~92~ Christmas Recap & 24 weeks

Merry Christmas!!

I hope everyone had as wonderful a Christmas as we did.  Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without a little crafting and baking involved.  Per usual, I made frosted sugar cookies to bring to school and to our Christmas celebrations.  Each year, I feel like I refine my technique and make better and better looking cookies.  Here's what the last 2 years looked like

and now, this year's

In addition to cookies, I also made a gift box of blank, any occasion cards, which were specifically requested.  I decided to create 5 different designs and make 4 of each.  I also wanted to make sure I had a variety of styles and color designs. 

Finally, I wanted to include a box to house all of the cards and envelopes together.  I have made card boxes before, but they were stand up boxes, and for this project, I wanted a more traditionally looking box.  I contemplated finding and buying one, but then ultimately decided to try making one.  I had some sturdy black card stock left over from my cousin's wedding invitations, so I used that for the base and then covered it with some pretty paper that I had received from my secret santa at school.  The final touch was adding adhesive velcro so that the box could be held shut and easily opened. 

I also just got done making some thank you cards for our family and friends who spoiled us this year. 

Our Christmas celebrations officially started on the Tuesday before when we drove up to Minneapolis to celebrate with my side of the family.  As usual, on Christmas Eve, I made Swedish meatballs - a much anticipated staple in our evening feast.  Unfortunately, much of my family was battle illness, and my nephew was unable to join us.  Thankfully, with the technology of Skype, we were still able to "see" and wish each other a Merry Christmas.  

The best part of that night was a surprise Jake had been keeping from me.  Traditionally, we spend Christmas Eve with my side in Minneapolis, and then hurry home early Christmas Day to be with Jake's side of the family.  However, this year, Jake arranged for us to stay at my parents for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so that I could see my aunt, uncle, and cousin who were coming Christmas afternoon, and live in Baltimore.  

I've always been particularly close to them, and what made this year even more special was the announcement that my cousin is expecting a baby in June!  I was incredibly touched by Jake's gift to me!  It was so special getting to see and share in the excitement with my cousin, especially since we realized it would most likely be over a year until we'd get to see each other again-due to busy schedules and both of us having newborns.  

The day after Christmas brought another fun-filled day with family as we traveled back to Iowa to be with Jake's side of the family.  We ate lots of delicious food, opened presents, and played a couple of games. 

I don't know what Jake or I did this year, that got us on the nice list, but we were beyond spoiled this year-by our families, and each other!  

Here are some of the highlights: 

A new bathmat for our master bathroom from my grandma.  We finished it off by getting a plush grey rug and a new scale.

Lots of crafting gear, including a crafter's encyclopedia, chalkboard craft paper, "The First Few Years" cricut cartridge, and a new embossing folder for my cuttlebug.  Side note: the Anna Griffin embossing folders are awesome! 

 Most of her designs are A7 (5x7) sized, which have been hard for me to find.  In addition, they tend to have more modern designs and include not only an A7 folder, but a border as well. 

Even with our limited amount of time, and time tight schedule, I always make time to see my BFF, Lauren.  She was able to come over for about an hour on Christmas Eve, when we caught up on our lives, and chatted about the Serial podcast, and exchanged gifts.  One of the items she gave me is this beautiful trivet that she got from the Korean Heritage House in St. Paul, MN, which is run by our dance instructor from Korean Culture Camp days.  I absolutely love it!

From my parents, I got a new computer bag that I desperately wanted.  The one I currently had was worn and starting to fall apart.  It was also very "college-student-esque" in style and I wanted something that looked more grown up and professional.  

It's a beautiful black quilted bag with lots of pockets, including one specifically for my laptop.  One of the first things I did when we got home was transfer everything from the old bag to my new one.  

Aside from my unexpected surprise, my favorite gifts were necklaces.  One was from Santa and features a beautiful pearl sitting underneath an iridescent bead.  The other is from Jake and features the Korean Hangul lettering for mom, or "Umma".  For many years, I had a similar necklace that I bought at KCC and said, "peace", which I sadly lost during one of our trips to Vegas.  the best part of the necklace is the adjustable chain that Jake bought from our favorite jeweler.  The chain easily adjusts to a longer or shorter chain and has a cute, tiny heart on the end.

Of course, Jake and I weren't the only ones who were spoiled this Christmas.  Baby H got quite a lot as well.  My aunt and uncle gave him an Iowa State knit blanket and hat, which goes perfectly the ISU onesies Jake got from his secret santa at work.  Baby H also got a bunch of books from my brother and sister-in-law which were some of my nephew's favorites.  Jake's uncle, got him a Walking Dead onesie, and lastly, Santa got him some adorable knit booties. 

Christmas Eve also marked my 24th week of pregnancy.  This week is significant, as it is the first milestone of viability.  This means that if I were to go into labor early, and Baby H were born, his chance of survival would be more than 50%.  While this provides a sense of relief and comfort, we certainly hope that he keeps baking for at least 13 more weeks. 

My brother, SIL, and nephew hadn't seen me in over 7 weeks, so my bump was one of the first things they noticed.  Even compared to 4 weeks ago at Thanksgiving, there was a noticeable difference for my parents and grandma. 

Monday we have our last appointment of the calendar year.  Our 1st appointment in January will include my glucose challenge test (hopefully I'll pass with flying colors!), and then our appointments will be scheduled every 2 weeks, as I'll move into the 3rd trimester!

~79~ Seasons of Love

525,600 minutes

525,000 moments so dear

525,600 minutes

How do you measure...measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights-

in cups of coffee. 

In inches, in miles, in laugher-

in strife.

In 525,600 minutes, 

how do you measure

a year in the life?

How about love?

Measure in love.

Seasons Of Love.

On August 1, 2014, Jake and I entered a new season of love.  

On this day, just over 12 weeks ago, we found out we are expecting our first child, due mid-April. 

Since then it's been a roller coaster of emotion.  

Excitement, disbelief, sheer happiness, nervousness, giddiness, worry, thrill, anxiousness, .  

But most importantly love. 

Love for each other. 

Love for the new life we've created together. 

On September 4, 2014, after waiting an agonizing 4 weeks, we finally got to see our little peanut for the first time and it was love at first sight. 

Although we didn't get to hear the heartbeat, we saw it rapidly beating away at 169 bpm. 

Since finding out that Baby H (as we affectionately call him/her) would be arriving soon, we started telling immediate family members and our closest friends.  It would be an understatement to say that all were very excited to be adding a new baby to the mix!

Another 4 weeks later, on October 2, 2014, we got to hear the most beautiful sound ever.  Baby H's heartbeat.  Knowing that s/he was growing right on track and having reached the coveted 12 week mark, we openly and excitedly shared our news with work and extended group of family and friends. 

Craig Erickson Photography in Des Moines, Iowa took some breathtaking photos of us, which we used in our announcement. 

For work, I baked 2 pink and blue checkerboard cakes (1 for each building I work at), and decorated them to announce our news. 

And now, here's the run-down on how things have been going thus far:

How Far Along: 12 weeks, 2 days

Baby's Size: A plum!

Symptoms: I'm finally starting to feel normal again.  For most of my pregnancy I've dealt with the unpleasantries of all-day nausea.  As a result, my diet has been a little bit off-kilter, but I'm taking it one day at a time and eating what I can, when I can.  

Sleep: I've also been more tired than usual and taking in as much sleep as I can. However, I've already started having difficulty sleeping due to painful hips and finding a comfortable position.  I've found that stretching before bed really helps minimize the pain.

Cravings: Fruit, soft serve ice cream, McDonald's oatmeal, pasta.

Can't stand: Meat (most of the time), melted cheese, eggs, the smell of cilantro (gag me!)

Missing: Eating like a normal person, sleeping on my stomach (I was doing it for a while, but my doctor advised that I really should try to stop now, or it might make it even harder to sleep when I'm too big to sleep on my stomach.)

Maternity Clothes: Not yet.  A friend of mine gave me a Bella Band to use with my regular pants.  I've used it once, but haven't really had to other than that.  I did buy a bunch of clothes from Old Navy when they had a sale, but aside from the maxi skirt, I haven't worn any of it yet. 

Next Appointment: End of October at 16 weeks. 

I probably won't update every week, but I will do my best to keep up with "bump" pictures and Baby H's stats :)

Until then, 

~54~Hooray for March!

If you remember last year's post at all, you know that I am a huge fan of March.  There are always so many wonderful things going on during this month, that it is pretty darn hard to top.  Now if only the snow would stop and the sun would come out.  This month in particular is going to be pretty spectacular, I just know it!

Aside from it being National Craft Month, here are the top 5 exciting things going on over the next 31 days: 

5. Orchestra+Ballet

I will once again be playing with the Des Moines Community Orchestra accompanying the Des Moines Ballet Company in this year's production of Snow White.  Last year's Wizard of Oz was nothing short of amazing, and I am hopeful that this year is as well.  The performance will be on Sunday, March 31st (also Easter Sunday) at the Civic Center downtown.  While it is A LOT of work, it is incredibly fun. 

4. My parents/grandma are coming to visit

I go home to Minneapolis several times a year to visit family and friends, so it's a special treat when they come here to visit. (It's true, Minneapolis > Des Moines) In celebration of Easter, our new house, and my birthday, I was able to convince them to come see the ballet and have Easter brunch at OUR HOUSE!

3. Spring Break

 2 weeks from today, I will be heading home to Minneapolis to see some friends, and to do a little shopping at IKEA for the house.  These 10 days off will be a much welcomed break from work.  

4. My birthday

I will be turning 28 at the end of the month.  I have no idea what I'm going to do to celebrate, but I always look forward to spending it with family, friends, and good food!

5. The house!!!

 As mentioned in previous posts, we close on March 19th and move in March 21st.  Jake and I are beyond ready for this exiting move and are anxiously counting down the days! We also officially have someone lined up to sublease our apartment starting in April, so we'll have a month free from living expenses!  

What exciting things do you have going on in March?  

What's your favorite month?

~20~ Blogger Behind The Screen (Part 2)

A few weeks ago, I started to interject some posts about me amidst the crafting posts. If you missed Part 1, you can find it HERE.

Lake Harriet & the Bandshell

As you might remember from my first "Blogger behind the screen" post, I grew up in Minneapolis, MN.  And when I say that, I really and truly mean the city of Minneapolis, and not a suburb (like Edina, Fridley, Chaska, Burnsville, Woodbury).   I may be a little bit biased, but I honestly think that Minneapolis is one of the best cities to live in.  I love everything about it: the lakes, the parks, the lakes, the restaurants, the lakes, the theater and the arts, oh-and did I mention the lakes?  Some of my fondest memories growing up occurred at or around the lakes.  The house that I grew up in was only about a mile from Lake Harriet and every summer, my dad and I would go for bike rides around the lake together.  Summers were also spent down at the lake where we'd go swimming, visit the gnome who lived in the tree by the outhouses-leave him a letter and come back a few weeks later to see if he'd written back, buy ice cream cones at the bandshell and listen to live, free concerts.  And of course, we'd ride the trolley, one of the old historical street cars that would run throughout Minneapolis back in the day.  When Jake and I got engaged and were planning our wedding, I knew that I wanted to make Lake Harriet a part of our day-and be able to show our out-of-town friends why I love my hometown so much.  As it would happen, some of my favorite pictures from our wedding were taken at the lake.

Wedding Party Picture on the Trolley

Aside from the lakes and the great parks that Minneapolis has to offer, they also have a great art scene.  Love and support for the arts is very evident in Minneapolis culture, and I'm extremely grateful to have been exposed to and influenced by this!  In Minneapolis, public schools are organized by magnets in which each school specializes in a certain educational philosophy or program.  From kindergarten through 3rd grade, I attended an International Fine Arts magnet school, that emphasized language, music, dance, and theater.  Starting in 1st grade, all students are required to learn how to play a stringed instrument.  My instrument of choice: the violin. (weird, an Asian playing the violin, I know).  This little nuance of the school however, led me to continue playing the violin into my adult life.  Shortly after I started playing the violin at school, my parents enrolled me in private lessons, which led me to play in a city-wide, reputable orchestra, to receiving a music scholarship in college, and now playing as a member of an amateur adult orchestra in Iowa.   In addition to playing the violin, I also dabbled in piano, ballet, and was given a lot of exposure to great theater.  In high school, a city-wide program gave me the opportunity to attend several high quality, professional play performances at well known theater companies such as The Guthrie Theater, Theater in the Round, and The Jungle Theater for free with family and friends.  I honestly believe that had I not grown up in Minneapolis, I would not have the fortitude and fondness for arts that I do today.

Minneapolis is such a beautiful city that offers so much to anyone and everyone.  It is so much more than just the Mall of America, funny accents, and cold winters.  Minneapolis boasts diversity, Minnesota nice, architecture, a large business hub (did you know we're home to Target, Best Buy, 3M, General Mills, Gold Medal Flour, Kelloggs, and several other HUGE national companies??), and of course, we cannot forget, stunning nature.  Minneapolis is home.  It always has been and always will be for me.  One of my absolute favorite things is when I drive home from IA and come up over the hill on I-35 and see downtown Minneapolis all lit up.  It's then that I know I'm home.

~16~Blogger Behind the Screen (Part 1)

Now that we're 15 posts in, I thought it might be time to have an interlude from all of the crafting and tell you a little more about the blogger behind the screen: Me!  And of course, what better place to start than the very beginning.  Now in general I would say that I live a pretty boring and average life.  Nothing all that exciting or out of the ordinary happens to me.  However, I do have one noteworthy story; and I'm talking the kind of story that is 1 in a million and would get you on reality T.V. shows like Amazing Race and Survivor, just because it's so amazing! (Ok, time for me to go eat some humble pie.)

My Family

When I was just over 4 months old, I was adopted from a small province in South Korea by 2 loving Minnesotans who like any new parents, were very excited to be bringing home a baby girl.  Unexpectedly though, I arrived 2 months early.  I was originally supposed to arrive in October, but a baby slotted to be in the cohort of August adoptees got sick and I got his/her spot.  My mom got the call letting them know I was on my way just 2 DAYS before my arrival.  I landed in Minneapolis on August 8, 1985, welcomed by a very eager family.

Fast forward 3 years.  Like many toddler girls, I was enrolled in a local pre-school gymnastics class.  Among the other girls was another cute little asian girl, named Lauren, who also had a caucasian mom.  Moms being moms, they asked each other what nationality their girls were and found out that both of us were adopted from South Korea.  In my family, adoption day is equivalent to a birthday, so naturally that realization lead to my mom asking when Lauren's adoption day was.  Amazingly, it was also August 8, 1985!!  Now adoption flights aren't exactly a dime a dozen, so it is safe to say that we had arrived not only on the same day, but on the same plane. (This was later proved using family video footage of the arrival at the airport as well as pictures)

And it doesn't end there!  Many people of Scandinavian descent have a skin condition called Vitiligo, in which pigment in the skin is lost.   Both my mom and Lauren's mom have Vitiligo on their hands, which they noticed, but brushed off, chalking it up to being a common trait of their heritage.  The final piece to this story, is when Lauren's mom saw my mom's maiden name (which isn't common) on her checks and recalled having some distant relatives with that same name.  After a bit of research, it was confirmed.  My great, great grandpa, and Lauren's great, great grandpa (I think that's right) were brothers-making Lauren and I distant cousins.

Initially bonded by this tie, Lauren and I (as well as our moms) soon became best friends. We loved not only that we were connected through life circumstances, but also theoretically by blood.  We have always told people that we knew each other before we even knew our parents.  To this day, I am still amazed when I think about 2 little girls born to 2 different women, who end up traveling across the ocean on the same plane, arriving in the same state, living 2 miles from each other, enrolling in the same gymnastics class, and being distant cousins!  I mean seriously what are the chances of that happening?!

Lauren and I in 2007 at her going
away party before she left for D.C.

A few years later, Lauren and her family moved to another state due to a job transfer, but we remained very close friends-visiting each other once a year when we'd reunite for Korean Culture Camp, and as pen pals.  I still have several of Lauren's letters saved to this day.  I of course was delighted when Lauren moved back to Minneapolis prior to the start of 7th grade and we were able to really strengthen our friendship even more.   Our hope is to travel together back to Korea some day to see where we both started our lives and to potentially search for the people who initially made our current lives not only possible, but wonderful.  I couldn't imagine doing this with any other person (aside from my husband) because she truly is the only person who completely understands this desire and aspect of my life.

Over our 26-almost 27 year friendship, we have spent most of our lives living in separate states.  However,  no matter where we are, what we are doing, or how long it's been since we've seen each other, our bond has never wavered.   Lauren is not only my friend, she is and always will be my family.  

Sisterly Love

Lauren as my Maid of Honor 

~8~ Wedding Recap: Ceremony Decorations

My dear blog world, I promise that I have not forgotten you, even though it's been over a week since my last post.  I do however, have a lot to update on, as I have been very busy enjoying my new craft table and room.  But before I get to that, I have another wedding recap post as promised in my last post.  The focus of this one is ceremony decorations.

Jake and I got married in my grandmother's church, Gethsemane Lutheran Church,  which has a long family history.  My grandma has been an active member for over 60 years, having raised my mom and her siblings in this church.  My mom, aunts, and uncle were all married at Gethsemane, and it was important to me to carry on that tradition.  I also know that this meant the world to my grandma, and would have made my grandpa beam with pride.

Gethsemane has a large, beautiful sanctuary with stained glass windows throughout, so there was not much decorating needed at all.  After much thought, I decided that the only thing I wanted to add to the already gorgeous space were pew decorations and memorial candles on the altar.

I found the inspiration for my pew decorations at THIS website, but made a few modifications to the directions to make it a little easier and more cost effective.  Materials I used were:
*12 styrofoam cones-Dollar Tree
*Royal blue fabric-JoAnns in the remnants section (a great place to find discount fabric when you don't need a lot of it)
*Pearlized push pins (38mm)-JoAnns
*Hot Glue Gun/sticks
*5/8" Satin Ribbon in silver
*Silk hydrangea stems, 7 of each in blue and white-JoAnns (Tip, I bought these either when they were on sale BOGO, or 1 at a time using a 40% coupon, as they run about $6-$7 a stem.)
Total Cost: $75

To assemble, I hot glued the fabric around the cone and to the top of the cone.  The left over fabric at the bottom, I twisted and wrapped to the back and pinned it in place.  For the ribbon, I found the middle of a long piece and pinned it about 1/2" from the top on the seam of the fabric. I brought it around to the front and overlapped the ribbon once (step 1) and then twice so that it had a twisted look (step 2).  I used a pearl pin the in the middle of the twist to hold it in place (step 3) and pulled the ends around the back and pinned them again so that they wouldn't move, and then brought the ends back around the front and repeated the first 3 steps, making sure that the twists lined up correctly (step 4).  I made 3 twists down the front of each cone.  

The next step was to add the flowers.  I kept the blue ones intact, but separated the white ones into small pods and stuck those into the styrofoam on the front edge along the top of the cone.  Then, I stuck the blue flower stem (the whole thing) into the back of the cone and pushed it down far enough so that it sat right on top of the white ones.  Finally, I added a ribbon tied to floral wire and hot glued it into the back.  To hang my pew decorations, I hung them around the pole to the candelabras that were inserted into the end of the pew.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As for my memorial candle project, they were turned out to be so much easier than I thought they would be.  I found the directions in a book I had bought just after we got engaged. It's called The DIY Bride: Crafty Countdown by Khris Cochran.  While I wasn't able to use anything else in the book, the tutorial for these candles made the book totally worth it.  Have you seen the price of customized memorial candles?!?
Materials used:
*Vellum-I bought a pack of it from CardsandPockets when I ordered my invitation supplies
*Embossing Tool
*Pillar candles-Ikea
*wax paper
*Candle template in word. (contact me if you would like it, I am happy to share)
Total Cost: $15

Once the vellum is printed and dried, cut down document to fit on the candle.   Lay candle on wax paper.  Use the embossing tool to heat the surface of the candle.  Once it starts getting shiny, gentle roll the vellum onto the candle, which will fuse with the melted wax as it dries.  Do this all around the candle.  

You can also add ribbon and other embellishments to your candle for a little something extra.  I made 4 memorial candles for my paternal grandma, maternal grandpa, cousin, and Jake's best friend.  On the back of each candle was a popular quote: "Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us, to let us know they are celebrating with us in spirit"  (I have also seen an ending that says, "to let us know they are happy").  One of the neatest compliments I got on my wedding projects was from my photographer who loved these candles.  He said that he's seen lots of memorial candles before, but he has never seen ones with pictures on them, and marveled at just how personalized they were.  

Well folks, this is the last post in my wedding recap series.  I also took on other small projects, such as personalized bubbles, a monogramed aisle runner, and escort (place) cards, programs, but do not feel need to chronicle them on this blog, since I really want to spend more time focusing on current projects instead of past ones.  I will however leave with you a final picture collage of those wedding extras I did. 

Until next time, 

~4~ Christmas Recap

Today, I wanted to take a minute while it was still somewhat relevant, to talk about Christmas.  Christmas is by far my favorite holiday.  I love the smell of fresh cut pine trees, the twinkling lights, and of course, spending time with family.  What I love most of all though, is baking!  There is just something about the holiday season from Thanksgiving to Christmas that makes me want to bake.

Even though I'm adopted, I tell people that I inherited my baking skills from my paternal grandma and that it just runs in my blood.  My grandma Vicki, was very well known for her knack for baking all kinds of pies, which she passed on to my dad, who passed it on to me.  In addition to my dad, I also grew up baking with my sister-in-law, Sue.  Each year for many, many years, we would get together around Christmas and make cookies to give out to friends and neighbors.  Although we no longer bake cookies together, I still enjoy baking cookies in the few weeks prior to Christmas to give to our friends, and family members.

This year, I made 3 kinds of cookies-Frosted sugar cookies, Snickerdoodles, and White chocolate cherry shortbread cookies.  I was particularly excited to do sugar cookies this year because I discovered through Pinterest of course-a new website called, "Sweetopia", that showed a more polished way of frosting sugar cookies and how to use the feathering technique.  Instead of spreading on the frosting with a knife, you outline the cookie shape using royal frosting in a piping bag.  I used a #3 Wilton tip.  Then, you flood the inside of the outline with frosting and shake the cookie to even out the frosting and make it smooth.  To feather, line different color frostings next to each other and then use a toothpick to drag through it and intertwine the colors together.   When I was done with all of them, I was so happy with how they turned out!  I will definitely be doing sugar cookies this way from now on.

After making all of my cookies, I put them in a small plastic bag, and used scrap book paper and ribbon to seal the bag and make them look really pretty.

What Christmas/holiday traditions do you have?

P.S. For any of you who actually read my blog (do you exist yet??) and are wondering what ever became of my craft table-I was able to work on it more tonight, but haven't finished it quite yet.  I promise to post an update once it's done :)

Until next time,