~Now I just need fabric~

I just got One-Yard Wonders from Amazon.com. Wow, this book is chock full with projects that I want to do! Unlike most knit/crochet/sewing/craft books that are about $20 and have one project that I'm interested in, this book actually has quite a few projects that I hope to get around to.

This is my favorite project in the book, I think I gasped when I saw it for the first time:


And this smock would be perfect for canning projects:


There are 101 projects in all. I won't be doing all 101 projects, but I have quite a few to choose from!

~Weather~

Yesterday was gorgeous! So gorgeous that I went for two different walks!

I don't think I'll be walking today though. Here's a little snippet of our weather:



It hailed for quite awhile, and is now back to heavy rain. I hope we get some warm weather back soon!

~He lives!~

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.

(Matthew 28:6a)

We serve a risen Savior!

May God bless you this Easter as we reflect on all Christ did for us.

~For a Friend~

I have a friend who had an extremely rough pregnancy, especially towards the end. She had to endure all kinds of tests, multiple trips to the doctor each week to be monitored, and a delay of several weeks for delivery.

So I was very happy when she told me that her C-section was finally scheduled! I sat down and crocheted around this blanket for her baby girl, pairing it with a coordinating burp cloth:


This afternoon I popped over to the hospital to see her and her precious baby, and to give her the blanket set.

Pattern notes:
I used Ruth's new design as a springboard for my own crochet edge.



Here's my pattern:
Round 1: With crochet cotton and a size 6 hook, *sc, ch 2*, repeat from * to * around blanket edge. Join with sl st to first sc. It would be a good idea to count your ch 2 spaces and make sure there is a multiple of two. I didn't do this...oopsie!

Round 2: sc in next ch 2 space, *5 tr in next ch 2 space, sc in next ch 2 space*. Repeat from * to * around. Join with sl st in first sc.

~One Year~

Last Thursday we celebrated our daughter's first birthday! She is an amazing gift from the Lord, and brings us such great joy!

When we brought our baby home from the hospital she was so helpless. Now she's walking! It's amazing how much development happens in a baby's first year! The time spent with our precious girl is worth every second! All those sleepless nights, extra laundry, toys scattered from one end of the house to the other, food that goes flying off the high chair in every direction, every "Mama", every sloppy baby kiss...all such cherished moments. We are so blessed.

~How to crack an egg~

For thousands of years men and women have been cracking eggs just fine! OK, so I don't have documention but let's just assume that people have been eating eggs for quite some time now. You bang the egg on something and crack it, how hard is that?

Sure, I've accidentally gotten shells in my eggs when I cracked the egg, but do you know the best way to get those little shell bits out? Use the shell! It is a "magnet" to the shell. And if you drop an egg on the floor do you know how to clean it up? Sprinkle salt very liberaly over it and it will clean up marvelously!

Oops, got a little sidetracked there. Maybe I should have a Time in the Kitchen with Tammy column. LOL

Back to my reason for this post. We have DVR so we rarely watch live television. This means that we can fast forward through all the commercials. But Kevin was watching a show tonight and a commercial caught his eye.

Dum, da-dum! The EZCracker! It cracks eggs so effortlessly! (Because we all know how hard it is to crack an egg!)


It separates the yolk from the white too!


And it comes with a in-shell egg scrambler!


After I picked myself off the floor from laughing so hard at a mini, in-shell egg scrambler I came right to my computer to look up this wonderful contraption.

For only $19.95 plus shipping ($6.95), this marvel can be yours!

Images from EZcracker.com, this post is not sponsored by EZCracker. ;-)

~Howdy!~

Boy, I've been MIA! A lot has been going on and I've been spending less time online!

I had some friends over for coffee and dessert the last week of February. It sounds simple, but it took a lot of preparation! It was nice to have some fellowship, something I don't get enough of these days!

Then right after that my daughter got sick. It seems to be going around our church, and the bug is very tenacious. It lasts and lasts and lasts...or so it seems! Anyhow, our whole household has been feeling quite crummy and I'm looking forward to getting well again!

The weather is warming up. One day it was in the balmy 40's and I looked out the window and our neighbor girl (about 7 years old) was skating down the sidewalk, wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt. Yes, the sun is nice! I don't think I would have been out in my short sleeves, but when it has been so cold all winter, sun + over freezing is nice and warm!

I have a few projects I've been trying to wrap up, and when I do, I'll be sure to post pictures of them!

Have a great day!

~Jean Quilt~

I have wanted a jean quilt for quite a few years. Not to put on a bed, but to use as a picnic throw. It would be perfect for throwing on the ground or over a picnic table!

I saved a pile of Kevin's jeans, added in a skirt, shirt, and some fabric scraps (all denim). Then I got busy and cut:



If I were sewing anything else, I would have taken a little more care and ironed my fabric. But this is something that is going to take a beating. So I figured if the seams didn't match up perfectly it was not a big deal (as it turns out jean fabric is kind of "stretchy" along the edge so it was easy to get the seams matched up! They are all perfect except for one or two that are off by a tiny bit). My squares arranged how I sewed them:



I'm very pleased that some of the squares come pre-stained. LOL There are some with grass stains, and some with paint splashes. It adds character to the quilt, and ensures that I will not be upset when extra stains get added to it!

I sewed it up in a jiffy! Big squares are fun to piece! It took me two afternoons to get sewn, and then it sat on or near my sewing table:



Yesterday I decided it was high time to to get it finished up! I watched some of the Olymic coverage and tied it off with bedspread weight cotton thread. Using a curved upholstery needle helped me make short work of the tying.



Several years ago I bought a vintage sheet at an estate sale for 50 cents. I never could figure what to do with it, so I saved it. And now I'm glad I had it! It made a perfect back for my quilt! I carefully figured the size of my squares to correlate with the sheet size (twin size).



The total cost of this was $.50! I used up thread that I've had sitting in my sewing cabinet for years, and all the fabric was free or "upcycled".

~WIP Wednesday~

It's been awhile since I've done a WIP Wednesday! Here is my current WIP (Work in Progress):


A sweater for The Baby, using the free pattern Mossy Jacket. I haven't added details to my Ravelry page yet, but I'll do that soon. You can find my projects here.

I am making the 12-month size, but my gauge is a little off so it is probably closer to the 18-month size. That's ok, it will give The Baby the rest of the winter and spring to wear it. :-) This will be my first sweater! I started a sweater for myself long, long ago, but it got frogged. I am moderately pleased with how this sweater is coming out. The neckline is a little big which gives it a bit of a homemade look. But once it gets sleeves and is blocked I'll probably like it more!

~Bloggy Stuff~

I recently added a list of blogs I enjoy to my sidebar: ------> I didn't realize how ridiculously easy it was! I was able to import the blog addresses straight from my Google Blog Reader!

I've been working on my Etsy shop lately. I have a number of baby items in my shop that I am very pleased with. The blanket and burp cloth sets would make lovely gifts. I made three blankets just like these for myself, and I used them every day until we stopped swaddling our daughter, which was around three months. Even now I still find uses for them. They are the perfect size!



And finally, are you searching with Swagbucks? It sure is fun to earn Swagbucks as I do normal online searches! I've earned another $15 in Amazon gift cards. I don't know what I'm going to spend them on yet! Any suggestions? :-)

~Chocolate Bread~

With special thanks to Anna of Pleasant View Schoolhouse for her wonderful idea, I made chocolate bread this afternoon.


My hips, however, do not thank Anna. ;-)

~Happy February!~

I can't believe we turned a calendar page already! January just flew by!

I am growing basil on my kitchen counter top. I didn't know if it would be too cold or if it would get enough sun, but I thought I'd give it a try. I set out to do this last November, but who carries seeds in November? No one around here! So I waited till the seeds came out in stores. And guess what? my seeds are coming up! Which makes me do a little happy dance. ;-)



Do you like to spell? Have I found the book for you! So You Think You Can Spell; Killer Quizzes for the Incurably Competitive and Overly Confident, by David L. Grambs and Ellen S. Levine. I checked this out of the library yesterday and last night I was doing spelling quizzes and all of a sudden it was 11 o'clock! So far my best scores are 16 out of 20, which isn't too bad!

(Picture and link from Amazon.com)

The weather has been cold, cold, cold! I'm ready for spring already! I dug up most of my bulbs last fall since they weren't flowering very well, so I don't have much color to look forward to this early spring. Next fall I will make it a priority to plant some bulbs! But first on the list is to make sure all the voles are out of our flowerbeds. Those little boogers drive me nuts! They can plow through a flower bed and wreak havoc!

Well...just wanted to say a February "hello!" Keep warm! =)

~Heart Garland~

After seeing several felt heart garlands here and there, I decided to make my own.


Very simple, very fun!

~I have a shiny thumbnail~

When you go to the mall, do you see those kiosks with the special lotion? The ones where the salespeople try to squeeze lotion on anyone passing by?

Well, the other day we were at the mall, and my hands were oh-so-very dry -- to the point that they were starting to crack. Now normally, I will do anything I can to avoid this type of kiosk, but I figured I needed lotion, so "why not?"

Here's why:
:::after getting my sample of lotion, I'll be drawn over to the kiosk to further examine the lotions
:::after the saleslady discovers that I really don't want to buy lotion, she'll try to get me to buy something else
:::she'll grab my hand and start buffing my thumbnail, all the while explaining the great benefits of not polishing my nails (which I never do anyhow)
:::after I admire my lovely shiny nail, she'll try to get me to buy the nail-buffing kit
:::I really don't want the kit considering I have a similar one at home that I never use
:::and the lowest priced kit is only $29.99
:::I only have $21 in my purse and I can guarantee you I'm not putting it towards lotion and a buffer!
:::I kindly say "no"
:::and walk away
:::and the "manager" calls me back over
:::and says he'll pay the commission and he can lower the price to $22
:::which, if you're keeping track I still don't have enough money
:::and I say "no, I really don't have the money for it today" (or tomorrow...or next week)

As I walked away, I determined to not ever get sucked into the vicinity of this type of kiosk again!

~Dress up Baby Doll~

A long-time family friend gave this to us. Now isn't this the cutest little thing?


Seriously, it makes *me* want to sit down and play dress up! The baby doll comes with five complete outfits. Each outfit has booties, little headbands or bonnets, and diaper covers. Too, too cute!

~Same old, same old~

I was thinking about my breakfast routine this morning, mostly because I mixed it up a little. Instead of coffee, toast, and eggs, I went to Starbucks and had oatmeal and coffee.

So I was thinking how I almost always have exactly the same thing every single morning, prepared almost exactly the same way. It's a simple routine for a simple, yet delicious-to-me breakfast. I start the coffee, start the eggs, start the toast. Tend to the eggs, butter the toast, take the eggs out of the pan. And then I sit down and eat. Mmmmm, I love my daily breakfast!

And my Starbucks oatmeal? It was very good! For my birthday, my parents gave me a Starbucks gift card. If you go to the Starbucks site, you can register your card. You'll get a free drink in your birthday month, and there are other perks too - like two hours of wi-fi each day. Yesterday it was a pleasant surprise to get a coupon in the mail for a free bowl of oatmeal! I used that along with a Starbucks coffee bag that had a coupon for a free cup of coffee for a nice little breakfast out!

So what do you do for breakfast? Do you eat breakfast? And do you mix it up or do the same thing every morning?

~Romantic Piano~

Romantic Piano
A CD that I am enjoying very much the past few weeks is Nina Postolovskaya's "Romantic Piano". Nina plays selections from Chopin, Debussy, Schumann, and others. Her playing is so beautiful, and the music is peaceful. Often, I play it during naps so that there is a bit of background noise which enables me to move around the house more.

My MIL gave this CD to me a few years ago for Christmas. Since I'm enjoying it so much now, I looked up the performer and found two more CDs on Amazon.com. I'm thinking of getting them with Amazon gift cards I've earned from my Swagbucks.

The link under the image will take you to Amazon, which is also the image source.

~Christmas dresses~

I finished The Baby's Christmas dress in time for her to wear it the Sunday before Christmas. Next year, if I make her Christmas dress, I'd like to make it earlier in the month so that she has time to wear it a few more times.



I used Simplicity 2767, which is a "Project Runway" pattern. Having used this one Project Runway pattern, I'm not much of a fan. I ended up buying way more fabric than I needed (which turned out to be a good thing...but still).



I think I took out as many seams as I put in. I don't know why, but sewing this dress was full of frustrations. I thought the sleeves would be way too long, so I shortened them. When I tried the bodice on, the elastic pulled the sleeves up and I realized that I should have left them the same length as the pattern. So this is where the extra fabric came in handy, as I had to cut, sew, and reinstall two new sleeves! Before I hemmed it, I tried it on The Baby and I was ready to throw it away! Thankfully, Kevin talked me into finishing it and I actually liked the end product. LOL So no matter how long you've sewn sometimes projects just don't go the way you hope!

And then, I came home with my Christmas dress. My mom made this for my 2nd Christmas. I'm hoping it fits The Baby next year! Crossing my fingers on this one! I was almost 14 months when my mom made this, and The Baby will be 21 months.



My dad was working his way through college, as well as supporting his wife and baby girl by working at a fabric mill. One day he brought home yards and yards of red wool which had gotten machine oil all over it. My mom was able to fit pieces of the dress here and there, and out of all those yards of fabric, she was able to make this dress!



Now, I have to say, that sometimes being the oldest in a large family just isn't "fair". All of my sisters wore this dress, so somehow they all think it belongs to them. This is the only keepsake item I have from my childhood, and no one wanted me to bring this home. But I have it now. ;-)

~Traveling with a little one~

I am certainly not an expert when it comes to traveling with babies and children! But I did learn a few things on our recent trip! I'm recording them now while they are still fresh in my mind. Maybe this will help me to remember later on! :-)

Next time we travel (this June, for my sister's wedding!), I plan to:

:::take a stroller. This will make things so much easier in the airport!

:::forget the laptop. I didn't use it enough to make lugging it through the airport worth its while!

:::get a bigger diaper bag. I have a small diaper bag I use for church, and the diaper bag I got from the hospital. The bag from the hospital is bigger, so that is what I used for travel. It worked perfectly when we traveled with a 6-week old who slept the entire time we were in the air! But when you start adding food, spoons, a sippy cup, toys, etc., it was just impossible to get things in and out. OK, not impossible, but a pain in the neck!

:::pack more chocolate. Seriously.

Now, you tell me! Any top secrets for perfectly happy babies while traveling?

~Christmas, a Wedding, an Engagement, and a Long Trip Home~

We spent the last 10 days of December in California with my family. I fully intended to keep up with blogging, and even took my laptop with the thought of going somewhere with free Wi-Fi every few mornings, but that just didn't happen!

Christmas Day was very enjoyable! We went to my Mom's parents and had a late brunch, and then gathered around while my grandpa read Luke 2. We exchanged gifts. I wasn't sure how The Baby would respond to the gifts. She was rather non-interested in the whole affair, even the paper and bows. She did "help" unwrap a few gifts, but she mostly played with toys while we exchanged our gifts. Later in the afternoon, we went to my dad's parents for munchies and desserts and time to visit with family.

On the 29th, one of my sisters got married. It was a beautiful wedding, and I was so glad we were able to be there. We got to meet her fiance just a few days before the wedding, and he is a very nice young man. We're very happy for my sister!

And then, on the 30th, another one of my sisters got engaged! She was totally surprised by the proposal, which was kind of funny because she is usually the one that you can't get anything by! She's planning her wedding for early June, so it looks like we'll be heading back to California this summer!

Our flight and trip to California went relatively well. Our return trip was a completely different story. Thanks to an over-tired baby, a molar coming in, and a crowded airplane, we had a very.long.flight. I have never heard The Baby scream or cry so loudly. She finally went to sleep for awhile, which was a blessing to her, us, and the people around us! LOL Thankfully there was a really kind lady just across the aisle. At one point, we all got a big laugh out of The Baby when I fed her some mixed vegetables that she did not like! She stuck out her tongue and made a huge face. And then on the second attempted bite, she sputtered. I moved on to the pears! Needless to say we were quite happy to finally arrive home!

Now we're back and settling into our routine again. I'm looking forward to this New Year and what the Lord will do this year! Happy New Year!!!