Hoo Are You Tuesday....

 So, once again, I am playing the Hoo are you Tuesday at Night Owl Crafting.....go here to play too!

1. Do you have any siblings? 

Yes...an older brother and an older sister....I am the baby!

 (the 3 of us with our cousin)

                               2. Do you have any children?

I have 3 beautiful kids....a daughter who is 8, son who is 6 and son who is 4

3. Are you a morning or night person?

My kids have sort of forced me to be a morning person, they all get up at the crack of dawn.....I find it hard to stay up past 11 pm now!!!

 

                       4.Are you organized or spontaneous? 

It depends...on vacation, I prefer to be spontaneous or it makes it too stressful to me.  Actually, I think I am more spontaneous with everything.  I am very much a "go with the flow" kind of person!

 my husband would laugh if I said I was organized!

 (This was my attempt at organizing my fabric)

 

5. What is your typical 4th of July like? Laid back at home? Community celebrations? etc...?

We usually just hang out around the neighborhood.  There is a big fireworks display not far from here, so we can see it from here.  Last year we went to a neighbors house and watched from their backyard.  Probably more of the same this year!

 

Inspired crafts

So earlier this month, I saw an adorable post by Handy Pants about turning bandanas/scarfs into tanks and skirts.  It was such a cute idea I just had to give it a whirl.  I bought a few, since I was pretty sure I wanted it to have straps, and just went to town.

Being the indecisive person that I am.....I didn't actually sew the straps into place, because I wanted opinions on which way people like it best. (sorry for the poor pics, I am a stinky photographer!!)

So...here is strapless tubey-top style

here is tubeytop style with a tie underneath breasty area to give a little "something"

here is with tie underneath, straps added and switched to tie in front

which do you like better???

Also....this Wednesday I am going to see Eclipse with some girlfriends, and I am a total nerd, but made my friend and I matching necklaces.  These will be much like the other washer necklaces, but I bought some red glass beads to add to the top.  I am a dork, but hey.....I am a happy crafting one! :)

Hoo are you?

I am participating in the link party at Night Owl Crafting for Hoo Are You Tuesday.  Go ahead and check it out and participate as well!







Hoo are you Tuesdays?
So, here are my answers.....

1. What are some of your pet peeves?
     I dislike suck ups!  I can't stand when people fall for it, and let their judgment falter because of flattery.  I think hard work and good character should always prevail!
2. Do you have a favorite or lucky number?
     8.....not sure why....just love that number! :)
3. What is one of your family traditions?
     well, I'm not sure if it is considered a family tradition, but we have started baking cookies for Christmas with the kids and their cousins each year, as well as egg dying before Easter.
4. Is there anything you are OC about?
     Sandwiches.  My husband makes fun of me for it.  Well...food in general.  I can't stand having fillings uneven.  When we eat at Arby's I have to redistribute the meat evenly and then put equal amounts of Horsy sauce and arby sauce on both buns.....my husband thinks I am crazy! LOL
5. What is your favorite kind of food? 
     Sushi!!  I could eat sushi all day everyday!  LOVE it.

Button bracelets

So, I have made button bracelets for the last year or so.  I have a TON of unmatched buttons, and wasn't really sure how to use them up, so I started making bracelets with buttons.  My first one, I tied knots at the ends after attaching toggles, but they were a bit bulky and unfinished looking.

After seeing numerous tutorials on washer necklaces and some notions you could use with twine, rope, etc....I decided to use them on the bracelets as well.

So....here is a show of bracelets through the years, ending with the one I made today just in time for Fourth of July!

So....here's the first attempt....I still wear it, since it goes with a TON of my wardrobe.  (I love earth tones)

Here is another one made using the clasps for cording:

and here is the one I made today (for the 4th):

I used the same notions I used on the pink one, but instead of using a lobster clasp attached to them, I simply left them as is, and used them as an instrument to keep the cord secure at one end, and to create a loop at the other.  I thought it turned out super cute!  I can't wait to wear it for the Fourth!!!!

I showed this off here:

Recycling my dad's old desk

I thought it fitting for Father's Day to be the beginning of my transformation of my dad's old roll top desk.  It has been with him since he was a kid, and he is now in his early 70's.  When my brother, sister and I were growing up, it was always around....it became a place for my brother to paint his model planes/cars etc that he built.  It remained at my parents house and my sisters kids and my kids used it as a place to color, draw, etc.

Sooo....it has served at least 3 generations.  My dad asked me if I would like it for our son Zach's room, and I jumped at the chance to help it carry on in the family.  Well.....as any mom with a 3 year old knows, he is not kind to his furniture.  With in a month of having it here, he broke it.  The canvas type material that held the roll top pieces together had disintegrated.  So, I guess it wasn't really his fault...just bad timing! LOL.  So, I decided to take it apart and sand it and refinish it and give it a new stain.

After having it sanded down mostly, my sander broke, so it has been sitting in the corner of my room for months.

TODAY....I decided it will be MY desk, a place to write, read, whatever.....but it will be my space.

Here it is sanded down:

I am thinking a nice distressed white would be nice, no?  Kind of shabby chic?  I'll post pics when it is done!

Memories....

Okay...feeling a little nostalgic tonight. 

This past week I spent with family in western PA to say goodbye to my grandma.  She was 102 when she passed away in April.  We had the memorial service this past weekend, and the whole family gathered together to say goodbye to an amazing woman.

She was tiny, but mighty.  She spent most of her life on a farm, working hard and doing what she had to.  She raised 2 wonderful daughters, who in turn raised 5 great kids.....all who carried on a part of her.  She was funny, shy, loving, tough, strong, dependable, just an overall great person.  Though life gave her ample reason to complain, she didn't.  She just kept living life, looking for the best in everything and everyone.  She still enjoyed the simple pleasures in life.  She was smart, compassionate, and kind.

My kids didn't have the pleasure of ever really knowing her.  Time and distance kept them from really spending any quality time with her.  I didn't get to spend the amount of time I would have liked to in the past decade or so due to the same reasons.  One thing that really struck me during the memorial service was the amount of great things people said about her.  I learned things about her that I didn't know before, and I saw in her a little bit of myself.

I guess it made me long to be more like her.  Sure I have plenty of people that I am friends with.  I would not say I lack in that department, and I have some amazing people in my life......it just made me long for something.  It made me long for a simple life.....one where I was happy with what I had,  and stopped longing for things that don't matter!!  Want what you have, and all of that.  She seemed to take whatever life threw at her and just rolled with it.

She was always busy until her health kept her from doing the things she wanted to do.  Yet when you asked her how she was, she just said..."Ohhhh, Not baaad!"  Never complaining, even though she was obviously in pain, or uncomfortable.  When age took from her the ability to read on her own, she didn't complain, she just found other ways to enjoy the joy of fiction.  When she was no longer able to get around easily, she didn't complain....she just took each day as it came, and remained positive and fun loving.

I have seen some of her traits in my kids.  I want to nourish them, and encourage them.  We named our middle son after her, and this past week we found that he shares more than just her name.  He has the same gentle spirit that she had, and he is a blessing every day.

I miss my grandma, and her spirit, but I find myself joyful in what she left behind.  She has 5 grand children and 5 great grandchildren that each carry a part of her within them.  I see it a little more each day, and I know that she lives on through them.  I took a part of the service to heart when the preacher said we should all be thankful for a part of her.  I am thankful for her love and laughter that still touch me.  Every memory of her gives me a moment of joy....sometimes even a chuckle.  If I can only be a fraction of the person she was, and carry on her gentle nature, then I will be truly blessed in this life.

I love you Grandma Tait, and I miss you.  I am so grateful for the time we were able to spend with you, and I know you are in a better place, where you are in no more pain, and you are reunited with Grandpa...dancing and laughing without the constraints of these mortal bodies.  I know I will see you again some day....where there will be no more tears or pain....just love and laughter.....just like you tried to live here.  God blessed us all for knowing you!

I love you!

Crochet Sackboy Pattern Giveaway!!!!!!

Many moons ago, I made a sackboy (from Little Big Planet) for our good friends son.  A couple of people asked my friends son where they could get their own Sackboy like I had made for him.  I thought it turned out super cute, and saw a lot of patters selling on Etsy, so I typed it up, and listed it on there.  It has been my best selling item and the pattern is something I have been the most proud of. ( You can purchase him for yourself HERE )

Since he seems to still have some popularity, I am going to do a giveaway.

Get the pattern to make this adorable little guy for FREE.

All you need is a basic crochet ability since he is made almost entirely in single crochet in the round. 

The drawing will be held on June 20th at 6:00 pm AZ time.

HOW TO ENTER:
1. Be a follower (this is one of those times where it is GOOD to be a follower! ) and leave a comment that you are now or already are)!  (please leave an email or your blog address so I can notify you if you win)

2. For additional entries, post a link on your blog to let others know about the giveaway, and leave a comment with the link. 

3.  Link the giveaway to your facebook or twitter and leave a link here for additional enteries as well.

I will announce the winner on Sunday night.  Good Luck!!

Flirty owls

So, I was playing around with scraps I had.  Not really enough to do much with, but I did have enough to make some small owls.....so I did! LOL

I decided to give them some eyelashes.....just to see how it looked.  I think it is cute, but I am not happy with the purple ones wings.....too stubby and boxy!

and a little green one....I think I like the smaller eyelashes on her

I am in the process of messing around with the shapes to see what I like best, but in the meantime I am using up scraps to make some cuties!

Oh....and I have a better picture of the present for my Mother in law.  I think it turned out cute, and am in the process of making something for my best friend for the premier of Eclipse using the washer necklace idea as well......I'll post it after it is done :)

MIL present:

and a better picture of the washer necklaces complete with their cords/beads:

Care for a drink?

Here I am, 8am, sitting in my office.  I was blog browsing, and see my son staring intently out the front window.  I take a gander and what do I see? I little family of birds using our drip system as a water fountain!  Sooo cute!

Take a peek for yourself:

How cute are they????  The last one was looking at me, thinking, "Uh...lady!  Do you mind?"  LOL  What a treat this morning! :)

Craft craziness???

Am I the only one out there who dreams of crafting, or crafting boo boos, of crafting ideas???

So....I spent my entire morning cleaning my disgustingly dirty carpet (I blame my 3 kids and 2 dogs LOL).  I started at 8am, and it took me until noon to finish.  I vacuumed first, and had to empty the canister 5 times (ICK....no more eating in the living room!!)  Then I had to go over the carpet with the cleaner 3 times before the water looked somewhat clean.

After all that, I felt disgusting and had to hop in the shower.  Well....I think I may have a crafting problem, cause as I am lathering my hair, I had an "ahh ha" moment on a better way to make my owls.  I better be careful or my husband may have me committed! 

Anyway....off to try this new fangeled way and see if it works!  Happy crafting! ;)

Washer Necklaces

So, after throwing away my bubbled botched attempt, I decided to try again.  I was having numerous problems getting the Paper glaze to not have bubbles.  I was squeezing it directly onto the washer, and someone suggested I use a paintbrush.  Well.....that was no good for me either.  I ended up wiping it off because it had evenmore bubbles than just sqeezing it did.

Well, I realized I hadn't cut the tip of the paper glaze enough, so trying to apply it through such a small hole was making teeny tiny air bubbles that I couldn't get rid of.  Solution?  CUT THE TIP!

Now, it seems to be working much better, but I am still annoyed at how long it takes to set.  I got my sample in the mail of Diamond Glaze, and that stuff set in about 1/4 of the time as the paper glaze....super speedy.  If only someplace in Tucson sold it!

My mother in laws birthday is today, and I decided to give THIS a try for her present.  Remember the pretty drapery material I got for 88 cents?  Well, I used that to make:

I had a small scrap from trimming around the pot, and thought....."Hmmm...could I make a washer necklace with fabric too?"  So I gave it a shot.  This is what it looks like (without the cord):

And here are the other washers I made that didn't have the bubble blasphemy!

Look at how happy they are to be bubble free??? :)

Blanket woes!!!!

The nemesis has beat me!  I reached a moment the other day when I wanted to breakdown and cry.....or vomit!

This blanket is a favor to a friend of a friend, who's mom passed away before finishing it.  It means a lot to her to have it completed, but she doesn't crochet.  She even said she will pay me $100 when it is completed.  I thought if I worked really hard, I could finish it before going on my trip to PA for my grandma's memorial service (she passed away last month).  Well, I haven't laid it out flat since I started working on it.  I do it mostly folded over on my lap as I go row by row.


Each row takes about 1/2 hr to do, since it is back loop single crochet, and it takes a while given the size.  I had just about doubled the blanket, because there wasn't really much done on it when I got it (it was about 1/4 complete).  I laid it out to see if the random pattern was random enough and what do I see?????

RIPPLES!!!!

~*~pausing for sobbing~*~

I am wondering if the only solution is to frog it and start over.  For size reference, my bed is a king, and it goes from edge to edge!!  When it was given to me, it was in the middle of the gray row towards the middle of  it.

Want a cute pattern for FREE????

Go to Bobbypins Boardwalk to check out the cool contest she is having!!!!  You can find the direct link here: GIVE-AWAY!!!!

Bobbypins Boardwalk also has a TON of cute ideas, so if you get a chance, go check her out!!

:)