my new favorite song.

 "as sister's in zion we'll all sew together. the straightest of stitches on our seams we will seek. we'll add sleeves to our dresses just to be modest, we'll sew our own pillows and mind every pleat."

ok... so i just made that up. but after we sew and write songs, we'll open an etsy store and pay 12% tithes on all of our profits.

i guess that i will be more of a step- half -sister... because i have no intentions of sewing anything with pleats. and i own enough cardigans in every color, style and material possible...so we can rule out the modesty alterations too. BUT it will be so nice to have a machine around to hem pants, make crafts and whatever else the domestic goddess in me decides to have a go at.

i am actually nervous about this... sewing and i have not always had the best or most proper relationship. i tend to find it extremely frustrating, exhausting and emotional. i say things i don't mean, i always go nuts with the seam ripper and i never like what i make.

but practice makes... potholders. we will see.

ps: i can take no credit for the bobbin threading... jared had to teach me how to do that. he also picked out the material for the bow ties i will be attempting to make this week. this could be a very tumultuous but exciting adventure?

domestic goddess.

my friend andrew refers to me (in a disturbingly mocking tone, of course) as a domestic goddess.  because it is very clear that i am anything but that.  i hate crafts. i love the idea of them and i love the idea of creating things and saving money and stuff.  but the process really blows. few things make me as agitated as crafts (those other things are the post office, bank, dmv, rubber neckers, bad drivers, toothaches, ill behaved children...). yet i find myself drawn into the evil pool of the do-it-yourself blogs, pins and braggers. and though i may be setting women's lib back a good 4 decades or so, i still feel the biological obligation to embark on this journey towards female domestication.  i generally fail miserably at this and just put it by the wayside and continue along my way in beckieland (feeling completely justified with my cooking, cleaning, nagging, babysitting, nursing, needy, ironing and poor driving skills).  but one of my best friends, valentina, said something about me the other day that rang frighteningly true.  she was explaining to jared how much i like to play games and how well i play them, but then she said 

"i have never seen a game that beckie isn't good at. but then again, if she isn't good at it, she won't do it. so i guess no one would ever see her be bad at it because if she was bad it, she just wouldn't do it". 

oh, the truth hurts. but why spend emotional exhaustion and time on something that i know i am bad at?  i guess that whole personal growth thing... ? such a waste.

well last weekend i decided that i was going to do a craft. a real craft. not the cool kind (which would include saws, wood, power tools, home depot trips, super glue and paint) but the truly frugal, pinterest worthy, DIY craft. so while jared and the guys were hard at work on their school project, i went to work on mine (they got to use marbles, k'nex and hammers...they suck).

this was an HOUR AND A HALF, 4 curse words and 3 burned fingers and absolute determination to conquer this damn foam tree, into the project.

this was THREE AND HALF hours, 27 curse words, 10 burned off finger prints, frazzled hair, 1 bead of sweat and a chest bump worthy amount of victorious pride in my heart. i was ready to set the thing on fire but i am proud to say that i did it.

yes, i am gross.

and i just might blow it up for new year's eve.

next on the docket.

i love old mason jars. they hold a lot of memories from my childhood.  every summer we canned a bagillion fruits and vegetables. this meant waking up far too early, dad going to the produce stand guy and buying bushels of stuff, mama filling up every sink in the house to soak and wash the produce in, and then everyone washing, chopping, peeling and sealing until midnight. but there were some fun times (the one time we burned the hell out of our eyes from cutting peppers for salsa...) and lots of healthy, yummy food storage as a result.

mason jars also held coins, lightening bugs, caterpillars,and our halloween candy when we played "candy store".  so because of this affinity that i have for these babies, this is my next crafty:

it is easy to find the standard ball jars, but i really would like the vintagy green ones with the silver tops.  where might one procure such beauties?? as for th rest of it, home depot here i come. 

habitual.

uh oh... i had a 40% off coupon to hobby lobby...they sell ribbon by the yard.

today's craft:

one of the million super comfortable gap body tanks that i already have

+

$1.25 worth of trim and 1 hour of hand sewing

=

right now i am the only female left in my social circle...and as much fun as that is, i think that i suffer from a testosterone overload and need to come home and domesticate myself. but i really need for mother nature to start cooperating with me... (but i HAVE been thoroughly enjoying my rain runs...i just am anxious for it to be a little warmer!) i can only do so much of this. 

not having school feels stressful. sounds ironic, but i have all this free time and i do not know what to do with it. luckily i have my books, my gym pass and the playoffs. go boston.

sunday crafts.

as previously blogged and noted by the people in my world...i love cardigans.

generally speaking one wears something underneath such an article of clothing.

i love embellished t's and tank tops. they make it a little bit less plain. but...why would i pay 50% more for a plain top just because it has ruffles or beading?

so today, i made my own.

plain shirts that i already owned and $2.40 worth of beads. i refuse to become a cat lady just because i live by myself and am bored out of my mind because the weather was too ugly for playing outside.

so i might as well get frugally crafty (and yes, i refuse to admit that blogging about nonsesnical moments in my life and cheap crafts is as equally pathetic as being a cat lady).

imagine what i could do with a sewing machine...i used to have a wonderful dinosaur of a Singer that my mama gave to me. it lasted a good 30 years, and a lot of really spectacular matching outfits for my sisters and me (oh boy...the blue polka dot phase), but a tumbling down a flight of concrete stairs was too much. rip.

but check out this one.

adorable. could be used with almost any skirt, jeans or chinos and every cardigan i own. but why pay $45 for it when i could just sew some ruffles on in 3 minutes? i need a new singer. and a life.

ohhhh but i did get a new book. joely left (surprise weekend visit? sure, why not. made my week), back to work in the morning and poopy weather ensues. i am holed up inside for the evening with my read.

now all i need is a mini van and 11 kids.

i feel so utah mormon mom right now... but i did it.  i made my wreath. i went straight to roberts and purchased my supplies.

* 10" foam wreath: $2.65

* 500 of those tiny pleating pins: $2.00

* extra copy of old book: free.

so about an hour and half, 50 needle pricks, 4 swear words and 10 black fingers later...wa la:

we have a vintagy window pane mirror above our love seat in the family room...it fit so well right there.

so it is not perfect. but it took less than 2 hours and $5??  it was kinda fun just listening to music and rolling paper (now i get the marijuana hype).  and i will admit, for my lack of crafting skills and patience, i am pretty pleased with it.

Atlas Shrugged can change your life and your decor. who knew.

mmmm so there ya go. crafty beckie.

easy peasy.

i know that i live in a little student condo, but that doesn't mean that it cannot be homey.  even if i don't spend a lot of time there, it is still home and you should always come home to someplace cozy and happy.

well i love wreaths. right now i only have 3. i have a very cute fall wreath that is covered in acorns and gourds and leaves. love it.  i also have a christmas and an easter one.  boo.  they are not even that cute.

so... thanks to craft blogs and no more 3 hour chemistry class, i have decided to make one. these are my choices:

but not in black. i would like to welcome spring!

and i for sure want to make this one for my family room. 

i have a really really old copy atlas shrugged that is falling apart (don't worry, i have a newer copy for keeps).  so it would be perfect. i love books, wreaths and cheap, easy to make crafts.  maybe this will be my next sunday craft night.