Wow! It's been a minute since I posted! I don't have any fun pictures or projects at the moment, but I wanted to let you all know that I'm still alive, and there are some fun things coming to Twisted Stitches THIS FALL!  If you would like to know what I've been up to these last few years, check out my instagram account at the following: https://www.instagram.com/drewhilda/ . You can see a few guest blog posts that I wrote here: http://wondrasworld.blogspot.com. See you all soon!!

Fall colors afghan

Recently, my friend, Wondra Vanian,  came hime from wales to visit.  As a welcome home gift, I bought her a couple skeins of Bernat Softee Chunky-one in pumpkin, and one in dark taupe.   She was born on Halloween,  so to say that Halloween is her favorite holiday is an understatement.  The idea behind the colors was to give her some fall colors to remind her of home.  I quickly fell in love with this cheap acrylic yarn, and the ideas started flying through my head.   So, I bought myself four fall colors and started crocheting.   Unfortunately,  bernat didn't have a good green color, so I got a skein of Loin Brand Hometown USA super bulky yarn in Oklahoma City Green.  That yarn is a bit softer, but just a little more expensive (we're talking about $.50 a skein...which isn't much,  but when you're buying a ton of yarn it adds up,  and I'm on a budget! ) I bought one of each color,  and I figured that would keep me busy for at least a couple weeks because of my work schedule...at LEAST until payday so I could buy more.  You'd think that's what would have happened...it took me about two hours to crochet through ALL FOUR SKEINS.  But, I'm excited about the project.   At the moment, I can only afford four skeins per check,  so the blanket is taking a while.   So here's what I have so far:

After I ran out of yarn,  I still wanted to crochet,  so I made these from a pattern I found on ravelry.com:  

They keep my hands warm at work while I type.  I'll post more pics of the Afghan as it grows.  In the meantime, have a great day! 

Craft store finds

I recently got a new job.   One that actually pays the bills.  To celebrate I decided to go to Joann's!   They had some wonderful deals that day!  Here's what I bought: 

The Star Trek fabric is going to be an apron, and the spiderman fabric is going to be a pair of pajama pants for my guy.   

I'm pretty anxious to get started!   I DID start on the hat already!   It's going to be awesome.   I'll post more pics later!!

New Resolutions

I know it's a little late in the year to a be making new resolutions, but I'm in a bad spot, mostly financially.  I've just had a hard time getting back on my feet, and it's frustrating.  So, I've decided to re-evaluate my life.  (At least how I handle certain fallbacks).  I've made a few goals for the coming month that, I think, are extremely attainable.  

1)  Take a walk every day.  I need more movement in my life.  Walking is great exercise and can be a great meditation.  Which leads me to my next goal...

2)  Start a gratitude journal.  With such hard times, it's really easy to loose track of what makes me happy.  I've been letting myself slip into the black, and I need it to stop.  

3)  Start the envelope system.  It's simple-I have an envelope for groceries, for example, and, when the cash is gone, it's gone.  I want my checking account to be purely for bills.  

4)  Do at least 3 craft shows this summer.  Pretty straight forward on that one!

So, there's no time like the present to get started, eh?  So, I'll leave you with something that makes me very happy.  

green cleaning machine

Let me talk about baking soda for a minute.  It is probably the miracle product of all time.  You can use it in baking, cleaning, laundry, beauty, etc....and I DO!  It's great for cleaning because it's softer than the finish on stoves, sinks, tubs, and various other household appliances.  As most of you already know, I live in an old apartment with really old, vintage appliances!  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my vintage kitchen!  But, I've always been bothered by the baked on crud around the burners.  I knew something could be done, but I refuse to use harsh chemicals!  Cue the baking soda!  I decided to make a paste with water and asking soda and scrub the dickens out of the stains....turns out I didn't need to scrub as hard as I thought!  Some small spots didn't come out, but I'm going to try hydrogen peroxide and baking soda on those.  

Stove top before:  

This picture was taken AFTER I cleaned with glass cleaner.  How gross is that baked on crud?

Stove top after:

I think I'll take it!!

The baking soda even worked on my teapot:

I didn't take a before pick of this, but it had baked on grease all over it from cooking (I'm beginning to think I'm a sloppy cook!).

And my stove in all its vintage glory:

it's that time of year again...resolution time!

With Christmas behind us it's time to focus on the new year.  I have a lot of goals this year and have kicked my motivation into high gear!  First, I wanted to redecorate my bedroom.  On a small budget, that can be hard, so I decided to only do a little at a time, and only use recycled, thrifted, or sale items. Originally, my mother was going to buy me a cube storage unit from ikea to put in the center of the room, but I moved my furniture around, and it turns out that it won't fit.  Not with the existing couch at least.  Maybe if I bought some chairs, but it's not in the budget right now.  So, I had a problem.  I STILL need the storage--my living room is trashed with all the stuff that was in that room! My friend told me about a set of lockers that was in the high school before they ripped them out my sophomore year.  That's perfect!  Even more perfect was the price...$20!  I plan on painting them and putting them where the desk was.  I haven't decided on a cheveron pattern or chalkboard paint....maybe I can find some white chalkboard paint and dye my own so I can do a chevron pattern With chalkboard paint!  

My second goal was to be more social.  Tricky, seeing that I'm a hard core introvert...I thought I'd start out slowly and have people over once a month!  So, the idea to have a "Kick Ass Craft Night" was born.  The first one is on January 29th, and is going to have a LOT of bacon and booze....and crafts of course...no power tools though...I promise!  (Maybe)...

presents

I finished Christmas present number 1 on schedule!  I really liked how it turned out.  At first, I wasn't sure about the yarn (I've been known to be a bit of a yarn snob), but it worked out in the end.  

I made a last minute button change decision.  The original choice was bright red, but this one was bigger and more sophisticated.  I don't regret the decision.  

I went to my local yarn shop to get yarn for some more of my projects and received some surprising deals!  I got enough yarn for two hats and a scarf, PLUS two vintage knitting books for under $20!  Yay!

The yarn I bought for the scarf reminds me of a candy cane.  When I work with it, I use my peppermint lotion, so when the recipient wears it, it will smell like a candy cane too!  

funky fresh bedroom

 I'm sick of my bedroom looking like a storage area.  I really want a space where I can relax, either in bed or on furniture.   My bedroom is certainly large enough to have at least two comfortable, separate spaces.  I want sophistication and hidden storage.  Oh yeah, did I mention I need it to be cheep?  I'm going to give myself an initial budget of $200.  I won't be able to do it all at once, but I'll keep track of my budget on here!  My goal is to get as much furniture/decor items secondhand or on sale as possible.  I already have a lot of what I need, so, that's a bonus.  First thing is going to be paint and re-arranging the furniture.  So, here's a quick sketch of what I have in mind (bear in mind that the drawings are not to scale...for example, the room is square!  But, you get the jist of it!):

I like the accent wall to the right of the room.  I'm going with greys on the walls because it's a classic color that goes with just about any decor.  I really like the idea of a grey and pink chevron rug...I hope I can find one.  Of course, I could always make one if I can't find any!  To separate the spaces, I originally had the idea to put a folding screen between them, but decided on a cube shelving unit for the storage.  

I already have a bed, desk, hope chest, bedside tables, a couch, and a bookshelf, so I don't think I'll have to spend to much on the furniture.  I bet I can get a good coffee table second hand!  I will post before pics eventually, but I want to wait until after stage one so you can compare!  

Christmas is here...

Wow!  This year has gone by fast!  I'm not saying that I can't wait until it's over.  This year can, without a doubt, be considered the worst year of my life.  Those who know me know that I have been through considerable loss this year.  But, it's almost over, and on December 31st, the slate is wiped clean.  

So, instead of dwelling on my circumstances and things that can't be changed, I've issued myself an almost impossible challenge.  I want to start getting my etsy shop up and running, so I'm using this month to get used to utilizing my time to make as many handmade items as I possibly can.  So, the challenge is to make three scarves, two hats, and possibly a couple aprons by the 21st.  I'm really hoping that I surprise myself and I hit my goal so I can surpass it.  Wouldn't it be nice if I could start stocking my etsy?

Here is a sneak peek of project number 1:  

I can't tell you who it's for yet...for obvious reasons.  I decided to go with the Red Heart yarn because of the cheapness factor, but I'm not 100% on it yet.  It's a little on the scratchy side, and I don't care for the sheen cheep acrylic yarn has, but over all, it's nice.  In any event, if I really can't stand it, I can redo it because it's a very quick knit.

crossroads

I was standing in the bathroom looking at myself in the mirror and realized that I had been staring at my reflection for a few minutes, but not actually seeing it.  The scene I was actually looking at was me standing at a fork in a road.  It was in the woods, the road was dirt, and there was an old fashioned wooden sign.  You know, the kind that have a point on one end with the destination written on it.  I had the thought that I need to get trained to do something, and fast.  The coffee shop is behind me, and my future is in front of me.  Do I turn left or right?  Do I make something of myself, or do I waste the talent that I was given?  I know that being stuck in a cubical or office somewhere is not exactly using my talents, but I do believe that it will be a stepping stone to allow me to be able to follow my dreams.

So, visions aside...I wanted to put out some positive energy into the universe...or at least my universe.  Every day I've been making sure to clean and tidy at least one small space.  Yesterday it was the dresser in my living room.  Tonight, it was my end table and couch.  I even vacuumed the carpet around the area!  So, here's the proof I've been cleaning: 

Before:

After:

You can't tell in the picture, but I'm using my end table the way it was meant to be used.  The remote controls and my iPad are on the shelf between the drawer and the top, and things like lotion, paper pads, and various other random things are tucked quietly in the drawer.  I even vacuumed the couch off...I can't get the spots off the arm though.  I'm not really worried about it, though, because I'm getting a new couch by the end if the year.

unemployment

Does anybody know what suddenly and unexpectedly being unemployed is good for?  Blogging, cleaning, and crafting!  Yeah!  There is only so many hours a day you can fill out applications.  And you definitely do NOT want to get stuck in that "I'm going to watch daytime television all day" trap.  You WILL find a job...even if it takes a while...but in the mean time, be productive.  You worked full time at the coffee shop until they sold it and you lost your job...you didn't have time to clean, craft, or blog, and your apartment and creative consciousness suffered BIG time, didn't it.  Well, now you have time. No more excuses.  And, hey, why don't you do some sit-ups while you're at it?  

So here's what this unemployed girl has been up to:

About a week ago, our group of friends sent our dear welsh girlfriend home.  We spent the day shopping (this was before I knew I should have been hoarding my money) and I asked my friend over at eyeslifted to help me pick out a new project.  I only had a general idea of what I wanted.  I told her I wanted to make a hipster scarf.  A few minutes later she hands me a couple balls of Bernat Cotton-ish in Crimson Twine.  And, the scarf pattern on the label was PERFECT!  Even though I have been knitting for the better part of a decade I had never knit with such delicate yarn (pssh...delicate...it's knit on size 6 needles...).  I'm used to projects knit on needle size 10 or larger because of my knitters ADD.    But, I'm forcing myself to work on it.  I'll find myself falling into that daytime T.V. trap, so, I make myself knit while I'm watching.  BAM!  Productive.  And, just so you know I'm cleaning, here is a pic of my newly de-cluttered, dusted, and organized chest of drawers in my living room:

Until next time, my friends!  

today's project

Today, I will be working on finishing up my set of crocheted flower coasters.  Then maybe I'll draw up packaging for them.  

veggie tacos

I had a burst of inspiration, or energy....call it what you will...point is, I was a highly motivated camper today.  The other day I made a very simple pasta salad, so I thought I would look for different pasta salad recipes.  While flipping through one of my many cookbooks, I came across a recipe for simple veggie tacos.  I did tweak it a little.  I've been wanting to experiment with mushrooms that weren't the typical white capped or canned.  The canned ones make me sick and the white ones smell HORRIBLE while they are cooking.  (I'm not a fan of mushrooms).  I've heard that portobellos and shiitakes add a meatier texture to vegetarian cuisine, so I thought I'd give it a shot.  So, this is what I did...

I went to the store with a budget of $30 (I also had to buy enough food for the next couple of days and gas for my car out of that $30).  

I peeled and diced the zucchini and onion (the recipe didn't call for me to peel the zucchini, but I really didn't feel like taking the time to get the wax coating off...this was, after all, supposed to be an easy meal!), and sliced the shiitakes into thin slices.

 

Next, I heated 1 Tbsp olive oil in the largest pan I had, added the chopped veggies and a bag of frozen corn, and sautéed them until the onions were soft.  Since I used a pot instead of a pan, I think it took longer than it normally would...but I had to use what I have.  

Once the veggies were ready, I added a can of black beans and 1/4 Cup canned salsa and heated that through.  

While the whole shibang was heating through, I warmed a couple tortillas and shredded some romaine lettuce.  

Then, as my final step, I put the tacos together.  I layered the lettuce, the mixture, some shredded cheese, and added a dab of sour cream, and voila!  Veggie tacos!!

UPDATE:  I made breakfast using the leftover filling from the tacos.  South of the border omelets!  (I really should have added some hot spices to change it up a little...but, I didn't think of it...)  Every time I make omelets, I whisk a special blend of garlic, basil, and some other spices and cheeses directly into the eggs.  Next time I make them I'll actually measure and share so they won't be so secret ;). 

Best breakfast ever!  Lunch will be the topping on a bed of spinach.  I'm poor...don't judge!  

Latte Art

I've started practicing my latte art again....I'm VERY rusty!  This is not my best work, but at least it resembles a leaf...even if it's a dying leaf....

I want to practice every day...so, today is day 1!!  Maybe, one day, I'll be good enough to compete!

Losing weight

I started weight watchers last week.  My starting weight (on Monday, June 3) was 217.4, and on Monday June 10 it was 214!!  This photo was taken on Wednesday, June 12, so I may be down a little, but it's the closest thing to a before pic I have...besides, I don't think a couple pounds will make that big a difference, appearance wise!  I'm also working out, trying a few programs...so every once in a while I will update you on my progress!  

enough is enough

I'm sick of living from paycheck to paycheck. I'm sick of wondering if I'll have enough money to eat, or pay rent, or car insurance. I'm also sick of not having health insurance when I need medical help. So, I'm resolving to make a change...well, several, in fact. I've already taken the first step and bought a car and car insurance for the very first time. Up until now, I've relied heavily on my parents generosity to get by. Thank you mom (Kristie Buehler) and Dave (Buehler) for supporting my ass for the last 30 years. I love you both!
The next few steps are going to take a considerable amount of time more. I want to get back in shape...not just because I'm trying to re-enlist, because that's not even a guarantee at this point, but because I want to feel and be healthy. I'm sick of being tired and achy all the time. I've started my container garden (which I will post pics of as soon as the seeds start budding) and I'm trying to walk 2 miles a day. I know that I won't always do that because I'm feeling tired or lazy, but I've set a minimum goal of 6 miles a week. Luckily, the grocery store is exactly 1 mile from my front door and I can get my shopping done while I'm out. Two birds.
The next step is to start saving money (to help pay for school...). My goal: save $5 from tips every day, and 10% of each paycheck for school. I'll use the rest of my tips (which is usually a considerable amount...like $15-$20) to buy my groceries for the evening and next morning. the bulk of my paycheck will go to car insurance, rent, and car payments. Anything left will go to a general savings account. I want a nice cushion in case something happens.
I will go to school next semester, so to help ease the hit on my bank account, I'm signing up for financial aide. Hopefully I'll qualify for something.
And finally, I'm going to really concentrate on getting my etsy shop up and running. Mrs. Wondra Vanian and I are going to keep each other on track with that (remember Wondra?). I also want to look for a few craft shows this summer. Any profit I make this summer will go to school things (tuition, books, parking, gas, food, etc.).
Well, I think that's a solid plan. Now, I'm going to be relying on my friends to help me make sure I'm on track with this!

Headband

I walk to work. I try to walk as often as I can as a matter of fact, but over the past month or so it has been bitter cold. By the time I get to my destination, my ears are red and sting horribly (this whole being outside in the winter thing is a new concept to me, so I'm learning what I need to be doing...). In any event, the weather has prompted me to make something that would cover my ears and keep me toasty and stylish at the same time. Here is my version of the blueleaf headband by Adrienne Krey (found on revelry.com):

A Productive Year

So far, 2013 has been a hugely productive year...much more so than 2012 was. It's less than a month in, and already I've written and knit two patterns. I also have sketches of a few other ideas that I want to start on as soon as I'm finished putting the first two together!

In any event, the two patterns I wrote are both Aran pillows, updated to fit a modern living room. I used bold colors and large needles but with traditional Aran cables and moss stitch. Both pillows will be about 24"X24". The yarn is super soft and warm...perfect to cuddle into.

wow, it's been a long time since I've posted...sorry to anybody who follows my blog on a regular basis...you two know who you are!  I've been VERY busy....but here are a few things I've been up to these last 8 months!

Beauty Night

I decided to do something nice for myself tonight. I haven't been feeling that pretty lately. My skin has been breaking out like a fifteen year old (and that's pretty bad when your almost 30!!), and my skin has been so dry from the winter that I look like I have 90 year old lady hands...so, tonight I used a clay face mask (for the second time this week) and I did my nails! I came across a cute design a few months ago that I couldn't get out of my head. You can find the tutorial here. I like my version better though...


Cute, yes? SUPER easy. I used O.P.I in "Aphrodite's Pink Nightie" for the base (two generous coats), and Sinful Colors Nail Art in "Bad Chick" for the dots. Of course I applied Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails clear coat over the top so it would last a little longer!
This week I also made some Christmas presents for my family, but that will have to wait to be posted until after the parties this weekend!