Pump Up the Volume...

You know that feeling you get when you hear a song that makes you turn up the volume?

I get this feeling when I discover new music or re-discover my love for a song that I have not heard in a long time. 

Music is on the top 10 list of “emspirations.” After all, it is the soundtrack to my life.

Music is so important to me that I have a notebook with a list of songs that I will use to create playlists for my future child(ren) that encompasses a plethora of genres, artists, composers, and decades (thanks to influence from my grandparents).

When applying to college, I wrote an essay about the impact of music on my life. That essay has since been misplaced, but I do remember why I chose this topic.

Music’s ability to conjure feelings of nostalgia about key moments in your life such as a first love, a bad breakup, sleepovers, your first dance, a favorite movie, a best friend, or your wedding day is undeniable. 


Think about how many times you hear a song and it brings up a memory.

It can make you laugh, cry, sing, dance, set a mood or help you unwind.

Many of us even have “anthems” for various chapters in our life such as the tween years, high school, college, a road trip, or simply getting ready to hit the town, etc....

I have never been concerned that the music I listen to is uncool, not eclectic enough, too eclectic, or overplayed.

Music is an experience. I am an equal opportunity music enthusiast. My music library is evidence of that fact. 

So go ahead and press play on that MP3 or CD player.  Live on the edge and set it on shuffle. Most importantly, when “that” song comes on-pump up the volume.

If at first you don't succeed...

Having just finished a nightmare project that took over 4 months to complete, I thought it would be appropriate to dedicate this blog post to those who want to try something new, or re-try something that they did not succeed at the first time. 

This project was mainly a nightmare because it was a totally new type of project that I never attempted before.

While buying the last few materials I needed for this project, I came across a bargain book bin. In it, I found the sequel to Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs, titled Knit Two. I enjoyed the first book, so getting the sequel in hardcover for $5.00 was a deal I could not pass up.

I started reading it last night, and found the page right before the first chapter to be particularly relevant. If you take anything away from this post, I hope it is this:

"When you're new to something-or you haven't tried it in a while- it can feel impossibly hard to get it right. Every misstep feels like a reason to quit. You envy everyone else who seems to know what they're doing. What keeps you going? The belief that one day you'll also be like that: Elegant. Capable. Confident. Experienced. And you can be. All you need now is enthusiasm. A little bravery. And-always-a sense of humor."

-Knit Two, Kate Jacobs

This quote not only put my experience with a new type of project in perspective, but also it ironically reminded me of my first knitting experience.

I decided to start knitting in 2005. I bought my first knitting kit to make what I thought would be a simple red scarf.  I wish I would have known about You Tube tutorials back then. 

To say I was frustrated with my first attempt to knit would be an understatement. I wanted to give up on that scarf multiple times, but I continued on, with cramped hands and crankiness from lack of sleep. Eventually I finished that red scarf. I wore that poor excuse for a scarf with its dropped stitches, inconsistently sized stitches and random knots proudly. 

Why you may ask? Because, there was a story that went with that scarf- it was my first completed knitting project. I guess you could say I probably felt the same way that a child feels when they make their first art project. Wearing it was like "putting it up on the refrigerator" for everyone to see.

Even though I was down on myself because the scarf did not look like the picture that came with the kit, I found comfort in the fact that my then boyfriend (now husband) told me that he thought I would be able to knit better the more I practiced.  He believed in me. He did not think that scarf was so tragic that I should never pick up another set of knitting needles again. So I did practice- A LOT. I even took some classes. Now I knit more than scarves.

I do go through knitting droughts where I get so frustrated with a project that I  hide it in my closet I find the ambition to tackle that pattern again. 

As it turns out I not only learned how to knit, but I learned more about myself. I learned about patience and the value of NOT multitasking for once.  I learned that having motivation, ambition and practicing something you want to succeed at is essential.

In the end these projects are worth it because each project I work on is for people (or inspired by people) that I hold close to my heart.

Sometimes I think that the people who receive these projects as gifts are willing to overlook those imperfections. I like to think it is because it is made by hand with love.

So, I encourage you to try something new, or attempt something that you were not successful at before. As Kate Jacobs writes, “All you need now is enthusiasm. A little bravery. And-always-a sense of humor.”

You may find yourself “knitting” much more than a “scarf”- and here is one of my first projects that was not a scarf:




  It probably took me 6-9 months to finish this set because I had to stop, restart, and stop so many times. It was completed in 2007. I was just happy to be able to make more than a scarf!

 

Tutu Cute

I have been neglecting reading books the past few weeks- but for good reason.

Either there is a baby boom going on, or I am at an age where many of the people I know are bringing babies into the world. It could be both. Either way it is an excuse for me to work on some of my favorite craft projects!

I was not able to take pictures of all the projects I completed before I shipped them out, but here are photos I was able to take of some of my favorite recent projects:



A colleague of mine requested that I make a tutu for her niece- one in purple for newborn and one in pink in size 3-6 months. She wanted them for her niece to wear for pictures. She gave me creative liberty on the shades and style, and this is the purple set that I put together. While making the purple tutu, I was inspired to also create the headband with the daisy because I thought it would be cute for photo shoots. I did not stop there- I decided to whip up matching Mary Janes.

 

Since I am all about cute baby things, I could not help myself and decided that the pink set had to match the purple set- but in the larger size. I shipped everything together with care instructions and a card with the message from my colleague that simply stated  (in colorful stickers of course) "I hope you dance." 



This set all started with the baby blanket. It is for one of my friends from college. When I found out she was expecting, I looked through my yarn stash and found colors that I thought would be perfect for her baby. I did not know if she was expecting a boy or a girl, so I decided to use the green shades and brown for something neutral. I still don't know if she is expecting a boy or a girl, but I went with my gut instinct (and this dream I had) that she would have a girl- so keeping my fingers crossed on this one. As it turns out when I went shopping for gifts from her registry recently the items matched the colors of the blanket!



Here is a section of the baby blanket from the previous photo showing all the shades of green I used. This blanket was my first attempt at the knitting technique known as entrelac. It took me a few tries, but I was determined to learn the technique so that I could get the cool weave effect and incorporate all the colors I picked out. This blanket took me several months to complete- but I am happy with how it turned out.



Finally- something for a mom! This is something I made for my friend from college who is expecting her first baby (goes with the green/brown baby set). This was inspired by those ceramic signs I see at stationary and boutique shops.  At the time that I first saw them, it was not in my budget to buy them. I went the cost effective route and decided to make my own version of those signs.



What do you want to be when you grow up?

While I have been technically blogging for about a decade (since 2001) this will be my first post on this blog site. For my first post, I will blog about my thoughts on the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

As a little girl, I always assumed people were looking for only one answer when they asked me this question. When I hear others ask children/young adults this question, I feel like they also have the same assumption- or that they need to have an answer. Now as a grownup I realize that I had tunnel vision as a little girl. A person can do more than one thing and follow more than one path in life- and they do not need to have a definitive answer to that question. That is how I live my life today.

In fact, I do not have one “dream job” I have multiple dream jobs, and luckily have found opportunities in my life to pursue many of them. My ultimate dream job is to be a great mother, but that goal is on hiatus as I am focusing on other career goals at this time.

On Monday-Friday from 8-5, I work in a corporate setting in the Training and Development field.  I feel fortunate be developing a career in a field where I can help others learn and grow in their job. I especially enjoy the creativity that I am able to utilize in this position. The land of business casual, office buildings, jet setting and professional societies is something I willingly and happily participate in.

Some evenings and on the weekends, I have a second job in a cosmetics and fragrance retail store. While I take this job seriously, I refer to it as my "fun" job. In this job I get to abandon the conservative business casual, neutral nail polish colors, hair, and make up. I get to wear glitter, bright eye shadow, really big hair/different hair styles, and fun nail polish colors. The best part of this job is helping others with their makeup, and hair conundrums.

When I am not spending time with my husband and cats, I also practice yoga. I have found a connection to yoga that has changed my life. Karma yoga is something that I try to incorporate into my life.

With my remaining free time I focus on other creative outlets. I knit, crochet, and do several other arts and crafts. They include making tutus, taking inspirational quotations and turning them into creative works of art in the form of unique quotations books or decorative wooden signs.

I find inspiration all around me. Sometimes I discover these inspirations turn into hobbies or hopes for a mini career. Who knows, someday I may pursue becoming a registered yoga teacher or take my creations and participate in local art and craft shows. In the meantime, I will focus on my main career and family (husband and the cats :)).

So I encourage you to explore multiple paths in your life. Because as a grown up you do not have to have just one occupation or role. And if you do focus on one path and it works for you that is great. But if you find that you would like to go down another path, or take multiple paths, go for it. Even as grown ups we never stop learning and discovering things. As we explore we might stumble upon something new that we want to become as a "grown up."