I Got Crafty

I haven't been terribly bloggy lately because I decided to get crafty. This is partly due to the fact that I got stuck on the novel (stupid writer's block) and partly due to the fact that I found the most amazing baby afghan EVER on pinterest.com:



So, I decided to make one for baby #2, should there be one. This is an awesome project for me, because a flower takes me a little less than 20 minutes to crochet, which means I can do as little or as many as I would like at a time. I am doing a five-petal flower instead of a six, and I think I may add some leaves here and there, but this is the general idea. I am super excited about it.

I love the I Love This Yarn yarn from Hobby Lobby, but we don't have a Hobby Lobby here in the Northworst. It's super soft and has some really pretty colors... And it's super affordable. I made E a blanket and a sweater using their yarn, and I love the way they turned out.  I have some left over from some of my past projects/impulse buys in this color:

So, I am starting with that until I can get some more, either when I go back to visit in GA or by ordering it online. I am thinking of using these colors:

Sometimes Writing Is Harder Than It Should Be

I've had a pretty big "breakthrough" in the fantasy novel I am currently working on. I was having some trouble figuring out how I wanted to get from point B to C, and then, one night, it came to me. I have a pretty good picture in my head what will happen next...

I just can't seem to actually write it.

I know that sounds pretty weird, but I pull up my word processor and just stare at it like an idiot for about 6 minutes. Sometimes I write a sentence. Or two. And then I click over to Facebook or Pinterest and procrastinate for an hour.

It's actually pretty annoying.

However, I have decided that one of my main-ish characters looks like Eric Northman. Or Alexander Skarsgard. Same thing, right? So, when Universal Pictures decided to buy the rights to said novel and make the movie, they came save some money on casting calls. Just imagine this image (from tv.ign.com), but with long hair... And a little less pasty. Maybe not so much with the whole Vampire thing. But otherwise. That guy.

Also, on a totally unrelated (yet related) subject: I have been known to get some of my story ideas from dreams. I had a pretty amazing dream last night that I think could write itself into a pretty good story... The problem with this is: it makes much more sense as a dream than it does as "real life." Oh, well. I wrote it down "to be used in the future." (Now that I have shared that... I'm not entirely sure why I shared it. Oh, well. Just forget it and feast your eyes on Eric Northman/Alexander Skarsgard.)

A Big Girl Room

Endelyn is quite happy in her crib. She hasn't even attempted to climb out of it--to be honest, climbing isn't exactly her strongest sport, anyway; she can't even really climb up on to the sofa (what can I say, other than "gross motor skills are not her best?")--but that hasn't stopped me from mentally imagining what her room will look like once she is no longer in the crib.

We have no plans to use a toddler bed. In fact, I specifically bought a crib that did not transition into a toddler bed because I think they are a little... dumb. We have the twin bed that was mine growing up, and plan to let her "transition" into that bed (with a bed rail, of course), but when we make out next Permanent Change of Station (PCS), we will be selling/donating that bed and replacing it with a full/queen size. Some might say that's impractical, but I would like her to have a bed she can use through the years.

I'd love for her to have an iron or brass bed, or something that has a very classically pretty style.

We both really like the look of both of these from Target (really! Target!)

I also really like the look of this one from Macy's



My mom is currently in the process of making curtains for Endelyn's room. They are going to be the plaid of my grandmother's tartan, which is green, blue, black, and purple. I really want to bring out the purple color to "girl-up" the room some.

This is the tartan. I believe the purple in the curtain fabric is a little bit pinker than this is, but it gives you an idea of what we are looking at.

I'd really like to paint her room a color that would be complimentary of those colors--the purple would probably be the easiest, but  I am A) afraid that that much of that color would be a little... much. And B) I was hoping to find her a comforter that was that color. Perhaps bringing out the green color in a fresh paint would really make the purple pop... Fortunately, I have no intention of painting any of the walls in our current house, so I have a couple years to think on it. 

I have some gorgeous photographs from when I was at St Andrews, Scotland, that I am going to blow up and frame. I think a nice Victorian-like frame would be nice. I'll also probably go look for something pretty at an antique store to go over her Victorian dresser (which needs some new pulls...).

I really like both of these from houseofantiquehardware.com

She also has an antique bookcase that was past down to me from my dad's side of the family. It was originally my great-grandmothers, I believe, so it too is probably Victorian. It needs some work--mostly to be refinished--which I might try to tackle soon.

I guess the theme I am going for is... under-stated Highland estate. I don't think that is probably actually a theme, but it's what I think of when I think of her future room. It'll soften it up with some of her stuffed animals (she has a couple highland cows, some sheep, etc), but I don't want it to be too... Froo froo. I look at some of the little girl room-inspiration on pinterest, but I find them all a little too pink and frilly and princessy.

I'm open to any suggestions or ideas! Please let me know if you find anything Victorian, Scottish, Purple, Plaid, and/or Noble that could go along with my made up theme!

And now I am off to start a pinterest board for just that!