Them Dry Bones

The Baby Who Shall Not be Named

Amber — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:43:19 +0000

I have not been as active on this blog as I would like to be. Really at all.
These last several months have been absolutely crazy! I am currently 100 months pregnant! Technically due July 6th but I expect to pop any day now. We are keeping his name a secret for the most part until he arrives, mainly so people who don’t like it can’t say crap about it. Had a couple quarters of school (Holla, got all A’s!) , workin full time at the vet clinic. I am exhausted!

But now, I’m out of work and school and just sitting at home cooking a baby and making crafts. It is quite a nice break!

I ended up finding some cross stitching stuff buried way down in a craft box and have been going crazy on it. Not regular like “Home Sweet Home” stitching but more like “You Nasty” stitching. It’s fun.

Anyway, now that I am an actual housewife/housemommy I will be having alot more content here. I’ll keep you all updated about the baby who shall not be named!

House of Wormwood

Amber — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:09:18 +0000

If you haven’t seen the amazing House of Wormwood, you need to. Sidney makes amazing hats which have been featured on TV shows, at the opening of the Harry Potter theme park in Florida, and at SteamCon, the huge Steam Punk convention.

She is currently having a show in New Orleans which is a vampire film festival! I’m so excited to have collaborated with her! I knit and felted a few hats for her to take and decorate with her beautiful assemblages . This is the product! I think she took my knit hats and made them amazing.

My favorite.

The Second Black TopHat.

Adorable Sailor Hat

First Black Top Hat

My promise to you….

Amber — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:34:26 +0000

I know you’ve heard it all before but I really do promise to post more often. My husband and I have decided to start posting on our blogs at least once a week.We have a blog about our new house and home improvements and all that fun stuff at oursmallhouse.com And he’s got his portfolio/blog too. So, we promise to be more active.

Not much new here. The weather has been really booboo but its nice to get all cozy and snuggly in the house! Here is a picture of the weather.

The great Southern California Blizzard

Just kidding, its just been raining and chilly.

Also, I found my bead stash (which I think is really my MOM’S bead stash at my house) and made some cute little bookmarks that some people seem to hate. Here is one of my favorite ones.

To mark your books....

There are a bunch of these book marks in my Etsy Shop. Check it out, cause all the proceeds go to visiting my brother who lives in England now.

Alright well, I’m going to get ready for work now. Which is a whole ‘nother fun blog post. Maybe next time.

How to Make Chair Pad Covers!

Amber — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:38:37 +0000

This is going to be my first in a series of little how-tos!

We’ve had these ugly white chair pads for our dining room table for years. We almost bought some covers at World Market for like 20$ each, but decided it was too expensive and I’d just try to make them myself, but couldn’t find the perfect fabric.

A few weeks later, my wonderful grandmother passed away. I went with my mom to help go through her things at her house and was helping with the linen closet. I found this amazing fabric in there that my mom said I could have. What a better way to honor my grandma than to sew something she would love out of some fabric in her closet?

So I set to making some new chair cushion covers! Here is a step by step process. It’s not super detailed but please feel free to ask me if you have any questions about any of the steps.

Here is the fabric

I love this fabric

Ok, so first, lay your fabric out, folded in half with right sides facing each other (back of fabric on the outside). Lay the old cushion on top of the fabric – I laid all 4 out, to make sure I had enough to make all 4 cushions.

Lay all four out, to make sure you have enough.

Make sure to fold the fabric in half, so you cut both sides at once! Cut approximately TWO inches around the cushions to give room for the seam. Once you have all four pieces, you’re ready to sew! Keep the fabric RIGHT SIDES together for sewing.

Get that machine out!

Ok, now we’re ready to sew. I never use exact measurements or patterns but if you like to, be sure to measure and even edge all the way around the cushion, and pin together. I went in about 1.5″ on all sides. Start sewing, and as you reach the edges, curve the stitch to match the rounded curves of the cushions. If your cushions are straight edged, keep the stitch straight. Keep one side open, to stuff the cushion in and attach straps. On to the straps!

Two strips about 12 inches long for each chair.

Ok, I know the cut isn’t straight but I sewed it straight so it’s ok. So, cut two strips for each cushion about 12 inches long each. Again, place right sides together, so its like a skinny tube. Sticth all the way down the open edge and now you have an inside out tube. Take tweezers and pull the tube right side out, so its got a nice smooth seam and the colorful fabric is now on the outside. Fold these in half and iron the fold. Insert your old cushion into the open edge of the cover and pin the straps to each outside edge, with the folded half inside. This makes it look like there are 4 separate straps for each cushion, two on each side to tie to the chair. Sew a straight, clean seam along the open edge, locking in the cushion and straps.

All done!

Tie your beautiful creation to your chair and bask in your creative glory! If you want to make the dimples in each cushion, just take a needle and matching thread and stitch the fabric tight through the cushion. Easy!

Now finish your other cushions and post your finished product here! I want to see what you made! Heres our dining room table, with all four cushions. I love you grandma and thanks for the creativity and skills you instilled in me since I was a little girl!

Grandma would be proud!

Never Fear!

Amber — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:44:36 +0000

I have returned to you!

Lots of new stuff has happened since I last graced this lowly blog with my presence. My husband and I are looking for a new house, which is alot harder than I anticipated. I never thought I would have a strong dislike for real estate investors. They are snagging up all the houses we like before we get a chance! We even tried to get one that the old residents left POOP in and they got it first! Stupid poop loving investors. So in the meantime we are living in his mom’s house. Its way bigger than our apartment and we don’t pay $1000 a month for it, so its all good!

Also one of my friends Melissa is having a baby human growing inside of her. Weird. But, anyway, I started making a baby blanket for her called Tiramisu on the Ravelry site. It is such a gorgeous blanket (when other people made it). I just hope her baby is triangular because it keeps getting narrower. I should be done soon and I will post pictures.

Tomorrow I am going to Vegas with my husband and his band Only For the Night. They are playing at the Double Down on Friday! I’m pretty excited.

I don’t like making a post without pictures so I will give you one picture per subject. Enjoy.

Kitty Bones Jones!

Amber — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:30:24 +0000

So here is a new ACEO I made. I just listed it on Ebay for sale for ONE DOLLAR. So just bid on it to make me feel good.
We’re trying to save up for a house down payment one dollar at a time….hey. Whatever it takes.

Oh and search AmbersArk on ebay.

Disneyland. The sexiest place on earth.

Amber — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:04:32 +0000

So here is my husband, my sister-in-law and myself on Space Mountain. We’re the back three.

I hope the two girls in front bought the picture as a keepsake and forever have our faces etched into their memories.

Don't look at me that way.

Amber — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:28:08 +0000

Hi. I am taking a break from housework. I was up late last night working on a project about the sequencing of the human genome. It was sooo freakin exciting I just had to take a break and sleep off the eagerness of learning more.
I turned it in in class today. Which by the way – my teacher teaches by powerpoint only. So that means, a 7:30am class in the DARK while someone drones on about genetics.
I always try to fight it but i end up with my eyes closed and my head angled down toward my notebook so I kind of look like I’m concentrating.
Today I did that but woke up suddenly and looked back at the powerpoint and noticed the teacher looking at me while talking with a funny look on her face. I realized that my eyes were kind of crossed. I was THAT tired.
Todays lesson -Don’t look at biology teachers with crossed, half asleeep eyes while they are teaching about Down Syndrome.

Zwounds!

Amber — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:51:30 +0000

Just got home a bit ago from building the Renaissance Faire. Yes. I AM that nerdy. I’ve been doing the faire for like over 10 years and it still holds a tender little spot in my heart. Yeah, its in the corner with the cobwebs and some shackles with skeletons – but its still there.
I am very happy to see Sid and AnnaLisa. We always have so much drunken super nerd fun. Mostly we just make fun of people and sell handmade soap in the meantime. Nomenclature Bath’s website is down right now but Ill let you know when its up. Super awesome soaps, cremes, and bath stuffs.
But I always want to do a flying donkey-punch to the people who are in full costume and in full character when we are just BUILDING the damn thing. STOP SAYING “AYE M’LADY” IF I ASK IF I CAN BORROW YOUR MAKITA!
And I always look forward to seeing these kinds of people. Or dread it. Im not quite sure what that feeling is….

Smitten Kitten

Amber — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:33:03 +0000

So for the last 4 days I’ve been having to wake up every 2 hours. No, not to pee.

For this little guy! Introducing BARLEY! He came to my work in a Budweiser box (hence the name). He was only a couple days old when we got him, his umbilical cord was still attached!
So even though getting up every 2 hours sucks hard, this kitten makes it a little more fun.

I’ll be taking pics of him all the time and posting his updates. We won’t be keeping him, and will be adopting him to a good home when hes 8 weeks old.
That sunflower thing is a heating bag filled with corns. It makes a perfect warm mama zone for him at night.