Frohe Weihnachten

Gratefulness

Have you seen the new Jimmy Kimmel challenge video yet?  Its similar to his Halloween challenge which was funny all though the children were bratty.  However in my opinion, the results of this one were much, MUCH more disturbing.  (Except I do love the kids at time marker 1:40.. they're funny.)

What is happening?!  When did Christmas become just about presents (or only good presents)? 

I have seen lots of folks posting about embracing a 4 gift rule for their kids.  

a la

L.O.V.E. it!  Granted I don't have kids, yet.  However, when I do.. this blog post will be here waiting for me as a reminder of WHY this is a good idea!  Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Lord, not about getting every single one of the 50 items on your wish list.  Its about giving to others (as God gave Jesus to the world), not about receiving.    

A Not-So-Brief Update on Life in Germany

I have now been here 2 weeks.  In that two weeks time, we have kind of just been camping in the house because all of the furniture was still being shipped, but alas.. it has arrived!  I have a bed!!  After two weeks sleeping on an air mattress, I seriously don’t think I have ever appreciated a bed more!  While there are still boxes everywhere, it is beginning to feel more like home.  I am so appreciative that I was able to spend time with them in Texas so that their furniture is familiar enough to make me feel that way!

These two weeks have certainly had their times of frustration and home sickness, but there have also been lots of times of joy.  Lets start with the frustrations so that we can end on a positive note!  If you don’t want to hear about the negatives just skip the next four points…

Its frustrating that I have to have someone to communicate for me.  While I know some German, I don’t know enough.  My language classes started last week, and I am slowly seeing some improvement at least in my understanding. 

My credit and debit cards aren’t accepted here.  UGH!!  I hate dealing in cash.  It makes me nervous to have that much cash on me.  I currently don’t have access to all the money I saved for this year.  We have been working on getting me a bank account, but since I don’t have my visa yet (I’ve applied but it takes 4-5 weeks for processing), the banks can’t give me an account. 

Its frustrating that my mobility is limited to where the s-bahn and u-bahn goes.  I will eventually be able to drive, but we haven’t really had time for me to practice yet.  I am pretty intimidated by driving here, but my frustration with how not driving would limit my mobility is soon going to be enough to get me over that fear. 

Its frustrating that I don’t have a set schedule/routine.  No one is a fault in this and I know that Mareike wants a set schedule just as much as I do, but it is going to take time for her to build her client base and start to have routine in her workload.  I understand that and I’m flexible, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. 

Now onto the joys!  I am grateful…

when I understand a conversation that is being held in German.

for Christmas Markets

when Dooley makes Bennet laugh and smile.

for Bennet.

for Dooley.

for the walk that Dooley and I take most days.  We are pretty far out in the country and there is a dirt road that leads all the way into Maisach (the next town). 

that I have been able to meet folks that speak English so that I can at least have a social life before I learn German.   I have met a group of non-competitive runners that go on runs and then just spend time socializing.  I went on a run with them last Friday and am going down to Innsbruck with them this weekend for a run!

that I have found an english speaking Methodist church with a very international congregation that I think I will learn a lot from. 

for the peace in the unknown that the Lord has placed on my heart.  If you had told me a couple years ago that I would be okay with the fact that I don’t really have a plan for what is next, I would have called you a liar.  I am definitely searching and seeking, but I am very much trying to do this through God.  I feel as though its God’s will that I am here, so I am trying to be open and let Him use me where I am needed here. 

for technology that allows me to see and speak to my parents daily.  No, its not the same as being able to pick up the phone whenever I’d like, but it helps the homesickness a bit. 

for AthensChurch podcasts.  They make my train rides enjoyable and a good use of time.  I encourage each and every one of you reading this to go listen to Parts 1 and 2 of the Be Rich series.  You will be so glad that you did!!  I just finished the Game Plan and the Be Rich series.  In my search for what is next the fact that the Be Rich series so closely relates to what I’ve been feeling in my heart for a while now, I think I have my answer.  Now to see how God’s will will manifest itself…

Well my dears, that is all for now.  My regular blogging might be a bit spotty for a bit, but I promise to keep you updates with my adventures—which, granted, might just be my ramblings about walking my dog in cold weather and 15 month old boys, but there you have it.

I'm Here!

Next time I take a break from blogging, I promise I will give y'all more of a warning.  I have spent the last couple weeks making my way back to Georgia and spending some much needed time with my family!

I got to make a trip to Athens and get my hair done at my favorite place.  I got to go to the movies with my folks.  I got to go to Youth Assembly and hang out with some of my Y-Club favorites.  I got to see my absolute favorites because they are awesome and came to Atlanta to meet me.  I got to see all my aunts and family.  I got to give all my Christmas presents (and get a bunch!).  I got to hike.

It was awesome!

On Monday, we packed up all of my stuff and Dooley and I got on the plane.  We got here early Tuesday morning sleep deprived and cold, but other than that things went very smoothly.  The Little Man loves adores Dooley though I do still have to hold Dooley when she is around him because she is nuts a little excited.  Dooley is adjusting.  I think she is still trying to figure out where she is and why Mama and Daddy aren't here.  She gets really excited when she sees Stefan, Mareike, or Little Man, so for the most part I'm just keeping her in my room.  The road we live on dead ends into a field but there is a little dirt road that continues for a good long ways, so we have been taking walks down it.  

SO. MANY. SMELLS.

Our yard is also fenced in so she can be out there without the leash and get to run which is exciting for her.  

Yesterday we registered me with the village and today I had a meeting with the folks about my work visa--so I'm legal.  =D  I also have my phone all set up!  My number is 01145 176 9984 7580.  It is free for me if you call me, but I have no idea how much it will cost for you.. sorry!

In terms of the house, it is really nice.  Very modern and sleek.  My room is on the floor with the rest of the family's bedrooms, but my bathroom is down one level.  I have a HUGE bath tub which is SO exciting because I didn't think that I was going to have one at all!  All of our furniture is still making its way over, so we are all sleeping on air mattresses and sitting and eating on furniture that Stefan's family brought over for us!  I got all my stuff unpacked today and we found a shelving unit down in the basement that I put together (all by myself!!) so I have everything organized on that for the time being.  Thankfully all the stuff I sent with the air freight made it safe and sound so I have all my jackets and sweaters which I need because its HELLA COLD!  Its not below freezing yet, but its getting there.  

We won't have internet until next Monday at the soonest, so my blogging is going to be limited to our trips to McDonalds (barf).  I promise I will be back on track with my blogging once we actually have internet!  

Tschus!

Why Wednesday Didn't Happen + TILT

I'm obviously just pretending yesterday didn't exist so that I don't have to post about German.  I have actually fired up Rosetta Stone this past week, but I am completely, totally overwhelmed with it right now.. So I really just don't want to talk about it.  There for.. Wednesday just didn't happen.  On to happier things...

This video... Made. My. Day.

As did this one...

I just finished this book.  AMAZING.  Head over to her website to learn more!

I'm currently obsessing over these doggy products.  This and that.

Hulu is so bad for me.  I don't need a new show or two...

That's all for this week.. As usual, I'm linking up with Kelly over at You, Me, and the Deep Blue Sea

Weekend Update

Oh the joys of moving. Just a warning, this one will be a rambling mess..

All last week, I worked on organizing all my stuff and dividing it up into the going home group and the going to Germany group.  The military will pay for Mareike and Stefan to have 500lbs of air freight, which will arrive in like 2-3 weeks, and then they can also ship stuff, which will arrive in about 6 weeks.   Thankfully they offered for me to put my stuff in with theirs to get it over there—though I have no idea how it will be making it back.  I also had to inventory everything that was going and assign values to it.  Not going to lie... my OCD kind of loved it and the whole process was actually pretty fun. 

Saturday morning Mareike and Stefan were having a yard sale to sell the stuff that they didn’t want to take with them and the electrical appliances that wouldn’t work over there.  Even though all their signs said that the sale started at 8am, that didn’t stop someone from showing up at 6:30 and waking up Little Man… uh uh not cool.  The yard sale went pretty well and pretty much everything sold!  After that Mareike headed to the hair salon and Stefan and Bennet went to his friend’s garage to work on the chump car so that means that I had the house to myself to watch Dawgs kill the Gators!

There is little in the world that is better than beating Florida.  I was a little nervous early in the game and extremely frustrated with Blair Walsh, but we pulled it out!!  Thankfully Florida was as penalty happy as we usually are. 

photo via Megan Wright

That night Mareike and Stefan had their Farewell Dinner with the German community, so I was watching Little Man.  After dinner and getting ready for bed, he and I curled up on the couch with some apple juice and cider, respectively, and watched a little bit of Hocus Pocus.  That is why people have kids I’m pretty sure—the cuddle time. 

Sunday we packed up the cars and moved our stuff into our temporary on-base housing.  It feels like we are at camp.  The bathrooms make you want to wear shower shoes, and the house smells like damp.  BUT there is a bed, kitchen, TV, and we now have internet, so I’m not complaining!

WIMM: The Halloween Edition

Happy Halloween!! 

 I'm blogging from Starbucks because our lovely new on-base housing does not have internet. 

How. Will. I. Survive?  Lots of trips to Starbucks that's how.. Anywho..

As promised here is a rockin' WIMM featuring some awesome halloween crafts!!

First up is Little Man's treat bag.  He is going to be a terrifyingly cute dragon tonight so I had to make an equally terrifyingly cute treat bag...  I got some awesome inspiration from pinterest via DoveNestDesigns etsy shop.  I would totally have made a tutorial for y'all, but as they really aren't all that expensive (and they aren't my brain child to share), I recommend y'all head on over and buy one!  Here is the one I made.. 

My next idea also came from pinterest via Angela Sgro Design's blog.  My aunts, parents, and grandparents have been so great about sending me mail (which I love!) while I've been out here.  I wanted to send them a halloween card with a picture of the cutest little dragon that you ever did see.  So here is my Frankenstein card...

And last but not least, is a brainchild completely of my own!  I took the picture back summer before senior year of high school while Mama, Daddy and I were in the UK.  The quote, obviously from Harry Potter, is a new one I discovered last week but it is now one of my favorites!!   Enjoy! 

That is all for this week!  I hope y'all have lots of fun tonight, get lots of candy, and no tummy aches!

Things I Love Thursdays

This Thursday I am linking up with Kelly over at You, Me, and the Deep Blue Sea again for her TILT series.  

With Ga/Fl going down this weekend, I did try to include some gator hating in there.. enjoy!   Here we go!

Brown paper packages tied up with strings.  

A classic.

I would never actually keep up with this, but what a cool concept!  It would be interesting to see how your answers change in 5 years.  

My Josh Ritter Pandora station.

THESE shoes!!  Plus the proceeds go help native american and aboriginal tribes.

Shoes for a good cause?  I'll take a few pairs.. but specifically these.

HA HA HA HA! If you need a laugh just scroll through all of them!

and these prints...

Harry Potter perfection a la

also this... Thank you Rolling Stone and Photoshop.

a la

a la

I would love that on a tank to work out in!  When does it become inappropriate to wear my sorority t's?  When I'm 30?  When I have kids?  I'd love to hear some opinions.. 

Wordy Wednesdays: The Cheater Edition

I don't know if I've mentioned this or not, but before we move to Germany we have to pack up all the Greiler's stuff (sofa, cars, beds, etc) and ship it over there.. That also means that we have to make do without those things until we get to Germany.  Since that is obviously impossible to do in the house we are currently in, we are moving on base into a furnished house that is set up for precisely these occasions.  This is happening next Tuesday, so things are kind of crazy around here at the moment.  I have yet to start packing because once I pack my craft stuff I won't be unpacking it until Germany, so I have been in a mad rush to finish Christmas (presents and wrapping).  I have also been too inspired by stuff on Pinterest to let Halloween pass without any crafting at all, so I knocked out two Halloween projects in the last two days.  (Next Monday's WIMM is going to ROCK!)

All that said, I haven't opened Rosetta Stone once in the past week.  I KNOW... I really need to get on it. In less than 5 weeks, I will be getting a rude awakening as to how little I really know.   Even more immediately, I am going to a Halloween party with a bunch of Germans on Monday and all I will be able to do is tell them that the table is made of plastic... not the most interesting conversation and they are likely to think I'm crazy.  Ah!  At least once my craft stuff is packed I won't really have anything to do but Rosetta Stone (...and Pinterest) so hopefully I will be able to buckle down and get on it.  But without further ado or any more excuses here is my Wordy Wednesday based completely on things I knew before this week...

Word I’m loving right now:

 Herbst

Word that makes me giggle:

langsam

Word that sounds gross:

Karotte

okay... maybe it doesn't sound gross, but it is gross...

Word that I can never pronounce properly:

Schlüssel

Word that is the same as English (except for pronunciation, of course):

Park

Word I want to learn more about its origins:

Schlüssel and Schüsseln

WHY are they so similar?!

Ridiculous things that Rosetta Stone thinks I need to know:

Der Tisch ist aus Plastik.

And here is a link to GoogleTranslate...

Go learn some German...maybe I will as well.

WIMM (on Tuesday)

So sorry for my lack of bloggage yesterday... This weekend (and Monday) my life was been taken over by these...

Christmas presents are DONE, wrapped, and in the car ready to make their way home!

I also got around to finishing up this shirt which, I'll be honest, I will never wear.. 

and that's all I can show y'all..  

Not going to lie, I crafted all weekend and its a little disappointing that this is all I get to show you, but just wait!  After I give the presents y'all will have an AWESOME What I Made Monday!  

Things I'm Currently Loving

Today I'm linking up with one of my lovely littles, Kelly, at You, Me, and the Deep Blue Sea for her 'Things I Love Thursday'.

I'm loving this colder weather even though it came on pretty suddenly!  On Monday I was laying out, yesterday we had to break out the fleeces!  It smells, feels, and looks like fall!  

That tall, soy, no whip, pumpkin spice latte I had yesterday... perfect fall drink.

These socks.

Andy Stanley's Listen and Learn series that I just finished and really having time to reflect on the message.

This nail polish.  So much so that I might buy it and try painting my own nails (and then when I fail I'll go to the nail salon..)

These dog tags.

Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bags... but I do NOT love the prices.

These prints.

a la

a la

a la 

which makes me think of this other thing I'm loving...

and this video...  seriously, its my childhood!  It even has Ghostwriter on it!! 

Wordy Wednesdays

For anyone who has tried learning a second language, you know that there are certain words that just stick out to you.  It could be that maybe they are ugly, silly, or just so hard to pronounce you never what to have to say them, but everyone has those words.  In an effort to give me a kick me in the booty to actually practice my German more (because apparently the fact that I will be living there in 6 weeks isn't enough), I am starting a new series on the blog...

Each Wednesday I'll tell y'all about the fun (and not so fun) words I learned the previous week.  So here we go!

Word I’m loving right now:

 Zahnbürste

Word that makes me giggle:

schmutzig

Word that sounds gross:

Jacke

Word that I can never pronounce properly:

Entschuldigen

which is extremely unfortunate because it is kind of needed to be polite...

Word that is the same as English (except for pronunciation, of course):

Restaurant

and I can NEVER get the German pronunciation right...

Word I want to learn more about its origins:

Schmuck

Ridiculous things that Rosetta Stone thinks I need to know:

Die alte Frau unterrichtet Arabisch.

And here is a link to GoogleTranslate... Happy learning!

Fort Worth Zoo + The Deal of the Century

This past weekend we headed down to Dallas.  Mareike had to pick up the crates that they are using to ship their motorcycles early on Saturday morning, so we decided that staying overnight was probably the best bet.  Once in Dallas on Friday night we made a shopping detour to Southlake.  While she was exchanging something at NY&Co I decided to take a stroll through Anthro.  There was nothing I needed per say, but I did want to check out their sale stuff.  As I walked in there was a sign that all of their sale stuff was an additional 40% off the lowest marked sale price. Oh happy day!!

As I made my way back I saw that this coat that I spotted there a month ago (and fell completely in love with) was now on clearance.

While I did need a fashionable raincoat for Germany, this jacket's original $288 price tag is the only reason I didn't buy it the minute I saw it. It was now marked down to $150, but wait... take an additional 40% off of that, so it was $90.  On top of all that, I still had $30 left on my gift card.  I got this $288 jacket for $60!!

Super excited!

The next day, after Mareike got the crates, we went to the Montgomery Street Antique Mall where I may of may not have gotten some Christmas presents.  Then it was off the the zoo.  

Most people who know me know that I love animals and that I love, LOVE zoos.  Yes it makes me a little sad that these animals aren't getting to live in their natural environment (and bad zoos that don't take care of their animals make me down right furious), but the Fort Worth Zoo was FABULOUS!  Great habitats and the animals were really well taken care of.  The Little Man loves most animals (except small yippy dogs) and, though he was super tired, was fascinated.  He kept waving and saying hi to each animal we saw.  He is such a cutie!   Without further ado, here are the pictures!

Love was definitely in the air.  We saw orangutans kissing under a sheet and some bears making out!

WIMM: Yummy Food

I can't really show y'all the crafts I worked on this week because they are Christmas presents..  Clay, D'daddy, and Uncle Barrett--get excited!  What I do want to show and share with y'all this week are some yummy recipes!

The first thing I made this week was Chicken Rollatini from SkinnyTaste.  I made some angel hair pasta and a spinach salad to go with it and it was so tasty!  

This next one I've made before, but its definitely worth making the blog.  Baked Ziti from The Girl Who Ate Everything.  There are so many different combos you can do.  We are trying to empty out the pantry and fridge because we are moving on base in 2 weeks and we'd rather not have to move food.  This is a great use-what-you-have recipe.  For mine, I left off the meat and used ricotta cheese instead of provolone because that's what we had.  Oh and I also used penne pasta instead of ziti, but whatevs..  I cut the recipe in half and Mareike and I still ate on it for a week!  

Happy Monday!

Happy Birthday Mama

Sorry for no blog yesterday!  Yesterday was spent crafting, enjoying this beautiful weather, and researching ways to teach a round off.  Tonight, we are off to Dallas for a fun filled weekend!  Mareike has to pick up the crates that they need to ship their motorcycles in, so we are making a weekend out of the trip.  We are going to do some shopping (anthropologie and the apple store), check out an antique mall in Fort Worth, and go to the zoo! 

Before my weekend can start, however, I must take today to wish my beautiful mother happy birthday!  Thank you so much for always encouraging me to follow my dreams, even when those dreams involve moving to another country.  Thank you, and daddy, for being my safety net that I always know is there.  Without y’all, I don’t think I could take the risks I take, do what I do, and dream what I dream.  

Dooley Bug

I sure am missing this girl...

I am SO glad that she gets to come to Germany with me.  I seriously don't think I could go a year without her!  Only 5 more weeks until I get to see her!  I really think she is going to love Germany.  There is going to be lots of snow when we first get there and I know she is going to have a blast running around in/eating it!  I also can't wait for her to be able to join me and the Little Man on our daily walks.

All that being said, I am going to have to get her a new crate for the airplane ride over.  The one that she has now is a collapsible one and for some reason they don't want the crate collapsing on the puppy during the flight... weird.  Definitely something to keep in mind if have a big dog and you're buying a crate and you're planning on moving overseas.  

If you're not planning on moving overseas and you think that a collapsible one might be a good idea for you and your puppy, please let me know!  I'm actually selling two of her crates.  Both are single door Midwest iCrates and both have been used.  The smaller one is for dogs 25-40 lbs.  She out grew that one in like 2 months.  =D  That one retails for like $40, but I'm selling it for $30 since its used.  The big one is for dogs 70-90 lbs.  It retails for about $70, but I'm selling it for $50.  Both of the crates are currently in Bremen, Georgia, but I'd be happy to meet any of you Athens folks in Atlanta over Thanksgiving Break!  

Here is a link so you can see what they look like.  

Email, call, text, facebook, tweet, smoke signal me if you're interested!  

Spiced Banana Scones

Hey y'all!  I have another recipe for you!  I can't take all the credit for this one though.  I was originally inspired by this recipe, but I decided to lighten it up a bit!  I also left off the glaze, but I might use some of my leftover cream cheese filling from the Pumpkin Spice Bead on it.  Yum!  

In the end, my scones have about 200 calories each.  Not necessarily the lightest breakfast, but definitely a nice treat!  Here we go!

Spiced Banana Scones

yield: 8 scones

Ingredients

2 very ripe bananas

½ cup plain yogurt

3 tbsp honey

1 cup ap flour

1 cup ww flour

½ cup oats

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves

3 tbsp applesauce

3 tbsp pumpkin puree (not entirely necessary, just add more applesauce if you aren’t using it)

¼ cup crasins (optional)

1 tbsp slivered almonds (optional)

Instructions

Peel the bananas and mash them up.  This should give you about a cup.  Stir in the yogurt and honey then set aside.

In a medium bowl (or stand mixer), measure the flours, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Add your applesauce and pumpkin puree to the dry ingredients and work it in using a fork (or your fingers).

Add the banana-yogurt-honey mixture to the flour mixture.  Mix it just enough to absorb all of the flour. The dough should be fairly wet.  Mix in your crasins and almonds if you’re using them.

Line a dinner plate with a piece of wax paper and plop your dough on it.  Spread it out until it is about an inch thick and cover with a piece of parchment paper.  Freeze the dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Take your dough out of the freezer and flip it onto a baking sheet.  Peel off the wax paper that is now on top.  Cut it into 8 wedges.  Bake it for 25 minutes.  Take it out and really separate your wedges.  Bake for an additional 10 minutes. 

Happy baking!

What I Made Monday

Hey there folks!  Since I'm moving to Germany the weekend after Thanksgiving, my family and I are celebrating Christmas at Thanksgiving this year.  However, it really dawned on me this week that that means I have just under 5 weeks to get all of my Christmas presents made!  5 WEEKS!  That being said... just a heads up that WIMM is going to be pretty sparse these next 5 weeks, because I can't very well put up pictures of the presents that I'm making!  I do promise though that after I give the gifts I'll post the pictures...and it will be the best WIMM EVER!! Totally worth waiting for, right?  I think yes.

Anyway.. lets get onto the things I made this week that I can show you!  

Banana Spice Scones!  

The recipe is coming tomorrow!!

I made another piece of the quilt, but this is the cutest picture I have of it.  He was sitting on the bed out of the frame of the picture, but when he realized I was taking a picture he flopped down on it! 

and.... I changed out my calendar with the new JDC Monthly for October.  Busy, busy!

and, for the sake of full disclosure, I want to show y'all the miserable failure of one of my projects this past week.  This coming Friday is my mom's birthday so I was going to make this for her as a surprise.  

obvs THAT didn't work out...

Sorry Mama!

Koozie Tutorial

Hi there Pinterest friends! Thanks so much for stopping by!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me! While this personal blog was a great outlet for my creativity at the time, it is no longer updated or checked regularly as my professional blog is now a full time job in an of itself!

 The new blog has a new post every weekday and is all about healthy, sustainable living and eating, a smattering of travel, and some great music.

Come on over and check it out!

---

Remember the koozie I showed you here?  Well today, I'm going to show y'all how to make one for yourself!

These are completely customizable according to what you're liking at the moment!  I made this one pretty masculine because it is for a guy, but... if I were to make another for me, I'd probably be using some chevron fabric.  Just sayin'...

Anyway, here is what you'll need:

an old koozie (for sizing)

1/4 yd of your chosen fabric

1/4 yd of the double sided fusible web (found in the fabric section at hobby lobby)

8x10 sheet of felt

1 pkg of snaps

snap tool (what are those called anyway?)

pen or sharpie

scissors

iron

sewing machine (or just needle and thread if you want to do it by hand)

needle

First thing you will need to do is lay out your old koozie on the fabric and trace.  This will give you the size of your new koozie!  Trace and cut.

Lay fabric on your felt.  Trace and cut.

Put your fabric off to the side for a bit, because we are just going to be working with the felt and the fusible web.  Cut off a piece of the fusible web that is a little bit bigger than your felt.  

Iron your fusible web to the felt.  Start in the middle and work your way towards the sides.  Make sure there aren't bubbles.  Iron for about 30 seconds.  Make sure you are ironing on the paper side of the fusible web.  

In hindsight, I would have put a piece of parchment paper underneath my felt so that the adhesive wouldn't have melted onto my towel.. Oh well.. 

Trim off the extra and use your scissors to score the paper. 

Then peel the paper off.  The adhesive will have adhered to the felt and this side of the felt will definitely feel a little rubbery.

Now I'm going to apologize because I don't have picutres of this next step.  I just forgot to take them!  Oops!

Next you are going to grab your fabric and lay it pretty side down on your ironing board (or towel in my case).  Layer your felt on top making sure that the adhesive side is the side that is touching your fabric (meaning the the felt side is facing you).  Then you are going to iron it for 30 seconds, starting in the middle and working your way out.  This will adhere the felt to your fabric.  

Trim off any areas where they don't match up exactly and make sure that you like the shape.

Next we are going to quilt a bit!  I went with straight vertical lines, but you can do anything you want!  Just make sure the you tie it off on the ends (or back stitch) so that your stitch doesn't come out!

After you got your quilting done, its time to put on the snaps.  I don't have any magic instructions for this part.  This was the first time I've put snaps on like this so I just followed the instructions on the package!  The only thing that I will say is to make sure that everything is lined up when you close it.  Also, make sure that it will fit around whatever you are wanting to to fit around.  

After your snaps are on, stitch around the outside of the whole thing and you can be done!

unless.... you want to add some embellishments!  

I chose some sturdy red fabric and stamped the words 'glory, glory' on it.  Then I placed it on the koozie where I wanted it (centered) and then stitched around it.

Obviously, I didn't want strings sticking out the front of the koozie, so I threaded both strings on a needle and pushed them through to the back.

Then I tied them off with the strings that were on the back and trimmed.   I did the same thing with the strings from when I stitched around the whole koozie, so that the front looked nice and clean!

And there you have it!  You're ready for a great Saturday of tailgating!! 

Glory, glory to ole Georgia!

Go Dawgs!!