I am effing amazing.

Bahhhh!!!!! Hello lovers!!!

It's been awhile since a blog but really, check out the Chicagoland area weather... AMAZING! I've been running and walking and playing with Charlie and doing laundry and hanging clothes on my clothes line. Sewing things, making money, jamming tunes and most importantly, hula-hooping.

I have learned that one hour hula-hooping is the equivalent of running for one hour. I am a lover of the running, but only in short spurts when I feel the surge of energy and power to do so. Hula-hooping on the other hand..... I mean come on! Need I say more? Hula-hooping? I used to be quite the champion at it actually. In sixth grade we took a family vacation to Disney World. After hours on our resort they would have Caribbean themed parties. At one of these parties there was a hula-hooping contest and I won! I could hula-hoop like a mad girl! There was once a time when I could hula-hoop until someone told me to stop. I am going to become that girl again. (I also won the limbo contest that year. I credit a lot of these accomplishments to my dancing back round).

Anyway, I am happy. And I am awesome.

Why is it easier to affirm “something’s wrong” than to say “everything’s great?”

Isn’t it strange for us to say, “I’m lazy. I’m fat. I’m no good,” thereby creating our life experience to be one that is late, tired, and worthless. Leave it to our egos to keep us in that small game and hold us back. If you haven’t started yet, I invite you take on affirmations that brighten your day. Create a bigger life for yourself simple by saying things like, “I am tireless, perfect being. I have access to everything and I am complete.”

Check out Jessica’s Daily Affirmation. She’s got it all figured out.

Go shout everything you love about you.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I am whole. I am stoked. I love this day. I love my major. I love my brothers. I love my dog. I love my ferret. I love my city. I love my state. I love my business. I love my iPod. I love my wavy hair. I love my funky natural part line. I love that this is what my life looks like. I love you!

Jessica

Quick Update

I finished my lunch bag in one night! I hope to get the other one done for my Etsy shop in a night this week.

The buyer of the blanket picked it up today and loved it as much as I did!

I posted new pictures of the blanket, fabric, etc, (not the lunch bag) on my facebook page www.facebook.com/stitchesandspools and on my flickr page www.flickr.com/stitchesandspools

So, it was definitely a productive day and I always feel nice after a productive day. I am so very tired though.

I babysat all day yesterday (which was SO much fun!!) and the day before that and the day before that and the day before that.... you get it :) I am not complaining because I love it.

I start my French summer class tomorrow... I'm burnt out. So I hope you all have a wonderful night!!! Nitey!

Love, Jessica of Stitches and Spools

My Quick Goodnite

Helloooo world!

I went to the fabric store today and brought grandma with. That was fun. I always enjoy spending time with grams. :) She also made me some pasta to bring home for dinner which was wonderful!

Before going to the fabric store I brought Charlie (my pup pup) to see our friends playing baseball. They usually get together at a field once a week just for fun. Oh my gosh, did Charlie have a blast! It was so cute watching him chase after the balls. And oh my gosh (again) he runs like a gazelle!!! He's sooooo fast! All my friends love Charlie too, so everyone was happy about our arrival.

I came home to start making a toy bag (I know, I know, I am supposed to be making the ring bearer pillow.... whoops! Tomorrow and Sunday for sure!) and I was almost done with it, I was at the final step when I realized I bought single fold bias tape instead of double fold. Errrrrrg that was aggravating!!! I'm so excited to make my lunch bags, too!! And, can't wait to post pictures for my bloggy blog.

I redesigned my blog, by the way. I mentioned how pictures and videos weren't coming up correctly. Since I redesigned my Etsy shop, twitter, etc, I decided I might as well make my blog match my monster theme. After all my work, the pictures still don't come up right. That is okay though! I really like the new design!

I am so tired I am about to collaspe. My busy summer is surely catching up to me. Tomorrow I have to watch three chillens again all day too. But I will be getting my tattoo on Monday and still have some cash to spare! Awesome.

Anyway, quick entry, so tired........ more tomorrow................ Hawks game on Sunday.......... can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Goodnight blogger family. Goodnight moon.

Love, Jessica of Stitches and Spools

PS: I would like to eventually rename my business. My dad's original suggestion was to make my name something that people could understand what my business entails, right away. It is a good idea but I feel like it's not quirky enough for me. I have a couple names in mind...... I will post a blog about that at a later date. Sleep well!

T-Ball and World Peace

Today was, so much fun!

Such a joy especially since I was so discouraged the other day. I am SO BUSY with sewing. Today I was like, how in the heck was I not confident in the business?? I'm worrying about getting things done in time! I am grateful that my life is full.

Today I took Kate to her T-Ball game and oh my gosh.... CUTEST THING EVER!!! I loved it, I was definitely the "mom cheerleader" in the stands. Her first at bat was a homerun, and it didn't even make it to the pitcher! :) So fun! A girl ran in during an inning because she had to go potty. Kate started crying and there was a time out because she got sand in her eye. And, Kate's batting stance.... hilarious!!!! I wish I knew the words to describe it! It was so cute!! Kate was running home from third (her dugout being on the first base side) and instead of running to tag home plate she just ran straight to her dugout from third base. I could go on, but I think my point is clear. It was adorable. I wish I could make it to all of her games!

I finished the baby blanket today (the Sox patch FINALLY came in!). I have to say, it is one of my proudest works. I love it! I can't wait to someday make one for my baby! And then to take that same baby to T-Ball! Anyway, really cute. I am really proud of myself and I feel great!

I'm going shopping tomorrow to get fabric for curtains to be made, and I have a ring bearer pillow I have to get done ASAP! I will probably do that before I get started on the curtains actually.

After looking at and following other blogs, I realize how boring mine may be. Everyone has fantastic pictures to display with each post. I tried posting a picture but I don't think my page is aligned correctly? The picture was big and instead of shrinking it, my blog decided to show about 1/4th of the picture. I will figure it out, promise!!!

I start summer school and my photography project on MONDAY as well as a regular workout session before/after class, depending on the day.

I hope you all had a wonderful day like I did!!! (I think the sun definitely played a part as well). And a wonderful FRIDAY tomorrow!!!

Love, Jessica of Stitches and Spools

PS: This video really spoke to me. If I could wish on a star tonight, I would wish that everyone in the world to see this video and get MOTIVATED!!! I do think the world can be changed. I do believe world peace can happen. It starts with you and me and your neighbor and your wife and your sister and your son. If I know two people who do not get along, world peace will not happen. Think about THAT next time you want to dislike someone. No one wants to be the reason world peace is not happening!

negative thinking only leads you down a one way road.

I have come to the part of starting my own business that I knew would come and I would dread. I am losing my confidence. So much work goes into this and when I don't get the outcomes I expected, I am getting very discouraged. It's not good, it's not healthy and I know I shouldn't be thinking like this. I am a perfectionist and expect a lot from myself. I put a lot of responsibility on myself and I need to lessen the burden. Instead of focusing on my own expectations, I need to focus on reality only, leaving expections COMPLETELY out of the picture. If I do that, I've come a long way! Maybe I haven't sold much in my Etsy shop, but I have gotten A LOT of custom orders from it. My name has been spread around. I've come to make friends on Etsy, find old friends on Etsy and learned a lot of important information along the way. And, lets face it, I only have two different things offered in my Etsy shop BECAUSE I am so busy with custom orders. I do not have enough time to make odds and ends things to feature.

I think I just had a bad day in general. And I KNOW I didn't get a good night sleep! Whew! I am tired and I still have to watch three kids today. (But, God do I love them!) So I am exhausted and I'm ready to watch the Hawks game tonight!

I finally brought my jump drive home from school and put all my files onto it so I finally feel organized.

Positive thinking!! I am amazed at the wonders it does.

Love, Jessica of Stitches and Spools

Excitement and Themes

Hello blogger family,

I was studying for my very last final tomorrow when my cat decided to get comfortable upon my books and notebooks. (I took it as a good excuse to start dinner and take a little break).

So I am really bummed about my senior year coming up. It's definitely a bitter sweet feeling. At the beginning of summer I was like "YESSSS!! ONLY ONE MORE YEAR!!!" But now, it's hitting me that I am almost done with college. :( I will hopefully move onto graduate school and yada yada yada but my last year of undergraduate school is coming up on me! I really feel sad when thinking back and reminiscing on the years past. I had many fun times while all the while all I did was complain and not want to be where I was. Granted, I did have some awful roommates along the way but I am lucky and glad that I remember the good times over the bad. My last year is upon me. This year I did WAYYYYY less partying than I've ever done in college and now my last year is here and hopefully I'll fit some fun parties in with my studies. What do I do to capture the moments? To really remember and love my last year of partying and studying fun? I'm going to start a photography journal.

My College Senior Year 2010-2011. 365 pictures to encompass all that college life is to me. I didn't need four years to capture it, hopefully this one year will do. I will not be in every 365 photos, but I will be in a lot of them. I'm sure Charlie my pup pup will make an appearance as well as my boyfriend and my sewing projects and a few parties and camping... It will be a nice touch. Hopefully the album will end with my graduation!!

Then there was a debate as to when to start it of course. At the first day of school in the fall? No no no... that means the 365 days will include the summer after I graduate which let's face it, won't be too exciting. On Monday I start a summer school course that will count for my senior year. So I will start my 365 college days pictures on Monday. The course is French and hopefully you'll be able to tell in the pictures. I will probably only post the pictures in a flickr album I'll create and maybe a select one or five in my blog only. A couple might make their appearance on my facebook but not in a photojournaling sense. I welcome you all to join the journey with me starting Monday with my French course :)

Maybe if this project is successful, next summer I will do my 100 strangers photo journal I've been dying to do. I'll keep you updated!

As far as my sewing goes, I completed the dog hoodie and am about to start the baby blanket. I got an order for a purse that I will be starting and I still have some curtains to make. I really hope I can get to the small projects I want to feature in my Etsy shop.

Speaking for my Etsy shop, I gave my business a whole new theme, MONSTERS! Check it out, it's cute and much more fun (and "me") than my whole birdy theme. (Not that I don't LOVE birds, it just was very vintage-like and classic.) Monsters are just fun. I think it suits my products better which is why I made the switch. I'm not selling elegant dresses and coats and purses, etc, etc. I make fun things, purses, bandanas, etc etc. So I think it fits well. I would LOVE if you checked out it. (Really, it would make my day!)

I am going to get back to my vegan cheese, wine and spaghetti I have brewing! I wish you all a wonderful night! Thanks for sharing my excitement with me!

Love, Jessica of Stitches and Spools

Did I tell you I was exhausted enough??

Hello world,
Whew. It has been one of those days. I didn't sleep late enough (I never do with my Charlie pup pup!) and have been running running running ALL DAY! I made an appointment for my tattoo and I am excited about that, but after this day... I am exhausted.
I mended my LITTLE brother's California King size mattress cover (I've never slept on anything larger than a full). And I'm pretty sure he either sleeps with chainsaws or machetes. That thing was torn to SHREDS. The cute little bugger wanted to give me the business though instead of buying a new one... what a sweet. He somehow lost the part of the zipper that zips and I had to find the longest zippers of my life.
Tomorrow I am supposed to run to the fabric store to help pick out material for drapes that I will be making for my grandma. Although after today I would love nothing more than to lay in bed watching South Park reruns all day.
A lot of business is coming my way though and I'm excited. Two custom dog hoodies sold, custom baby blanket sold then I got the California King mattress pad done and I got a drape job to do. Andddd I'm still trying to fit in time to work on things to put in my Etsy shop!! I am very fortunate to be this busy with business though. Before all these orders came in I was trying to get a job back at Starbucks which was such a great job when I had it. It's nice that I don't have time to apply for jobs because I'm busy with the job I love doing most... SEWING!
I still promise pictures of the cute fabrics I have lined up and hopefully I'll snap some photos of the dog hoodies and baby blanket.
I am ready to lay in bed, cuddle with my pup pup and watch the Pixar shorts over a bowl of popcorn. I need to relax. :)
I hope you all day a wonderful day and I wish you a greater tomorrow.
Love, Jessica of Stitches and Spools

I lied. Sorry.

Sorry loves,
I do not have the pictures ready for posting. I realized I left my camera at my apartment and I'm at my parents house for the weekend. I have four new fabrics I can't wait to take pictures of and show you all! They are the cutest and I'm so excited to make things with them! I bought a retro zoo fabric that I'm making a toy bag with for a kid's playroom or room. I bought a pink fabric with French words that I am making (for myself) a clothespin apron with (this way I don't have to bring a big ole bucket out when I hang my clothes to dry). Happy Vegetable fabric I am making a lunch bag with. Andd cute yellow lion fabric I am making a small diaper bag with.
Before I make any of those though, this week I am making another doggie hoodie and then a baby blanket. I will be sure to take pictures along the way.
I have a wedding to attend to today and I must go out and buy some leggings. It is an outdoor wedding and I'm always cold!
LOVE! Jessica of Stitches and Spools