summer projects.

because i'm completely exhausted and can't think of much to blog about this evening, i'll share a list of sewing projects that i have collected over the passed few weeks. my plans are to try out all of these cute little projects this summer while i have ample amounts of free time. we'll see how that goes!

if i were the type of person that called things "presh", i would definitely describe these baby shoes as just that. i have several friends and family members that are expecting or just had babies so now i have an excuse to try these cuties out. 

i can't wait to make a cute apron! i don't do a lot of cooking now, but i think if i made a cute apron it would be more of an incentive to get cooking. i'm thinking a cute floral print on this would just be adorable. 

i've been wanting to make a cute tote bag for so long now that it's nearly ridiculous. 

i love scarves. and i love love love ruffles. what a perfect combo to try out!

now, if i could only bypass the next 2 weeks and head straight into getting started into these projects!

challenge.

i've always wanted to be a runner. one of those people that runs everyday and actually enjoys it. instead i'm the type of person that despises running and is nearly afraid of it. but things are about to change...

my dear friends kate and gentry and i were talking about how we want to become runners. gentry and i are on the same page on the hatred of running while kate's pretty athletic and doesn't mind a good run every now and then. we decided that we're going to start jogging/walking/running little by little. our goal is to build up so that we can do a 5k easily. today was day 1 and we jogged a mile and then walked a mile. i learned 3 things about running today:

1. running is all in your breathing. kate shared this little secret with us today. if you keep a good rhythm breathing, it's much easier to get through your run.

2. the music that you listen to and where you run is key. i've always tried running with music that will "pump me up" and is up beat. this evening i tried running to something a little more calming and it was so much better to jog to! also, we decided to run outside on a path that's covered with trees. it was much better scenery than a gym with lots of buff people around.

3. it's so much more fun to run when you have friends with you. even though we all had our ipods in when we were jogging, it's so much more fun to have people with you so that you push one another.

even though it's only been one day and we still have a long ways to go, i think my relationship with running is already changing a bit. we might be able to be friends after all.

options, options, options.

i've realized that planning a wedding is just really not good for a person who has a hard time making decisions. and i'm definitely that type of person. there are just so many fun options that go along with planning a wedding, it's just so hard to decide!

but i have already had a little change of heart about what the bridesmaids will be wearing. originally, the girls were going to be decked out in these fun little blue numbers with these sassy blue floral heels. i absolutely love these shoes.

but the more i think about it, the more and more i realize that this just isn't me. i found a wedding that had a gray/yellow scheme that i love. so i found these dresses and i'm thinking these shoes.

i'm searching for some cute gray dresses for the bridesmaids. and go with yellow shoes like the ones above. 

i feel like such a bridey-bride talking about this. and as bad as i am about making decisions, it really is fun. 

we went to a wedding this weekend for our friends amy & ryan. it was a beautiful, simple wedding. the entire party wore toms shoes which was really cute. i really enjoy going to weddings, but they just make me even more anxious to be married. 

dog.

this is the dog that zach wants us to have when we get married. i have to admit, he is pretty cute. although i'm pretty fond of golden retrievers and labs, i think i could manage to see this face around.

and zach wants to name the dog beefy. infact, his list for dog names includes beefy, omar, and trixy. i laugh everytime he brings up these names. he responds with "it's either the dogs or the kids". and then i laugh even more.

a tree grows in brooklyn.

i have yet to find the time to finish the book a tree grows in brooklyn that i started ages ago. one day when i was little i stayed home from school and my mom and i watched the old movie version of the book but i've yet to actually read it. but i do really love this quote in the book:


"'dear god', she prayed, 'let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. let me be gay; let me be sad. let me be cold; let me be warm. let me be hungry . . . have too much to eat. let me be ragged or well dressed. let me be sincere--be deceitful. let me be truthful; let me be a liar. let me be honorable and let me sin. only let me be something every blessed minute. and when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost."

spring fun.

what started out to be a strictly homework-only weekend turned out to be a productive, fun, relaxing, enjoyable, springtime-fun weekend.

i spent friday and saturday in the library developing lesson plans for kindergartners, typing up parent letters, and writing about playgrounds. zach was working in bentonville on a project called helpportrait on saturday so i thought this would be the perfect opportunity to stay in russellville for the weekend and get some work done. but sneaky little zach decided to pay me a visit saturday night and a break from homework was just what i needed.

what followed was an adventurous game of disk golf, playing sand volleyball late into the night, lots of laughing, and enjoying time with fun fun friends.

weekends in the spring are just really the best.

mamaw.

this is my mamaw's house. she passed away this summer but on my way home for spring break i decided to stop by and pay the house a little visit. when i was younger we use to spend every spring break here. we would bake mud pies, feed turkeys, walk to the little gas station and get ice cream, and never once realize that there was a lack of tv at her house. three generations of my family were raised in this house. i wish it could whisper stories that occurred within its walls. the house looks quite a bit different now, but the memories are still there.

"the most relaxing recreating forces are a 

healthy religion, sleep, music, and laughter. 

have faith in god--learn to sleep well--

love good music--see the funny side of life--

and health and happiness will be yours."

coming soon.

last night zach and i were driving from his house and began to talk about some of the plans, hopes, and goals for our future together. besides careers, owning a home, and having children, we got on the topic of someday owning our own little business nestled somewhere in an old downtown district. that’s all it took to get the little wheels in my head spinning!

since then i’ve been thinking of cute little shops filled with flowers and pastries, art gallery stores with prints, cards, and stationary, woman’s boutiques with clothing and home décor, and vintage book stores with coffee counters set up in the back. all day I’ve been creating my own personal perfect downtown filled with all of these types of shops.

daydreaming about the future is beginning to become one of my favorite pastimes these days. 

sewing.

in an effort to avoid working on a project, i'm sitting on the couch, drinking a nice cup of hazelnut coffee, and blog surfing.

one of my goals for 2010 is to successfully sew a dress. a wearable dress. i've always loved being around beautiful fabrics with fun patterns and i decided earlier on in the year that this was the year to dust off the sewing machine and get busy.

i stumbled onto this book the other day while i was at barnes&noble and immediately put it on my "i really really want this" list.

101 projects!? yes please!

4 weeks.

drinking pots of coffee at midnight can only mean one thing...it's the end of the semester. 
i have 4 weeks left, 10 big projects to complete, and 0 time for a life.

on a positive note, the weather has be beautiful. when i get out of class all i want to do is lay outside in the grass and take a nap for an hour or two. in 4 weeks, that's exactly what i'll do.

but for now i'm home for the weekend. enjoying family, a little break from school, and playing with these two little ones.