new look, same great orange cat

if you haven't checked in since my monday post, well shame on you!  if you have, you may have noticed a little something different going on.  totally new look, right?  my christmas present from my older brother was a rolled up piece of paper with a black and white draft drawing on it.  two days ago, it showed up in my mom's e-mail colored and ready to go.  and here it officially is!
so now i feel things look a little more "together" and ready for the new year instead of an instagram photo from over a year ago.  now i'll just have to figure out how lisa made a button for her page that people can grab, and y'all can get a mushu button to put on your blogs.
so remember... if you have a random need to hire anyone for an animation project, or maybe even illustration... or just whatever you need drawn... check out markham's work at boogatech.com or on his deviant art page.

joshua's t-shirt quilt - christmas 2013

there really isn't much elaborate excitement to say about a t-shirt quilt.
i generally don't get super fancy with them.  just giant blocks to best feature the t-shirt designs.
my mom had been gradually sneaking shirts from my brother's closet at they got small, faded, over worn, or the favorite result, worn through.  i busted out this t-shirt quilt pretty quickly.  well, at least the front assembly.  chopping out blocks while watching SNL episodes is pretty convenient.  a few of his shirts had backs to them that were somewhat significant and since i couldn't fit them on the front, i figured out a way to work them in to the back.
christmas morning he did a good job of either being surprised or faking it, since so many times i was working on this quilt, he would come home from work, or pass through the living room.  thus limiting the time frames that i was able to work on it, or have it fully laid out on the floor.  all in all, its probably one of my better t-shirt quilt results.  all blocks look pretty evenly spaced and sizes without anything being super crooked.
yeah, i'm pretty happy with how that back came together.  i had the tractor fabric in my stash for another purpose, but it just fit so well with joshua's past desires of construction and building stuff.  well, i guess he still does that anyways, but it just involves lighting and staging instead of birdhouse kits & front yard trebuchets.
lisa asked me how many t-shirt quilts i have done... and i had to count it up.
i have 2 big ones and 1 small one (first one.  second one & small one apparently didn't get blogged or craftstered)
aileen has one
ben has one (which is more like two since it's double sided)
uncle barry has one
and jacob got his christmas 2011
so i think joshua technically makes #9 of the t-shirt quilt variety, and i am sure there are more to come.  i know erika wants one, and there have been shirts collected from markham's drawers as well as more from aileens.  as well as the kliban cat shirt collection.  man, there are going to be t-shirt quilts for DAYS.  good thing they're pretty simple to make!  just need lots of interfacing :)

pillowcases for the newest schuhs

when betsy & dillon tied the knot in november, i wanted something fabulous to give them that was one of a kind.  i didn't quite have the time to bust out an awesome quilt like i would have liked to, and i already made her a ruffle apron that i was stoked over how it turned out, and then i remembered something jenny told me awhile ago that made perfect sense for a wedding present.  betsy loves her pillowcases, and changed them on a daily basis.  and i just love to roam fabric stores, so i hunted for some fantastic "betsy-esque" colors to create some pillowcase sets for her & the husband man.  now the only bummer is that pillowcases don't really show much enthusiasm when being photographed, so try to show some excitement for them... okay?
i think the last one (blue & yellow) is my favorite.  the colors just blend so well together in all their complimentary color-ness.  but the green chevrons are also awesome... and i really like the shades of blue on the cuff of the top one.  okay, maybe it is a little hard for me to play favorites.  but my heart was filled up with happiness when betsy sent me a text gushing about how much she loved the pillowcase sets.
i can see myself making loads more of these pillowcases.  they went together so super easy and i love how all the seams are enclosed.  no frayed edges here!
pillowcase pattern found: here

in 2014...

so since i'm currently waiting approval for lightroom 5 download, i had to take a picture in JPEG form from my new camera so that i could post something today. here's the crazy thing.  this is a JPEG, at 6400 ISO (which means i had really poor lighting) held at arms length away.  the quality on this thing (the camera, not my face) is so insane, that there is literally no noise at all, and when i zoom in to full size, i can tell exactly what website is reflecting from my computer screen in my eyeball.  granted, it makes me look conceited because it's my own blog, but still... INSANE.  i digress...  this is my face as of january 1st, 2014.
so i thought this post would be easy.
and i thought it would be epic... since it is blog post #200 for the tp&oc blog.
i thought i would have all this time to reflect and figure out what i want out of 2014 that i didn't get in 2013... or that i wanted to get but slacked off at.  i figured i would have this written DAYS ago, but i didn't  i changed the date to one day later, simply to allow for one more day.  but here i am, writing this after midnight... after i've put it off a thousand different ways (and nearly killing my elbow by seam ripping out basting from the catvent) but there is no escaping it.  i've deleted and rewritted more times than i can count, but one thing is true.  2014 is here to stay.  at least for another 363 days that is, and i'll probably find myself doing this all over again.
at the start of last year, i had six different ideas that i wanted to do.  did i accomplish any of those things?  probably not really.  well, i worked at two gyms throughout 2013, and with that came the gym membership... but i haven't worked out at the gym since i was sick for a few weeks in october.  yep.  i'm literally AT the gym 4 days a week, but don't work out.  don't judge me too much.  on tuesday i looked back at what i did do in 2013, as well as a things i didn't.  i don't feel horrible about the things i didn't do in 2013, because i did do quite a lot.  i didn't plan to go back to school, but i did.  i didn't plan to buy a new car, but i did.  i didn't plan to shell out the money to go to disneyland twice, but i did.  and that leads me to my point for 2014.
in 2014, i am still not sure what i want to plan for.
and i think that's okay.
i know i should try to get going in gym routine again like i was over the summer.
i want to travel.  visit lisa in colorado, cica in new york, even meet up with stephanie, whether on her turf of new mexico, or if she comes here and visits san fran.
i want to be better at saving money, but i also don't want to be afraid to spend it for opportunities i wouldn't have if my life was tied down in other directions.
maybe i'll find "the one" this year, or maybe i'll just find myself meeting new people.  either way, i just need to put myself out there, as un-fun as meeting new strangers sounds, it will be good for me.  or at least make for good stories.  in the meantime, i'll just build my collection of obscure one line e-mails that make me shake my head and say "did that really just happen?"
i should put myself out of my comfort zone.  do things that scare me, make me uncomfortable, make my skin crawl.  like go see a movie by myself... or get my shot record up to date.  blech.
i hope to read more.  i felt like i was accomplishing something when i was reading.  or at least taking a step away from my reality.  but then i got in a relationship and thought i didn't have time for reading, or sewing, or anything of my "alone time" pastimes.  i just set a goal on goodreads for myself to read 10 books throughout the year.  it sounds like such a low number, but i don't even know what school is going to be like for me this spring semester.  if i can beat that 10, that would be great.  providing that i go to the gym, i might actually defeat that goal with my reading & cardio machine combo.
i feel like i'm a pretty positive person, but i know i have room for improvement.  i try to uplift my friends when they're down, but i also need to remember to look at the bright sides of my own situations.
i should find ways to volunteer.  get myself out there and in the community.
i intend to photograph.  a lot.  like a lot more than i can even begin to imagine.  sure, this is a business related intention, but it is the very thing i want to make a name for myself with.  yes, i do have the passion for teaching like i am going to school for, but making ends meet to reach that photography goal is what it brings with it.  i've worked hard to get my business to where it is right now, and i just need to keep pushing it to be the best of what it could be, and then some.
so there you have it folks.
my very noncommittal list of 2014 plans.
well, not really plans, more like ideas, things that sounds like fun, or ways to push myself.
see you all in 362 days to see the recap of what actually happened.  but obviously you won't have to wait until then to know about it.
you'll have seen it happen.

december - instagram lookback

i figured i may as well get the final december related post (other than christmas gift related) done today.  well, let's back track a second.  happy new years day everyone!  today i officially determine whether i start another 365 project or not.  i guess i have 15 more hours at this point to determine that...  but anyways, here's to rounding off 2013 in one final post and kicking off 2014 strong.  hit the year running (or blogging) strong.
so now back to december. in a month's time, i finished the semester will all As, completed my catvent quilt top, and worked.  has a few social affairs (i think?) and did some pretty hefty shopping with my business account.  in that same month, i knccked out a large wedding present, started my yearly room cleaning overhaul, and celebrated  the holiday with the family.  pretty eventful, if i do say so myself.  and here are the instagram snippets that i have to go with it all.  i had a hard time chopping it down to the usual 9, so i upped this time around, and made it 16.  wowza.  i went crazy with this one!
- december 2nd was erika's 25th birthday, and so i met up with her, matt & a few of her friends at benihana's for some food deliciousness.  yeah, it was pricey, but it was GOOD.  and it was so much fun welcoming in erika to the super awesome "ugh, are we really 25?" club...  and i did it the same way i've been doing it since high school.  a birthday card & a bag of peanut butter m&ms.  some things will never change :)
- steve & i went to del oro together, but didn't really get to know each other until the sierra college years.  i graduated from sac state in may of 2011 & he started that fall.  we've done a lot of photography stuff here and there, and so when he asked if i would help him out with his senior portfolio i was game.  he was doing wet plate glass negatives, which i had never seen done before.  i may have drooled a little over his bathroom darkroom set up, and how cool the process was.  ugh.  i really want to shoot some film now.  or my holga.  or lots of both.  one of the negatives turned out super sharp, and i cannot wait to see the final product!
- i broke my sunglasses that i've had forever...  i bought these after i lost my blue & green ones in 2009... yeah, i managed to keep cheap sunglasses for that long.  funny enough, these were the same sunglasses that "emily other" had at sac state with me, so it was very fitting to call them the emily glasses.  alas, i snapped them by accident and had to retire them to the trash can.  forever immortalized on instagram now.
- finals week.  signed, sealed, delivered.  all As for the first time in forever, and boy did it feel good.  now let's hope i can pull that off next semester when i have a full 12 units, half of that being online classes... ugh.
- when we moved to loomis in 1999, my grandma myrna bought me a roll of address labels.  it wasn't until sending out amy's invitations that i FINALLY ran out of them.  clearly i wasn't sending enough snail mail.  it will be sad to no longer see these little ladybugs next to my name on return labels, but i guess that means i can finally move out.  haha.
- every year, my grandma gets us an ornament for the christmas tree from hallmark.  of course, this was my choice for the year.  well, it was between this and a buss lightyear one that made noise.  but i have one from a few years ago that was buzz & the rc car, so i had to shake it up a little bit this time around.
- half as a joke, i got my dad a calendar of his cat.  we've been taking the pictures the past few years just for entertainment, but finally got around to making the calender we always talked about. each month is "themed" for the holiday that associates with it.  i.e. january is a "new years" buzz cat, april has an "easter bunny" buzz, october has buzz wearing a witch hat, and so on.  it was very entertaining to put together and see in finished form.
- giant stack of invites!  so far, only one got returned... and that was because i forgot to put a stamp on it.  so now the party planning can officially begin once we start getting RSVPs for amy's wedding bash.  super fun!
- oh sleepy mushu.  i couldn't not include this picture.
- our cookie making has been slow, but at least they taste the same no matter whether they are made before or after christmas.  we had a tube of premade dough that i blobbed in to sugar cookie balls... and a doughman.  because it wasn't cold enough to roll out and cut into pigs.
- granted, i didn't become a cheesy youtube star with these, but we got our annual christmas pjs.  mine had cameras all over them, which i helped pick out at the start of the year.  so comfy and warm, as usual.
- we saw frozen this year, and it was super cute.  lots of music like disney movies used to be, and a good story line.  would totally see it again... and again... and i can see why there are loads of people doing so.
- my dad has talked about farrells over the years, and now that there is one back in sacramento, we decided to go there for josh/carol's birthday & early new years tradition celebration.  i have to say, the ambiance of the place was very fun & lively, but the ice cream was sub par.  joshua got sung a birthday version of the space jam song, which proved to be entertaining.  it was fun, that's for certain.  i wish i could have kept that cup though.  that was pretty cool.
- yessss.  this did happen.  i have been saving pennies over the years in my business account, not spending any more than neccesary and was finally able to make this hefty of a purchase.  finally going full frame, which i am certain will do wonders for my photography.  i am super excited to start shooting with this camera (just bought it monday night) and see what it has in store for me & my business... which basically means it is back to saving pennies until i can get some new lenses :)
- the second movie in pretty much a week's span.  i could get used to this.  we went and saw catching fire, and it was pretty good.  i couldn't remember much of what parts this book covered, but it was absolutely worth it.  it should be interesting to see the third part when that comes out.  i would reccomend it if you haven't seen it, but know the story line and such.  ugh.  so many other movies i want to see that are out right now too.  gah!
- and lastly, we headed to leatherby's last night after the movie.  well, because it wouldn't be new years without ice cream.
in conjunction with instagram photos, here are a few photos from our "daycation" to mysterious areas in the san jose/santa cruz area.  we started the day off with the winchster mystery house tour in san jose.  the house was crazy huge, and it was interesting to hear all the stories behind it, the construction, and everything.  there was this GIANT set of drawers that the guide said she used to store fabric... and boy, was i envious of those.  unfortunately, there is a movie being filmed in the house right now, so we weren't allowed to take any photos.  because i'll have you know i would have taken quite a few.
after the tour & lunch at chipotle (shocker) we headed to santa cruz to the mystery spot.  this was a much shorter tour, since it consisted mainly of bad jokes & the crooked, yet level, cabin.  regardless, it was still interesting and worth it.
and there you officially have it for december, and 2013 as whole.
let 2014 begin!

in 2013...

in 2013 (in no particular order) i...
saw fall out boy & backstreet boys live in concert with my best friend
went back to school
did two bridal shows
made 10 stash bust quilt tops
obtained a new car, and now in the joyous process of paying it off
was officially asked to be a bridesmaid for one of my dearest friends
went to disneyland.  twice.
completed a 30 day blog challenge
had love, then lost it, & overcame it faster than i ever thought i would
went to two costume parties, one being a murder mystery dinner, and a  fantastic girls night out
got all As for the first time in forever
booked 2 weddings for 2014
turned 25, quickly followed by erika turning 25
had my first upside down roller coaster experience
worked 3 different jobs in addition to my normal dance class teaching & photography business-ing (not all 3 at once though)
attended a wedding as a guest
second shot 9 weddings
did two bridal shows, and booked 2 more big ones and 2 small ones for 2014
got some well over due bonding time with the not so wee one, complete with fabric store shopping with lisa
chopped my hair off 8" and donated it
in 2013 i did not....
write as many blog posts as in 2012
crawl up in a hole and die
learn to enjoy seafood
lose any limbs, have any surgeries, or get vastly ill
punch anyone in the face, slash any tires, or any other hurtful revenge tactics
sew as many stash bust quilts as i had hoped
do any extensive traveling past a reno trip or two & disneyland
read as many books as i had hoped
give up

see you all soon in 2014!

weekend wips

and here we are, at the last "weekend wips" of 2013.  how far we've come since the beginning of the month.  the exciting thing is that most of the first list is complete!  the sad side, is that i am not sure how much stuff i will regularly have going at this point to keep these weekly posts going on in to the new year.  since school starts back up next month, my crafting time will be chopped down all over again.  so i better get a move on what i NEED to finish before then.  oy.  and as mentioned last week, i did in fact take my sewing machine in to get some overdue TLC lovin' for the new year.  one week down, hopefully less than two until i get my machine back.  until then, it's working with my mom's machine... which is basically the same as mine.  just not teal.
project a: almost done-er than it was before.  it's down to the "make or break" moment where i put on my big girl panties and work some magic.  that magic involves a lot of basting, stitch in the ditch-ing, and removing the basting.  and then binding.  binding will be a relief when it gets to that point...  because then end will most definitely be in sight.  i might add, for bragging rights, that this project has gotten pretty rave reviews from those that have been lucky enough to see it.  quite possibly even some of my best yet.  fancy fancy.
project b: finally done, delivered and can be revealed.  i took some of my younger brother's old shirts smuggled out of his closet by my mom and turned them in to a t-shirt quilt.  i am quite thrilled with how well it turned out.  stay tuned to see that puppy show up on the blog in the coming week-ish.
project c: done super ahead of schedule.  which is fantastic, because then i can dedicate myself to project a a little bit better.  it turned out fabulous, just like i had hoped, and will make its debut probably mid february.  can't spoil the gift giving before it happens!
project d: oh catvent, you were so fantastic to me, and so much fun.  i loved seeing everyone's blocks pop up on instagram and see how different everyone's take on the project was, simply by the fabric choices.  as to hold you off a little longer until i finish the mini quilt entirely (quilting it myself... eeeps!) here is a lovely self portrait snap of it... and also a clue as to why i generally enlist my sister to model my projects for me.  haha.
other than that, my mom got two pairs of pj pants from me for christmas, it is officially onward to doing some bridal shower planning for amy, and i got a sneak peek of what the updated "toothpaste & orange cat" design will look like.  yep, drawn by my brother as desired, and i cannot wait to see the final product.  so you'll have to wait just as long as i do.
enjoy your last few days of 2013!  can't wait to see what the new year has in store :)