Father Figure

As an adult I realize more and more how much of a creative influence my dad has had in my life. He is a true DIYer and is a natural at it. He has an affinity for old cars and loves nothing more than to hang out in his garage and tinker around with them. His garage is a DIY oasis which I will dedicate an entry to soon.

A prime example of his craftiness is on his VW bug. I caught a glimpse of something on the passenger-side door and saw this:


I just love the fact that he even had the idea to do this.

So, for his birthday I decided to combine something I love with something he loves. An old car paper collage was born:

Will Make Monkeys for Money

A co-worker saw the monkeys I made for the silent art auction at work and asked if I would make one for her daughter. I said yes and then had to tell her what I charged.
Um, so far nothing.
Putting a dollar amount on crafty creations can be very tricky. I tend to low ball (read: free) because I am usually making them for a friend or relative. This sock monkey commission was a challenge because I didn't know this co-worker that well. I finally came up with a price and she said, "Are you sure?" Well, at that point I couldn't make the price higher. So, she ordered two! To prove that the monkeys were worth more than I charged, she tucked the money in a Starbucks gift card which was equal to the amount of one monkey. Now I know I can charge more—or just ask for gift cards in exchange!

So, as a result these 2 little creatures were created—too cute for words. Although her adorable daughters are giving these monkeys a run for their money!

Jessica and Dan do HGTV

So a lot has happened in the past couple of months. The biggest thing worth mentioning is that I moved from my beloved little apartment into my beloved boyfriend's house. I loved that apartment, but I love my boyfriend more.

Since the end of April we've done a lot of work on the house: new drywall, removed carpeting, refinished hardwood floors (a glorious surprise under the carpeting!), painted, and more. I'm pretty sure we've got a great idea in a new series for HGTV entitled: DIY Therapy - Strengthening Relationships One Household Project at a Time. So far we could be the hosts (we have worked pretty well together) although I had a moment of utter frustration this weekend when I couldn't take it anymore (too much stuff - not enough space!) and crawled right into bed to ignore it all. I believe that moment had the makings for a great first episode.

Below is a sneak-peek photo of one of the many projects we tackled.
Needless to say there has been little time for crafting. I will post a couple of things I was able to sneak in between house projects.