amanda is one of my oldest, dearest, tallest friends. we’ve known each other since elementary school. we first met playing soccer together since it’s written in the bible that you must play soccer between the ages of 4-9 and quit at age 12 (don’t try to do the math, it will only confuse you). one day someone tried to jump over me wearing cleats. amanda got kicked in the head. in middle school, amanda tripped me in the hall. i lost a shoe and my books went everywhere. based on those two experiences alone, we will be friends for life. her favorite movie is harold and maude. she likes dancing at concerts and getting lost in the stars. she loves red headed boys, eating baguettes, and going to bed at 9pm. she does not like worms. amanda is a certified, bona fide, hella legit nurse/ mountain biker/ beard crocheter/ psychiatrist/ photographer/ pumpkin bread baker/ hardcore skiier with a karate belt in awesome. she can not touch her toes. and i love her for it.
i asked amanda to be a guest blogger because she’s incredibly talented, brilliant, and single (like me, she’s got some extra time). i didn’t ask her to write anything specific, i simply asked her to be herself and the below is what she choose on her own terms. therefor, i refuse to be responsible for anything written and if tried in court, i’ll deny everything.
i’m really really ridiculously lucky to have a friend like her. xoxo.
Today I am posting my very first guest blog, which is only appropriate because I forcefully encouraged (yes, I held her down until she yelled Uncle) my dear friend Angela Rose to start up this blog, to share parts of her amazing self to the world. So here I go, hoping to find my 15 minutes of Internet fame. But before I start, I can’t help myself from saying, if you haven’t had a chance to see any of Angela’s other posts you are missing out. She has filled them with beautiful photography, moving and encouraging stories and her artsy projects. So go take a peek!
Angela Rose is planning on fulfilling a life long goal of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2014. She is going with an organization called Summit for Someone. By accomplishing her goal this way, she is not only getting the opportunity to explore one of the greatest mountains in this world, but also raises $8,500 that goes towards programs that support outdoor adventures for underserved urban youth.
Now to get to the point of why I am here guest blogging. It turns out, $8,500 is a big chunk of change, so I plan on doing my fair share to help Miss Angela reach her goal. I have offered myself up to stand at a booth with her and hunt people down to donate money, preferably in front of places like REI where I can multitask hunting down $$$ and outdoorsy guys who are mulling over which tent to buy for their next adventure. I will also gladly attend every bar crawl for a cause, zombie party, or hike-a-thon she has planned to raise money.
But, I have also realized that this was an opportunity for me to fulfill a void I had in my life and help her out at the same time. The void is this: I enjoy crocheting. I have made hats, blankets, scarves, socks, beards, gnome costumes, you name it, but when I look for new patterns, on Etsy, Ravelry, Pinterest etc, I come across countless adorable little baby and kid patterns and I always want to make them. Seriously, have you seen the owl hats?? They are far too cute. The problem is (and where the void comes in), I don’t seem to have any little kids in my life to adorn with adorable hats, booties, or headbands…until now. To help Angela raise the money I am going to crochet little kiddo gear and sell it. VOID FILLED. And really, who can resist buying a pair of little booties with a big bow for their baby/grandkid/niece/nephew etc?? To top it off, I have a handful of pregnant co-workers right now, an easy first group to market to.
I ventured into this project far too excited. I bought a cartful of new yarn, a bucket full of buttons and searched the internet for the crocheted baby gear I always wanted to make. Then I began creating, headbands with giant flowers, hats with poof-balls on top and booties adorned with bows. The only problem I have encountered is not having a baby to model my handiwork, so if you have someone up for the job, I am hiring!! After all the sweat and tears, I felt I might as well get some credit (this is where my 15 minutes of fame comes in), so I am showing off some of my final products below. I am very pleased to be filling a silly void in my life, but even more so because I am helping support a great friend and a great cause. In the words of Angela:
“my favorite place in the whole wide world is on top of a mountain. it’s where i find peace, clarity, hope. george mallory (and everyone and their mom since then) said, ‘because it’s there.’ for me, i say ‘because i like it on top.’”
patterns used:
flower button headband
hat/baby beanie
bows
if you’d like to purchase any of amanda’s goods, ask her questions about how she did it, or simply tell her how much you love her, contact us here and i’ll be sure to get the word to her.