Never Forget

8:46-Flight 11 crashes into the north face of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, between floors 93 and 99. The aircraft enters the tower intact. It plows to the building's core, severing all three gypsum-encased stairwells. People below the severed stairwells start to evacuate—no one above the impact zone is able to do so.

9:03-Flight 175 crashes into the south face of the South Tower of the World Trade Center, banked between floors 77 and 85. All 65 people on board the aircraft die instantly on impact, and unknown hundreds in the building as well. By this time, several media organizations are covering the first plane crash causing millions to see the impact live. Parts of the plane, including the starboard engine, leave the building from its east and north sides, falling to the ground six blocks away.

9:37-Flight 77 crashes into the western side of the Pentagon and starts a violent fire. The section of the Pentagon hit consists mainly of newly renovated, unoccupied offices. All 64 people on board are killed, as are 125 Pentagon personnel.9:57-Passenger revolt begins on Flight 93.9:58-The South Tower of the World Trade Center begins to collapse, 56 minutes after the impact of Flight 175. Its destruction is viewed and heard by a vast television and radio audience. As the roar of the collapse goes silent, tremendous gray-white clouds of pulverized concrete and gypsum rush through the streets. Most observers think a new explosion or impact has produced smoke and debris that now obscures the South Tower, but once the wind clears the smoke it becomes clear that the building is no longer there.

10:03-United Airlines Flight 93 is crashed by its hijackers and passengers due to fighting in the cockpit 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Later reports indicate that passengers had learned about the World Trade Center and Pentagon crashes on cell phones and at least three were planning on resisting the hijackers; the resistance was confirmed by Flight 93's cockpit voice recording, on which the hijackers are heard making their decision to down the plane before the passengers succeed in breaching the cockpit door. The 9/11 Commission believed that Flight 93's target was either the United States Capitol building or the White House in Washington, D.C.

10:28-The North Tower of the World Trade Center collapses. Due to the destruction of the gypsum-encased stairwells on the impact floors, no one who was above the impact zone in the North Tower escapes the collapse. The Marriott Hotel, located at the base of the two towers, is also destroyed. The second collapse is also viewed live on television and heard on radio. The North Tower collapses 1 hour, 42 minutes after the impact of Flight 11.

8:30-President Bush addresses the nation from the White House stating, "Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. . . Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. . . The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts...we will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."


Today we remember the loss of the life of 2,996 people who were killed in or as a result of these attacks. We rejoice in God's presence, even in the darkest of times, and vow to never forget the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Many thanks to all the policemen, fire fighters, and military personnel who sacrifice(d) so much, even their lives, on that day and since to protect our freedom. 

Wreck This Journal: 0

Today, after weeks of between-the-line complaints from my sister that I wasn't blogging enough, I bought a Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith to maybe get myself posting more.

If you don't know anything about it, it's a journal with instructions on every page that end up giving you a pretty beat up book and lots of creative energy unleashed! Just by looking through it today, some of my favorites include "rub here with dirt," "sew this page," and "draw lines with your pen or pencil. Lick your finger and smear the lines."

My new, pristine journal next to Raychel's partially finished one.

I'm really excited to do some work in it and that it's going to get me posting again! I really do miss it when I can't post, but there are so many things that feel like higher priorities right now, not to mention I rarely even get on the computer during the week since I'm at work all day and too tired when I get home to do anything but veg out. Hmm. I thought that would be marked as a run-on sentence, but it wasn't! (Grammar queen, much?)

I'm counting on it!

You don't get to know my address and phone number. #Sorrynotsorry
I made my name illegible by writing all the letters on top of each other.
I'm awesome at writing backwards

I don't think I'll be following rule one, but that just means I am following rule four ;]

The materials I'll need. Lists: spontaneity, grass, and saliva among other fun stuff

I added in that 0 :]

(Another) Birthday

The 23rd was my (other) Little's birthday! Next year will be her golden year, turning 23 on the 23rd, but this year, my precious Karrah turned 22. No big things this year, unfortunately. And she didn't even get to really celebrate being an adult this past year since some health issues keep her from consuming alcohol :[

This is the night we met. In this picture, I hadn't even introduced myself yet!

Sooo, here's the present I made her! I didn't get a picture after, but I did put a layer of ModPodge over it so that it would be shiny instead of matte.

I found a pair of canvases at Hobby Lobby for less than one of a different brand. Uh, YAY! Now I can make lots of paintings :]

I started by basically dripping paint on the canvas in pretty large blobs, then used a big brush to spread it out.

Then I worked on Word, Photoshop, and Paint quite a bit to get letters that I liked.

I printed them out on plain computer paper and just used scissors to cut it out. 

Use the outside portion. . .

I just used scotch tape to tape it down and paint it in.

I found that the best way to keep the paper down while I was painting was to press the brush half on and half off of the paper. 

I signed my "name."

And added some curls to the ends of the letters.

Pretty good for an iPhone photo, huh?

I love lettering and spend a lot of time in my classes doodling monograms, so this idea was perfect! Karrah's roommate asked for a similar one (with her initials, obviously) with a bit more of the teal, so they could both hang one in their new apartment in the fall :]

And Laura also bought one of those sets of canvases, so now I have even more! I'm so excited to paint some more.

This is a picture from Laura's birthday party and it's us perfectly!

I love this girl so much! I never could have guessed how much of an impact Phi Lamb would have on my life simply through the people the officers put in my phamily every year. 

You are so important to me, Karrah. I definitely need your cool head sometimes and all the advice you can give me. We may not exactly have a conventional Big/Little relationship, but it definitely works for us and I wouldn't change it for the world. Happy 23rd year of life, pretty lady!

Now the rest of you, go make something! It's spring! A time of creation and newness. Add to the beauty of this wonderful world :]

xoxo

L

Spring Break '12: Take One

So, it's been forever since I've posted. I think about getting on here all the time, but something else always gets my attention instead. I'd really like to be much more regular about posting on here, but it's hard for me to get crafts done with pictures and up on my computer in a timely manner while I have so much life going on! At least it's a good reason to not have time, right?

Anyway, a month ago was my spring break! My sister, Raychel and I went to The Villages, Florida to visit some of my dad's side of the family there. It was the perfect mix of relaxation in the middle of the semester and fun goings on :] We went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (my second time, her first), saw The Hunger Games at its midnight premiere, and drove around in what we lovingly called The Blueberry for a week.

It was a lot of fun and just what I needed. I can't believe that was just four weeks ago!

For now, I'll leave you with that little ditty. There will be pictures soon of Harry Potter World! And sometime this week we'll talk about the rest of that Easter activity from my Ash Wednesday post :] Hopefully by the end of the week I'll have a craft up, too! We're making big goals here, people. And in the words of Bob the Builder and his crew- "Yes we can!"

Leap Day Birthday Girl

Yesterday was my Little, Laura's birthday! She's a leapling I've been told. Unfortunately this post was supposed to be up yesterday, but lots of other things came up that prevented me from writing it :[ I'm hopeful she's understanding. Plus I did say "happy birthday" to her plenty yesterday; in person, on facebook, in a card, you know, the usual :]

Anyway, here are some fun ecards I found for her special day that comes only once every 4 years. Just 1460 days left until the next one, pretty girl!

http://www.someecards.com/birthday-cards/leap-year-birthday-infantile-funny-ecard 

http://www.someecards.com/birthday-cards/happy-birthday-to-one-of-the-few-people

http://www.someecards.com/birthday-cards/im-confident-your-birthday-will-be-the-least-miserable-day-of-lent

http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMS1kYzViOGU1MTcwMjE4NWI2

http://www.someecards.com/birthday-cards/just-wanted-to-be-the-first-one-to-wish

http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/8b84cb436e86e6a86a9b36c5d958e6ab

Some of them are a little outdated already, but yesterday they would have been perfect :] I hope you enjoy your pretty pedicure, Laura! I loved getting to spend some time with you! I know your 4 years of being a 5 year old will be splendid :D

Do you know any leaplings? Or maybe someone whose wedding anniversary is on Leap Day?

♥L

Two new travel bags

For Valentine's Day, I very subtly gave my parents a link to what I really wanted-one of the totes from Dear Lillie

I love the tote and have used it for carting ballet slippers and more (thanks Mom and Dad!!)! :]

One thing that was a little disappointing in the bag was that it is just the one big pocket. It's a bigger tote than I was expecting and I have lots of little things that get lost even in my little purse, so I decided to make a clutch-type insert so that I could have dance clothes and my Kindle and such in my bag, but also be able to find my keys and my wallet when I needed to.

I used the remains of a dress (previously meant for this project), to make the first bag.

Here's the bag!
I didn't realize until I started loading these pictures that I did not take good enough to make a tutorial out of, really.
I cut out a rectangle of fabric that I knew was large enough for my biggest item then serged around all the edges. I just eyeballed where I wanted it to fold-over and sewed it up!

I picked a button and cut a hole big enough for it then somewhat secured it by stitching on the ends.

Beautimous. :]

I made this one last Tuesday and used it for my toiletries for a retreat I went on this weekend, but still needed it for my wallet and things, so I whipped up another one. I like the newer one better, but I never got to take pictures of it. Maybe later I'll get one up for ya!

What have you been crafting lately? Or has this nice weather pushed you out of the house and away from the sewing machine?

♥L

Ash Wednesday

I love Easter. I love that it brings my family all to the same place. I love the pastel colors. I love that my mom always gives my granma (yes, that's how she spells it) a bouttenire (really, spellcheck? You can't help me out with that one?). I love the baby animals. I love the symbolism it has for me as a Christian. I even love the smell of vinegar when making Easter eggs. This love affair with Easter then leads to my love for Lent and Ash Wednesday.
I hear the Gospel all the time. I'm active in multiple Christian organizations. I study my Bible. The belief that Christ suffered on the cross for my sins, died, and then rose again three days later, giving me eternal life is an omnipresent idea in my world. In fact, it gets a little old hearing about it all the time. But somehow, every spring, Easter comes around and I am so excited to hear the message again.
One thing that I really loved as a youth member was an "activity" we participated in when I was in 8th grade that made the message even more powerful. This year, I decided to pass on the practice to my Phi Lamb Phamily.

I brought three different materials to make black bracelets out of. The one that's triangular in the above picture is some braided leather cord. The lacy-looking strip is just some trim I picked up in the ribbon section. The last one is a strip of bandanna. I remember making bracelets out of bandannas all the time when I was younger. You cut a strip on the bias, get it damp, twist it until it curls itself together, then let it dry. I used this same concept to make them again. 

I told the girls that the black bracelets they were wearing represented sin. Every time they looked down and saw the black, or took a shower and noticed that their wrist wasn't getting dry because the bandanna was still wet, or felt the bracelets as they took notes in class, to remember their sin.

The leather one didn't stay tied. This picture is after the leather on came off and was added instead to my...

Keys! Now I'll remember my sin and why I am celebrating observing Lent when I drive, too.

More to come on what to do next. Not until Good Friday, though. Until then, share your experiences with Easter! Also, what are you giving up (or taking on) for Lent? I've gotten pretty lax about taking the Lord's name in vain, so I'm working on taking that out of my vocabulary. I already messed up once today, so I'm definitely going to need to find a rubber band to snap on my wrist when I catch myself doing it.

Short tutorial coming up soon!

Happy (?) Ash Wednesday! Have a great rest of the week! If you need a reason to smile, you should head over to see Clara Rose, Dana's newest addition :] Such a precious bundle!

Leave your tips for giving up something over the next 40 days to help me out!

♥L

Cardigan. . .refashion?

It's not really a refashion because it's the same idea, and definitely still a cardigan, but I couldn't figure out what else to call it.

Anyway, I have this gray cardigan:

I bought it about a year-and-a-half ago when the grandpa/boyfriend sweater was popular. I thought I could handle how long it was, but I've worn it only a handful of times since my mom bought it for me.

Soooo big!

Makes me sad :[

But, I have this awesome brown cardigan from the Gap that I absolutely love!

It fits perfectly and is really soft. . .not wool. Whatever it's made of, it's really comfy :] So I used it to change the length of the gray one!

Here's a little tutorial for ya:

First I turned both cardis inside out and buttoned them. The gray one I did in that order, and it was difficult. The brown one I buttoned, then turned inside out. Much easier.

Then I laid the brown one on top of the gray one, with the buttons on the floor. The only thing I wanted to change was the length, so I didn't pay any attention to the sleeves or the difference in width towards the bottom.

It turned out that the length of the ribbing at the bottom of the gray was the reason it was so much longer, so I was able to just cut off the ribbing and reuse it as it was.

The gray sweater has pockets on it that just so happen to be right where I wanted to put the new seam. Boo. But I cut a seam allowance about 3/4 inch away from the bottom of the opening of the pocket.

Then I unbottoned the sweater and turned it right side out to lay flat. I unbottoned the ribbing section and laid it face down on the sweater lining up the seams (and making sure the buttons and buttonholes were on the right side), and pinned it.

See? The buttons are all together! :]

I also pinned the pockets up so that they wouldn't get caught up in the sewing and then not work as pockets anymore.

Then I sewed it up!

You can't see it really well in the picture, but when cutting off the ribbing, I cut halfway through a buttonhole, so I lined up the sewing machine so that the seam would be just above that point.

I tried it on and was happy except for a bulge right where the seam was

Also, I did make sure the buttons were on the right side, but I didn't give them equal spacing. . . Oh well.

So I moved on to. . .

My serger!! I haven't used it on a project since receiving it for my birthday from my parents! They wanted to get me something big since it was my 21st birthday :] At first, I was actually a little disappointed and thought I may not really ever use it, at least not while I'm in college. Now that I actually had a project to use it on, I'm so glad I didn't let myself tell my mom to take it back!

So happy to use my serger! :] Sorry for the whole immodest thing going on in this picture. I was wearing the camisole under the cardigans for pictures and since I was trying it back on every once in a while I didn't bother putting a t-shirt on and off in between.

I didn't take a picture of it, but I loved the little pile of cut off fabric the knife on the serger left behind. It looked like a little pillow or something. Haha.

After serging it, there was still a little bulkiness right where the closures were, so I trimmed off the serged part there at a diagonal to reduce future fraying. That helped a bit.

And here it is!

Much better :] I don't have an iron at school, so I haven't ironed the seam yet, which I know is a vital step to making your sewing projects look less homemade (thanks Dana!), but it'll do for now. You especially can't tell if I button up the cardigan, so maybe I'll just wear it like that until I go home in a week-and-a-half, I suppose.

Sorry for the extreme lack of posts! Today was my one month singleversary, so I've had other things to deal with. Today I was thinking about needing to post something, though, and just the thought of being able to post a tutorial made me so excited to find a project to do! I should feel obligated to post more often, then maybe I'd have lots of cool projects to show ;]

Since I've been gone, I had a comment on this post from someone who I don't know in real life! It was so exciting to have another reader that I posted about it on Facebook :]

How has the first month of the new year been for you? Have you been trying to live up the last 356 days of your life (now we're down to 326!)? 

My favorite troll about the world ending on December 21 of this year:

http://cafewitteveen.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/keanu-asks-all-the-deep-questions/

Whether we're nearing the end times or not, I hope your January has been wonderful! In two days, I'm going to take the lead of Bethany and go all out on Valentine's Day decorations and clothing! For some reason I am pumped up for the month of love, even without a boy to share it with :D

Have you put up any decorations? Are you one of those people who calls it Single's Awareness Day? More about what I've been doing while I was away from the blog next time!

♥L