Life in Florida...so far

I feel like since we started our new life (in FL) I haven't had much time for this blog. I know I've posted up photos from school and such. But this is supposed to be my journal (sort of) and I'm not even documenting what is really going on. So here's life in FL so far.

People still tell me I have an accent and ask me where I'm from. I got this quite a bit when I was home over Christmas too. And sometimes, and I'm not really sure why, I'm embarrassed to tell them it's because I've been living with my British boyfriend in places like China and South Africa where no one sounds American. I think the embarrassment comes because it always requires further explanation. It's not like you can really just throw that into a conversation and not explain yourself.

School is going well, although has it's normal frustrations. I'm having to take a lot of "foundation" classes right now and only have one photography class. I'm lucky though because I already did 2 years of school, so a lot of the English and Math classes I would normally be required to take, I don't because I already have. (You're probably thinking I should take some more English after reading this.) And, next quarter is going to be a lot more about photography.

I've been thinking A LOT about China lately. I know, it's crazy! I couldn't wait to get out of that place when I lived there. But I find myself missing a lot of that craziness now that I'm so far away from it. Good news though: It's looking like I might be heading there this summer for a short time. More on that, when I know more.

Our house is pretty much furnished. The only room that is still a bit empty is the guest bedroom/my sewing room. I got my new sewing machine so I'm looking for a desk to put in it to add to the futon we have in there. But, we can have guests now! So if anyone is thinking of taking a vacation to FL, or bringing the kiddos to Disney World let us know, you'll have a place a stay.

Alright, that's all I can bore you with for now. Life in FL is, well, pretty mellow. And I kind of like it. I don't know I could really focus on school as much if it were any other way. But this is just a different step in life, and I'm sure it will all change again shortly.

Sewing Projects (Made in China)

Since we've been here I've had a bit of spare time and in an effort to avoid going completely stir crazy I started looking for a new hobby. I've been having ideas of sewing projects and decided to try and get a sewing machine. You'd think that would be easy here in China since probably 90% of sewing machines are made here, but it turned into quite the task. Eliot and I searched Hangzhou, I looked when I was up in Shanghai, we recruited many Chinese friends to try and help us find one, and we still had no luck. Finally, one day at work one of the Chinese guys on the factory floor overheard Eliot asking someone about it and brought in a business card of someone he knew who owned a sewing machine shop right in Fuyang! We couldn't believe all the searching and there was one right in our little town. So we got it home and I still needed a table to put it on. We found a small desk and Eliot cut a rectangular hole in it for the sewing machine to sit in, so the part you run the fabric through is flush with the desk. It's a bit older machine and I really have to be careful not to sew anything very thick, but it's been really fun to play around on. Here are some photos of a few of the things I've done. I haven't had a pattern for anything and so nothing I've made is symmetrical in any sort of way. But like I said, it's all just been for fun. Also, please excuse the model in a couple of the photos;)

These are quilts I made at Christmas time for my niece Logan and Eliot's God daughter Lily. The front is quilted velvet and the backing is satin.


Some handbags...


These two photos are of the same reversible bag.


I cut up an old shirt of mine that I liked and used it to help me make these two.