Lately...

I kinda want red hair...

Happiness....

...is this amazing hand dyed wool....

Happiness is what I feel from the name of this hand dyed wool:

Happiness is me staring at the wool...and touching the wool....

Happiness is what I'm going to make out of the hand dyed wool:

Happiness is also drawing eyes. :) I've been practicing eyes like mad and I think I might be getting a little better, but still not spot on.

But right now...happiness is a cup of tea. So if you will excuse me, I'll go brew some. ;)

*sniffles*

Yes, I have a cold. Which is really quite annoying. But such is life.

So today my plans are to get comfy cozy and watch movies, drink some tea, and make as many fingerless gloves as I can. I'm going to try to get them into a shop in town so I want to have a few made to take in and show them this week. Scary! I always feel so vulnerable in such situations. What if they don't like them? I'll feel like they don't like a part of me. BUT...I need to get over it and not let it bother me. Right? Right.

I've been hunting all morning for the perfect yarn to make these gloves Alice wears:

*sigh* I haven't found the perfect dye lot...but I did find some pretty close so I might order it or wait until I can get into JoAnn's to see if they have it. Have any of you seen yarn like this? I think it's divine. :)

Hmm...what movie does one watch to get inspired to crochet fingerless gloves? If I had Inkheart, that would be nice. Have any of you seen this movie? I loved it. It had some of the cutest costumes and sets. I love the buttons on this coat collar:

Well, I guess I should go get started. Hope you all are having a splendid day and keeping away from the sniffles!

~Anna Kristine

Life

Life's been so busy and full lately with work, last minute get togethers with friends before they zip off to college, a camping trip, and various other things that pop up and keep one busy. :) And can you believe it? I forgot my camera at every one of these.


But now everyone is gone, and I have 5 whole days off. What is to be done with me? I'm actually looking forward to it. I'm hoping to get my rooms in order and get some sewing done and hopefully get a hair cut. I'm in desperate need of one! My hair has gone all wimpy. Bleh...not a nice look. My sister is a hair dresser so I just have to arrange a sister date. So lovely. Oh and pick the actual hair cut I want. Hmmm...what are some options?


The hair I'm loving most right now would be...

Kirsten Dunst

...in Elizabethtown. I just love her layers and side swept bangs:

Kristen Stewart

I love her beachy layered look as well. I guess I'm all about layers right now. :)

Those are my two favorite looks at the moment...maybe I get get a mix of both. :) We shall see...alright, I'm off to do some tidying up. Will post pictures of my newly arranged room soon! (Yes, I did it again...I think it's a seasonal thing for me.) ;)

Vanity Fair Photo Shoot

I'm so in love with this photo shoot...If I were getting married this year, I'd do something like these for engagement photos. I love love love them. I love how much fun everybody is having in them.

Definately need a rope swing:

A good sense of humor and some silliness:

Lovely Lighting:

And a group of the very bestest friends (wedding party):

It would be cool to combine a bunch of photos into a collage on a post card for "save the dates" or something. I love the idea of including the wedding party in the early photo shoots.

So yeah...I'm loving that idea. It's now in my "wedding planner" book. :)

Writing

There's something about a leather bound book with blank pages in it that makes me feel like a real writer. I've always loved writing stories but I've never considered myself a true writer. But I was thinking the other day, one doesn't have to be a "good" writer to be a writer, right? ;) So I guess I can add that to my list of many hobbies.

I found this amazing journal on Etsy from lapaperie:
I'd so love to fill that with my silly writing.
I ran across these pages on the internet:

Now if I could make the inside of my notebooks look like that...I wouldn't care what I wrote. ;)

I just started a new story last night after a two year neglect from my writing. It feels so good to be back in my imagination for a while. :)

BBC Robin Hood

Where have I been lately? Watching these:

I'm addicted. :P

But they're great for getting lots of hand sewing projects done. I can't wait for Season 3 to come to the US. I've been watching as many episodes as I can on YouTube.

They have a new costume designer for this season so it's a whole new look. Looks like a lot more leather, which is awesome!

And there's some new characters, which I'm excited about.

Kate, from Locksley. I'll admit I wasn't to excited about her at first but after watching a few episodes with her in it I'm warming up to her! :) I think she and Alan-a-Dale would make a good couple. But I have a feeling that's not the way it's going to end up. We'll just have to see. :P

I'm super excited and can't wait for Isabella, Sir Guy of Gisbourne's sister to come into the show. Should be interesting! :)

And finally! Friar Tuck joins the cast...he's pretty awesome. :)

Anyway...apologies to all of you who could care less about my Robin Hood obsession at the moment. I just can't help myself. :)

These Days

I'm all about books on tape. They are so much nicer than movies while your sewing because you don't have to watch! :) My favorite of late has been James and the Giant Peach. My favorite is the Centipede! :D

I'm also all about designing my own wardrobe. I think it's the downside of being a seamstress, you start to be more picky about clothes because you would like this sleeve with that cuff and those buttons...So, I'm going to TRY and make myself make me some clothes, and not sell them. haha I have a bad habit of selling everything. But that's good too, right?

And...I'm all about washing with baking soda...

I put about a 1/4 cup in every load of laundry along with the soap and everything comes out so fresh and clean! I'm a bit obsessed with it. :)

So anyways...I've been sewing, cleaning, and today I even made gingerbread! It almost feels like Spring today as the sunshine has come out and there's some tulips or something popping up in the garden. Yay. :)

Short

Lately I keep wishing I could chop my hair off. I just might if I could be garanteed to look as cute as these lovelies:

Audrey Hepburn

Katie Holmes

Sofia Loren

Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews

Katherine Hepburn

But alas, curly hair is so much work when it's short. Every time I cut my hair I end up hating it. And straightening it every day would just be too much to ask....

Me thinks...

It's time for a new blog layout. I want something simple. I just may go back to the old blog layout. So...be warned. ;)

Don't you love orderly thread?

I've been slowly working away at my sewing room getting it into some kind of order. It's not as easy as it sounds. I figure out a good place for something and then end up needing that place for something else and move it out, but eventually it will all come together. I'm just not as good at thinking orderly these days. Not sure why!

I also started a doily yesterday at Belle's house. Belle is a really amazing elderly lady who taught me to crochet. She has so many interesting stories to tell! When she was 6 she traveled in a covered wagon and she's lived through the depression and 2 World Wars. She's a pretty amazing person. And I'm rather loving my doily. I'm calling it my "Faraway Downs" doily because it reminds me of all the plants and cut outs in the Faraway Downs homestead in the film 'Australia'. You'll see what I mean when it's finished! ;) Or maybe it's just all in my head? Just like Australia is all that's in my head lately...costumes, sets, cinematography, it's all so amazing. :)

Chico (my sisters dog we're watching for awhile) is always cuddling up next to me while I'm doing hand work. But yesterday there was sunshine coming through the window and he had to go lay on the back of the chair. He refused to smile for this picture, as I disturbed his nap. (cheeky fellow!) Well, there is a hint of a fake smile there I guess....

He actually has quite large ears but whenever I take a picture of him he hides them, maybe he's self conscious? ;)

Alright...I'm off to finish up some sewing. Just thought I'd give you a few peeks into my days. :)

Ready for Summer

I can't wait for all of the above. :)

Random Wordage

Hello. :)

So, I'm really sorry I haven't posted hardly at all lately. I feel so lame. Our Internet hasn't been very cooperative and I've had a cold. The former supposedly is to be fixed this week. (huzzah!)

But I have been thinking about blogging. I keep wishing I had something really clever to say or something beautiful to show you. But alas, I haven't taken many pictures lately and my mind has been quite dull. Well, that's not entirely true. I've been endlessly daydreaming of Duchess gowns. It's my new obsession. Or at least it was until my dearie girls gave me two patterns from Sense and Sensibility last night as a belated birthday present. Now I'm all about Persuasion. I want to make one of Anne's gowns (the blue one) and her amazing military inspired pelisse. And now...I even want to read the book again. I blame them entirely. ;) I think, if I'm feeling up to it tomorrow, I shall sew. But that's what I said I was going to do today and I ended up only laying on the couch watching Disney films and eating crackers. hee hee I felt like a little kid. But you know...I may as well, the only time I don't feel guilty for this is when I'm sick so I may as well enjoy it, right? :)

We had our movie night last night and watched The Patriot and I almost finished all the eyelets on one half of my Elizabeth Swann corset. I'm loving it. Except it's taking too long because I already have three more corsets planned out.

You should see my bed right now. Piled all around me are heaps of fabric with papers pinned to them telling me what I want to use it for. I have patterns everywhere, sketchbooks, notebooks. A pot of (jasmine green) tea is on top of my wardrobe as there's no other clear surface for it. (and I really think it's safest up there) I feel like Professor Bhaer from Little Women only I have fabric and patterns everywhere instead of books. Ah, well...it's good to be inspired I suppose.

Well, I ought to be off to bed. I'm not saying anything of great importance anyway. But I like writing so hopefully you all don't mind. And even if you do, I guess it doesn't matter. haha Because this is my place to talk. ;)

Well, goodnight to those of you with the courage great enough to make it through this long and random post. I respect you greatly. :)