I promise I've been trying to blog!  I don't know why I can't post pictures from my phone lately, but I updated it and all has gone haywire.  Trust me, though, it was worth the wait to see my most domestic moment yet.  

A few weeks ago when my roommates and I started putting up Christmas decorations, I realized that we didn't have stockings for our mantle.  Rather than head to Walgreens/Walmart/Wal-whatever to buy those typical red ones, I decided to look for something cuter.  A quick internet search led me to some fantastic patchwork-y knit ones from Anthropologie.  Adorable and available for the low price of eleventy billion dollars.  No thank you.  I could make those!  Well I decided that I probably wouldn't take the time to knit them, but I could probably sew something cute and similarly patchy.  Pay no attention to the small detail that I don't really technically know how to sew.  I was on a mission.  On my way to a friend's house to watch A&M beat the hell outta Nebraska back in November, I stopped at Hobby Lobby to buy fabric.  I finally got around to piecing things together this week, and here's what I managed to produce - 

the patches sewn together: 

felt lining to support the weight of the innumerable gifts my roommates and I are obviously saving up for each other: 

voila!! the (almost) finished product!  

with a view of the backing fabric as well:  

I still need to add the cuff at the top and a few corn-ball touches to finish them off, but I'm ridiculously proud of them.  So much so that I put one on my hand and ran around the living room earlier making sock-puppet voices that have never been heard by human ears before tonight.  Plus, I get to cross another thing off my "things to do this summer" list!  Learn how to sew: check!  

So technically, I know sorta kinda know how to operate a sewing machine.  Not much more than that, but I managed.  Much thanks to my rockstar roommate Kristin for sharing her sewing machine with me and for providing unconditional guidance and patience with me, even when I created situations for her that resulted in the question: "How did this happen?"  She's swell.  

Now, let me give you a glimpse of my first teacher Christmas present of the year.  One of my precious girls walked in this morning, handed me the following and simply said "Merry Christmas." 

It's become trendy lately, as Katy noticed, for girls to wear ribbons and bows in their hair, much like preschool-aged girls wear.  Most are pretty standard bows, but this one was adorable.  A few different ribbons, lots of different textures, patterns, and stitching.  She acted really shy when she handed it to me, too, which was weird.  This is a student who is in my room all the time working on stuff and who always opens up to talk about whatever with me.  Later when she came to my class she informed me that she made about fifteen of them this year for her friends.

and I got one!  I probably made her blush when I gushed over how I got the same gift as her friends.  It might seem lame that I'm this pumped about getting the same Christmas present as a group of thirteen year old girls.  I promise it's not one of those "look-how-hip-I-am" moments.  I was just blown away by how thoughtful it was that a student would take the time to make me something as special as what she would give to her best friends.  I love homemade gifts like this.  So thoughtful and always unique.  

I love it.