Late Night Thoughts…

I’ve been reflecting on what content I want to include on my blog during the second semester of my junior year in the Education program, and I think I have somewhat of an idea already. I know I want to share more of my experience with you guys, my wonderful readers. I was inspired by another blog I read called My Student Teaching Life, and while I won’t be sharing the same stuff, I will be sort of sharing my development in this last year leading up to graduation next Spring!!

I already have some topics in mind, such as what methods I used to organize myself last semester that I will try again this semester, as well as things I have learned from professors that help me now. I am very excited for this semester to begin, and also nervous because I’m so close to the end of my college career, it seems. I will, of course, still blabber on about couponing and my hair, but I think the crafts are going to be taken over by school topics because school is really taking over at this point.

I still haven’t decided what I am going to do after my first year of teaching. The plan was to stay with my parents for two years after graduation and save up some money, but I will most likely spend my first summer packing and moving. I’m ready to go, in a good way! I also read somewhere that it’s important to experience different living situations. I don’t want to leave my parent’s house before I’m ready, and I’m not going to corner my boyfriend into moving in together before we’re ready. I need to experience living truly on my own first so I know what it’s like. I dream of living in a studio or loft, but we’ll see if I can actually follow through on that. I already know I have to get rid of a lot of crap whenever I do move out.

Thank you for reading my late night ramblings, and I hope your week is going well so far.

Gotta love Ads…

I don’t have AdSense on my blog. I’m not trying to make any money off of this blog. And yet, when I go to view my blog as anyone else would, I see links on certain words and phrases in my blog posts that I had no idea were even there. I guess it’s just another way of throwing it in my face that I don’t own my blog. Yet. Once I am for sure that Sew Short and Crafty is the blog name I want to keep (and be known for, if I ever get known by the bigger bloggers!), I will take the next big step. Thanks for reading, friends, and don’t click on the links in my posts without hovering over them first! If it says something about “Continue to…Coupon” something or other, it’s not me. It should link to this blog, one of my other blogs, or anther blog I am talking about, as far as I know.

Have a GREAT week!

 

Natasha.

 

DIY Notebooks {Back to School 2013}

My goodness, how exciting! I get to write a post and publish it when I get done, instead of it being super late at night and I just schedule it for the next day…..

Anyway, isn’t it exciting that school starts up again soon? I start classes next Thursday, and I will finally see what it’s like to work part time and go to school full time (opposite of my dad right now, how funny!). Today, I wanted to share with you the notebooks I finished up a couple of days ago.

You need fabric, scrapbook paper, ribbon, mod podge, a brush, scissors, and any other embellishments you want to use. Oh, and spray adhesive, if you have it. I rarely buy it because it’s hard to find cheap sometimes, but I got it at JoAnn with a coupon since I love using it so much!

I started by snipping the ribbon off of a jelly roll I made months ago. I arranged the strips in a sort of design and used spray adhesive to apply them to the notebook cover. Then, I sprayed some on the inside cover and folded over the excess fabric.

Here are all four notebooks that I did. The top two are fabric, and the bottom two are scrapbook papers.

And now, here they all are with ribbons added. (again with spray adhesive)

 

Then, I coated the front of each notebook with mod podge. I printed out cute little monogram (made in MS Word), and stuck them to the front of each notebook.

Then I remembered I had this wonderful stuff….

And now, I have one shimmery notebook! The next day, I added another coat of mod podge to all of the notebooks. I did not take a picture of the finished notebooks, because they look like they do above, just with monograms. I used a matte mod podge as well.

My New Pencil Bag!

Update: My pencil bag has been featured as a part of this list!! Go and check it out, you won’t be disappointed! 🙂

Hello, everyone! In my last post, I mentioned that I had plans for a pencil bag. Well today, I am going to show you how I made my TOMS bag into a lined, boxy pencil bag! I kept seeing the ones on Pinterest that were just regular flat pencil bags, but I love the box style, so I set out to make it without much of a guide. To make my Lined TOMS Pencil Bag, you will need: a TOMS bag, lining fabric of your choice, zipper, pins, scissors, and a sewing machine or needle and thread.

The first thing I did was square up my lining fabric. The edges were a little uneven, but I couldn’t find my rotary cutter, so I just used shears. I still haven’t found it. And the blade is getting dull. Bummer.

I then centered my lining fabric on top of the TOMS logo so I could cut the bag to size.
I lined up each piece of lining, wrong sides together, with an outer piece and pinned it to keep it from sliding while I pinned and sewed the zipper in place.

It wasn’t until after I stitched the first side that I realized the zipper should have been sandwiched between the lining and the outer piece.

Since it is for my personal use, I just sucked it up and kept rolling with the punches, as they say. I also went ahead and pinned and stitched the bottom since there wasn’t the convenience of a fold. So now we have this:

Then, I moved the zipper pull out of harm’s way, flattened the “bag”, and stitched the “sides”. Cut off the excess zipper, and this could be a finished bag, if you wanted!

But I didn’t. So now, I can measure and pin my edges for the boxy shape that I want. after stitching them in place, I cut off the excess fabric with pinking shears to help prevent fraying.
And here is the finished bag! As you can see, the letters are cut off, but I love this bag. It’s adorable, I made it, and it didn’t cost me anything extra in supplies. The lining fabric is a cotton print from a grab bag I found at Goodwill.

What? You want to see actual supplies in it? Darn…I mean, okay!

Oh, by the way, here’s a shot of my pen collection…most of them, I mean. I grouped them by color just for you, my dear readers! I have a partial pack of pens in my drawer, along with several strays laying around in my room, but this is the bulk of it!

ALSO. I wanted to show you what I decided to put in my “Kit” I was talking about in my last post. Again, go to the link in that post for the full details on it, and I promise, you will love her blog!

Everything fits nicely in this Arbonne makeup bag. I have no idea where I got this from, but I’m pretty sure someone gave it to me.

Thanks so much (as always) for reading!

The Fall Semester is Looming…

BRAG ALERT! BRAG ALERT! This is to warn you that I will be heavily bragging about one of my favorite blogs. Thank you. Also, this a text-heavy post with pictures to go between paragraphs. Thank you for looking/reading/pretending to read/whatever it is you are doing right now.

 Yay it’s almost time for school to start up again!!! I’m so excited for this semester, yet nervous as well. My first year of college went by SO quickly; I can’t believe I’m a sophomore already! This time next year, I will be preparing to start taking my major classes!! I want to start this semester off right, so today I am sharing with you my “supply list” for college! Wasn’t it always helpful to have that little piece of paper every year in elementary school to tell you what you needed? Well, it helped me, and it was always exciting to get to cross things off while my mom put them in my new backpack!

 Now, obviously, this list is not for everyone, but at least it can be helpful, right? I got some of the things on my list from The College Prepster (a FANTASTIC blog, by the way!!), and the rest is all the things I use regularly during the fall and spring terms to help me stay organized. Some of the others are new for this semester, but I know they will be helpful! Improve, improve, improve!!!

Anyway, on to the list:

• Planner – Carly blogged about different types of planners on her blog pretty frequently as seen here. I used to use a simple solid colored planner, but she inspired me to pick something a little more fun, so I chose a lovely floral number from Target. It is 60-70% recycled and printed with nontoxic soy-based ink. No, I didn’t just go run and grab it to type all of that….you have no proof!! However, I will admit to taking pictures for this post as I type it. No shame in that. Right? {Similar}
• Composition Book or Journal – Okay, so Carly had a wonderful idea. And I shall link to it now. This Homework Notebook is GENIUS. I always relied on just my planner, but having a notebook just for all of this? It’s so obvious, it hurts. I found mine at Staples, and it was on sale! They had some adorable ones with magnetic buckles for a couple of dollars more, but this one just spoke to me somehow. Maybe it’s the bright colors I seem to gravitate to?

• Bag or Backpack – I carried a backpack for my first year, due to injuries sustained from two car accidents that were fairly close together. I suffered from whiplash in my neck, so I couldn’t carry the cute purple oversized tote I got from Staples or my pink messenger bag from the 4th grade. So, I have been using my little brother’s like-new grey backpack this whole time. I recently experienced the marvel that is the Dillard’s basement, and picked up a Jessica Simpson tote (originally around $88), for ONLY $30!! I was STOKED. It fits my new laptop perfectly, along with my other necessities. If you’re still not convinced that a tote is right for you, check out another lovely blog entry from The College Prepster on packing totes. {Tote}
  
• Notebooks – I picked up some wide rule and one college rule notebook for 17 cents each at Wal-Mart. I have plans for these….stay tuned!! When I got home today, it turns out my mom accidentally picked up college rule, which I was looking for in the first place! Easy swap 🙂
•  Binder – I have the same professor for my major-specific math class that I took in the spring, so I knew a new binder was a must. The other one I had was a cheap green binder from Dollar General with a binder cover taped to the front that I found on Pinterest. I got this one from Target as well, and it’s super cute! I still haven’t finished taking the label off, since it tore and I hate picking it off when it does that. It gets under my nail 😦

• Bright Post-Its and Notebook Paper – I grabbed these from the dollar section in Target. No post-its will EVER top the ham and cheese ones I got from Staples last year, but these will have to suffice, I guess. See them here on Sandwich Control! I am also obsessing over the brightly-colored notebook paper I got at Staples! They had pastels, but again, I gravitated to the brights!

•  Pens/Pencils/Highlighters/Sharpies – I did not buy any pens, highlighters, or Sharpies for this semester. Why? I have SEVERAL. I mean. Really. It’s ridiculous how many pens I have accumulated over time. As far as pencils, I have plenty (mechanical), but when I saw the Vera Bradley pencils in Dillards, I couldn’t resist. They are $12 a pack, but a worthy splurge for me! The stylus is from Boxwave, and was sent to me by the lovely folks over at PaperDesk after I reviewed their app on my other blog.

Tech Needs:

• Laptop and sleeve – Although not an absolute necessity, I like having the flexibility of being able to work on things while I’m in campus, and for some classes, this is how I can follow along/take notes on the slides for the day instead of wasting paper by printing them. My laptop is an HP ENVY dv6 series, and I love it!!! My mom gave me the sleeve for my birthday (possibly 17th, not sure). It still looks great, and neoprene is always a good way to go! {Laptop, Sleeve}
•  iPad mini, case, and Bluetooth keyboard – I got an iPad mini early this year, and it has made all the difference. When I don’t feel like lugging my laptop to class, I can just grab my mini in its case, and my purple Bluetooth keyboard and go! {iPad, Case, Keyboard}
• Flash drive – I buy these things like they are candy. They’re so cheap and versatile, I can’t resist! I have a 2GB, 4GB, and an 8GB. One is orange, one is black, and the other is a red white and blue MINI Cooper. Yes, the headlights on the car light up when I plug it in. The PNYs came from Wal-Mart, and the car came from Staples. {Orange, Black, MINI Cooper}

• Printer – A must in college. Get one. You need to print notes, syllabi, and other important things. I have an HP Officejet 6100 and it’s fast and relatively quiet compared to my last printer. Another plus? I can ePrint from my iPad mini with ease. {Source}

Misc Supplies:

• pencil pouch – Stay tuned for this as well! I have plans for one already! I am making my own and it will be uber cute!

• “OMG I Wish I Had A…” kit – ALL credit for this kit goes to Carly at The College Prepster! I would add wintergreen mints (the white circle ones) to mine. {Lip balm, Earphones, Hand Sanitizer}
• Umbrella – I cannot stress how important it is to have one of these handy. I can’t remember if it was during orientation or the Success U program (designed to prep us for the transition into college classes), but it down poured while I was on my way to the bookstore (walking, mind you). So, I paid the $12 for a blue umbrella and it’s still a champ a year later. Only now, it’s got some tie dye action going from some spilled Frappuccino and Crystal Light. Oops…
• stapler/paper clips – You need a stapler in college. You NEED a stapler in college. You need a STAPLER in college. Have I made my point? I can’t tell you how many times I have needed to staple something to turn it in and I am at a loss. GET ONE!!! They are cheap! And get the regular staples to refill it and break the strips into smaller pieces. Do not get ripped off on mini stapler refills, please.

Other Things That Would Be Nice to Have:

• Monogram Key Fob – It’s just cute. Get it in your school colors, even. {Source}
• Travel Cup – I have a green X2O water bottle that I use most of the time, but I would love to get one of those cups with the straw that I keep seeing. These run about $8 each, but me and my mom managed to snag two for *free* since they were abandoned after a symposium we both vended at. We emptied them, sanitized them, and ran them through the dishwasher a few times for good measure.  {Source}
• Phone wallet – I still want this. I have a separate wallet along with my TPU case on my phone, but it would be nice to have it all together sometimes, you know? {Source}

Thanks so much for reading and be sure to visit The College Prepster though any of the links I included above!

***Side Note: I am not in any way affiliated with The College Prepster. Her blog was simply a huge help with sorting out my first year of college and trying to stay on top of things. I hope to brag about more of my favorite blogs in the future, but for now, stay tuned for more back to school stuff!

Hello, August!!

Geez, where did July go? Between work and school, I just haven’t had much time to plan anything out for this month! But as we all know, it’s that time of year again: SCHOOL. But, if you’re in college like me, you’ve been in school this whole time still. My second summer class is coming to a close very quickly, and I will miss it dearly. I ha the pleasure of being in Dr. Allan Saxe’s State and Local Government class, and I have loved every day of it. I don’t usually take much of an interest in politics, but he makes me wish I knew more about it. I have seen so many of today’s issues in a new light and I could not have done it by myself.

I know some readers hate when bloggers use a post scheduler because it seems “impersonal” to some, but honestly, to make sure what I want to say gets posted before it’s forgotten or irrelevant, I may have to write posts up to a week ahead of time to stay ahead of the game. Now, I’m not saying that’s a sure thing either because I tried that before and the posts never made it from Word to WordPress. Ever.

OH. Before I forget. If there is anyone in the North Texas area looking for a Buffett E11 clarinet (used, about 6 years old), I have one to sell. Email me at natasha.boggan@gmail.com for more details if interested.