Thrift Store Score!

A friend of my sister's (also my friend, but I know her through my sister) has an awesome ice cream maker. It doesn't need salt or electricity, you just need to freeze the inner chamber for at least seven hours before making said ice cream. After mixing the ingredients, about three turns of the handle every two to three minutes for about 20 minutes gives you a yummy soft serve, with some time in the freezer giving you a more typical hard-pack ice cream. After trying it out, my sister and I both agreed that we wanted, very badly, to own this ice cream maker.

While she was out at a thrift store, our friend spotted one of them for only six dollars. Six dollars! We were thrilled, and immediately said yes when she asked if she should pick it up for us. My sister has already tried making some mint chocolate chip frozen yogurt, and we are looking forward to many more delicious frozen treats to eat during this scorcher of a summer.

Summer Studio : : Two

So, this week's summer studio is a day late, but I've been crazy-busy getting ready to sing at a coffee house at my church and getting sick at the same time (not cool!). However, I did have some hardcore studio time on Thursday, and these are the results:



(Sorry for the lack of smile. It was late...)

I made a dress! The Mendocino Sundress, specifically. You can find the free download for the pattern here. I sent the pattern to FedEx-Kinkos to be printed, and they did a perfect job! The fabric is a linen-look cotton that was 60% off at JoAnn Fabrics. A free day and the music of "Glee" on my netbook kept me sewing for about five or six hours. I finished it just in time for dinner on the beach with my sister and some friends. The best part? It is super-comfortable! I could definitely see myself making another one of these. And did I mention, it has pockets?! I LOVE pockets on dresses - perfect for collecting shells while walking across the shoreline :).

Summer Studio : : One

Heather mentioned starting some summer studio posts. I love the idea, as it will keep me updating the blog at least once a week, and will motivate me to have some "studio time!"











I don't really have a "studio," so the location tends to change week to week and even day to day. This week, It was in my basement. I shared the space with my sister's artwork, and a massive supply of old VHS tapes, board games, old school projects, and art supplies - it's currently the messiest room in the house, which will (hopefully) be remedied soon.

This week, I was working on a book for school. We had to write and illustrate a children's "big book" that would help teach early literacy skills. My book was called "Darla Daring's New Dress" - you can see Darla with her bicycle and helmet up there. I had so much fun creating Darla's character; it has been a long time since I've just drawn a character or picture from my mind, because for years I was upset that I couldn't make things look "realistic". I realized this week that the way I draw can still be awesome (to me) even if Darla doesn't look like she will come right out of the page and talk to you! It was a big step for me, and now I'm organizing my colored pencils and getting ready to draw some more.

Hello again!

Well, hello there! I know, I know, its been a while since my last post.

One of my goals for 2010 is to read 40 books. I keep a reading log where I write the book title and author, the day I started the book, the day I finished it, and a brief reaction to the book. So far, I've read 11 books! Granted, I won't be able to keep up this pace when I start school next week, but it is a great start. So, anyone else out there keep a reading log? What do you write in yours?