It's what I do in the winter....

When January rolls around I crochet.
I've been like this for years now. If you want to get specific, 14 years. 
That's when I was pregnant with my second. I found this beautiful, soft, blue yarn with a blanket pattern and instructions printed on the label and I decided he needed a crocheted blanket.
I worked away with my hook and the endless string of blue, indescribably soft yarn.
It kept me warm.
And I enjoyed many evenings after my oldest was in bed listening to music while my husband studied away (he was in college then) methodically creating that blanket.
Months later it became one of his favorite and without a doubt one of mine too.
That blanket made it through 3 boys, believe it or not. Now it sits in a box in storage, we'll see what kind of shape it's in 10 - 15 years from now when I find myself a grandma.......hmmm....that's a weird thought.

Anyway, it's January and I find myself seeking the warmth and relaxing comfort of crocheting.
Check out what I made yesterday!

The pattern is from Little Abbee shop here.
I purchased two other patterns that I'm excited to try out.

Now to decide what I'm going to do with this little cute cap confection.
Yep, I'm done with the babies at my house, except for the baby doll variety. (I hope this picture isn't too creepy. It's what I have to work with.)
I started and ended having babies early so I am done and done! But my friends aren't......decisions, decisions.


P.S. I've been thinking of doing a crochet week here on the blog.
I thought I might share a couple of patterns I've written, share a tutorial on crocheting an edging on a fleece blanket and maybe a couple of other things.
What do you think?

Paper Roses and a Vase

I'm helping with the decorations for an activity for the young women in our church.

I wish I could say I'm really good at decorating.

But I'm not.

And the idea of being in charge of decorations gives me a panic attack.

So I'm not in charge.

Just helping.

Our theme for the night is Arise and Shine Forth.

So we're decorating in Sunshine colors.

My most significant contribution is a paper rose ball on a vase.
I've gone above and beyond this time, I know.
Just kidding. It's almost embarrassing how little this is compared to all of the other decorations going into this.

There is one thing that's awesome about my paper rose ball.

I didn't cover the whole thing in paper roses because it is a large ball and it just fit better on the vase this way.

But, if you turn it on it's side it looks like an old fashioned swimming cap on a Styrofoam wig stand.

Makes me giggle.

I was tempted to get some mister potato-head eyes, nose and mouth to stick on it.

I know, I find strange things entertaining.

Oh, and ignore the hot-glue spider webs all over everything. I seriously thought I'd cleaned them all off. 

Apparently not because there they are clear as day in every. single. picture!

I'm very proud of my vase....if I do say so myself.

It was a thrift store find --- $1

It was just clear glass.

I spray painted the inside with white gloss paint.

It looks a lot better in real life.

But 

I did get a little enthusiastic with the spray paint and so I have some drips.....oops!

But

I'm okay with it.

Kind of gives it a marbled look....adds character...or whatever.

So, the paper rose idea came from my niece Jamie who made one because she saw it on Pinterest.

My Internet was out at the time and so she explained to me how to make paper roses over the phone.

She got her inspiration from The Idea Room.

In the mean time I documented my flower making in pictures below.

But you should really check out the original here.

I did do a couple of things differently.

I used hot glue as I went, in a few spots.

It seemed as I twisted and gathered it needed some glue to keep it in place.

Also, When it was all finished I glued the little stem to one side to make the rose a little flatter and easier to glue to the ball.

My flowers don't look the same as the original but not bad for being told the gist of how to make them over the phone.

The key does seem to be twisting and gathering to make it look like real pedals. 

I'll try and get some pictures of all of the finished decorations.

Happy Flower Making!

Science Fair

Amidst all of the crazy we're working out a science fair experiment and project.
I enjoy the experimenting part, even the documenting isn't bad.
It's the getting it on a display board that kills me!
I know I need to let my son do most of it and he will/has.
But letting him is just so hard....
Particularly when we get to the science fair and see how many parents have done the displays for their children.....
However, I know he's learning valuable lessons and skills and that makes it so worth it.


Wish us luck.

Just Keep Swimming

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. What do we do? We swim....

Repairs are well underway and the roof is completed after The Great Wind Storm of 2011.

But guess what?
Life just keeps on keeping on.
That is, a pipe broke in our basement.
Yuck!
Water!
Yuck!
Cutting out wet drywall and wet insulation.
Yuck!
Trying to figure out how to fix buckling laminate flooring.
Yuck!

But really it could have been so much worse and I am so grateful it wasn't (we caught it fairly quickly).

So no worries. We had Chinese take-out tonight, so good!

We're keeping our heads up, above water at least and I'm keeping the crafty/sewing juices flowing.
Sharing soon.

Life's good!

Zoo Day! Hooray!

Last week we discovered that a sunny winter day was the absolute best time to go to the zoo.
The place was utterly deserted and the animals were more active than I've ever seen them.
We even had the run of the stinky fascinating reptile house.....mmMMmm good times!

Between our 3 cameras that day we took 100 or so photos.
My kids are animal enthusiasts.....and turning out to be amazing photographers.

 We decided that it might be fun to try hanging upside down and sticking our heads in a bucket to eat sometime....

..and lemurs remind me of old bald men with bushy white beards --- and freaky eyes.

We discovered Dr. Emmet Brown (Back to the Future) 

has been reincarnated as a Cotton-Top Tamarin.

 There were birds roaming the zoo.

One of my kids said, "Wow, that looks just like a chicken! What is it?'

Me, "A chicken."

Darn city kids.....don't tell their dad who is not a city kid and used to raise chickens that his son didn't recognize a rooster.

Believe it or not, this is what my boys' hair looks like every morning and about 30 seconds after it gets combed every morning.

I took this pic because I felt like he could feel my pain.

Golden Tamarin......easily my favorite....I don't know why.....just think they're pretty and fascinating.

What I felt like doing when we got home.....I was a grouchy sloth.

We can't wait to go back.

Our summer outings to the zoo will never be quite the same after our solitary experience this winter.

P.S. Just to tell you how not crowded the zoo was, I talked my teenagers into doing a kick line with me by the ostriches.

I don't know why, maybe because ostriches walk funny, maybe because I'm funny but they did it.

They're awesome!

The Internet and a before and after.

So, our Internet went down, again......
5 days without surfing the web. For.Ev.Er!

We had to go to the library to look up some things for science fair research.
I had borrow the neighbor's Internet to set up Parent Teacher Conferences at the school.
My daughter actually had to check out her Literature Book from her English teacher (because the book is available online they don't give the students their own copy).
So crazy we're all so dependant on the Internet now.
A conversation with my kids went something like this.
Son: Mom, how many U.S. presidents were assassinated?
Me: Three or four, I think. Lets look it up. Oh wait we can't......

So the repairman was supposed to come on Wednesday anytime between 12 noon and 6pm.
Quite a window.
He showed up at 5:45pm
So the Internet is back up and running despite the mobbing it took in the first 5 minutes.
There was facebook and email accounts to be checked after all. (I checked email the teens checked facebook.)

We're happy.

So the oldest of our children received a new camera for Christmas. She's turning into quite the photographer of nature.

She told me the other day, "I can't wait for the weather to get nice enough to go hiking."
Me, "I thought you didn't like to hike."
She replied, "That was before I got my camera, Now I want to take pictures of things."
Good to know. If we had known we may have gotten her one a long time ago.

So here's a picture she took from our back yard. The first is straight out of camera and the second is after some Picniking. Both are beautiful I think.

 Have you heard of Picnik?  It's an online photo editing site that's completely free! I love it and use it quite regularly.
Just thought I'd share in case you wanted to try it too.

Have a great Internet-full day! I'm sure we will!

I'm spoiled

The kids started back to school today and Sweet Cheeks and I are left behind to clean up after the 2 week party.

But that's okay because

I've been spoiled

So I don't mind cleaning up.

Everyone was so good to me this Christmas.

I can't help but feel a little guilty.

It seems that those who love me want my tasks to be a little easier.

I can't help but feel loved.

And grateful.

I received an Ott-Lite.

I am so excited about this one!

Oh the sewing I will do, the eye strain I will avoid, the better lit pictures I will take.

Yep, I'm excited!

Finally,

I  thought you might like to see the fingernails I've been sporting the past few days.

My niece, daughter and I painted our nails the other night.

I tried to use some silver crackle nail polish over "Buffy the Violet Slayer" polish.

The crackle worked but didn't stay silver exactly more just sparkly.

So, for someone who hasn't painted her nails in, oh, 8 years it's a big change.

Very dark nails seem to be a distraction for me.

I can't stop staring at them.

Plus the name of the color, Buffy the Violet Slayer, makes me laugh.

I'll probably say farewell to the violet nails today but I had to share before I did.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and the transition back to real life isn't too traumatic!

Happy Monday Tuesday!

Wishing you a very happy new year!

We rang in the New Year together.

At exactly 12 AM Mountain Standard Time.

That's a first for our family. ( Everyone is old enough to handle it now!)

When our oldest kids were little we were known to celebrate at 9pm pacific time (where we lived at the time).......it was midnight on the east coast.......right?

Regardless of the time we've celebrated there's been one thing that stays the same.

We dance!

Chicken dance to be specific!

This year was no different.

Then we turned on other fun tunes that we all love and really let loose.

There was; 

country swing

Two step

Waltz

Moon walk

Charleston

Break dancing

Robot

Rodger Rabbit

Running Man

Hammer Time

Foxtrot

YMCA

Russian folk dancing

Disco

You name it we probably danced it.

It's a tradition we (I) love.

I hope this year will be a happy one for each and every one of you.

I hope you find yourself challenged in a new way and rise to the occasion.

And when it's all said and done you I hope you will be happy with the person you've become and the new things you've learned and accomplished.

I hope you find peace.

I hope you have love.

I hope you smile every single day.

I hope you find joy in your story.

Here's to new beginnings and the promises of greatness in a new year!