2 new babies!

Well my computer guy decided that the cost to *maybe* fix my computer was going to be more than half the cost of getting a new one. So after several days of deliberation I bit the bullet and bought a new baby.

It's a little smaller than my old one, but i'm adjusting. It is going to serve me very well during the next 2-3 years of school i think. :)

My other new baby is a pik-a-pom.

 His name is Sulley. Half pekinese, half Pomeranian. He is just too damn adorable! I can't get enough of him.

Monster and his pup. We now have more animals than kids, no more 4 legged friends for us!

I made a crochet hat from a free tutorial I found online this week, and LOVE it!

It fits my almost 6yo perfectly. And of course she felt the need to pose. Like what i'm not sure lol  I'm working on a second hat of the same pattern now, only i'm using only 4 very rich colors. Can't wait to finish it! But first I need to get off this danged new computer. Lunch then crochet!

Laura

dead camera

I set out to take pictures of the goodies from the weekend, and alas the camera is dead. :(  I need to break down and order a rechargable battery/station thing, but just haven't yet.  So I have a list of pictures to take next weekend when I get a new battery.

Makenzie was flipping through one of my quilting magazines and found this pillow. She decided that she wanted to make it. Oh boy. Momma thought it looked like a big first sewing project, but so far so good. She has all the pieces cut, and two of the four squares complete. I am VERY proud of her.

Two blocks done for February block lotto, to be shown Wednesday when the block is released to the masses.

I made another kids messenger bag in brown duck cloth and a purple flower pattern for Craft Hope. The kids have started making hats on the round knifty knitters. A little messy, but it warms my heart that they are putting their time to good use. I also tried a couple tshirt bags this morning and I think the kids will be able to make them with minimal supervision.

This morning I cleaned up my crafty space and whipped up the mason jar pincushion I've been planning for awhile now. It's beautiful and very practical.

Fantabulous news! I'm gonna be an aunt again!!!  My little brother is gonna have a baby. So happy for them both. Ever since he told me I have been pinning away over at Pinterest. I did a trial and error baby bib yesterday, heavy on the error. But that's ok, i learned my lesson and am looking forward to making many matching bibs/burp cloths in both girl and boy varieties. I figure I will in find someone to give the other sex stuff to. And knitting socks, embellishing onsies, furniture, the possibilities are endless!

Laura

Busy, busy

My sewing machine and I have been very busy over the last few days.

My Project Quilting quilt is pieced (front and back) and ready to quilt. I had a couple other projects I wanted to tackle before setting my machine up for FMQ. So I will begin quilting friday/saturday and cross my fingers that it gets done my midday sunday.

The new craft hope project has been announced! I'm very excited about it. Project 16 is Bags and Beanies. I love making bags, but don't because my husband hates all my purses. :) But now I have the perfect excuse!

I made this beauty this morning. I love it. Very simple to put together and super cute. I'm gonna look at Joanns this week for magnetic closures for them.

This morning I ALSO completed the CVQ BOM that was released today.

They look great with the previous month's blocks and were pretty quick to put together. I'm happy to have them done so that I can focus on other things, craft hope, manic meadow, project quilting, and o course the block lotto early preview should be coming out soon. Aye, aye, aye! :)

Laura

Lots to catch up on!

Yes, I bailed on my own photo challenge. I am slightly dissapointed in myself, but more irritated that I thought November was a good time to do it. I have some handmade Christmas gifts I'm trying to finish and I recently took on a BIG project that I can't share yet. :)  So I will let the photo challenge go and focus on having a great holiday season and making it great for others.

That said... We had a great "Thanksgiving". I had to work Thanksgiving night, so dinner wasn't happening for us that day. So while hubby worked Wednesday the kids and I made dinner. And it took all day! I'm so glad they were out of school and home with me. We had alot of fun.

We made deviled eggs, played with the turkey, 2 awesome pumpkin pies, and Blake got to pull the organ bag out. lol

Kenzie buttered up the bird, and the girls cleaned the deviled egg filling bowl. We had a blast inspecting the turkey's organs. It was a good little lesson for the kids. Blake DID NOT eat the heart! He was pretty grossed out by it actually, just goes to show what a camera hog this kid is.

Through the madness of the cooking on Wednesday, I also managed to get my sock monkeys mailed off for Craft Hope's Project 15.

On the left is the knit monkey pattern I found on the Patton website. He was very easy to make, just took awhile. I think I was just over the making of the monkeys by the time he was done. And my finished gaggle of monkeys! 8 in all sent to little ones in TX. Love Craft Hope! Can't wait to see what projects are in store for the coming year.

And last (I think) but not least we decorated for Christmas yesterday! I love decorating. The kids are always so excited and it's a welcome change to our home.

the stockings were hung... using a stocking hanger that I made last year using a cabinet door and some knobs. I also made the stockings last year as part of UCreate's Create with Me. I made the reindeer sign a few weeks ago and added the kid's thumbprint reindeer. I have to remember to put the date on the back of this at some point. Our advent calendar is done, YAY! Olivia decorated her gingerbread man for school this evening using candy sprinkles. I'm sure her teacher will love that! lol

Ok i'm off to cut fabric for November's BOM, maybe knit a little on my scarf (which will be a christmas gift for olivia), and read before bed. Whew reliving the last few days has kinda worn me out!

Laura



Yea i made a monster...

Knit a monster that is! Yay me!

Last weekend I learned to knit using Make it and Love It's mini series. Well I had never read a pattern for knitting before so i set my sights on this little guy. I figured if i could follow the pattern and make him then i would buy Rebecca Danger's pattern that i fell in love with.

Jerry the Musical Monkey

photo courstesy of Rebecca Danger



How stinkin cute is he?! So finishing my monster not only means that I knitted from a pattern, but that i got to buy the pattern to make Jerry.  Workin the next 2 nights, but hoping to get a start on Jerry this weekend. If i get the hang of him i'm gonna whip up a few for the current Craft Hope project. So excited to get started!

I made another block for the block lotto Tuesday before work. It is paper pieced which is yet another first for me this week.

So that's 7 blocks total. Gonna try to get 2 more done this weekend and maybe even start on my own quilt. I've got alot of crafty projects on my plate. It's a hard life. :)

Laura

October block lotto

I've made 6 blocks for the block lotto this month. May make a few more, haven't quite decided yet.

I'm pretty darn happy with them. So many designs to choose from it was hard to narrow it down. Still have a few more picked out, hence the thought that I might make more. :)

Most of my crafty time has been working on sock monkeys for Craft Hope. I have 3 done already and 1 more in the works.

This is my done "pile". So excited to keep watching it grow.

And this is my sock monkey-to-do pile. I'm looking forward to it shrinking so that the other pile gets bigger, but doubt my will power to quit buying socks. :) Heading to second hand stores this afternoon as a matter of fact.

Laura

This & That

The kids had picture day this week.  I dread this day as a parent. Gotta make sure they look good, stress over if they will still look good 3 hours later at picture time. And the cost! Depsite it all they all looked very nice, and i didn't even realize they were all wearing plaid until i took these pics.

 I picked up a new camera yesterday at the city-wide yard sales. Its a Kodak Easyshare Z612 for $35! It has manual settings that i'm really excited to play around with. Our other good deal of the day was a pair of Justin boots for K for only $25. I feel like i spent alot of $$$ on yard sales, but i got some good deals that I just couldn't pass up. Lovin the pictures this camera takes :)

There have been hints that the new Craft Hope project will be sock monkeys. Totally excited! I've always wanted to try a sock monkey. So i've begun playing around with different patterns to get a jump start before the project is announced.

 One crocheted and one made from men's work socks. I have another crochet pattern that i wanna try, but for now i'm leaning toward the traditional sock monkey.

We're all pretty taken with them. :)

And last but not least I signed up for the Block Lotto this week. And the block was announced yesterday as quilters choice. I have my 3 different blocks picked out, now i've just gotta stop making sock monkeys long enought to make them. My goal is to get one set of 3 done today, we'll see how that goes. :)

Laura