Pushup Challenge Week 1

I have to depart from crafting for a minute so I can present some exciting news: I just did 10 "real" (hands & toes) pushups without stopping! I'm following the program I found on hundredpushups.com and I am so amazed at how far I've come in one week. I took my Initial test on New Year's Eve and I was able to do 3 pushups before collapsing. For the next 3 days, I followed the schedule on the website, such as 2-rest-3-rest-2-rest-2-rest-max (as many as you can do). The idea is after 6 weeks you will be able to do 100 straight. It may take me a little longer than 6 weeks, but the fact that I went from 3 to 10 in 8 days is incredible! Totalling it up, I've done 75 pushups this week. And it may sound crazy, but I feel like my belly has shrunk a little bit already. If anyone's interested, it is totally free to get the workout plan!

Etsy Plus Size Finds, or lack thereof

So, my intention was to create a post highlighting some Etsy items designed for plus-size women. I wanted to exclude garments made in multiple sizes (including t-shirts) because as any good designer will tell you, what looks good on a skinny woman is necessarily going to look good on a larger woman. You can't just take the same pattern and blow it up by x percent. Unfortunately, I got to page 25 of the Plus Size category and found only one item that fit this search (and is flattering to a plus-size figure).


Skull Flutter Sleeve Top by diysewrad

So when you see lots of posts in the Etsy forums asking for plus size clothing, remember this. I'm going to try to devote more of my crafting time to plus size, so if you have anything you'd like to see, give me a shout!

xmas gifts

So I don't really have anything interesting to write today. I just felt like I hadn't updated in a while, so I should hop on and say something.

I find it interesting that my sister sends out specific x-mas gift lists. Most of the time, when people (i.e., my mother) ask what I want, I'll give general ideas: some storage boxes, new socks, winter gloves, etc. My sister, however, sends out a list with specific references - links to the exact coat she wants from JCPenny's, with size and color already chosen. This year her list consisted of about 5 tops, a jacket, 2 or 3 pairs of shoes, and a laptop bag.

For some reason, I just can't get into that type of gift list. When I give a gift, I want it to show that I thought about the person for whom I bought it, and it also says something about me. So if she said she wanted a top, I'd look on Etsy for a handmade top that I thought would match her style, but also goes along with my ideals of supporting other crafters. If I buy her the top from Penny's, I know she'll like it (because she picked it out), but my part in the gift-giving is essentially gone.

In some cases, this type of specificity is good, for example a specific movie or CD. But in general, I kinda frown upon it. Maybe that's why my hubby says I'm so difficult to shop for.

I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this! What type of lists do you make? Or do you just let people surprise you?