Fun Fact Friday #6

Describe your spouse (significant other).

I thought this would be a pretty perfect prompt to do what with all this Valentine's Day stuff flying around!

Jeremy
aka Jermish, Lover Face, Lover Lips, Lovey and Babe. Besides Jermish, how sappy are those pet names?! LOL! They all started as jokes. Like we were joking around being overly, annoyingly in love but they eventually just stuck. Oh and "babe" totally came from The Office Dinner Party episode!
He's 25 years old and his birthday is at the end of this month.

Jeremy is hands down the hardest worker I know. The only person I can think of that works harder than him is my dad. He truley loves his job. He is a machinist and has been since I think he was 16. He started in Vo-Tech at his high school and kept going with it. He's told me a few times how funny it is that he's a machinist. He wanted to take masonry (laying bricks, UGH!) but the class was full. They told him he had to pick something else and on a whim just picked machining. I actually didn't even know what machining was until I moved to PA. I never knew a machinist other than that Christian Bale movie. But out here I know a TON of machinists. My sisters ex boyfriend is a machinist. One of his friends is a machinst, he worked with Jeremy and that is how we met actually. Basically he takes big hunks of plastic (he can also work with metal but his shop manufactures plastic) and using different machines and tools he forms that plastic into a part. He makes all different kinds of parts. The two I remember the most are parts for the pulleys on cranes, those ginormous cranes that build bridges and sky scrapers and crap. Also, he makes parts for submarines. He's the group leader for the turning center (the department he works in) and I know that in a very short time he is going to be a supervisor. He loves that place, he gives 110% everyday and they love him. It's just a matter of time before he's running shit, hehe!

To go along with the hard worker thing, anything he does he likes to be THE BEST at. He started bowling a few years ago. His dad used to bowl all the time until he injured his bicep this past year so Jeremy joined the team as well. Just last month he had his first 500 series, TWICE! He also had his two highest scoring games. He bowls every Wednesday. I don't go anymore because it can be a little boring to watch. Plus it's time for him to hang out with his buddies. I sit at home crafting away and wait for him to tell me how he's doing so I can cheer him on, hehe! He also golfs. That was a new thing last year. He actually even went down to Florida with his best friend, Justin on a "Mancation" this past summer! He golfed for a few days with Justin and Justin's step dad. I only went to the driving range with him once and holy moses! My ribs were so sore the next day from all that twisting while swinging! He really wants me to golf for real, like 18 holes this year...we'll see!

He also went hunting for the first time this year. I'm not exactly a fan of that but I also can't tell him what to do. He's been hunting birds, pheasants and grouse to be exact. He knows I don't like it so I'm hoping once hunting season is over that he'll kind of forget about it. I don't know though, he works with one of the guys he goes with so...bleh!

He's extremely funny and laid back. I'm pretty sure everyone who meets him instantly likes him. He just has this way of making people laugh, he's just so big and loveable and says inappropriate shit all the time. It's one of the main reasons I love him. No matter how I'm feeling, he can make me laugh. I wish I could get a video of him doing his satchsquatch impression in the woods...oh it's priceless!

Jeremy is what I call "a fixer". Whenever something is wrong or someone needs something, he is the first one to be there. Whether it be just with some advice, an actual solution or literally fixing that broken chair, he's there. It's so reassuring to know he'll always be there for whatever I need!

Oh and he's one of the best dancers I know!!

Ok so I could literally keep going!! I'm sure you're the same way once you get on a role about your loved one.

Have an awesome Friday!

Jamie

Fun Fact Friday Disclaimer:
I found The Imagination Prompt Generator and loved the idea of writing posts based on its random prompts. Every Friday I will share a lil' something about myself based on these prompts. I see it as a means of sharing a bit more about myself with you! It will be a random topic or question and my responses will be pretty free form and random as well. I'll of course edit for spelling and punctuation but I want to just let it flow for the most part. I hope you enjoy and maybe even join in!

Valentine's Day Swap...Sent

Last month I signed up for the Oh Strumpets Valentine's Day Swap. I'm so glad I did because I really branched out with the type of crafts I usually do. I'm not really a hearts and pink kind of girl. This gave me the perfect excuse to look for fun heart fabric and all kinds of pink and red felt.

I knew right away that I wanted to make a bunting for my partner, Erin. Not for any particular reason other than, who the hell doesn't love a good bunting?! While at Joann's I found these two coordinating glittery heart fabrics. Although the fabrics themselves are kind of busy, I felt just the fabric by itself would be a little boring. I decided to cut out some hearts from that sticky backed felt to add. I originally went a little far and added white hearts with red X's and O's on the other flags but it was WAY too much so I got rid of those! I also used some pink thread and a zigzag stitch to attach it all together.




Also, while I was at Joann's I milled around in the area with Valentine's Day decorations to find some other fun tidbits to send my partner. I saw some cute little heart ornaments. They were a bit on the country clutter side though. You know what I mean? With the burlap, red gingham fabric and twine? It wasn't my taste but it gave me an idea...I could make my own stuffed heart ornaments!! I did a tutorial yesterday if you want to make some of your own! These are the three I sent Erin, I hope she likes them!



This was such a fun swap. Like I said, I branched out of my so called "comfort zone" and used different types of fabrics and themes than I normally would have. It was nice and refereshing. Plus now I have a few of the heart ornaments of my own!
I can't wait to see what Erin made for me!!

A special thanks to Becky and Olivia for organzing this awesome swap together over on Oh Strumpets!


Jamie

How to Make a Valentine's Day Heart Ornament

For today I present you with my first tutorial!! I am super duper excited and I really hope you try and make some of these on your own. They aren't hard at all and make the cutest Valentine's Day decorations. You could also hang them up whenever you want to bring a bit of love into your home anytime of year!

So let's get started!


1. Supplies:
Felt in any color you want
Fabric to compliment the felt
Embroidery Floss also to compliment your felt and fabric choices
Ribbon
Scissors and an Embroidery needle
(Not Pictured) A scrap piece of cardboard and some sort of stuffing - fiber fill, scrap pieces of fabric or yarn, etc.


2. Stencil
You will want to draw a heart onto your cardboard. Also draw a smaller heart to cut out of the center.
Cut out your stencil.
I drew this by hand but I have a feeling some heart cookie cutters would be the perfect template!


3. Felt
You will want to fold your felt in half and pin together.
Trace your heart stencil, the outside and the center.
Cut the largest heart out from both pieces of felt.
***Now if you kept your felt pinned together while cutting out the large heart UNPIN NOW!!!!***
Cut the center heart out of only ONE piece of felt.
(in a sleepy, crafty stooper I cut the center out of both sides of felt twice! You read that right, TWICE!! I'm a genius kids, a pure genius!)


4. Fabric
Trace the large heart onto your pretty fabric.
Trim around the outside a bit so that it is smaller than the big heart but still larger than the center.


5. Sew Fabric to Felt
Pin your fabric to the felt heart with the center cut out.
Stich around the center heart to attach your fabric.


6. Add detail
If you want, now would be the time to add any cute little details to the back heart. Make sure you embroider on the side that will face out.
I did this so that if the heart spins around, it will still look super cute!


7. Sew Felt Together
You will want to cut a piece of ribbon long enough to hang wherever you choose.
Pin this ribbon to the front piece of felt.
Pin the two sides together and embroider about 3/4 of the way around.
Make sure you stitch over the ribbon so it is nice and secure.
*Tip* Start your embroidery on the inside so that the knot does not show on the back of the ornament.


8. Stuff your ornament
Once you get to about the 3/4 mark you will want to stuff the ornament.
Don't overstuff or it might get kind of puckered looking (unless this is the look you are going for then by all means, stuff away!)
Once stuffed, continue stitching your ornament closed.
*Tip* Tie your knot on the inside so it doesn't show on your ornament either.


Now you can admire your adorable new heart ornament!!



I love all the different felt and fabric combos I came up with. All the emboidered details were just off the top of my head too.

I hope you try to make some of these for yourself or as a gift. If you do, leave me a link so I can see it too!

Have a lovely day friends!



Jamie

Movie Monday: Strangers on a Train

Last week I got "Strangers on a Train" in the mail from Netflix. I liked it so much I watched it twice!


This is another Hitchcock thriller and made in 1951. The story is about a semi-pro tennis player, Guy Haines and a man he meets on a train, Bruno Anthony. Bruno recognizes Guy from the gossip columns in the paper detailing his troubled marriage. Bruno is very forward and during lunch he explains his idea for the perfect "criss-cross" murder. Bruno will kill Guy's wife so he can marry his girlfriend Anne in exchange for Guy killing Bruno's father. Clearly Guy thinks the whole thing is a joke...but Bruno doesn't.

A few nights later Bruno follows Guy's wife, Miriam to an amusement park and strangles her! Everyone instantly believes Guy is the murderer and his only alibi is a drunk guy he sat near on the train who doesn't even remember him. Bruno convinces Guy that he can't go to the police because why would anyone believe that Bruno, a seemingly random guy would follow Miriam and kill her?

Bruno starts pestering Guy about his part of the bargain. He sends him a key to his house, a map to his father's bedroom and a gun! Guy tries his hardest to avoid Bruno but he just keeps popping up places!! Once Bruno realizes that Guy really isn't going to kill his father he decides he is going to frame Guy for Miriam's murder. And boy oh boy that is when it gets suspenseful!

I really liked this movie because you know that Bruno is a crazy person and really does have Guy between a rock and a hard place. While watching it, you have no idea how it's going to end and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! Also, completely random but the actor who plays Bruno, Robert Walker totally reminds me of a young Bill Murray! Also another fun fact, Hitchcock's real life daughter has a part in the movie. She plays Guy's girlfriend's little sister.

I hope you're all having a lovely Monday!

Jamie

Fun Fact Friday #5

Make a list of five ways you've changed in the last five years. What changes do you wish to make in the next five years?

First let me set the scene, five years ago was February of 2007, I was 23. I was living with my sister in the West End Apartment and I was going out with Mike (for the second time).

Five ways that I have changed...
1. I no longer get fall down drunk EVERY weekend. I would drive from PA an hour back to Jersey every Friday night and stay at Mike's house. There were two main bars that we frequented and that's pretty much exactly what we did every Friday and Saturday night. Occasionally going to a different bar or a friends house...still drinking too much. Then I would drive home Sunday, work all week and repeat. I don't regeret it or anything, it's just all we did!
2. I am FAAAAARRR more responsible than I used to be. I pay my bills on time, I actually have a budget so I know what I have to pay or save for, I call my parents on a regular basis, I grocery shop on Mondays, I do laundry Tuesday or Wednesday (half priced double loaders!). You know, just more grown up shit!
3. I cook. I never used to cook and no one ever expected me to either. When I was younger my mom always cooked, then my step mom always cooked, then my boyfriend's always cooked...I just never had to and got away with it. Once Jessie and I got a place together...she wasn't too keen on cooking for me all the time. So unless I wanted to live on scrambled eggs and pasta, I had to learn to cook. (funny story...I set the stove on fire making box mashed potatoes...hilarious!) Now I love to cook and I am dreaming of a bigger kitchen when Jeremy and I move in a few months so I can cook EVEN more!
4. I am thankful for what I have, my family and my friends. I don't think I ever took anybody or anything for granted. I just never really thought about how lucky I am. I have the most amazingly supported family and group of friends. I mean of course some of 'em are screwy and there's drama but..that's what makes life interesting, right? I'm more aware of each person as an individual and the relationships I have and I appreciate each one. I have a roof over my head, a car, a job and my health. Pretty much everything's awesome!
5. I am restless. I used to be totally fine just having a crappy office job, making money and literally just working for the weekend. Now not so much. I want to have a job I love...or at least even like! I want to wake up excited to go to work and not trying to think of a valid reason for calling out the instant I wake up. This mostly comes from Jeremy. He loves his job and he loves what he does everyday. He is the only human being I have ever heard utter the words "I can't wait for work tomorrow." I mean, WHO SAYS THAT?! I don't think I want to be the kind of person who LIVES for their job but I would really love to love what I do. I'm trying to work on that.


Changes for the next five years...
1. I would like to be satisified with my daily job. Whether I work for myself, someone else or no one at all (being a mama...although I guess that means working for the kids right?). I would like to enjoy the majority of my day!
2. I would like to be a mom. Do any of you ladies have a timeline for yourself? Like you always just had in your head since you can remember a specific age that you want to have kids by, be married by, etc.? Please tell me I'm not the only one! I've always had it in my head that I have to have my first kid by time I'm 30. I don't really know where that number came from but I suspect it is because my mother turned 30 the month before she had me. Anyway...that's one of 'em and I'm gonna be 30 in two years so...queue Marissa Tomei stomping out her biological clock on the cabin porch LOL (my cousin vinny anyone?!)
3. I would like to be selling my crafts. Have a nice little business, nothing massive and over the top. Just something to keep me busy and help pay some bills. An online business as well as selling at some of the local handmade shops too. IT WILL HAPPEN.
4. I would like to be in a cute little home all our own! Jeremy and I are getting an apartment together by the end of March. My hope is that we can save some money now that we will be living together and we could eventually get a house. I kind of already know exactly what I want it to look like! Of course it'll never be exact but it's fun to think about every once in a while.
5. I hope that this lil' bloggity blog is still alive and kickin'!!


Thanks for poppin' by, I hope you have a great Friday!

Jamie

Tea Swap

Erin organized a Tea Swap last month that I just had to join. I love tea! Ever since I was in middle school I have loved tea. It's definitely my mom's fault, she's a huuuge tea drinker. The quintisential image I have of my mother is her snuggled up on the couch with a book and cup of tea. One of the most comforting things my mom used to yell from the kitchen was "Want me to make you some tea?" Whether I was sick, cold or just being lazy, I loved it. To this day I drink tea all the time. Mostly at night after dinner I'll have a big ol' mug. I kind of use it as a way of keeping myself from eating snacks and crap for dessert too.


I was partnered up with the lovely Tids. She's from England which automatically had me pretty stoked, I'd be getting tea from England!! I mean HELLO, what better place?! Then I thought about the fact that was I going to be sending her tea from freaking Pennsylvania?! Lame! So I was determined to find something good for her! I had her list of likes and dislikes in hand (well really in my notebook) and headed out on a tea hunt. I'm pretty satisified with what I got for her! There was a girl reorganizing the tea aisle while I was there and I'm pretty sure she must think I'm some kind of tea nut. I spent at least half an hour going back and forth between the two aisles talking to myself trying to decide what to get!




I also wanted to make her a little tea wallet. It's so perfect, you can carry four teabags around with you and you don't have to worry about them getting lost or all crummied up in your purse. Mine always end up getting crumpled and torn in the bottom of my purse! (the tea in this wallet is my own just for show, I didn't want to open the new boxes I got for her)
I definitely have to make one for myself, it's so cute and I found the perfect tutorial. I hope Tids enjoys what I sent her and I can't wait to find out what she sends me!

Cheers!

Jamie

February Goals

Happy February! I have a few goals set for the month and I wanted to share them with you. It's motivation for me to stick to these goals if I share 'em with you lovies!

* Send the package of crafts I am making for my Valentine's Day Swap partner.

* Finish one of the books Liz gave me for Christmas, The Mystery of Grace.

* Start and Finish the Book Club book (my pick!).

* Finish Shannon's Birthday gift.

* Figure out Jeremy's Birthday presents. I'm pretty sure I have it figured out, I just need to write it down and get it finalized.

* Figure out what I am going to make/give Shannon for her baby shower.

HELP: Shannon is my first friend to have a baby. Besides my step sister, Shannon is the first person I've known while pregnant. I just got the invitation to her baby shower and I am debating on what to make/give her. Should I just get something off the registery? Should I make something?! What do I make?! I don't want to be all presumtuous and give her a baby blanket which is my first instinct. I mean what if she has a family member who makes a baby blanket for her?! Can you have too many baby blankets?! I know that Shannon and her husband JP both really appreciate one of a kind, hand made gifts so that's not an issue. Is it rude to get something not on the registry? AHH!! I need your help friends!!

Thank you and here's to an Awesome February!!

Jamie