enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

around here & adventure bound.

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This week seemed to drag on and on as all weeks before vacations tend to do.

Paul and I are taking a red-eye flight tonight to the east coast. One of my good friends from college is getting married on Sunday in DC and I'm gearing up for our first major girlfriend reunion since my own wedding (over two years ago!). So excited to see all of them and almost as excited for college football. Can't believe we'll get to watch our opening game together. It's like a college football miracle.

We'll be tourists in DC for the week and Paul will be interviewing for a residency program while we're there. The following weekend we'll be in Iowa celebrating my cousin's wedding and then the week after that, we head down to San Diego for another round of interviews for Paul. September is like a world-tour of places we've lived together and might end up moving back to. I can't believe how quickly time is flying.

I have some fun posts set to go (how to get serious about creative work! a polka-dot style post!) while I'm vacationing and will be checking in with photos from the adventure for sure… but please keep in mind I will surely be slow responding to emails and comments over the next few weeks.

Have a good one!

photo thoughts – I'll be starting my third 2012 Project Life album when we get home! Doesn't that plant look like the one in Wall.E? Yes, a good portion of my suitcase is dedicated to the reunion tees I had printed up.

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41 responses to “around here & adventure bound.”

  1. Pink Ronnie Avatar
    Pink Ronnie

    That is so awesome that you printed reunion tees, Elise!
    Hope you have the best time, can’t wait to read your creative work post…
    Ronnie xo

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  2. Emily S Avatar
    Emily S

    Did you ever eat at Founding Farmers (downtown) while you lived in the area? If not, definitely recommend it! Have fun in DC – I miss living there 🙂

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  3. Amanda Avatar
    Amanda

    Is that your only suitcase for a full week (or more?) of travel? I admire you and am jealous of your packing skills! Have a blast!
    P.S. Is there a possibility you’ll be moving back to the east coast?

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  4. Jessica Rodarte Avatar
    Jessica Rodarte

    Fun!! Enjoy your adventure.
    (It does look like the plant in Wall.E!)

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  5. orange gearle Avatar
    orange gearle

    I didn’t know you had an Iowa connection! 🙂

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  6. Kathy Avatar
    Kathy

    Have an absolute wonderful trip and enjoy real people…don’t worry about us cyber friends (ha ha) we’ll be here when you get back.
    Back to your quilt post from yesterday…loved the colours and so excited for you to finish it. I was a quilter many years back and I did invest in a “walking foot” and TRUST ME……….. they are worth every cent as the machine just takes that fabric like it’s sliding on ice. If you can afford it for your machine and you are wanting to make some more quilts you will not regret it. I’m sure you could pick up one for your machine on ebay which may be slightly cheaper than the shops. GET ONE…you will love it.
    The other tip I have for you which took me forever to master is the lining up of the corners of all those pieces to get it centred in the middle. I’m giving you this tip to help because if you get the hang of it, it is so simple. Lay your 2 pieces on the table and get a pin (buy the extra long ones with the ball at the end – mine were yellow balls so I could see them) Hold the top piece (this will be the wrong side of the fabric facing up towards you and put your pin right through the centre of the cross (ie where the centre point is of the two seams joining) so you are holding a piece of upside down fabric with a pin poked through the centre then you are going to lift this up and hold with your other hand the other piece of fabric which is right side of fabric up and you are going to put the pin straight through the centre of that fabric (at the cross or centre where it’s seems meet). So then all you need to do is push the pin up through both pieces a little bit away from where you pushed it down. It is really really simple and I hope I have explained myself and it’s about a 99% guarantee that all your joins will match up perfectly. I totally admire you for doing all of this on your own as I went to classes years ago (way before internet was around) but doing a class was always a nice thing too. Learning a new skill and meeting different people. Anyway I love your quilt you almost inspire me to get my machine out. Oh yeh you can leave the pins in and your walking foot will go straight over them and not break your needle (well most times). So your pins will be horizontal and you will be sewing vertically (plain as mud I’m sure). Have a great mini holiday….Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia

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  7. jodi Avatar
    jodi

    i can’t believe you’ve been married for over two years already! time is seriously flying by.
    have great trips! sounds like a lot of fun. 🙂

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  8. Mary Sane Avatar
    Mary Sane

    Love that green clutch! Where’s it from, if I may ask?

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  9. Lindsay Avatar
    Lindsay

    sounds like a fantastic few weeks – especially the girl friend reunion! enjoy your travels!

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  10. Elizabeth Rosemond Avatar
    Elizabeth Rosemond

    Have a great trip (ssss)!!

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  11. Skye Avatar
    Skye

    Will you be sharing a photo of you and your friends in the tees? They look so cute, I want to see! Enjoy your trip in my neck of the woods! (I live in the Virginia suburbs of DC.) 🙂

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  12. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    No, we have not! our schedule is looking a wee bit packed, but I will see if we can squeeze it in! Thanks for the rec!

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  13. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    Yep! I am an expert packer – but it helps that I am going somewhere hot and do not need layers. 🙂

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  14. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    yes! My mom was born in a teeny tiny town called Tama! Most of her family still lives in the area. We get back every two years or so.

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  15. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    Thanks Kathy! I remember looking for a walking foot early on, but did not see one that fit my machine. I will have to take another look. And yes, I go crazy with the pinning, but because I am not perfect with my seam margins when I am making the triangles, squares and rows, it never lines up just so. No big deal. 🙂

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  16. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    j.crew! a few years ago.

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  17. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    oh absolutely! have not shared them yet on the blog because I want photos of us IN them. 🙂

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  18. Michelle E. Avatar
    Michelle E.

    Fun!! Have an awesome trip! Your upcoming posts sound especially great!

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  19. Steven Andrew Avatar
    Steven Andrew

    Have fun – can’t wait to see the posts you’ve got set up and the pictures along the way!

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  20. royela Avatar
    royela

    the east coast has missed you, Elise! i’ll be on your coast in 2 weeks! Aidan and I are accompanying Patrick on his business trip to San Fran! Baby’s first plane ride = fingers crossed!
    i’m sending you good travel vibes for your suitcase filled September!

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  21. Lauren Avatar
    Lauren

    How fun that you’re visiting DC, that’s my neck of the woods. Definitely check out Georgetown and the Eastern Market if you have time! Hope you have a wonderful trip!

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  22. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    yes! Super fun!! we actually lived there (Bethesda) from Aug 2007-March 2010. I worked in GT at Paper Source!

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  23. Shelby Avatar
    Shelby

    Yay East Coast! hehe and I really, REALLY need that rad stamp!! (Shelby Rad is my nickname haha)

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  24. rachel swartley Avatar
    rachel swartley

    Safe travels, Elise! I’m looking forward to seeing glimpses of your adventures on Instagram.

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  25. Amanda Avatar
    Amanda

    Ha! You should share your tips with us non-expert packers!

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  26. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    Deal!!

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  27. Lindsay Avatar
    Lindsay

    Have a blast! I adore bouncing off from place to place, even if it is exhausting sometimes;) Love the “get excited” stamp!

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  28. Jennifer Avatar
    Jennifer

    I think Tama is near my best friend in Marion, Iowa!
    I live in Cali but make it to Iowa at least once a year and really, really like it!
    Enjoy it and all your upcoming travels!

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  29. nihal Avatar
    nihal

    re: third project life binder.. doesn’t binders supposed to hold 52 weeks of project life? are they not designed to do so? is there a reason you start a third binder? sorry asking these as i don’t have any idea how the scrapbooking binders works (no scrapbooking in our country)..

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  30. Mandy Avatar
    Mandy

    I was wondering the same thing about the Project Life binders!

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  31. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    If you had pretty flat embelishments ( just photos and cards) you might be able to fit in 52 weeks. But I like to ad lots of trimmings and dividers and so my albums are full. I could probably sqeeze by with two, but am happy with three. 🙂

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  32. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    Just responded!

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  33. J3SS1C4 Avatar
    J3SS1C4

    I love the look of the stamped envelope! I hope it’s a little sneak of what’s to come in the stamp shop department! You’re quilt looks awesome too!
    I can’t believe how lightly you pack! My suitcase was full when I went to NZ a couple of weeks ago, but then again, I was going to the snow and had 3 snow jackets, 3 pairs of long pants, lots of leggings and lots of shirts to layer. Hope you have an awesome trip!

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  34. em Avatar
    em

    Oh my – how exciting! Rolled clothes in your suitcase..? I’d heard of this but never seen it in action before! Does it save space? ironing? I’m dying to know 🙂

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  35. CarlyMaria Avatar
    CarlyMaria

    Ah, Have so much fun!! Of all my trips to the USA, DC is very high on the list of favourites (only to be topped by San Fran). Such an awesome place.

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  36. Jojo A. Avatar
    Jojo A.

    The envelope looks familiar :). Thanks Elise!! Have a great trip!!

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  37. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    Saves space, plus you can see everything much easier.
    elise joy blaha cripe
    follow my craft adventures :
    http://www.eliseblaha.typepad.com

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  38. Koko @ Koko Likes Avatar
    Koko @ Koko Likes

    love love love the reunion t-shirts.

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  39. orange gearle Avatar
    orange gearle

    I can’t believe you are going to be less than an hour away from me!!!!!! I’m even live along the same highway! Holy smokes! 🙂

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  40. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    I feel silly having to ask, but where did you get your thread spool rack? I was looking for one and then remembered this picture and thought I’d ask. Thanks!

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  41. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    Jo-anns!

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