story of an onion

Sometimes in life you buy an onion with the best of intentions.

Sometimes in life you get busy.

Sometimes in life you forget about a poor onion sitting in a basket on your fridge.

Sometimes in life an onion does what it can to get you attention...

I am sorry, dear onion, to have neglected you for so long.

I hope we can still be friends.

<3

in stitches

Awhile ago I was asked to attempt a beanie inspired by Disney's Lilo and Stitch. They basically wanted a crocheted version of what they already sell at Disneyland. A Stitch looking hat with him chomping down on your head. Since I had already done several hats and headbands with teeth around the brim I felt that I could at least get that part right. And although I had never tried to make something so elaborate, I decided to be brave and go for it.

I realized that it was going to be quite a project so I decided not to rush myself since there was no deadline or promised finish date. I thought that if I had just busted it out really quickly I probably would've been a little burnt out and I would have maybe rushed towards the end just to finally be done.

Instead I tool my time. I did several pieces for it right away and then took a break to make a couple other items. I took it with me to San Jose, when I accompanied my husband to an industrial design conference. I took it with me to several Starbucks. This little hat has certainly gotten around.

It was a lot of work but now that it is done I am quite pleased with how it turned out. I was also careful to write down what I did. It was my first attempt at writing a pattern. I wrote it all out so that I can recreate it if I felt the need. However, I'm pretty sure my notes would make little sense to anybody else.

Now it is finished and up in my shop! Please stop by and take a look at it and all of the other wonderful creations now finished and ready to ship! 

jennasaurusfun

<3

monty python

Apparently Monty Python is a popular topic for treasuries! So many ridiculous items... And lucky me, I go my silly ski mask featured!

some shoes are forever

 Did you ever own something that you just couldn't bring yourself to throw away? For me, that item is a pair of blue, slip-on vans. I go them in high school and wore them all the time. Having body issues is no new idea or concept. I, like everyone else, have my fair share. One more unique annoyance I have with my body is with my big toes. They don't look weird or have a funky smell or anything. What they do is stick up a tiny bit. Just enough to create holes in shoes that I love. It is partially due to this fact that I have owned many pairs of converse over the years. The rubber covered toe solves this problem.

But my blue vans did not stand a chance. They were my favorites and I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of them. Instead, I pulled out my little sewing box and started stitching. Only I didn't just stick to covering the holes. No, I did much more. And I loved it. I got lots of compliments and I got to continue wearing my favorite shoes. Today they aren't looking so hot. But they've survived a lot (including a summer working at Hume Lake). I still pull them out once in awhile to prove to myself that they shouldn't be thrown out. Is there anything that you own like this? Something you should've thrown out but instead breathed new life into?

mommy.

That little boy is about to turn 12. Yikes!

My mom is amazing. No really. She is. She is always supportive. Always ready to listen. Always has fantastic advice to give without any pressure. Always creative. Always strong. Always loving and honest. I love you, mom. Thank you for being... well... thank you for just being.

The family several years ago enjoying a Disney day.

fiction by an eight year old me

I found this while going through stuff in my garage. This was written by me in January of 1992 making me 3 months shy of being 9 years old. I wrote it during a trip to winter camp with my church and actually purchased the little note pad while I was there. Here it is in its unedited glory...

"The Trip to CAMP" (yes, I capitalized all the letters of 'camp')

Once there was a girl named Shelly. She was 4 years old. One day she was driving up to camp with lots of people. Suddenly the van stoped. The driver said that they needed chains, so the driver got out and started to put chains on the wheels. Suddenly Shelly got up, turned the key, and went forward. The driver got ran over. The kids in the van were mad because who is going to drive them to camp? Shelly decided to drive. She took a wrong turn and they ended up in Las Vegas. Shelly didn't know what to do. They checked in to a hotle for the night. The next day they called home and asked what they should do?  They said that in afew days they would come, so they were stuck there for awhile. They stayed there for days, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, months turned into years, years turned into decade, and finally when Shelly that was four turned sixty they finally came. By then they all got married and had kids, and their kids had kids, so the people on the trip to camp that got stuck were grandmas. They were pretty happy with their lifes, but they were thrilled when someone came to get them. They got home and everything had changed, so much that they didn't even recognize their houses. Weeds were growing everywere. There were also beautiful flowers like poppies, tulipps, and roses. They started garding right away, they pulled weeds, but kept flowers. At the end of the day the yard looked fantastic. After that they went to bed. The next day was Saturday, so they slept in. They woke up at lunch time. When they did wake-up they had a welcome home party for the kids that got stranded, and they lived happily ever after.

The poor bus driver... nobody cared that he was run over... only that they were without a ride to camp. I love the image that pops into my head of a bunch of grandmas waiting around in Las Vegas for their parents to come pick them up. And even after starting families and everything they are so excited to get back home. But oh no! Apparently the kids all were responsible for the weeding at their homes... Better get right to the important stuff: gardening (or "garding" as I wrote). I am impressed that I knew when to use their and there. Not bad for a little kid, huh?

recently

Lately life has been full. Full and busy. I've celebrated a birthday. I've changed jobs. I've gone to Disneyland. I've been cleaning our garage. I've been collecting stuff for a garage sale. I've been working on new stuff for my shop. I've been completely wiped out!

First day of work... ready to go with my box cutter!

Until a couple weeks ago I had been working as a preschool teacher at an in home day care. It was a great job and I loved working with the kiddos. But life sometimes requires a change. This was one of those times. Now I am lucky enough to be working at Trader Joe's. My husband happens to work there as well. Not always, but sometimes we have the same shift and get to go to work, eat lunch and head home together. Love it. My new favorite phrase is "product knowledge". These two seemingly simple words, when paired together have the power to let me eat just about anything. Often different products are opened and sampled in the backroom. Not a bad gig if you can swing it.

Me and Chris waiting for the river rafting ride.

First time at the wheel. Be afraid!

My new job requires me to work on the weekends which is something that I haven't had to do for about 5 or 6 years. It is so strange. What is even weirder is having days off in the middle of the week. I went to Target on a Monday afternoon and realized that there aren't lines all the time... there were just lines anytime I wasn't at work. I worked my first day on the Saturday before Easter and boy was Trader Joe's busy. I think after that everything should be a breeze. Then I had Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off! It was incredible. It just so happened that my mom, step-dad and little brother were planning a trip to Disneyland that Tuesday. Since I had the day off I met them there!

I told him to go stand in the corner. He's a good listener.

This is what happens when you take a picture in the Peter Pan ride.

Peter Pan stars.

When there are teeny ducklings everyone forgets that there are rides to go on.

They added Disney characters to Small World.

So cute.

 And now for a couple of the items that will soon be added to my shop...

This on I actually gave as a gift to a friend who got me into Disneyland for free that day!

Well, I suppose that is enough of an update for right now. Later I will post a short story that I wrote at the age of 10 that I found while cleaning my garage. Get excited!

farewell!