my life as a palindrome

My birthday was last weekend. I am now 22, hence, palindrome.

My to-do-tonite looks like this:
-print pics for scrapbook
-go through dresser drawers, closet, underbed storage
-MUST POST BLOG
-pedi

Obviously, I have my priorities straight! I have been meaning to post for over a week...

The scrapbook pictures are part of a wedding gift for my sister. I'm just putting together a scrapbook of our Bachelorette Shenanigans.

My mom gave me a copy of Apartment Therapy for my birthday and it just added flame to the fire that is my desire to organize/clean/purge my apartment. It's hard living with four other people and three animals! A few dozen/hundred houseguests have recently departed as we're just now getting over a serious fruit fly infestation (thank you, Summer). And of course I am a packrat (born and raised) and, being a crafter, save way too many items "just in case". It goes against all my green-instincts, but dang it feels good to just get rid of it, it being books or 2x4s or old clothing.

Luckily, we have a freebie table here at work, so if I choose to let go of craft supplies or books, they will have a happy home.

My parents also graciously gifted me a new digital camera. I was previously operating with a 3.2 mp Kodak EasyShare I purchased frantically in London last summer, wanting to be certain I had enough pictures of my pilgrimage to Manchester (that's a Joy Division Pilgrimage, fyi). The irony is that my computer crashed last September and I lost nearly all of the photos I had not uploaded to Photo Bucket. Fear not: I also brought my polaroid and (gasp) film camera, so I have plenty of pictures left.

The birthday camera is a Nikon Coolpix camera (they seriously have to do something about the name though), complete with (the best part) a camera case!! Thanks, Mom and Dad!

For myself, I got some new booties (ebay). They are being re-soled in Virginia right now (Shoe guy to me: Re-soling is going to cost more than the shoe itself. Me: Mmhmm, yes, did you not hear me say I walk a lot and have a ebay boot buying problem? Thank u.), just as a pre-caution for the fearsome winter.


I also purchased a print from Ashley G, called Hello September. I really love all of Ashley G's prints, in fact I have this one as well. I really wanted to get the Hello May print, because the little birdy has my hair-do (thats the "entire head = bang" hair do), but I opted for Hello September because it's my burfday month.



My roommate Ryan got me a super cute dress from Atlantis Attic, which I tailored (although I do need to the take the sleeves in a bit more).. excuse the lame expression in this photo. My dad took it and we have differing opinions on what constitutes a proper photo expression. He wants big smiles, with teeth! I say, take another where I'm don't look crazy, but alas...


And Heather got me my first official piece of designer jewelry: a Marc Jacobs padlock watch necklace. I'm very excited about that.


In news of progress: I have FINALLY finished the Hang in there Kitty cross stitch (see: Adorn blog).

JESUS. THAT. TOOK. FOREVER.

Helpful hint: do not lose your embroidery floss. For real. Pictures to come later, once it's ironed

xoxox

wheeeee all the way home.

ocassionally I have the humor of a five year old and things like the following make me giggle..


it's difficult to see but the clue is boxcar rider. boxcar rider = hobo. hehe.


christian bale = babe
mustachio = tee hee.

Bachelorette Partay!

Labor Day weekend I did it up in style in Ocean City, MD. (hehehe.. oh boy!) It was my sister's Bachelorette Party! She lives in Virginia, so I haven't been around to do proper Maid of Honor things - finding the dress, being the ear/shoulder, etc, so I was very excited for this weekend, because, if you didn't know this, I love putting together parties... esp theme parties!

My theme was hot pink, which is truly not so much a theme as it is a color, but apparently is not very original, because finding gear at Party City was a breeze! I picked it, however, because the colors for her wedding are sage green & hot pink. Or at least.. those are the ones I remembered. Plus.. I like pink.

I put together some goodie bags for all the ladies (seven in total.)


These included pink bag, pink beads, pink light up ring, pink plastic cups (for cocktails in the hotel room), a shot glass (although we didn't do shots.. and phew on that), and a pink tee shirt with a diamond on it (I made these.. more on that later).

Also, some unmentionables....


I did manage to infuse some craftiness into the weekend... can't stay away too long! I got everyone pink tee shirts which I then adorned with an iron-transfer image of a diamond (that I also used on the invitations) and some glittery fabric paint.



I brought along 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim & Tie Your Tee Shirt into something special (yesh! longest title ever.) I have never used one of these books before, but it actually came in handy as it guided the group. What could have been an intimidating task for girls who don't usually craft (with the exception of my cousin Amy, who has tied and trimed many a tee shirt in her time) was eased by picking out a shirt and saying "i want this one!"
I ended up making my sister's tee shirt based on the "Miriam" design (which, incidentally, is her middle name and my grandmother's name) and her friend Lauren's tee based on another design. I did my own version of a design in the book because I didn't have a sewing machine.

I was actually really impressed with this book! Generally, I'm not a "tee-shirt" type of girl, but this book offered some very chic ideas!

in the process...


My Sister and I


(me on the right with the sunburn, haha!)

All the ladies at the bar (venue? it was very complex!) Seacrets we spent the weekend at


Yes, we were clearly a force to be reckoned with. I had a blast all weekend! We danced, did bachelorette things, had an awesome scavanger hunt, laid on the beach, and I ate CRABS!!!!

I have never eaten crabs before, and by that I mean, I've never shelled a crab and taken its little body apart for the meat. I was pretty much in shock for ten minutes and then sucked it up and got pullin. I really don't think it's an experience I will repeat but... it was an experience.

speaking of...


Maryland... just full of class.