Singing the Party Planning Tune

Well aside from a recent influx in custom order requests I have also been helping my mother and sister plan for a big day coming up in March.  My sister Stephanie is a vocalist and will be preforming for 1 full hour on her own.  Following the concert we will be hosting family and friends to celebrate Steph's achievement with some yummy desserts and refreshments.  Seems simple enough but when you are as detail oriented as our family everything turns into a project.

Seeing as how it is a concert we are sticking with the music theme.  Who knew how hard some of this stuff would be to track down?  With our lives a little chaotic right now post Sandy we unfortunately will not be crafting as much as we would like at home but so far so good.  We have found some adorable items but still have a ton to do before the middle of March.  I will be sure to share photos of the finished product and a summary of Steph's special night in the coming weeks.

Valentine's Day 2013

Happy Valentine's Day to all our readers.  Maybe I get a little too excited for today but life gets pretty hectic and having a day that reminds us to stop and think about the ones we love is important.  So I hope everyone has a love filled day.  I emphasize love, not just romance, because it seems like so many people are depressed today since they don't have a significant other.  To me Valentine's Day is taking the time to appreciate those you love; that includes friends and family.  Besides why limit yourself to one Valentine when you can have a whole bunch? :)
I am lucky enough to have a great man to share dinner with tonight, but I have a few other Valentines as well. My siblings are now and forever will be my special little loves (yes I know they are growing up but they will always be my baby sisters and brother).  My mom was my first Valentine and therefore holds the title for life.  I know I can count on her being the first person to wish me a Happy Valentine's Day every year. And last but not least my Aunt Maria is my special Valentine.  After a very tough past few years I think she, more than anyone deserves a day to remind her of all the love and support that surrounds her.  So to my Valentine's (and my other family and friends) I love you with all my heart not just today but everyday.

What will you be doing to celebrate Valentine's Day?

Successful Snowday

A few days ago I wrote about my crafting plans for Blizzard Nemo.  I am happy to report that my relaxing snow day was a success.  After work on Friday I made a quick stop at the supermarket (I am still dieting and I was determined that even Nemo would not get in the way of me reaching my goal weight by this summer).  By the time I left the market 20 mins later the roads were covered in ice and snow was beginning to fall.  I made it home safe and sound and vowed not to leave the house until there was no longer a risk of me slipping on ice (I had one run in with black ice already this week and my knee is still paying for it).

I made myself soup for dinner, put on some good tv and enjoyed the view of the falling snow from my warm couch.  It was only a matter of time before I broke my vow to remain indoors.  The snow was just too beautiful and I couldn't help but to go take a quick walk with my best friend through our winter wonderland.  While we could have enjoyed the snow in the morning there is something special about the fresh fallen snow before its marked by children's footprints, car tracks, and plows.  

When all was said and done the next morning we had about 10 inches of snow.  Other parts of New England were hit by 30+ inches so we were lucky we didn't have that much snow to shovel.  After a quick clean up I spent the rest of the day catching up on tv shows I haven't had the time to watch, and crafting.  Despite the howling wind, freezing temperatures, and snow covered EVERYTHING I was in a bright springy mood.  I completed some bright citrus colored wash cloths and then decided create a top for a set of towels. The linen towel set has a beautiful bright sunflower with two lady bugs embroidered  on each.

Blizzard Nemo 2013

As if the Northeast hasn't had enough weather related excitement the past few months tonight we are bracing for Blizzard Nemo.  Despite a fall on black ice earlier this week I am kind of excited for this storm.  Snow  storms are the perfect opportunity to pause all the "to-do" things and just relax. So with over a foot of snow heading my way I am planning a weekend of cuddling up on the couch, some hot chocolate in hand and crafting while watching the snow fall. On the crafting agenda is some cotton washcloths, hanging dishtowels, and maybe some work on a special surprise project I have been working on.  Lately I have been spending a lot of time working on plastic canvas as these projects have been in high demand at Handcrafted Holidays.  I honestly have missed crochet and can't wait to see some of these projects completed.  

Post Sandy

I know that for the most part I have been missing for a few months now.  In the beginning of October my mom got really sick (she is ok now) and then Hurricane Sandy hit.

I come from a town in New York that is right on the water and the amount of destruction and devastation can not even begin to be described.  After months of clean up most of my community is on the road to repair.  I have to say that it may have been one of the most tragic and traumatizing moments in my life but also one of the most inspiring.  The level of kindness, compassion, and strength shown in my community, and  so many others like it, is something I will never forget.

We lost a lot in the storm, but we were luckier than so many others. We are slowly piecing our lives back together, trying to regain normal.  During this time I attempted to continue my crafting (some days it was the only thing that kept me sane) but unfortunately I did not have time for this blog.  Please continue to bare with me and the frequency of posts will once again pick up as things at home continue to progress.

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The Modern Day "Liberated Woman"

The other day I had the pleasure of running into an old friend.  We spent some time catching up and I was happy to spend some time hearing about what she has been up to.  Today I receive an email from her entitled "I had to get this off my chest."  Apparently, according to the email, my willingness to cook, clean, craft, and care take for my loved ones is an affront to the entire female gender.  Many unwarranted and vicious statements were made, including her claim that  I am "single handily undoing the struggles of the women who came before us which enabled our generation to be liberated women."  While my original inclination was to ignore the email all together, after thinking about it I could not let this go.  The email did not make me feel insecure in the life I live, but I can't help but to wonder how many other women and young girls feel they have to live their life as either the career woman or the housewife? How many feel that if they are not filling a single role that they are failing their gender? When did these two worlds become mutually exclusive?!?!

I am a woman in my mid twenties, living in New York City.  I am an educated young woman and am proud to have obtained my Bachelors degree,  Masters degree as well as a number of other certificates.  I am a certified New York State Emergency Medical Technician.  I work in the predominantly male field of security and supervise an operations staff.  I have started and continue to grow my own small business. I like sports, the outdoors, reading, and traveling.  So yes I can say that I am a  modern woman.  I am proud to know that the struggles my mother, grandmothers, and the women who came before them have made it possible for me to hold the success I do today.  Their struggles though mean more to me than the ability to do things that in the recent past were limited to the male gender.

To me the Modern Day Liberated Woman is so much more.  The women who fought for our rights, our equality, our dreams were not trying to force us into the cookie cutter shape of what was previously the "man's world."  They sacrificed and aimed to LIBERATE us! To allow us the freedom to choose our own dreams and pursue them.  Who are we to look down on the lives they lived?  When did caring for those we love, cooking, and cleaning become an insult to women.  I CHOOSE to hold to tradition while living out my dreams.  What better way to honor these women than to become strong role models to the next generation and what better way to develop our strength than by understanding where we came from and expanding our horizons.  Even the tallest and farthest reaching tree needs its roots to allow it to stand tall.

I am happy and secure in my identity as both a career women and a tradition based home/care taker.  Handcrafted Holidays, my craft company, is a perfect example of how our liberation allows me to combine the previous male world of business with the feminine traditions my grandmothers' embraced, like crochet.  While every woman must find her own path, and follow her own dreams I think it is appalling that one woman should attack another for not being exclusively career "liberated."  Instead of picking "sides" I choose instead to embrace the woman's choice; the choice to work or to be a stay at home mom, to craft or to play sports, and perhaps even more to the pride of our fore-mother's, the choice to be whatever wonderful combination of these roles our Modern Day Liberated selves choose to be.

A Finished Cross Stitch

A few weeks ago I told my readers about a very special project I was asked to finish.  A wonderful and supportive woman had started a "Footprints In The Sand" cross stitch for her nephew.  Unfortunately she did not have the chance to finish the piece.

While I had no experience with cross stitch I was honored that I was asked to finish such a meaningful craft. I began right away, and learned as I went.  Thank you to any of my readers who left comments and private messaged me with tips on how to make the cross stitch come out right.  After many nights adding (and sometimes removing) stitches, the cross stitch is finished. 

I am proud that the piece is complete, but it is also bitter sweet in a way.  Ending that last stitch in a way was like letting go of another little piece of Donna.  She will always hold a special place in my heart and I hope that when her family looks at this cross stitch they are reminded of all the happy memories.  It may have been my hands that finished the project, but it was her heart behind this beautiful gift.  Her sister told me Donna was so determined to give this gift that she wore three pairs of magnifying glasses so she could see the stitches she placed on the tree tops.  While she could have easily bought a finished product it was a labor of love.

Once I finished stitching the canvas, I looked it over once more, making sure I did not miss any stitches.  Then I ironed it, back side up, on my iron's linen setting. It didn't take much, just enough to get rid of any of the wrinkles cause by the tension loop.  After, it was ready to be placed in a frame.  Take a look below at the finished cross stitch hanging in the home of Donna's loved ones.