Craft-Me-Downs

Three cheers for Grandmas and their crafting supplies!

Hip hip HOORAY!
Hip hip HOORAY!
Hip hip HOORAY!

I may or may not have casually mentioned to my grandma that I was looking to get into cross stitching...
I MAY or may not have begged her to show me how it works...
I may OR MAY NOT have known about the trove of cross stitching supplies stored in her basement...
and I just might have known that my grandma loves to pass along hand-me-downs.

I admit to nothing.

All accusations aside, my extremely generous grandmother has bestowed upon me an entire brown paper grocery bag filled with what I like to call Craft-Me-Downs.

There is such a thing as Banjo Cloth!?!?!

And not just cross stitching supplies, either! She also gave me a stack of magazines with all sorts of cute crafts in them!

A lot of the magazines are Christmas themed, but no worries! There will be plenty of time for that next autumn.

I can't wait to tear into some of these projects! I think with a little creativity, some of the designs could even be slightly altered to be more customized to the rest of the decor in the house.

I'm curious, do most of you like to go out and buy craft supplies? Or do you also get hand-me-downs or swap materials with other crafters?

Here's to a good work week everyone!

Parties:

Finches & Snowflakes

I hate winter.

Especially ones like this one where we spend more time sinking in mud than dealing with snow.

But, on occasion, my Grinch-ish heart is genuinely touched by the beauty of a fresh, heavy snow.

Part of making my dream home a reality is incorporating our surroundings into our living space. Tim and I are both nature-lovers (by nature? sorry, couldn't resist) and enjoy observing the local wildlife. When it comes to the interior of our home we are always looking for natural accents like wooden fixtures, stone decor, etc. But when it comes to the great outdoors, we are looking for ways to enjoy and experience our beautiful area.

Our new favorite way to bring nature into our daily lives and home? Birds!

Recently, Tim and I splurged on some serious bird feeding equipment. Droll Yankee is the authority company for high quality backyard birding materials. We purchased the tri-feeder stand, two new column feeders (one with peanuts for woodpeckers and one for normal seed), and a domed tray feeder.

We had noticed as soon as we moved in that there was a dense population of song birds in the area. We bought a basic feeder and threw it together with an old Shepard's pole we had found under the deck. Instantly our back yard was invaded by our new feathery friends and we were so happy to see them! Now, several months later, we have at least a dozen different species of birds that visit regularly. We call them our pet birdies... (mostly as an attempt to stave off the temptation to buy actual pet birds for indoors).

Currently our regular guests are titmice, black-capped chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, sparrows, common red-polls, American gold finches, cardinals, mourning doves, eastern blue birds, European starlings, red-bellied woodpeckers, and downy woodpeckers, with the occasional house finch and mocking bird stopping by.

In order to properly appreciate all our new friends, we recently also treated ourselves to these bad boys:

 

These binoculars are perfect for backyard birding. Not too expensive, high quality, and super clear vision. The field of view is 330 feet and the magnification is 8X42. These not only come highly recommended from us, but also by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a major resource for the world of birding.

Our Bushnell binoculars never leave the dining room table and sit right next to our copy of The National Wildlife Federation's Field Guide to Birds of North America. This way, when we have guests during the day, they can easily get a close look if someone interesting pops up at the feeder. Not to mention Tim and I ourselves spend quite a bit of time observing and identifying our "pet birdies."

We also purchased a window feeder, which is my (and our chickadees', finches', and tit mices') new favorite thing!

Getting to see some of my favorites "pets" up close is a real treat. And having this view from the dining room table really adds something to the whole dining area. With the large palm plant, the bird species print, and our feeders, we're thinking the final dining room will probably have a nature/bird/woods theme.

*ding* Ooo! How about an inspiration round up for this theme next week? I like how that sounds... shoot me an email if you've got something along those lines and would like to be featured!

What elements do you bring in from the great outdoors? I'd love to hear/see what you guys think!

Linking Up Here:



Happy weekend everybody! Cheers!

Same Bach, Different Story

It's Musical Tuesday here at The FFH. Hope you all are getting a good start to your week...

Tuesday is when I get a little wordy, so bear with me, but when it comes to music I think there's a lot to say.

Last week I described (way too briefly) the importance of the Bach Cello Suites. These pieces have been interpreted and reinterpreted for hundreds of year now.

Yesterday, though, while reading a post at Stacy Uncorked, I stumbled upon an interpretation I had never heard before.

This arrangement is by Steven Sharp Nelson, of the group The Piano Guys.

Lots of people try to spice up classical repertoire (a specialty my high school band was actually pretty proficient in!), and lots of people end up with something that sounds like a nerdy, middle school orchestra rendition of the original piece.

Not this guy. (And not my high school band either, might I add!)

This arrangement is modern and accessible. It features a heavy back-beat, which is a please-all when it comes to rhythm, and traditional harmonies with just enough dissonance to spice things up a bit...

In English: Steven has put a head bobbing,  hip hop beat behind what would normally be just a string of notes that are all the same length. This adds shape and brings a classical piece to a level where those who aren't used to digesting classical music can understand it. He also added harmonies (lots of them, as you can see) that are commonly found in movie soundtracks and other mainstream media, while also throwing in a few surprises here and there. Again, he's embellishing in such a way that non-classically trained listeners can enjoy and understand.

I'm reminded of my all time favorite music quote by Aaron Copland, an American composer in the mid-twentieth century...

“When I speak of the gifted listener, I am thinking of the nonmusician primarily, of the listener who intends to retain his amateur status. It is the thought of just such a listener that excites the composer in me.”

I think a lot of people are put off by the idea that you have to know something to enjoy classical music. 

I also think that those active in the classical soundscape sometimes enjoy making other people feel that way.

I also think that that's a really quick way to self-annihilate classical music all together. And that would be a shame.

In response to this attitude, it is my personal mission to turn as many people on to classical music as possible.

Re-imaginings of classic repertoire (defined in my previous post) like Steven's arrangement above make it easy. Some will say that it's misleading to take this approach with new listeners, I say it's a short bridge from having fun with these arrangements to appreciating the original works. A point on which I've argued with many a professional musician... (and won)

Without beginners, where will music come from?

Without foundational knowledge, where will beginners come from?

Without a friendly introduction, where will foundations come from?

Power to the amateurs!

Rah-rah-rah!

P.S. If you've always wanted to pick up an instrument and never have, just do it. I don't care how old you are or what you think you're good at. Just get started. We need more of you beginners out there  :-)

Best Monday Ever!

Three awesome things going on right now:
1. I actually got outside and went for a run this morning. Woot woot for me!
2. I have a really cool project to share.
3. I was featured!

I guess my handmade barrettes went over pretty well over at Watch Out, Martha! Feels so good to be recognized for some creativity!

On with more craftiness!

Tim and I have a friend named Zach Cooper who joined the band Coheed and Cambria last year. He is an amazing musician, and we were so happy to see him get such a great gig. So deserving! 

Of course, when the band's double-vinyl album came out (The Afterman: Ascension and The Afterman: Descension)  we immediately purchased it. I have to say, the approach to the whole project is just amazing. The design is impeccable, the product is very professionally made, and the sound, the sound, the sound. It about knocked me and Tim over. Clearly a major feat for the group to have completed such a perfectly executed artistic work.

We had purchased other Coheed albums in the past few months to learn more about the band after Zach joined in.(We had always liked them, but just didn't know much about them.) But this latest project is clearly taking things to a whole new level.

AND! The whole deal came with autographed guitar picks. Hmmm what to do, what to do...
  
We couldn't just leave them in the box. No no no, that wouldn't do at all!

And there happen to be an empty spot on the wall in our music studio that was crying for a sentimental piece.  

Cue light bulb moment *ding!*

Of to Micheal's we went. Notice the beautiful silver and gold colors on the album cover? We decided to mount the picks on craft paper of those two colors and frame them in a plain black frame with black and white matting.

We lined up how we wanted everything with the matting to make sure it looked right...
Then we glued the papers together and let them sit for a while under some very heavy books.

Once we were sure the glue had dried we marked the corners and trimmed down the colored papers so that they would fit in the frame, behind the matting.

Then we just lined up the colors so it was half and half and taped the edges down on the back of the matting...

Ta da! There we go. Some very small duct tape loops (we didn't have double sided tape laying around and didn't think to pick it up at Micheal's) holds the picks in place.

And there she is in context. Pretty sweet, right? So happy to have a souvenir of our friend's new adventure in our music room! Not to mention a joint crafty project for me and Tim. It's not every day your boyfriend suggests a trip to Micheal's, am I right ladies?

Linking up here:

Happy Monday!

  

Future Fantasies Friday

Can you tell I'm a sucker for alliteration?

It's a daydream-y kind of day and as I gaze out my dining room window and observe the squirrels as they devour my over-priced birdfeed (thank you, squirrels) I find myself planning out the projects I'm trying to get started on.

What better way to get these plans into motion than to blog about them? Am I right?

For now, I'll just post a couple "before" photos. Soon I'll be doing some round-ups for inspiration. If you've got ideas, please share!

This little treasure here is a space at work. It's a corner in the hallway that leads to our classrooms.

It's totally exposed to all of our customers.

It's wasted space.

It's not creative.

It's ugly. (Not the baby picture, he's cool.)

I asked my boss if I could have at it as we are trying to revamp the whole building to keep things fresh.

Of course, the big red metal coat rack has got to go. Hooks will replace it. But who can just throw the thing out and throw some hooks on the wall???

"Not I," said the compulsive decorator, "To Michael's and thrift stores, AWAY!"

And we're off! So that's one project on my mind.

Meanwhile, back at the farm, we got our new garden shed delivered!

It was a process.

But there she blows! OK, so she's not new, just new to us. But I think with a power-washer, some paint, and a few new boards for the trim, we should be in good shape. As soon as it gets just a little warmer outside, we'll be digging in to this one.

That's all for now. These are just a couple of the projects rolling around in my head. I'm very excited about all the possibilities, but how to choose one project to get started! I'll have to start drawing projects from a hat... oh! there's another cool idea...

I'm leaving before things get worse. Happy weekend, everyone!

Happy Things Thursday Round-Up

On Thursdays, I like to focus on the little things that inspire me or make me happy!

It's my way of getting a final burst of energy towards the weekend... we're on the home stretch!

So, while spending my QT with Google Reader and coffee this morning, I came across these three particular posts that, well, made me happy! Enjoy!

Over at Keeping It Stepford, Maria described how she was looking for a way to organize her scrap-booking materials. All the specialty stuff was crazy expensive, but a short trip to an office supply store provided her with a solution for way less! 10 Frugal Points for Maria!

Elena at 'A Casarella made these white elephant present toppers that I thought were just adorable. Just a clothes pin and a small figurine can turn into so much! My brain almost exploded with ideas for other variations...

And for the big finale, Christine at The Crafty Woman has a Pinterest board that absolutely changed how I look at Easter decor. Normally, I can't stand when Easter comes around. Nothing against the holiday! But all the pastels and subdued designs... yucky. I'm too bold a personality for stuff like that. Christine's board brings out a whole different, more confident design scheme with nods to Victorian styling that I am absolutely in love with. Now I must go shopping!!!

So these ladies are what's inspiring me this week, what do you guys think? Head over to their blogs, they've got tons of fun ideas and projects going on!

Wordless Wednesday

I like this Wordless Wednesday thing... I think I shall partake.

1,000 Pageviews!

So to most bloggers out there who already have loyal followings, 1,000 page views might not seem like much...

But for someone who's only been at it two months, it feels pretty amazing!

Thank you to everyone who has been reading, commenting, offering suggestions, and supporting me in creating The Frugal Freshman Homemaker. I'm having a blast and I can't wait to see where this new adventure takes me!

Cheers!

Bach & Scotland

So here's something we haven't touched on yet; I'm a cellist.

I'm a lazy cellist.

But! I've been pretty good in the new year about turning around my practicing habits. As in, having any practicing habits to speak of.

I'm going through a very scary period of time where my muscles cannot keep up with the music I need to be able to play. I've been hired here and there and asked to play at functions, but I've allowed my muscles and tendons to deteriorate to the point at which they can't keep up with the repertoire I'm used to playing.

This is directly due to the fact that by the time I graduated with my degree in Cello Performance, I was so sick of playing the cello, I just didn't play it anymore. Now my fingers, wrists, arms, and back are all very, very angry with me. Who can blame them?

The good news is, little by little, I've been getting it back. Cello muscles are like any other muscles in the body. They must be routinely exercised and challenged to extend their limits.

Today I chose to do some Bach run-throughs and then start some new fiddle material. I need an hour and a half of comfortable repertoire by April 11th, which actually is looking pretty doable, but will take work. It will be background music at a cocktail hour at the resort I live near.

It's actually a gorgeous resort called Mohonk Mountain House. You should check it out.

Anyway, back to the rep (short for repertoire, meaning catalog of music to be performed)

For those of you who don't know, cellists basically have Bach to thank for their existence as any type of featured, soloistic, melodic instrument. His Six Suites for the Solo Cello are basically a cellist's bible. If you've ever listen to a movie score or a commercial on TV that has cello in it, chances are you were listening to one of Bach's compositions for the cello.

To be way briefer than I'd like to be as to why this is a big deal, the bottom line is the cello wouldn't have ordinarily been featured as a soloist before these pieces came out. So not only are they one of the first nods to the cello's ability to carry a piece on its own, but these pieces laid a foundational set of music for all cellists to come to interpret. Every serious cellist ever, literally, has taken their shot at what they think these pieces should sound like. And the possibilities are endless.

It made sense that of all places for me to start getting myself back into a relationship with Cocoa (my cello, she has a name) the beginning made the most sense.

To reach into much more recent music, I am also bringing out my old fiddle books (especially Crossing to Scotland, by Abbey Newton) to mix up my styles a little bit. Bach may be like taking cello vitamins, but fiddle music is like running cello marathons.

Originally developed on (you guessed it!) fiddles, this music is always challenging, especially for my bow arm. For private events like this cocktail hour I'm doing, fiddle music is an easy fix. It's happy, fun to play, makes people smile, and you can repeat it.

And repeat it and repeat it and repeat it.

You can play the same darn song the whole night if you'd like. If it's a good tune, no one will care. I don't intend on playing one song for the whole hour and a half, but it doesn't hurt to have some filler music in your back pocket for when you're out of ideas.

So that's what's going on in The Woodshed today. We named our music studio The Woodshed after the saying "I've got some serious woodshedding to do," which is what musicians we know say when they need to practice. Hopefully I can get enough rep together in time for April!