thank you, may

for bringing me pretty flowers

Idaho in May

Jeff and I made it to Idaho 3 different times this month. I absolutely LOVE Idaho in May! Here are some favorite people, places, and sounds from our visits.

Brian getting ready to head out to Brazil

the Capitol in Boise

my dad playing the piano



the wonderful sound of frogs in the evening

may day studio

I meant to post about this sooner, but May has been quite the crazy month! My crafty friend Kristen has opened her own Etsy shop, may day studio! Her designs are beautiful and you can tell that each item is crafted with skill and care. I especially love her flower hair clips (as pictured above). You can also visit her studio blog here. Way to go, Kristen!

kittens

Jeff's family has 2 cats that just had kittens - They are SO cute! Let me know if you're in the market for a cat - I know where to find about 9 of them. :)

she's crafty!

We did it! Angela, Megan, Shalayne, and Tenille came over on Wednesday and we held our first She's Crafty night (Angela suggested the name)! Although Megan and I were the only ones who made pillows, a good time was had by all. Megan made the bright floral pillow and I made the little gray one.

For those who didn't make it, I am going to see if I can find some easy directions online to post so you can make a cute pillow cover yourself. And stay tuned - Tenille volunteered to teach machine quilting next month - yeah!

craft night :: pillow talk

Okay - I think we have a plan! Here are the details for our first craft night (still debating on the name):

What: Pillow Talk - How to Make a Simple Pillow Cover
When: Wednesday, May 14 @ 7:00
Where: My Apartment (let me know if you need directions)

What you need to bring:

1 square pillow form or pillow to cover (18" or smaller)
1/2 yard of fabric
thread to match your fabric
embelishments, i.e. flowers, ribbon, buttons, etc. (optional)
fabric scissors (if you have them)

Where to Buy:

Pillow forms/pillows: Joann's, Hancock, or Ikea
Fabric: Joann's, Hancock, or WalMart. You can also try a specialty quilting shops - The Cotton Shop in Provo, Corn Barrel Crafts in Springville, and The Stitching Corner in Orem.
Thread: Joann's, Hancock, WalMart, or quilt shops
Embellishments: Any craft or quilting shop

Other Information:

• THESE ARE EASY! You can make one, even if you don't sew!
• You can get a basic idea of how we'll be making the covers here.
• The smaller the pillow, the less fabric you will need. 1/2 yard is for an 18" pillow. I can help you figure out ratios if you are concerned about buying too much fabric.
• Look online for embelishment ideas - Martha has some fun ideas here.
• Please let me know if you are willing to bring your sewing machine for others to use.
• Let me know if you have questions.

RSVP

Please either leave a comment on this post or send me an e-mail to let me know you're planning to attend.

I'm excited! Are you?

image from anthropologie.com

drumroll please

Thank you all for the comments! The winner of the little May pacakage is...

No, just kidding (even though Jeff actually DID make a comment). The real winner is...

Congratulations, Elsha! Be sure to e-mail me your address so I can send these little goodies on their way (karlaehlers [at] yahoo [dot] com).

As for those of you who didn't win, don't fret! I'm planning to giveaway some more little joys in the future, so stay tuned. Thanks, again, for all your kind comments. :)

may, birthday, and giveaway!

May 1st! A great day for many reasons:

*I love May! It is one of my favorite months of the year! I love the flowers, the birds, the trees...so many things to enjoy in May.

*My blog has turned one year old! In celebration I'm doing...

*a giveaway! The day you've been waiting for! Here are the handmade goods up for grabs:

One of my handy, little wallets. Perfect for drivers liscence, business cards, etc.

Flower notecards with sky blue envelopes -reminiscent of the flowers popping up everywhere.

A little hand-bound journal made with my lovely Amy Butler paper. Great to stick in your purse for jotting down quick notes and ideas.

I'll also throw in a print of this pretty, pink flower. :)

How do I win these little goodies, you ask? Just leave a comment on this post before 10:00pm on Monday, May 5. I will randomly select a winner and announce it soon thereafter. You don't need a blog to comment - just make sure include your name so I have an identifier. Thank you for reading and leaving your comments - they really are some of my little joys. :)

my, my, my...

April has come, April has almost gone, and I have yet to post about Craft Night! I promise I haven't forgotten - can you forgive me for moving it back to May? I was thinking either the 13th, 14th, or 15th in the evening. As for a project, I was thinking it might be fun to make simple pillow covers. I even saw some small pillows at Ikea for a mere $1.49 - at that price, why not buy a few?! What do you think? Any other ideas?

Jeff the Master :: Part II

It's official: Jeff has graduated! It was so much fun to spend time enjoying this accomplishment after all the hard work he has put in. We found out that Jeff graduated Cum Laude AND he was in the top 10 of his program - no small feat! He was also very excited to meet Elder David A. Bednar, who was the commencement speaker (Jeff wrote about it here). We also were happy to have family and friends here to celebrate with. :)

Jeff the Master

Hooray for Jeff! He is graduating this week with his Master of Accountancy Degree! I am so proud of him - he has worked long and hard to be graduating from the No. 2 ranked accounting program in the US. I can't decide if I'm happier about the degree or the fact that he is letting me take so many pictures of him. :)

dandies

looks like spring

budding

* so happy about all the comments on craft night (details to come)
* so happy to be finishing projects
* so happy I went to Idaho last weekend
* so happy my brother is going on a mission (he's going here)
* so happy to have the Gospel
* so happy I married Jeff
* so happy Spring is here

craft night - who wants in?

I really, really love to create: paper crafts, bags, clothing, jewelry. There is something wonderful about creating beautiful things from plain materials that brings me immense satifaction. I've been this way for as long as I can remember. This blog has been a fun place for me to share some of these projects. I LOVE your comments and appreciate your encouraging words, so thank you, thank you, thank you!

However, sharing ideas over the internet isn't always enough. Sometimes I just want to share the creativity in person, whether that be teaching or learning. And I know some of you feel the same way becuase you have told me. Therefore, I would like to propose (drumroll please)...

Ladies Craft Night!

Okay, I'm not crazy about the name, but it gives you the idea. Basically, this would be a group of us who take turns hosting a creative/craft activity where we can share project ideas / teach a skill: jewelry making, origami, underwater basket weaving, whatever! I was thinking we could do an activity once a month and rotate hosts/teachers. Anyone is invited, even those who don't think they are "crafty" or think they have a skill to share. :) You all have something to contribute! Everyone will pay for their own materials, so the teacher doesn't need to feel burdened financially. That's the basic rundown - I got the idea from here quite some time ago.

What do you think? Please comment and let me know! I am happy to host the first activity in April, but let me know what suggestions you have: what days/times work for you? what projects are you interested in? do you have a better idea for the name in mind?

Okay now, get commenting!