crafts

(f)unemployment

April 28, 2017 alittlebitsquirrely

And so my (f)unemployment continues!

I’ve been dying to try my hand at embroidery (and no, I’m not 87), but I’ve been intrigued by it since it’s all the rage in fashion this year. My friend and I had a little Sunday Funday action with Craft Habit Raleigh at The Edge of Urge to benefit The Beehive Collective. Embroidery and bottomless mimosas?! Sign me up!

Upon walking into The Edge of Urge I was enamored with the entire store. Not only do they carry Capri Blue candles, but they sell unique jewelry, amazingly creative cards and so much more. Looking back, I wish I had taken photos of the store… but I was too transfixed on the mimosas and wanting to learn how to embroider. In the two-hour time frame I learned the basics of embroidery and I was hooked.

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As the class wrapped up we weren’t quite ready to head home so we trotted next door to Wine Authorities. HELLO, new favorite place! I love the idea of having a Wine Authorities card where you can put money on it and serve yourself at the wine tap. Can someone please install a wine tap at my house? And because I’m obsessed with cheese plates/ cheese boards we totally ordered one. #cheeseaddict

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In case you were wondering, I finished my work of art! I stayed up late Wednesday night so I could finish it and I’m pretty sure I found my new hobby. Perhaps I’ll open an Etsy shop if I don’t find a new job.

Uncategorized

A Little Time On My Hands

April 22, 2017January 4, 2019 alittlebitsquirrely

It’s a full-time job looking for a job. When you’re unemployed, there’s only so many times you can go on LinkedIn, Indeed, etc and see the same jobs you’ve applied for. With that being said- YES, I am job hunting, networking, etc., but I’m also enjoying my “spring break” or “staycation” as one might call it. What have I been doing since the beginning of April other than job hunting? I’ll tell you…

13 Reasons Why. I have no shame in admitting I binge-watched 13 Reasons Why on Netflix in 2 days. Originally I had intentions of watching the newest season of Grace and Frankie, but I was intrigued when 13 Reasons Why popped up on the main screen. I was hooked. P.S. I still need to watch Grace and Frankie.
Visiting friends. By no means am I traveling to Georgia, Florida or Dallas to visit friends. I’m keeping it local since I’ve got a mortgage I gotta pay. Since I have all this time on my hands I’m spending it with my friends as well as ones from high school I haven’t seen in ages, family friends and old co-workers. I feel like I’m on tour, but only visiting 1-2 cities.
Wine tasting. And by wine tasting I mean drinking wine with friends. I’ve also become OBSESSED with creating a homemade cheese board. You can’t go wrong with a double bottle of Barefoot Pinot Grigio and some nice cheese, especially when it’s all on sale. Some of my favorite cheeses include goat cheese, havarti and port salut. Pro tip: drizzle a little honey on the cheese… it’s PHENOMENAL.
Reading. I finally finished Andy Cohen’s second book, The Andy Cohen Diaries and I’m currently reading The Sister by Louise Jensen. I also have three more books lined up after that: You’ll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein, Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly and The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. Looks like I just might make my Goodreads goal of reading 25 books this year.
Trial + Error. I got hooked on a new show, Trial + Error with the hilarious John Lithgow + Sherri Shepherd. I’m not going to lie I thought I wouldn’t be able to see past John Lithgow’s super creepy appearance from Dexter, but I did. The writing is impeccable and the casting for the show is superb. I’m going to need NBC to renew this hilarious show for another season.
Crafts. I decided to pick up an old pastime of mine, cross stitching. It’s a hobby I used to dabble in, but then life got in the way. I’m also going to take a class with Craft Habit Raleigh and try my hand at embroidery. Stay tuned for the outcome on that.
Spring cleaning. The great spring purge of 2017 is underway! While I’ve donated some of my things I’ve also sold some items on Poshmark and those Buy/Sell groups on Facebook. The good news is I didn’t end up on Dateline after that transaction. So I guess you could say I’m making an income… it’s only enough to feed my need to go to Dos Taquitos or purchase Pinto Grigio.

So that’s basically what I’ve been doing since the beginning of April. Oh, and I’ve been going to the gym, but I’m not going to brag about that. I just want to be a stay at home mom without having kids. Or maybe substitute the kids for some pets. A girl can dream, can’t she?

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A Mother’s Day Quilt

May 17, 2013January 4, 2019 alittlebitsquirrely

I certainly know how to make my mom cry! This Mother’s Day I gave my mom the quilt I had Megan from A Crafty Handful finish from some of my grandmother’s quilt squares. Even when I met Megan at Starbucks to pick up the finished quilt I got chills and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tear up a bit. She did an AMAZING job on the quilt and surpassed my expectations.

When I gave the quilt to her, this is what she focused on:

I’m almost hesitant to show the video of her opening her Mother’s Day gift because I honestly hate the way I sound on camera. Yes, I know I have a crazy southern accent and I still haven’t embraced it at the age of 31. I’ll confess I was hoping my voice wouldn’t be heard in the video, but it was. I apologize. Since it was such a special/ thoughtful gift I’ve decided to show y’all the video (the condensed version).

Here are some more pictures I took of the big day:

I managed to capture her reaction when I told her the quilt was made from Nanny’s squares.

quilt2 — Mom is still crying + holding onto her quilt

quilt3 — Mom (no more tears & all smiles) with her beautiful quilt!

quilt5 — Watch out Anthropologie… y’all have some competition!

xoxo

Around Town

Did Somebody Say Wine?

April 17, 2013 alittlebitsquirrely

This Saturday I’m going to the Great Grapes Wine Festival in Cary. There are 3 reasons why I’m amped about this event…

Wine. Duh! I love wine! Well…. not all wine, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. My goal is to find a red wine that I can tolerate and not cringe when I take a sip. In case you didn’t catch on, I don’t celebrate red wine. I’m really hoping I can find that one red wine that will sweep me off my feet! I guess you could say my beef with red wine is the fact that it tastes like vinegar to me. If I ever go on The Bachelor, I’d have to accept the red wine when it’s given to me otherwise you’ll see the cringed look on my face. If anyone has a favorite red wine that doesn’t have a vinegar taste to it I’m all ears!
Food. While I’m sure there will be a variety of food vendors I’m also interested in learning about food pairings with wine. Usually when I’ve entertained in the past with wine I’m all like, “here’s some hummus and pita chips, knock yourselves out” or “I hope you like Combos because that’s all I have.” I’m at that age now where I need to be a tad more elegant when it comes to serving light appetizers with wine. I figured I could say something along the lines of, “oh this luxurious cheese was imported from Finland… nothing but the best for my guests!” We’ll see what kind of handy information/ wine words I pick up on Saturday.
Crafts. I’m no Martha Stewart when it comes to crafts, but I love to see what other folks are doing. I also like to support the locals whether they are selling art, jewelry, etc. I’m sure once the wine starts flowing the cash out of my wallet will start to disappear.

If y’all live near the Raleigh-Durham area, you should check this event out & get your tickets to go!