an RA forever

I enjoyed being a resident adviser in college.

As each year passes, I find that it was much more than enjoyment. I loved that job.

One of my first residents graduated this month. I saw her about two months ago and she already has an absolutely wonderful job lined up. Graduating a semester early, she's the first resident I'm seeing enter the "real world." I didn't know that that would resonate with me, but it certainly is. As I sent her a message congratulating her, all these memories of her as a freshman came flooding into my mind. I was very fortunate enough to spend more time with her during undergrad in other student activities. I feel like I really got to watch her grow up and blossom from an amazing girl to an outstanding woman.

I feel so blessed to have had such a job that allowed me to meet so many people. I loved connecting to all my residents and learning about their aspirations - and it's just an even more wonderful thing to see them come full circle, to see them fulfilling their dreams.

After I graduated I wondered if I missed out on something in the college experience. I was an RA all four years, always lived on campus in the residence halls. Thinking about it now (7 months after graduation) I can't imagine my undergrad any other way. Each of my communities had a distinctly different personality and to think what my life would be like without meeting and interacting with those 40, 50, or 60 students that year - I just can't. I now, more than ever, cherish those years I had with the young, brilliant minds. And luckily, it's a gift that keeps giving as I see them graduate and move on.

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same." - Unknown

xoxo erikah

candlelogra

I really love the look of candle wax and how it melts onto different things.

I originally started this as an art project. For that reason, I didn't photo-document my steps, so I apologize for that now!

The final product cost me $3.20! We had the wood in our backyard. I picked out one I liked then drove nails we had on hand into the wood, pointy part up. I held a lighter to the tip of the nails to make the candles slide onto the nail easily. After that, it was just a matter of letting the candle melt. I did use a lighter to speed up the process and make sure the wax on the bottom melted well enough to hide the nails (with the exception of the orange candle, which you can probably tell.. I accidentally hit it with something and it cracked up the side, so I replaced it.)

I really liked the autumn colors of the candle and my mom actually ended up liking it so she's putting it in the house somewhere with her autumn decor (which we can still get away with because we live in Texas - woot fall-like winters!)

I will probably do this with different candles for my room in the future! I love the natural feeling it has.

xoxo erikah

not your typical craft project...

There is this hilariously cute, somewhat odd, YouTube video that my friend absolutely loves. It's called Marcel the Shell with Shoes on (WATCH IT!)

Marcel is such a precious little character that I couldn't help but want to remake him and gift him to my friend who adores him.

Introducing my version of Marcel:

The shoes were made out of white and pink polymer clay (I know they could be better...) It was my first time working with the clay, so hopefully next time it will be better. I just bought a bag of shells from Hobby Lobby and picked the one that looked most like him, and the lettuce looking part behind his eye is just neon green tissue paper.

Super simple and I thought he turned out too cute!

xoxo erikah

earring stud frame

So I love slash am addicted to stud earrings. Unfortunately, I'm also not the best at organizing them, often losing an earring, losing a back to one, or breaking them. I really wanted to make a holder that I liked the style of and that would help me stay organized - so this is what I made!

This is a bulletin board-style frame I bought at Hobby Lobby (originally $14.99, bought it on 50% off sale.) I was originally going to use a picture frame but they were about double the price, so I opted for this instead.

It originally had a back like this:

I took the screws out and essentially left it barebacked. I hot glued the cushion-y part in place, so that the backing was secure when I put the earrings on it.

Mine looks like this on the back:

I made two stands out of thick foam posterboard & spray painted them black with spray paint we had on hand. Originally I had did this because my intentions were to poke my earrings through the cushion & cardboard and then secure the back with my earring posts... however, it did not go over like this. I just couldn't manage to get the earrings through the backing even though it was thinner than when I bought it. If you can do that, then you could probably do this step and make it look prettier (I get excited easily when crafting and therefore rush the process - a downfall, I know.) If you're like me and can't quite get it, then I'm sure you can skip this step entirely and just leave the original back frame on.

Since I couldn't push my earrings all the way through, they're definitely stuck into the cushion enough that they won't budge, and I just put all my posts in an old organizer I had.

Anyhow, I like the way it turned out. I really like that I can leave it out and will hopefully not lose many earrings now!

Very simple craft today :)

Sewing with Erikah

Today I tried my hand at sewing a quilt... or rather something quilt-ish.
I bought the materials for this project back in May, and after sewing two patches I realized why I never started the darn thing.

So as nightmares of every other sewing project I had done came rushing back, I just put my head down and determined to finish it. And boy did I finish it.

If you close your eyes, open them suddenly for one second, then close them again, my blanket looks alright. Focus any longer than that, and every painful thing about its structure/design/whathaveyou will basically leap out of the picture and take your eyes from you.

Anyhow, I present the final product.

The yellow is actually the back side, I folded it over just so you could see.
Confession number one: I completely love minky fabric. It is the softest thing ever created in the worlddd and I don't think it should be just for babies because it is so. freaking. comfy.
Confession number two: No matter how bad it turned out, I still like it a lot. I love the flowers & stripes especially (I lovelovelove stripes.)
Confession number three: This wasn't my first time at the rodeo...

Back in May, when I bought the fabric, I bought fabric to make my mom a quilt/blanket/something that keeps you warm thing. I was on a time crunch because she was coming to visit me, so I hurriedly made it. That adventure with sewing made me so frustrated that I couldn't manage to pick up my own quilting project again until now. I thought hers looked okay, told myself I would spend so much time on my own that it would *basically* be immaculate. Womp wompppp.
Anyhow, here is her blanket:


WHAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT SEWING:
- my sewing will get better if I can be more patient. Meaning, there is no hope for me. I'd have to be the dalai lama if I ever want a really good quilt.
- there will be many store bought costumes in my future childrens' lives.
- I don't know how I passed geometry: I can't cut squares, I can't sew straight lines.
- I will even watch a Cowboys game if it means I can use it as an excuse to take a break from sewing.

Will I sew again?
Tune in next time to find out.

desktinny :)

I love crafting with ever fiber of my being. With my time off, I am looking to craft like a master (one can only hope, right?)

My first real endeavor are these:


I have dubbed them Desktinny (sing) or Desktinnies (pl). I made them for my little, Alecks (right), and my grand-little, Kait (left). When I gave them to the girls I filled them with scrapbook paper with inspirational quotes on them, just a little something to read every day, but afterwards or alternatively they could be filled with office supplies, candy... really anything you'd like.

I look forward to making more, they're rather fun to make! If anybody wants one, just let me know!

I'm sure you'll see many more of my crafting endeavors in weeks to come. :)

oh the places I'll go: If only I knew what to choose!

Today's dilemma: what do I want to pursue under the umbrella of student affairs/higher ed.

Maybe not so much a dilemma, since I don't have to choose now, but I feel like the sooner I realize the better off I'll be.

Reslife. Having been an RA for 3 years of my undergrad, it is something that I naturally lean to pursuing. I am *hoping* to get a graduate apprenticeship in this area, I just don't know if it something I could do long term? I miss it terribly, but it seems like such a stressful job that I don't know if I could handle it for a long time. So much respect to those who do! Sometimes it seems like a job that's hard to get away from, although that may be only if I go down the Center Coordinator route. For sure need to look into my other options under the Housing umbrella :)

Student Life. I don't know that I was ever "heavily" involved in Student Life, but anything I was a part of , I definitely loved with all my heart. If I could do Camp Crimson until I'm 83, I would. If I could work with Sooner Scandals until I'm 96, I would. My biggest fear about going this route is I don't know if I'm right for it. Sure, I love it a lot, but I don't know that my personality suits the area well... I'd be afraid of falling short in comparison to those who are much more involved I suppose.

Maybe somewhere else entirely! I think I would enjoy working for the journalism college/department on a campus (I find it hard to pull myself away from how much I love media, advertising, PR). I know I would probably love working in recruitment or another job where I could work with freshmen.

All I know is I love college, I love sharing my enthusiasm with others and making them love college like I do. Hopefully no matter what I fall into, I'll always have the chance of doing that. <3