Just a Bit of an Update

I thought I'd put out an update of what I've been up to lately.

First of all, here's the start of Kristi's scarf.

It's not very long, and I should have done a few rows of knit or purl only on the edge to stop it from curling. Oh well. I am also planning on looking up a new stitch pattern to give it some more life so I don't want to go too much longer.

I really like my new bamboo needles though. Plus, I think I can take them on planes!

Today after work, I bought a mug and mini spoon rest because I LOVED it and it was on sale.

So adorable.

Cutie owl :)

This is my favorite for sure. I love him.

Now I'm in a fall mood.

I don't want summer to end without getting a chance to renew my tan but I am ready for new classes and cooler weather and colorful leaves.

Speaking of classes...

This isn't even all of my textbooks. They've been coming in for the past week and making me excited to read them but also dread the large amounts of homework I'm sure to have. I find it hilarious and frightening at the same time. Oh dear goodness. I don't want to have 32 textbooks. Where am I even going to put all of these in my dorm room!! It's not a fun prospect.

See the second book from the bottom in the first photo? The big fat one? That's my new Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, aka my Greek dictionary. It's MASSIVE. No joke. It's the one that frightens and excites me the most. Seriously. It's a freaking dictionary... that just happens to be one of my textbooks, one of my most important textbooks.

And I makes me laugh that my Hebrew Old Testament is German. I think one of my biggest struggles in Hebrew is going to be reading left to right. It goes against my every nature.

The only other thing I have to show you is my new journals/ makeshift planners. They came in a set of four, and I smile every time I see them. Wouldn't you?

I'm starting with the third one because it reminds me most of fall. I'm so excited to start filling it up!

Well, goodnight for now! Hopefully I'll have all kinds of things to show you tomorrow-- it's craft day with Lindy. Yay!

I regret not taking my camera with me to dinner tonight. I wish I could show you the wonderful things I ate. My aunt, Grace, is a wonderful Italian cook. She loves to feed us. Since I was home alone tonight, she invited me over for dinner. She said she would be making stromboli.

Yes, please.

Such wonderful delicious-ness. It is my favorite meal she makes.

There was also a surprise. Edamame dumplings. She found this recipe in one of her Cooking Light magazines. I made myself a copy :)

So good. I can't even describe them to you.

Lately, I've really been wishing that I was going to live in a house or an apartment soon. I am ready to have my own space that I can decorate and furnish. I am ready for a place to cook and sew. I want a kitchen.

The next time some of my girlfriends and I cook dinner, I am whipping out my recipe for edamame dumplings. Such a success.

Thanks, Aunt Grace.

We also played Boggle. I whooped her bottom. That's right.

Today I started knitting a scarf for Kristi, even though I told myself I wouldn't until I finished the baby blanket I started a year and a half ago. Oh well. I bought some new bamboo needles and a skein of super brightly colored variegated yarn. I called Kristi to ask her what color she wanted from the store:

Me: "Hey! What color scarf would you like?"
Kristi: "What size dress do I want?"
Me: "No. What color scarf do you want?"
Kristi: "OH! Something exciting! Like yellow! Or blue!"
Me: "Okay. Do you want it to change colors?"
Kristi: "You can do that?! Yeah! I want it to go from yellow to green to blue and back again!"
Me: "Hahahaha. Okay. I'll see what I can do. Bye."

She didn't get quite what she asked for. It has more colors than just those three, but it still screams Kristi to me. I'll put up some pictures of it tomorrow to show my progress. I don't want Kristi to know exactly what it looks like, but she doesn't know about this blog yet. So, it's all good.

I also bought some suede cord so that my sister and I can make sailor's knot bracelets.

Within the next few days, I'll also break out the sewing machine again to make a smaller fabrucket.

I decided to make a Weasley clock for my dorm room door. Any suggestions?

I really don't understand what put me in such a homey mood. All I want to do is cook and craft and have conversations with people.

Thankfully, I have fewer hours at work this week (about half what I usually do), so I'll have more time for all of that.

Get ready people. Post are a-comin'.

FABruckets!

My fabuckets (fabric buckets) aren't perfect-- that's for sure, but I do love them.

My biggest size might be too big. I need a stiffer fabric for that size. I love the buttons on them, though. It adds so much!

My smallest one might also be too big to use as a pencil holder, but I have extra fabric so I can make a smaller one if I feel like I need it.

Such cute buttons :)

They don't quite nest like they should, but I still like how they look all together.

I'm going to keep the edge of the middle size one turned down. I like the pop. If I do make another smaller bucket, I'm going to turn it inside out so the red is the lining. I'll also get some red buttons to go on the gingham side. Then I'll fold down the edge so the red shows. I wish I had thought about that for these but if I end up needing that small one, everything will work out!
Can you see how floppy the big one is in the background? Not good.

This is the big one with some of my yarn in it. I think it'll be better once all of my yarn is in it to fill it out. Oh well, I still like it. It's got floppy character. 

I just like the way they look with my bedding :) Sorry that my bed isn't made...

All in all, I'm proud of myself. Aren't they FABulous? I'm not very good at finishing projects, and I did this in less than 24 hours! Even with the mistakes and small hiccups, I'm satisfied. But it really puts me in the mood to do something else. I haven't felt this accomplished all summer! 

Now the question is, what next? My friend Kristi wants me to knit her a scarf, but I have a baby blanket that is halfway done. I've been working on it for over a year. ugh.

Next week my sister and I are going to make sailor's knot bracelets. She loves that kind. 

Any other ideas? 

Beginning

I've decided to start a blog for a number of reasons.
a. I've been obsessed with reading blogs lately,
b. I need a place to say things without saying them to anyone in particular,
c. I feel like it will motivate me to try new things, and
d. I need to be writing.

I decided to make fabruckets today. I bought fabric and buttons at Hobby Lobby and came home to start working right away, using instructions from Kim and Connie (http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-tuesday-organizational-fabruckets-9149/?ref=fp_article_image). Instead of making a felt applique, I sewed on black and white buttons. I just have one last step to complete my first major craft project, so I'll post pictures tomorrow when I finish. I'm so impressed with myself! I don't know what I'll create next!

Three days ago, I made guacamummus with a recipe I'd been staring at for weeks (http://gimmesomeoven.com/guacamummus-or-hummamole-avocado-hummus/). It was a total success, and my family loved it! I should have chopped the red onions up a bit smaller before adding them at the end, but it was still wonderful overall. My sister, my mom, and I are all on a diet so instead of dipping chips or crackers into it, we dipped slices of red bell peppers. Yummy! We had some extra bell peppers so now we're just eating them raw. I've never had some this good. They are beyond juicy and flavorful. Maybe I'm shocked because the only ones I've ever had came from the school cafeteria...
I hoping to try out some more new recipes within the next few days.

I just wanted to get started on this blog. It's been nagging at me for a long time now. I'm satisfied now.
It's off to bed, but first I need to work on translating the Gospel of Mark from Greek and read a bit of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (for the fifteenth time). Good night!