Grad School

It's no surprise that we have been neglecting our sweet little blog here for awhile, but other things have been demanding our attention.  One of these things is graduate school.  I've been blabbing on here about online schooling for the last two years, but guess what?  Those two years were just prerequisite classes!!!  If I was a mess then, these next three years should be chaos.  I have met some really great people through this program and got to send one of them a little gift for becoming a new momma.  It seems so far away, but the thought of getting to meet everyone at graduation is pretty motivating to keep going.  It's hard not to get bogged down, but I need to be better about not abandoning the arts and crafts I love so much.

This Easter break...

I crocheted, bought the new JT album for my mom, and did one math problem for my dad. :)
   23 flowers
     9 scarves
+   4 beanies
    36 pieces  

Dream!

I would LOVE to be "dreaming" right about now, but... I.  can't.  sleep.  Waaaa! 

2012 Donate Life Rose Parade Float!

This was our second year of helping with the Donate Life Rose Parade Float and every year it gets better and more meaningful! I love the people and the message; and it’s such a honor to be a part of something so amazing. Decorating the float is one of the biggest collaborative art projects I’ve ever worked on and next year I want to experience it all. I’m going to clear my schedule and go spend more than just one day decorating. My birthday is on New Year’s Eve and it would be so special to see the Parade and experience the day with some wonderful people. This year was no exception... we met so many great people. We got to meet one of the float riders who was only sixteen when he gave his kidney to his twin brother. And... we got to meet an ULTRA runner who came out last minute to help our team decorate. We had never met prior to this, so it was very cool that he came out to support this great cause. He was also pretty amazing at carnation placement. :) THANK YOU, THOMAS!!! Also, got to spend the day with my mom (who has worked on the Rose Parade when she was my age) and Kathy (a mother who gave her kidney to her son). So many inspirational stories. We love Donate Life!!!

We have a Donate Life Kern County facebook page now!!! It's new! Go find us and come to our Blood Drive! It’s tonight!!! Be there!

Donate Life Blog!

Six

Okay, this is the best story. I did my first PCTR (Pacific Coast Trail Run) about a month ago and it rained pretty much the whole time. I was freaking out because the trail was so slippery and muddy, but I was also impressed at all these ULTRA runners who were gracefully running the course, while I was trying to untangle my poncho. Why I decided to get out my poncho is beyond me because I was already soaked at the time. Anyway, I didn't bring a change of clothes.... mistake number one. Thankfully, every ULTRA runner I have met is awesome and one of the girls I ran with said her boyfriend had clothes in the car that he was going to donate to Goodwill. He was running the longer distance, but she took me to the car when we finished and gave me some of his clothes!

The running connection comes into play when you take an old shirt and make a scarf out of it. The is the loop scarf featured in the amazing Mr. Kate videos. You can cut up your old race shirts. The goal is to make my PCTR friends who gave me the clothes a scarf from what they made me. They really did save me that day!

Rockin' Rocks!

Little rocks photographed on a big rock for a dear friend who works my mom and I out everyday (seriously...she's our gym instructor and she’s going to throw these at us if we don’t step it up in class)!

Flowers!

I just can’t pass up the daffodils that Trader Joe’s has been selling! It’s definitely my impulse buy. So, when I was given these daffodils by my Goddaughter's other Godmother I melted. I’m usually a Winter girl, but this year I’m loving Spring!

Tempe or Bust!

It’s bittersweet that a good friend is moving to Arizona, but I love Arizona!!! Anyway, there was a going away celebration in his honor and the party favors were also the center pieces...sweet potted flowers. What a great idea! I’ve seen this before, but I had forgotten how much I love this idea! The menus (I wish I had taken a picture of them) were also personalized for the occasion, which is another great idea and way to add to an event even more. As part of the going away gift, I gave a picture and his challenge is to find where in “lovely” Arizona this was taken. Good luck Joe!!!

Number 28

Another Thanksgiving craft! These little guys were made from a doily, silk flowers, and a wooden button. So sweet!

Numbers 10 and 11

My aunt made these! They are too cute not to share!

Numbers 8 and 9

Hand built ceramics! The frog took me like thirty minutes...I’m serious! I really don’t know how that happened! I just grabbed some clay and this is what it turned into!