*squeeee*

this will really only mean something if you are a knitter and have a Ravelry account. my 1st ever felted bag is featured on a pattern page! Cartwheel Felted Bag

another purse done!

Tonight I finished the bag I was making for the FFBE. My downstream should receive it sometime this week as I'm mailing it out tomorrow. She is getting a knitting fiction book, Knitting to go cards since her job makes her travel a lot, some candy and hot tea's, a jingle bell buddy with her name on it... and the bag of course!

And the beautiful bag...... is stuffed with paper to fill it out. It took quite a long time to make it and i learned how to felt on this one!

I really hope she likes it! I also updated it on my Ravelry Projects page. The next big project is the Jiffy Glowing Colors Afghan - one for myself and one for Jen... and maybe one for my parents too. =)

FL Birthday Trip

it rained much of saturday. but we were able to get out on a boat tour in the afternoon (we saw a submarine from the naval base going out to sea!!) and a horse & buggy tour at night. and we walked all over downtown Fernandina Beach and shopped and had lunch (Brett's waterfront cafe place). we had dinner at a fabulous little restaurant (La Bodega) Saturday night.

today, we slept in, then drove down to the other end of the island and had lunch (The Surf) at this adorable little cafe with a really amazing waiter. he was a college kid but super attentive and talkative. he had no problems with us just hanging out basking in the sun. then we drove back up to Fernandina Beach to take pictures of all the houses from the horse tour last night since it was too dark. then Jen took Chanele and I to the airport to get the rental car, and she headed off to work. Chanele and i drove over to St. Augustine with a stop along the way to finally see the beach! we just stood on the walkway since the surf was pounding up and over the bottom few steps and took a bunch of pictures. i swear you'd never know we both grew up steps from the surf. i love the smell of salty ocean air! she and i walked up and down St. George St for a while until slowly all the shops were closed. Xine and her daughter drove over from Gainesville to pick up Chanele for the next leg of her trip. the 4 of us had dinner at Sonny's then they headed back there and i came to Jen's. since Chanele was leaving tonight and Jen has to take the kids to school in the morning, i would have been out there by myself. so i packed up too and am sleeping at Jen's tonight.

arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Ye Ole Pirate Shipe in the Fernandina Beach marina


Chanele and I on the Fernandina Beach pier


Fort Clinch - one of, if not the only forts to have never seen a single battle ever - northern tip of the island


the wild horses on Cumberland Island, north of Amelia island and the southernmost bit of Georgia land


this is a much better and clearer pic of the submarine we saw on the boat tour. it's not this close to us, i'm just on extreme optical and digital zoom to get this shot


Jen and I on the boat tour


me and one of the horse tour stars - Sarge! he was so gorgeous and kept nuzzling me


this one was at lunch this afternoon.... hey, i know i never tire of seeing pic's of myself.... ;o)


and one of me in St. Augustine/ Ponte Vedra beach


and another one of me in St. Augustine/ Ponte Vedra beach... you know, a different angle LOL


yup.. and me in St. Augustine walking along A1A/ beach front avenue!

*sigh* yes, i know i'm a cam whore...

FFBE Question #3

I was just thinking over the weekend how far I've come as a knitter as I was sitting in the hotel room with my 2 best friends and watching Florida football and mindlessly knitting. I had been wanting to try for a long time, but could never get past the cast-on stage. Last December I was taught to knit in a bar by a friend that'd had a few drinks. I've tried my hand at scarves, bags, blankets, and now felting.

The bag for the Fall Felted Bag Exchange is turning out so gorgeous that I might just have to make one for myself!


How often do you change the purse or bag you're carrying? Do you change based on seasons? Outfits? Something else? What's your favorite bag in the world (and it doesn't have to be a knit/felted one!)?

I just recently bought a new, completely gorgeous bag. Some call it the Ugly Betty bag, but I simply call her Patches: the Bottomless Bag of Nothingness. I've had her for a few weeks and she goes everywhere with me. Big enough to hold everything... and then some! Plus, she matches just about everything I own...

Prior to Patches: BBN, I used Vera Bradley bags and changed them whenever the mood struck. Since they are extremely colorful and can match most things, they weren't outfit-specific or seasonal.

This just reminded me that I really need to take pictures and post them on eBay...

FFBE Question #2

My bag is coming along beautifully! I just finished the body itself and now on to the straps and other parts..

And now for the contest...
The colors of fall tend to be oranges, yellows, crimsons, and other 'leafy' colors - what is your favorite "Color of Autumn" and where do you see it?

I love all autumn colors! It is my favorite season of the year. Growing up in South Florida, we didn't see leaves changing colors ever! I went to school in North Florida and finally was able to experience such natural wonders. Now that I live in North Carolina, I am constantly amazed by simple things such as driving out through the country roads and seeing the gorgeous reds, yellows and oranges on the trees. I just hope this heat wave breaks soon so it can properly feel like autumn!

about dang time!

I'm finally on Ravelry... come find me! and friend me!

almost there...

ahhh Ravelry, I'm almost there....!

Found you!

• You signed up on July 18, 2007
• You are #18387 on the list.
• 668 people are ahead of you in line.
• 17641 people are behind you in line.
• 49% of the list has been invited so far

erev-birthday celebration (yesterday)

yesterday was fun. i went to the Centerfest Arts Festival in Downtown Durham with Irene, Akuma and baby Liam. we wandered around and ate (yummy festival food!) i bought a "picture" that was created as we waited. it's my name, in calligraphy and it looks like asian lettering. it is perfect for my bedroom! i got a custom-cut deep gold mat from them and got a plain black frame... it's gorgeous and looks fantastic with my new gold comforter.

i hit wally-mart afterwards and picked up a few crafty things for a swap i'm in - i made 3 sets of 5 stitch markers and then 1 additional for each lady. i group is a long black rippled bead with 1 teal bead and 1 silver butterfly. another group is tiny pink beads and 3 goldstones (brown with gold flecks). and the 3rd are all different - each had a big center stone of differing colors and smaller accent beads and silver butterflies. now to try to get pictures that come out since none have so far...!

c'est moi!

in case you were curious... this is what i look like!

FFBE Contest Survey

1. What is your favorite yarn for felting, and why? This is my 1st time doing some felting, so I'm not sure yet
2. Name one person in the swap who is not from the U.S. and tell us where they are from, and link to their blog. Chrissie P. is from Singapore - Ghostknitter
3. Find one person in the swap who has a dog, and let us know the name of their dog(s) and link to their blog. Kris W. has 2 dogs (Annie and Toby) - Knotty Knitty Kris Knits
4. Find one person in the swap who has a child or grandchild and link to their blog. Judy B. has not 1, but 19 grandchildren! - Judy's Crafts
5. And finally, tell us if you like October or November more, and why! (Yea, I know part of September and November are technically fall, but for this question, only October and November matter!) I love October because it has Halloween! and H'ween is one of my favorite holidays

bag me, baby!

My bag was delivered last Monday but I didn't make it to the office to pick it up until Friday afternoon! Jane sent me a gorgeous bag.. black with purple and blue jeweltones!

I haven't used it yet as I haven't left my house, but it's all packed for work on Monday!!

Thank you Angel Jane!!

xoxo,
Becca

Fall Felted Bag Exchange Questionnaire

1. How long have you been knitting or crocheting? How did you learn? or from whom? i learned how to knit last October from a friend of mine. we were at a knitting meeting and she taught me to finally cast off! and she was drunk, which made it that much funnier and easier to learn - save the few times she elbowed me in the head...
2. What was your first felted object, and why did you decide to try felting? i have not tried felting yet, but after participating in ITEIV and seeing all the gorgeous felts, i really want to give it a go
3. What are your favorite colors? Any you hate? love: pink, blue, green, yellow, orange. love combos: pink/green, orange/blue, pink brown.
4. What are your favorite styles\types of bags? (Long straps? Short handles? Handbags? Totes? Embellished? Plain? Include links to patterns or photos if you’d like – give your pal an idea of what you enjoy!) www.verabradley.com - i love bright colors! i prefer longer handles to short so i can put them on my shoulder and not constantly be pushing them back up. i like a lot of pockets - inside and out, and pretty embellishments are a bonus!
5. What handbag or bag are you carrying today? Do you use a separate bag to carry your knitting? I am currently switching between a few of my Vera Bradley bags. they're all very colorful and depending on my size needs depends what i use. i normally throw my knitting into the same bag i am using.
6. What other things do you enjoy knitting or crocheting? i've made a bunch of scarves for myself, friends and different exchanges. plus there's a few blankets on my needles that never seem to end!
7. What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? i love my bamboo straight needles! i bought some size 2 metal circ's for socks, but have not used them yet.
8. What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make? a sweater or some other tailored article of clothing
9. What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with? something expensive? lol i don't really have yarn envy
10. What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? beading, mosaics, reading... and being an MBA student
11. Besides yarn, do you collect anything? i collect funky beads that will eventually be made into jewelry. also frog stuff, and Vera Bradley bags (hehe)
12. What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to? the only thing i am completely allergic to are mangoes. i don't eat sweets anymore, so that would kinda be a waste. the only snack-y food i eat now are dry roasted peanuts and almonds.
13. Do you have any kiddos? (Furry kind count!) i have kitties!
14. What kind of project best personifies you and why? i'm not completely sure.. i'm very creative overall but nothing tied to specific projects. i'm still learning new stitches so i guess something that allows me to do that.
15. What is your favorite part of Autumn? You can also share a special Autumn memory if you'd prefer! watching the leaves fall! and the weather becoming cooler and knowing that it could snow in just a few months.
16. Tell us 3 things you would do if you won 10 million dollars in the lottery. buy a house in the Outer Banks, NC; month-long caribbean cruise; not work and sit at home knitting and beading all day (which includes buying supplies!

i've got stuff...!

I got my goodie box today from my ITEIV "angel" Cass! she sent me some awesome goodies... sock yarn, a knitting journal, herbal stuff (lotion, salt scrub, hand stuff), lip gloss, notes cards and mini dry erase boards! fun stuff!

Thank you Cass!! You were a great downstream partner (twice!) as well as a fantastic angel... Thanks!

I can't wait to see my bag now... =)

xoxo,
Becca

and in completely non-knitting news....

First Term Attended: Fall 2005
Last Term Attended: Spring 2007
Status: Active
Matric Term: Fall 2005
Residence: In-State Resident
Student Type: Continuing
Class: Graduate

I AM A RESIDENT(according to ecu)!!!!!!!!!

my tuition just went from $4,344 per semester for 2 classes to $1,308 per semester for 2 classes.

my heart is racing so fast cuz i just started dancing around my apartment!!!

twitterpated

yes, i just happen to like that word... it's also how i'm feeling right now. gah. the ITEIV swap isn't exactly going as planned since it's been over for a little over a week and i still don't have my bag. the one i made for Cass can't really compare to some of the others from the swap, but it was my first and turned out quite well, IMO. but meanwhile, i don't have one of my own yet :-(

i've been slacking on postings from Create-A-Connection too. i keep starring them in my reader, but never end up going back to them at home to post. yeppers... i suck!

things have been a little off recently in my personal life.
+ financial aid for this year took forever and a year to get resolved - yay for perseverance!
+ my textbooks arrived yesterday - miraculous since i ordered them on friday and expected to not even have them by start of term on the 22nd.
+ my health is deteriorating and i fear i may be pre-diabetic or at least hypoglycemic - not pretty things have been happening since tuesday at the gym.
+ work, however, is going good. my manager is quite complimentary the last week or so which is so nice (and unexpected from her reputation)!

woohoo!

My bag found it's new owner today! Cass posted a bunch of pics on her blog. Yay! I'm so glad she likes it!!

i'm done!

My ITEIV partner's bag is all packed into a boxful of goodies! Monday morning it's off to its new mama! I really hope she loves it and everything I'm sending to her...

This bag was so much fun to make and put together. I still haven't tried my hand at felting (that might be next!) or at sewing a lining into a bag (that scares me a little!), but one day I'll try both.

......................

front............................................................back

more swap goodness!

I received my swap from the International Knitter/Crocheter Yarns-n-Stuff Exchange last Friday. Barb was my upstream and she sent me a box full of goodies! I got 4 balls of Sugar n Cream yarn in various colors along with a knitting book on making dishcloths. Plus some gummy worms, chocolate covered raisins and peanuts. I had some major hunger last night and ate the food stuffs already ;) so no pictures of those!



Next we have my bag from ITEIV, which is finally off my needles and sewn up! Right now I am working on the strap and sewing on the hardware. I am so happy with how pretty this bag is and I know my downstream partner is going to just love it!!

I am using silver loops for the strap and an antique copper buckle/ hook to close the purse. There isn't much of an overlap on the purse flap, but that's what the pattern called for. I guess we'll just see how it turns out when I'm done.

Swaps and such... progress

As I just wrote on the ITEIV blog...

I've gotten so much work done being on vacation! I'm in Miami for a week visiting my family and have done so much on my bag. I am definitely going to have to buy more yarn to make myself a similar purse. I really hope my downstream loves this as much as I do!

And thanks to all for offering suggestions for lining. Once I finish, I'm going to try to find a similarly sized bag to use.

Lastly, here is an intentionally blurred progress picture...

And I mailed the scarf to Milly for the AMH Scarf Exchange earlier this week. I am so dang proud of how it turned out!

I really want to make myself one now.. LOL I learned a new stitch and it was super easy. I'm so pleased with myself! ;)

I also joined a new yarn swap and my downstream partner is Cass and now I get to try to find her some of the yarn she loves.. I've already started buying some stuff for her... now to just find that pesky yarn. ;)

I can't wait until 1 July so I can sign up for the stitch marker exchange! not that i really use them, but they're so darn adorable!

Home to me...

It's Dialogue Friday over on Create A Connection!

Just what is Home to me? I use the word a lot when referring to my apartment or where I grew up. My parents are obviously home to me, but I don't live there. My apartment is definitely home to me, but I'm still putting down roots. So where is this elusive home place anyhow?

I'm going "home" to Florida tomorrow for a week. It's in quotes since it isn't truly my home. My home is now North Carolina and will never be Florida again. My parents are still in Miami, brothers in Miami and Hollywood, best friend in Jacksonville, tons of wonderful friends in Gainesville. But yet, I will never live in FL again if I have my choice. I have continually moved north ever since college and finally left FL altogether last year. Now to just get my parents to finalize their move to GA or NC and I will never have obligations to go to South FL again!

"Home" is where my family is. Where my heart is. Where my dogs are. Where I grew up and lived. But on that note, the home I grew up in no longer exists. My parents sold that house about 5 years ago. Now all I have of the "home" from my childhood and teenage years are pictures and memories.

For a month every summer for 8 years, home was summer camp in the Blue Ridge mountains of GA. It became home for 10 weeks the summer I was 19 also.

For 3 years, it was my own house in Gainesville during college. Gainesville always felt like home to me during my college years and again when I moved back there. I have a connection there with all the Gators, with the town, the university, the football stadium. ;-)

I am a nomad and have lived in many different apartments in Miami, Orlando and Gainesville and never for more then a year at a time.


I am 30 and it is finally time to put down roots. Last July I moved to NC and it was one of the scariest, most exhilarating things I have ever done. I knew no one up here. I had 1 friend and he lived 2+ hours away and I never saw him again after I moved here. Home is now where I live and go to school. Where my expanding circle of friends now live. Where I have made great friends, and experienced heartaches. Home is my adorable apartment that I re-signed a lease on. For the 1st time in my life, I will be staying in an apartment for more than 1 year. Also scary, also exhilerating, also very exciting.

Home to me is anywhere that people I love are. That's the bottom line. When my parents move, that will also be "home" for me.

Green Box o'Goodies

Look at the lovely things I got from Katie via the CAC Color Swap!

She sent me fun fur yarn, a crochet needle, beads-lots-o-beads!, tea, chocolate! and twisty ties... oh how much fun I will have stringing up the beads and making a nice furry scarf with the yarn. The crochet hook might actually inspire me to learn to crochet!

Bloggity Blog Blog

Today is Getting to Know You day over at Create A Connection... and the topic is blogs. I think I know a thing or 2 about blogging. So here are my answers

When did you begin your first blog and what inspired you to do so?
I needed an outlet and I type considerably faster then I write. and my mind goes considerably faster then I type... so my journals tend to be a big mess of thoughts. But getting them all out and able to get advice and encouragement was a phenomenal experience and I was hooked! I started my 1st online journal on OpenDiary about 7 years ago.

Do you have more than one blog? Why? How are they different?
I certainly do! I have my main journal on Livejournal which is where I talk about anything and everything and in great detail. I also post lots of pictures and vacation recaps and all sorts of stuff. That one is seriously friends-locked, and I don't just let anyone view it. Very private thoughts and relationship discussions.. Yes, I kiss and tell...... sometimes ;)

Also on LJ is my craft journal: ribart_designs. Periodically I will post updates to my Web site, etc. I don't normally post pieces there. I also have a weight loss journal on LJ, but I tend to just update my main journal with that info and just filter it to a few people.

I started my Blogger blog to be able to participate in the swaps and exchanges on here. I decided to use it mostly for my knitting projects and info about the exchanges I participate in.

I also have the standard MySpace and Yahoo 360 blogs, but I hardly ever write in those.

How would you characterize your blog? Creative, Political, Informational, Community-oriented, Something else?
Mostly creative, but not just tangible creativity.. I enjoy writing and putting a spin on things. Also, telling stories about my dates, etc have been a big success with my readers that love following the budding romances I've had over the years. I'd say I have a following that is very much like a family to me.

To paraphrase Oprah, what is "one thing you know for sure" about blogging?
There are some amazing people out there in blog-land just begging to be discovered and are full of creativity and similar experiences. I also know that the more you write, the less likely people will read and comment. It can certainly take over many hours in your days if you let it. OK, so that was 2 things...

Is it important to you to get feedback in terms of comments or pings? Why or why not?
It really depends what I am writing.. on LJ, if I write about my dates and uncertainties, I truly value the feedback and hope my friends will comment and give advice and encouragement. Pings, well, I don't care how many people visit my blogs in a day or week. As long as I am getting comments from friends, then I am happy!

What 3 blogs would you recommend to our readers and why?
Photoflavor - This is one of the feeds I have in my Google Reader and love the pictures this guy posts. They are gorgeous and a wide variety of subjects. I have saved a fair number of them to my hard drive for a slideshow screensaver.

I don't consistently read any public blogs. Most of the ones I read are my friends on Livejournal and keeping up with their lives. The link is here, but finding public posts, that aren't community posts, are somewhat rare.

If any of you have an LJ, I would love to friend you! Just comment here with your username and I will find and add you on there.

Blue swap goodness

I had so much fun with this swap! Miss Amy is getting a boxful o'blue goodies! and the box is so damn pretty that I want to buy myself one. I will post the contents in a few days after she receives the box!

I bought a different patterned one for my ITEIV downstream pal to pack up her purse with some other goodies when I mail that out.

Exchanges

What better way to make new friends - and crafty one at that - then by joining some exchanges!

I joined the Color Exchange over at JustBe... Connected

I am working on a gorgeous bag for my downstream pal over at ITEIV.

and I am working on a scarf for Milly from the AtMyHouse Yahoo! group.

Exciting stuff!

Laptop Case

I created a laptop case for my Vaio. I needed something to keep it from being jostled so much in my messenger bag. I found a bunch of patterns online, but since I am terrible at reading patterns, I created my own. It is totally stockinette stitch and the flap was decreased a few stitches per row. I am very impressed with the way it turned out. I used Lion Brand Thick and Quick in Sky Blue, Pumpkin and Denim. The main body is Sky Blue, 3 rows in Pumpkin to pull the blues together, then the rest of the body and the flap in Denim. and the sides were sewn up with the Pumpkin. I even figured out buttonholes - holy shit, never again! - and sewed 3 buttons on to keep the flap shut. And just to add to the Gator-ness of it all, I put 2 Gator shaped buttons on there as well.




Nicky took the pictures during our drive to Harker's Island on Saturday. I haven't taken the actual FO pictures yet, but these are just amazing the way he took them. Considering he's barely 6 years old, you gotta agree! ;-)

Plus, the fact that it actually fits on Vaio and I only had to frog around the buttonholes... I should get major props LOL

oh my!

i dunno when i laughed this hard...

And another blog...

I most likely won't blog on here unless it becomes specifically for my crafts.

I have blogs on yahoo (daisygrl24), on myspace (msrib), and on livejournal (beekerzwhirled). LJ and MyS tend to be friends only posts.

Happy Friday y'all!