My Nerdy Hobby

I've just entered week two of my work-free summer vacation and let me tell you, it really is all it's cracked up to be. Going back to teaching may have been the best decision I ever made.

Along with spending oodles of time with my 4 year old babe, I have so much free-time at night and I can stay up later because I don't have to be up at 6:15 AM, and it really is grand. (Sorry to all of you who are reading this and resenting the hell out of me right now.)  In addition to beginning no less than 4 books in the past 2 weeks, I have also started back with my favorite nerdy hobby: needlepoint.

I started cross-stitching when I was in middle school, and recently picked back up the needle-arts. The variety of patterns and kits these days is so much better than in the early nineties when most of what I could find was in the local craft store and most likely involved a teddy bear or a 'country kitchen' theme.

Etsy is a convenient place to find modern and "cool" needlepoint kits, and this SatsumaStreet cross stitch pattern is next on my list:

Pretty Little San Francisco via here

Target has some pretty cool new crafty-items, including this embroidery kit that I completed and framed for my mom for Mother's Day:

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They also have these kitschy little wooden boxes with a grid for cross-stitching on the top. I have bought several, and if you're in my family and have a birthday coming up soon, you can count on a trinket box with your initial on top, handmade by yours truly.

This one is for my soon-to-be-5-year-old nephew, Taylor:

And this one is for my brother-in-law, David:

Just yesterday I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Hey Natalie Jean, and she posted this: HNJ Needlepoint Club!  If you follow me on the Instagrams, you will be seeing periodic pics of my latest needlepoint creations. Feel free to join me in joining Natalie Jean's nerdy-needlepoint club! 

So, do you have any dorky hobbies you're willing to tell us about?

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Craving Neon

I think it's safe to say that neon is an official trend these days...and because I am no style icon, (far from it), it is also probably safe to say that it may be passe at this point, but I am loving it.  (Please forgive me if you are now rolling your eyes and saying: "duh, neon is so 5 minutes ago.")

Recenty purchased this scarf from Target (hard to tell from the photo, but there is some neon orange in there):

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Coveting these neon beauties from around the web:

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So, are you loving neons too?  Am I late to the party??

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Christmas in October

I can't help it--I love Christmas.  Here's a warm-up list of things I love for Christmas this year--to decorate with, to gift others with, or things I would love to receive:

Balloon Dog Ornament- Urban Outfitters $10

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 For those of you who know my husband, he would love this.  He claims to be a pro balloon-animal-maker--I will admit he has skills, but pro-talent I have yet to see.

Goldencup Bolero- Anthropologie $118

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How beautiful is this amazing little ditty?!--it would look so pretty overtop a little black dress.

Temporary Hand Tattoos- Dinos and Robots- Uncommon Goods $12

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 A perfect stocking-stuffer for a certain nephew...

Kraft Snowflake Wreath- West Elm $30

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 Wishful-thinking kind of decoration.  (Probably the only snowflakes I'll see this year).

Astro Ornament- CB2 $2.95

 

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Unique and affordable.

 

 Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Red Velvet Cupcake Mix- Sur la table $12

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I'm obsessed with Ina Garten and my sister is obsessed with Red Velvet anything...check out Ina's other mixes available at Sur la table.

 

Nordic Ware Holiday Pancake Pan- Target $34.99

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I'm currently craving pancakes...and these would be so cute for little ones!

 

Hope this gets you in the holiday spirit, albeit a little early!  What do you want for Christmas?

XO 

 

 

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IKEA Finds and the Nursery

Being that I really hate the gender/sex stereotypes of "pink is for girls" and "blue is for boys," James and I decided to go ahead and decorate the baby's room before we find out what we are having. 

With some help from my IKEA purchases from 2 weekends ago, we spent this past Sunday painting, putting things together, hanging, decorating, and generally sweating-- all in the name of a cute, gender-neutral nursery.  Here are some pictures of the  (almost) finished product:

*The wall paint is a very pale blue--it matches the bedding that we got from Target on-line.
*The rocker is from IKEA.
*The green/white dresser is from Roundabouts Consignment store in Columbia, SC.  (Originally Pottery Barn).  All drawers were originally white and James spray-painted 3 of them green.
*Crib is from Babies R Us.
*Tree and birds wall decal from Target.  
*White bookshelf was ours already-originally blue, but sanded down and re-painted by my very handy husband.  
*Striped rug is from IKEA.
*Shelf on the wall is from IKEA.
*Beautiful and soft animal-print fleece blanket hanging on the end of the crib was made by my very talented mother.

*I used printed papers from a local Columbia stationery store, Jot, to paper the back of the bookshelf--hard to see from this shot, but really pretty--and so cheap to do!
*The alligator blocks and the 2 boxes with animals on them are also from IKEA.
*Vintage Fisher-Price airplane is from Etsy.  Love it--looking to purchase some vintage F-P little people to go in the plane now.

Sweet Abby and Fat Albert (cat) helping us paint the bedroom :)

There are some things left to hang on the walls and a couple more small purchases to be made--like a CD player for the nursery, so the baby can listen to the cool CD's I recently bought for him or her: Lullabye Renditions of Bob Marley, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones:

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We are so ready to find out the baby's sex--ultrasound in 2 weeks!

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