Puzzled

Puzzles are not really an activity I would associate with a college student. It's an activity more reminiscent of my Grandma, a toddler, or a student forced to stay inside for recess. It's certainly not an activity I would imagine myself doing.

My mom and I decided to take a trip to Hobby Lobby to find some ideas for this blog. It was as I was heading toward the register that I spotted an aisle of puzzles. Eureka! A new hobby for my blog.

There were many puzzles to choose from--Coke themed, stamps, recreations of water-colors that Moms like to put in the living room--all with various levels of difficulty. I was tempted to choose an easy one--after all, I am a beginner, and this was just an experiment for a blog--but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the purpose of this blog was to find something new and leave my comfort zone. So I chose a whimsical tea-set themed 1000 piece puzzle.

My lovely puzzle

I haven't actually done a puzzle since third grade. I loved puzzles when I was little (I was rewarded with Disney-themed puzzles a child, but that's another story), but they fell by the wayside when I was introduced to things like Oregon Trail and the Playstation.

I was in for a surprise. This was not like the puzzles of my youth. This was a complex puzzle. I was in over my head, but I dove in anyway.

I spent three hours doing edges first (while simultaneously watching Project Runway repeats). During this time my shoulder ached, by back hurt, I actually cried, and I swore very loudly. Who knew puzzles could be so emotional? However, after the initial discomfort and frustration, I actually grew to like it.

To my complete shock, I actually spent a chunk of today doing the puzzle, and what felt like five minutes in the afternoon was in reality an hour and a half. There is something very soothing about doing puzzles. I have complete control of a chaotic situation, and in the end it all works out into an interesting piece of "art". It's almost therapeutic.

My work so far

So much detail!

Needless to say, I have found a new hobby. My Grandma Green "puzzles", so I am hoping this will be a common interest we can share. I plan to send my old puzzles to her in Pocatello, Idaho, along with a handwritten note. We can be "Puzzle Pals".

The lesson I've learned through this particular experience is that you should never assume you will dislike something. I let go of my puzzle prejudice and found a pastime I truly like. This isn't the end, though! I have many more hobbies to try--and if they all work out this well, I will be a very busy girl.

Finding a hobby

When I was in 11th grade I took a sewing class where I learned that I had a love of sewing. I loved the class so much that I took the class every semester until I graduated. It was there that I developed a passion for quilting.

My second quilt finished on my last day of Senior Year.

My first quilt I started my first semester of Junior year and finished my first semester of Senior year.

I created these two quilts as part of the final projects for the four classes. I loved doing them, as a hobby, it was simply unrealistic. Quilting is extremely time consuming, expensive (each of those quilts cost me at least $150 to make), and requires access to expensive equipment (a quality sewing machine can cost about $1500, and a quilting machine is around $5000-10000). While fun, it was almost stressful--it caused me great shoulder pain and became very tedious.

You can see all the detail that goes into sewing...I did all the stitching on a quilting machine.

The point of this story of my fallen hobby is that hobbies need to be fun and relaxing--not stressful. I miss sewing, and if I have learned anything from this experience it's that hobbies you love fall into your lap when you least expect it.

Found My Focus....

So one of the problems of me finding my focus was my lack of interesting hobbies. I decided my blog will be focusing on me finding new interesting hobbies. Once a week I will try something new and blog about the results. Feel free to leave any ideas about hobbies I should try in the comments section. This should be very interesting to say the least.

Who I Am

Hey...I'm Steph. I am 21 years old. I grew up in Kaysville, Utah, with my two parents and older sister Brittany. I am a Junior at Weber State majoring in English Education.
I am obsessed with shopping...for anything. Even groceries. I mostly shop for clothes, but I like shopping for books, room decor, CDs, and DVDs. I love shows about shopping and makeovers, like What Not to Wear and How Do I Look. I'm into style, but frankly I am too lazy to dress myself up.
I would describe myself as quirky. I like to laugh at my really stupid jokes ( and other people's stupid jokes). I love finding trivia on random topics.
I love listening to music. My play list can only be described as random. The music I mostly listen to has though provoking lyrics. Some of my favorite bands/musicians are George Harrison, Neil Young, The Rasmus, Fastball, HIM, and Silverstein.
I haven't decided what the theme for my blog will be. I am having trouble thinking of a focus...the story of my life :) Most likely I will have a random idea when I least expect it.

This is Me. Laters.