i got a new tattoo for my birthday. love it.

i picked up my guitar again and even took a few lessons.

i saw more snow than i have ever seen in my life. in texas. it was crazy.

i admitted that i’m a horrible flirt.

i had a bout of extreme happiness and upbeat attitude. it didn’t last very long. trying to get back to it.

i played outside with my mom and my camera. it was a great afternoon.

i got a ukulele! so fun.

i finally realized (or, am still realizing) to let go of poisonous relationships.

got a couple of gorgeous and very sweet gifts.

met a two sweet internet friends.

and moved across country, to a new state, on my own for the first time.

it’s been a doozy of a few months. i hope to be around more often.

this weekend i spent piecing together a larger throw sized quilt and contemplating how i was going to quilt it when i got sidetracked by my ridiculous ADD and had to start a new project. it’s a modern windmill pattern with some white muslin and multi colored cotton fabric scraps.

yeah, that’s the new quilt on top of the one i was originally working with. oops. i’m quite in love with both of them but the windmill just rocks my socks off! i felt so clever when i put all the colors out like that. sometimes it’s the little things that get ya. i’m going to put a little white border around all four sides and quilt this bad boy next weekend.

i’ve also been a little obsessed with these little house blocks i’ve been seeing all over the interwebs. they looked like so much fun and i just had to try my hand at it. dudes! it’s like building with fabric! legos, but soft! i LOVE legos and i LOVE making these blocks. i see many more in my future. i’m damn proud of this first one even if the roof’s a little crooked.

just when i thought i’d had my sewing fix for a while, amanda had to go and be all awesome with her french coffee press and i wanted to try my hand at something that actually had an everyday purpose. it was a fun little experiment. i measured my bodum press and added an inch to each measurement. it worked fine for the length but it’s just a scant to tight width wise. i also sort of spaced out on the button measurements so only the middle one fits in between the handle. uh, derp. all in all, it’s a learning experience and i will enjoy my warm coffee.

just a little closer look at the quilting. just straight up and down all the way across. it took a whiiiile but it works for the look.

i’m hoping that i’ll get to do some more sewing this weekend. i’ve got a few friends that are expecting babies soon so i’ve got a few softies and baby things to make soon. oy. ;)

love-
fc

here are a few pics of some recent things that have happened over here at chez funky carolina.

i got a new tattoo. i love it. it’s my favorite typewriter font and one of my favorite phrases. i’m really think that i want a half sleeve around it but i’m totally lost as to ideas right now. will have to think of that. here a shot of it!

i’ve been loving on my puppies. here’s a pic of them hanging out with me in the kitchen during a particularly cold morning a couple of weeks back.

i’ve been enjoying fried green tomatoes because my awesome grandparents sent me 12 full quarts of canned green tomatoes from their garden. LOVE! best enjoyed with some sweet tea.

i’ve been sticking with my photo a day project. tomorrow marks 25 days. it’s a little milestone but i’m still counting it!

i’ve been enjoying finding beauty and joy in the little things around me. this darling little pincushion i’ve had for years filled with bright pins.

making amazing tomato sauce from just three ingredients!

looking at these gorgeous baubles that my grandmother gave me.

finally, i’ve been enjoying these daffodils on my desk. winter is my least favorite season of all. even though i’ve never lived anywhere that it’s terribly cold for very long periods of time, i miss the constant sunshine, the warmth, the color and the happiness you feel in spring and summer and even fall. i’m ready for spring to come back so i can see lovelies sprout all about.

i’ll try to be back tomorrow with things that have been inspiring me the last few weeks.

love-
fc

more precisely, i have celiac. i found out about it in early august after months of feeling close to death. i’ll not go into the details but i felt awful all the time. unbearable headaches, stomach pain, joint pain and exhaustion. it presents differently in everyone and is one of the most under diagnosed diseases in the country. the only treatment is avoiding all gluten in your diet. sounds easy, right?? yeah, it’s not. gluten hides in EVERYTHING! you’d be surprised how many things contain it. things like bread and pasta of course, but also in ice cream, deli meat, popsicles, soups, sauces, and the list goes on. you have to be very careful in avoiding cross contamination, too. i had done a pretty good job with cutting it all out for a few months but over the holidays with busy schedules and lazy eating habits i sort of lost my focus. eating tons of flour and fried pies and biscuits until i was back to feeling like death warmed over and needing to sleep 14 hours a day and take the max limit of ibuprofen. i decided enough was enough. yes, it’s incredibly tough to avoid all gluten and yes, it’s sort of a hassle to think about all the time but i really want to feel better again. i want to have energy and get rid of my symptoms so i’m going to be learning to cook gluten free. i’m going to get back on the wagon. i’ll be sharing pictures of my experiments in the kitchen here. i feel like my experiences might help other people with celiac realize that it is doable and worth it. if you know any recipes that are worth a try, let me know. if you have celiac, say hi. :)

here are a few things i’ve made that are gluten free. good for my body. good for my health. i’d like to learn a little more about food photography so i can make my pictures look as delicious as possible.

click on any of the pics for some more info about the foods.

back soon with some actual craft-y things!

love-
fc

have fun with it! if you post some pics of you let me know because i’d love to see.

back to work for now. :)

love-
fc

(i always try to link to the original source if i know it. just click on the picture.)

1. singin’ in the rain

i watched this for the first time two nights ago on TCM and instantly fell in love. i’m sort of meh about musicals in general but this absolutely, positively stole my heart. the colors, the story, the actors…everything was just perfect! gene kelly was a dream and donald o’connor was so adorably quirky! this might be a new favorite movie for me. go watch it. srsly. it’s on TIME magazine’s all time 100 movies list. i think i’m going to make watching all those movies a goal on my to do list this year. love love love. here’s a clip of the signature scene. tell me you don’t fall in love. try it but i won’t believe you!

2. red hair

my hair is naturally a brownish kind of red but i’ve been seriously considering dyeing it a more orange-y red. yeah. i think i will.

3. farscape

it’s no secret how much i love sci fi but i had never seen farscape until just a few weeks ago. it came up on my netflix instant view and i just adore it. it’s a little bit silly but i think that’s to be expected for something with puppets and produced by the henson’s company. ben browder is a dreamboat too. i first saw him in my very favorite (now cancelled) stargate sg1 and i didn’t really care for him. i think that’s because he replaced the brilliant richard dean anderson. it’s nice to see him in his own role. i need more sci fi in my life! especially with loverly fellas. heh.

4. bubbles!

i have ALWAYS loved bubbles! there is something beautiful and magical about them. the colors and shape and weightless nature. pure joy. i remember when i was kiddo my brother and i had edible bubbles. just one more thing to love about them.

5. damien rice and ray lamontagne singing together

i have no idea how i found this song originally but i wish there were more like it! they’re both favorites of mine and wow, do their voices blend seamlessly or what?? pure acoustic magic.

6. this photo

7. a little bit of beautiful rain

so what’s inspiring to you right now?? i’d love to know. is it a gorgeous photograph, perfect song, the weather? as long as you are feeling inspired then it’s a good thing.

love-
fc

i did a little rearranging in my studio to try to open it up a bit.

my cubby shelf with a few of my favorite things on and above it.

i made a snowglobe! i was obsessed with snowglobes and music globes when i was a little girl. i had a ton of them. gorgeous sparkle-y ones that played sweet tunes and had magical tiny scenes inside. people gave them to me on every holiday or occasion just to see my face light up. i’ve always been easily excitable and sometimes just the smallest, sweetest thing turns me into a squeeling goober. heh. sadly, there was a tragic accident that led to the breaking of all my precious snowglobes. i’ve thought about starting another collection but i don’t have the space right now.

this snowglobe was made from a half pint sized mason jar, a 50/50 (ish) blend of caro syrup/water, some cheap-o glitter from walmart and a print out of a quote i love that i self laminated with some packing tape. the quote reads, “you really can do whatever you want” and i found it on flickr. i used a basic tutorial that i found on photojojo but it’s pretty simple.

some things that i think i’ll do different next time-
use better glitter because this cheap stuff really clumps up and doesn’t have that pretty flow of a real snowglobe
maybe do a 40/60 blend of caro/water
i think i’ll try a scene next time or do a little better job of taping the paper. it seemed to not hold up that well.

all in all, i would try it again. if only to improve upon the first one.

a closer view of some things that i am loving right now. vintage pyrex, blue vases, my paint brushes and a fairly new painting i finished. can you tell that i love aqua and mustard?? ha.

this last one is a quote that i found on flickr a couple of months ago and could not stop thinking about. i work with color everyday and the idea of thinking of someone in colors that don’t exist seems magical to me. i dream about creating new colors all the time. it’s just colored pencil on cardboard. i’ve been really enjoying doodling on discarded boxes. it’s so much less stressful than using a canvas. at least for me, anyway.

i just wanted to share this. have you made a snowglobe?? any pointers for my next round?

love-
fc

i’m carrie and i currently live right outside of dallas, texas. i work with wool and yarn everyday. i started funky carolina in february 2007 and it’s been a wonderful journey. i adore seeing what people create with the fiber that i put out into the world. it’s truly a joy to me.

some of the things i’m loving at the moment-

mustard yellow, ochre, teal, mint green and burnt orange
twinkle lights
homemade caramels
homemade hot chocolate
vinyl records and my brand new record player
ryan adams (this probably won’t change anytime soon)
beautiful tattoos
red hair
blue mason jars
sewing with natural linen
sun flares in photography
gluten free peanut butter cookies
new headphones
drawing on cardboard
granny squares
learning how to edit websites

i also always love sunsets, sweet tea, autumn, fresh flowers, warm hugs, and geniune smiles. i love getting to know people but i’m often too shy to strike up a conversation and stutter too much. i’m a fiercely loyal friend and would do almost anything to make someone feel good. i love giving gifts. i love my family, my two dogs and the southeast.

i’ve been crafting since i was a little girl and can’t stand a moment of stillness where i’m not doing or, at the very least, thinking of doing something crafty. i want to keep expanding my creativity so i’m constantly looking for more inspiration and enjoy reading blogs of other crafty people. it’s my dream to learn how to do everything! this blog is a place for me to record a part of my life and share it with the world. i’m so glad you’re here to read it.

love-
fc

okay, back to work-y work.

i’ll be back next week with some pictures of it and a few other things to show you but for now i’ll leave you with some happy snapshots of the past few days. oh, and we got SNOW in dallas!! it was the first time i’ve ever seen snow on christmas. saying i was excited was a little bit of an understatement. it was the first time since weather records have been kept that dallas had a blizzard warning at this time of year. (nbc nightly news) yay!

be back on monday with some new pics and news.

love-fc

back to work now. it looks like it’s going to be a long night. need to put on another pot of tea.

love-
fc