playing pretend

Mondays are always so blah. The work week has just begun and the weekend is as far away as it can be. Here is my attempt to improve this thing called "Monday".

All you need is...

A cup of delicious gingerbread coffee. This cup was made possible by the lovely people of Trader Joe's (where my husband works) and my wonderful sister, Katie Jean, who gave me this fantastic mug when we worked at Hume Lake together.

A place to house your spoon.

Some mood lighting. These are samples I made for an art night that I helped host at my preschool for kids and their parents.

My journal for notes and thoughts along with some light reading. My husband and I are re-reading the Chronicles of Narnia... We finished The Magician's Nephew and are well into The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe now.

Some good music is a must. I am currently listening to the Amelie soundtrack but (unlike when you're at a REAL coffee shop) I can change the tunes whenever I feel so inclined!

And maybe, perhaps some yarn :) 

And you get your very own pretend coffee shop! A much cheaper alternative to actual coffee shops and you can wear your pajamas if you'd like... and I'd like.

treasuries 1

I have been amusing myself by making treasuries lately... here are a few of them:









So many lovely things to be found! Etsy sure knows how to make my time disappear!

nifty fifty

I have been feeling an itch lately. An itch to have a project. Not just a single headband or hat but something bigger. Something that will take longer... and I think that I am on to something. Something that will force me to try new things and be more creative and probably come up with ideas I would never have thought of otherwise.

Found this beauty in our dumpster! Can you believe somebody was going to toss it?

I am going to create a headband inspired by each of the fifty nifty United States. I don't know exactly what this will end up looking like, or how long they will take to complete,  but I am going to do it! I know that I can commit to doing at least one every month. Only one each month, however, will take 4 years and 2 months to complete (have I mentioned that I am a math genius?). I've never been very patient and this is why it will be AT LEAST one a month as it allows me some wiggle room for doing more when I have time or am inspired. I will begin this potentially 4+ year project in March.

Since I was born, raised and currently reside in the Golden State, California seems like a pretty good place to start.

If anybody has any ideas or suggestions please feel free to comment away!

the importance of being seen...

I was wearing a headband like this that morning.

The week before I opened my shop I went to the park before work to eat breakfast and do some crocheting. It was a cold, crisp morning so I was wearing one of my headbands for cuteness and warmth. I was not the only one at the park that morning. It was crowded. Quite crowded. It wasn't full of parents with their kids like you'd think. No, it was full of professionals getting ready to shoot a commercial for Wal-Greens. I was not expecting this, but who wouldn't love to watch something interesting like this? Even cars passing by couldn't resist... resulting in at least one minor fender bender. I sat at a table atop a hill and enjoyed my bagel and the spectacle of it all. Not much later a man approached to invite me to join them all at the tables close to the action (I was in their shot). So I went. I go to chat with several people who were just hanging around waiting for their job to come up. It seemed like that was what a majority of them were doing. One man showed an interest in my crocheting. He would run off to do some work and then come back and ask me questions over and over. In the end I gave him my email address so he could contact me about a headband for his wife. I didn't hear from him for quite awhile and thought I had been forgotten but 2 days ago he became my 7th sale! And all because I was creating out in public and being a walking advertisement!

Knowing that being out and visible is such a great way to market your stuff for free (or the cost of a cup of coffee), I have been making it a point to crochet at coffee shops at least once a week and wear my items out whenever I can. When somebody stops at my table to say something is cute I say, "Thank you! I actually sell these online... Here's my card!" It is such a thrill to hand out a card to a stranger and have them actually thank you for it. If you don't have them already, I highly recommend getting some business cards! So exciting! <3

haikuesday 4

So many new friends

Twitter, facebook, blogspot, too

Help me to connect.

Ode to my heater:

Hiss, glow and cook on my wall

I like to be toast.

Sleep is hard to spot.

Wiggle, toss, turn to find rest.

Coffee is my pal.

Something new to try-

an invitation to you...

Haiku promote here!

As mentioned in the previous haiku, I would love to have a couple of my followers participate in Haikuesday! I would love to have a couple fellow Etsians write a haiku about an item in their shop. Then you can email me the haiku (jennasaurus.fun at gmail dot com) along with a photo (jpeg) of the item and a link to your shop! I would love to feature one or two blog followers each week! Here is an example:

Beavers are silly-

Even more so on my head,

"Dam it!" says the hat.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/jennasaurusfun

It is THAT easy! So start writing and email me sometime before Saturday night so I can select a couple! I will email you back if I am going to use yours so that you can be sure to check it out! (If I get a pretty good response I'll save some for the following week!) Hurray for guest Haikuests! <3

little old man

This weekend I was lucky enough to visit my family in San Diego. Most of the time has been spent with my lovely sister, chatting and crocheting away. We went to a Starbucks this morning and sat beside a darling old man who seemed to be chatting with just about everyone who walked past. Were we going to be the exception? Absolutely not. He had PLENTY to say.

We sat down and unpacked our yarn and crocheting gear. After getting a drink we dug right on in. Right away he asked about what we're up to and we told him about my new etsy store and our love for making cute things. He explained that he is a poet and has written many poems about Starbucks. He had advice for my store:

"Don't forget to make headbands for the boys. You could put a pig on it. Or a rat. Or maybe an eyeball. Or a bull. Maybe just its horns."

 I love going to coffee shops and other public places for times just like this. I also got to pass out cards to several people that stopped to admire what we were working on. One lady was chatting with us while she was in line and Mr. Self Proclaimed-Poet had two cents... and he tossed them in:

"She's working on starting a business that will buy out 150% of Fruit of the Loom!"

Sometimes I just love my life. Okay. Mostly all of the time.

The closest thing I have to his suggestion for something for the boys... He has an eyeball and his name is Jared... but he sold... to a girl.

Don't forget to check out my Esty shop!  There is still a monster headband left! <3

my silly brain

Sometimes I do really stupid things. One thing that I have been known to do is lean forward or try to move myself in such a way that will allow me to see something just out of sight in a scene on a television. Almost as if it were a window I was glancing out (Maybe it is something in my genes as my sister, Katie says she has done the same thing).

Something that I have recently noticed about myself, that is similarly ridiculous, is that when I am working on a crochet project and am coming to the end of my yarn I will start to crochet faster as if I will somehow be able to finish what I’m making before the yarn is used up. Dumb. I know. When I was explaining this to my husband he responded like this:  

“I love your retarded brain.”

create to unwind

After a long day at work sometimes it is really hard to switch gears and get out of “work mode”. For me, work mode involves lots of energy, being extra enthusiastic about things and often the use of sound effects. This can be quite exhausting but it really helps a day with a dozen 3 and 4 years olds go more smoothly. At home, however, there are no little ones. Just two big ones: me and my husband Blake. Enthusiasm and energy are not at all lacking in our life together but are not necessary at all times. Crocheting has become the magical key to the sometimes elusive “relaxation mode”. Something about the combination of soft yarn and simple, repetitive motion helps me to calm down and let my brain switch gears. My heart rate goes down as I let go of the day. Hurray for three day weekends!!

in the works

Last night I started to work on these guys. I just got home from Viento y Agua where I enjoyed a lemon slush while I worked my little fingers until they were a bit sleepy. The drive home was a good break and now I'm ready to get back to it! Yeah!

haikuesday 3

Business cards are here
Etsy shop is open now
Customers are neat.

3 sales in first day
(I hope it isn’t a fluke)
I can’t wait for more!

My business cards are
Cold. What to do, what to do
Crocheted a case, phew!



And now, a poem from a guest haikuest, Blake (my wonderful husband)...

My wife crochets things
Such a lovely assortment
She makes us money.

Now, if you would be 

so kind, go and visit my

Etsy shop! Thank you!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/jennasaurusfun

owl love you forever

 I think it is safe to say that I have a thing for owls. Owls and I go way back... I have a necklace with a wooden owl on it that I have had for I don't know how long and I seem to have accumulated a wide assortment of other owl items over the years. These, however, are just owls that I have made. Enjoy. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

One last thing! I got my business cards in the mail! And just in time, too. I opened the my store officially yesterday and without even 24 hours going by I've sold my first 3 items! Hurray! I have the most wonderful husband in the world... He designed my business cards and banner for my store and I love him a lot and would not be even trying this whole etsy thing if it wasn't for his encouragement. I am a very lucky girl.

sticker chart

On an adventure with Blake in San Francisco.

Things I DON'T enjoy much...

1)  Doing dishes

2)  Folding laundry

3)  Cleaning the bathroom

4)  Mopping and vacuuming

Thing I really DO enjoy...

1)  Playing board games
2)  Going to coffee shops
3)  Adventuring
4)  Crocheting (did you know that?)

Things I should get done so I can do the things I enjoy...

[SEE FIRST LIST AT TOP]

My newish obsession with making cute items with yarn is my new motivation tool... I'm just like a kid with a sticker chart. Sometimes reward systems can work magic.

haikuesday 2

jennasaurus fun!
it is jenna. it is saur
us. it is fun. yes.

too late for shower
my locks are gross and a mess
headbands help hair hide.

the wind hits my ears
“ow!” and “brr!” they both shout out
warmers would be nice.

owl and octopus
giraffe and even ice cream
headbands aplenty.

i heart headband, yes i do

A monster headband to gnaw on your head.

This weekend I have been headband happy. I've had lots of new ideas and have been creating like crazy. The only problem that I am having is that I want to keep them all. I'm sure it will be wonderful to be able to fill my little shop with darling pieces but as for now I have to try and be very strong whenever I leave the house. The temptation to put one on as I head out the door is very strong and it will be a relief to post them in about a week and eventually get them outta here.

Super cute pretzel headband... Thanks Katie for the idea!

What else could I put on a headband? Any suggestions?

over flow mug

Spent over four hours crocheting, chatting and drinking Mint Chip Magic at Viento y Agua today with my sister Katie who is visiting this weekend. Not a bad way to start a Saturday. I love Viento for many reasons... 

1) I love that they serve their drinks in mason jars if you don't order it "to go"

2) I love that they do their best to go green and even offer discounts for people who ride their bikes there

3) They have games, books and even crayons on a book shelf that are for anyone to enjoy

4) The mixed up furniture reminds me of The Living Room, a place I love in San Diego

5) They don't waste! They made my drink too large and instead of tossing it out they gave me a mug full of the over flow!


In other news... Katie helped me to clean up our second bedroom today. The room has been an over sized junk drawer for awhile now but apparently all I needed was for my sister to visit me and motivate me to get things done. Now the floor is cleared and I have my yarn in clear boxes all organized by color and it makes me feel, oh, so very good. Blake came home and was amazed and we were rewarded with In-N-Out Burger for all of our hard work. The speakers are all set up so I can listen to tunes and books on "tape". Now I just need to "cute" the room up and get a squishy chair of some sort and I'll be quite content to crochet away the days.

the ballad of justin beaver

I am very easily excited. In life I have found this to be mostly a positive thing. Sometimes I get so excited about an idea that I have to attack it right away. One idea that made me go kinda nuts like that was my beaver hat. I was sitting at a table coloring with some preschoolers and started doodling beanie ideas. I made about a dozen little scribbles of different things I could try but the beaver is what stuck out. I went home and started right away. I stayed up until 4:30 am! My husband worked early that morning so I stayed up to greet him when he got up. I was able to wear what I had made when he came into the front room and I could not stop laughing at how silly and cute it was. Perhaps my sleepy state had something to do with it. Needless to say, I was extremely thankful that it was Friday night/Saturday morning and that I could pass out for many hours instead of chase little guys all over at work.

Shortly after this I decided it would be fun to ask the kids in my class to help me give each hat a name. When I held up the beaver hat a boy in my class did not hesitate to shout out “JUSTIN BEAVER!” This was from the boy in my class that brought a brush to school on picture day so he could make sure he had Justin Bieber hair in his photo. I had tears in my eyes I was laughing so hard. Because of this, even though the other hats will all have individual names, the beaver beanie will always be called “Justin”.

indications that i am slowly becoming a cat

Many warning sign of cat-ification have been presenting themselves in me lately.

1) I'm prone to nap whenever the opportunity arises

2) My favorite this to do when first I wake is a full body, head to toe, stretch

3) I tend to wander into the kitchen whenever I hear any sign of food being prepared

4) I REALLY like to play with yarn

I hope my wonderful husband, Blake, doesn't become allergic to me!

haikuesday 1

Haiku + Tuesday = Haikuesday!

Tuesday and haiku

Sound nice when pushed together

Clap the syllables.

Whimsical it is.

Silly, unique, humorous.

jennasaurus fun!

All have got some holes.

Some are colorful, most are round.

Buttons forever.

One hole or two holes.

Some even get to have four.

Why is three left out?

Buttons to open.

Buttons for eyes and spots, too.

What can you NOT do?