Mantel

Today my cousin Katie and I are making the two hour drive to Kremmling Co to pick up a piece of wood for my mantel. It is an eight foot long piece of beetle kill pine. If you haven't seen beetle kill wood it is gorgeous and has blue and grey streaks through it. The markings are left over from the parasitic little insects. If you can I suggest googling it and checking it out.

Half up do

The tutorial on thesmallthingsblog.com for the elegant half up turns out does not work so well with my short of hair. Oh well I tried and it sort of turned out cute. I think that I'll have better luck once my hair gets longer.

http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/2011/09/elegant-half-up.html?m=1

New Year's Resolutions 2012

I am starting this year off with a bang.  I am making some seriously hard goals and I am determined to achieve them. 

Resolution #1:  Lose 20 pounds.  This may sound like a lot to some of you and may sound like just a tip of the ice berg for others, but I think that this is a good goal for me.  I am 5'-4" and weight 158 pounds (as of yesterday).  I know that I am overweight and I feel it in my day to day life.  Some people may say that I look good, but like everyone could stand to lose a few pounds, but the truth is that I feel like crap.  I eat crappy and I feel like I am zapped of all of my energy all the time.  I really don't like this feeling and I think that it is more than time to do something about it.  Aaron and I are getting married this year and thinking about starting a family at some point in the future and I want both of us to be around for our children, grand children, and even great grandchildren. 

Execution:  To achieve this goal and I am going to extreme measures.  Last year Aaron and I went on a carb free and sugar free diet.  Not easy but totally doable.  We lasted about 6 to 8 weeks and then blew it when we went on a vacation.  During that time Aaron lost about 15 pounds and I lost about 10 (I have only gained about half of it back though so we are making progress!!!).  I know that we can do this and I feel confident that with a little pre-planning I should be able to stick to my goals with no problem.  The hardest part about being on this type of diet last time was that you really need to plan ahead.  You have to prepare all of your meals and snacks ahead of time so that you are not looking for convenience food when you get hungry.  The other part that sucked super bad with cutting out carbs and sugars is that you go through sugar withdrawal.  I don't drink soda or juice or eat candy or anything like that but by day three I wanted to kill someone because of the massive pounding that was going on inside my head.  The reason for it (even without the soda and candy) is that all carbs once they are ingested turn directly to sugar so that your body can use them as energy (not used they turn into fat).  And trust me you would not believe how much sugar (or sucrose) that we intake and our body cannot use.  We are pigs!!!! carb eating pigs!!!!  So I know that it is a little extreme and some of you are thinking that I have lost it and how can you live with out bread or potatoes or that daily soda, but I think that I can do it.  I have done it before and I will do it again, but this time I will step it up a notch and reach my goals.  This time I will also be adding an exercise routine in the mix.  I will tell you more about it later once I get started and wrap my head around my 30 minute daily workout.

Resolution #2:  Post weekly on my blog.  I have fallen off the band wagon a few times over the life of my blog and I am sick of it.  I find blogging fun and interesting.  I love reading what everyone else has to share and I just need to make time for my blogging buddies.

Execution:  I am a creative person so I am going to start posting new items that have to do with my crafting and etsy shop.  I am am also going to have a stream that is related to my resolution #1 and blog about what I am eating and the weight that I am losing.  Also I will post about the exercises that I am doing.  Maybe some of you will follow along and we can lose weight together by sharing pointers and motivation.

Resolution #3:  Get a job.

Execution:  Nail this interview that I have coming up at the end of this week.

I am sure that I will think of some more things that I can do to better myself, but this is what I am going to start with for now.  I can't wait to get started and kick these resolutions in the ass.  Whooohooo to 2012.

Master Bedroom Completion

 I have finally completed my master bedroom project.  The walls were painted over a year ago.  The upper part of the walls is a tea green color and the lower part of the wall is a olive green dark dark color.  Back in September we got new carpet.  In November I made some awesome new art for the walls.  So the final touches happened when we got some snazzy new night stands from IKEA.  They mount to the wall and I can vacuum all the way under them....so basically that rocks. 

I also painted some lamps that I got at a garage sale.  It was an awful wood and gold color and I spray painted it a dark chocolate brown color.  I also got new lamp shades for these beautiful new lamps.  They remind me of an old Victorian style shade minus the fringe.  They give some soft lines to the otherwise very linear room.  The final touches added to the room were pictures of Aaron and I in the new large frames that I got for the long wall in the room.  I chose to use pictures from different vacations that we had been on.  From left to right it is a picture of the ocean on our trip to San Fransisco in October, a picture in Arches National Monument earlier this year, and a Colorado mountain picture from one of our many 4wheeling adventures near Rollins Pass.  And finally over the desk I hung a frame that I already had and put in it Sepia prints of our engagement photos.  Some of the photos really turned out great.

See my "Linky Party" page to see where I am going to link up this week.

Guest Pillows

This is my first attempt at pillows.  I know that pillows aren't very hard but they are harder for someone who really doesn't know what she is doing. 

I used the leftover fabric from the headboard and the sewing machine stool to make the pillows.  They turned out a little lopsided but I tried really hard.

I didn't have very much of the blue fabric left so I let this pillow look a little more ragged.  I created a flower by gathering strips of fabric and spiraling them.  I think if I add buttons to the back of the pillows they might keep their form a little better.  These pillows are all just covers.  I used the pattern in Kara's blog.

I think that maybe my next pillows will turn out better.  I will be making new pillows to go in my new living room soon.  We are doing a total remodel.  I will be posting pictures soon.

Take care everyone and have a great week.

Kara

Hello again blogging world

Wow what a busy couple of weeks.  I have been absent for I think three weeks now.  I would blame it on a lot of things but what it boils down to is that I have not been very creative lately and really feel that I have nothing to share.  But I am back at it now and hope that I have not let you all down in my absence.

The week of Thanksgiving we went to Iowa to visit Aaron's family.  We had a really good time, but the trip started off with a few bangs.  A few days before we were supposed to leave on the Amtrak train we got a phone call that said that our train had been cancelled.  Apparently there was a fire out to the west of us (we are in Colorado) and they had to shut down the entire line from San Francisco all the way to Chicago.  It was a crazy closure and I am not even sure when they finally reopened it.  So we had to skip to plan B.  We drove.  On the way out there we had a hitch haul on the back of the jeep with our clothes and some presents and stuff on it.  We were a few short miles from our Iowa destination when Aaron noticed that the exhaust had burnt a hole in the bottom of the bag with our clothes in it.  This was just great!!!!  Four of Aaron's shirts were completely ruined (I think that I am going to make pot holders or something out of them...stay tuned) and had holes burned completely through them.  But the luckiest thing is that we are safe, the dogs are safe, and let's face it, it is a darn good thing that it all didn't catch fire.

The very next week I spent playing catch up. The exciting thing that happened that week was that I had my hearing for my unemployment dispute and guess what I WON!!!!!!  They really had no grounds to fire me and there should have been no dispute all along.  But I guess that is what you get when you have a guy on a power trip that is trying to hold onto his own job.  He will get what is coming to him someday.  Karma is a funny thing.

Last week however was really really exciting.  I had a job interview on Tuesday that had been scheduled for over a month.  It is for a sales job, which is something that I have never REALLY done before but I am really excited for this prospect.  The guy who interviewed me was super nice and I think that we really might have hit it off.  The only mistake that I made was not outright asking him for the job.  In a previous interview he said that "This is sales, at the end of every conversation you have to ask for the sale".  In this case I was supposed to be selling myself.  But the good news out of my self-proclaimed blunder is that I got to the next step of the interview.  I get to go on a ride along with one of the local sales guys tomorrow.  I am super nervous and excited all at the same time.  I am not sure what to wear so I am going to go raid my next door neighbors closet when she gets home tonight.  I have never really had to dress up to a job before so I really don't have the right kind of clothes for this stuff.  I only own 3 pairs of dress pants, one suit-ish (it's still pretty casual) and about a thousand skirts.   But I can't really wear the skirts right now; number one because of the weather and number two because this is the construction industry.  You can only wear skirts after you get the job and you know where you will be going from day to day.  A skirt is not on the OSHA approved list of job site wear.  LOL  Can you imagine a skirt, high heels, and a hard hat working with a large power tool?  That is a really funny sight and would certainly get a lot of strange looks.

So the other exciting thing that happened last week was that I got a call from another engineering office and they are looking for some temporary help at the beginning of the year, so who knows if this other thing does not work out maybe something else will fall into it's place.


So now that I am done playing catch up with my life it is on to today's fun and exciting new craft.  I like to call this "One skein warmth".

I bought a skein of Impeccable yarn from Loop's and Thread's (I think) at Micheal's.  They have such a great variety of colors.  I personally love the variegated ones.  For both the wrist warmers and neck warmer you will need just one skein of yarn, size 10 knitting needles, size G crochet hook, and 4 buttons that will fit through the holes but not slip out.  For the neck warmer you need cast on 70 stitches and for the wrist warmers cast on about 22 to 24 stitches.  Use a rib stitch pattern (either K1, P1 OR K2, P2) until they are each about as long as you want them.  Finish off the edges with a scalloped edge using your crochet hook.  These are super easy and super cute.  I hope that you enjoy this simple (not complete pattern). 

If you can't make them yourself but still would like a pair, check out my etsy shop for great deals.  Don't forget to enter the "Friend" coupon code at checkout for free shipping.

My Very First Craft Show!!!!

Hello Everyone,

I am proud to announce that I am doing my very first craft show.  It would be great to see some familiar faces at the show on this Saturday and Sunday, the 19th and 20th.

The show is at the Cafeteria at the St Rose of Lima Catholic School.  The address is 1345 W. Dakota Ave. Denver CO.  It is around Alameda and I-25.

The fair is open on Saturday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm and on Sunday are 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Please check out my website and my etsy shop to get a preview of what I will have available at my table.  Thanks for your support.
Kara

(720) 238-2696
www.auntiekarascrafts.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Auntiekarascrafts?ref=si_shop

Crochet Contest

I am participating in a Crochet Contest over at About Crochet.  I am super excited about this.  Elisabeth gives us three stitch patterns and wants us to create something unique and fun just by using these few stitch patterns.  I hope that I can create something fun and interesting for you all to take a peek at when I am done.

About Crochet

Come take a look and maybe enter your name in the contest.  I will be posting soon about what I am making.

Kara

Bedroom Wall Art

Sick of looking at plain walls, I was not sure what exactly I wanted to do in our master bedroom, but I knew that something had to be done.  I had a 50% off coupon for Micheal's.  I went in not knowing what to buy, since I really did not need anymore beads and I could not think of any type of storage thing that I needed either. I wanted to make the most out of my 50% off and not buy something too cheap that I would have paid full price for anyway. So  I found a 7 pack of artist canvases that was already on sale for $19.99.  Hellooooooo...50% off that...only $10.  I am sure that I can do a lot with these things. So I bought them with the master bedroom in mind.  I got them home and painted them with some leftover paint that I had from when we painted the bedroom. Then I found some cute stencils at Walmart for only $2.50.  I again used some leftover paint from another room that we painted in the house to make three unique pictures to hang on the wall.  I love them.  I think that it warms up the room and brings out some of the other great elements in the room like the bedspread and wall colors.  Stay tuned in the next couple of weeks I will be sharing the rest of the decorating that I have done in the master.

Have a great day!!!

Kara

Headboard for the Guest Bedroom

I have had this idea for a while but have lacked the dedication and drive to complete the headboard for my guest bedroom.  Over this past weekend I finally took the 30 minutes that it needed my attention and finished it up.

The first thing that I did was measure the space and have Aaron cut the plywood for me.  Next I painted it on one side (the one facing out into the room) with the same paint that I used for the dresser.

I added some 1.5" thick padding, gluing it down with my glue gun.  Then I added a little batting just to try and smooth down the edges of the foam.  I had some woven wool fabric in a grey color that I wanted to use for the headboard unfortunately I did not have enough so I had to improvise.  I used some of the leftover fabric that I had from the stool makeover that I did to make stripes at the sides of the headboard.  I also used the blue fabric to make a ribbon around the bottom of the padded portion so that it would look a little more finished if anyone got a chance to peek down at it.  As I went along each fabric got pulled tight around the back of the plywood and stapled using a staple gun (make sure that you have the right size staples because you do not want to have them poking through to the other side).  Here are some pictures during the progress.  I hope that you enjoy.  In the final picture I have some pink pillows on the bed, but I must say that those are going to have to go.  Maybe I will make some pillow covers and add some throw pillows to the bed instead using the tutorial over at Creations by Kara.

Overall I think that I like the look of it.  There are some more things in the room that need to change before I can call the room complete and love it for what it is.

Have a great day and a great week everyone.

Kara

The winner of the snowman earrings made exclusively by Auntie Kara's Crafts is Brandy from With a Shot of Brandy.

Www.withashotofbrandy.com

Congratulations. Please send me your shipping information so that I can get these sent out to you.

Also I will be offering free shipping until the end of the month for all items purchased in my etsy shop. Please stop by and pick out a quality handmade item for the people on your list.

Have a great day.

Kara

Bows for my nieces

I came down to visit my brother and nieces in Albuquerque this week. While I was here visiting I decided that they needed some bows for their hair.... mostly I decided that I needed a project to do, lol. So for the whopping price of $2.75 they have 24 new bows with barrette clips in six different colors. I used the bow tutorial provided on Ruffles and Stuff. Enjoy the pictures of the cute bows and my beautiful nieces.  The oldest one in Malaya and the younger one is Mila

Have a great day and enjoy the sunshine if you still have it.  I get to go back to Colorado tomorrow to yet another foot of snow.

Kara

Gluesticks Guest Posting

Last week on Friday I did my first guest posting on the Gluesticks blog.  If you are not familiar with this blog I encourage you to go check it out.  It always has fun ideas and Brandi hosts a great linky party on Thursdays.  The project that I shared was a little tutorial on how to make a reversible bag.  So get out your scrap fabric supply and lets start sewing!!!  Also I am doing a giveaway on my blog so don't forget to register.  The winner will be announced this Tuesday.

To make this bag you will need two different fabrics, preferably in contrasting colors.  This will make the reversal worthwhile.  If you would like you can make up your own template for the bag or you can download it free from Very Purple Person blog.  This template has perfect length straps for this size bag.  Use the template with the straight edge on the fold in the fabric.  You will need two pieces of fabric cut from each type of material (4 total).  For mine I used an old pair of jeans for the outside of the bag and a crazy print for the inside.  On the jeans I decided to use them inside out so that I would see the contracting color on the seam of the leg.

Once you have all of your fabric cut out you will put the inside fabric right side to right side and the outside fabric right side to right side.  Sew around the bottom of these separate pieces and up the sides.

Next you will flip the inside "bag" right side out and slide it into the outside bag. 

Now sew the handles together leaving about 2" un-sewn at the top.  A back stitch at the top of  the handles would be a good idea.  Now we are ready to flip the bag right side out.  Through one of the handles start to turn the bag right side out.  This will seem very hard at first and you will think that you have screwed up the whole thing, but do not fear it will soon become easier and the bag will just flip right side out.  The jean material made it a little harder because it was so thick, but if you are using two thin cotton fabrics back to back then it should be a little easier.

You will now have a bag that looks like the picture above.  Just push the inside of the bag into the outside.  Sew the handles of the bag together by putting each fabric right side to right side at the top and sewing across.  Make sure that you are sewing the handles that are next to each other together and not the handles that are in front and back of each other.  To finish, top sew around the handle openings.  You can add a decorative stitch if you would like.  I think that I am going to add flower embellishments similar to what Sachiko did in her She Wears Flowers - Tutorial.  What ever you do with this just have fun and let your creativity run wild.  Pick some fun prints that will make this your go to bag of the season.

Have a great week everyone and happy crafting.

Kara

I was featured on:

Jewelry Giveaway

A few months ago I started my Etsy shop.  I have been adding things slowly to it and just made my first sale the other day.  It was very elating to have my first sale.  I have been taking pictures of the jewelry that I have been making but it turns out that it is rather difficult to show the true colors and beauty of the items.  I need to have my friends come over and model the new items that I have.  Check out a few pictures of what I have been working on.  Also check out my Etsy shop.

Today I want to give away a pair of these super cute snowman pearl earrings.  

All you have to do to enter is:

 Be a follower of Auntie Kara's Crafts.

Be sure to leave a comment and let me know you are.

For additional entries:

 Like Auntie Kara's Crafts on Facebook.

Leave me a comment and tell me one of your favorite things.

That's it. Three chances to win. Be sure to leave a comment for each.

Winner will be announced next Friday (11/04).

Thanks for supporting my blogging and good luck.