Hot Pink Dreams

I rebelled against the readings last night and got creative. :)  It's been so long since I've been able to sew anything that I decided to make a spur of the moment mini-quilt.  I've wanted to try making a doll quilt for a while now, so I hauled out a few sewing supplies and got started.  

I paper pieced each of the blocks (found the pattern online for free) and used up scraps from a bright, fun kids quilt that I made a year or two ago.  

I was so happy with it, right up until I decided that I didn't want to get out the other (heavier) sewing machine to quilt it and decided to try zipping a few lines of quilting over the top with the regular quarter inch foot.  Quilt in haste, repent at leisure.  It was so sad.  My pretty, brightly colored blocks are now a bit wonky and crooked looking.  If I were a better, more conscientious craftswoman I would pick out every single stitch and redo it until it was perfect!  No crooked, sad little project would leave my workstation, no way!  

Alas, I am not that craftswoman.  So instead, I'll send it to someone that I know will love it, crooked, misbegotten seams and all.  

I'll whip on a binding and send it to E (since she was so appreciative of her teddy bear, sweet girl!) and she can use it for a little doll (or bear) quilt.  

In other news, some guy came around my apartment trying to sell magazine prescriptions this afternoon, and while I'm sure he truly was a hard working student with dreams of traveling to Italy, I was cold of heart enough to turn him down.  I dislike being disturbed in my fortress of solitude.  

Introducing Mr. Bear

My first official day of graduate school is tomorrow!!!

I am VERY excited about this semester, I've got the best GTA assignment I could possibly have and I'm hoping that my classes aren't too intimidating.  I've already met quite a few of the other graduate students in the program, and I've found some who are taking the same courses as me.  It will be nice to see some familiar faces at the first class meeting.  I've printed out the readings for my first two classes and I think the earth's population of trees is smaller as a result, so it's probably time to return those 1-inch binders and get some 3-inchers.  

This is my last free day for a while, so I'm doing some laundry and running some errands.  Tonight I'll head home to go to H.H.S's colorguard practice, and either spend the night or come on back.  I've also been crocheting a lot lately, which I haven't done in a while, so here's a sneak preview of my latest projects.  :)

I found a pattern for the cutest little teddy bear online at bernat.com/home and decided to try to make one for my niece Erin's birthday.  I'll put it in the birthday box that I'll mail to Arizona.  I got the body and legs done last night, and since it worked up pretty quickly I'm thinking about making a few more.  

This is one panel of an afghan that I've been working on for, well, ever!  I finally got it back out and put a few more rows in a few nights ago.  

Later!  

8:33

This week I've been attending orientation for GTA's at UA, so I don't have any pictures to post.  But, since a blog post lives and dies on pictures, I decided to throw in a few randomly for your enjoyment.  :)

 Above is a picture of the cupcakes that will inspire my secondary career plan after burnout hits in the middle of grad. school.  

Burnout seems far away right now as I am very excited about TEACHING MY VERY OWN DISCUSSION SECTION as a large-lecture GTA.  I'll be responsible for my own class (assignments, discussions, and papers)!  I am NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP excited... which leads us to my second random picture for this post.  Below you will see me and my best girls, E.O. and R.W. as we pose for our traditional "diversity in the Million Dollar Band" photo at the SEC Championship.  Which of course led to the National Championship.  Roll Tide!!!  (Why am I always the shortest? I'm NOT SHORT!)

I'm also still working on organizing and unpacking my apartment, I let things go by the wayside during orientation, but I plan to spend much of tonight putting things in their proper places.  Below is a cool cabinet that I saw once at Pottery Barn and felt inspired to take a picture of.  

In a while, crocodile!

Dancin' on the boulevard...

Haven't found the magic attic yet, but I do have a new apartment!!!

Dad, Mom, and Rob helped me all day Saturday and Sunday to get everything moved into my new place.  It's still a work in progress, but with their help I was able to get so much unpacked, not to mention all of the heavy furniture up a flight of stairs and into the apartment!  I feel so at home already, and I know once I get the rest of my stuff put away this will be the perfect apartment for me.  :)  Plus, for the next few weeks my very good friend E.O. will be living downstairs and across the hall from me!  We've already had a movie night, we watched Audrey Hepburn in Wait Until Dark, ate popcorn and sour gummy worms!, and had such a fun time.  Last night we went outside and worked on routine for the high school colorguard that she's working with this summer.  She's moving out soon, but I'm so glad we'll get to be neighbors for a little bit.  :)  

Below are some BEFORE pictures, so please don't judge me by the mess, lol.  And after that, I've got one or two after pictures of the living room for you.  The kitchen and bedroom will take a little longer.  :)

Here's my dining nook!  I'm so glad that I have room for my dining room table again.  (We had Five Guys for lunch on move-in day).

I've got a huge huge living room!  And Aunt Janice and Uncle Linton were sweet enough to loan me an entertainment center and comfy green chair...

that just happens to match THIS couch and coffee table that traveled from Rob to Mere and Matt to me!!!

There's a cute little kitchen...

a good sized bedroom...

and now, my absolutely favorite thing in the whole apartment...

a washer/dryer!!!!!

And now, for at least a few after pictures...

my living room!

P.S. Rob put that bookcase together for me AFTER helping carry EVERYTHING upstairs. :)

And Mom hung my black frame (the one with the mirror) so high that I can only see my forehead.  She tries.  Hehe.  

And my dining nook (ignore the kitchen, still messy)...

More soon!