Confessional Friday: Happy Spring!

Happy April everyone! I was MIA last week for no reason other than I wanted to enjoy my LAST spring break. I can't believe it. I was a little disappointed that I didn't do anything that exciting, but I did get to relax a little bit and that's always nice. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself next year in March when I don't get a nice break...but I guess that's what paid time off is for right? Here's what's going on in my life currently:

One: I submitted my Nebraska Bar Application 

THANK GOD! This is not one of those applications you can just sit down and fill out in 15 minutes or so. They want everything from you....and I'm talking everything!  Here were some of the super time-consuming ones: 1) Every address you've lived at since you were 18 years old (which is a lot for most college students); 2) Every job you've had since you were 18, including the supervisor's name and contact information...this was particularly hectic because most of my supervisors are no longer in that position so then you have to track someone down at the company who can verify your employment; 3) Six character references, plus two people to sign a notarized affidavit of moral character all of whom cannot be related to you by blood or marriage. 

I feel like the only thing they didn't ask for was the blood of my first-born child. But seriously, a big thanks to everyone who helped me out by being a reference. It really means a lot to me to have people in my life who are willing to stick their neck out for me. 

Two: We have our "Toast to the Class of 2015" Party Tonight

This is the last get together for our class before graduation. I usually don't go to many law school events either because I have other things going on, no one I know is going, or because Justin has to work. Because this is the last class event, I really tried to make it work out so we could go. It should be fun, and maybe I can talk Justin into some late night sushi since we will be downtown anyway! =)

Three: Weekend Visitors

I told you a couple weeks ago that Justin's brother Matt, his wife Mallory, and our niece were coming to visit us.  Well they did and we had a blast! We started off Friday evening by grilling out which always tastes amazing! Saturday was really productive for all of us. The guys got the front yard cleaned up, gutters cleaned out, garage cleaned and organized, and most of the backyard mulch put down. Everything looks so amazing! 

Meanwhile, us girls went out and did a little shopping. Mostly for the baby, which was really fun! We even stumbled across a consignment shop that had all their baby clothes for only .50 cents each...ummm score! Needless to say it was a good day for everyone. Well, maybe not so much the guys but we brought them Juice Stop after our shopping trip so it ended on a good note! 

Sunday was filled with movie watching and picture hanging. I had a bunch of wedding pictures all framed and ready to go along with a mirror I wanted put up. It's hard to hang things with just the two of us, so we took the opportunity of having our guests in town to help us. 

Four: Mystery Crochet Along Update 

I have been utterly terrible at updating my progress on the Crochet Along Afghan I've been working on. The clues have been posted for week 8 (there are 10 weeks total) and I'm currently on week 7. Catching up slowly but surely!

Five: Graduation Party!!!

Recently, I received the invitations to my graduation get together in the mail. I'm really excited about this because it's been a really long and bumpy road these past three years. I just want to celebrate being done with school (for the foreseeable future) and also celebrate those people who have been there for me! I know most of my friends won't be able to come because they are doing their own awesome things that day like graduating from college and getting masters degrees...but I know they will be there in spirit. For those that can make it...I just rented a margarita machine! Like I said...I'm really excited.

Hope everyone has a nice Easter!!

Linking up:

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That Time I Tried To Be Creative...

I can't believe it's been over a month since Valentine's Day. I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, but this year is going by so so so fast. I recently ordered invitations for a little post-graduation get together and I can't believe that time is almost here! 

This year for Valentine's Day, Justin and I decided to keep it a little on the low key side of things. A nice little night at home and we'd be set. Also, we had to celebrate a few days after the 14th since Justin works at Outback and Valentine's Day is a super busy day for him. 

I saw a couple cute ideas on Pinterest (of course): A scavenger hunt and a DIY pre-planned date book. I LOVED them both, so I tried to figure out a way to incorporate them both into my v-day gift. I decided that I would do the scavenger hunt around our house, with prizes along with each clue, and have the "grand-prize" include the date book!

I started at Michaels for some supplies. Since it was past the 14th, they had all their Valentine's supplies on sale! Yay! That makes for a happy Emily. 

I thought the banner could also work as the book. I also got some fun scrapbook paper to put in between the date cards. 

I started by working on the scavenger hunt. I made five clues and then hid them around the house. Because I stink at poetry...I used the same ones as listed on my inspiration website. 

After that was done, I went to work on the date book. I created a date for each month, and inserted a fun blank sheet between each month to bulk it up a bit. I also created numerous "wild card" dates that we could have for those times we just couldn't decide what to do for a date. 

Once I was done with that, I put everything together. Each clue had a small prize such as candy, socks, sleep pants, etc. The final prize had the date book, a tie, and my card. It was really fun to create and I think Justin had fun finding all the prizes. I only had to help him once (with the shoe clue I think). It was awesome!

When Justin asked what I wanted for a gift, I told him I'd really just like for him to cook me dinner. And he delivered!! We had an amazing dinner of porkloin, asparagus, twice baked potatoes, and even dessert!!

Dessert was crescent rolls filled with Nutella, dark chocolate, and raspberries....YUM! He did amazing. I told him he really shouldn't have set the bar so high for himself because now I have some pretty high expectations! =)

He also spoiled me with some roses and a beautiful orchid!

I still can't believe how lucky I got when I met Justin. This was our 10th Valentine's Day together and they just keep getting more and more special.

Archie, Justin, & Peyton...don't know what I'd do without them!

Thanks for stopping by. I have a pretty laid back weekend planned, but I have some serious studying to do...finals are only five weeks away!!

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Confessional Friday: My Stitch Fix!

So yesterday was SUPER exciting because my Stitch Fix arrived! It was like Christmas morning. I talked a little about this last week as one of the things I'm loving right now. Just to refresh you, this is a company that you sign up with, pay a deposit, and they then send you five items personalized to your style. Here's the site if you think it sounds fun/cool and want to sign up: Stitch Fix

I plan to write a later post that includes what I decide to keep. You get three days to decide before you send back what you don't want and I'm just not there yet! =)

So I got home Thursday and this gem was waiting for me:

First of all, I love the packaging. It's really clean and the little note and tissue paper make it feel as though it is specially packaged just for you. 

In this box, I received a necklace, pair of jeans, skirt, and two tops. Here they are: 

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Right now I'm really loving everything except for the skirt! It's high waisted and I'm not really into that style. I just don't think it looks good on my body. Other than that, I think my stylist did a great job. I also like that they provide you with a styling card so you get some ideas on how to wear the pieces.

My plan is to try on and show you the pieces I plan to keep and detail how I plan to incorporate those items into my current closet. I also will probably give some details on why I sent back the item(s) I did, and what I will include in my next note to my stylist that may help me get even more great items! 

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! We've got Matt, Mallory and our little niece coming into town this weekend, so it should be a blast!

I'm linking up here:

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A Baby Gift

As you know my posts in this blog are completely random, so it should come as no surprise to you that this post is about crocheting.

After walking through the Haymarket Farmer's Market one Saturday this summer, I saw numerous crocheted headbands, baby outfits, scarves, and gloves that looked so cool! I previously taught myself to knit using a Teach Yourself to Knit kit. I learned the stitches, but never really took it any further. After seeing all the neat items that could be crocheted, I decided I wanted to learn how. I went to the craft store, bought some yarn and a Teach Yourself to Crochet kit and went home to learn.

Learning didn't take too long as there are only about 6 main stitches you need to know to make most anything: chain stitch; single crochet; half double crochet; double crochet; treble crochet; and a slip stitch.

Knowing I had a new little niece or nephew on the way, I figured what better way to put my newly acquired skills to use?  I found an amazing looking baby blanket tutorial on a blog (here) and decided that's what I wanted to do!

First, I had to pick out three types of yarn. Since the baby's room is yellow and grey, I chose a super bulky baby yellow, a bulky grey, and a super bulky fuzzy white. I wanted to be sure the yarns were a type that could be washed and dried regularly being that they were going to be a baby blanket and babies aren't known for being the cleanest people around. =)

Purl Essence in Grey

Bernat Softee Chunky in Baby Yellow

Bernat Pipsqueak in Whitey White

Second, I had to get a larger crochet hook. My starter kit included 4 hooks, but none of them were big enough. I needed a size P, which was the largest size offered at Joann Fabric in Lincoln. The hooks are only about $2 each and considering I've used that hook for several subsequent projects, I would say it was a great investment!

Next, I went to work crocheting. There weren't many tricky stitches for this project, just a chain stitch and a single crochet.

Basically, holding all three yarns together, I chained until it was 36" long.

Then, skipping the first chain, I single crocheted in each stitch moving back across the foundation chain.

At the end of the row, you chain one and turn the work so it's to your left (if you're right handed). Then, you continue to work single crochet stitches for as many rows as length you would like the blanket.

As I got about half way through the project, I noticed that my edges were not even with each other. I attribute this to starting with loose stitches and then gradually getting tighter and tighter as I found what style I liked better. That being said, if I would have continued, the blanket would have been very lopsided. So...I took it all apart and started over. That was frustrating, but I wanted it to look good. This time, I took extra care to make sure I was using the same tightness on my stitches.

Before starting this project, I didn't know how long I wanted the blanket to be. I didn't know how big baby blankets were supposed to be, and there were a lot of differing opinions out there. I just decided to work until I thought it looked "right". In the end, it ended up being about 36" x 36".

All in all, it took me about three months to finish. However, that's with only working on it on weekends for the most part and starting over about 50% of the way through. I honestly think this could be done in a couple weekends if you really worked at it.

Here's the finished product.

I worked my stitches a little tight, so it didn't turn out as loose and flexible as I wanted, but I think it will still work great as a winter blanket or a mat to put on the floor for tummy or nap time.

I hope Baby Calvert gets as much joy out of it as I did while creating it!

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Confessional Friday: Things I'm Loving

I'm not feeling the best today (terrible headache), so I'm only posting a few things. I hope to get a few more posts in the works this weekend...be on the look out for those! This Friday, I'm detailing a few things I'm loving right now.

One: This Quote

I saw this quote on Kathie Lee and Hoda's Facebook page and thought to myself, "Wow! What a great quote!" Looking into it further, this quote is by A.A. Milne, the author of Winnie the Pooh. No wonder I loved it so much. I grew up on Winnie the Pooh. I think we had every VHS tape possible and I remember waking up early when I was young and watching it while my parents got ready for work.

There are just so many great lessons hidden within the cartoon, including this one. I've been trying to research a way to get all of our VHS tapes transferred to DVD because I don't think they make them anymore, and I'd like to have my children watch them some day! If anyone has ideas, let me know!

Two: This Weather

FINALLY! Spring is arriving...and let's hope it sticks around! It's supposed to be super nice this weekend and all of next week. I'm hoping I can take the puppies to the dog park so they can run off some of the energy they've built up during these last few cold weeks. 

Three: StitchFix!

I just signed up for this and I'm beyond excited. My friend Destiny, who is also my partner in the Civil Clinic, showed it to me and I'm SO glad she did. Basically, you take a test to see what your style is like, then a stylist selects five items for you. You pay $20 for each box the stylist sends you, try everything on, and send back what you don't like. The $20 then goes toward the purchase price of whatever you select to keep! 

I like this idea because 1) I LOVE getting stuff in the mail. 2) I HATE going to the mall alone and looking for clothes. 3) I have so much black in my closet right now, so I'm hoping they will be sending me some items with some springy colors!

If you want to try it, click here. I want other people to do it as well so we can all compare what is in our boxes! 

Four: 2015 Mystery Afghan Crochet Along

So as I've talked about before, crocheting has become one of my new favorite hobbies. I stumbled across this Mystery Crochet Along from the people at yarnspirations.com and it's been awesome so far. Each week we get a clue to complete for that week. I believe there are 10 clues and by the end you should have an entire blanket done! I'm planning to do blog posts about each clue, but I started a little late on the project. I'm attempting to catch up on the clues first before I post, but here's a little sneak peak!

Clue #1

Clue #2

Thanks for checking in! I hope everyone as a great weekend! Check out the blogs of these ladies as well!

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Confessional Friday

TGIF! Really, because this week seemed long. But then I look on the calendar and next week is March....MARCH!! Only about two months until graduation and I couldn't be more excited! 

Today I'm confessing...

One: I about froze my you-know-what off this morning! 

My car has leather seats and I woke up late, so I didn't get a chance to warm up my car this morning. YIKES! Big mistake. I didn't have gloves either (I hear my mom's voice in my head saying "Just put a pair in each coat pocket then you wouldn't have that problem"...sorry Mom!). Anyway, when I finally checked the weather it was -4 with an expected high of 20. Ugh. The normal high for this time of year is lower 40s, which would feel like a heat wave right about now!

Two: Finding a job is hard...and stressful

As graduation is approaching, I've been working hard applying for jobs. I've applied for a few so far, but hope employers will really start posting jobs in the next few months. It would be really nice to have a job all lined up so that I didn't have to worry about it while I'm trying to study for the bar exam this summer, but we will see. I'm trying not to get too stressed about it, because I know it will all work out just like it always does. 

Three: My work in the clinic has been really rewarding!

We started drafting simple wills, power of attorneys, living wills, and health care power of attorneys for some clients at the clinic recently. It's been really rewarding because when you talk to those individuals, you can almost hear the relief in their voices as they are getting final arrangements taken care of. Surprisingly, most people are really comfortable talking about death! It has also made me thing a lot about my final wishes even though I am still young. Then again, life can end in an instant so it's probably better safe than sorry. 

Four: I'm in trip-planning mode again.

I think I've mentioned our planned trip to Las Vegas in May before, well I'm in full planning mode now! We're just about ready to book our flight and hotel room, and I've been researching cool places to visit, good places to eat, and shows to see. I really can't wait!! 

Five: I've got a new Netflix obsession.

The Fall. I randomly found it on Netflix while browsing one day and now I can't stop watching. It is about a serial killer (Jamie Dornan AKA Mr. Grey...yum!) in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It's thrilling, but you definitely have to pay attention in order to catch all the little details. I have two episodes left and I think it will be on to House of Cards after that! 

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm linking up with the ladies below:

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