Unexpected Package

Hi y'all!

I've survived three weeks of grad school.  Whew!  Lots of hard work but lots of learning.

I got a package this week from my mother's neighbor.  I had no idea what it could be.  But I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it and found this:

It's the set of Advent Candles that I made in college!

A little background:  shortly before he died, my father's church burned down because someone forgot to extinguish the advent candles.  They were regular wax candles and burned down and dripped onto the floor and burned the entire historic building to the ground.  For my Lutheran Worship class in college, I had to create a project.  I came up with these plastic canvas "advent candles" because I thought they could be used in certain places, like classrooms where lighting actual candles was not a good idea.  They even "light up."

I had given them to my neighbor to use in Sunday School and she retired from teaching Sunday School this year.  I had asked her to take a picture of them the next time she pulled them out but since she retired, she decided to mail them to me.

I would like to make a few modifications to them.  I'm not sure if I will modify these or start from scratch and make a new set.  We'll see.  Right now I've got lots of school work.

Surviving Grad School and a trip to SCRAP

Well, I've officially survived my first week of Grad School.  All my courses are hybrid courses with most of the course online and a few lectures.  I've been able to work ahead so I'm about a week ahead of schedule.  I have one paper that will take a bit more research and planning so I'm hoping to start that this week some time even though it's not due until the beginning of July.

These are the required texts. 
So glad the government picked up the tab
because they were over $200. 

Everyone wants APA style so I picked
this up. I'm used to MLA so it will
be a little adjustment

We also took a little trip to SCRAP.  I picked up a few things.

Some interesting 18 ct evenweave for 75 cents

A kit for a tin cover, including a heart shaped tin.  I've seen it before but resisted it until now.  It was $5

A cute set of scissor fob and tin cover for a regular Altoid tin.  Charms included

No stitching progress to report this week.  I was busy with the start of school.  I have one lecture this week and a doctor's appointment.

Weekend Fun and the Beginning of Grad School

This weekend was interesting.  On Saturday, I went to the knitting/crochet circle at the library for the first time in several months.  It was fun and I started a scarf.

Sunday, Emily was bored.  It's not a good sign when your teenager is bored 2 days into summer break.  So, we went to the mall.  And I bought the Pigeon

If you don't recognize him, see Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

After that we went to see Star Trek Into Darkness.  It was awesome!  I highly recommend it. 

Didn't see in 3D though. 

It was nice since I haven't seen a film in the theater since Toy Story 3.  Em and I are disappointed because they won't be showing My Little Pony Equestria Girls anywhere in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  It's quite odd actually.  Guess we'll have to wait for the video release.

I started my masters program on Monday.  I am taking three classes (9 credits - full time for Masters).  Everything is on Blackboard.  I am working steadily on getting assignments done.  I already have this week mostly wrapped up.

I've actually had some time to stitch.  Here's what I've been working on.

It's going to be three Dalmatians in antlers

More of Snow White Discovers the Cottage, the Kinkade piece

I don't know how often I'll be able to post during the next two months but I will try to take time out to hit the blogs that I follow occasionally.