I do still craft!!!

I know, I know... it almost seems like I do not craft anymore.  WRONG!

I have been, every day! But I just never get around to taking pictures.  So here are a few things that I have made, and put up for sale in my shop!

Epic Neon Green Shawl

Cute little mushroom stitch markers!

Mushroom earrings!

Heart earrings!

These remind me of Cherry Blossoms

 Evil eye earrings

All for sale in my shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/luganchica102

Nite Lite 5k

I ran my second EVER 5k tonight. This is the girl who hated running, who in high school refused to run and walked 17 minute miles and accepted the C in gym. This is the girl who attempted running in college, but it was a love/hate relationship. This is the girl who in February ran her first mile (ever) in under 10 minutes.

First 5K was 40 minutes, 33 seconds. 

A few weeks later, some training on a treadmill, and a whole lot of sweat later, 

This girl knocked four minutes off her final score, and came in 3.10 miles in 36 minutes, 29 seconds.

All I can do is better! I will beat my score every race I run. I will keep training, I will keep working out, and I will keep pushing myself to be better, to do better, and to feel better. I came from nothing, and I have come so far!

This girl is going places!

My first 5k ever!

Before and after shots of my first ever 5k! My first time fully running a mile with no walking was about a month ago (under 15 mins, I have ran really slow miles before). The best mile I have ever done was last week at 10 mins, 41 seconds n a treadmill.  I tested out my 5k time on a treadmill last week, and came at 43.55.

I kicked that first mile in its booty at 9mins on the dot. After that, I slowed down, the hills around Perry Farm are brutal!

My time was 40.33. My favorite part was the last .10 mile before the finish line. I felt like death, soaked through with sweat, face beet red, exhausted, but I had my St. Joes students and parents cheering me on, running along side of me screaming my name, rooting for me. I have never felt that amazing before. 

I am going to continue training, and I have 5 more 5k's in the area that I am signed up for this summer. I am so proud of myself for pushing to do better in my life. I have an easy goal to beat. And I will beat it!

New Chair!

So, I love my craft room.  I love all the cross stitches and embroidery all over my walls, I love my bookshelf (though that bugger will be painted when it starts getting warmer outside). I love my drafting table for my quilting board, and I love my tiny ironing board.


I hate my sewing table and chair.  Whenever I use my sewing machine, my table vibrates.  Full out vibrates... Thats what you get when you are using a folding table!  My chair is the matching set of the folding table, so as you can imagine it is very uncomfortable.

Whenever I sew, I worry that because of the bouncing, my sewing is not as great as it could be. (so the table is the next thing I need replaced!)

Dad visited yesterday, to fix my non working oven (sigh...) hang a painting, fix my garage door, and my front door.  He brought a chair that he found in the next door neighbors garbage.   My family dumpster dives. 6 month old vacuum cleaner, that only needed a belt.  Valued at $600. Replace the belt, and it works.  Why would you turn that down?!?

He brought a beautiful sturdy chair, which really just needed new fabric.  So I took care of that today!

Cute right? The fabric looks iccky though, and I do not allow iccky!

Gross right? 

Took off the cushion, and didnt look too bad, so removed and tossed the fabric, sprayed down the particle board with  a bleach mixture to get rid of the decolorations, and let it dry.

Cushion looks pretty good, and its squishy!

New fabric added and stapled!  Not professional, but works for me!

My new chair! 

KITTIES EVERYWHERE!

 I love it so much! I am glad I got off my tukus to figure it out!

Happy Holidays!

I have been absent more then expected this year for my blog/podcasting.  For some reason, this second year I feel I have to prove myself even more at my job then I did last year.

Last year every knew the band struggled (well two years ago). So any improvement I created with the program was DRASTICALLY better.  But now that we have taken that step up, and lost 4 really GREAT musicians to graduation, we have to work even harder to get to that standard.  We had our Christmas concert last week, and while the students knew their notes, the tuning was off.  (silly violins who do not listen to me when I hand them the tuner and say "fix it")

I am proud, because we can carry a tune.  While its not the best HS band in the world, we are a standard, small, private high school band.  We do not meet as much as public schools, we do not have as many students as public schools, but we do have quite a few students who will work very hard for the concerts.  I just wish everyone was as "all in" as I am!

I have been keeping busy craft wise, amazingly doing a whole bunch of quilting! I surprise myself sometimes because I realllllllly hate sewing.  I am slowly changing my mind.

I am currently working on two quilts- the first one is just missing the binding, and the second one needs fabric for the backing.

This is my baby quilt that I am almost done with!

Coda approves!

My second QIP (Quilt in progress) is laying folded up in my craft room waiting for some extra fabric!  

I just have to get through this week. I am taking some band students "caroling" this Tuesday for the local Hospice Christmas dinner, then Wednesday night is the Grade School Band Concert. 

Once this week is over, I will have so much stress off my back! I am utterly excited!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I will make this post short and sweet!

Check out my shop on Etsy,

http://www.etsy.com/shop/luganchica102

Use Coupon Code: BLACKFRIDAY2012 for 35% off of your entire purchase!!


Everything from handknits, to handspun, to handmade for your holiday season!

Raking

I raked MY lawn for the first time. No big deal to most people.

But I enjoyed every second!

I bought a house!

I took the next big step in my life, buying my first house.

I could not have done it without the financial help from my parents, they made the downpayment possible.

I am so happy! My first week in the house went perfectly.

Officially one week in my house! 
Things I have learned/realized/come to love-
1. I can wake up an hour early and walk around, not having to worry about the people below me.
2. I don't have to wake up early because of the people above me.
3. I HAVE A FREAKING ICE MAKER IN MY FRIDGE!
4. I can decorate, paint, and do my own gardening. (though the weather has not been outdoor friendly since I have mo

ved in)
5. I have a bathroom drawer, that has a plug in it. So I can plug in my hair dryer, and not have the cords everywhere. EPIC.
6. During the summer, I can do private lessons in my air conditioned kitchen, instead of Mac's sweat chambers. (and Parents can read magazines in my living room!)
7. I can do laundry without it getting stolen.
8. I HAVE A CRAFT ROOM ALL TO MYSELF. (Well... the whole house is all to myself, but you get the point)
9. I can park my car in a garage, and not get rained on.
10. I actually like unpacking boxes.
11. I have a dishwasher. Nuff said.
12. and Lastly! There are no creepy guys that stare into my apartment, and no ganstas rapping in the hallways.

I am having a blast.  For the first time in a year and a half, I had friends visit me.  Every day this past weekend friends were coming over, hanging out, and crafting with me.  (if you saw where I lived last, you would understand how no one came to see me because they felt unsafe!)

We crafted all weekend! 
This is one of my friends, Jen (who was actually a senior in my band class last year, but is now a great friend!)  She came over to help me decorate letters!

We painted them black first, then stenciled on bright colors.

 Look at how pretty they turned out!

 A great big "MAKE STUFF" for my craft room wall!

I also have time now to relax a little and knit!  I have updated my shop with many items- feel free to stop by and check them out! Winter is finally starting!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/luganchica102

Lastly- My kitten touched grass for the first time in her whole life this week!  She had a blast exploring!