Sunday, November 27, 2011

Handmade Gift Exchange #2

I participated in Craftaholics Anonymous’ Handmade Gift Exchange again. I really enjoy doing it to get to know new bloggers and challenge myself.

This time around I met Kristina. After speaking with her via e-mail I found out that her room is painted pink, but her favorite color is purple and she really enjoys taking naps. I immediately knew I wanted to make her a blanket. I wanted something that she could incorporate into her bedroom. I really hope she liked it as much as I enjoyed making it.

The front is various patterns that are pink and purple, pieced together into a vertical square pattern. The back I just did purple fleece, so it is nice and cuddly to nap with. It was fairly big, measuring at 40 x 60. I am still new to sewing so all in all it took me quite a bit of time, but I was very pleased with the end result. I have made one other blanket before for my sister, so I felt a little more comfortable making this.

I can’t wait to participate again in another handmade gift exchange. I love meeting new people and being inspired by their creativity.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

day of thanks

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday. I will make a list of things I am currently thankful for.

Hubby. Love him. He makes me laugh all the time, and there is no better quality in a spouse. Familia. Where would I be without them?!? Love you all. Emmy. My firstborn. I love her so much its crazy. Even when she tries to escape. Heated Blankets. D bought me one for Christmas last year, and I have no idea how I managed 24 years without one. It is amazing. I sleep with it every night. Blogs. Entertainment for my workday and helps fuel my creativity. TV. Obsessed does not even express my love for the show Revenge. Cheese. Only my favorite food group.

&& Of course, who doesn’t Love Sophia & Rosie. These girls are to die for. Watch the whole thing.

Friday, November 11, 2011

11.11.11

Today is such a great day. Not only because they are finally playing Christmas music on two radio stations, but also because it is 11.11.11. I MISSED the clock this morning at 11:11am, so I set my alarm so I will be able to make a wish at 11:11pm tonight. I hope you do to, cause it just has to come true today, right?!?

Also, happy Veterans Day! We would not be ‘the land of the free and home of the brave’ without all of your blessed souls, and for that we THANK YOU! Have a great weekend!

 

Thursday, November 10, 2011

follow along!!

A lot of my close friends and family are confused when I ask them to ‘follow’ my blog. I thought I would explain it a little so people have a better understanding of why it is so important to me.

If you have a blogger account, when you log in you see your dashboard. Among others things, is a ‘reading list.’ This is all of the updated blog posts from blogs that you follow. It is formatted for ease of use, showing you the most updated first. If you do not belong to blogger, you can receive e-mail notifications, or just not get notified of a new blog post.

You do not, I repeat, you do not have to have a blog or belong to blogger to be able to follow a blog. Following a blog is a show of support. Following a blog shows you appreciate what the blogger has to say and want to know more. You are showing your respect for the person and their endeavors.

I hope that you will take a minute to click Follow on the right hand side to show your support.

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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

HOO Are You?!? #60

Linking up with Night Owl Crafting again for another week of Hoo Are You? Sorry for the intermittent posts, I swear I will be getting better soon, promise!

1. Do you type of the keyboard the correct way or do you peck like a cute litte chick? I type on the keyboard the appropriate way. My mother does do medical transcription, how many typing classes do you think I have taken?!?

2. Typically, how long does it take you to get ready in the morning? On a work day, I am out of the house within 15 minutes of waking up, but I do little to nothing to myself and always pick clothes out the night before. If I am actually getting ready and going somewhere, an hour.

3. Do you prefer lip gloss or lipstick? CHAPSTICK! But out of those two, definitely lip gloss.

4. Do you take clothes to the dry cleaner or wash them yourself even if they say dry clean only? If it says dry clean only, I will take it to the cleaners. I don't like to ruin my clothes.

5. Do you prefer Wal Mart or Target? The closest Wal Mart to me is about 20 minutes away and the closest Target is much closer. I go to Target much more and like more of their stuff, but Wal Mart is cheaper. I would go with Target.

Monday, October 31, 2011

ABC’s of ME!

I saw this on Kelly’s blog, and thought it would be fun to do. Here are the ABC’s of me:

Age: 25 years young

Bedsize: King. According to D I sleep as far away from him as humanly possible.

Chores that you hate: All. haha. Putting clothes away. I really hate that. I don't mind doing laundry but putting everything away afterwards is no fun.

Dogs: My baby Emmy. Love her to death. She is a 1 year old malti-poo for all you newbies.

Essential start to your day: Brushing teeth. I am not an avid coffee drinker-breakfast eater, but hate morning breath.

Favorite color: Right now it is lime green, coral and teal.

Gold or Silver: Silver.

Height: 5’4

Instruments you play: None. Although I did play the clarinet in middle school.

Job title: Pre-Certification Coordinator & Photographer

Kids: just my Emmy Em

Live:Everything happens for a reason”

Mother’s Name: Donna

Nicknames: Stef, Steffer, Stef with an F

Overnight hospital stays: Mono senior year of HS. Tubes. 8 times. Yes I’m serious.

Pet peeves: oh man, where to start. Leaving the fridge door open, tapping your leg, not pressing the unlock button while walking to the car, crossing something out of my calendar/planner, not putting paper back in the printer when it is empty. . I could go on much longer, but will spare you.

Quote from a movie or TV show: “Nobody puts baby in a corner”

Right or Lefty: Right is right.

Siblings: Jesseca. Mi hermana.

Time you wake up: roughly 8:10am

Underwear: I typically wear.

Vegetable you hate: Peas. Squash. Cauliflower. Beets. Tomato.

What makes you run late: Emmy taking too long to go to the bathroom. Don forgetting something or just being generally slow. Traffic. 

X-Rays You’ve Had: Too many to count. Broke my foot 3 times, chest x-ray for mono

Yummy food you make: Everything I make is yummy ;)

Zoo Animal: baby tiger. baby koala. or baby elephant. Catching on yet? too cute.

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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

2012 Movie Lineup

I would consider myself a movie buff. I enjoy seeing a variety of movies, and am a horrible critic as I like 90% of the ones I do see. We go to the movies a good amount and usually rent a movie a week. I had to touch on all the good movies coming out next year.

I mean really?!? I am dying to see this.

 

It looks so good. & Rachel McAdams is only one of my favorite actors! Here are the rest of my front-runners for the 2012 year. Comedy seems to be most prevalent this year. Get excited!!

January: Contraband with Marky Mark. Yes please. One For The Money. What can I say? I really like Katherine Heigl.

February: Safe House sounds good, but I can’t find a trailer for it.

March: 21 Jump Street.

April: American Reunion. I have seen all of the American Pie movies, why stop now? The Lucky One. Nicholas Sparks book. Enough said.

May: What to Expect When You're Expecting. Looks funny.

June: I Hate You, Dad. I love Adam Sandler. I have very simplistic humor.

July: The Dark Knight Rises. I really wish Heath Ledger was still alive. Probably would have made the movie twice as good, but still a must see. Neighborhood Watch. Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. Should be good.

August: Rivals. With ALAN.

October: Ides of March. Ryan Gosling. I usually wouldn’t like a presidential movie, but this has a great cast and looks really good.

November: Jack & Jill. Another funny one.

December: This is Forty. A spinoff of Knocked Up.

Monday, October 3, 2011

iPHONE

My phone stinks. Really, it is horrible. I have a bad rap with all things electronic. I tend to break them. Usually very soon after I get them. Its a curse, I swear. Right now I have this Droid phone. My sister gave it to me after my lovely pink Blackberry broke (which I loved). This was her old phone, so it could be that it is just that, old, but I really hate it. It drops my calls, mutes me when I am talking, and basically does whatever it wants.

It is the first touch screen phone I have had, and I don’t even use it. This is what scares me about transitioning to the iphone. Everyone who has one loves it. Mac users literally belong to a cult. Along with Starbucks drinkers. No offense to those of you that love both (can you tell I don’t?). I am very nervous. I like all of the applications and versatility the iphone has, but the ALL touch screen thing sorta makes me nervous.

So I ask you, is it a hard switch to go from not using touch screen to the iphone? Is it really as good as people say it is? I gave Mac a chance about 8 years ago with the ipod mini and they failed me. Miserably. I have not gone back since. This will be a tough pill to swallow if it is a success.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Rotary Cutters

Lets talk rotary cutters. I bought one a while back, when I first got my sewing machine. I did not do any sort of research, as I assumed they were all the same. Boy, was I wrong. I got it home, and had no idea what to do with it. It won’t cut. I finally got around to trying to use this thing and still, for the life of me, cannot figure it out.

I got the Omnigrid rotary cutter that is pressure sensitive (shown above). This means that (I think) you need to push down on it a certain way to get it to cut. I still have not figured it out. Hence the reason I am selling it on ebay.

After watching some YouTube videos I have realized that using a rotary cutter really is not that difficult. I decided to buy the Olfa rotary cutter (seen above). I ordered it on Overstock and should have it any day now.  I am very excited to try the new one, where the blade just pops up and down.

I am hoping I will not have anymore troubles using a rotary cutter from here on out, as I am going to attempt a quilt. Big dreams here people!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

madre

Wishing my friend, shopping partner, gossiping, ‘bread-winning’ other mother a very happy birthday.

In bed.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

rest in peace, Mollie

Last night my parents had to put down our family dog Mollie at the ripe human age of 14 (98 in dog years). She was deaf and blind and the doctors said she may have had a brain tumor. At least she is not in anymore pain. Although she lived a full life, it did not make losing her any easier. I wish I got to see her one last time before her passing.

Rest easy little sister.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Hoo Are You?!? # 55

Linking up with Night Owl Crafting again for another week of Hoo Are You? Lets get to it.

1. What are your favorite 3 things about fall? The crisp cool weather that is not too warm and not too cold, apple picking, & Halloween.

2. Are you a football fan and if so, who is your favorite team? I am definitely a football fan. I am not a diehard fan like Don is, but I enjoy watching the sport and understand it much better than other sports. Patriots, obviously!

3. What is your favorite Fall scent? Cinnamon apple.

4. Do you have seasonal allergies? I never had allergies growing up, but I think that I am starting to get them as of this year. No fun. Welcome to adulthood.

5. Have you started Christmas shopping yet? YES! Weird, but I already bought 2 things. I am starting to make my lists and figure out what I am getting people, so I will start buckling down soon and actually start real Christmas shopping.

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I won tickets to the Red Sox game tonight. I am super excited, even through they are on a horrible losing streak. I went to one game this whole season so far and it was in April. A good way to end the season, I am glad we got to go to one more. I more enjoy the atmosphere and entertainment then the actual game, but that is part of the fun of going to Fenway Park, right?

Monday, September 12, 2011

couponing 101; PART II

People are still fascinated by couponing. A lot of people that have never used coupons in their life are finding the whole process to be completely foreign to them. I wanted to expand a little more on how I coupon. Everyone is different, and I have not ‘perfected’ saving money by any means, but I try to be better at it weekly.

I start out by buying the Sunday newspapers. I get one delivered to my house and buy one more. My sister also mails me tons of coupons weekly from FL. I go through and cut out all of the coupons on items that I would use/buy, NOT being brand specific. I then briefly skim over the sale circulars circling things that I think are a good deal or that I remember we have a coupon for.

After I have skimmed by circulars, I start organizing my coupons. I put them all in piles that coordinate with the labels in my coupon binder. I then start putting the clipped coupons in the appropriate section of the binder. While doing this, I also skim through the coupons already in the binder to make sure none have expired. I always like to make sure things are up to date, there is nothing more embarrassing then going to the register and handing them 4 coupons only to find out they have expired. NOTE: this has not happened to me, thankfully.

After the binder is all set, I start making lists. I start with one store at a time, going through the entire sale circular. The most important thing to remember while couponing is that if it is not on sale and you do not have a coupon for it, don't buy it. It is always best to coordinate sale items with coupons.

So I continue to go through, making lists for all of the stores I need to go to. While doing this, I am taking out the appropriate coupons that correspond with that store and putting them in a labeled envelope. I think you get the most discount when you do different transactions, especially at stores like CVS where extra bucks print off your receipt.

This is definitely a good way to start, especially if you are a beginner. I am only buying for me and my boyfriend, so if you have a larger family, I would probably suggest getting more newspapers. More couponing tips to come!! 

Friday, September 9, 2011

polyvore. fashion love.

Yesterday I enamored over pinterest. Today I have something similar, but it refers to fashion.

I recently found out about polyvore and am hooked (shocking). You can create different fashion looks. Now, mine are far beyond my budget is or ever will be, but I think that is part of the fun of it. Creating something so amazing yet unattainable. Here are some of the looks I made:

My absolute favorite. I love this look. It looks so comfy for work, yet effortless. I could totally rock those $550 pants ;)

This is my second favorite. The bag is to die for. Seriously, what woman doesn’t want a $3,500 LV bag?!? Me, me!!

My third outfit is a great run-around, weekend outfit. Again, way out of my price range, but looks so classy and nice.

What do you think? Pretty cool, huh? To check out the rest of my outfits go to my polyvore. Have fun creating!

http://stef4660.polyvore.com/

Thursday, September 8, 2011

pinterest lovin’

So, I joined pinterest right about when everyone else did. At first, I didn't think all that much of it, until I realized how truly amazing it is. It is an online ‘bulletin board’ if you will and you can categorize different boards to your liking. It is so fun to find new decorating ideas, craft tips, photography inspiration and recipe tips (among others). If you are not on pinterest, e-mail me and I will invite you. If you already have it, follow me if you would like: http://pinterest.com/stefschofield/

Here are some great Halloween ideas I have fallen in love with, thanks to pinterest:

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I LOVE this idea. So easy. I may be doing this in October.

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This is super cute. So easy and cheap. Very Creative.

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Halloween subway art. Love it!

So go ahead and start pinning! I promise, you may not stop!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

moccasins

my entire childhood I wore Minnetonka Moccasins. The ones pictured above to be exact. I don't know why, or how my parents decided these would be our ‘go to shoes’ when we were kids, but we always wore them. We wore them out. And got new pairs to replace them. Sometimes switching it up to pink or blue, but I mainly stayed with white.

I eventually grew into my teenage years and realized they were not ‘cool’ and nixed them.

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Ironic that 10 years later, I have a newfound obsession with moccasins. They are so comfortable and effortless, you can really wear them with anything, anywhere. Well, except if you are going swimming, or to a wedding or work. But pretty much everywhere else. 

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So I ask, what are your thoughts on moccasins? Are they too ‘hippie’? Are they really not as cool as I think?

Monday, August 29, 2011

horrible blogger

I think I should get the worst blogger award. I feel horrible, and I have no excuse. We have had a busy summer, but nothing so pressing that I cannot find time to blog. I really do enjoy it, and still read all my favorite blogs daily, but I just have not gotten around to it.

I have been reading though. I started this series when we went to the Cape in August, and am in LOVE. It is the Jenny Han series. The first one is the Summer I Turned Pretty, second is It’s Not Summer Without You and last is We’ll Always Have Summer. I know it is a ‘young adult’ read, but I do. not. care. I love young adult books. I am still a ‘young adult’ anyway, right?!?

If you like cheesy love stories, you will love this series. I just got the third book delivered on Saturday. I started reading it yesterday and am almost done. I definitely suggest it for a quick read.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

HOUSE TOUR > Studio

Here is the LONG awaited, newly renovated, STUDIO! It is not 100% complete, we still need to finish the closet and work on the wall decor, but I have been so anxious to show you that I cannot wait any longer!

Lets start with a before picture. Remember it was a very full, tight-fitting guest room? There was nothing wrong with it, but I realized I didn't have much room to craft & learn to sew. The amount of time we use the guest room is not really worth it to have as a space 24/7.

Now! The big reveal. I could be hyping this us way more than necessary, but I am so happy with the results and I really just LOVE this space, if only I could keep it this clean all the time.

Even though it is a mess and not completed yet, I think you can still see the closet. Like I said, it is going to house all of my crafting supplies, and I am going to stencil it, so I think it will look really good. I have no stencil experience, so all tips are welcome.

So, what do you think of the transformation?!? Are you as psyched about it as I am?

Sewing Desk – ikea 

Craft Desk – ikea 

Yellow Chair – ikea 

Curtains – ikea 

Sewing Machine – brother 

File cabinet – Target (cant find it online)

Wall shelves – Ikea

*I will update paint color later, I am not positive about the names*

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

white wine sangria recipe

as I promised a long time ago, here is the recipe to the best sangria you will ever have. It really is so good, it tastes just like juice. If you make it for a party, definitely be prepared to quadruple the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Lemon, Lime, Orange, Strawberries/raspberries, Pink Lemonade Ice cubes, Riesling White Wine (I used Barefoot Riesling) it’s wicked cheap, like $7 a bottle, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 cups Ginger Ale

  1. In a pitcher, pour in the bottle of wine & sugar.
  2. Cut the lemon and lime in half and squeeze in the juice of them. TIP: hold the lemon/lime with the cut side on top so that the seeds or any of the fruit will not drop in.
  3. Cut the orange in half. Using one half of the orange, squeeze in the juice. Slice the other half of the orange and put in the sangria.
  4. Add additional fruit; strawberries and/or raspberries
  5. Let chill for minimum one hour.
  6. Add ginger ale just before serving….serve with pink lemonade ice cubes (ice cubes optional).
  7. ENJOY

[just so you can visualize, pictured above is a double batch. ]

*Linking up to i heart naptime, and not just a housewife*