Bad Blogger

Sorry I've been M.I.A.!

I've had a crazy week with exams, one last Wednesday and another exam this Friday then I'm flying home for the weekend to go to a friend's wedding, see my parents, one of my best friends and my Fiancé!!  Whoop! Haven't seen Nick since the first week in JULY people (that is entirely too long for an engaged couple crazy in love)!!!!

Anyways, also recently upgraded to the iPhone4, and it is like crack. I'm totally addicted and any free time I've had has gone to playing with the new technological addition to my family.  

I have about 3 crafting projects in the works, and I'm hoping in the next week or so I'll be able to finish them and post tutorials on them!! 

Also working on making some new zipper bags/perhaps another purse or two, for the Etsy store! I'll be sure to post about it as soon as I can get them listed! 

Isn't he handsome!! Can't wait to see him! 

I hope you all have a wonderfully crafty week!

-Christina

On its way to Africa!

Good afternoon! I just got home from the post office where I shipped off the first box of 8" knitted squares to Knit-A-Square in South Africa (as well as a few other things)
Remember I was telling you about this here

To learn more click on my "African Orphans" tab at the top!!

All money for shipping costs was funded through selling bags/purse through my Etsy store (80% of all profits).

Thank you to everyone who bought from my Etsy store, or helped make squares to ship to Africa! Because of us - 58 squares will be made into 2-4 blankets and warm children as early as this winter!!

Picture borrowed from Knit-a-square

Look at those precious faces!! Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing I'm making a tiny difference, one knitted square at a time!

I'm off to study, and then perhaps take a knitting break!! I'm already working on more squares for the next shipment (hopefully in March!)

-Christina

Re-useable Produce bag

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Today I wanted to share with you an awesome idea is saw somewhere, at some-point, and it recently resurfaced as I was pawing through my stash to bust through this September.

**Warning pictures for this tutorial were taken in the wee morning hours concluding a bout of "creative" insomnia  (can't sleep sometimes cause I have too many crafting ideas!), so most/all of these pictures are pretty crappy, but you get the point!!**

I have a tiny collection of toole, twill, or toule or whatever the heck you call the stuff. Ya know that half fabric, half mesh, slightly stretchy, tu-tu making, impossible to sew together or fold stuff?!?! Yeah that stuff.  I think I got a yard of it at hobby lobby -in the clearance section - awhile back for maybe 25 cents....I mean COME-ON! 25 cents REALLY?! Surely I can find something to make with it....and that I did.

Why toule? because it is light weight, pretty durable, and wont add unnecessary poundage to your pound dependent fresh fruit and veggies purchases. Plus one less plastic bag in the trash, the better.

Supplies
- a sheet of computer paper (yes paper, believe me)
- 1ish yards of thin ribbon
- safety pin
- toule- less than a 1/4 of a yard with lots of left overs
- sewing machine, thread, scissors, fabric measuring tape, etc.

First cut out two rectangles -- any size you want for produce you buy (I LOVE apples so I made mine "apple" size -- take into consideration longer fruits/veggies like cucumbers).

Fold over a 1 inch casing on the top end of the toule, and pin it to the paper....

Now sew the casing using a medium/small straight stitch....or if you want to get crazy do a zig zag. 

Whats this?! The machine doesn't EAT the toule...no in fact it doesn't, thank you paper :) 

Now carefully tear the paper away using the "perforation" your needle gave it. 

Repeat the casing on your other rectangle, using this fun paper trick.

Then sew up the sides and bottoms of your rectangles, face to face (using your paper) -- be sure not to sew over your casing and close it up!! 

Now flip your "bag" right side out, and grab your ribbon and a safety pin.. 

Starting at one corner thread it all the way through back to the starting point making a drawstring- knot the ends together. Repeat for the other side. 

You're done!

I plan on making many more of these! 

I was even thinking, I could get really nerdy and color code the bags so I remember which produce to buy....green = cucumbers, red = apples, brown = potatoes, white = onions/garlic, pink= tomatoes, oh the possibilities!!

The cashiers here at my HEB already think I'm crazy by bringing 3-4 GIANT nylon shopping bags (from Target, $1 a piece and the fold up into a tiny carrying case!) with me every Sunday. I'll just add a little more crazy to the list when they see all my produce in toule drawstring bags!

I hope you have a fantastically crafty day, 

Now go bust some toule stash! 

Office Re-do Part 3

Removable Slip Cover

Total cost: $8.00 

Before  After

As the 3rd installment of my office make-over, the first one is here and here

This was actually quite easy, I've been wanting to do this for awhile, I just didn't have the nerve to staple fabric onto my current chair....so I made them removable (and washable!! Great for kids rooms/pet owners!)

Supplies:

• About a yard of 45" material, preferably cotten blend, with limited stretch/no stretch, that will be durable with daily use. (you may need more for a larger chair!)
• 2 yards of 1/2 inch elastic
• Sewing maching, thread, scissors, pins, fabric marker/chalk
• Paper, marker, tape

Keurig = Hot Beverage Meca

When my parents drove down to South Texas this last weekend for Labor day, we all decided to do my birthday (9/29) and my Mom's birthday (10/2) celebration/gifts early because I wont be able to be home for my birthday or my Moms. Did I mention I'm turning 25?!?! When did that happen? It seems like only yesterday I was turning 21! Geez! 

So part of my birthday gift included the new desk, and the fabric you saw here

The other part of my gift was this: 

The  Keurig Ultimate Coffee maker

Office Re-do Part 2

So my Mom saw me drooling looking at this fabric, and she knows I'm on the Stashbusting September challenge. So she bought it for me for an early Birthday present....is that cheating? I mean it was a "gift" 

Isn't this just YUMMY!!

Office Re-do Part 1

Good morning!! I hope everyone is having a great day!!

I have an office in my apartment that doubles as a extra room when my parents drive down/friends come to visit. It has always kinda been a hodgepodge of furniture - I had two different desks- a small one I've had since I was about 6 that is just big enough for a computer but not much else. Then I bought a desk my junior year at A&M from office depot...that was well...nice but kinda built crappy.

With two desks and a book shelf the room was a little crampted and I just wasn't getting much studying done in there. I was always distracted and I just didn't feel "right" I guess. My Dad recommended I buy a new large desk that would be big enough for my desk top, lap top, and study space. So with help from my parents I got a new desk!

Before:

In one corner (crappy office depot desk)

In the other corner (little desk) 

Paper flowers Part 6

A while ago I came across this awesome idea from How about Orange, it is cheap, easy, and a great way to dress up a room. I'm even thinking about doing this for my wedding center pieces! 

Head over to How About Orange to see this awesome tutorial 

. 

Glasses case up-cycle

So my Mom has this horribly ugly eye glass case for her prescription sunglasses....

I mean I guess it's okay--ugly enough to find in the bottom of your purse at least...

(get it "guess" haha I crack myself up)

So here is what you need: Hot glue gun, knife, and fabric. 

V-neck redo

I have a few shirts that I bought from old navy awhile back, but they are very "deep" v-necks and very inappropriate unless I wear a tank underneath it (which in this South Texas heat is unbearable!)

Here is the finished product....I didn't take pictures of the process, but I'll give you the run-down. 

Urban Re-do

Here is a shirt I bought from Urban outfitters a few weeks ago. I like it because it was $10, AND it had some major potential.
Minor flaws: too big and kinda plain.

Cute right? but kinda plain like I said....

Made a few rosettes with left over fabric from a polo re-do

Final Product!!

Today is awesome because:
- It is FRIDAY!
- Rocked my ICS exam this morning!
- First day of 3 day weekend, Thank you Labor Day!
- My Parents are driving in to spend the weekend with me!
- South Texas is "supposed" to get a "cool front" (so maybe 90 instead of 110?)
- Finished my 2nd Custom order!! WHOOP!

So I wanted to share with you the completed custom order that I alluded to a few days ago here. I have to admit, I agreed to doing this project, with no earthly idea how it was going to come together, I basically "flew by the seat of my pants" if you will.....

Any ideas yet? 

yoga mat? Giant knitting needle holder? 

Still stumped? 

Stash Busting September

Hey everyone! 


I was browsing Ellen's  blog  Creative Passage and she posted about joining a group of crafters at Robin's Blog called the The T-shirt Diaries that are abstaining from purchasing any new materials- and crafting off of only the materials they currently have! I personally have about a bazillion Christmas crafts- just waiting to be finished, a fairly small fabric stash (in comparison to most-but its pretty big for me), and a large amount of scrap booking supplies that have been feeling neglected over the last year or so.....

So here are the details: 

Stashbusting September blogs are voluntarily giving up buying crafting supplies for the month of September. They promise to:

• Link your blog (the main page please not an individual post) to the linky below. The linky will be open until September 4th at Midnight.
• Craft for personal use only with items they have on hand. No buying new craft supplies, even if you are shopping at Goodwill or garage sales. It is all about busting your craft supply at hand and actually doing those projects you bought all the stash for in the first place. (Buying craft supplies for business use IS permitted)
• Think of unique and creative ways to use items they were thinking of throwing out (diaper boxes to fabric covered storage bins, pencil holders from soup cans, upcycled clothing, etc.)
• Think outside of the box.
• Try to make at least one upcycled craft item this month. Upcycled craft items from Stashbusting September can be entered into the Stashbusting contest for a rocking prize from our top secret sponsor, for now.
• Proudly post the Stashbusting September button on their website so everyone knows they are busting some stash.
• Check back here to find out other blogs that are busting some stash.
•  During Stashbusting September we will still have the "Upcycled Awesome" linky party. I just love all of the inspiration. To be entered in the Stashbusting September contest (the link will be up September 1st) you must link your project up to the Stashbusting September link.
• Encourage all of your bloggy friends to join up

So head on over to T-shirt Diaries and check it out for yourself!! 

Thanks Robin for helping me get motivated to clean out my stash!! 

-Christina

Sneak peek

So I'm working on a project, on and off, for the next few days or so (in between studying),  and I just wanted to show you guys a sneak peek

Isn't this fabric yummy?!?!

Here is a small portion of the project

Any ideas what it may be?!?! 

Any guesses? 

Back to studying!! I'm learning lots about Respiratory disorders....I'm now convinced one walk through a mildly crowed room will certainly result in some community acquired pneumonia. Our bodies are amazing, really, the bacteria, viruses and fungi should have killed us all off by now, they are freakishly smart. 

Go get procraftinating!! 

-Christina

Paper Flowers Part 5

These are quite possibly the best paper flowers I've ever seen.

I can't even compete with this talent! This is like Martha Stewart on steroids kinda of talent!!

Sneak peak of this amazing turn out!

Picture borrowed from here

Polo Re-do 2

Hey guys!!

I survived my Pharmacology exam with an A!! Whoop!  Anyways, I treated myself to an evening of crafting after the exam and this is what I came up with!

First start with a polo and cut it up

I cut the cuffed sleeves off, to make a ruffled sleeve instead (really easy to do, no worries!)

Study time!

Sorry guys I wont be posting for the next week or so, I have a few major exams coming up that I need to focus on! Pharmacology and Intro to Clinical Science (aka pathophysiology on steroids) finally picked up and the study load is increasing exponentially!! As soon as I get a free minute to craft I'll post pictures.

I have a few polo-shirt reconstructions in the works, and a custom percussion Mallet bag brewing in my brain for a client, and a custom T-shirt quilt for another client starting in the next few weeks!! Not to mention I'm knitting up a storm to get those squares off to Africa soon!!

Stop by my Etsy store if you get a chance! 80% of profits go towards knitting and shipping 8" squares, and donating funds directly  to Knit-a-Square foundation in South Africa to be made into blankets and distributed to Orphans affected by AIDS!!

For now I leave you with my new white board.....covered in pharmacology!

Of course Phoebe trying her best to keep me from leaving in the morning to go to class and study all day....

Medical Mystery Mondays- Stitches

I'm in my second year of PA school and we are learning some of the fun procedures we will be doing for...well the rest of our lives.

One of these, my favorite so far, is suturing. So I thought I would share with you an unfortunate banana that had a run in with a steak knife.

**please take note in the real world I would be using "smaller thread" this was simply for practice and it is what I had on hand at the time!

Paper Flowers Part 4

These aren't flowers, per say, but they are definitely flower like. Plus with holidays just around the corner, perhaps a neat way to display some eco-friendly decorations!

Picture borrowed from here

Custom Purse

I was going to wait to post this in the morning but I just couldn't wait!! I'm so excited about how this purse came out!!

I've been pretty busy here lately between classes picking up and a few custom orders for friends.

I just finished this purse for my friend, she plans on giving it to her mom for Christmas! She was telling me what her mom liked, fuschia and teal, oriental/Asian style, large purses, with good sturdy straps.

Just so happened that I acquired some fuschia pink oriental satin (from my grandma, like 5 years ago) that has some tiny cherry blossom trees/branches on it! Instant inspiration, its like I was meant to make her mom this purse!

Fun Stuff!

My crafting "area" if you will- is quite limited. A little while ago I saw this awesome idea from a fellow blogger (can't remember who...oops!) about taking foam board cutting it into rectangles and using it as tiny bolts, thus easily displaying fabric without forgetting what you have because it is folded up in a drawer, bin, or box some where.

I'm kinda ghetto in the sense that I "made" the second saggy shelf out of a card board box, duct tape, and some white paper. One day I'll find an actual white laminate board to fit there, but for now it works great to hold buttons, ribbon, beads, and hem tape!

Also those fabric boxes on the bottom I made here if you are interested in learning yourself!

I'm also very excited about this vintage sewing notions set I just bought from Etsy at Simply Suzula for $7.00 including shipping!! Couldn't even get all this stuff at Hobby lobby for $7 if I tried. Plus they just don't make hem tape(lace) in these fun colors anymore!!

Polo re-do

I have a few polo's (3 to be exact) that I bought from Old Navy, a while ago because they were cute, cheap, and seemed comfortable in the fitting room. So after a run through the wash, I throw one on and head to class....about 15 min after I get in the car my neck starts itching like crazy, and I'm convinced I was assaulted by some 6 legged creature with beady eyes....NOPE! Turns out the "ribbon" they used to cover up the inside seam from the shirt to the collar was the assaulting agent...thus never wore the shirts again.

I've redesigned a few t-shirts now, and I consider myself a semi-good t-shirt reconstructionist (yes it is a word now), here ya go, polo re-do tutorial!

Supplies:

• Polo shirt
• Scissors, seam ripper
• Sewing machine, matching thread
• A few buttons
• Knit scraps 
• Fabric "disappearing ink" marker
• Ruler

First take your Polo shirt and cut the collar and button on the front out, might as well pull out the "tag" too if you can (mine was also crazy itchy)

As most of you know, cats are drawn to new things on the floor and most definitely get in the way right as you take a picture!

TOMS

Good Morning everyone!!

I hope you all had a wonderfully blessed weekend! I've been crazy busy the last few days and I'm sorry I haven't been able to post any fun new tutorials! I'm working on a new t-shirt reconstruction so stay tuned!!

Today I wanted to really showcase TOMS. TOMS is a company that was developed by a man, Blake, who was traveling on the Amazing Race and was had stopped in Argentina  for a "mission" on the show. While there he noticed that ALL the children and adults were shoe-less and many of them were starting to show signs of podoconiosis, also known as elephantiasis , which is an disorder caused by small parasitic worms. They gain access to the body by people walking around barefoot and it only takes one or two of these little worms to get into the lymphatic system and reek havoc causing grotesque enlargements of the feet, ankles, calves, genitals,  etc. People with this condition are unable to perform daily tasks and are sometimes shunned from the primitive societies.

Anthropologie Inspired

I love this tank from Anthropologie....but it is $58.00 which is definitely not in my grad student budget, and its "hand wash only" which I just don't do....so I'll just make my own! HA take that Anthropologie!

Picture borrowed from here

So I had planned for the T-shirt to come out similar to this....but I didn't have large enough scraps of fabric so I ended up having a similar version - but with smaller ruffles

Here is the finished product:

T-Shirt Quilt

I started this T-shirt quilt about a year and a half ago, by cutting up all my old high school T-shirts into 14" blocks.....then I didn't know what to do next and they sat in a storage bin. After some coaxing from some fellow crafty and quilty (yes its a word now) ladies, I hunkered down and got it all done in about 3 days, with many breaks in between.

I didn't know I was going to write a semi-tutorial on this...so bare with me, the pictures aren't all here, but I'll try my best to explain things as I go. This makes a T-shirt quilt that is about the size of a twin bed.

First up, Supplies:

• 24 T-shirts, too precious to throw away, yet taking up space in the closet
• 9 yards of 20" light/medium weight fuse-able interfacing with left overs
• 2 yards of 90" batting, mine is natural cotton (with left overs)
• 2.5 yards of 60" jersey knit material
• 1 yard of cotton blend material for the border
• 6 yards of 1 inch double fold bias tape (with left overs)
• Sewing machine
• Scissors (this would be a fantastic time to invest in a rotary cutter, ruler, and mat. Believe me your hand will thank you)
• Matching thread (or at least best you can, I primarily used white or grey thread).
• Cereal box to make 12.5" square template
• Ruler
• Fabric marker

Mystery Medical Mondays: Ears

Good Morning everyone!! I hope you have a wonderful Monday!!

This week on Mystery Medical Mondays I'm going to be discussing ears. It is swimming season, which means lots of swimmers ear!!

First lets review some anatomy of the ear canal. There is an External, Middle, and Inner portion of the ear. The external ear canal is the passage way between the outside to the tympanic membrane. The Middle ear is where the ossicles (or ear bones) are housed and it is enclosed by the tympanic membrane and the Eustachian tube. The Inner ear is the part that does the "hearing" and it is formed by the cochlea and the semicircular canals.

Pictured borrowed from here

ETSY Grand Opening!!

The day has come that my tiny Etsy store has officially opened!! This was my surprise I was hinting at earlier in the week.

Head over and check it out. Buy something before Wednesday August 11th  by Midnight CST and receive a free coordinating gift, just message me through Etsy and tell which of my blog posts is your favorite!

80% of all profits benefit one of my favorite Warm and Fuzzy charities, Knit-a-Square. I currently have a dozen 8" squares knitted and ready to go to Africa, however the shipping costs are very expensive, the profits will go towards shipping costs and purchasing more 100% wool yarn.

Click  on "My Store" at the top of the page to see current listings and my Etsy Link.

Thanks for stopping by!!
-Christina

Bandanna Skirt

Hope everyone is having a fantastically crafty day.

I have an upcoming "Western Party" to introduce the new class of PA students in about a week. Of course I need to make a new skirt to wear with my old boots. Hobby Lobby has bandannas for 99 cents a piece. So I picked up three red ones, and some elastic for about $4

In the past I have made a "wedge" skirt out of a pillow case and some elastic. It turned out great and I wanted to make one out of bandannas.

Cat Naps

Enjoy this posting of my very fuzzy kitty. This is just a few of her favorite, apparently comfortable sleeping positions!

passed out after an afternoon of playing

Cuddled up on Nick's shoulder

snoozing in the fuzzy blanky

Paper Flowers Part 3

Good Evening all!

I spent the majority of the day Volunteering at Operation Lone Star here in South Texas. The Texas Coast Guard was hosting a large Medical, Dental, and Immunizations clinic to the local community free of charge (they travel many different places and stay a week at each place). They typically target medically under-served areas. It was lots of fun to work along side some amazing people! I primarily helped with taking patient histories- until I realized I'm grossly unprepared for taking a SPANISH medical history, I know lots of Spanish words, but that whole forming sentences part is very tricky, and if you're not careful you get some very surprised and/or amused looks!
Anyways, after I realized this, I headed over to the Triage station and took a couple hundred blood pressures, pulses, and respiration rates....my right hand is very sore from that darn blood pressure cuff!!

Okay back to the real reason I'm posting this blog!

Martha Stewart (insert grown, or excited giggle here, depending on your thoughts of her) has an amazing website. If you haven't been there, go......now. Seriously lots of different crafty things of all different mediums. During my paper flower phase, I stumbled along her website, and found this great link.

click here to see it.

Thank you Martha! Photo borrowed from here

It has several different types of tissue paper flowers you can make and the bouquet on the page is just beautiful! This convinced me to make my own wedding bouquet out of paper....until I realized that its a special day and I'm going to pay the extra money to get the real flowers....but none the less, it is very pretty!

I can't compete with her tutorials so I'm not going to even try, plus I attempted a few of these, and maybe I didn't read the instructions right, but they did NOT come out looking like hers! Guess some practice will be required!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening. Now go proCRAFTinate!! I know I am!

-Christina

Full Circle Skirt

Hello!! Hope your Thursday has been great!

I've been super busy with my Pharmacology exam Wednesday morning...and then I'm working on a surprise, I'll keep you posted about it : )

Today, I'm going to share a great tutorial for a full circle skirt. I altered it a bit by adding a 3 inch waste with elastic instead of the tie.

I also added a liner because my sheet was a bit see through. I got the twin sheet on sale at Target for $5.00, the elastic was from an old pair of lounge shorts that had seen better days...and the liner was another white flat sheet I got from Walmart a few years back while making curtains.

All in all total cost was just over $5.00!! Pretty awesome!

Here is the link to the tutorial!

The skirt hasn't been ironed in this picture....so its a little wrinkly!

I actually made this same style of skirt for a great friend, it turned out super cute as well!

I hope you enjoy the rest of the day!

-Christina

Silhouette Giveaway!

Go over to the Idea Room to check out this awesome giveaway!!

That's all for now, must get back to studying for my Pharmacology exam in the morning!! New posts soon!

Mystery Medical Mondays: Eyes

So do you ever wondered what your PA, doctor, or NP sees when they look in your eye with that really bright light?

Every Monday I'm going to post about interesting random facts that your doctor, PA, or NP knows but you most likely don't. As a PA it is my duty to educate the public--so this is apart of my contribution!

There are a few things every practitioner should be looking for when they exam your eye.
- pupil size and reactive to light an accommodation
- red reflex
- fundascopic exam

This is the bright light your practitioner comes at you with is called a ophthalmascope, it looks like this:

picture borrowed from here