tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-353265412024-03-18T21:10:26.351-07:00My Life, My ObsessionsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-71508815779804714122010-04-29T14:23:00.002-07:002010-04-29T14:47:05.161-07:00Heart Baby Blanket<p align="left">I'm saving up for my very first iPod. It was a hard decision for me because I could also use a few other items like another pair of jeans, shoes, stuff for the house, etc. Somehow I've justified putting those off for several more months so that I can have a new toy first. Part of it was looking back and seeing how much of my personal money (Christmas gifts, etc) has been spent on other people -mostly my kids. So I convinced myself that I deserve a new toy.</p><p align="left">I actually told hubby that I was going to sell some of my yarn stash to raise a little money. Then I discovered a good amount of Yarn Bee Baby Bee yarn left over from a previous baby blanket. Enough to make a blanket similar to the one I made before. I figured a blanket could actually sell better than just skeins of yarn -some of which were partially used. Either way, it was fun to make.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOveo1sZhFwa9IOUvk2jyBpCOe48XkKDA-EMAhtZOjGgWK5G77vB-24xNrog9DU0MoPLep4xTBmn6rEb-0G8IAgoNOsgSMJOIuvjqhnJU2p0ccZ5odnvZZMh36VVs4m7Jl2DSWw/s1600/DSCF0651.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 328px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465673775005510754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOveo1sZhFwa9IOUvk2jyBpCOe48XkKDA-EMAhtZOjGgWK5G77vB-24xNrog9DU0MoPLep4xTBmn6rEb-0G8IAgoNOsgSMJOIuvjqhnJU2p0ccZ5odnvZZMh36VVs4m7Jl2DSWw/s400/DSCF0651.JPG" /></a></p><p align="center">I had fun with the double ruffle edging. I love how it looks.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hTDGTws3NnhClbQEFcMgb6tlxj7IXFnmihiMOV8bRCW23ssOOhysGscfRdSAnIs8_vLFXikaISX8duxfPpdZSwOt2FOTodx9nJ3s7I81QZyG97XPbDbQnroSTRFNf4PzADUOXg/s1600/DSCF0656.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 399px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465673789990930114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hTDGTws3NnhClbQEFcMgb6tlxj7IXFnmihiMOV8bRCW23ssOOhysGscfRdSAnIs8_vLFXikaISX8duxfPpdZSwOt2FOTodx9nJ3s7I81QZyG97XPbDbQnroSTRFNf4PzADUOXg/s400/DSCF0656.JPG" /></a></p><p align="center">It's finished. I'm happy with how it turned out. It's now listed <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/45770642/crocheted-heart-baby-blanket">for sale on Etsy.com</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-13874352392856422032010-03-29T15:47:00.002-07:002010-03-29T16:50:05.284-07:00Beautiful BloggerAssuming she doesn't know many other Emilys (which is entire possible given how common the name is), my wonderful sister-in-law tagged me with the Beautiful Blogger award. I'm pretty sure it's not due to my diligence in keeping this blog well updated. But I do have two others that I keep for my kids (sorry, I'm not sharing the links) and am somewhat better at keeping those updated. Probably because my kids are the cutest things I've ever created and are much more fun to write about than crochet or any other craft.<br /><br />I do have to thank my sister-in-law, not just for the award, but for her blogging as well. I don't think she knows how much I love her blog. It is the only blog that I check on a regular basis -almost every morning in fact. I realize that it took me almost a week to post this, but I read it on her blog the first day she posted it. I read her blog because it gives me a sense of normalcy. It's just nice to know that other stay at home moms deal with the same day to day annoyances that I do. It's not just that though. I love her sense of humor. It makes me laugh and cherish the remaining sanity that my kids have left me. It's also helped to realize what a great person she is. It's kind of ironic that when we lived close by we never became good friends. We both had a lot going on at the time and had we been at different points in our lives, things would probably have been different. So in case she doesn't know: Meredith, I am so glad that you are my sister-in-law. We're looking forward to seeing you and your family this summer. Thanks for your blog. I love hearing about your life -the crazy along with the fun!<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYd8dapeOAj7Js-kip6-VnnjA0YoxY3S-mTwqkT_ODDbJWV2AP_qaLjRIL52s7xhAjayrfBATndj0X6JiZ4Zi4VlB_LVQIvDHpikWdc87LTUKJeh62sG4bgX9-4Iv_wgIJRjiGmA/s1600/beautiful_blogger_award.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454191907260800754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYd8dapeOAj7Js-kip6-VnnjA0YoxY3S-mTwqkT_ODDbJWV2AP_qaLjRIL52s7xhAjayrfBATndj0X6JiZ4Zi4VlB_LVQIvDHpikWdc87LTUKJeh62sG4bgX9-4Iv_wgIJRjiGmA/s400/beautiful_blogger_award.jpg" /></a></p><br /><br />1. Thank the person giving you this award.<br />2. Copy the award to your blog.<br />3. Place a link to their blog.<br />4. Name 7 tidbits people don't know about you from reading your blog.<br />5. Nominate 7 bloggers.<br />6. Place a link to those bloggers.<br />7. Leave a comment letting those bloggers know about the award.<br /><br />I'm not leaving a link to anyone's blog for privacy reasons. I'm not going to tag anyone, but feel free to tag yourself and leave a link to your blog in the comments. Although an award probably should not be self-awarded, but be my guest. On to the 7 tidbits...<br /><br />1. I hate wooden spoons. I hate cooking with them. I hate the feel of them. However, I do own several and I do use them on a regular basis. I just don't enjoy it. I'm really not that long suffering, there's just not a good alternative. Plastic melts, metal heats up, etc.<br /><br />2. I am a home-body. I love to be at home. As much fun as it is to visit other places and cultures, I really like to be at home with my family. My mom was afraid that I would never leave home. She was sure I would live at home while attending the university that my dad taught at until she eventually married me off. She was really surprised when I went to school several states away from home and then served an 18 month church mission in Argentina. Despite a slight adventurous streak, I still like to be at home.<br /><br />3. I hate discussing politics. I doesn't matter if I agree or disagree with the other person. I don't like the negativity of the conversation. It's not constructive, it doesn't do anything to help the situation. It just gets people upset, even if they agree with each other. I also refuse to tell people who I vote for, just like my mom.<br /><br />4. I like trying different/new foods. I grew up a picky eater (and was subsequently cursed with a picky eater for a son). If it wasn't chicken (preferable white meat) than it wasn't a meat worth trying. I disliked most vegetables. Wouldn't eat seafood or anything spicy. There was a point when my mom was afraid I'd be put on an IV because I wasn't eating. Since high school, I became more willing to try new foods. I have eaten frog legs, escargot, baby octopus baked into a donut hole, calamari, rabbit, quail, alligator, squid jerky, fish with the head still attached, beef tongue, and tripe.<br /><br />5. If my feet are dry and need lotion, it keeps me awake at night. That's not something I need when I already suffer from insomnia and a snoring husband. I keep lotion by my bed so I can apply it as needed. I even put it on twice one night this week. Granted, living in a dry climate really doesn't help much.<br /><br />6. I have large feet. I'd be alright with it if I were 4 inches taller. But having size 9 1/2 shoes while you're only 5 ft 4 in just isn't fair. When I was young, my mom always joked about my foot size in an effort to desensitize me to others' comments. I think it just made me more embarrassed of my shoe size. I can't remember anyone else ever teasing me about it.<br /><br />7. When we were first married, my husband didn't know exactly what he was getting to. My old roommates could have (and probably did) try to warn him. In person and to those that don't know me well, I'm fairly serious, with a dry sense of humor, and not all that talkative. But those that have lived with me (particularly during my first year of college) can attest to a very silly lesser known side of my personality. My husband first discovered it in the form of Jimmy the Sock puppet who was determined to interrupt whatever book he was reading at the time. He wasn't even a sock, but a small pillow case. I have also been known to bear-nap, play pranks, move furniture, steal light bulbs, and throw M&Ms.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-70804105735904283162010-03-01T11:00:00.003-07:002010-03-01T11:00:00.204-07:00Many Hoppy Easters...My grandmother passed away a year ago. Some of my favorite memories of my grandparents were meeting them somewhere between our house and theirs to celebrate Easter. I remember more Easter mornings waking up in a hotel room than at my own home. Meeting in National Parks led to some very scenic Easter egg hunts though. Thanks to my grandparents' RV, our Easter dinner didn't suffer too much from being on the road. I find it an odd coincidence that both of my grandparents passed away just as the stores began setting out the Easter decorations and candy. I think Easter will forever remind me of my grandparents.<br /><br />Last year at my grandmother's funeral, I inherited some really random items stuffed in a trash bag -thanks to my mom and her twin. A phone, pink towels (which my daughter loves), a red scarf, etc. Among those items that I got was a pair of pink striped socks. I don't wear pink and the socks are way to big for my daughter who loves pink. So they sat in my drawer for a year, until I found <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/sock-hop-841022/">a cute pattern </a>on <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/">familyfun.go.com</a>. My kids and I made sock bunnies and I got to turn my grandmother's sock into a cute little Easter bunny.<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMi8UCMFz-rPs-3Yqe_IFrp5J6QnobEdXq6kdB8JQnUTTwqCIBsi-B6Et2CSIQF9KQ7uIuLaL2Lxw7qyZn52pJOYoRKWSzIKNjp2IV7DWBDdGwz_i4cmzgB44Yc8tr8HFmCNPkvA/s1600-h/DSCF0537.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443358425442409314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMi8UCMFz-rPs-3Yqe_IFrp5J6QnobEdXq6kdB8JQnUTTwqCIBsi-B6Et2CSIQF9KQ7uIuLaL2Lxw7qyZn52pJOYoRKWSzIKNjp2IV7DWBDdGwz_i4cmzgB44Yc8tr8HFmCNPkvA/s400/DSCF0537.JPG" /></a></p><p align="left">His ears are a little wild, but he's cute. My daughter turned the match into a mommy bunny who has been taking care of my baby bunny. She's also named him "Crashina."</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-88473754630779697902010-02-26T18:03:00.003-07:002010-02-26T18:49:19.141-07:00Decorating for a little girlSince moving last summer, I've wanted to decorate and make this house feel more like home. We've been in apartments since we got married (8 1/2 years) and we love being in a house now. We're renting, so we can't do a lot to it, but that doesn't mean we can't make it feel like our own place. My son's room is really the only one that felt done to me. I realized it was because his walls were decorated and he had curtains up. It's amazing how much those two things can make a difference.<br /><br />Since my daughter's room doubles as the guest bedroom, I decided to do her room next. First, I rearranged her wall stickers. My daughter had helped put them up, and they needed some help. Wall stickers are great. You can find them at the dollar store. They stay up really well and won't leave a mark or peel off paint when you remove them. Perfect for renters. We have butterfly and flower stickers in her room. Her dresser is also decorated with wall stickers and we added a pot of flowers on top.<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizEUbrFE3drYbYVpFlmfgjPoNlAYegKnRRgZ_ArHplrzzwTx2ySx9V4TMphPGYkeA7hDB0nYPYvx2NKSl4X5Fa-7cKOt9TRPL5OB_my3YWF_ftB1cJnXWW1D7HWqtj15HOaoOcUA/s1600-h/DSCF0519.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442723352858475394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizEUbrFE3drYbYVpFlmfgjPoNlAYegKnRRgZ_ArHplrzzwTx2ySx9V4TMphPGYkeA7hDB0nYPYvx2NKSl4X5Fa-7cKOt9TRPL5OB_my3YWF_ftB1cJnXWW1D7HWqtj15HOaoOcUA/s400/DSCF0519.JPG" /></a></p><div align="center">My son picked out a poster to help cover her blank walls. You can also see some of her artwork that she posted herself.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZW41uGFJq2FbVQAvjnJtSQIPPRwaZDZHTDn8T1IHHVjRXNm5SZViv0uHzJcJJd9GqmqFweZ9vwg6teoGHqfGCnhZP7UWVBxHqhfvT3vdmBluv5iiuL_mlj9wdJcClTcDPtvdKw/s1600-h/DSCF0520.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442723341300657346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZW41uGFJq2FbVQAvjnJtSQIPPRwaZDZHTDn8T1IHHVjRXNm5SZViv0uHzJcJJd9GqmqFweZ9vwg6teoGHqfGCnhZP7UWVBxHqhfvT3vdmBluv5iiuL_mlj9wdJcClTcDPtvdKw/s400/DSCF0520.JPG" /></a></p><p align="center">I decided that she needed curtains. She has blinds on her window, but curtains can add so much to a room. I had some fabric that I got for free a year ago. The butterflies and flowers matched perfectly, but the colors did not. They're a little too retro for the bright pink and purple floral room my daughter wants.</p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcwhPxl3ScOgFEPYmNGuwD54CsRUxBT_q0WXcnDAqhWQrHvviMre3Rwc_BjecxtCuGOgAVkNcS5dvFGwaxO5MkaO8ItLAWmYD-gyy3uin8j8Ic4uK826Jdk6nl-mBIrwA6EXswg/s1600-h/DSCF0425.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442723383620602770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcwhPxl3ScOgFEPYmNGuwD54CsRUxBT_q0WXcnDAqhWQrHvviMre3Rwc_BjecxtCuGOgAVkNcS5dvFGwaxO5MkaO8ItLAWmYD-gyy3uin8j8Ic4uK826Jdk6nl-mBIrwA6EXswg/s400/DSCF0425.JPG" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">So I painted the fabric. I painted most of the butterflies and used fabric markers to add color to some of the flowers. We also added pink sequins -not something I'd normal choose, but they suit my daughter's room and personality. The sequins didn't make it into this picture.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAM9PR2yZlxoKsyMfsZO7qvV0etlb6y-kILlWiIA7KPfg-K4UteAhrYcyBkF4qC9QVAv24hm3ct1OOGFdzdAXStXIG-20NxgC-ToMqUi1WqbQZpOBFbTspUcX4diz-ER5jabi4qA/s1600-h/DSCF0426.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442723366573549794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAM9PR2yZlxoKsyMfsZO7qvV0etlb6y-kILlWiIA7KPfg-K4UteAhrYcyBkF4qC9QVAv24hm3ct1OOGFdzdAXStXIG-20NxgC-ToMqUi1WqbQZpOBFbTspUcX4diz-ER5jabi4qA/s400/DSCF0426.JPG" /></a></p><div align="left">We also have the brick wall problem. We can't exactly nail or drill into it easily. Luckily this wall has a portion at the top that isn't brick. So my son (with some help from me) made letters to hang from above. We painted them and added flower and butterfly gem stickers. We used strips of the fabric from the curtains to hang the letters. The letters were his present to his sister for her birthday.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhQhI5YMZpDZ01EF0j_IqTSQQx-ww77jPCupU78OG2lBH6-ceSds8nful8nT7SOEtFWYd2Whk35iLBRV2KECmn-rVv2jXRgibXjho9WqMgSTQcR90bvQ2caOymV6TBsUImvQeig/s1600-h/DSCF0521.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442723322112133298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhQhI5YMZpDZ01EF0j_IqTSQQx-ww77jPCupU78OG2lBH6-ceSds8nful8nT7SOEtFWYd2Whk35iLBRV2KECmn-rVv2jXRgibXjho9WqMgSTQcR90bvQ2caOymV6TBsUImvQeig/s400/DSCF0521.JPG" /></a></p>It may not be the best decorated room, but it's tons better than what it was and we did it all for under $20. Most importantly, my daughter is thrilled with it. I'm hoping to add a few more things when all the spring and Easter stuff goes on sale. It's a good time to buy flower and butterfly decorations. And then on to the living room...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-36847446484992970472009-12-01T10:12:00.003-07:002009-12-02T15:29:33.683-07:00Heart Baby Blanket<p align="left">I've been working on a baby blanket for a friend. I thought I was doing great, finishing before the baby was due, despite starting late. However, the baby was early and I still had to mail the blanket. She was born on Thanksgiving and the blanket should arrive today. Oh, well. It's the thought that counts, right?</p><p align="center">Here's the square that I used.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMZ_YDs23gOsh4VztENCvGM5R4rVcy1t8OBLBRQzRW1C0lXYwQYZIUIRuZ3NFc6MFbXtHztFOX4s3v8ZppQ7_2fmjH2UwYzTyC_kx1vjOQiHNJw6RaE5nSXP9vh95kukrfz6iDw/s1600/DSCF0204.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410317112669996162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMZ_YDs23gOsh4VztENCvGM5R4rVcy1t8OBLBRQzRW1C0lXYwQYZIUIRuZ3NFc6MFbXtHztFOX4s3v8ZppQ7_2fmjH2UwYzTyC_kx1vjOQiHNJw6RaE5nSXP9vh95kukrfz6iDw/s400/DSCF0204.JPG" /></a></p><p align="center">And the finished blanket.</p><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkJsYE4-bwCLMsu09c93y6xYDf-n96IJNmOWnXnxYcqt3jm2jHrL8gx6HcYq3O4IPYbOITnZqTc_YySPqo7c4-wXb7IuspEnLgvYuGDh5KghR_YkOB9xSVNQ-hzEbzTdrLF2YPQ/s1600/DSCF0205.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 391px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410317120344469890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkJsYE4-bwCLMsu09c93y6xYDf-n96IJNmOWnXnxYcqt3jm2jHrL8gx6HcYq3O4IPYbOITnZqTc_YySPqo7c4-wXb7IuspEnLgvYuGDh5KghR_YkOB9xSVNQ-hzEbzTdrLF2YPQ/s400/DSCF0205.JPG" /></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-29657334572110768132009-12-01T10:10:00.003-07:002009-12-02T15:24:34.550-07:00Pineapple Upside-down Cupcakes<p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoWH3yWhBlhPz9QwFMrmqOf7hUCI9t3I6XhZWjWbviF8yUfhK66YP3CRIcW3ACdICygj2QerRgX0k6z-rc5O1XIzrpbTjnycwo4-NnQWGAOsMJVSHH4WlREtGobSgkQAgln4JbQ/s1600/DSCF0016.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 376px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410316647387634866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoWH3yWhBlhPz9QwFMrmqOf7hUCI9t3I6XhZWjWbviF8yUfhK66YP3CRIcW3ACdICygj2QerRgX0k6z-rc5O1XIzrpbTjnycwo4-NnQWGAOsMJVSHH4WlREtGobSgkQAgln4JbQ/s400/DSCF0016.JPG" /></a></p><a href="http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/pineapple-upside-down-cupcakes-784734/">A great recipe </a>from Family Fun Magazine. It took longer than I had anticipated, but that's probably because I had two young kids helping me. It was definitely worth the effort. They looked and tasted great.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-19955416990676968292009-10-28T08:39:00.003-07:002009-10-28T08:55:58.195-07:00All snuggied up<p align="left">My mom also brought me some wonderfully soft Patons Divine in pink. It's not hard to guess who that will end up on. There's really only one person in this family that loves and adores pink.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqGwEaeVK5TzAML1pGxHFMVw-DcJ5CfexZ90YgL3TvLSdu_ot3G0sUbb571XEiU0Lvn2V1ORMyahlSQeXMcGb3i5GemojTi7J-qcYmagaQon0zgxUE77Tymna55NX2tReg16yow/s1600-h/DSCF0155.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397676402089726866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqGwEaeVK5TzAML1pGxHFMVw-DcJ5CfexZ90YgL3TvLSdu_ot3G0sUbb571XEiU0Lvn2V1ORMyahlSQeXMcGb3i5GemojTi7J-qcYmagaQon0zgxUE77Tymna55NX2tReg16yow/s400/DSCF0155.JPG" /></a></p>Since we walk to school (1/2 mile each way), I wanted to find/make something for her that would help ward off the semi-cold morning temperatures that we get in Arizona. It may not get that cold here, but my daughter likes to dress for summer in the middle of winter. Life with her involves lots of compromises. A snuggie/slanket/sleeved blanket was one of those. So while I'm still going to have to fight with her about the appropriateness of skirts verses pants when it's cold outside, I can keep her somewhat warm regardless. And I won't have to worry about her blanket hanging out of the stroller and dragging on the ground. I won't have to keep pulling the blanket around her to keep her warm. Best of all, she loves it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-37490836021606966332009-09-11T10:46:00.002-07:002009-09-11T10:58:34.255-07:00Five Baby AnimalsA year ago, I started these cute little baby animals with big feet and a tiny body. I had great plans for them. Then something happened -life most likely- and I never typed up the pattern or finished the other little critters that I had planned to make. So after we moved and I found the little guys and some hubby added some encouragement, I finally got back to it. It's sad that it was so closed to being finished for so long. Now I can finally present my little baby animals.<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7fr5C5j3R1XLCeTkFooMeJYj4hA_fqZIz-TnXwiRNYr2YlUx0imsTkC94qDqlq9kpgvZQuILRTr4WVm85C4vfR0W6caYrVHqOrXNiaywVSUXwh0s8Vmw2u2znlxQe0HHd8N0fQ/s1600-h/DSCF9910.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380268135837549554" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 138px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7fr5C5j3R1XLCeTkFooMeJYj4hA_fqZIz-TnXwiRNYr2YlUx0imsTkC94qDqlq9kpgvZQuILRTr4WVm85C4vfR0W6caYrVHqOrXNiaywVSUXwh0s8Vmw2u2znlxQe0HHd8N0fQ/s400/DSCF9910.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">I think the turtle is my favorite.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujysoQRtqxIT736YO5CoIX07yZSe_nA8ZY8C2oTG_waQNZ4IZkWcnQl2YVTu2UMIUSTEiJensJ0WWLCF00SjAbcAIpTRXdV-AElBCTX7sfsS2qmC9NUQKiFPV-E4lWI-JuG5w5w/s1600-h/DSCF9937.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380268161042050802" style="WIDTH: 281px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujysoQRtqxIT736YO5CoIX07yZSe_nA8ZY8C2oTG_waQNZ4IZkWcnQl2YVTu2UMIUSTEiJensJ0WWLCF00SjAbcAIpTRXdV-AElBCTX7sfsS2qmC9NUQKiFPV-E4lWI-JuG5w5w/s400/DSCF9937.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">A little kitty.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLn_rRxO8QUMRiVZJAZ7kv79mo1Gm_5ybSD5-qI5aXpd8lWAy7fIlh2Qu-vSpOR3sloGOkWc86pnD3ES6KmMmLcgDhane9UeVTlpz1VCmSxQGLduX73v5aTklNO78Oy8jYAqN5Xg/s1600-h/DSCF9940.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380268166882076002" style="WIDTH: 284px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLn_rRxO8QUMRiVZJAZ7kv79mo1Gm_5ybSD5-qI5aXpd8lWAy7fIlh2Qu-vSpOR3sloGOkWc86pnD3ES6KmMmLcgDhane9UeVTlpz1VCmSxQGLduX73v5aTklNO78Oy8jYAqN5Xg/s400/DSCF9940.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">An elephant.<br /><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15bUpiSY8J7ElgF68IuyNIG0k9l1yP7_o_HpaJLgcJBLeqdZrqyZOvU8w28niFn1zKW3GTexnu3icbzwE3vjNd1XrzYoR9Qa3XO1lhvUBcI0WyQO9qLIsjrLYM6NK47YDIh-nEg/s1600-h/DSCF9942.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380268176065000562" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15bUpiSY8J7ElgF68IuyNIG0k9l1yP7_o_HpaJLgcJBLeqdZrqyZOvU8w28niFn1zKW3GTexnu3icbzwE3vjNd1XrzYoR9Qa3XO1lhvUBcI0WyQO9qLIsjrLYM6NK47YDIh-nEg/s400/DSCF9942.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">A little bunny.<br /><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIFqFiVRjR90PNO4rKPiuhf0vRsebF98fMYvwdmrkNlJCdjyxwc18isYdXByVkJxmzx8Pu2hYtATpb6B9azIX5g3Y79Kkp1vfSjJB5FM8c-w9QYJ91jolJtDtOUuUiXfFQNZLzw/s1600-h/DSCF9935.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380268147442841074" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 330px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIFqFiVRjR90PNO4rKPiuhf0vRsebF98fMYvwdmrkNlJCdjyxwc18isYdXByVkJxmzx8Pu2hYtATpb6B9azIX5g3Y79Kkp1vfSjJB5FM8c-w9QYJ91jolJtDtOUuUiXfFQNZLzw/s400/DSCF9935.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center"> I also love the mouse.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IPMQPOS8SSeGajVP9Ktk4kq8o_zz4kyTBQXcK44UM1SVb7raMZtt6Fe0hTvz2ybQOXUazUwzaiVF24R8PsMfSVavUG57obiEmNGenYycWOvkhhNAF30ehD-_kRG2qTNt7OIdOg/s1600-h/DSCF9946.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380268557304973762" style="WIDTH: 380px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IPMQPOS8SSeGajVP9Ktk4kq8o_zz4kyTBQXcK44UM1SVb7raMZtt6Fe0hTvz2ybQOXUazUwzaiVF24R8PsMfSVavUG57obiEmNGenYycWOvkhhNAF30ehD-_kRG2qTNt7OIdOg/s400/DSCF9946.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">The pattern for these little guys is now available to purchase at <a href="http://www.emporium.etsy.com/">Em’s Emporium</a> at etsy.com! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-24204302770597791922009-09-11T10:35:00.004-07:002009-09-11T10:59:23.625-07:00Still alive... and crocheting!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgvZNRiKd0_iaxBsdcTAzzR7FSx1OgLifnvpzHvA1zdYHDtVGMwOUXX-p6aXu6x1Gdp6IPt9nwI4wH1x8iLoY1ZqcWL6wbTGCmxpOknwZGLe8lKg40lQZD9Rxr57KLCIKuVIiPQ/s1600-h/DSCF9884.JPG"></a>My mom (who was wonderful enough to come help us move in) brought me some yarn. Pink, variegated purple, and this -a thin chenille. There was a big cone of it, but having never used it, I wasn't sure how far it would go.<br /><div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5g_0dsx0SmFVjjEH83a9_xTNA-0rgjmCm7OxdIVdJDY-k6J28ePz1I3j77BLmEXUg-oaa_z6tVm0TvHVZeRlZY2m8Z1Kr3uORDT8CX7pqlk73g46mTtS9LRy_uCm1ugcIJMelog/s1600-h/DSCF9889.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380265345389178018" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5g_0dsx0SmFVjjEH83a9_xTNA-0rgjmCm7OxdIVdJDY-k6J28ePz1I3j77BLmEXUg-oaa_z6tVm0TvHVZeRlZY2m8Z1Kr3uORDT8CX7pqlk73g46mTtS9LRy_uCm1ugcIJMelog/s400/DSCF9889.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center">So I started a scarf. I tried a few fun patterns, but didn't like how they looked and ended up doing a sc, ch 1, sc throughout.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjctH2NGjg3vETn41SlypcciBmndpmSNnl93FVQOzogDqUAvYj0RlVVJMfYp7YhfhRHw5nQ9gYa0uxVXCmcXa7Ojq0l3CgPwyv_ZI5hsS-a546WbgJ3w6I9A164tFkIUCPhM7bQ/s1600-h/DSCF9891.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380265360822909138" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjctH2NGjg3vETn41SlypcciBmndpmSNnl93FVQOzogDqUAvYj0RlVVJMfYp7YhfhRHw5nQ9gYa0uxVXCmcXa7Ojq0l3CgPwyv_ZI5hsS-a546WbgJ3w6I9A164tFkIUCPhM7bQ/s400/DSCF9891.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div>There was more on the cone than I expected. The scarf just kept getting wider and wider. It would make a great wrap/shawl or (since it scrunches well) it could just be a wide and very warm scarf. You know, for all those cold winter days that we don't have in Arizona. Maybe I should have put more thought into this project before letting it get out of hand. Still, I like it. It's soft and has great drape to it.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-75616307442513222192009-07-19T21:43:00.004-07:002009-07-19T22:22:35.833-07:00In the process of moving...<p align="left">We're in the process of moving, so I've been going through stuff that I haven't looked at for years. I know. If I haven't even seen it in the past two years, I probably should get rid of it. I am trying to prove to my husband that I'm not a pack rat, but there are some things that just shouldn't be thrown out.</p><p align="left">When we were teenagers, my sister and I didn't always get along. I'm sure it frustrated my mom. I feel the same when my kids don't get along. So, one time, Mom made us list ten things we liked about each other. This is what my sister wrote.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbb9k3yHhv4uXxfgsuzioilhaanMzi_BAIWQlZnpvVekR_nC6B2bwymvi_mx-ZqzNcsIyf-EVt9890PlE24KD_0sTMg5NjUF51RCa6EM2ONcZaghDaOP8FxNsiYPTYI44tWAbstQ/s1600-h/10+Things001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360399400123039250" style="WIDTH: 293px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbb9k3yHhv4uXxfgsuzioilhaanMzi_BAIWQlZnpvVekR_nC6B2bwymvi_mx-ZqzNcsIyf-EVt9890PlE24KD_0sTMg5NjUF51RCa6EM2ONcZaghDaOP8FxNsiYPTYI44tWAbstQ/s400/10+Things001.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>How can you not like someone that likes you because you're "clean," "get to drive," and "don't smell that bad." Pretty endearing. That's how my husband and I got together. He didn't smell too bad plus he could drive. That equaled our first date.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-75425848643337219512009-05-16T12:58:00.002-07:002009-05-16T13:08:21.973-07:00For my future scuba diver...<p align="left">My 6 year old wants to be a scuba diver when he grows up. He also wants to write books about the fish he sees. This week, his kindergarten class was learning about the ocean. I thought it would be fun to dress him in something related. Unfortunately, he's grown out of all his fish shirts. So, like the caring, crafty mom that I sometimes pretend I am, I made this:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDB6iVw7QktW4oJAixbyAqCR99aFDZEoBG_nidbV22bJ8wyEna5ZyNZLm7891V6HBYN-o_zmXgzSqHhjJLyfhnETBhXkq_4_VXgJZzc3OqZ2lMx4YWnNhKfbAMLCPpwUri-BNjQ/s1600-h/DSCF9423.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336513630786789634" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDB6iVw7QktW4oJAixbyAqCR99aFDZEoBG_nidbV22bJ8wyEna5ZyNZLm7891V6HBYN-o_zmXgzSqHhjJLyfhnETBhXkq_4_VXgJZzc3OqZ2lMx4YWnNhKfbAMLCPpwUri-BNjQ/s400/DSCF9423.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p align="left">It needs something else in the middle. My scuba diver (who doesn't like to put his head all the way under the water) wants me to add a pink octopus. This is the same kid that wouldn't wear the blue jacket I bought him because it had a tiny pink stripe on it.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-56445757955894361362009-05-05T10:26:00.006-07:002009-05-16T12:56:34.785-07:00Amish Friendship BreadA friend from church brought me some delicious bread that she had made using Amish friendship bread starter. She offered me the recipe and some starter of my own, which I immediately requested. My family loved the bread. In fact, we fought over the last piece. About ten days later, I received my very own starter in a gallon sized ziplock and a page of instructions.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Xkeh4kYWM_7v96Owa5y3in3qET7xD6iUlBZg8ruvoHadLv7FMOFFB_BASy6pcBitKP1yT896bulY0yPndF6-fezRmIJZN1lDIQrOMqZsEtqN8-SjREKHtQQ7P4aeQkTOTQNT7w/s1600-h/Amish+Friendship+Bread001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332394462048906082" style="WIDTH: 312px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Xkeh4kYWM_7v96Owa5y3in3qET7xD6iUlBZg8ruvoHadLv7FMOFFB_BASy6pcBitKP1yT896bulY0yPndF6-fezRmIJZN1lDIQrOMqZsEtqN8-SjREKHtQQ7P4aeQkTOTQNT7w/s400/Amish+Friendship+Bread001.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>The best part was the handwritten note about the apple pie filling. She doubled the starter, eliminated the oil and added a small can of apple pie filling. That made me curious about other variations that we could try in the future. I googled "Amish Friendship Bread" and was amazed with all the recipes and advice I found. My favorite was a <a href="http://makeitfromscratch.blogspot.com/2009/01/take-control-of-your-amish-friendship.html">blog entry</a> that explained how to keep up the starter without ending up with extra starter every ten days. It's nice to have extra to share with friends, but how many friends does one person really have?<br /><br />I made it through the ten days of caring for my starter. It was like having a new pet (although hubby compared it to a baby). I played with it every day and let the air out whenever it accumulated (which hubby compared to burping a baby). And then our little baby's due date arrived. My husband was as excited as I was and helped turn our baby into bread.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6_v_9WYEEyPZyA_SYsWrTF8eAlqalsHAaOzJ0GV_HiprRgvj0tuxcRzGzSJAAhuQF34-KZmnEqSQvoNnseGv3Sgf8nzDbBgNdvOSSTWUeIkXvhF_hLcdiOYBcs9GFBvJfUhdvg/s1600-h/DSCF9419.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336507158642809298" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6_v_9WYEEyPZyA_SYsWrTF8eAlqalsHAaOzJ0GV_HiprRgvj0tuxcRzGzSJAAhuQF34-KZmnEqSQvoNnseGv3Sgf8nzDbBgNdvOSSTWUeIkXvhF_hLcdiOYBcs9GFBvJfUhdvg/s400/DSCF9419.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><a href="http://www.armchair.com/recipe/amish/amish.html">Arm Chair World </a>has a ton of recipe variations, if you're interested. It makes it hard to pick what to make next. I think hubby said something about chocolate. If you can't get a hold of a friend giving away starter, you can make your own, just google "Amish friendship bread starter recipe."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-45710103580393883582009-04-23T13:44:00.001-07:002009-05-05T10:26:15.626-07:00BeetsGrowing up I think I ate beets just once at an all-you-can-eat buffet. My mom didn't like them so we never had them. Spinach was the same way. My mom only knew one way to cook it and she didn't like it like that so she never made it. Some of you are already thinking that I really lucked out as a child. Don't worry as a picky eater, I was extremely grateful. However, I married a man that likes both spinach and beets. Crazy, I know.<br /><br />So, I sent him into a farmers' market by himself knowing that he would probably have way too much fun. And I was right. He came out with plenty of fun fruits and vegetables and a bag of beets. He was really excited that he got beets. I wasn't so much, but I try to be supportive so instead of commenting on his choice, I asked him if he knew how to cook beets. He claimed to know how. Guess who wasn't home when it was time to cook the beets, not that he would have been all that helpful since I later found out that he didn't really know that much about cooking beets.<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaq40jm4UmemsEBeXFLRFEPYeHj3D2ZZvQ7eLu_OShKBOS9JZU4SiwV7VNakPp50lwMzXQk1POdyKjAueMZ5WZpXfj8lhsqTzY2WoY9CVUZX-WyjpTcPpEkoBNAeaj4AHr0tN4Lw/s1600-h/DSCF9304.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327990936613507602" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaq40jm4UmemsEBeXFLRFEPYeHj3D2ZZvQ7eLu_OShKBOS9JZU4SiwV7VNakPp50lwMzXQk1POdyKjAueMZ5WZpXfj8lhsqTzY2WoY9CVUZX-WyjpTcPpEkoBNAeaj4AHr0tN4Lw/s400/DSCF9304.JPG" border="0" /></a></p>I panicked a little and pulled out my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook which I love. Apparently beets take a while to cook. I should have looked that up before I left it to the last minute. I ended up peeling, slicing, and then steaming them. Next time I think I'll start much earlier so that I don't have to peel and slice a raw beet. Have you ever tried it? They're tough to peel and cut, not to mention the color bleeds all over the place. It's a mess.<br /><br />In the end they turned out just fine (fine for a beet, that is). They were a little late getting on the table, but my cute beet-loving hubby liked them. My vegetable lover wouldn't try them, but my picky eater thought they were okay, although he refused to eat more than a tiny taste.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-12372228382643925792009-04-17T10:09:00.003-07:002009-04-17T10:22:07.125-07:00Craftiness<p align="left">In case you wonder where my love of crafts comes from, it's inherited. My mom often had projects going on while I was growing up. Mostly sewing, but she also knits and crochets and will pick up other random crafts just to try them out. </p><p align="left">Despite a 16 hour drive between us, my mom and I still manage to connect fairly often. OK, we talk a lot. It's weird to have a full week go by and not have talked with Mom. In addition to catching up on life in general, we share our current craft projects and browse the web together. Yes, we check out craft sites while talking on the phone together.</p><p align="left">I thought I'd share one of my mom's recent projects. When my daughter turned three, Nana gave her a tea set complete with a quilted picnic blanket and a family of rabbits to have tea with. The rabbits match the quilt, which didn't make it into the picture. It turned out really cute and my daughter was thrilled with it all. So thanks, Mom.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmxt9104jzCO8nRtBjkGIDhzv66eVBOPQjhsWyt2QX8Yh7gA6jLGOhyfIRRRql8mYUnKqlbhxbvECjSNYh4EYQWvY5XtXr7hJ8WlWJme3FUdBFtJNn-9WHgse66QkZZjQTZN3AQ/s1600-h/DSCF8944.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325709034987058274" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmxt9104jzCO8nRtBjkGIDhzv66eVBOPQjhsWyt2QX8Yh7gA6jLGOhyfIRRRql8mYUnKqlbhxbvECjSNYh4EYQWvY5XtXr7hJ8WlWJme3FUdBFtJNn-9WHgse66QkZZjQTZN3AQ/s400/DSCF8944.JPG" border="0" /></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-18511249766076359452009-04-17T09:50:00.002-07:002009-04-17T10:04:47.151-07:00Valentine's Day<div align="center">I realize that Valentine's Day was a couple months ago. I just never posted this and I want to because it's such a cute (and easy) pattern. I made two to go with the stuffed animals that we gave our kids for Valentine's Day. My kids are constantly turning shoe boxes into beds for their stuffed animals and then go in search of blankets and pillows to make them comfortable. I hoped that these hearts would make good pillows for any future animal beds.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuA_b8Bvc2EGScsxj7OWNtAFkiNudg-cYLFJih5rkSeBG61T0Z00fV-dy9ba51Y-3vj0vTCzp6HYnsCCAeEVuJS_Q-fIaA2Pjx5sYPxu965AjpxU-DEQv1FohtAJoBFtEc28EWQ/s1600-h/DSCF8930.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325704062830489666" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuA_b8Bvc2EGScsxj7OWNtAFkiNudg-cYLFJih5rkSeBG61T0Z00fV-dy9ba51Y-3vj0vTCzp6HYnsCCAeEVuJS_Q-fIaA2Pjx5sYPxu965AjpxU-DEQv1FohtAJoBFtEc28EWQ/s400/DSCF8930.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center"> The pattern is from Owlisyly and can be found <a href="http://owlishly.typepad.com/files/owlishly--corazoncitos-amigurumi-pattern.pdf">here</a>. And check out her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5347491">Etsy store </a>too.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-81111269260777905302009-03-19T10:16:00.004-07:002009-03-19T10:30:18.071-07:00Horsey socksMy daughter has an overly developed imagination. Some of it comes from playing with her older brother, but there's a fair amount that comes straight from her three year old mind. One night, while I was laying on the couch, she assaulted my feet, demanding "horsies, wake up." So I moved my feet. She was thrilled. She then got out pillows and a blanket for my feet and put her "horsies" to bed. I'm still not sure why she had to wake them up to put them to bed.<br /><div></div><br /><div>Since that night, my feet have remained her horsies, though they did go through a brief period as doggies. She will follow me around as I make dinner, telling my feet to wake up and bringing imaginary bird seed for her foot-horsies to eat. She talks to them, telling them to eat or saying "good boy." She pets them and keeps them well cared for, giving them money, pillows and imaginary food. She's totally devoted to her horsies. I'm sure you can imagine how excited I was when her own feet became her horsies and she started leaving mine alone -most of the time. </div><div></div><br /><div>Because I like to feed into the madness, I made her two horsey socks. My husband recommended a nice long mane so that she would stop putting clips in his hair. She loves her new horsey socks. Unfortunately she said her horsies don't like to have their picture taken, so my hand is the model in the picture.</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLQq2YdRaXxJ8FrCEwFavWgHGrDIqZ82FNpAXF4e_FUUQwLTD1CqbEbnOsLjbWL3Odpe9lgu-WSazLwCVwhqu4ylA2SaHplFH0SAgmDdrHn7sg1apdnCWllpS7aoEnw9rrqhqcw/s1600-h/DSCF9161.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314951717585025874" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLQq2YdRaXxJ8FrCEwFavWgHGrDIqZ82FNpAXF4e_FUUQwLTD1CqbEbnOsLjbWL3Odpe9lgu-WSazLwCVwhqu4ylA2SaHplFH0SAgmDdrHn7sg1apdnCWllpS7aoEnw9rrqhqcw/s400/DSCF9161.JPG" border="0" /></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-41252579067001891002009-03-19T09:30:00.004-07:002009-03-19T10:49:39.855-07:00Clips, bows, and more clips...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCv7mmunUTb5gfBccS94_uHjHPZrbwm7N0L1OpDY-4tk399AUCSrzJOouE_URwZokYPCfPXqvgcC_4FclAV4vR-S928wYWPNhJOjvuGY1LbCycxbGaKOvkFRXpxbwEA7mEl2kA-w/s1600-h/DSCF9156.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314952941862824578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 164px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCv7mmunUTb5gfBccS94_uHjHPZrbwm7N0L1OpDY-4tk399AUCSrzJOouE_URwZokYPCfPXqvgcC_4FclAV4vR-S928wYWPNhJOjvuGY1LbCycxbGaKOvkFRXpxbwEA7mEl2kA-w/s400/DSCF9156.JPG" border="0" /></a> Until recently, my daughter's hair things had their own drawer in the bathroom. It worked well when cleaning up since I could toss everything in the same place. However, it posed a problem when I was looking for something to put in her hair. Digging through the drawer to find a clip and its potentially non-existent match was a pain. It was time for a better system.<br /><br />I searched <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">Etsy.com </a>for some ideas. There were a ton of bow holders, but they only held clips. I wanted something with pockets for all the ribbons and hair bands. So I spent an hour at Hobby Lobby trying to find something that would form the base for me to hang everything from. I finally ended up in the Easter section and found a cute little frame with a baby chick in the middle. I switched the chick for a butterfly. The pockets are just a long strip of material that I folded up to form pockets. I put two lengths of ribbon on each side because I found two great ribbons and couldn't decide which to use (pink or purple). It turned out to be a good decision, I didn't realize how many clips she had until the ribbons started filling up.<br /><br />My daughter is so excited about it that she keeps bringing me clips to put in her hair. She's also discovered that she can force Daddy to put clips in his own hair. She's got him wrapped around her little finger.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-47996070136798149122009-02-11T12:38:00.002-07:002009-02-11T13:07:03.795-07:00One Word<div align="center">One Word. </div><div align="center">It’s not as easy as you might think to use only one word answers! </div><div align="center">Change the answers to suit you and blog it!</div><br />1. Where is your cell phone? Desk<br />2. Your significant other? Busy<br />3. Your hair? Bun<br />4. Your mother? Jean<br />5. Your father? Kim<br />6. Your favorite thing? Chocolate<br />7. Your dream last night? X-Files-ish<br />8. Your favorite drink? Water<br />9. Your dream/goal? Stability<br />10. What room you are in? Dining<br />11. Your hobby? Crochet<br />12. Your fear? Loss<br />13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? ????<br />14. Where were you last night? Home<br />15. Something that you aren't? Flighty<br />16. Muffins? Blueberry<br />17. Wish list item? Money<br />18. Where you grew up? Oklahoma<br />19. Last thing you did? Clean<br />20. What are you wearing? Jeans<br />21. Your TV? Quiet<br />22. Your pets? Lots<br />23. Friends? Yes<br />24. Your life? Variable<br />25. Your mood? Worried<br />26. Missing someone? No<br />27. Your car? Silver<br />28. Something you're not wearing? Socks<br />29. Your favorite store? Target<br />30. Your favorite color? Blue<br />31. When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday<br />32. Last time you cried? Today<br />33. Book? Buy-ology<br />34. One place that you go to over and over? Bus<br />35. One person who emails me regularly? Hubby<br />36. Job? No<br />37. One place you would like to go right now? Bed<br />38. One person you think will blog this too? Anyone<br />39. One TV show you watch all the time? Fringe<br /><br /><div align="center">Here's what you are supposed to do...and please don't spoil the fun...Copy and Paste into your blog! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-47970043891632497902009-02-09T09:19:00.002-07:002009-02-09T09:30:10.090-07:00Cactus Butt<p align="left">My husband went to a school camp last week. While there, one of his students landed in a cactus and earned himself the name Cactus Butt or CB for short. The young man was really good natured about it and apparently gets a kick out of his new nickname. To rub in his misfortune even more, my husband commissioned me to make him a crocheted cactus. Despite living in Arizona for a combined total of four and a half years, I have never even been tempted to crochet a cactus. I told Hubby he owed me a skein of yarn in return for my services. He even willingly went to Hobby Lobby with me.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BBUR8wrBi6lHRQQASsqztdugN4ZNxW0h582RAz2JGPiB9jugpvzEI7dH0yivjeestHqZTG-wFTSlIIlmOSC7TR050N0UCOhOwGfYHTxh36aUvQEGS7UwPVrzB7PMr3M3101SwA/s1600-h/DSCF8914.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300833270242406194" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BBUR8wrBi6lHRQQASsqztdugN4ZNxW0h582RAz2JGPiB9jugpvzEI7dH0yivjeestHqZTG-wFTSlIIlmOSC7TR050N0UCOhOwGfYHTxh36aUvQEGS7UwPVrzB7PMr3M3101SwA/s400/DSCF8914.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center">There is a <a href="http://childrens-knitwear-projects.suite101.com/article.cfm/crocheted_cactus_plant_project">free pattern available</a>, but it's more vague guidelines than actual pattern. I made it shorter and changed the pot, doing it in sc instead of dc and put rocks in the bottom for stability.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-2765242612370017452009-02-09T09:09:00.004-07:002009-02-09T10:00:43.512-07:00Cradle PurseA friend's daughter just had a birthday. After listening to my friend lament how quickly her daughters can rip holes in their pants, I bought the little girl new jeans for her birthday. I know, a terrible gift for a girl turning five. So I decided to add something fun to the present. I bought a little doll at WalMart and made a cradle purse to go with it.<br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTASI4NFBa3FIfyoL3OTfZ-5N-bX1gchwy6W3llPT1lh37HCVsyBNeXptG9-USZ_Dh3BJoFFeTW5lfVWhJUCAktCLa1LY5d087-hZNSHNDT0ZJXyKvBbQPZNrCF8GdAQzVAhtgA/s1600-h/DSCF8907.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300831208141847010" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTASI4NFBa3FIfyoL3OTfZ-5N-bX1gchwy6W3llPT1lh37HCVsyBNeXptG9-USZ_Dh3BJoFFeTW5lfVWhJUCAktCLa1LY5d087-hZNSHNDT0ZJXyKvBbQPZNrCF8GdAQzVAhtgA/s400/DSCF8907.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p align="left">My daughter had a blast supervising the construction and putting the baby in with her blanket and pillow. Her birthday is coming up. Maybe I'll be making another one soon. Unfortunately, I heavily modified the pattern and didn't write anything down.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-19385981975130474722008-12-10T09:05:00.003-07:002008-12-10T09:58:31.733-07:00Let it snow!<p align="left">When you live in Arizona and have winter days with highs in the 60s and 70s, you don't have to worry about snow. Well, that's not true of the entire state. Flagstaff averages 70-80 inches of snow each year. After living in Flagstaff for two years, I've had enough snow to make up for the last three years without it. Still, it is really pretty -when it first falls and if you don't have to be out in it. So, I've found a way to have the best of both worlds (thanks to Family Fun magazine). I get the pretty snowflakes and my warm winter temperatures.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCI1-xcTycxNYSW9BNNOf4IJU3ml1eawUpbckTZXkMV3B443qjvw4KiaZ_t-sOVuUh8Zv6VoaR90fcD-p7k96pr7nSfoMXwYEMFCr-aVuiwTGQTvGLCM945L2bhhojP-w5-H-nEg/s1600-h/DSCF8668.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278193494979348226" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCI1-xcTycxNYSW9BNNOf4IJU3ml1eawUpbckTZXkMV3B443qjvw4KiaZ_t-sOVuUh8Zv6VoaR90fcD-p7k96pr7nSfoMXwYEMFCr-aVuiwTGQTvGLCM945L2bhhojP-w5-H-nEg/s400/DSCF8668.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p align="left">The <a href="http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=12093">snowflake directions </a>are on <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/">familyfun.go.com</a>. I tried using wax paper, but the wax paper stuck to the snowflakes leaving them less clingy. My daughter got frustrated that her snowflake kept falling off, so we tried again using a Corelle dinner plate. The snowflakes peeled off easily and retained their clinginess. The downside of using a plate is that you have to free-hand the design instead of tracing the downloadable template. It's a fun project and since no two snowflakes are alike, it lets you be creative.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-41816529600742693662008-12-10T08:53:00.004-07:002008-12-10T09:58:14.671-07:00The joy of ear flaps<p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj70BN1o5J7S35-UyT2Cc3nEGtp66BHNmKbfKbsLbj1kb7DVmKfWOnsAdgFNFaGh-qP4eMHPJP9u1p9Yxnwi6rZvi8WnpHpepTuHtZFoB3bik-hwAR8hn6PZoWxpOWHzVJyaHZMA/s1600-h/DSCF8670.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278190187294825106" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj70BN1o5J7S35-UyT2Cc3nEGtp66BHNmKbfKbsLbj1kb7DVmKfWOnsAdgFNFaGh-qP4eMHPJP9u1p9Yxnwi6rZvi8WnpHpepTuHtZFoB3bik-hwAR8hn6PZoWxpOWHzVJyaHZMA/s400/DSCF8670.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p align="left">Living in Arizona, I don't get to make many cold weather items. However, since we now wait at the bus stop most mornings, I am justified in making a few wintery items. We may have highs in the upper 60s and lower 70s, but it's lower 40s while we wait for the bus.</p><p align="left">This is my first <a href="http://www.garnstudio.com/index_lang.php">Drops Design </a>pattern. It was fairly easy and turned out great. My son loves which is all that really matters, right? I let my son pick out the pattern and the color for his hat and scarf. I think he may have picked orange because the photo with the pattern was of an orange hat.</p><p align="center"><a href="http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=104&d_id=25&lang=us">Pattern for the hat</a> The scarf is all hdc.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-3537820033723902042008-12-08T13:21:00.002-07:002008-12-10T09:57:51.089-07:00An Elf TrapMy mom came across this idea by Kayla Lamoreaux and I thought I'd share it. It's an elf trap. Apparently elves are quite curious about the gifts under the tree. So mischievous little elves with extra time on their hands are busy peeking into the presents under our Christmas trees. With an elf trap, the elves get stuck inside of the box and the only way to get out is for them to leave candy.<br /><br />To make your very own elf trap you'll need a box that can be opened and closed, some candy, and the cute poem about the elves by Kayla Lamoreaux found on <a href="http://www.digiscrap101.com/profiles/blogs/trapping-elves">her blog</a>. Then find yourself a gullible young child or two and you're ready mess with some innocent young minds.<br /><br /><br />A note from my daughter who wants to help too:<br /><br />ikikkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkiiiiihjbhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhbhjhggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-30770211400878771602008-11-25T11:11:00.007-07:002008-11-25T11:32:27.968-07:00Turkey TraditionsI have to admit that while I call this a "tradition," we really don't do it every year. In fact I think it's been three years since we last did it. It came from my husband's family, but has been slightly altered since then. We had to change it even more this year when we couldn't find candy corn (tail feathers) or red tic tacs (the waddle).<br /><br />As you can probably guess, my kids had a great time making their turkeys. Even my 2 1/2 year old caught on and had a blast making her own turkeys. With the frosting being treated as a controlled substance for adult use only, we didn't have much of a mess to clean up afterwards. All we had to worry about were two kids on a sugar high right before bedtime.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgzJ_w6C_q_wM8-tEWsHstaWNhdFAUCX1Oi8qF7HE1Gre96-2VQ4LLEqADO52uH18ub1oYoBSWK0VuvIoYVskkJVMXs51zP_ykcQ3WN1UdM8NggUrni8MHg5JGLBd9O8QWBWcmA/s1600-h/DSCF8585.jpg"></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7h0hi0aC6LJsyCmlCGakzsjMPWcIQ0xW6b1n6R4acktEUVGRJE6T1TryYHLIc8jYkpKv6PjhmrY2IFUacVWf5z5z0WX4RZaEvkaKdFBJd7UEEkgAGDXDRJwWdbWpK96Zd-kB7Q/s1600-h/DSCF8585.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272661627101287554" style="WIDTH: 308px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 315px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7h0hi0aC6LJsyCmlCGakzsjMPWcIQ0xW6b1n6R4acktEUVGRJE6T1TryYHLIc8jYkpKv6PjhmrY2IFUacVWf5z5z0WX4RZaEvkaKdFBJd7UEEkgAGDXDRJwWdbWpK96Zd-kB7Q/s400/DSCF8585.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="left">For our turkeys, we used:</p><ul><li>rolos</li><li>whoppers</li><li>mike and ikes (we couldn't find candy corn)</li><li>oreos</li><li>chocolate frosting (in a ziploc with the corner cut)</li></ul><p>It's pretty easy to make just using the picture as a guide. After separating an oreo and removing the white middle, cut (or nibble) one side to form a flat edge for it to stand up on. Glue (with frosting) the feathers (candy corn or mike and ikes) on to the oreo fanning out from the flat edge. Tail completed. Glue the body (rolo) to the other oreo piece before attaching the tail. Finish with the whopper head and the waddle (red tic tac or a piece of a red mike and ike).</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35326541.post-54322909797604333102008-11-17T11:01:00.006-07:002008-11-22T10:39:21.570-07:00And a Scarf to Match!You may remember <a href="http://crochetobsession.blogspot.com/2008/11/very-feminine-hat.html">this post </a>about a hat that I made for my little girl. I wanted to make her a scarf to go with it, but couldn't find a pattern that looked good with it. So I played around with the yarn until I came up with this:<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JzQ-PL3nNX9PpmvQ_wkQyqC_fddnCJ3tEZtlu4naEwWFEqdPgGVHJDqGAKWwwJSWVkwmvWlBwCHs_gdjrdQH45xpEloNxERPyQxsB7z8-kCJmdGbfKvDaS8UEWplr2eDFrv96w/s1600-h/DSCF8574.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269688918173654610" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JzQ-PL3nNX9PpmvQ_wkQyqC_fddnCJ3tEZtlu4naEwWFEqdPgGVHJDqGAKWwwJSWVkwmvWlBwCHs_gdjrdQH45xpEloNxERPyQxsB7z8-kCJmdGbfKvDaS8UEWplr2eDFrv96w/s400/DSCF8574.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIGWv3KE8MWVQ9ZHPRaYG0O-vo2HUOlw2ttr5BRuFoeRRxgU3XsxXfW6EsTbyPIlGjZrP6Dh2dWLSAyX0QBXudK-RijbJC9IEzWw-cpEDTRDh4ABoy74Un7g8i3T8JA5jGYEHCQ/s1600-h/DSCF8576.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269688300193249090" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIGWv3KE8MWVQ9ZHPRaYG0O-vo2HUOlw2ttr5BRuFoeRRxgU3XsxXfW6EsTbyPIlGjZrP6Dh2dWLSAyX0QBXudK-RijbJC9IEzWw-cpEDTRDh4ABoy74Un7g8i3T8JA5jGYEHCQ/s400/DSCF8576.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The color looks a little weird in the second picture, but it shows off the texture better. The waves show up on both sides of the scarf so there's no right side, wrong side.<br /></p><p> </p><p align="center">Pink Waves Scarf</p><div>Choose a hook size appropriate to the yarn you are using. I used an F hook with Yarn Bee Baby.<br /><br />Chain a multiple of 8 plus 1 more chain.<br />Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc, dc, tr, tr, dc, hdc, sc. Repeat from beginning (sc) until you reach the end. You should end with one sc.<br />Row 2: (In back loop only) ch 3, *tr, dc, hdc, sc, sc, hdc, dc, tr. Repeat from * until you reach the end of the row.<br />Row 3: (In back loop only) ch 1, * sc, hdc, dc, tr, tr, dc, hdc, sc. Repeat from * until you reach the end of the row.<br /><br />Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you reach desired length. End with row 2. Weave in ends. Feel free to embellish the ends with fringe if you’d like.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>© Emily Miller 2008 </div><br /><div>Please don't publish, post, or sell this pattern. You may print off copies that contain the copyright information. You may share the pattern with others (for free, of course). You may sell items made from the pattern. Please contact me with any questions.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0