#22 Crochet a Stuffed Animal

I made this giraffe for my "soon-to-be" nieces.  This project was a little daunting at first, but turned out to be really easy! Very cute!

#21 Crochet a Baby Hat

I made this baby hat for our marriage mentor's daughter, and it's simply precious.  I love the oversized rose.

#17 Make a Scarf for Andrew

I made Andrew a scarf! He loves it, and that makes me happy!

Being Creative Isn't Easy

Being creative isn't the easiest thing in the world. The unfortunate side of being creative is following through on your ideas and seeing them come to fruition. I can come up with a million ideas about a million different situations, whether it's a creative solution to a problem, fixing something or being artistic. It is this last concept that I primarily deal with.

I love to write. I have a passion for combining words and syntax in a manner that not only conveys my idea, but generates a response. Creating a connection through the written word is not as easy as it seems. It seems that being a good writer isn't a prerequisite for getting published. I've read a number of books, both fiction and nonfiction, that has a good storyline, but the construction of sentences and word choices make for a bumpy and terrible ride. It's not always the author, sometimes it is the publisher. Either way, I cannot stand short, choppy sentences. They don't flow. They are useful at times. They seem uncreative. They force the reader. Sometimes, however, using style to create a desired response is a sign of a good writer. Most novelists seem to only know the short, choppy variety.

I'm not a huge fan of blockbuster novels. Pretty much anything from Dan Brown, James Patterson and the like will have a good story but terrible writing. I end up thinking, "That was a good story" and that's it. I want to write literature. I want stories that create discussion and buzz, though not necessarily controversy. I want a storyline that virtually any reader can see their self in. I want to create something that lasts – a legacy.

And that takes a pasture of creativity. With things in plain view and yet hidden trails that take a lot of exploring to find. Streams that take you to a different setting and yet remains connected. I don't want the freeway story, I want a pasture.

Being creative isn't easy. It takes practice and patience to overcome the frustration of short-lived ideas. Being creative isn't easy, but it's worth the struggle. We must write, paint, strum, crochet, think, work, do, try, push, contemplate, rewrite, redo, rethink, retry ... until we make that connection. Then it's truly worth it.

– Andrew

#16 Make a Scarf Using a Pattern

I am fairly new at crocheting, and this is the first scarf I made using a pattern.  I love it! It's a little long, but that just gives you a few more ways to wear it!  Thank you, Alyssa, for walking through the pattern with me and helping me understand what to do!

#31 Make a Diaper Cake

Here is my first attempt at making a diaper cake! It wasn't hard at all! The part that took the longest was rolling up the diapers and securing them with a rubberband.  Everything else was easy peasy.

101 Things To Do In 1001 Days

I got this from my friend Alyssa's blog, thought it was interesting, and Andrew and I wanted to try it ourselves! It's a great way to track your goals and to see how well your goals are being accomplished! If you would like to give it a whirl, you can calculate the date for 1001 days here.

Start Date: March 1, 2011
End Date: November 26, 2013

Church
1. Finish reading/journaling 1 Corinthians
2. Read Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas
3. Read through the Old and New Testaments together
4. Purchase new matching Bibles
5. Get Bibles engraved
6. Find a new journal for our Bible studies

Cooking
7. Don't eat out for a month
8. Try a new recipe once a week for a month
9. Organize recipes in a binder
10. Make recipe cards of old family recipes and new favorites
11. Make a 3-tiered cake
12. Successfully make my mom's biscuits
13. Make Bakerella's cake pops
14. Try a recipe from Hungry Girl
15. Make fruit smoothies

Crafts
16. Make a scarf using a pattern
17. Make a scarf for Andrew
18. Crochet a blanket to match bedding
19. Crochet a granny square
20. Crochet a purse
21. Crochet a baby hat
22. Crochet a stuffed animal
23. Crochet a necklace
24. Learn how to sew
25. Buy a new sewing machine
26. Make my own piece of clothing/dress using a pattern
27. Sew an apron
28. Make a quilt
29. Finish London scrapbook
30. Make a menu board
31. Make a diaper cake
32. Make a necklace
33. Learn calligraphy
34. Make a fabric rosette and pin it to something fancy
35. Make a wallet/purse like this
36. Create/organize a work station for crafting
37. Make a photo collage
38. Paint something on a canvas
39. Make a paper bird painting like this
40. Finish my latch hook teddy bear
41. Make a mail/key holder

Exercise
42. Walk part of the Greenway each Sunday for a month
43. Walk the entire Greenway (14 miles)

Family
44. Enroll in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University
45. Create a budget
46. Save up for and buy our first home
47. Have a date night in Atlanta
48. Creatively surprise each other for a holiday/birthday

Home
49. Move into our house
50. Decorate house
51. Organize rooms
52. Organize important files

Job
53. Andrew: Get a job in writing/editing
54. Finish writing a novel
55. Get published (in any manner)
56. Whitney: Get a full time job
57. Create an Etsy shoppe
58. Create an item for Etsy shoppe
59. Sell one item in Etsy shoppe

Reading
60. Read Gone with the Wind
61. Read through the entire Harry Potter series
62. Finish the Twilight series
63. Read a novel by Jane Austen
64. Read a novel in a genre I haven't read before
65. Read 5 Presidential Biographies

Other
66. Get a puppy/kitty
67. Train puppy/kitty

68. Clean out and get rid of aquarium
69. Learn how to clip coupons and save money using them
70. Get a week's worth of groceries for under $50
71. Go to at least one game each of professional baseball, basketball, and football
72. Go to a Georgia Game
73. Finish our Thomas Kinkade puzzle
74. Carve a pumpkin
75. Invest in a professional camera
76. Invest in photo editing software
77. Have a classic movie date night
78. Take guitar lessons
79. Learn how to play a song on the guitar
80. Get photos taken for Christmas cards

Travel
81. Take a trip to Mississippi to visit Jordan and Alyssa
82. Go to the beach
83. Go camping one weekend
84. Take a trip to Savannah

Wedding
85. Pick a wedding location
86. Set a wedding date
87. Get engagement photos taken
88. Set up a wedding website for guests
89. Choose wedding party
90. Find the perfect wedding dress
91. Choose wedding colors and flowers
92. Get supplies to make centerpieces
93. Create a wedding registry
94. Take dance lessons
95. Send out invitations
96. Get marriage license
97. Shop for rings
98. Decide on a honeymoon location
99. Get married!
100. Send out "Thank You" notes
101. Make a wedding scrapbook

Stay Tuned!

New updates coming soon, I promise!