Valentines

My Valentine's Day this year was spent in my apartment working on an assignment that is due later today. 9 hours straight staring at the computer screen (and listening/glancing at the Olympics coverage!) makes for a long day. Fortunately my awesome and crafty friend Heather had sent me a fantastic Valentine's Day card with some wise words of advice:



Besides that school is SO busy I don't have time for ANY crafting besides what I make out of paper, plastic, and PVC for my assignments!!



PS I am paying close attention to my fellow Parkites in the Olympics. GO JULIA MANCUSO, TED LIGETY, SPEEDY PETERSON, AND STEVE HOLCOMB. AND GREAT JOB NATE ROBERTS!!

A long Time

Since I posted last almost two months ago things around here have been SUPER busy. First of all I had my last day of work, then headed off visit my grandparents and uncle, and cousin in Sacramento, then I moved to a gorgeous HUGE new apartment (WITHOUT a moving truck and only a little zip car, well and a few large guys to help), took another trip, this time with a few friends, up to the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Colorado, and finally, I started Architecture School!! Im now in week 5 as an architecture student and I'm exhausted!! I can't tell if I "like" it yet, mainly because my brain is going to be adjusting to the college life and architecture in general for awhile. I've spent several 10+ hour days in the studio, but its a good feeling to be busy and to be doing something that few have done before me, and even fewer have done well. Here are some pics of things I've seen and done in the past few weeks. Enjoy!!!

Love, Jenny
Sacramento, CA
Chicago, IL on the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour (amazing a must do in Chi)
Odessa Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
New Baby quilt in the work for a dear friend and baby Helen!!

So this is architecture school

I'm off work today because I have an admitted student event at University Illinois - Chicago (UIC). I'm very excited to see what the deal is, since I pretty much have no idea. Today we are going to be at the school, with tours and talks and meeting people (eeek I always get nervous for that!), then tomorrow we are getting taken to several alumni architecture firms (SOM, UrbanLab, etc). This is IT!!! I am hoping this will help me make my decision between UIC and IIT soon, because I want the decision to be over!!!

FQ Swaps

I found two fat quarter swaps to join, sewmamasew and Stitches and Scissors, and managed to convince my crafty partner in crime to join in as well. I have 5 people that I am paired up with and Heather and I worked on our packages yesterday during a snowy windy day. Here is what we came up with: our chosen fat quarters, a chocolate lolly from a Wilton kit we impulsively purchased from Joanns (haha), some ribbon, and a homemade card. These are cutouts I have used before for cards and I also made a larger one to frame for my apartment. There is a second half that can be used along with the left side which includes the Hancock Center and other buildings on the northern side of the Chicago River. We used some Amy Butler paper and some other paper from a sweets paper collection. I think they look really incredible if I do say so myself...I hope my partners really love their packages. I can't wait to get mine in the mail (who doesn't like getting mail?).

On Friday night we celebrated Heather's boyfriend Nate's birthday, the big 26. She made a fantastic dinner per usual, and as a really special treat she made two cakes. A cheesecake for Nate, and a Frank Lloyd Wright stained glass frosted chocolate cake for me. See, FLW (as we affectionately refer to him) was my first introduction to the study of architecture, the idea that someone could create buildings that would be considered art. My friends here in Chicago have taken a few trips to various FLW attractions in and around Chicago, from Oak Park to Taliesin. Hence, the conception of my FLW cake. Here is the pic from Friday, it made me sad to eat, and I tried to forbid anyone from touching it, unfortunately that wasn't a popular order. So it was cut into and it was an amazing cake. I can't thank Heather enough, and all my great friends here in the windy city, really I am so lucky to have such supportive friends, and it makes me feel so loved that they want me to stay here for architecture school!! Cakes are definitely a good bribe.

LA and More!

First of all, I just found out I got into the Master of Arch program at UIC in Chicago!!! I am SO excited. I really wanted to stay here in Chicago, and the program at UIC is fantastic, and I can even stay in my same neighborhood!! The only downside is less time for crafting...haha. I will find time no matter what!!

On to the point of this post, my amazing trip to LA. I took the quilt I had been working on as a housewarming present for my best friend from Utah, Jennifer, her wonderful boyfriend Robbie, and their dog Roman.

They loved it. And so of course did Roman!! The next day Jen and I visited her friend Ashley at her office/showroom. Ashley is the designer and owner of the Myne-LA fashion label, and her designs have been seen on everyone from Rachel Bilson to Vanessa Hudgeons, to Selena Gomez and she is even featured in Elle this March! Her clothes are exactly my style, simple, beautiful, modern yet also with a vintage flair, and easy enough to wear anywhere for a hot look. Definitely check her out!!

The next day was Valentines Day (blech!) but it was the perfect day to be outside. Jen had to work so I walked up a few blocks to Runyon Canyon for a hike. I admit I was so busy looking for famous people the whole time that I barely noticed how steep the hike was, but believe me I am feeling it in my legs even today!! I guess thats what happens when you live in the FLAT midwest!! The skies over LA were crystal clear and the temp perfect for a brisk hike. I came back and laid out on their grassy lawn and enjoyed as much of the sun as I could before heading back to Chicago. That night I met up with a great friend from Colgate, a superstar on the Bakersfield Condors, and his equally stellar teammate. They were the best Valentine's dates ever. We went to dinner at my favorite place, barneys beanery, then hit up a club, a must to complete a fantastic night. I danced circles around those boys, but they are definitely better on skates!! (thats no question as I am a disaster on ice).

The next morning Jen and I headed to the Long Beach Flea Market where I picked up some fantastic finds:
Several embroidery patterns (Aunt Martha!), some Scandinavian style trim (Heather is going to LOVE this!), and a Coats&Clark book, "100 Embroidery Stitches". Can you tell what my next project is going to be?? I also got a beautiful resin aspen leaf pendant. That night we made a wonderful burrito dinner, and I made a Brownie pudding, courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa. One word: wow. It was the most amazing dessert EVER.

My last day was Monday and before I hopped on the plane I took a second trip to Mood Fabrics. Uh. Bad. Idea. Really. I have a hard time with clothing patterns, that whole following written directions thing is lost on me. I need pics. Please. but I came away with the absolutely most beautiful silks I've ever seen...I'm enlisting my mom to help me make a dress and two skirts. (do you see the ant fabric in pumpkin!?)
Then it was back on the plane after a sad goodbye to my Los Angeles family. I really had the most fantastic weekend. I can't thank Jen and Robbie enough for putting me up. I will hopefully be back there soon, this time for the Rose Bowl Flea Market, and maybe a hockey game???

Resurrgence of the blog

Hello, I don't know that anyone will ever read these posts. But I have been inspired by so many things recently that I need to share them. And since my friends, family, coworkers, random people I force into chatting with me, can only tolerate so much I thought I would try the blogosphere.

I haven't been making my jewelery for about 3 months now. I'm not sure why, I have a tendency to lose interest in my projects pretty quickly. I sold a total of two items to people I didn't know so I guess I got frustrated and gave up. But not to worry, because I have been crafty nevertheless.

First I was working on my architecture school applications. I LOVED putting together the portfolio!! I am obsessed with blurb and lulu and ended up making a book for my brother for Christmas. I now have dreams of making picture books for everyone in my life. In addition, I found out that my good friends, Simon and Lisa, were going to have their first baby in March. A girl!! So that gave me the perfect excuse to buy some of the awesome fabric Id been scoping on etsy and make a quilt.

Well that opened a HUGE can of worms. I finished the top and sent it along with the beautiful backing home to SLC with my mom to get quilted. I haven't jumped into machine quilting yet, mainly because my sewing machine might not make it through. And i might go crazy, so I sent it to the Quilting Bees, and they did a phenomenal job. I finished it up when I was home for Christmas and sent it off about a week ago. I got a message from Lisa and they loved it!! I can't wait for the little one to come and snuggle up in it. I always dream that my quilts will become their beloved comfort blanket forever.



During my week in Utah my mom and I went to the most amazing quilt store, Quilts, Etc. It is so huge and overwhelming if you don't have a project in mind. But Madre of course managed to find a project, and somehow it got passed along to me!!

So the first weekend I was home, I felt the itch in my pedal foot and sewed the whole top. I am a little nuts. So that got shipped off to mom for quilting, but she hasn't made the hand off yet to QB.



Since then, I've obsessively been stalking etsy for more fabric and bought ALOT to make goodness knows what. Laptop covers? but how many laptop covers does one girl, with one laptop need!?! Ive volunteered to make everyone I know one, but no one really leapt to the offer. Oh well, I'm just going to put together some more quilts. Namely a modern solid colored one for my BFFAEAE Jennifer and another one for my other BFF Jackie and her bun in the oven (a boy!!). I'm going to post things here to ponder, and also to see various images i find in a different light. I am always finding beautiful works of art in nature and in life so I will share them with anyone who reads this!!