Creative Corner

Tis the Season for some CRAFTING!

2010-12-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

She is my Sugar Plum Fairy and once I figure out how I will add a ribbon to hang her, she will become an ornament for a good friend. :)

I've been wanting to make some more clothes pin dolls for a long time and FINALLY MADE time to do it!!! She along with her sister will adorn my mantel. So excited!

2010-09-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

My baby girl started preschool today! I wanted to make her a crocheted apple with a worm finger puppet for her teacher and am so thrilled how it turned out! I made one a couple of years ago for a friend who taught 2nd grade with traditional colors: red apple and green worm, but this time I mixed it up. I just love Slimey, Oscar the Grouches, wormy friend so I used him as inspiration and came up with this.

Mini Pocket Purses

2010-08-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who works for a large corp. in the event planning department. She was in need to of a small bag that would fit her blackberry, $, lipstick, etc. So I came up with this! She requested green, since this is the company color, and I just happened to have some green variegated cotton yarn laying around.

It worked up so easy and fast, I decided to make another one out of red. Now I need to make a trip to the material store and pick up a couple of different yards of novelty material and button to finish it off. I'm always slow with this portion because I'm not a good sewer. Hopefully I'll get faster at it one of these days!

11 years of bliss...spending our anniversary w/ our kids camping!

2010-08-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

11 yrs later....
3 kids, 1 dog and a lot of LOVE.

We had a blast in Mission Bay,
kayaking, fishing, but no catching

and taking silly pictures.
Life is great!

My Wish List

2010-08-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Now that my creative juices are back and flowing, I've to decided that August is a perfect time to make a wish list of crafty things I wish to do. So here it goes:

1.) Crochet a cardigan.
2.) Learn to knit.
3.) Make a quilt.
4.) Learn to embroider.
5.) Sew an A line skirt.
6.) Clean out & organize my over abundance of craft materials. :)
7.) Make clothespin dolls.
8.) Make button rings.

Sage Hobo

2010-08-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

Love this purse! Super easy to make. So much so, that I plan to make at least 1 more, maybe 2, maybe 3. :) I found the FREE pattern on Ravelry and had this sage green yarn by Lion Brand just hanging around so...VOILA! It appears that sewing in the lining will be the most time consuming for me since I am not a strong seamstress. Oh and the button...I LOVED IT, had to have it! I've got a couple of ideas on how to work it in we'll see which one wins...

Pretty Pink Blankie

2010-08-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

I've got my creative juices flowing again! Gosh, I love Ravelry!!! I made this beauty for my Cousin's new baby girl arriving soon. I was really concerned it wouldn't turn out even close to normal, but to my surprise, it turned out PERFECT! The blanket pattern is called Tiramisu and it's by amazing Alicia Paulson, plus it is FREE.

Out with the Old in with the New

2009-08-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

Time for me to pull out the hooks and get to creating!

Kick Ass News: I signed on to one of my favorite crocheter's sites, Ravelry, after what seemed like a lifetime away. I had an email, from a lifetime ago, asking if they could use a picture of a crochet bag I made for the pattern page. AH...YEAH, I said and they used it! I'm famous!!! LOL
Check it out at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crochet-cluster-stitch-shoulder-bag.

Next Project: A friend of mine asked me to make a set of Amigurumi dolls for her new baby niece or nephew, not sure just yet. I found an adorable patter for a pig and thought, "I'll make the three little pigs and the big bad wolf!". Below is a picture of the wolf, too, darn, adorable! If you are interested in making your own, you can get the free pattern at http://countingclocks.blogspot.com/2008/08/crochet-pattern-amigurumi-wolf.html.

Out of my Funk and Finally Back.

2009-07-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

When you find it has been a long time since you've done something, sometimes you feel like not doing it at all. I call it a Funk and that has been the state of my life since June 13th. Thank God for my son's Cub Scout's Day camp this last week, which motivated me to push through the cloud of funk and get back in the groove.

In my last post, I spoke about my Mom being terminally ill and my husband's job royally sucking. Well, it all came to a head, as they say, starting June 5th. My husband was let go at work and then the following Saturday, June 13th, my Mom passed away. At the time it seemed overwhelming, but in retrospect, it was a blessing. My husband was home for the last week of my Mom's life which enabled him to help me with the boys and allowed me to spend more time taking care of my Mom. Her passing has been surreal to say the least. With in a month in a half, we found out she was sick and she was gone. My Mom had Acute Hepatitis C which damaged her liver and on top of that she drank and she drank alot. In the end she suffered alot, compliments of the alcohol abuse. This was so heartbreaking because obviously she suffered her whole life emotionally to the point that she needed to drink and you would think that in the end she deserved to go peacefully. The experience was enough to make me never want to drink again. I do feel comfort in knowing she is no longer suffering and she is with my Grandma and two of her sisters. I look forward to the day when I can hug her again. As much as I know I'm not to blame for her addiction, I feel I failed her in so many ways and wish I could have done more so that my children would have had her here longer. They miss her terribly which is the hardest part.

On Auto Pilot

2009-05-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

I've been on auto pilot for the past few days trying to keep myself busy so that I don't allow myself to fully comprehend what is going on in my life. The past month and a half has been shockingly stressful.

My husband's job is a constant roller coaster. I've contemplated going back to work, but with the economy in the state that it is, there isn't much out there and it appears I would be working to pay for day care only. We are uncertain whether refinancing will help or whether we will have to sell our house; thankfully we have these as options available to us.

On top of that , my Mom is terminally ill. In the last month her liver has begun shutting down. My Mom has battled with alcohol severely for the past 10 years and it has finally caught up with her. She was told on Tuesday that there is no medication to be given to extend her life. That we just have to let nature take it's coarse. I'm shocked with how fast this is all happening. I struggle with how my children will react when she is no longer here. My oldest understands that she is going to Heaven, but is confused by why she has to go. He said to me, "She can't go. Her hands aren't wrinkly. Who will watch us when you and Daddy go on a date?" Trying to explain to him why was so hard. My heart brakes for him and my two other children.

Sad and Stressed....Sums It Up!

2009-04-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

Life has been pretty tough around these parts, lately. So I haven't felt like doing much of anything except the house work and laundry, which I have to do. This economy royally SUCKS and we are starting to feel the effects of it. My husband is very stressed out and there is not too much that I can do about it. I haven't worked in 5 years and no one is hiring Human Resource personnel right now. I could try to get another job, but I would need to make enough money to pay for daycare for 3 children; not an easy task to accomplish especially in this job market. Being a stay at home mom where you do not provide any financial support makes me feel helpless and vulnerable. I hate feeling this way! So after hosting a Pampered Chef party, I discussed starting a direct sell business with my husband via Pampered Chef. I'm hoping this will generate a little help for my family. Watch my friends, I will be calling to host a show!

Some Bunny Loves You Three!

With all the stress, I actually looked forward to Easter this year because it wasn't at our home so I didn't have a million things to do to prepare. Sure enough, it turned out to be a relaxing day at my husband's grandmother's home. The kids had a blast!

On a creative note, I have so many unfinished projects, it is ridiculous! Being creative always makes me feel happy. I need to get my bootie in order and get to crafting and crocheting! Hell, maybe I could sell some of that stuff, too!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T06:35:00.001-07:00

May God grant you always

A sunbeam to warm you,

A moonbeam to charm you,

A sheltering angel

so nothing can harm you.

2007 Leprechauns

Looking forward to Corned Beef, Soda Bread and a couple of pints of Guinness! I think I might cruise over to Henrys or Trader Joes and see if they have any black currant juice. My husband's uncle swears that I would love a pint with a splash of juice; what better day than today to try it out. Time to wake up my little leprechauns and get them ready for a day filled with GREEN.

Tag You're It!

2009-03-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

We've been passing around a cold/flu bug for the past 3 weeks. I'm so glad it has finally passed (I'm crossing my fingers, right now!). As a result, I haven't blogged in a very long time. SOOOO...here is my month in review.

Camping in the Desert

Tired little rug rats.

We love to play card games!

Memma & Me relaxing.

Scout Night at the Museum

This was a very cool event. We stayed the night at the Natural Museum of History and had a fun filled night of activities learning about dinosaurs. The next morning we had free access of the museum before it opened to the public; TOTALLY COOL!

Cub Scout's Pinewood Derby

Dad and Nick putting the final touches on his car.

Nick's car didn't win, but he had a blast! Now that he knows what to expect, he is really looking forward to next year.

Crochet Corner:

I'd been on a kick of making scarves with any Homespun yarn I could get my hands on. I forgot to take pics of the last two I made before I gave them away. :( I'm currently working on a bucket style hat for the my park days with Mem and I found an adorable pattern for Easter eggs.

A Busy Week Every Year

2009-02-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

The week leading up to Valentine's Day is ALWAYS busy every year. Not only do we have school parties, but my son's birthday is the day after so prepping for that adds to the craziness. This year in addition to the above, we had Crazy Hat Day at school and the Pinewood Derby.

Shark Hat in honor of their school magnet program, Marine Science.

Skateboarding Hat

Hummm...can't find the Derby pictures. I'll have to post them another time; oh, well. :(

I LOVE THE 99 cent STORE!

I found these adorable pots and cupcake dish! The pots have apples and hearts on them...a perfect gift for the boy's teachers. Not really sure what I'll put in them, but I'll figure it out. I'm going to give them at the end of the school year.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

My Amigurumi Love Birds

My husband and I don't usually celebrate V day because he has always stated the case that Valentine's Day is a Hallmark holiday made up by them, for them to make $$$. This year I warned my husband early that we would be celebrating V day and I didn't want to hear any of his BS stories. Funny part is it turned out to be our BEST Valentine's EVER! My Valentine and I decided to celebrate last night and beat the crowds. We had an awesome dinner at one of our town's best Italian restaurants and he surprised me with a mushy card (So not up his alley) and an gift too....Oh....did I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! :)

My three other Love's woke up to a couple of gifts from Mommy and Daddy! I almost forgot Bruno, our dog, he got a dog tin filled with bones!!!

Spread the LOVE!

Feeling Better

2009-02-11T10:30:00.001-08:00

My daughter caught a cold and passed it on to me so for the past 3 days I've been out of commission. I did do a little crocheting, which was very nice. I began making these love birds and Wow, are they big!

I'm really bad with measurements and just assumed they were smaller. So I decided to modify the pattern and make two smaller versions in blue and yellow. It looks like they are going to turn out perfect. I just need to go to Joann's and pick up some smaller safety eyes; the ones I have are too big. I also need to pick up some beads to weigh them down because the small versions kept falling over on their face.

I think I've found a couple new craft addictions: polymer clay and button rings. I found this awesome blog and fell in love with her pin toppers.

I think a polymer clay piece of cake on a ploymer clay plate would make an adorable addition to one of my clothespin dolls. I've always loved button rings and decided to make a couple as Valentine's Day gifts. Look out Joann's here I come, but I HAVE TO stay with my $20.00 shopping limit.

Time to go! My MISCHIEVIOUS 2 year old is getting into the ice cream and I'm sure is leaving a nice mess for Mommy. She is laughing at me with an ice cream goatee (I'm probably spelling this wrong) saying..."Funny guy". I told her #1 she is not a guy and #2 she is NOT FUNNY!

Wouldn't Trade Him for the World!

2009-02-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

Often my husband drives me crazy, but this weekend he redeemed himself and earned a "Get Off of Shannon's S*&@ List" card for a long while. Not really sure what has gotten into him, but he has been so attentive to the whole family.

Saturday: he kept the kids away and allowed me to sleep in, he got the kids ready and aloud me piece and quiet while I got ready for our Godson's b-day party, at the party he watched and followed Mem, when we got home he played the Wii and Guitar Hero with the boys, helped our oldest make his Pinewood Derby car, and to top it all off order Wall E On Demand for the whole family to watch.

Sunday: allowed me to sleep in again and even later, made breakfast, agreed and took our boys to a Boy Scout's Eagle Scout ceremony, which turned out to be VERY LONG, took the boys to his friend's house to play so Mem and I could rest (we both have a cold).

Monday: allowed my to rest and crochet while he made dinner, a HUGE WOW!

Not really sure what has gotten into him....well, I have an idea, but I'm not talking to him about it...I'm just going to sit back and enjoy my loving husband!

Wow....Am I Sore!

2009-02-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

So I jumped back into to exercise mode and was happy to find that I wasn't as winded while working out like I was the last time. Although, I am MUCH MORE SORER. Which is totally good....that means I did it right. This time around, though, I'm not working out 6 days a week right off the bat. I just can't stay motivated; it's too overwhelming for me. So my plan is to do the bootcamp dvds every other day, M/W/F, and sit ups, leg lifts, etc. on Tu/Th/Sat for two weeks and then I'll add an additional bootcamp day until I reach 6 days. The only problem I for see, is that the dvds get annoying after awhile when you have to listen to Barry say the same stuff over and over and over. As for WW, I'm going to first try it on my own and REALLY watch what and how much I put in my mouth. If by March 1st I'm not making much progress than I will probably sign up. Wish me luck!

Back to Barry's Bootcamp

2009-02-03T10:11:00.001-08:00

So I think it's high time I get my "you know what" back in shape. I started back in November and after Thanksgiving slowly stopped. Now that the New Year is on it's way, it's time. I've been looking at old photos and I'm motivated. My birthday is at the end of March and my goal is to not weigh more then 137, hopefully a lot less, on by 37th birthday. So this morning, I jumped back into bootcamp and am contemplating joining Weight Watchers online. Need to look into it.

Finished....for the most part

2009-02-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

We finished up the boy's room for the most part. We spent half of Sunday moving them in. Clearly took ALOT longer than I expected. I was so pooped out after we were done, I sneaked in a mini nap....ahahah that was nice. I only have to paint the mini closet/club house, but there is no rush there. We have a small closet that extends under our staircase. The boys plan to use it as a club/play house. I want to put some indoor/outdoor carpet in there, paint the walls, and stick some "tap on" lights in there eventually. I also need to pick up a rug, laundry basket and a couple of posters for the walls and then we'll be done. Next is Memma's room....oh joy, her room is twice as big!

Speaking of Mem, this girl is a*@ backwards when it comes to potty training. She remembers to poopie in the toilet, but pee pee......forget about it. Wets right through her training panties or on the floor if she has them off. I DON'T GET IT! Typical girl.....has to be difficult. :)

After I'm done with my chores, I plan on visiting my yarn stash and picking out some cotton yarn for those Ami birds. Hopefully, I will have made some progress to show/share tomorrow.

Motherhood....Potty Training and Painting

2009-01-31T11:39:00.000-08:00

We are turning our den back in to a bedroom for our boys. Last weekend I repainted the walls and today I plan to repaint the molding, doors, etc. When we first moved into this home, I had a lot of time to paint since I only had 1 kiddo, but now, not so much. I really hope I get the room finished and get them moved in by Sunday. Emma's been making the sleeping arrangements a nightmare lately.

So FINALLY, my daughter has shown serious interest in potty training. Everytime she wets herself, she comes crying to me that her, " butties hurts." I told her if she went potty in the toilet it wouldn't hurt. I guess this was the magical sentence because last night she legitamitely used the toilet several times and pretended several times more. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can finally do this, so I don't have to spend another G** Damn dime on diapers/pullups!

I received this pattern, along with a couple of others, from Lion Brand via email yesterday. I'm SO gonna make them and buy a little bird cage to display them in. Is that crazy old lady sounding?http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80015AD.html?noImages=

I Love Her Stuff

2009-01-29T15:55:00.000-08:00

If you are a fan of amigurumis or a crocheter, you have to check this pattern by Gourmet Amigurumi. I LOVE her creations and have been a huge fan for sometime. I just got her newsletter announcing the sale of one of her patterns. Me thinkie I may just have to indulge and buy it because these little snails are to die for!!!

Just a Little Bit of Stress

2009-01-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks have been stressful to say the least. After much discussion and looking at the pros and cons, my husband and I decided to not play it safe and take a risk. A risk that will majorly effect our life. As in many situations, our decision not only effects us, it effects other parties. Is it wrong to put your own family's livelihood above others? Especially, when you can't please everyone all of the time and it's inevitable that someone will be hurt by your decision. Well, at this point, we just have to sit back and wait and see if our decision works out. I feel firmly down deep inside that we made the best decision, but sometimes you doubt yourself and things don't always turn out like you've envisioned. I don't usually pray for myself, but I'm thinking I may start. :)

Ganpa Hows

2009-01-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

I've found if I get out of the house early, I'm more productive and happier in general. So for the past few days, I've made appoint of leaving and today, I'm off to my new part-time job, cleaning my Gpa's house. Of coarse I'm paid with love and happy to do it. PLUS, my Gpa has an AWESOME treadmill that no one uses. He originally bought it for my Gma to encourage her to get off the couch when she was sick, but she never ended up using it. So look out treadmill here I come! Mem is very excited about going; she loves Ganpa's hows. He's actually her Great Grandpa, but Ganpa is hard enough for her to say. Infact for the awhile she called he Ganma; hehehe, if you knew my Gpa that is really funny. He is not expecting me to come over until Tuesday, so I can't wait to see his face when he gets home from golf today to a clean house. Not that he makes a big mess, but he could use some help. Anyho, I'm off!

Silver Linings

2009-01-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

Dr. Jekyll

Mrs. Hyde

This is how I feel lately! Wow, have I been a grouch lately; ask my husband, he LOVES me right now. So today I decided to get my day started early and hope for the best; so far so good. Each time I get irritated, I dig deep inside and find a silver lining and it's working. So here are some of my silver linings so far today:

Irritated = Last night as I got my daughter ready for bed, I realized we had no more pull ups. So this morning I was just planning to wake up to a big pee pee mess.

Silver Lining = Started potty training her, AGAIN, and this time she is into it and so far no accidents.

Irritated = Once again, this morning realized there is NO MORE SOAP.

Silver Lining = Make a trip to Targay and found myself a purse, a couple of shirts, 2 dog bowls, a dog bed and much much more which was ALL ON SALE. YA Baby!!!

Irritated = Just cleaned the floors yesterday and as I walk in I see black grease mark, Thanks Hubby!

Silver Lining = My daughter says to me as I'm cleaning, "Is okay, Sannon, I help!" Thank you, Mems!

What I've Been Up To!

2009-01-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

In My Crafty Corner: I began making these dolls before Christmas, but didn't make time to finish them. I finally completed 1 yesterday and was so excited, I took a picture of it and gave it to it's intended owner. Hopefully Miss. Em will nap today so that I can finish the other two (I'm crossing my fingers). I found and purchased the pattern for this delightful girlies on Posie gets cozy. I decided to use material in red for the holiday, but I think they could be displayed year round.

In My Crochet Corner: I mentioned that I've been crocheting quite a bit lately. I got back on the hook by making scarves for my boy's teachers. Then I decided to make a scarf for myself and once Emmie saw it, I realized quickly I needed to make one for her. While making all these scarves, I decided to ripp a blanket I began making my husband a couple of years ago and started all over from scratch. I've run out of yarn so I'm waiting for it to go on sale so I can buy more. In the mean time, I did the same thing with a blanket I began making my son a couple of years ago; ripped it and started over. Now I'm at the same point with his blanket, I need more yarn, but I have to order his yarn online because my local Joanns doesn't carry it anymore. Wow, is it pricey, even on sale. He better use this blanket until he gets out of college or ELSE!

My Scarf

Hubby's blanket

Ant's blanket

I found a YARN SHOP!

2009-01-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

This shop has been right under my nose....Darn It! I'm always on the look out for a yarn shop close to home. Once I was driving down a main street, a town away, and saw a sign in a mini shopping center that said YARN. I pulled into that center as fast as could be, to only be disappointed to find that it was a coffee shop with no yarn. :( Why call it yarn? How about COFFEE! Anyhow, last week I made a trip out to Torrance, another town away, and while waiting for the light to turn green at the stop light, I noticed the store name, Concepts In Yarn & Needlepoint, on a large board with at least 12 other store names; totally hidden, can't believe I saw it, yet made sense why I'd never seen it before. As it was the New Year's holiday week and we had plans to go out of town, I put it to the side, but remember today and googled it. Sure enough I found their website and am SO HAPPY to find that it is an ACTUAL yarn shop! HIP HIP HOORAY! PLUS, it's closer than Michaels or Joanns so there is no excuse to go; RIGHT. Now, I just need to get my husband to watch the kids and maybe convenience a friend or TWO to join me! :) :) :)

Kiss 2008 Goodbye...Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

I decided to change up my blog and it turned out to be a 2.5 hour ordeal. Since I'm not very computer savvy, I deleted all of my sidebar and had to start over from scratch; typical, hahaha. Anyho, I figured it out and I'll add to it until it's back to normal.

Our New Year's Eve was fun! Each year we celebrate at our friend's house who have children the same age as ours. Since our kids are young and since my husband wakes up so early everyday for work and can't stay up late, we celebrate the new year with New York at 9pm and are in bed way before midnight. This year we toasted the new year with champagne and kids with sprite! The kids loved it!!!

On New Year's Day, we headed out of town to the desert for some fun in the dirt. I think everyone would agree that once we got to our destination, this trip was one of the best ones ever. My friend and I had a blast riding "Mommies Only" on our quads. At one point we just pulled over and chatted. My husband's friends were a Frigin blast! My cousin must have told be what a riot they were 10xs. They were so funny all weekend and watching them launch the Manx was crazy! We had a great time so much so that we didn't want to leave, but with no more water and a low supply of food, we had to go.

They couldn't stay away from the fire pit if their lives depended on it!

She brings her purse everywhere, even to bed. :)

My friend's husband launching their Manx.

I've been crocheting quite a lot lately. Although the WIPs are blankets so they won't be completed for a while. I'm thinking of starting a new project; one to work on when I'm bored with the blankets. I'm thinking a Amigurumi kitty in a pink and white cotton yarn I have using this pattern. I want to surprise a friend and I think she'll love it!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

As my husband put, we had alot of lows and highs, but in the end we had a wonderfully memorable Christmas.

First the biggest high for me; my brother came from Texas with his family for the holiday. We haven't spend the holiday together in over 18 years. I was SOOOO excited to have them all here.

Christmas Eve: Every year we spend this day with my husbands family. This year we were to travel to my Mother-In-Law's house, which is about 70 miles away. After 3 hours in the car and at one point only moving 2.25 miles in 1 hours and 15 minutes, my husband had had enough, turned the car around and headed home. His family was quite disappointed, but know him well enough to understand. Dressed up with no where to go, we ended up eating dinner at CoCos which believe it or not was really nice; the kids were very pleasant (a Christmas miracle). :) We put the kids to bed (their idea another Christmas miracle), watched the movie, Step Brothers (fringin funny), and set up for Christmas. My husband and I marked this as one of our best Xmas Eves.

Christmas Day: Our morning was awesome! The kids got pretty much everything they REALLY wanted and Mom & Dad got the family a Wii, so the were besides themselves! Talk about some fun ass games, My husband I couldn't get enough of the tennis, golf and bowling. :) Preparing for our dinner guests was stress free, thanks to my Mom. Then just before we were to place the party potatoes in the oven to twice bake and everyone was to arrive, our electricity went out. So we crammed everything into the oven to either warm up or stay warm until we ate. We ended up eating and opening present by candle light; CRAZY! A couple of hours later the lights came back on and the kids enjoyed playing the Wii with their cousins.

A Great Christmas....for sure!!!

It's Beginning To Feel Alot Like Christmas!

2008-12-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

For the past week it has been pretty cold here in good old So Cal, in the 5os. Now, I know that people living on the east coast would think we're crazy, but it's FRIGIN COLD to us. :) I love it though. I've been able to wear my sweaters, boots, coats, hats, gloves, etc which I love. The cold weather truly makes it feel like Christmas. In addition to the cold weather, you know Christmas is fast approaching when you feel the crazy crunch begin to squeeze. Last night I made 48 reindeer candy canes for the boy's classmates; they turned out super cute!

This morning I finished crocheting the number 2 of 2 scarves for my boy's teachers. They both turned out so cute I really need to make an effort, after the holidays, of making a couple of scarves for myself. It's funny how everything you make, you give away. :)

Scarf 1 of 2

My Favorite!

Gosh...I love pink!

Now, I'm off to pick up my reorder of Christmas cards and then off to the post office to get them out. I'm hoping I can squeeze in a stop-off at a local store to see if I can find a couple of polo shirts for my Gpa and Hubby before I pick up the boys at 12:30pm. Today is the last day of school which means it's my last day of semi-piece and quiet for 3 weeks. Whoo Hoo...Right on baby!!!

Two Weeks In Review

2008-12-11T16:54:00.000-08:00

Holidays ~ Thanksgiving was relaxing this year since I was a guest instead of the host. As predicted, I ate WAY too much. Last Saturday, I had my annual Cookie Exchange party. This party is always a fun get-together. It's the one time of the year when my friends and I get together without the kids and bond. It's a win win situation for everyone, Moms get time away, eat cookies, drink coffee and the family gets a big tray of cookies to munch on for the next week.

Family Fun ~ Thanksgiving weekend our family went away to the desert for a mini vacation. It was an especially exciting trip since my husband has finished his Baja Bug and this trip was to be it's first time out. We had a blast! I love, love, love driving that bug around in the dirt. Look forward to our December trip!!!

Crochet Projects ~ Once I finish decorating the house for the holiday, I have a list I quick crochet projects I plan to complete as X-mas gifts for couple of family members and my two crafty pals. I promise, promise, promise to post pics of my progress.

Exercise Program ~ So, ya, trying to lose weight just before the holidays wasn't the greatest idea. I can't or, more like, I won't allow myself to miss out on all that the holidays have to offer, GREAT FOOD! Although I am doing my best not to over indulge and I've made sure to exercise at least 3 days a week in some way. Of coarse the scale hasn't changed, but I am toning up and I fit better in my clothes so I'm content. I'll save eating low calorie, low fat, bla, bla, bla for January 2009. :)

So Much To Be Thankful For

2008-11-26T06:46:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I WILL complain about my everyday aggravations: my house, children, husband, etc., but I've made an early resolution that I will try not to do that everyday. I have ALOT to be thankful for and need to remind myself of those precious gifts everytime I start to complain. I had this opifony the other day when I took one of my children's playmates home. He lives with his Mom in a bachelorette apartment that was the size of my kitchen. The kitchen and bathroom where the size of a closet and NO she didn't give me a tour, you could see right into each room for the front door. I felt sad for her and her son because they didn't have their own space, a bedroom, to retreat to. I went straight home and thanked my husband for working so hard to give us all that we have.

On a creative note: I've been so obsessed with cleaning house and exercising that I've placed my creative side in the corner. I've got quite a few crochet projects begging for completion, but first I must complete my sister's birthday gifts. I hope I can get it all done before tonight! YIKES!!! No stress; whatever I don't complete, she'll get as a X-mas gift. :) Hope to post some pics of the completed gifts once I'm done and once I figure out how to upload pictures from my new camera.

It's Not Called Bootcamp For Nothing!

2008-11-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday I woke up rather groggy compliments of the 3 glasses of chardonnay I drank the night before. I got my husband off to work and then convenienced myself that I didn't need to follow Barry's Bootcamp to the T; only a crazy person would attempt to exercise 6 days in a row. Well that's until I read a blog by More than Muscles which talked about how she held a boot camp in 30 degree weather. So I got my A** up off the couch and completed my exercise program for the day. I then reminded myself that it's not called Barry's BOOTCAMP for nothing! I'm going to have to brake out my checkbook and pay Janis for the motivation she gives me OR maybe I'll just crochet her a little something. Either way I appreciated how much she shares on her blog and look forward to the day when I can complete MAYBE 3 of her exercises listed. :)

Kept Myself Busy

2008-11-19T05:32:00.000-08:00

As I lit the candle yesterday and placed it next to her picture, I planned to keep myself busy so my mind would not be able to think about how much I miss her. One year ago yesterday, November 18, 2007, I lost my Grandmother to pancreatic cancer. For those of you who know me, you know just how difficult this loss has been. My Grandmother wasn't just my grandma, she was my best friend. We were two peas in a pod. She was an amazing person! So after a pretty stress free day, I made an awesome salmon dinner and cracked open a bottle of chardonnay. My husband and I along with the kids toasted our Gma and talked about our memories, it was very nice. And since one glass of Chardonnay isn't enough, I went next door to my good friend's house and we toasted her one more time. Then we finished off the bottle; really good stuff. My day turned out so much better then I anticipated and I'm sure I owe that to her. I love you, Gma.

Totally Productive and So Out of Shape!

2008-11-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

I'm proud to say that I did exactly what I said I would, well, at least when it came to cleaning house. I was very productive this weekend. I cleaned out the storage closet and kitchen cabinets on Saturday. I cleaned out the kid's closet and organized half of the hallway cabinets on Sunday. Now I just have to finish the hallway cabinets and conquer my closet; Yikes!

On Saturday I made a pot roast in the crockpot which was a HUGE hit with the family. I found the recipe on The Chic Life blog and thought I would try it out. It was super easy to prepare and tasted great! My husband must have commented how good the meal looked 3xs while slicing the meat. In the end, my oldest son said that it was "the best chicken you ever made", he calls all meat chicken regardless of how many times we point out it's not.

I don't know what I was thinking making Saturday my first day of exercise. Clearly, it was an ambitious plan and didn't happen. Monday was a much better candidate since I wake up with my husband at 4:40am. I'm able to get him off to work, exercise and shower before the sun comes up which causes the kids to wake up. So this morning, I brought down my ball and exercise band, popped in the blue dvd and got to sweating. The dvd is a 21 minute lower body work out which consisted of a warm up and 14 exercises 60 seconds each. Not too bad, but after the warm up it was clear to me just how out of shape I am. Regardless, I made it through the workout and can't wait to see where I'm at a week from now.

I'm Fed Up!

2008-11-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

I'm fed up with all the crap that is stuffed into pretty much every cabinet and closet in this house. This weekend, I'm cleaning house!!!

I'm fed up with being Ms. Fatty McFlabby! Since the birth of my daughter I've been LAZY and DALUSIONAL. I've have come to realization that at my age you need to actually MAKE AN EFFORT if you want to look they way you did before you had kids. I not only need to pay attention to what I eat and how much, but I need to EXERCISE. I get motivated when I ready More than Muscles' blogs about her boot camps, although I must confess that sometimes I feel like I'm reading French when she describes the exercises she has does. Not to mention, they sound really intense so I probably would pass out with in the first 5 minutes, BUT it is definitely something to strive for. So that's it, NO MORE TALKING about doing it. I'm pulling out my Barry's Bootcamp box, brushing off the dust, pumping up my ball and tomorrow morning I'm getting started!!! Goodbye 145, it's time to say hello to 125 or ATLEAST 130. :)

What A Great Weekend!

2008-11-13T10:21:00.001-08:00

What a great weekend! I love when reality proves me wrong. I was not looking forward to sleeping in a tent, but the camp out turned out to be so much fun. Who knew we had a little park, only 20 minutes away, that once you enter makes you feels as though you are in the forest. The park had two ponds with ducks, turtles and big fish. There were a couple of small trails for a mini hike and an amphitheatre. My son's Cub Scout's pack rented the park for one night which was fun to see all the different dens interacting. The Santa Ana winds picked up during the night which made our tent camping experience even more memorable.

On Monday we took our boys to Disneyland. They each had been there before separately for their 2nd birthdays, but neither really appreciated it like they did on Monday. We had a fabulous day. The lines were either short or if they were long they were fast. We were able to ride everything they wanted to. Their favorites turned out to be mine, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted House. I can't wait until March when I take Mem for our Disney day of princesses!

I'm Crazy!

2008-11-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

So once again I've planned quite a lot to do this weekend. It's funny how things sound so much more doable in my head then in the real world.

First for tonight, friends of ours invited my husband and I out to a dinner event at a club they belong to tonight. TOTALLY, doable.

Second for Saturday night, about a month ago we committed to taking our sons to a Cub Scout's one night camping trip; in my mind TOTALLY doable.

Third, we've been promising the boys to take them to Disneyland. They're finally ate an age where they can appreciate the experience. We originally planned for my hubby and the kids to take a day off during the week for this. So since my husband has Monday off for Veteran's Day, the boys are going to play hookie and guess where we're going; you got it, Disneyland! Once again in my head doable.

So, Friday has now arrived and I've got on a ton of CRAP to do thanks to my DOABLE planning. I'm telling you, I'M CRAZY! I completely forget about all the preparation that goes into going camping even if it's for one night at a local park. So I must go now and go grocery shopping for the weekend, get our camping gear ready, figure out a way to make sleeping on the floor in a tent comfortable for my husband and I so our backs down get too jacked up, pack, give myself a pedicure/manicure so I can feel pretty night, and much, much, more. Have a great weekend all! I'm hoping mine will turn out better than I've envisioned in my DAMN HEAD! :)

A Great Time Was Had By All

2008-11-06T11:06:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a crazy, exciting, and exhausting week! I've finally recovered from the past week/ weekend and am ready to share.

October 27, 2008: Cleaned, Cleaned, Cleaned!

October 28, 2008: Shopped, Shopped, Shopped, Cleaned!

October 29, 2008: Happy 2nd Birthday Mem!

What an exciting day! My baby girl turned 2 and she had her first Halloween party to attend with our Mommy and me group.

Mem and Seamus all dressed up!

For her "actual" birthday celebration, I made her her favorite dinner,mostacolli with red sauce, salad with ranch and garlic bread; for fun, I put out olives and croutons for an appetizer which Mem and Ant LOVED!!! After dinner, we headed out to the pumpkin patch for some pumpkins and a hay ride. When we got home we sang happy birthday and ate cake!

October 30, 2008: Shopped, Prepped, Cleaned!

October 31, 2008: Happy Halloween boys and girls!

The boy's school had their annual Fall Festive. Each year each grade parades around in their costumes and a winner is chosen from each grade. Now, EVERY year my boys ask a million times, "Mom, do you think I'm going to win?" and EVERY year I have to tell them probably NOT. "Why?", they ask and I must explain that they are looking for a literary character costume that is traditional and my boys chose to be the "IT" character of the season; this year it was Star Wars. Regardless, they love walking in the parade and love, love, love the carnival games and junk food that follow.

Halloween night was as fun as can be. My sister and her family joined us along with all our kick ass neighbors for a night of trick or treating and socializing! Halloween should be on Friday night every year.

Clone Trooper, Adikin Skywalker & Abby Cadabby

November 1, 2008: Emmie's Birthday Bash!

With an Abby Cadabby theme, we party like rock stars all day and night! She rocked it with her brothers and friends in the bouncy house, played games, opened presents, ate cake and had a blast. Once it was all pretty much cleaned up, Mommy rocked the Vanilla Stois with TiTi Shell and paid for it the next couple of days. Thank goodness I only do that once in a Pink Moon! :)

Exhausting, but FRIGIN FUN!!! Can't wait til next year!

Crazy Week Ahead

2008-10-27T10:30:00.001-07:00

I need to get motivated!

I came down with a cold on Thursday and pretty much lost my voice. We had plans to go camping in the desert for the weekend and despite how crappy I felt, we did go and had a great time.

Now, I'm sitting here planning my week out which will be crazy busy. Between my three children, we have 3 Halloween parties to attend: Mommy and me party (Wed), Elk's Lodge party (Thurs) and the school Fall Festival (Fri). My daughter turns two on Wednesday and I plan to have a mini celebration that night, plus we have her big party on Saturday. So this week will be filled will final prepping for that. PLUS, since we decided to go to the desert, where there is ALOT of DIRT, our trailer needs a through cleaning inside and out! WooHoo, sounds like fun!

Well, I guess I should get off my ass and stop talking about what I have to do and just DO IT!

Some fun pics. of the weekend!

Dirt Divas: Mem and her cousin, Monster.

Ant & Mem riding!

Daddy and his Dirt Princess

While Moms away the cats will play with HER CAMERA!

RubyRedRuca's son trying to get this darn quad started so he could follow his Daddy out into the desert!

Sickie Pooh Central

2008-10-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

Last week my younger son was sick three out of the five week days and this week it's my baby girls turn. She is quite miserable which means she is making everyone around her miserable. I had to put her down for her nap early today because she was having one temper tantrum after another over nothing. Poor baby, I sure hope she feels better soon. I really hate seeing her so cranky.

On an exciting note: Miss Sickie Pooh turns 2 at the end of the month and I just received the proof of her Abby Cadabby birthday invitation and it is SO DAMN ADORABLE. I'm so excited! I usually make the invites myself, but after seeing the invites to my friend RedRubyRuca's son's party, I decided to follow her lead and order them off Ebay. Plus, the lady who makes them is a Stay At Home Mom, too, which makes my heart strings tug; got to support my Peeps, right?! The sample attached is an example from her site. I almost attached our proof, then realized "that's not such a great idea" putting my daughter's pic and our address on the internet. So if your in need of a birthday invite check out her ebay site at Sweet Starshines Designs.

On a crocheting note: Well, I was going to blog about a gift I'm making for my Sister, which has taken me away form the blue sweater and gray poncho, until I spoke with her this morning and she informed me she FOUND my blog. Sorry all, now I can't talk about all the issues I'm having making it or show pics. of my progress. So stay tuned until November; that's when her birthday is and I hope to hell to give it to her then. If you're a member of Ravelry, I'd tell you to check it out there, but she was always one of those kids who just HAD to sneak a pick at her Christmas presents so I wouldn't put it past her to join Ravelry just to see what I'm making her even though she doesn't crochet or knit. :) It's going to be really flippin cute so it will be worth the wait! Hey, Erin, I bet your dying to know what it is, RIGHT?! HEHEHE :)

Too Hot To Do Anything!

2008-10-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

Too hot to clean, too hot to cook, and sadly too hot to crochet and blog; this explains my Internet absence. Here in sunny California it's been too sunny on and off for the last week and the last two days have felt like hell (in my opinion). I am so SICK of this HEAT WAVE! It doesn't feel like Fall at all. My boys are off of school tomorrow and I really wanted to take them out to the apple orchard farms in Yucaipa, but it's even hotter there so FORGET ABOUT. Terrible, just terrible. Okay, enough wining about that!

Crochet Update: I began making a sweater with this very pretty blue/green Homespun yarn (photo below) that I had just lying around a couple of weeks ago now. Once again, I ran out of yarn and have yet to make time to run over to my local craft store. So I began crocheting a cowl neck poncho (top photo) that I'm making up as I go along (I'm praying it turns out), but considering the fact that I'm using a small size hook and one strand of yarn I probably won't be able to wear it until Fall 2009. Why is it that it seems like such a great idea and a piece of cake in your head, but once you start the process you realize your head must be warped because it CLEARLY isn't!

Regarding the kids: My daughter's 2nd birthday is at the end of this month and for the past couple of weeks she has been a TERROR. She will not play with her toys, but would rather touch everything she KNOWS she isn't suppose to, like the water dispenser from the fridge (mental note: go lock it now), turning on the coffee pot, trying to wash dishes, putting her PJs in the washer while a load is in the process, putting on my makeup, etc.; and today, a new one, jumping off the ottoman onto the pillow she placed on the floor which bounces her onto the couch! Clearly having two older brothers has GREATLY influenced her. I'm sure my other two were this crazy, I just don't remember it, plus they are boys so they could care less about cleaning up or putting make up on. So after catching her in mid flight, I realized she was in dire need of some attention so we colored together which was a blast and something her brothers would never have enjoyed doing. I took a picture of her, but it turned out super blurry. :(

I LOVE PINK!

2008-09-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

I Love Pink! I love this BAG! It turned out so much cuter than I could have ever imagined. It kind of reminds me of candy and I think my daughter thinks it is because she won't leave the darn thing alone. She is going to be two years old next month and she already loves shoes, clothes and you guessed it, PURSES! I still have to sew up and sew in the lining, but I love it so much I just had to start using it. The rose material it is sitting on will be the lining. I'll post pics once I get it done.

On a personal note: So as I said above, my daughter loves purses and especially the ones I make. Today she and I were getting ready to run some errands and she insisted on holding my purse. I just had to take a pic of my mini me. She is just too darn adorable!

On Fire!

2008-09-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

I'm on FIRE when it comes to crocheting, lately. After finally finishing many of my waiting around WIPs, I'm extremely motivated.

I really want to make myself a cowl neck poncho after seeing one in an advertisement and while looking for a free pattern online I came across a pattern for a bag from the 70's. Soooo, since the pattern was rated easy on Ravelry and since I'm sick of carrying around a large diaper bag, I decided to make it for my daughter's stuff. So far so good, totally adorable and pretty easy! My daughter loves it too. I keep having to move it so she won't get a hold of it, which makes her VERY mad. :) I have a feeling though, that I'm probably going to run out of yarn, TYPICAL! I hope to God if I do that I'm able to find the same yarn at the store. Keep your fingers crossed I don't run out!!!
On a personal not: You know Fall is coming when you feel like making a casserole. This chicken crescent roll casserole was one of my favorites growing up and has turned out to be a favorite of my family, as well. It is super easy to make and tastes great. I served it with rice and a salad, but I could have served it with the salad only because they barely touched the rice. Sorry the picture isn't all that great; it tastes better than it looks! :)

On a funny note: Let me introduce you to one of my BFFs. His name is Bruno aka Big B and he follows me everywhere I go. So this morning while crocheting and surfing the Internet, I realized he wasn't at his post, laying near my feet by the couch. I could hear him softly snoring and when I walked around the corner of the couch this is what I saw. He was sleeping in my son's booster seat. He is soooo funny. I guess the floor wasn't good enough for him today. :) :0 :)

Well, I really should get back to my other BFF before she destroys the house. :)

Have a great day!

Little Bit Closer

2008-09-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

I finally made a trip to the local craft store and purchased all the supplies I needed to complete almost all of my pending crochet projects.

My Gma MiMi's Cupcake Pincushion is done and adorable.

My Brown Fat Bottom Bag is done, but I need to add either a silk flower or pin to it. I planned on putting a pin from my Grandmother on it, but when I went to find it, I realized I didn't take that one so now I need to rethink what to do.

My Cranberry Crochet Neckwarmer is almost done. I needed three buttons for it, but the ones I wanted were sold only in pairs. So I purchased two sets and once I was home, I realized one set is slightly smaller than the other. AHAHAHAH, my fault for thinking I could going shopping with three children.

Under the Weather

2008-09-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's inevitable that when you have so much to do and very little time in which to get it all done, you get sick. I'm not sure exactly what it is... a cold, a 24 hrs bug. What I do know is I don't have time for it and I sure wish it would GO AWAY!

Last Weeks Silver Lining

2008-09-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

School was back in session last Wednesday and our morning ran smoothly, thanks to a pep talk from Dad. :) My oldest was bummed out about going back (somethings never change), but my younger son was very excited, as he was going to begin Kindergarten. I wasn't sure how he would handle it, but like the trooper he is everything worked out great. I was impressed at how he said goodbye to me so easily, sat right down on the carpet and intently listened to his teacher's tour of the classroom; no crying for him or me (believe it or not), just his baby sister, who didn't understand why he wasn't coming home with us. :(

We ended the week on a GREAT note! We headed out on Friday evening to Leo Carillo State Beach for a weekend of camping. We love this place because where you camp feels like you're in the mountains, yet you are a short bike ride to the beach.

We ended our last night with smores and hanging out around the camp fire.

Crazy as it is sounds, with all that happen this last week, I found time to crochet and am 95% done with my Fat Bottom Purse from the Happy Hooker. Think it's time to add the handle and take a pic. :)

Summer Is Officially Over....at least for us!

2008-09-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

No more sleeping in! Labor Day was our last HOORAW for Summer. The kids had a blast playing in the pool, riding bikes, skateboarding, etc. We BBQd with our good friends and just made the best of our last day of fun!

School starts today; should be a BLAST waking up the boys! Their Father had a talk with them last night about cooperating for me this morning...time to find out if he had an impact on them. :)

Time to Catch Up!

2008-08-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been very busy and have left me very little time to crochet. None of my WIPs are complete, but some are closer! So here are some pics of what has kept me away from my beloved hooks....

Making brownies with my little ones!

Finally finding, purchasing and camping with our new trailer!

Hiking 1.5 miles to the beach for an unexpected splash!

we never thought we would make it to the beach. :)

and, with no pics, last but not least, School shopping (what a nightmare with 3 children ages 8, 5, & 1)!

Hoping to find sometime tonight to sit down and relax with my hooks.

Luckiest Girl in the World!

2008-08-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to find him and 9 years ago, today, he choice me as his "Happy Ever After". I love you, Bob! Happy Anniversary!!!

Memmie's Summer Dress

2008-08-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

I finished the skirt portion of Mem's dress this morning, while she decided to get into everything and anything that she shouldn't. I don't know what is about the genes we pass on to our kids, but they are never happy just being kids. They are allows striving to act and do things WAY beyond their ages. Gosh, I wish she would just play with her toys! After I fulfill my domestic commitments for the day, I plan to begin making the straps for the dress. Wish me luck, of coarse I plan on improvising!

Something Fun To Do

2008-08-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

I found this on a Ravelry friends blog site and thought it would fun to answer.

The Rules: each player answers the questions. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 or 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What I was doing 10 years ago:
Ten years ago, I was working as a Bank Teller by day, attending Court Reporting school by night and planning my wedding when ever I could find time.

2. What 5 things are on on my to-do list for today (in no particular order):
Clean the downstairs bathroom.
Plant the Potatoes vine I purchased weeks ago and the two Hibiscus plants in the backyard planter.
Make Banana bread, to prove my Husband wrong that I do follow through with what I say.
Crochet a little more of my daughter's dress.
Watch the Olympics! Watching brings back fond memories of my childhood when you didn't have 1000 T.V. channels available to you 24/7 so to watch the Olympics was a BIG DEAL.

3. Snacks I enjoy:
chips/guacamole and a beer to wash it down or coffee & deserts: cupcakes, coffee cake, pie; you name it, I'll it eat!

4. Things I would do if I was a billionaire:
Pay off my house
Buy a car I actually like
Travel
Maybe..... open a business, but anything I try to sell never does so maybe just live off the interest from the winnings.
5. Places I have lived in:
Bellflower, California
Ontario, California
Long Beach, California
San Pedro, California

Tag - RubyRedRuca, Hookin-Robot-Grrrl and if anyone else happens across this them feel free to fill it out and leave me a comment so that I can read it. :)

Love Is

2008-08-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

My Grandparents use to cut out the Love Is... comic strip and post them on the fridge for everyone to read! Hmmm....I miss that. Anyhow, the other day I asked my husband to move his brand new shocks he purchased for the on going Baja Bug he is building from our livingroom couch and ottoman into HIS SHOP (aka our garage) before our 3 wonderful children messed with them. So after watering the plants, I went up to our room and guess what I find? The shocks on the his side of the bed. He claimed there was no room in the shop for them. Well, I don't know about that, I'm sure I could have found room, but whatever, not a battle I wish to take on. :) So the funny event made me think of my own Love is.

Love is....

letting your husband store his off road shocks in your bedroom.

It Doesn't Happen Often

2008-08-05T05:55:00.001-07:00

I know it's not very becoming of a lady to brag, but I MUST. I'm so excited! I've been wanting to crochet my daughter a Summer dress, but couldn't find the right pattern so I put it on the back burner. Then, my friend showed me an adorable sweater she began making for my daughter and I was inspired.

One night while watching a movie with my older son, I pulled out some pretty Caron Simply Soft lavender yarn, grabbed a summer jumper of hers for reference and began crocheting. By the end of the movie, I had crocheted the front top portion of Emmie's Summer dress. The next morning, I made the back portion of the top and began the skirt. Now, I envisioned in my head how to do this, never expected it to work and yet, it actually did. Like the title says, it doesn't happen very often that how I envision a project to be done actually works! When I moved on to the skirt, I decided to use a stitch from my dishcloth book that looked scalloped. Once again, I wasn't sure if it would work out, but low and behold, IT DID! I'm currently work on the skirt and the longer it gets the more excited I get. Emma is excited too. Every time she sees the dress, she says proudly, "Mine" or "Emma's". I can't wait to see it on her!!!

I Finally Found a Crafty Group!

2008-08-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've been searching high and low for the past year for a crochet group; I finally found one! I was looking once again on Ravelry and found a knitter's group, but when I clicked on the info. about the group, it was for crocheters and spinners too. Yah!!! They meet twice a week and their next meeting is Sunday. My husband has had to work the last couple of weekends so I'm hoping and praying he works tonight or Saturday because I REALLY want to go!

Reliving My Youth

2008-07-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

My friend, RubyRedRuca, sent me this link for a pattern of a GORGEOUS crocheted jumper dress for my daughter. Little did she know what Pandora's box she was opening up. Oh, My, Goodness was I in love! I love jumpers, opaque stockings, mary janes, the list could go on and on. If I could wear them all together without feeling silly, I would. So instead I live through my daughter, dressing her up the way my Mom dressed me when I was little.

So after I viewed the dress pattern, I began looking through the whole site falling more in love and then the artists blog which brought back so many memories! I come from a long line of creative women on both sides of my genealogy. My Mom was crafty, always sewing up cute little dolls. My maternal grandmother, I called her Gma, was an amazing seamstress and avid crocheter (back in the 70's). I am blessed to have many things in my home that she created for me! My paternal grandmother, MiMi, did it all as well and still to this day, in her late 70s, she is sewing up pillows, embroidering and embellishing them. It was the memories of my childhood, taking sewing classes with my cousin, visiting the local craft store to pick out a cross stitch project, visiting my Gma MiMi's favorite place, the Piecemakers, that all came flooding back as I viewed Alicia Paulson's studio and gallery of sold items. In 16 years when I retire, that's when my children will be all grown up and in college, I hope and pray to have a studio like hers to escape to EVERYDAY!

Love'm, Love'm, Love'm!

2008-07-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

Here is another dishcloth pattern from the Big Book of Dishcloths. I wanted to make myself some dishcloths that would match my dinnerware. I love the color combo, but they don't quite match my dinnerware. Oh well; I think I'll add it to my "Give to a Friend" basket. I have some yarn in route so hopefully those colors will work out better. :)

God, I love dishcloths!

2008-07-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

On my last visit to Joanns I picked up a crochet book on dishcloths. I loved it because it had a lot of cool stitches in it. So yesterday I grabbed my black Lily Sugar N Cream yarn and started making pattern #53. It looks like a Spanish style flower to me; very pretty. As usual, 4 rows in, I realized it didn't look quite right; so I pulled. I tired again, no good, had to pull it. Finally on my third try after reading the directions, what felt like a billion times, and viewing the pic provided, I got it! WOW, did it crochet up fast! It turned out so good that I think I'm going to make a dozen of them.

What A Relief

2008-07-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

My friend LOVED her hat! I'm so happy that she loved it, not liked it, LOVED IT! My husband delivered the hat to her husband so I didn't get to see her wear it, but hopefully in a couple weeks she will be well enough for guests. I can't wait to surprise her with a couple more. Although, I did get to see my friends baby in his new camo beanie and he looked SO adorable! Wow, I'm so motivated to get creating.

Last Minute Idea

2008-07-24T07:26:00.001-07:00

I'm going to visit my friend and her new bebe today and decided to make him a matching beanie YESTERDAY AFTERNOON at 4pm. I swear my friend, Shell, is wearing off on me; she is the queen of last minute crochet gift projects and ALWAYS finishes in time with a gorgeous gift to give. So I finished it this morning and I'm pretty happy with it. I used one of my daughter's baby dolls to display it for the pic., it looks really funny, she is 1 1/2 yrs old so her babies are small like her. Thank God for quick projects to get you motivated!

Camo Blanket

2008-07-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make my oldest friend a cool baby blanket for her new shnukies and I wanted to use camouflage yarn; what could be more cooler for a boy than camouflage! So I came up with this little design; it is simple, yet Cooolll, plus it is SUPER SOFT.

Too Pissed Off to Hook

2008-07-23T10:16:00.001-07:00

The slouchy hat was such a disappointment that the thought of picking up my hooks to crochet irritates me. So I haven't crocheted since Sunday. I really need to get over it! My friend, who I'm making these hats for, and I have been corresponding via email and she informed me her favorite color is purple which gives me motivation to start another hat. My Joann's shopping friends suggested this nice yarn with purple and blue in it and I think I'll use it that for the next one. God I hope this one turns out better!

Not Working Out

2008-07-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sloucy Hat turned out WAY TOO SLOUCHY so I pulled a couple rows and tired again, but that didn't work either. :( So I've decided to put it to the side and try another pattern. Maybe I'll come back to it and try again or make it a bag instead; we'll see.

Not Bummed Anymore....

2008-07-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

I figured out what to do with the oilcloth. YAYAYA! I'm going to or I'll pay someone to make this little lovely an apron.

Totally Bummed!

2008-07-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

Although I made myself promise that I would only talk about crocheting, I must VENT. I want to make a seat cover for my daughter's baby sit that is attached to my bike. My bike is pearlescent white with pink accents so I thought it would be cute if I made a pink and white polka dot cover for her seat. I looked HIGH and low for this print on oilcloth material, found it online and ordered it. So today the package arrives and I'm so excited, but that excitement turned REALLY FAST to disappointment when I saw the material. The pink is all wrong, doesn't match, too dark; I'm so bummed. So I'm back to square one: a head full of great ideas of what I want to make without the supplies, this so F*&kin SUCKS! Not to mention, I'm stuck with 1.5 yards of material. AHAHAHAHAH!

I really need to finish one of my WIPs so I can feel accomplished.
:(

Sorry, I Just LOVE IT!

2008-07-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

This dishcloth is so pretty. I had to show the the detail up close, BEAUTIFUL and Oh, So Soft! I really need to learn to knit.

Gorgeous Gift

2008-07-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

My friend, RedRubyRuca, knitted this dishcloth and gave it to me as a gift. THANK YOU, I love it!!!

One of many...

2008-07-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

I finished the Nubby Brim Hat. YAYAYAYA! So in the end I had to modify the pattern since I wasn't using the exact weight of yarn called for. It called for chunky and I had medium so I just added 2 additional increasing rows, then crocheted evenly from there until it measured 3.5", followed the rest of the pattern to create the brim and, VOILA, it turned out fabulous! It turned out so much better than I thought it would. I'm very excited to give it to my friend!

I started making her another hat last night, a Slouchy Beret, and of coarse 5 tr stitched rows later, I find another pattern online that I liked better. To late now, I am NOT starting over! Weeellllll......I would of, but the Pros out weighed the Cons so I'm sticking with the original beret. The feature of the hat that I'm not too keen about is the pom pom. I've got to figure out something else to place there. If I would of thought of it sooner, I could have modified the pattern so there wasn't a hole there the size of a quarter. Now I'm stuck . Hmmmm......maybe I could crochet a piece that looks like a large button.....Hmmmmm.

Hats Off To You!

2008-07-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Bobble Stitch Update - Late last night while watching Nancy Drew with my son, I finished my Bobble Stitch Dishcloth. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that stitch. Maybe it's because I love polka dots and the bobbles mimic dots or maybe it's because that stitch is SO DAMN EASY and works up FAST or maybe it's both, but regardless, I LOVE IT! I going to make a series of pink and white dishcloths because it's my favorite color, next. My friend, RedRubyRuca, knitted up a brick wall style dishcloth using those colors and I'm IN LOVE with it, so once again she has inspired me to make my own. :)

Hats Suck! - Now, it's time to Bitch about Stitch! I love accessories: hats, scarves, shoes, purses, jewelry, etc. So I yearn to make crochet versions. Although, when it comes to hats, I screw it up every time. I can never get the gauge down and it really pisses me off. I do the little gauge test and all is well, but when I actually get 1/3 of the way in, TOO SMALL! So I'm pulling it AGAIN and having to modify; what's F*&Kin new!

Two down, One to go!

2008-07-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

I finished the Post Modern Dishcloth yesterday, YAYAYAYA! Now, I must make one more to complete my vision of three. I decided to go back to the Happy Hooker book and found the Bobble, Puff, Popcorn Stitch, as it's labeled. I first tried the Jiffy Popcorn Stitch and hated it, too puffy. So I looked through the pages again and found the Bobble, which is perfect and I LOVE IT! I'm not too excited about the my yarn choice, but it's all I have in my stash that will go with the other two. :) I seriously need to make a trip to Joann's or Michael's!!!

Works In Progress (WIPs)

2008-07-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

I added a new list of my WIPs. Soon I will add picture links to each work so you can see where I'm at with it. So after I take some pics, I'll link them.

*Post Modern Stitch Dishtowel* I wanted to make a solid yellow dishtowel to go with the Pineapple Brick Wall towel and I came across a pretty cool stitch in the Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet The Happy Hooker book. So I decided to crochet a towel using it; I think it looks pretty good so far. I just have to find one more dishtowel pattern because I have this obsession with making things in threes; odd numbered items are more visually appealing than evens.

*Nubby Brim Hat* Hats are going to be my newest crochet obsession. My husband and I have a friend who was just diagnosed with Leukemia about 3 weeks ago. She has had 10 chemo treatments so far and is beginning to lose her hair so I thought I would create some Cool Ass hats for her to wear.

*Chrip* My poor little birdy who has been placed on the back shelf for now. :(

Completed :{ )

2008-07-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

After a little bit of a rough start, I completed my Pineapple Brick Wall Dishtowel, cloth; whatever you want to call it. I pulled it 2xs thinking I was miss counting the stitches, but no. When crocheting the 2nd row of bricks, the pattern said to sc 2 stitches, dtrc, then sc 5 stitches, but the 5 was too many. The dtrc wasn't falling in the center of the previous row to give it the brick pattern. So, I decided to sc 4 stitches instead and it worked. I'm very happy with how it turned out. I love how it is stripped on one side and a brick wall pattern on the other; pretty clever (as my Gma would say). I want to make another one, but this time with colors that aren't so BRIGHT!

Itchy Fingers

2008-07-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy the last week with the preparations for the 4th of July that I wasn't able to make a trip to the craft store so I put my hook and yarn to the side. Then I came across a pattern for a Brick Wall Dishcloth and my fingers started itching.

I have a friend who received knitted versions of these as a gift and have always admired them. So when I came across a crochet inspired pattern, I had to, had to try and make one! So far so good, 33% down.

Flikr On! :)

2008-07-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

Flikr photos are officially viewable. A HUGE thank you to my friend, RubyRedRuca, for helping me get my flikr badge to show up! It was so easy that I feel rather stupid for not figuring it out on my own, but oh well, thank God for friends.

Chirp update:
I haven't had a chance to go get the poly fill for Chrip so he is in limbo. We are having a big bash for the 4th of July which includes closing our street off, so I've been quite busy with the preparations. I'm hoping to make a trip out to my local Joanns this weekend; I got a coupon in the paper with a sweet deal (as my boys would say). Will see if I stick to the plan! :)

Flikr Off!

2008-06-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

I'm so irritated! I can't figure out how to get my Flikr photostream to show up on this site. I'm sure it's me, not the site. Well, coming soon......pics of my completed projects.

Some good news! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I began a new Amigurumi project yesterday. My children love to watch the cartoon Peep on TLC and I've always thought the characters would make super cute ami dolls. Soooo, I began crocheting the character Chirp first; he is the red bird in the pic. I'm half of the way done; just need to make a trip to the local craft store for some poly fill. Can't wait to see how he turns out!

Creative History

2008-06-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

I've always felt a creativeness inside. As a very little girl I loved to sing and dance. I can remember creating talent shows with my friends for our parents to watch and entering into school talent shows. In my teens, I enjoyed participating in drill team, cheer leading and yearbook. In college I took art classes including my favorite, oil painting. After college, I took a cake decorating class, learned how to make glass beads and made jewelry. I have always managed to have my hand in something creative at all times and NOW, I'm all about crocheting!

My good friend turned me on to crocheting about a 1.5 years ago. I was pregnant with my daughter at the time and thought this could be a good, relaxing hobby. My first project was a blanket for my husband. I went out and purchased a book filled with easy to make afghans, but it didn't turn out not to be to easy for me. After about 4 rows I was confused, irritated and gave up. Although I wasn't successful, I still loved looking at crocheted stuff, especially for my soon to arrive baby girl. While looking for items for her, I discovered Amigurumi dolls and I went nuts!

Amigurumi dolls have become an addition for me. When I first came across one it was made by a designer on Etsy, Mel Zafra. She called her creations Moomees and they were to die for! I LOVED the details that she put into them and had, had, had to learn this craft. So a couple of months, after my daughter was born, I picked up the hooks again. I started off with a scarf that turned out, well, pretty terrible, but it was a start. I then bought a pattern for an Amigurumi Bunny which I felt was pretty easy until I came to the face. I messed up on the eyes, got frustrated and put it away. I decided that I need to start off with something easy, very easy to get my feet wet. Since then I've created a turtle, a chihuahua, a flamingo, a walrus and recently a dolphin. I plan to make many more so stay tuned!!!