I LOVE my new E-reader!

 So, I got a Kindle for my birthday this year from my parents and I am in

 L-O-V-E!

 (I need to preface this posting by saying that I am not a "techie". I do not have a Smart Phone or one of those new "Pad" things but what I do have is a Kindle. )

It is the Coolest thing I have and I love it! Anyway, today I was looking at my Kindle and thinking about how I should be taking better care of it seeing that I AM in Love with it and all.

Before you know it I am off to my sewing room to make a Kindle cover. I pick out some of my most favorite fabric that I use to make aprons out of and a few embelishments I think I might use. I even manage to print out an "e-how" on how to make a Kindle cover.  So with Items in hand I set out to accomplish my task.

Next, I read the "E-How" and then I decide I can do better than this one....

 I toss it in the trashcan because I am BRAVE!!!

So now, I am feeling so very BRAVE

 and Daring

 and quickly realize I have no idea what I am doing...

I pull out the measuring tape and begin to "figure" as my Grandmother calls it. 

I decide to use a 1/2 of a handtowel to make the cover and then cover the outside with cute fabric.

Next I sew it into a tube thinking I am going to insert some sort of hard board to make it more durable.

Quickly, I scrap this idea after deciding that I'd rather make it look cute and do some quilting. At least that's what I think you call it. (I've never done this before so I sort of work my way through it.)

So I SEW.

And I Sew

And I SEW...

BUT THEN!

My needle breaks!!

SIDEBAR:

(Now begins my adventure in replacing the needle. Mind you, I'm not a sewer. Not really. I've had one lesson from my Grandmother on "how-to" set up my sewing machine and make a blanket which consisted mostly of her doing it all and me watching because I was too chicken. 

Also, one lesson from my Mom when I wanted to make curtains which is another post in and of itself. I am basically self-taught. I don't use correct terminology, I don't know what the standard widths, and hems and even tools are. I just make it up as I go along. Most of the time thinking that there must be a better way than this.)

SO... I get the broken needle out and find a new one.

 Then the needle drops out of my fingers

and

 down into the bobbin part of the sewing machine.

 IT DROPS DOWN INTO A TINY HOLE! With only the tip peaking out...

DO you SEE that tiny Gold thing sticking out of the middle part of the picture?

That is the head of the needle!

I take a deap breath a try to remember that I wanted to do this.

I chose to do this and it is supposed to fun.

 So I look around.

I see small scissors. I think, "I'll use them like pliers..."

OMG!!!! They worked! I AM McGyver!!!

I compose myself and remember I have more to do.

But then,

I have an epiphany. I'll use the manual...



(Insert angel voices singing "AHHH")

AND it has pictures!

I get the needle aligned and inserted into the tiniest hole

 in the most akward position for my hand there could be

and then,

I stab myself three times...

Then I sew.

BUT

Then my needle breaks! Seriously, it breaks again.

I have another epiphany and realize that I must need a stronger needle...

(I know, I should've known this the 1st time it broke but like I said, I'm new at this.)



I finally get it finished and it's too short.

BUT

I'm part McGyver now so I grab some large Ric-rac and make it look like I meant for it to be like that.

I get it pinned all the way around the top and think I'm almost done and realize...That I can't use the sewing machine for this part.

(Now what McGyver?)

I dig in my other Grandmother's sewing basket and find Embroidery Floss!



So I stitch and I stitch and I stitch.

I add a cute Button and loop to keep my beloved Kindle from slipping out of it's case.

                                                         I do a few more minor things and

"Tah-Dah"

The Finished Product!

A Beautiful, Most Adorable, Quite A-Maz-ing Kindle Cover. 

 This project was made with Sweat, (a little bit of blood this time),

LOVE and my own two hands.

All of it was

Handmade by JillyG's.

Now I'm gonna go pass out...



Did I do this?

Every once in a while, do you step back from your life and take a look at what you are doing with it? Well, I did and I was amazed.

I just took a course online from Melody Ross at the Brave Girls Club. Melody helped me to "see" my life as it really was. She told me to look at my life as a "House" with walls and windows and everything that comes with a house. At first I looked around and it didn't look that bad. The landscaping was fine. My "House"  looked fine, even great on the outside. I mean, I didn't have any plants in the pots on the front porch but it's winter afterall.

I walked up to the front door and realized the paint could be freshened up a bit and then I heard a lot of noise.

So I opened up the door to my "House" and realized there was a dinner party going on and  I didn't even know I had invited anyone over. They were eating all of my food, talking about my decor and blaring the music (the kind I don't even like). I stood there thinking for a moment and it dawned on me, I let them come inside my "home" and mess it all up. They tracked mud in and broke my favorite vase and told me that dinner wasn't that great. After they left in a hurry, didn't clean up and never even said "thank you", I looked around at the damage and thought to myself  "Did I do this?!"

So, I got upset for a few minutes, days, weeks and then I decided to start "cleaning up". I realized that I had so much more to "DO" with this one precious life. I realized that only I am responsible for what I do, say, feel and think. I make choices every single day and I get to decide what happens in my life from now on. I know we all say these exact words  and we all know that we are in charge of our choices but do you really live it? We have this one extraordinary life to do some pretty amazing things if we are very Brave and are ready to take that jump! So, just like my 1st post, I am now standing on the edge AND  I have taken the jump and I am excited to see where I land.

I have started by filling my house with things I LOVE. Like the fabric I used to recover my dinning room chairs with.

And the curtains I made with my Mom.

  The bird I  painted  into my journal one day after watcing it  outside of my window.

I learned how to sew onto paper and right into my journal. It just might be my new favortie thing...

How cool is that?

All of this was "Handmade by JillyG" with my own love and sweat and I can only think to myself, "Did I do this?" and the answer is "Yes!" So think about your own "House" and remember that you are in charge of it all.

Only you and try to remember that things should be beautiful even when they don't seem to be.

 It's there if you look hard enough as long as you are creating it!

A Few of my favorite things...

Quick, Picture Julie Andrews tearing the drapes off of the windows and wrapping them around her shoulders. Did you do it?! 

Good, now sing the first line in your head, You know you want to anyway... (Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens).

Now, follow me through some of my favorite things. You'll be glad you did! 

Fabric with flowers in black, yellow, gray.

Necklaces tied with a string so they lay,

Words to remind us to simply "Believe"!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Twizzlers and music and warm cups of coffee,

Mod Podge and paper and glitter so sloppy,

Paper I got for just 89 cents,

These are a few of my favorite things...

When the Tigger barks...

                                                              (Tigger)

When my Maggie dreams...(It's really loud snoring)

                                                     (Maggie)

When I'm feeling sad...

I simply remember my favorite things.....

                                                          (Lemon Apron by JillyG's)

                                                            (Rooster's by JillyG's)

                                                               (UGA by JillyG's)

                                                                 (Apples by JillyG's)

And then I don't feel sooooo bad!

Thank you for playing along, Now it's your turn.

What are your favorite things? I'd love to know...Post a reply, pretty please.

Also, I need to come up with some really cute names for my aprons. Any suggestions?

Believe...just believe!

I love to try new things but I am like anyone else. I have to stand on the edge and think about it until that "tingly feeling" builds up and the "flip-flops" inside of my stomach are more than I can take and I finally hear myself scream inside of my head "just do it already!" So here goes...I am standing on the edge of something that scares me so much that I can hardly stand it and yet I am hearing that voice getting louder and louder. So I'll take the first step.

I have decided to create a place where my very crafty friends and I can share with the world what we make. What makes that "tingly feeling" in our stomach happen because we just created something with our own hands. Something that we think is just wonderful and maybe, just maybe someone else will think it's wonderful too. My intention is to share and sell all handmade items. It doesn't matter what it is but it has to be handmade with sweat and love and your very own hands. So here I go on a grand adventure and I feel like my insides will burst with fear and excitement and I am ready to leap off of the edge and see where it leads me! Wish me luck and stay tuned for some amazing handmade items from me and all of the people I love.