Catching up! Crochet, St P's prep and more

Wow, what a week!

I have/have had so much (maybe too much!) to do and I am so fortunate and grateful that I we had school only on Monday and Tuesday! I don't know how I could accomplish anything on my list if I had to sit in class all day every day!

I have been crocheting like a madwoman! I crocheted a cushion cover for my new atelier chair (ooooh, reveal to come soon!) and I am finally in the finishing stages of this sad pillow cover... 

Remember this one?

This sad pillow cover had the story of being started in January 2011 (OVER A YEAR AGO!) and forgotten till the summer...when I finished the squares and sewed them together. 

Now let me say, I have gotten a lot better at combining squares since the summer. I think this was my first project where I had ever had to and boy, it looks a mess from the back! 

Live and learn...

Anywho, this cushion finally has a back! And it gets better... It is finally done! Yaay!
Here is the voila part! :)

 Pattern can be found here.

 Hmm, what else have I been up to? 

Oh yes! 

I made lemon meringue bars (recipe here from good ol' Martha Stewart) for dinner on Tuesday.

Yes, I said dinner.

What I didn't realize though, is that it is an incredibly time consuming recipe because of the steps (which didn't take that much time) AND the cooling times (which took so much time!).

So I didn't eat till about 8 at night. Lol!

It was so worth it. And I was so pleased I was able to make such a good lemon meringue. 

If I had more people to help me eat it, I would consider making a proper pie one day!

Yesterday I finally went to a job interview. In fact, I was hired on the spot! It felt good, but boy, I am a bit nervous about it all!! I'll be working as an RN for the first time! I'll be working at a nursing home ward with 43 patients, 60% of them are apparently at some stage of bedridden. It is totally not my forte but live and learn, right?

I should take comfort in the theory that I know I know. And the fact that I will never be there alone. (One of the reasons I chose a quiet nursing home ward as my first RN position). Thank heaven for colleagues!

Oh and the added bonus of the nursing home is that it is all of a 5 minute walk from my apartment!! :) Sweet!

We are having a big St Patrick's Day party on Saturday so some time went to preparation of that yesterday. I made some really festive bunting by cutting out triangles (what a PITA, they are all different sizes, lol!) of thick cardboard/construction paper and then making a little fold. Then hubby helped me string yarn up to the ceiling and we hung the triangles by folding the top a bit, putting glue in the fold, placing them on the yarn and then using paper clips to secure them to the yarn until they dried.

It turned out so nicely!! 

I was thinking of making crochet bunting for the atelier shelf, but I think I might just pick up some nice paper and make one the same way. It was really cost-effective and easy and turned out so cute! 

I have also been so proud because I have finally started work again on my bachelor's thesis and progress is being made... I swear this thesis is such a monkey on my back, I'll be so happy to have it done by the fall.

I have also started getting so STRESSED about my pre-tasks for the art program I am applying for... But I finally just took some photos for one of the tasks in a semi-testing sense and ended up loving them!! I would love to share but I am so paranoid of someone stealing my ideas (which I know is unlikely, but still...). I will just have to release all my pre-tasks on the 4th of April when the are no longer accepting entries!! 

Well, dinner is in the oven and smelling divine (stuffed peppers and garlic bread, mmm!)!

Thanks for reading, see ya soon I'm sure! :)

 P.S. Here is the piece of cake we had left for our first anniversary. It was soooo good, lemon cake with strawberry filling. Oh yes! I had forgotten already about what I had made but this was delicious and I should definitely make it again!

Painting spree

Ah, sweet vacation... Honestly, I should be considering school work, but on the other hand, I couldn't care less! 

So I'll sit here on the couch typing one-handed because a cat I know is asleep in my lap with her head resting on my arm! I take any affection I can when it comes to her, she's usually so moody!

I have had a very unproductive day thus far, just finished the book I started last night. I don't read that often, but when I do I try to finish the book in one sitting almost. I love the nonsense of these chick lit novels, so scandalous! And I almost only read British authors because I love the language and slang! Lol!

My unproductivity is also due to the fact that I was so darn productive yesterday! 3 small paintings in one day, and despite my intention of leaving details to a minimum and focusing only on highlights and lowlights and colors, I ended up using the smallest brush for most of the time on each painting! I blasted my ipod and sang along loudly and enthusiastically, much to the neighbors pleasure, I imagine! Honestly, I have the most eclectic taste in music. Tori Amos was followed by Rebelution, by Maroon 5, by Otep, by Slightly Stoopid, by Tool, by Charles Aznavour... I love the diversity! 

It was even a sunny day so I was in such a good mood! :)

I loved finally setting up my "atelier" for the first time. It's been something I have been thinking about for a while, making the desk and corner of the bedroom a little studio space and creating storage for my craft supplies instead of having them here and there throughout the house. Slowly but surely, I have been arranging and organizing, and yesterday was the first time I used the space as I have been wanting to. It's not a complete atelier yet, I still need to do some more cleaning and arranging and I have a fantasy of crocheted bunting across the shelf, but I am on my way!

(While it's annoying, I love when I make mistakes in paintings because it means I probably won't make them again. I see a huge problem in this photo here, but hey, artists interpretations and whatnot...)

Actually, I have been playing with the idea of churning out more paintings and by the end of the year opening an etsy store. I would call it "Anneli's Atelier". I have also been toying with the idea of starting a new blog with the same name to make a cohesive "brand" of sorts. Also because I am rather regretting my choice of "a sorta fairytale" as a blog name. No matter how you google it, my blog is lost in the internet among other blogs of the same name, as well as all things pertaining to the song originating the name. I started this blog as just an outlet for what I do best: crochet, bake, paint, take flower pictures. I didn't think I cared if anyone ever read it, and honestly, I still haven't told many people about it because I like having it semi-private. However, I am beginning to have a change of heart, I think this blog was good practice but mainly just that perhaps. I'm thinking once I have finished my atelier, I might finish this blog and start the new one. Hopefully, it will be the blog of an art student! Lord knows I have been practicing drawing for the pre-tasks! 

 (My favorite of the day, the colors are a lot brighter in person. The last painting was finished as the sun was going down --> no pictures, maybe another time!)

Until then though, this is my outlet for my creative tendencies... and I am so very grateful! :)

 Thanks for reading, my next post will be about rainbows and sparkles, wait till you see! :)

Weekends have a habit of ending too soon

The weekend went by far too fast and I was occupied by far too much cleaning and scrubbing for my liking. However, I did get to have plenty of yummy treats. Saturday was Runeberg day (he was a Finnish poet) and on Runeberg day we get to eat delicious Runeberg pastries. Almondy, rummy cake with a dab of raspberry jam on the top with a circle of sugar frosting. Simple and tasty. Here is mine with tea (remembering is making me drool...)

And to ease the pain of only getting one delicious (tiny) cake on Saturday, we made a whole (Jell-O) Oreo pudding pie on Sunday, complete with homemade Domino cookie crumb crust (Domino cookies = Finnish Oreo equivalent). 

Sugar is my weakness. Especially if it's mixed with butter, flour and other tasty goods ending in a cake/pastry/cookie etc etc etc. By the way, isn't that rose mug gorgeous, it's my absolute favorite here at the parent's house. Inspiration to one day conquer watercolors, which I have always secretly feared. 

Another good bit of news, I got my phone case done -- FINALLY! (It only sat there for a week waiting to be sewn and buttoned). Et voila! (It is far more turquoise than the picture would have you believe! ...and sorry for the blurry picture)

(My phone is peeking out, saying hi.) 

The weather was phenomenal on Saturday and sadly wasted spent by making a bus trip to the grocery store but I managed to get some photo time, because as everyone knows, pictures turn out the best in the natural light. So, here are some things that make me happy when the sun shines in through the windows.

How my mother keeps orchids alive and blooming annually is beyond me. I am just happy I am here to enjoy it for her. 

So so so so beautiful!

While I know these are boring indoor plants, they remind me of a childhood in Florida and they are just so cheery and bright light green.

And how could such gorgeous cushions not put you in a good mood? I think the crocheted lace may have been by my grandmother? I'll have to ask my mom. And the one behind it was a find from her trip to the grandkids last year.

So that is it for today, one day late. But better late than never? And if you were wondering from my last post, no I didn't finish the acorn. Grr, why is the last round and assembly bit so hard to get around to doing?

Thanks for reading! Hope you have  a nice week!

P.S. I got my wedding dress delivered today!!! Super excited! It was a surreal experience to put it on, especially when I added the veil to the ensemble. It needs to be hemmed, but all in all, not bad for ordering online. It was a leap of faith and I am glad I took it! ...Now, just need to get the shoes and some accessories (yay!)! I tested to see if the hubby to be can find this blog, he can't (which makes me wonder how you could)...which means if I can get a friend to come over, I will most def post some pictures! So super happy!