Feeling Stitchy is having a contest to design their new banner. While I'm still new at embroidery and feel a bit self conscience about my work, I felt that I should try and submit something anyways.
So this is my entry. I had a lot of ideas floating in my head and when I thought of this one, it just felt right! I was going to add a bit more detail to it, but I didn't want to overdo it and make it too crowded.
And I know Rob is proud of me for entering the contest. We'd all like more people looking at our photos, reading and commenting on our blogs or twitter....and you just gotta put yourself out there and get involved is what Rob always tells me. I tend to lurk and be silent on the millions of blogs I read, I'm just a shy person...but I am trying to be more "social". So, entering this contest is a way for me to get myself out there more.
Sheesh, Suzy....emo enough? Hee hee.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
In which Suzy turns 28!
Happy happy happy birthday it's my birthday!
I'm so excited to be turning 28! I've been waiting for this birthday for a long time since it's my golden birthday (june 28 = 28 yrs old). I feel it's going to be a great year for me! To do something special for myself (an idea i got when reading Joy of Doing Things Badly), I made a list of 28 things for me to do when I'm 28 which I'll list in a moment.
What are the activities planned for today? After breakfast of eggs and a chocolate muffin (thanks to the in-laws for the first of many sugar filled goodness) we went to a super early screening of Wall-E. Wall-E was SOOOOOOOO fantastic!! I'm so in love with this movie. It was so sweet and funny and lots of Apple/Mac love in there. At home I opened presents which included a super sweet bike helmet, cupcake, flowers from Rob, a new digicam from the in-laws, an awesome singing and moving Hoops and Yoyo card with an iTunes card from my brother and his wife and I finally got to break out my Renegade stuff and the books I ordered. I also got lucky bamboo from my parents (i requested something that lasts a little bit long that flowers). And I can't forget the lovely vintage patterns from Steph and Sarah! For lunch we had Pizza and Brew where I got a free meal: ) Then in a short while we're going to Rye Playland for mini golf, walking and maybe a ride or two. Finishing the day off with champagne and my cupcake.
On to my 28 Things to do When I'm 28 list:
(which i'll try to update my progress as i go along)
1. buy a house
2. take a yoga class
3. travel some place new
4. sell something I made
5. send out artwork for freelancing
6. plant a tree
7. paint a picture
8. pick a random book to read
9. sew something to wear
10. sew a quilt
11. donate to a charity
12. bake cupcakes from scratch
13. throw a party
14. eat at a new place
15. go to a local fair
16. print wedding photos
17. go out for breakfast
18. buy a cactus
19. buy original art
20. crochet something to wear that's not a hat or scarf
21. get a massage
22. go hiking
23. go to a winery
24. go to a bar just for drinks and appetizers
25. have fondue
26. have a picnic
27. go camping
28. go to a farmers market
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
We're Moving!!!!
As sad as it is to say, and in such a short time, Rob and I are moving out of New York and to....North Carolina!
We gave New York a chance, but in the end and for the future, we just felt that we couldn't have the life we truly wanted. While we love the trees, the food, Rob's job and culture, we also don't like the drivers, a lot of the crabby people and the cost of living. We're ready in our lives to plants some roots and buy a house and in New York we could only afford the smallest of places. It really upset us, but why should we make ourselves suffer for just a few small good things?
Why North Carolina? Well, it was actually going to be Arizona that we moved to because it was a familiar place and it's easy to live there. But, we did not expect to fall in love with North Carolina like we did! North Carolina won us over with its super friendly people, beautiful trees and the affordability. It's clean down there and is growing and it just makes us happy. It's all rather crazy and sudden, but Rob and I thought we'd give it a chance! We're looking at Charlotte as our starting point because it has the most design firms that suit Rob and the city has a wonderful urban art district and for me a Trader Joe's and soon-to-be Ikea. Surprisingly, we're getting wonderful support from family and friends. My parents realize that we can have a good healthy life there. Rob's parents are moving to North Carolina themselves in a few years. Rob and I actually have a couple friends there, including my old next door neighbor from when I was around 8.
And when? Since our lease is up on the apartment and we have it in our heads to move, we're leaving near the end of July! It's all crazy, but it's exciting: )
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Renegade Recap
Renegade Craft Fair Day!
(rob and i with the mustaches we got from Something's Hiding in Here)
We woke up bright and early yesterday morning to get ready for the craft fair. I was so excited I woke up extra early! Nice job sleeping in on a weekend Suzy. After taking the train and a couple subways and walked a bit, we found ourselves at McCarren park...over an hour early! Luckly, there was a farmers market being held and we enjoyed some yummy raspberry and apple cider and a delicious apple while sitting and relaxing on the grass. It was super nice to just sit there and watch all sorts of people walk by. I love the diversity of New York, 'specially in the "normal" living areas of the city, not the tourist clogged streets in Manhattan.
(me in front of the booths)
Little after 11, we headed to the "pool" where the fair was being held and I went into giddy crafter mode. We started at one end and ziz-zagged our way through almost every booth looking and drooling over everyones' goodies. It was so exciting to see crafters I've been following online in the flesh with their products in real life. Me being shy, didn't really talk to them. And you know everyone's super nice and friendly, but I just freeze up! Although the boys at Etsy were too awesome and I did talk to them a bit. Anyways. I was able to buy a lot of great stuff! A LOT!!! (i will list what i bought in the photo down below) Surprisingly, I did not spend all my birthday money and had quite a bit leftover, which is pretty rare for me to do. It did get overwhelming at times with all the wonderful things people were selling and we tried to make mental notes to come back, but the list got so long! But, there are a few things we are going to order online in the next fews weeks that we didn't get a chance to buy and that, I think, is a great sign because that person made a lasting impression. Despite the grueling heat, sun and humidity, everyone (vendors and visitors) was so friendly and totally laid back. I seriously loving the indie craft crowd. And the tattoos everyone had! Oh so kick-ass! After making our second way around, we decided that we saw all the we could see and it was time start the trek towards home.
(yummy cupcakes)
Our next stop was Babycakes in Manhattan. This sweet little place claims to have the best cupcakes around, which are all made with all natural, vegan friendly ingredients. Me being a lover of cupcakes just had to go there! And the verdict? Fantastic!! Even Rob liked them! I had a chocolate cupcake and a cupcake top and Rob had a carrot cake cupcake and a brownie bite. The word to describe them is refreshing. The lack of refined sugar and all the crap makes the cupcakes taste light and not rich and overly sweet. They were a little crumbly and messy, but it is sweets and that makes it fun sometimes!
As we headed uptown towards Grand Central, we ended up in Bryant Park and I told Rob that Kinokuniya, the japanese/asian book store had just relocated there and it was supposed to be bigger and better then its last location in Rock Center. Man oh man do I love that store! 3 floors of japanese goodness. We spent a good time looking at design books, craft books, tattoo books, manga, and paper goodies. I ended up buying a sweet japanese craft book with sewing and embroidery projects with cute cat motifs (yes it's all in japanese, but the illustrations make it manageable), a folder for papers and a little notebook.
(my sad shoe)
And it's not a trip to NYC for me without it raining of course! I swear, every single time we go there it rains when we head back! This time it rained hard. To make matters worse...my beloved mary janes that I had been wearing for 3 years got a hole in it!! So we're running to Grand Central, covering our goods from Renegade like they were the holy grail and my poor foot is completely soaked. Thankfully, our things did not get wet, but my feet stank so bad! Ahhh! R.I.P dear shoes, you were the best.
The fun didn't stop there, nope! For dinner we had yummy sushi from the place down the street. I also spent the rest of my birthday money buying some books I've been wanting for a long long time. Crafting books of course. I'm so inspired!
The Loot:
(i'll do my best to list what i got)
L-R
-Japanese craft book from Kinokuniya
-felt mustaches and wooden acorns from Something's Hiding in Here
-laptop skins from Sharp Shirter
-t-shirt from Renegade
-purse from 31 Corn Lane
-pins from assorted places
-bunch of zines and cards and stickers
-cardinal print and pins from Berkley Illustration
-a subscription to ReadyMade mag for only $5!
-wooden bookmark from Beacon Bookmarks
-wallet from Chikabird
-iPod cozy from Mr. Poncho
-mini grab bag from The Sampler
-lip gloss, lip tint and shaving soap from Bunny Butt Apothecary
-and for $5 the boys from Etsy gave you a plastic bag and where whatever you could fit in the bag from these 3 boxes of fabric, yarn and art stuff was yours. I got yarn, fabric, sweet clothing patterns, a yarn loom, a shirt, tote and a video on silk screening.
-somewhere in there is small bird earrings from Figs & Ginger
-and there are a couple of other things in there that I can't remember the names of the places I got them from.
*and as a good girl, I put everything and I mean everything, into the closet and will not take anything out until my birthday. I haven't even gotten to look through my grab bags, but at least I'll have a few surprises for my birthday: )
(rob and i with the mustaches we got from Something's Hiding in Here)
We woke up bright and early yesterday morning to get ready for the craft fair. I was so excited I woke up extra early! Nice job sleeping in on a weekend Suzy. After taking the train and a couple subways and walked a bit, we found ourselves at McCarren park...over an hour early! Luckly, there was a farmers market being held and we enjoyed some yummy raspberry and apple cider and a delicious apple while sitting and relaxing on the grass. It was super nice to just sit there and watch all sorts of people walk by. I love the diversity of New York, 'specially in the "normal" living areas of the city, not the tourist clogged streets in Manhattan.
(me in front of the booths)
Little after 11, we headed to the "pool" where the fair was being held and I went into giddy crafter mode. We started at one end and ziz-zagged our way through almost every booth looking and drooling over everyones' goodies. It was so exciting to see crafters I've been following online in the flesh with their products in real life. Me being shy, didn't really talk to them. And you know everyone's super nice and friendly, but I just freeze up! Although the boys at Etsy were too awesome and I did talk to them a bit. Anyways. I was able to buy a lot of great stuff! A LOT!!! (i will list what i bought in the photo down below) Surprisingly, I did not spend all my birthday money and had quite a bit leftover, which is pretty rare for me to do. It did get overwhelming at times with all the wonderful things people were selling and we tried to make mental notes to come back, but the list got so long! But, there are a few things we are going to order online in the next fews weeks that we didn't get a chance to buy and that, I think, is a great sign because that person made a lasting impression. Despite the grueling heat, sun and humidity, everyone (vendors and visitors) was so friendly and totally laid back. I seriously loving the indie craft crowd. And the tattoos everyone had! Oh so kick-ass! After making our second way around, we decided that we saw all the we could see and it was time start the trek towards home.
(yummy cupcakes)
Our next stop was Babycakes in Manhattan. This sweet little place claims to have the best cupcakes around, which are all made with all natural, vegan friendly ingredients. Me being a lover of cupcakes just had to go there! And the verdict? Fantastic!! Even Rob liked them! I had a chocolate cupcake and a cupcake top and Rob had a carrot cake cupcake and a brownie bite. The word to describe them is refreshing. The lack of refined sugar and all the crap makes the cupcakes taste light and not rich and overly sweet. They were a little crumbly and messy, but it is sweets and that makes it fun sometimes!
As we headed uptown towards Grand Central, we ended up in Bryant Park and I told Rob that Kinokuniya, the japanese/asian book store had just relocated there and it was supposed to be bigger and better then its last location in Rock Center. Man oh man do I love that store! 3 floors of japanese goodness. We spent a good time looking at design books, craft books, tattoo books, manga, and paper goodies. I ended up buying a sweet japanese craft book with sewing and embroidery projects with cute cat motifs (yes it's all in japanese, but the illustrations make it manageable), a folder for papers and a little notebook.
(my sad shoe)
And it's not a trip to NYC for me without it raining of course! I swear, every single time we go there it rains when we head back! This time it rained hard. To make matters worse...my beloved mary janes that I had been wearing for 3 years got a hole in it!! So we're running to Grand Central, covering our goods from Renegade like they were the holy grail and my poor foot is completely soaked. Thankfully, our things did not get wet, but my feet stank so bad! Ahhh! R.I.P dear shoes, you were the best.
The fun didn't stop there, nope! For dinner we had yummy sushi from the place down the street. I also spent the rest of my birthday money buying some books I've been wanting for a long long time. Crafting books of course. I'm so inspired!
The Loot:
(i'll do my best to list what i got)
L-R
-Japanese craft book from Kinokuniya
-felt mustaches and wooden acorns from Something's Hiding in Here
-laptop skins from Sharp Shirter
-t-shirt from Renegade
-purse from 31 Corn Lane
-pins from assorted places
-bunch of zines and cards and stickers
-cardinal print and pins from Berkley Illustration
-a subscription to ReadyMade mag for only $5!
-wooden bookmark from Beacon Bookmarks
-wallet from Chikabird
-iPod cozy from Mr. Poncho
-mini grab bag from The Sampler
-lip gloss, lip tint and shaving soap from Bunny Butt Apothecary
-and for $5 the boys from Etsy gave you a plastic bag and where whatever you could fit in the bag from these 3 boxes of fabric, yarn and art stuff was yours. I got yarn, fabric, sweet clothing patterns, a yarn loom, a shirt, tote and a video on silk screening.
-somewhere in there is small bird earrings from Figs & Ginger
-and there are a couple of other things in there that I can't remember the names of the places I got them from.
*and as a good girl, I put everything and I mean everything, into the closet and will not take anything out until my birthday. I haven't even gotten to look through my grab bags, but at least I'll have a few surprises for my birthday: )
Thursday, June 12, 2008
It's that time of year again!!
http://renegadecraft.comLast year I was lucky enough to go to the Renegade Craft Fair. We had just moved to New York and I was super excited to be able to go. Me and Rob's good friend Eileen traveled to Brooklyn, which was my first time going to the city as a non-tourist. The craft fair was one of the coolest things I ever saw. It was filled to the brim with some of the coolest crafters and coolest looking urban people walking around. I got to see some of my favorite crafters there and buy some of their products. And I discovered so many new people too! The biggest disappointment (not including the heat) was that I didn't have a lot of money to spend and missed out on a lot of cool finds.
This year I'm dragging Rob to the craft fair assuring him he's going to love it. Also, as an early birthday present, I asked my parents for some money just to spend at the craft fair. I've been pouring over the vendor list, looking at all the people who are going to be there and making a mental note of who to see first. I'll make sure I bring my camera and blog about it when we get back.
I'd also like to stop by at Babycakes bakery and Rob's being super and agreed we can go: )
And!! Rob and I have some super exciting news to share that we'll post about after the Renegade Craft Fair. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Vacation Time!
Rob and I spent a week at Topsail Beach, North Carolina with Rob's parents a couple weeks ago.
Rob in front of the huge gift store in Topsail Beach.
The place that we stayed was right on the beach.
We got lost looking for a movie theater and found a huge battleship!
The beach houses were so amazing and beautiful! (not where we stayed)
We had such a blast relaxing, eating, drinking, reading on the beach, swimming, walking and watching tv. The people in North Carolina were all so sweet and friendly. And the state itself is one of the nicest places I've been to. Trees everywhere, lovely homes, polite drivers, clean towns. We also went to Winston-Salem where Rob's parents looked at houses for when they retire in a few years.
Then on the way home we went to Busch Gardens, VA for some roller coaster goodness. It was so much fun!
Me next to a cool fountain.
Us in front of the fountain.
Beer, rides and food = Happy Rob and Suzy.
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