Things Made/Things to Make

2013 was a big year for me in many ways. Among other things, I moved back to the United States, established myself in a new city, finished a good chunk of the initial part of my book project, and (re)took up cross stitching. Though I am usually kind of tough on myself when thinking back on what I did and did not accomplish in the span of a year, I can truly say that I am thankful for what I was able to accomplish in 2013, and I'm pretty sure 2014 is going to be even more productive and amazing. 

Quite a few of the projects I worked on this year craft-wise were for gifts, including the Monticello bookmark, the Christmas ornaments, and three plush heart ornaments (below) that I made for James as part of his Christmas present. I also completed two smaller pieces with quotations on them, but I'm still figuring out how to frame them before I share. This little Russian star pincushion (above) I made for myself was a necessity, as I was constantly losing needles to the depths of my hungry couch. There were also a couple pieces that I stitched a bit of and then ripped out.

I've already made a list of all the cross stitching projects I want to complete in the next few months including one piece that will be my largest yet, a pattern I'm working on, and a few little "experiments." Any big stitching or crafting plans you have for 2014? I'd love to hear 'em!

All the lovely photographs in this post were taken by the very talented and supportive, James. I think I'll let him photograph my work from now on!

Giving Handmade Gifts

Part of living on a budget is exercising restraint when it comes to gift giving. Of course this holiday season I would have loved to have spent a bunch of money on friends and family, but that just wasn't in the cards this year. And probably not next year either. But that's okay! I'm totally not gonna sweat it, because making gifts this year turned out to be a really wonderful experience and one that I want to make a tradition from here on out. I love the idea of ornaments as gifts -- they are fun to make and pack a big punch of love and memories in a tiny package. Plus, I got to watch a whole lot of Little House on the Prairie while I worked on them!

I based my ornaments off a pattern by chez sucre chez and only changed the date and the finishing. I decided instead of tiny hoops that I would stuff them and add ribbon and a gingham back. I'm really happy with how they turned out and I think the recipients enjoyed them too. This year was a bit of a learning experience, but I am so ready to do it again. I've already designed a pattern that is my own for next year and I have every intention to begin them earlier to avoid a mad dash in December.

How about you? Do you enjoy hand making gifts or do you find it too labor intensive? Did you make anyone anything this holiday season? 

Monticello Bookmark

I think it turned out pretty darned good --

but that just may be the very flattering photo

James took of it. 

As I promised to elaborate on in my last post, the Monticello Bookmark pattern from the Posy Collection was the first cross stitching I've done in my adult life (but definitely not the last). When I took the kit out of the box it had been stored in for far too long, within the first few stitches, I knew magic was going to happen. Right out the gate, I also knew it probably wouldn't be perfect. But, I would have tried, and that was the important thing.

The first few stitches.

Before even starting it, I knew who it was for -- avid reader, fellow history nerd, and boyfriend extraordinaire, James. I knew he would appreciate it, and as his birthday was coming up, I figured it would make a unique and heartfelt gift. I kept it all secret from him, which was part of the fun, admittedly. From experience, I highly recommend not telling anyone when you are crafting something for them. Otherwise, the pressure usually becomes far too much, and often (at least for me), the project never sees completion. Anyway, I finished stitching it and sewed some grayish blue plaid backing on it for a little polish, and voilà! Along with a book I knew he'd love, he was delighted, and so was I. I had finished my first cross stitch project.

The Coziness Project is Back!

Why hello there! Hard to believe it has been almost a year since I last posted here at The Coziness Project! Since moving back to the United States in February, I have continued to update my romance comic book blog, Sequential Crush on a regular basis, but this here blog sorta fell to the wayside. At first I was a little stressed about not being able to maintain it through the huge transition of moving back to the States and getting reestablished, but in my heart I knew it wasn't gone forever... and well, here we are! I originally started The Coziness Project as a personal blog to document my adventures in Denmark, as well as the things that were inspiring me at the time. I have decided to shift my focus from a sort of "catch-all" personal blog to one that is more narrowly themed. If you are a reader of Sequential Crush then you already know that I am definitely a fan of niche topics! So, may I present to you -- the new and improved Coziness Project -- a blog about cross stitch and other crafty endeavors (but mostly cross stitch)!

So why cross stitch you may ask? Well, I first learned how when I was around seven years old from my very patient and crafty mom. I worked on a few projects, but then the rest of childhood came up... and then adolescence... which led to adulthood. Nary a stitch was crossed during that time -- despite being generally crafty. Fast forward 20+ years, and here I am, a fresh arrival to the beautiful state of Tennessee. A few months after the move when I finally finished unpacking the things that I had in storage while I lived abroad, I came across a beautiful counted cross stitch kit that I had purchased years ago on a visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello (more on this kit in an upcoming post). Soon after purchasing it I decided that it seemed far too difficult for someone who hadn't cross stitched in years and socked it away, not to be thought of again until that evening when I took it from a box containing my knitting materials. I took a good look at the pattern again, and was like, difficult? Pffft! If I can move across the ocean twice in the span of a couple years and set up camp in a new state and city where I know no one and basically start life over from scratch, then I can totally cross stitch a bookmark! So, I put needle to aida cloth and got to work. And what I felt as I stitched the intricate geometric design was an overwhelming sense of calm, confidence, and a connection to history. A history that was both my own (learning the craft from my mother), and a history of all the women who came before me who for hundreds of years partook in various types of needlework.

Since that initial project I have completed a few other pieces, and I am in no way stopping now. I. Can't. Get. Enough. And not only do I want to actually do the physical act of cross stitching, I also want to read about it, learn about it, and blog about it! But unlike in the past when I would stress about posting in this space, I am just gonna let this blog take shape organically. If I feel like posting, then so be it. If I don't -- well that's okay too. No pressure. So, whether you are a friend or family, a Sequential Crush reader, or a crafter yourself, I hope you'll join me for some reflections on my adventures in the cozy art of cross stitch!

ferm LIVING Spring/Summer 2013

To be honest, I didn't really pay too much attention to Scandinavian design prior to moving to the land of the Vikings. But with living in Denmark and all, it is sort of unavoidable! And I can't complain, because much of it is really beautiful. I am especially a fan of ferm LIVING. Their new catalog is out... have you seen it yet?


A few of my favorite things featured in the Spring/Summer 2013 catalog: Cushion - Half Moon Cylinder Neon/Clipboard/Star Round Cushion - Olive/Wire Basket Medium - Yellow/House of Money - Dark Grey

Four Years Old

Happy Birthday to the sweetest pup in the world, Sgt. Furry! He is four years old today -- hard to believe, he was just a puppy! I miss him like crazy all the time, but luckily I get frequent updates and lots of pictures of him. I can't wait to see him again, but until then, it is clear he is as happy (and pampered) as they come!

2013 Goals

I am really good at writing to do lists. I am also pretty good (most of the time) at making the things on those lists happen -- especially the smaller, more specific things. But, where I lack discipline lately is in the making the big things happen. So, this year I have decided that instead of just thinking about my goals, I would share! Hopefully putting some of my intentions out there will help me stay on track. Here they are, in no particular order!

Sequential Crush: I have been running my 1960s and '70s romance comic book blog since April of 2009 and it has been awesome to say the least. This year, I want to continue to grow and diversify my audience, blog more consistently (which for me will mean a goal of two solid posts a week), and work on taking the blog to a new level. This "new level" (which I will share more in depth when the time is right) will hopefully consume most of my non-day job working hours.

The Coziness Project: I am committed to posting here at this blog more this year. Though it is just a little side project, I love it and I don't want to just abandon it. For years I have read lots of lifestyle, crafting, and design blogs, and I want to use The Coziness Project as a vehicle to connect more with those communities.

Get my read on: For someone who loves to read, I really don't get a chance to do it that often. So, this year I am making it a goal to finish at least 25 books. I am kind of an oddball in that I have a hard time reading fiction, so my goal this year is to make at least some of those books fiction. And because I just can't stay away from the non-fiction, I will make it a point to focus my non-fiction reading habits on immersing myself in the study of historiography (an area I have been meaning to brush up on since finishing grad school). Yes, here is where you can call me a huge nerd.

Learn to crochet: I have knitting down, but this year it is time to finally get a handle on knitting's kitschy cousin -- crochet.

Organize my digital world: I would like this year to be the year where I finally organize all my stray computer documents, scan that big stack of old photos that have so patiently been waiting in a drawer, and back everything up in multiple ways. This year i will also buy the new computer that I need pretty badly.

Get better at concentrating: This is probably an area you can identify with me on, especially with all the things out there to distract us on the internets (damn you BuzzFeed and your hilarious/adorable animal posts). I know I have it in me to stay on task, so this year I am going to really work on staying focused, one item at a time. I have in the past unofficially tried to use the Pomodoro technique (especially when writing) but this year I am really going to strive to make it a part of my daily routine.

Continue living healthfully: Moving to Denmark was actually great for me in the health department (no car, so I have to walk everywhere and eating out is expensive and not very good here). I hope that wherever I wind up in 2013, I am able to retain all of the motions and healthy habits that I have put into place over the course of the year.

Family and friends: The other major life thing that I want to be sure to do this year is go visit my family and friends back home at least once this year. This probably seems like a strange "goal," but living far away makes it difficult to find the time and resources to make a trip possible. 

Let stuff go and enjoy the now: Last but not least, I want to also work towards a few not-so-tangible goals that will improve my overall well-being. I really need to get better at filtering out the noise and other nonsense that bothers me and makes me unproductive -- the art of letting stuff go. The other thing I would like to work on this year is enjoying the now. You may have noticed those cute cows (Scottish Highland Cattle that live in front of one of the LEGO buildings here in Denmark to be exact) at the top of the post. Whenever I would see those guys, they were always so chill and easygoing. This year, I am going to work on channeling some of their contentedness and savor the present.

Well, that's it for me! I am sure things will be added and amended throughout the year, but it is good to have a place to start. How about you? What are some of your goals for the year? I would love to hear them and how you plan on making stuff happen!

Desk to Impress/1

The workspace of interior stylist,

Emma Persson Lagerberg

via Decor8

As I clean and organize my desk today to start the New Year off right, I can't help but drool over Emma Persson Lagerberg's sunny workspace that was featured on Decor8 a few months back. I love the subtle pops of color along with the contrast of the wood and the surrounding white space!

Finding the Perfect Planner

The idea that I have to have a planner every year was indoctrinated in me at an early age. I can remember in about third grade we were required to get one for school, and Chandler's academic planners (remember those?) were all the rage. Now, I just feel sort of lost without one! The hunt is on for the perfect planner for this new year, and seeing as it is just around the corner, I better get a move on! I am finding myself drawn to something simple -- perhaps of the kraft paper variety? Have you found a planner for 2013? 

1.) Agenda Planner from Poketo
2.) Recycled Paper Monthly/Weekly Note planner from Muji
3.) Daily Planner Calendar in Peach from Julia Kostreva

Idiot Wind

When I went to see First Aid Kit a few weeks ago, the opening act was Idiot Wind -- Swedish singer Amanda Bergman. Many openers I have seen are forgettable, but Bergman's voice was too lovely not to remember. I purchased her EP at the show, but it is available on Bandcamp. I quickly said hello and shook her hand, she was super sweet -- I'm looking forward to a full-length album, hopefully soon! If you are a fan of Bob Dylan, Cat Power, or The Tallest Man on Earth (her husband) then you will most definitely dig Idiot Wind. Good chill tunes for the cold and dark Scandinavian winter ahead...

Aarhus Day

It looks like my days in Denmark are numbered (but more on that later when my plans have firmed up) so last Monday I took the day off work and headed north on the train to the second largest city in Denmark -- Aarhus. It is a really nice place, if you ever have the chance to visit. I know quite a few folks who think that Aarhus has a little something special that Copenhagen doesn't. I couldn't agree more. Luckily the weather was nice (well, by Danish standards anyhow) and I spent the whole day just wandering in and out of shops, cafes, and graffiti-filled corridors. I felt a little guilt over not visiting any museums (isn't someone working in the museum field supposed to visit ALL the museums?) but having the chance to just sit in a coffee shop and drink coffee and do some writing was thoroughly beneficial. I then topped off the day by seeing the Swedish band, First Aid Kit in the evening, which was really amazing and great fun. All in all -- a wonderful day. Goodbye for now, Aarhus... hope to see you again someday! 

Playing Around With Images - A Blog Design Mood Board

I have been blogging over at my primary blog Sequential Crush for over three years now! My current blog design over at that space is the same as I started out with back in 2009. I have added a few things here and there (mostly in the sidebar) but overall, it has remained the same. Don't get me wrong, I love it! But eventually, when I have the time, I would like to change it up a little (or maybe a lot). It will probably take me a while to settle on a new look, but the above mood board I created for Blogging Your Way gave me a chance to play around with colors and textures and also gave me a jump start on thinking about some of the changes to the overall vibe I will make when the time comes. Giving the site a new look will be no easy feat, but I feel good about experimenting and taking small steps right now!

Radishes + Rapunzel

As seen over at covet garden

A teeny-tiny Danish radish

I definitely consider myself more of a vegetable person than a fruit person. I can't think of any vegetable that I don't like in fact! I discovered my love for radishes a couple years ago and frankly, I don't eat them often enough. Back in September I saw this simple little recipe for radish tea sandwiches over at the covet garden blog, and I finally got around to trying them yesterday. So simple, so good! I will definitely be making these again. One could even add roast beef, I suppose, for something a little heartier.

On a side note: radishes always kind of make me chuckle because whenever I eat them I can't help but picture Shelley Duvall in the Faerie Tale Theatre version of Rapunzel eating them like a mad woman. When I start having dreams of killer radishes I will know I have had too many!

Working Around Other Creative Folks

I grew up in a household that was, to put it nicely... bonkers. With seven kids in the family, there was always someone around to talk with or drive you nuts (depending on how you looked at it). I guess that really rubbed off on me, because when it comes to my working style today, I enjoy a healthy mix of quiet solitude and interaction with other people. People who are doing things... people who think big... people who are using their talents to make things happen really inspire me.

It is for this reason that I enjoy attending conferences, conventions, and being in places in which people are talking about and practicing their craft. I also enjoy working in a coffee shop, although I do less of that now that I am in Europe where that sort of thing isn't really practiced. I would love to someday have an office in a creative collective such as the newly formed Makeshift Society in San Francisco. Even though my projects (thus far anyhow) are ultimately solo endeavors, I know being in that sort of environment would be a big motivator for me. Someday! For the moment, this sort of interaction has turned pretty much virtual, but I hope the future will bring more opportunities to soak in other people's passion and apply it to my own creativity and production!

Does working around other creative people inspire you
or do you like to work in complete solitude?
The above photo is from a comic book in a night event I attended quite a few years back in Indianapolis with a dozen or so other people hurriedly drawing comics. As you can see, I was still able to concentrate (well, thats how I remember it anyhow!) despite the frenetic environs.

Constantly Learning - Harnessing Time and Staying Focused

Illustration from a timely (excuse the pun) post by

Katie Evans and Bri Emery over at

DESIGNLOVEFEST

You would think that after 28 years on this Earth I would have this time management and staying focused thing under control, right? Nope! You too? Yeah, time is tricky like that. It flies by just when we need it to stay still, and there never seems to be enough of it! I feel like I used to be pretty organized and efficient, but lately, my staying focused skills have been lacking. I can chalk it up to all the big life changes of late, but really, I know I need to take responsibility and accept the fact that how I currently work is well... not working!

Back when I first started blogging over at my primary blog, Sequential Crush I pretty much stayed awake as much as possible to cram as much research, blogging, publishing, and networking in between my full-time day job and all the other life stuff. It was amazing and exhilarating and I don't regret a minute of that period of hard work and dedication. But as awesome as it was, my severe lack of sleep took its toll. Since then I have learned that sleeping at least seven hours a night along with eating healthfully, exercising, and staying hydrated are major factors in being productive. Now that I seem to have that stuff down (more or less) I need to work on the staying focused aspect of things. For me, this means not checking my email every hour, getting sucked into my bloglovin' feed, watching puppy videos... you know how it goes. Since my time working on my projects is relegated to evenings and weekends, I really need to get better about staying focused and making the best of the time I do have. There will never be any more minutes in the day, but I do have the power to manage how I use those minutes!

How about you?

Do you have problems staying on task or managing time?

Decor8 Blogging Your Way Bootcamp!

Despite things being pretty rough for me lately, I am so ready to get back to having drive, creativity, and hard work as part of my daily routine. To jump start this pledge to myself, I have decided to enroll in Holly Becker's Blogging Your Way Boot Camp! I haven't ever taken a blogging class before -- blogging is just something I taught myself and learned through trial and error over at Sequential Crush. Even though I feel like I have a pretty good handle on all things blogging, I am never opposed to learning more! I am really hoping that this course will help invigorate me and inspire me to step up my blogging both over at Sequential Crush and here, my personal blog! I can't wait to see what happens!

A Step Back (In Hopes to Move Forward)

 
Time seems to be increasingly precious these days -- especially time in which I am not fretting over logistical life stuff. The months and days have sped up, and I realize that if I am ever to seriously release my research and writing beyond the confines of my desk (and blog), then I need to step up my game. So, what do washi tape and Moleskine notebooks have to do with any of this you ask? Well, besides being gorgeous and aesthetically soothing to my stress-riddled brain, I plan to use these babies to visually lay out all the thoughts I've got going on concerning my current writing project.

It isn't that I am having trouble filling up the gleaming white space that is the Word document. I did that -- almost 50 pages worth on one little section. As of late, using just Word isn't cutting it. It feels too restrictive. And naturally, it is showing in my writing. After a round of editing (and yes, some tears) I realized that my approach was all wrong. Wrong for me, wrong for my subject. I took a step back and I have now decided that I need to tackle this just like I would when writing an exhibit -- visually. Once it is all laid out, I think I will be better equipped to dive back in and fill in the nooks and crannies with the actual written content. 

What about you? What is your writing process like? Are you an outliner and a planner, or do you just dive in? 

Danish Holiday - Part Two (Art and Sand)

A few more pictures from my brother's visit to Denmark...

Aarhus and the West Coast

After Copenhagen, we went to Aarhus, which is the second largest city in the country. I think the highlight for all of us was the art museum -- ARoS. Fortuitously, there was a temporary exhibition of my favorite contemporary artist, Tony Oursler. We were also very lucky that one of my coworkers was kind enough to give us a day tour of the west coast of Denmark. It was so beautiful -- full of dunes, slowly-eroding German bunkers from the Second World War, colorful rocks, and "sea junk." Two very memorable days and a wonderful trip overall!