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March 31, 2011

Oh baby, it's a wild world!

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You know how when you look through your circle of friends, a few of them are simply a little crazier than the others? They aren't all crazy, but there are definitely a few who are out of the box on a consistent basis.

Well... last weekend, two of our crazy friends decided to get married to each other.
We were overcome with happiness!

.....and then they served us the punch line.....

Not only are they getting married... but they're getting marred on Monday.

"What 'Monday'?" I asked.
"This coming Monday...." they replied.

So, long story short, Cory and I are heading to Virginia to be with our beloved friends as they throw together an adorable wedding in a weeks time!

Ohhhh baby, it's a wild world!

Here's to you and to the lovely idea of living spontaneously!

xo,
Liz

National Craft & Crochet Month... signing out...


I just wanted to stop in and say thank you for joining us for National Craft & Crochet Month here at Donna's Decembers! It's been so much fun having so many kind, creative, and super crafty people visit the blog!

If you're new to the party, no worries, you can find those inspiration packed posts here. Feel free to bookmark the link for an easy resource! So many DIYs and inspiration sources!

I also want to take moment to say thank you to our wonderful visitors throughout May. If you haven't visited their blogs, shops, and twitter accounts, you must definitely should, and hey, you may even make a new friend!

Happy last day of March!

xo,
Liz

March 30, 2011

Guest Post: MIchelle from Scissor Quirk attacks her yarn stash!


Good morning! I am so, so happy to end our celebration of National Craft & Crochet Month here at Donna's with one of the sweetest and most creative bloggers of all the land, Michelle! I've sponsored Scissor Quirk a few times within the last few months, and it has been so enjoyable getting to know Michelle and her crafty talents! Not only is she an incredible scrap book designer:
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But, she's not too shabby with crochet and embroidery as well! Check out this ADORABLE mp3 player coozie DIY she posted! So cute and such a sweet way to package a new iPod for a special person :)

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Without further adieu...
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Hi there! It's Michelle, from Scissor Quirk, here. :)

I've recently begun a love affair with all things yarn! I learned to crochet last Spring and have been hooked, since! My mind seems to work faster than my hands, too, so - coupled with the newfound love of yarn and an ever-growing stash of it, this means I have tons of projects on the go at any given time! Usually, that's not such a bad thing - it's nice to hop & skip from project to project when one gets mundane or a new idea strikes! :)



However, the problem is that I live in a very small 600 square foot apartment with my husband, and my 'craft room' is actually a corner of our living room - much like some of you, I'm sure! This means storage is always kind of an issue - especially when you're making room for *another* craft in your home, and these temporary, bulky piles of yarn need someplace to go! lol.

I've had to come up with some sneaky ideas to get them all hidden away - or to 'store' them in a pretty, visible-in-the-living-room kind of way. Here are some ideas that I've used lately for project storage from around my couch/desk - if your work-in-progress projects are scattered all over the place, look for little nooks or open spaces to utilize these ideas, yourself:

I have an Ikea coffee table (about 3 feet from my workspace) in my apartment, and it has this handy-dandy ledge underneath it, so it can double as a storage space, as well. I snuck a little bin under there the other day to hold a crochet baby sweater I'm working on - not only is it hidden, but when I slump down on the couch, it's within my reach to work on! My plan is to keep it filling it with new things when I finish what it's currently holding.



The thing about work-in-progresses is that they're only around temporarily - so you have to make space for them while you're working on them, and then it'll be empty (at least for a little bit) once you're done! It's a good idea to save any pretty empty bins or containers you come across (especially when purging your craft space, next time!), and use them to store these temporary projects around your workspace in a pleasant way.

I have an old yellow bin (or a 'trash can' for a few bucks at Ikea - never used as a trash bin, of course) that I used to use to store large rolls of paper. It almost went to the thrift shop as a donation, but then I realized it would be the perfect crochet blanket-in-progress holder!




An empty rolling bin with a lid is handy for bigger projects - like this work in progress granny square blanket of mine. It keeps all the little bits in one place, and when the lid is on you can roll it right under your desk or coffee table or even stack things on top of it easily until you have a chance to get back to it!





And my favorite little work-in-progress holder to use, mostly because it's the prettiest - is a large flat round plastic serving tray that I picked up at Ikea a few years ago. I pile whatever I'm working on at the moment on it, and then it easily moves with me to where I'm working, or to store away when we need the coffee tabletop for drinks or food - I've used it to hold quicker projects like crochet garlands, granny squares, and other smaller projects - and I can hide it on my desk or on top of my shelves when I'm not working on these things really quickly!


I hope I've inspired you to keep your projects tidy & open (or closed & hidden!) - but, either way, organized and useful while you're chugging away on them!

Thanks so much for having me guest-post, Liz! :)


I hope this helps you get your craft room organized and allows you to do a bit of spring cleaning!

Don't forget to stop by and visit Michelle!
















March 29, 2011

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back!

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Hey everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that Google has been hard at work at fixing all the glitches over here on Donna's Decembers blog.

Long story short, someone from Vietnam hacked into my blog back at the beginning of the month and ridded me of many control and design functions of my blog (which is why the Events Calendar was never updated). They also installed an Adsense account on my blog and had attempted to collect funds from all your clicks! ugh!

After a lot of emailing and tweeting, Google finally fixed everything and we're back to normal! --WHEW!--

If you checked earlier, and it said "Donna's Decembers was removed..." it was because Google was patiently working!

So... thank you, Google, for taking the time to fix my account!

Hope you've been having a great Tuesday!

Scroll down to check out today's Southern Belle post!

xo,
Liz

Southern Belle: Porch Side


One of my favorite aspects of most stereotypical southern style homes is the front porch.

I never had a front porch growing up, but my grandmother did. During the warm months, I would spend days on the porch, counting cars, making friendship bracelets, and drinking sweet tea.

Today's Southern Belle focuses on the prettiest porches of all the land (and me desperately hoping that as soon as I walk out my front door, spring will finally arrive)!

Enjoy :)








March 28, 2011

It's Ok...


Reasons why it's ok to be Monday!
-This is only a 4 day student week (= professional day on Friday)
-It's going to be in the 60s all weekend
-It's the last Monday in March
-I'm feeling inspired to have fun and enjoy this transition away from winter

What are your reasons for why it's okay to be Monday?

xo,
Liz

March 27, 2011

1960/70s Crush

Good morning!

I have a pretty standard Sunday routine:
coffee, breakfast, Meet the Press on NBC, errands/house cleaning, crocheting, dinner, movie, crocheting, bed.

I decided to watch a movie after Meet the Press this morning: All the President's Men. It should be noted that this movie, from 1974, is an adaptation of a book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein written about President Nixon's Watergate scandal. Long story short---I have been ridiculously obsessed with this movie since college. I love that it's filmed in the 70s, takes place in Washignton, D.C., centers around young, fierce journalists, and most importantly, features Robert Redford.

I just can't get enough of this guy. So today's post is a shout out to you, Mr. Redford, for being my biggest 1960/70s crush. Enjoy!










Happy Sunday

xo,
Liz

March 26, 2011

GIVEAWAY!

Good morning, folks!
(Yes, I'm really up this early... for a craft show no less!)

Hop on over to the lovely Freckled Nest for an amazing giveaway full of cute spring items and loads of shop credits (hello... free shopping!).

I happen to  be giving away a Snapdragon Statement Scarf!

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All you have to do is head on over to LA's blog and scroll through the pretty post, visit a few blogs, and wha-la! It could be yours!

Good luck!

P.S. If you don't want to chance it, you can always head over to the shop and claim a 10% discount when you use the code:
DONNAS10
for the rest of March ;)


March 25, 2011

I can't wait for this to show up in my mailbox!


I love the start of a new month and all the new magazines that come about!

mmmmmmmmm.

Happy Friday ;)


Bookmarks with Personality!


One of the best gifts I was able to pull together in a hurry last winter was a set of bookmarks (follow the link for the pattern) made from a cotton sock yarn. They were the perfect treat for my fellow English teachers and a great way to add onto the gifts for my aunts and uncles.

Recently, I have been doing a little research on bookmarks as I have a few special events coming up that I want to give people books as gifts, but also with something crocheted from the heart. That's when I stumbled across Bigu Handmade (a Spanish blog) via Craftzine.

Look at these beauties!


and these...

So fun and gorgeous! I'm totally inspired to get back into my delicate yarn bin and start stitchin' some of these pretties!

And yes, the patterns are available for free! Just use Google Translate to take care of any language barriers (but there are also diagrams and wonderful how-to photos)!

xo,
Liz

March 24, 2011

Guest Post: Malori's Lavendar Chocolate Chip Cookies!


Good morning! I'm so happy to have Malori from Sunday Morning Sugar here today to share a yummy recipe with you! Sometimes I think we forget how talented and "crafty" people are in the kitchen. Some of the most creative people I know flourish in the kitchen! So, I'm happy that Malroi was eager to add a little twist to my month of celebration!


Hello everyone!

I’m so excited to be here today on Donna’s Decembers doing this little guest post. I usually blog over at Sunday Morning Sugar so if you like what you see, be sure to stop by and say hello :).

When Liz emailed me and asked me to come up with something crafty, my mind instantly went to food! I don’t know about you, but the idea of a crafty evening sans delicious snacks sounds awful. I’ve been thinking about great recipes for nights spent crafting and I found some simple ideas that you can use to spice up your next crafty gathering.
(Could I have said the word craft any more in that paragraph? I think not…)

Finger foods that don’t make a mess are really the best for these sorts of gatherings. You don’t want something that takes away from your focus and you learned your lesson about messy foods when you ruined Great Grandma Ruth’s scrapbook with your Sloppy Joe.

The ultimate finger food is a cookie. Some of you may disagree but you’re clearly wrong and I’m right ;). I really don’t think you can go wrong when you have a cookie in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. So today I’m going to share with you a recipe for lavender chocolate chip cookies. I found it last year and made them for my family for Thanksgiving and they were a hit. Something about baking with lavender is like smoking crack for my dad and I. We really can’t get enough of it. So here goes…


Lavender Chocolate-Chip Cookie

Makes: 8 servings.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons dried lavender, lightly crushed

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups (about 6 ounces) semisweet and/or dark chocolate chunks



1. Heat oven to 325°. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In large bowl, with electric mixer, beat butter, both sugars and lavender until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; mix until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.


2. Roll the dough into balls (about a tablespoon each) and place on a cookie sheet. Cook for about 10-12 minutes

3. Enjoy!


I can’t remember where I found the original recipe for this but it was originally supposed to be a giant cookie-cake situation. I think it’s much better in smaller doses :).

I hope you enjoy these cookies and your craft month!!

Xoxo,

Mal

Be sure to checkout Malori's blog and shop!

March 23, 2011


I saw this photo of Cher, Sonny, and Bob Dylan over at Vintage Everyday and thought it was too beautiful to pass up.

I officially live in the wrong decade.

Streetcars & breadbowls.


As you have probably noticed by reading my blog or following me on Twitter, life has been sort of hard this school year. I feel like I should clarify. I am lucky and fortunate to even have a job. I do not want to come across as being selfish or unrealistic, as I am completely aware how many people would just like to have a job. With that being said, I do like my job. I love the act of teaching, I love interacting with teenagers, and I really love reading and the English language. I do not, however, like the politics, test pressure, performance pressure, disrespect from students and colleagues, etc. I could go on. So yes, I love my job, I just don't like it right now. You can't always be happy, though, right? Anyway...

I have been trying to crochet as a source a therapy for all the feelings I have been encountering this school year, and for the most part, I think it has worked. It's nice to come home and work on a project that I have complete control over the beginning, middle, and end. This amazing craft has offered me so much stability, I really appreciate it.

With all of this being said, my mother and I have been experience the same ebb and flow of our jobs over the last few months. We had a really lovely conversation when I picked her up from the airport a few weeks ago in regards to our outlook and finding hope and strength. Over the last few weeks, we've been tossing out the idea of getting out of town for a mother-daughter long weekend, and I am so happy to see it coming true!

We're heading to San Francisco!
We'll be there for a long weekend near the end of May and are dying to start planning out cool little things to do.
Note: My mother and I have been to San Francisco before. I presented at a research conference in April 2007, when I was a senior in college and she flew out with me and my professor.

To get myself really pumped up about this trip, I thought I would share my favorite photos of San Fran!








Happy Wednesday :)

xo,
Liz

P.S. I have used the originial source with many of these photos--but some I could not find. If you are the original source or you know it, please leave the information in the comments so I can give the appropriate credit!