My Creatively Random Life

Yesterday I got several e-mails telling me that March is National Craft month, (how did I not already know that?) which of course made me very excited.  After all it's an excuse to craft....everyday...for a month.  Like I don't already do that.  However, I will take any excuse to take on a new project (or twelve) and I have a huge craft supply stash.  So I thought that I would take this chance to do some stash busting projects and see what cute ideas I could come up with for materials I already have on hand.  For day one I took it easy and made these cute hair clips for Cat from some little wooden button dolls I got in my Christmas stocking.  Materials: 4.5 inches grosgrain ribbon, alligator clip (I use double pronged for Cat cause she's got crazy curls), wooden doll (came from the dollar store originally) Heat seal the ends of your ribbon so they don't fray, I used a lighter but you can use fray check or a wood burner as well. Using a hot...

I was playing on Pinterest one day (you can follow me if you like) and came across some vegan recipes that I wanted to try.  They brought to mind a friend who enjoys vegetarian cooking so I immediately texted him to tell him so.  I am sure there was some eye-rolling because I am as far from a vegan as one can get but he requested that if I was so bored could I find him a recipe for homemade caramel corn.  I, naturally, thought that this was a brilliant idea that was sure to kill at least a half an hour of time.  Unfortuantely, I had never searched for something on Pinterest before so I massively underestimated how quickly I would find the perfect sounding recipe.  In about five minutes I uncovered this  one which just looked so good in the picture I had to pass it along. Turns out caramel corn is one of those things it is both really good and really bad to know how to make.  I completely endorse this recipe, and will NEVER buy from this s...

Bailey So, last year my friend adopted this super adorable cat, (cutest kitty ever) and just fell completely in love with her.  How could I not?  Look at her, she is just a big ball of fluff and love. I came across this pattern on the hunt for a crochet cat to make for Cat (hmm, say that a few times and try not to feel nuts) who is naturally obsessed with cats.  (sitting on my lap write now meowing at Bailey's picture as I type).  I decided it was too small for her but that it would make a perfect toy for Bailey.  I had some green scraps from a previous project stashed away and I thought this would be a great way to use it up.  It worked up fairly quickly (took me forever to sew it together for her) and I am very happy with it.  I think I am going to make up some more of them, it just came out so cute. 

I am so hyper today!  I am going to see Emilie Autumn live this evening at The Opera House.  To say I am excited would be a bit of an understatement.  I am a kid the day before Christmas...from what I have been reading on Facebook and Twitter it is an awesome live show.  <claps hands and bounces up and down> Plus I will take any excuse to dress up, and I used this show as an excuse to buy the most adorable corset dress.  I mean honestly, how often can you wear corsets in public? (and not feel not self conscious)  I also get to be accompanied by one of my favorite people in the world  <YAY!> who gets to deal with me being super hyper.  <HA HA!> Okay, I am going to go bounce off some walls and get some more coffee.  Here for your listen and/or viewing pleasure are the song that first made me fall in love with songstress affectionately known as EA as well as my favorite song. ...

Okay, so I knew that this project was going to take a long time, but I really thought for some reason that I would have it done by the middle of February.  <insert hysterical fit of laughter here>  Yeah right. To begin with it is done all in single crochet 65 stitches across and 822 rows, 142 of which I have completed so far.  It is very monotonous and that makes it really hard for me to stay focused on.  I seem to have the attention span of a two year old who has been feed a bag of chocolate covered espresso beans.  (I would never do that nor do I condone it) I love this scarf, it is beautiful and I want to finish it.  Hell, I already want to make another one.  But...I also have a huge list of notes about what I am going to do differently next time to hopefully make it go a little quicker.  Assuming I finishing this one.  <nervous laugh> Which I will...eventually, I am just hoping it's not in June or something.  I mean...

So today is not my favorite holiday, and it's not because I'm single.  It and I have some bad history.  I am not however, one of those people who begrudge people who do enjoy it.  (my children for example)  So because I watch a ridiculous amout of Treehouse (thanks Cat) I am going to take my cue from them and call this friendship and caring day.  Taking today and this post to thank the people in my life for being there and telling them how much I love them. Now don't get me wrong, I am pretty sure most of these people know this.  I am pretty good about randomly telling them things like that.  Or something like that.  So to my children...there are no words to describe the love I feel for you.  I am so proud of both of you, and the best (and worst) thing I ever did was teach you how to think for yourselves.  There is never a dull moment with the two of you around.  To my oldest, bestest friends, what is there to say?...

When we got of the bus this morning for the walk in to daycare the air was rich with the smell of skunk.  Not the best thing to encounter at 7am.  Ace however was immediately enthralled. "Do you think it's a dead skunk or just a scared one?"  He asks, trying to balance the snowpants he refused to wear and walk backwards so he could see me.  "Probably roadkill."  My knowledge of skunks isn't huge but I do know that they are mostly nocturnal animals and the smell is crazy strong. "Do you think if you were driving and you were about to hit a porcupine and it shot quills at your tire you would get a flat tire?" "Huh?" (left field seriously) "Do you think if.." "I heard you buddy, I just thought we were talking about skunks." "I saw a dead porcupine once on the road.  By the McDonald's where we had my birthday party." "Oh, I don't think a porcupine quill could penetrate a tire."  "W...

It's Wednesday, and I am having one of those smash your head against the wall type of days.  It started with yet another war with Cat to wear her winter clothing, I may have won this time.  I put her jacket on backwards.  Sure, she screamed bloody murder all the way to daycare...but she didn't take her jacket off. I followed that up by getting caught up in traffic and arriving at working late and coffeeless.  Not my favorite way to start the day, it leaves me feeling very edgy.  So I brewed myself a large cup of Awake tea and raided the office chocolate stash.  Now, being a migraine sufferer there is a large list of foods I cannot eat without risk of headache.  At the top of that list (as in guaranteed, everytime) is hazelnuts.  Which makes me sad because I love them, especially in chocolate.  So, every now and then, usually when I already have a headache, or like today when my day has already gone to pot, I indulge.  These parti...

On Monday my boss and I went to to a seminar on e-marketing for the dental office.  It was fairly well done, and all about using social media to attract new patients to your dental practice.  Really, the advice could be applied to any business looking to increase their online presence. One of the things that interested my boss the most applied to ones website.  We were told that the homepage rather than focusing on selling to our patients (or customers) should be descriptive of the practice. The speaker had a slide with a list of questions, what is your purpose, why are you here, what do you offer etc.  All things he felt should be answered in some way to catch people's attention.  I was taking notes on my smart phone which has one of these nifty time line features on the main screen.  So for the past few days I have been looking at the question what is the purpose, why are we here everytime I open my phone.  It's almost one of those meaning of life...

My favorite part of any new craft project is in the gathering of materials.  To start with, I get to look through my stash and be it fabric, ribbon or yarn as much as I like to think I know what I have I really only have a vague idea.  Which is great when I have a general project in mind like making new bows for Cat or the doll blanket that she requested yesterday. This week however I had two projects come onto my radar that I wanted to do that I didn't have the supplies on hand for.  The first was through a knitting and crochet group I belong to on yahoo Mary's Knitting and Crochet Corner that is doing a CAL (crochet along) this month.  The project calls for 100% cotton yarn in pink/purple or red.  I was a bit surprised I didn't have this on hand.  I have a whole box of cotton yarn.  Every color of the rainbow....except on of those three. The second project is also crochet, but is one of my own undertaking.  (I almost feel there should be a ...