DIY - Cross-Stitch Sleeping Mask

First thing you need to make your own cross-stitch pattern is get some graphing paper. Then just draw whatever you want to cross-stitch on the graph paper. Don't worry about making it match up with lines or anything. (This drawing is scaled down to half the sized of what the pattern is going to be.)

 Once your picture is finished, you want to put in some guide lines.... since this is half scale, the guide lines are every five squares.  It makes it much easier when you then re-draw you picture on to the next piece of graphing paper. Before you transfer the pattern on the next piece of graph paper, you'll want to draw guide lines on it. This time I drew the guidelines ever ten squares so each square coordinates with a square on the fabric. When drawing you want to make sure that your lines are either straight or diagonal on the graph lines so that when you use the pattern to cross-stitch

 Color your picture and then start making your design. I also use thin thread to represent the guidelines on the fabric. I utilized a lot of dark colors for borders and lighter colors for the rest of the area.

As you can see the lines are all straight or diagonal. It is almost like making a picture very pixelated. Then each square you stitch is a pixel. 

 Once you have finished, you can remove the thread guidelines. I then used my pattern to stitch the backing fabric.

 Then I sewed on a elastic and biased tape, to cover the edges.

 ALL DONE :D

WEDDING

Saturday August 13th, 2011 - The day I married my Lovey :D

I awoke early that morning so that I could drive down to Sioux Falls to get my hair done. My dad drove and my sister Cassi rode along, and I painted my toenails a sparkly shimmer. Needless to say I was NERVOUS!!!!!!! So on the way down, the told me the dirtiest jokes they knew to distract me from being nervous. It worked pretty well. Dad dropped Cassi and I off at the salon and then went over to the church to open it, in case the cake decorator decided to drop of the cake before the wedding. So I got my hair done by a wonderful woman named Emily. She was very nice and I felt so bad for her because she had chipped a tooth the night before and was in a lot of pain and had canceled all of her appointments, besides me. Then, of course, Dad was suppose to pick us back up... but it took him longer to get across town then he thought it would and so we had to wait for about 30 minutes for him to come and get us. Did I mention that Cassi brought a cute (and crying) baby Keegan with her? So waiting around in the salon was... not so much fun.

Meanwhile, Christopher had driven from Hendricks, MN (where he had a video-game-playing-eating-junk-food bachelor party the night before) to Brookings, so that he could get a professional shave. Of course when he got to the Razor's Edge, they informed him that they don't do shaves... Thank goodness for Brookings Barbers being open. Otherwise Chris would've been scruffy for the wedding. So he was able to make it to the church on time. I must say though, the best man was specifically told that he need to make sure that Chris' hair was done.... Chris' hair was not done, ever.

Cassi doing my make-up

So Cassi and I finally get to the church (HALLELUJAH!!!!) and we are a bit behind. Chris was walking down the hall, looking fabulous in his tux, as I came in carrying my dress. (I was running on mormon standard time... what can I say.) So we hurried into the ladies room to do make-up and get dressed.

Mom and Charity zipping me into my dress

It must be said that Charity was fabulous and made my hair piece for me. It is so pretty, with feathers, beading, and a flower. She also made it so I could wear it as a head band and then clip a veil onto if for pictures. So once we got my make-up done (note to other brides-to-be: tryout your lipstick/stain before putting it on for the wedding, otherwise you might be stuck with too dark lips.) I got the dress on and adjusted. I was ready to go... but even more nervous. My heart felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest.

Alyssa "fluffing" my dress as I am about to walk into the chapel

And then I walked into the chapel and down the aisle with my Christopher. My lovely matron of honor, Emma, was also are pianist and played beautifully. We sat and the Bishop gave an invocation and then we had a special musical performance of the song "Lucky" by Cassi and her husband, Bryce. The Bishop then gave Chris and I some words of wisdom and then continued onto the exchange of vows and rings. I kissed Chris so hard, I nearly knocked him over. (What?.. I wanted to make it count. You only have your first kiss as a married couple once.) We were then presented to the congregation as Mr. and Mrs. Perra!!!!! 

My Aunt Terry, who was so kind to take all these pictures, hurried out into the foyer so she could take a picture as we left the chapel. Chris, myself, and our parents stood outside the chapel doors as guests exited so we could thank them for coming... and so they could congratulate us. Once most of the guests had left, it was PICTURE TAKIN' TIME!!!

I tried not to get grass stains on my dress... I did not succeed.
Thanks Wen for helping!

Thanks to all my high school friends for coming and support Chris and I on our special day

Our Wedding Party
Best Man - Thomas. Groom's Man - Royce. Flower Girl - Kaija. Bride's Maid - Wen.
Matron-of-Honor - Emma.  Ring-Bearer- Julius 

My brother and brother-in-law where Chris' groom's men because Chris's brother is shy when it comes to standing up in front of people and everyone else Chris asked weren't able to make it :( My bridesmaids were fabulous. Wen went shopping with me and helped me plan. Emma took care of the music (because, believe me, when it comes to music, I haven't a clue)! Wooot! for great bridesmaids :D

Here's as picture of most of the family that was able to make it to the wedding
Some people didn't realize that we were taking pictures afterwords ... oh well

Next my awesome sister Marchet and my wonderful Aunt Terry took some lovely pictures of us. Here's just a couple. I hopefully will be making an album on Facebook some time soon. 

We then headed off to the reception. There was a bit a panic because no one knew where the decorations had gone to, turns out my dad put them in Marchet's car but didn't tell her so they weren't delivered to the reception right after the ceremony like they were supposed to be. Oh well.... It all got sorted out in the end. 

If you didn't notice on our announcement, we had a nautical theme going on. We had the colors of blue and grey to reflect the ocean. For centerpieces, we rented model ships from an antique store and then surrounded them in blue chiffon. We placed Jones soda bottles and little strips of paper on the tables so that our guests could write well wishes and put them as messages in a bottle. I took the cartridges out of cheap pens and put them up the hollow stems of feathers... so they could write with "quills".

This is our amazing cake topper, made by the amazing Cami. She made it out of sculpting clay and then some how baked and glazed it. I don't think she had a kiln. But it's perfect!!! Even better than I had imagined it.

Our cake was made by Vicki, the cake decorator at the Brookings Hy-Vee. I worked at that bakery for many years and as a high schooler I would look over that wedding cake book... thinking of what I would choose for my wedding. One things was always for sure though, that I wanted Vicki to make my wedding cake. She is one of the most amazing women in the entire world. She is a talented artist. She was always there to listen to my problems and give me advice and support. And I think you all can agree. This cake looks amazing. And it tasted even better!! (First layer chocolate with chocolate creme filling. Second white with raspberry. Third marble with whipped creme. Fourth chocolate again. - Buttercreme frosting)

We had our reception at our apartment complex in the community room. It was just the right size. (And we didn't have to spend an arm and leg.) I was so glad that we had lots of relatives come. Most of Chris' family came out from Minneapolis. My grandparents & aunt came from South Carolina. My grandma, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, aunt, uncle, and cousins came from Texas. My sister, bother-in-law, and nephew came from Georgia. My brother came from Portland. My aunt and uncle came down from Fargo. It was so wonderful to have relatives that I don't get to see very often come to the wedding :)Here I am throwing my bouquet. My cousin Maddie caught it, though I'm pretty sure she won't be the next one married since she's only 13 ;)

Soon it was time for Chris and I to leave. We said goodbye and after lots of hugs and kisses we put our bags in the car and drove away. (Surprisingly enough, no one did anything to our car. Not even a just married sign.) The next day we flew off to Florida and had a wonderful honeymoon. But that's another story for another post. 

L-O-V-E

I realize that I am somewhat delayed in updating my blog. However, I have a very good reason. Actually, the best reason of all time. You see, I'm in love! Those of you who are in a serious relationship know what I am talking about. I found the man that makes me happy. All that matters to me is being with him. He completes my life... he is my life. I love him with all my heart and soul. Love isn't even an adequite word to describe my feelings for him. Now, the manner or the time frame in which we met is not important. What is important is that in 28 days he will be mine! We will be married and nothing will ever come between us... I am so excited!

His name you might ask... The name that fills my heart with joy. Chris!

Now, that I have found my soulmate doesn't mean that I won't have any more misadventures... But they will all be worth it. We will have them together from this day forward! (and believe me we've already run in to quite a few misadventures)...more to come

Saint Patrick's Day Extravaganza!

So, as most of you know, St. Patrick's Day is my favorite holiday. Each year I like to have a party with food, games, and fun! This year I volunteered to be the party planner for March's Young Single Adult church activity. Of course I went over board and made lots of plans and spent lots of time on those plans. The first thing I did was make a Leprechaun to hang on my door. I spent far too long making this leprechaun but I had fun anyway.

A wee man made from construction paper! 

One of the reasons it took so long to make this took so long is because I decided to make a image on the computer to basis if off of first. Using a mixture of paint and word I was able to make this!

I also spend a good hour or two making the flyer for the party. Mostly because I made the border and edited the picture myself.

Now, I'm sure you all are bored of my preparations for the party. I'm sure you want to hear about the party itself.

The party went of very smoothly and I think most every one had lots of fun! I knew that we needed an activity  for people to do while we were waiting for food to finish cooking and be set out.... Ergo.... COLORING CONTEST!!!!!!!

This is everyone coloring.
Also, notice the lovely decorations. Thanks to my mother for decorating while I worked on getting everything ready for the main activity. 

This was my submission... I didn't win :( 

After everything was ready.... It was time to eat! I think that my favorite part of St. Patrick's Day is the food, specifically Irish soda bread, cabbage soup, and corned beef.

Sister F, the picture of Irish hospitality!
Notice our beverages are Ginger Ale and Root Beer... lol  

Pictures of the food up close
(actually pictures are from last year but they work)

After dinner, there was a treasure hunt... We followed clues (which were very clever if I do say so myself) to different places in the building. I used the large leprechaun I had made out of construction paper to be the starting point and then each of the additional clues had the little image attached to them. So it was like we were chasing the leprechaun around the building. It was lots of fun because everyone really got into guessing the clues and running back and forth across the building. I had 15 clues and it lasted about half an hour. The last clue said, "If books are knowledge, and knowledge is treasure, you'll surely find gold here at the rainbow's end." .... needless to say, the pot of gold was in the library. 

Treasure of chocolate gold coins at the rainbow's end!

After the treasure hunt we wrapped up the party with watching Darby O'Gill and the Little People. I have already mentioned this movie before in my blog but I must say, it is a really excellent movie and I highly recommend it. I am truly amazed by the how good the special effects are in this film given that is was made in 1959. Also, for you James Bond fans out there, this films stars a young Sean Connery. Also, you'll come away from this movie smiling and humming.

"Oh, she is my dear, my darling one 
Her eyes so sparkling full of fun 
No other, no other can match the likes of her 
Oh, she is my dear, my darling one 
My smiling and beguiling one 
I love the ground she walks upon 
My darling Irish girl"

So if every you need party ideas for St. Patrick's Day... you can ask me! Also, I have those recipes for the food if anyone wants them.

Twitter

So in order to be more accessible to employment opportunities, I am making myself more visible on the internet. Ergo, I made a twitter account. Yes, me, a twitter-er. I am sure I will hardly ever use it. But if you have one you should "follow" me and then I will "follow" you back. I promise I will never-ever-ever post silly tweets about how I'm shopping or eating ice cream... I'm not even sure what to tweet. Any ideas? Let me know in the comment section. 


Oh! and my twitter page is twitter.com/_miss_kay_ (I had almost forgot)

Work Update

I am still looking for a job in psychology. In November, I got certified as a nurses' assistant. So I am thinking that I should CPR certified as well. Then I figure I will be irresistible to potential employers :)

Meanwhile, I'm working two part-time jobs. One of course, at the bakery. The other one is helping out cleaning a couple times a week downtown at local businesses. Not a whole lot but it's more than nothing. I am still volunteering at the mental health clinic. And in my free time I loiter at a used bookstore for hours on end... and am considered, and I quote, "a pseudo employee." 

If you know of any job openings let me know! (But only if it is in a warmer climate than South Dakota... I'm completely serious... I'm freezing here... brrrrr)

Happy New Year

Dear Friends & Family,

Happy New Year! I wish you all peace and joy this coming year. May you achieve your goals and find happiness everyday.

Now this time of year, it is customary for people to look back at what they have accomplished in the year and then to send that information out in a Christmas newsletter/card. So I decided to do both.

Card:

Newsletter:

The 2010 ended as it had begun; in the living room of my parents home, celebrating with the customary leap at the stroke of twelve.

The month of January had many new begins. I began my internship at the offices of the Guardian ad Litem, court appointed attorneys on behalf of minors. There I read pages upon pages of files and compiled cases summaries. I also began my last semester at Brigham Young University. Though it seemed to take forever and incredibly stressful, I finally finished in April, graduating with a bachelor of science in psychology and a minor in business.

Though I did have some fun that semester, including a masquerade ball and a Harry Potter dance! For the masquerade, I made a mask myself out of plaster and other odds and ends from the hobby store. It was lots of fun. There was a dance class for 1800’s style dancing. I would’ve stayed in there the entire time but my feet hurt and my dress was too long to not have my shoes on.

The Harry Potter dance was lots of fun as well. I didn’t have a date so I decided to knock on the guys’ side of the apartment complex looking for single guys that were free for the night. I did eventually find a guy and we went to the dance. It was excellent and I got 5^th place in the trivia contest!

(Edited this picture a bit to make Snape look more real... using paint and Picasa. It doesn't look that bad... right?)

The summer of 2010: After graduating, I returned home and right away I was able to support my nephew Peter by walking in the Great Strides walk for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation with my sister Cherry.

The rest of the summer I read many books and spend quite a bit of time with friends. We even had a pretty awesome un-birthday party.

And to keep myself active in the world of psychology, I volunteered, and continue to do so, at a mental health clinic about once a week.

The most awesome thing I did this summer was fly out to Portland for my brother’s wedding. But of course, if you’re reading this, you’ve already seen my tremendously long post about that.

Once the summer was over, I started working at the bakery again. Sweet! (Literally, I eat cookies and donuts nearly every time I work.)

The fall and the beginning of winter have been pretty awesome for me. In September I turned 23. I had a pretty awesome birthday, which included an terrific pirate birthday cake.

For Halloween I was Medusa. I made a bunch of snakes (see last post) and my mom made me a dress. Take those things and add in some vampire fangs and make-up (include green spay-on hair dye) and voula! you have ancient Greek mythological character. (Who apparently eats angels.)

The Holiday season was quite nice this year. Thanksgiving was also very epic. My sister, brother-in-law, nephew, grandma, aunt, uncle, and cousins came up from Texas. So naturally our house was jammed packed and there was lots of good. The Texans froze of course (and the temperature wasn’t even in the negatives yet… *sigh*).

(Two of my sisters and their sons during the Thanksgiving break)

This Christmas I was in charge of the stockings and took great delight in filling them with care. We also decided to decorate the tree with gingerbread cookies instead of ornaments. My sister Cherry got me the Wizard of Oz special 70^th anniversary edition (with sing-a-long feature)!

(Notice the awesome squirrels!)

New Years, I was planning to have a party but the weather was terrible, so only a few friends were able to make it. But we had a good time and good food.

So cheers to the old year and onto the new!

Much Love,

-Miss Kay