Sisters, Sister, there were never such devoted sister.

SO, I have two beautiful, amazing, talented, and creative sister. Who happen to older than I am and everything a sister should be. They are my best friends and have been best enemies at times. They are confidants and tattle tales, they are fellow warriors on no bed time and invading army in your room when you very clearly have NO TRESPASSING posted on your door. And in later years have truly become my kindred sprits. We are very similar in many ways and in just as many ways we are very different. I bring this up because my sister Kelly has been posting on her blog all about the quilt she has been making for her living room. How easy it has been to fallow the directions she has been using for said quilt. I have this same book and am also making a quilt out of it. I found my self wondering what directions she was talking about and why I didn't think Mine were so easy to fallow. As I have been making my quilt, I have found my self being really frustrated that I would finish a block and it would not match up and it just didn't look right. When I would go back and look at the directions I would wonder where I went wrong and I could never find anything. THEN, I realized, It really really helps if you, A) read the instruction and B) fallow said instruction from start to finish. I have this really nasty habit of looking at the pictures, glancing at the directions, then diving in and never looking back until something has gone horribly wrong. When all is said and done, I blame the book for bad instructions. Not my inability to sit still long enough to read the instructions. I also have a nasty habit of building onto existing patterns and making it up. So, really its not the books fault but mine. Most of the time, what I end up with is actually kinda cool, but there are some very mutilated projects that are hiding in my closet or are cannibalized into other projects. So i guess it comes down to those that read and fallow the instructions, and those that make them up. Neither one is better than the other, but the latter is more fun.

These are a few blackmail pictures I have my sisters

 The lovely red head is Keri and she is the oldest and the one holding the bunny is Kelly and she in the middle 

I love my sisters dearly and would not trade our differances for the world, even the ones that make we want to only child (well, maybe those if we are being honest : ) )

I love you guys, your the best.

Gluten Free for Two weeks

    Ok, I know this isn't a post about being creative or anything cool I found, but a post on my life. Starting today I am starting a gluten free diet for two weeks. There is some speculation as to whether I am gluten intolerant or have a full blown allergy. I have seen my mom go through this process and I am eternally grateful for her example and the trail she has created for me to fallow, as well as my sister and friends Jeff and Brooke Baker who have also gone on this journey. If this was just about losing weight, I wouldn't be doing it. I love bread and pasta way to much to just give it up. Not gonna happen.

So today I went shopping for my two week test and let me tell you, its really hard. When you don't have to think about it you don't realize how much you eat gluten. Trying to create a menu for a week cutting a staple out, is to much. Thankfully I could think back to what my mom eats and pick what I wanted. That saved me lots of time and energy. I am also so thankful for all the substitutions that are available now that five years ago were not even created (most likely).

  I will keep updates going on how this is going and how I feel, and if I can keep it up when school starts. Its just to easy to stop and get a bagel on the way to school. Yikes, I hadn't thought about that one. I'm gonna have to figure that one out as I go. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Here hopping I can stick with it.

My first attempt at quilting

This is my very first attempt at quilting. I used a quilt block from a book my sister gave me, and instead of joining them together, I added a border of yellow and made...Pot holders for my mom. 

I love the contrast of the green with the pattern print. 

Hopefully there will be more soon. I just finished my finals so I have an ENTIRE week to do fun crafty things. In the mean time, check out this blog, its what I aspire to be Love Little Things

Its all Cowl's from here

This winter has been all about the Cowl for me. I think I made 4 of them. This was my favorite by far. I made this piece for my sister in law from 100% sheep wool. The pattern was from Ravely. The best site ever. Tons of patterns, projects and ideas for all kinds of yarn lovers. 

The best part about this Cowl is that it can be long and slouchy and doubled to be warm and cozy. For wool, this yarn is surprisingly soft. No scratchy necks here.

IF you want the pattern you can down load it free here 

Calm Cowl