Babydoll Dress - The Actual Beginning

I finally have started on the crocheted Babydoll Dress that I started… oh, way back in July of last year. (And by started I mean, only testing my gauge on the swatches.) I’m really enjoying the way it’s working up. I loved the ribbed feel of the bodice and I’m really looking forward to having an actual garment. As it is my first attempt at a piece of clothing, I’m not sure exactly how it’s going to turn out, but hopefully it will be cute and wearable.

Jewelry Board

I made jewelry boards for my friends as part of the Happy Homemade Christmas we had two years ago. I, however neglected to take a photo of any before I gave them out. The response was fairly positive and I think they’re adorable.

This board is my friend Jennifer’s. When she last moved it got really hot in the box and was ruined b/c the hot glue melted. I told her that I would be happy to redo it. And I was - even if it took more than 6 months to actually finish (turns out I can be pretty bad with procrastination at times). The top ribbon is for stuff like earrings. Bracelets and necklaces hang from the decorative marbles. It’s a fairly simple project and useful too I think. I hope she enjoys her new board that she will be putting in the new house she is moving into this week!

Cookie Cake - A Learning Experience

I’ve been toying with the the thought/practice of candy and cake making for a couple of months now. I consider cooking to be a craft in and of itself and, as far as crafting goes, it seems to be a practical one. Projects are done in (typically) a relatively short amount of time. Supplies (can be) relatively cheap and people are almost always are willing to take the finished product off your hands.

This, a cookie cake for a work friend’s graduation, was a first attempt at many different things: baking a cookie cake (from scratch), making buttercream icing (from scratch) and cake decorating. As you see, it was a major learning experience. Obviously the cookie didn’t spread out as I anticipated, which made the cake… more unattractive than I had hoped. I still need to get a lot of practice with the decorating tips, but I thought it was pretty decent for having never tried it before. And the icing tasted pretty good, I thought. I got compliments on the cookie, although next time I think I’d try a different recipe b/c I wasn’t a huge fan. All in all, I was happy with my first experience. And hey, the great thing about cooking is even if it comes out ugly, it’s gone in a few days one way or another!

The Circa System

(Doesn’t “The Circa System” sound like something you should be guessing the price of on The Price is Right? I’m just sayin’.)

I’m an office supply junkie. I have been for as long as I can remember. I have a distinct memory of being about 8 or 9, riding to the Office Depot (which I pronounced de-pot at the time) and being ecstatic when I purchased a dozen legal pads. I’m not sure what the 8-year-old me had planned for all those legal pad, but I loved them. And let’s not talk about the dresser drawer filled to the brim with ink pens…

When I went searching for a new planner/organization system for my life, my office supply addiction definitely came into play. I looked at many, many different options and wanted to try them all. Thankfully, the frugal, more reasonable part of my brain reminded me that I’ve tried so many different types of organizers and that none of them really worked well for all areas of my life. What I needed was something flexible that could be adapted as my needs might change.

That’s when I ran into the Circa system. While you can see more on the Levenger website, a brief overview of the Circa system is that, when using their custom punched paper (or paper you have punched using their punch) you can easily add, remove or move pages within a notebook. The notebook you create is more flexible than a bound book and less bulky than a 3-ring binder. It seemed like the perfect option for my needs.

I started by ordering the Circa sample pack. This seemed like a no-brainer since the kit cost $40 and also came with a $40 gift card to be spent on Circa products. The sampler came quickly, even with the cheapest shipping. I was very happy with all of the different products they included. A great sampling.

Then I ordered the main event - the Circa punch. Now normally I am not the type of girl to spend $57 on a punch. Really, that is ridiculous. I even have a hard time recommending the product because of the price. I rationalized it because (1) I had $50 from my Discover Card rewards. I consider this “free money” and used it to purchase my sampler. (2) The reviews spoke highly of the punch and I believe it will last me. Again, a horrible amount to spend on a paper punch, but it does seem very well made. I also ordered another pack of rings.

I’m very happy with the Circa system. The pages hold well but are easily removable. The punch works well (although it will, at times, get stuck on my laminated pages). The pages move smoothly and I love that I can flip my notebook cover to cover. While I wish the system were a little more affordable, I appreciate their quality and am happy with my purchase.

(More on the planner itself to come.)