my workout and decided that it’s beyond time for a haircut and I needed something new, cute and different.  Especially since I’m taking a mini-vacay this weekend to Galena, IL for the man’s b-day.

My friend Lora who is a hair genius is doing it.  Tomorrow.  Early AM.  Awesomeness.

Wish me luck! She will make it awesome. She always does.

check it out … my cute onsies were blogged about today. I feel famous!

after some gentle prodding from my friend, Shelly, I finally changed purses.

Meet my adorable new Kathy Van Zeeland purse!