Big news!!

We're married!

Now that the crazy year of planning is done, I hope to share more about our day soon!

Craft room organization

After the walls were painted and the furniture was moved in, it was time for me to organize my supplies.  Once again, I opted to use things I already had to make the space my own.  I mean, our own.

I sorted through my supplies and made sure everything had some sort of space or organization.  Well, I tried at least.  Thread, needles, pins, etc. went in the antique sewing box my grandma gave me.  Felt into a $5 sewing basket from Goodwill, complete with vintage fabric lining and built-in pincushions.  Yarn in the basket my aunt made. I tied together a stack of fabric scraps.

Since I'd already filled up my table space, I stacked up boxes and baskets between my desks and garbage can.  The gray travel case was another heirloom from my grandma.  It's filled with odds and ends, like old jewelry I plan on cutting up.  The bottom box is beads and wire.  

I used an old plastic crate as a tabletop shelf for craft books, sketch pads, and canvases.

After moving from my apartment, I hung onto a Hello Kitty toothbrush holder that's perfect for scissors and crochet hooks.  Colored pencils in a jar from Toby Keith's I Love This Bar (don't ask... it was a truly painful experience).  I got that adorable little crayon box at the thrift store for $2.

So, there's my initial organization of the craft room!  There's sure to be more as I find more things that belong in the room and I've already decided on a few things to change.  How do you organize your crafts?  Are there any things you struggle with finding a good space for?

River's Edge Music Fest

I admit, I haven't been doing a very good job on keeping up with the blog this summer.  You might think "Well, she's not working, so she should just be posting all day!"  Oh how I wish, but the reality is, I've been unpacking from moving, applying for many many jobs, and have been out of town repeatedly.  So, that's why I'm a bit behind.

Here's something from a few weeks ago.  I went to River's Edge music fest in St. Paul.  It was on Harriet and Raspberry Islands, which is just a gorgeous, convenient setting for a festival. 

The first day Mark, my brother, and I went.

The first band I was excited about seeing was Motion City Soundtrack.  I love them, enough said.  However, by this point I'm not very up-to-date on their newer music, so it might end up being one of the last times I really try to see them play.

This is as close as I got to a picture with Justin.  Oh well.  I've got a few to remember him by.

We hung out on the beach a bit.  Those rocks were loose and I nearly fell into the river.

Next we watched the Scissor Sisters.  Holy cow.  They were incredible.  A few years ago I had tickets to see them, but wasn't able to go to the show and was totally bummed.  I thought I'd never get the chance to see them again... but I did!  I danced so much and left satisfied.

It wasn't quite Jason's scene, but he was great about it and stuck around for the whole show.
Here's what I heard from my family after he told them about the show:


Mom: So, who was that band you saw that Jason said sounded like the Beegees?
Me: The Scissor Sisters.
Mom: How many sisters are there?
Me: They aren't sisters...
Dad: Well, how many women are there?
Me: There's only one woman, the rest are men.
Dad: So, they're not sisters, why the scissors then?
Me: Um...
Uncle Al: Maybe they're barbers!

Tool closed out the night and high school Karen was happy.  We were pretty far from the stage, so I barely saw Maynard, but the intense videos sufficed.   Afterwards we caught the free shuttle back to the bar down the street from my apartment.

The next day Mark and I headed back to the island mid-afternoon for another day of music.  It was pretty steamy out, and shade was limited, so we did our best to find any spots out of the sun.

Fabric wristbands seem to be the new paper-less ticket option for concerts, and I love it!  It's a lasting souvenir that can be saved and maybe sewn into something when I accumulate enough.  What do you think of them?

We headed to the silent DJ stage for a while.  It was a pretty cool concept: two djs on stage, no speakers, headphones for a $10 deposit, and a button to switch between the two djs.  When you're done listening and dancing, return the headphones and get your $10 back!  I will admit though, if you walk by without headphones, the people dancing in silence do look pretty hilarious.

Then it was time for the Flaming Lips.  Typical show from them- confetti, dancing Dorthys, Wayne Coyne in a bubble.  It was great but I think I would've enjoyed it more had I not seen them just last summer at a very similar show.

And then, rounding up the night, Dave Matthews Band.  Decent show, but we didn't stay for all of it, as we wanted to catch our free shuttle again and Mark had jury duty the next morning. 

This event is contracted to happen for three more years, so I think it could be something with a lot of potential for the area.  Here's what I think will help make it successful and what they did right this year:

1. The music:  Sure DMB, the Lips, and Tool are big bands, but let's face it: none are exactly at their peak of popularity.  Each day drew around 25,000 people while the island has the potential to hold 45,000.  A bigger band at the height of their popularity (Mumford & Sons or Skrillex anyone?) would pull that crowd.  Also, more local stuff!  I'm pretty sure Polica and MCS were the only local bands in an area fiercely proud of their scene.  
2. Bathrooms:  Seriously, toilets make or break a festival (more on that in my next festival post).  River's Edge did it right!!  There were lines at the port-a-potties by the stage, but if you walked two minutes farther- rows of clean empty bathrooms.  Awesome.
3. Beer: Yeah, beer was expensive.  I expected that.  Unfortunately, the only local beer on tap was Summit at $9 a pint.  24 ounce cans of standard domestic were $10.  Surly would have been perfect- local, pint sized, and in cans.  Harriet Brewing, Fulton, and Rush River would have also been great to have on top.
4. Stages: The two main stages on Harriet Island had staggered performances and the one on Raspberry Island had continual music with no sound interference.  Very good.
5. VIP: VIP areas were way over-planned.  You'd walk past a fenced-in, shaded area with bean bag games, liquor service, and tables with no one there, while hoards of sweaty non-VIP-ers struggled to find shade.  Unnecessary use of space.

So there ya go!  Maybe I'll see some of you there next year!

Afternoon tea

This past weekend, my mom and I went to an afternoon tea, and the proceeds went to countries with clean water supply shortages.  We had a nice little three-course meal with lots of tea.  (I'm not sure if the organizers realized how counterproductive that felt... drinking loads of tea, made from water...)  Anyways, it was a nice afternoon.

We got to pick our own tea cups from a table full of beautiful vintage china. Mine had primroses and gold edging.

 

And, oh, the food!  Several kinds of scones with different spread-ables,  little appetizers (I ate open-faced cucumber sandwiches, as everything else had meat), and a dessert course.

It was a super relaxing way to spend an rainy afternoon with my mom, and it was for a good cause! (And we followed it up with a successful trip to the thrift store, so, all in all, a pretty good day!)

Another night (or two) of celebration.

Well, I wound up with three nights of birthday stuff: one with the friends, one with my family, and the actual birthday evening with my lover. These pictures were from the actual birthday... we went to the conservatory (and zoo, but that part appeals less and less each year), to a patio for drinks, out to dinner, and then out for a few more drinks- all before 10pm.

Orchids. Tulips. Hibiscus. More orchids.



Me- wearing floral, surrounded by flowers.









Full view of the Sunken Garden.


We decided to try a new Thai place- only to find this sign on the door. Oh well, some other time.




So we went to a different new place- a Nepali and Tibetan restaurant I've lived near for years, but never tried. I had Matar Paneer- a green pea curry cooked with Paneer cheese and tofu in cream sauce. Oh my gosh. It was so incredible. I would eat it for every meal if I could.



Mark had the veggie Thukpa- the biggest, spiciest bowl of delicious noodle soup I've seen or tasted.



It was a great birthday and I'm so glad we found a new restaurant to frequent. I got a few presents too (including an iPad that my parents gave me a few weeks ago and tickets from Mark to an upcoming music festival), but really, I'm just happy to have spent the time with people I love. Awww... getting older feels pretty good.

Feathers and flowers

Lately, my mom has generously been trading me groceries and dinners for my crafts that she gives as gifts. (I like to think that she's doing it for my impeccable craftsmanship and creativity, rather than because of her fear that I can't afford groceries on my meager AmeriCorps living stipend.) I made her a few pins last month, but forgot to take pictures, and quite honestly can't even remember what fabric I used to make them. Here are several I made yesterday:





The flower was done with this tutorial I wrote several months back. I really love the versatility of the pattern!

The peacock feather was inspired by a project I was working on a few weeks ago, I just need someone (ahem, boyfriend, ahem) to take some pictures of me wearing said project... or perhaps I should just buy a tripod.






Ok, goodnight! Glad I was able to share a completed project for the first time in a while.

Nature walk & celebrity status

We went to the Maplewood Nature Center today. It was a beautiful 65 degree day and the tiny bit of snow from this winter was turning to a slushy muddy mess (in a good, spring-is-coming way).

Cattails.



Fungus.







After our walk we stopped in the visitor center. I used to take a lot of kids' classes there so I thought it would be a nice walk down memory lane. Well, turns out, more than I expected: my mom and I were photographed for their brochure 20+ years ago and they're still still using our pictures. So, if you ever go to the Maplewood Nature Center, pick up a brochure and see my mom and me.

And my V-Day...

Flowers from my man. Technically from the weekend, since we did a night out on Saturday because I had class tonight.

I did a quick dinner with my mom before class and we traded my craft services (I made birthday gifts for a few of her friends) in exchange for a dress. (A super cute dress!) Love my momma so much!


And at work today, stuff from my students.



I love the "Ms. Karens" everywhere. Not pictured: a bunch more Valentine's and a stuffed bear wearing a cat outfit. However, unsure about that one with the skeleton on it. Does it say "You Rock Muy Valentine"? Some strange combo of Spanish in there? Hmmm...



Anyways, love to all!

Holidaze.

So, Christmas was here.

It was good. Successful gift-giving year: mostly bought online.

This one for Mom via Etsy.


Christmas tree cameo-style pendant.


And for Dad (also via Etsy):


Mandolin print pick case.

Brother got the movie "Blood Into Wine." Good gift for an avid Tool fan.


And for the boyfriend: a few things bought online and a few things I made.

Like these curtains!



Co-picked the tapestry (what can I say, we have good taste). Then I took it to my aunt's house (she's a sewing expert), cut it, hemmed the edges, and added the necessities to hang it. It's perfect! We tried to find appropriately sized curtains, but found nothing good with the correct proportions, so this worked amazingly well!

Also, made a double plant hanger and bought him a few plants and pots for it. I must say, I've made a LOT of plant hangers, but this was the best, and, by far, the most work. But, it looks great and works well in his east-facing dining area window. Pics later.


Miles helped me wrap gifts.




As for me: gift cards galore. Lots of random treats from students and gifts from co-workers. Mom and Dad gave the typical: toothpaste, nuts (seriously, I get nuts every year!), a food processor, etc. Surprises: a New Belgium bike bell and free drink bottle caps (should I make a trip to the CO brewery soon) and a new tv. Definitely unexpected, but cool, since I hadn't asked for it and am pretty accustomed to old, used electronics. Bro got me a much needed Chipotle gift card. How I've missed free crispy tacos since I quit nearly a year ago! And, last but not least, a new camera from the boyfriend! It's so much better than the old Insignia I had, but I've had some challenges uploading pics from it, so most post-Christmas pics are trapped. Also, Beatles lunchbox, monarch knee-highs, and paper towels. Trust me, that's potentially the best gift ever. I'm not good at buying necessities.