molleemac

Squares squares and more squares!

2012-01-27T22:13:00.000-08:00

OK, so I'm rolling on the first afghan. I have completed the 212...YES THAT'S RIGHT 212 squares!! Aren't they gorgeous?

There are 136 small ones, 44 medium, and 32 large squares. And apparently each color combo/square has a number assigned to it. This will become important in the next step.

But I have no idea how to keep these all straight. Collecting all the correct squares for the first rectangle was very time consuming. I need to think of a way to organize these in zip lock bags or something. Right now they are all just thrown together in one big plastic bag.

Next step is to start sewing them together into rectangles. Now we are at a cross-roads...do I follow the pattern of how to combine the squares to make the rectangles or do I just mix them up? Since Rule #1 is "Follow the pattern", I think I'll follow the pattern for now.

I have to make 4 rectangles of each of 5 patterns. I have a feeling this may be more difficult than actually making all those squares. And I've only allocated 1and a half months for each afghan. Its the last weekend in January so I only have 2 weeks left to finish the first one. Game on!

Oh and I forgot to tell you about the great inspiration I received in the mail. I received a catalogue for afghan kits from Herrschners! The kits include everything: pattern, yarn, needle, label and plastic bag!! There is even a label I can put on when I'm done :) I ordered 4 kits and they all came in the mail this week!
Yeah! Patterns and enough yarn to actually complete each pattern!

Right now they are sitting here just tempting me to start another project.....but Rule #2 for this project is "Finish one afghan before I start another." This may be harder than Rule #1.

New Year, New Projects

2012-01-03T20:36:00.000-08:00

During the holidays this year, I stumbled upon a gorgeous afghan and thought how nice and warm they are and how much everyone loves a good afghan to snuggle up in. So this year for Christmas, my goal is to make each family an afghan. The way I count it, that's at least 8 and 10 if we and the grandparents get one. In my surge of crafting that always hits right after Christmas, I started right in using any yarn I could find. This is afghan will be known as the "Eco-afghna", since it is made from "recycled" (read as Goodwill) yarn.

And why start only one afghan at a time? I quickly caught on to using somewhat appealing colors and a cute stitch pattern, and came up w/ afghan #2, "Baby Blues":

Then as luck would have it, the Lions Brand Yarn catalogue came in the mail! What timing! It is full of delicious looking afghans! So I quickly ran to JoAnns and grabbed up more yarn then I have ever bought at one time. To make this beauty !!

Now to make my afghan look as nice as this one, I'm guessing I'm going to need to actually follow the directions....at least to some extent...kinda. That will be the biggest challenge. I will keep you posted!


My most gorgeously delicious yarn stash!

Welcome New Year!!

2011-01-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

So here we are...2011!! New year, new dreams, new expectations. Not sure why, but a new year always makes me feel like I get a re-do, a chance to start over, a time to think about all the things you'd like to accomplish this year. Hence...I love new year's resolutions! They are like rubbing a bottle and having the genie pop out and give me 3 wishes. With new year resolutions, you can wish for ANYTHING! And the best part, is since you are in control, you can make them come true! You are totally in control of your dreams. They don't have to be drudgery like "eat healthier", "exercise more"..BORING. And that's why most people don't finish them. But if you plan something fun and exciting, not only will you do it, you'll look forward to it.

This year, I have 3 resolutions:

1. Improve my drinking: I want to learn how to make fancy cocktail drinks, and then stock my house w/ the supplies so I can make them whenever I want one. Or when girl friends or sisters stop by. Currently I only drink a glass of wine or old champagne about 3 times a year. Not enough!! But I don't want to merely increase my alcohol intake, I want to IMPROVE it. I want to be able to say, "I think I'll go home and have a nice martini before dinner." And when I get visitors, I want to be able to offer them more than a cup of coffee or water.
2. Celebrate my job: This is a harder one. I have always felt that I am missing out on something better and that I have failed myself by settling for a lowly corporate job. But since its going on 20 years of working for one company or the other, I think its about time to accept the fact. I apparently am not going to have my own business anytime soon, nor does it look like I'm going to win the lottery, so the next option is to accept my fate and better yet, embrace it. Here are the things I'm going to be proud and excited about my job: 1. I have a good paying job. 2. My company is very stable and growing 3. I get 4 weeks vacation. 4. I'm good at my job and like doing it. 5. My job is very flexible and I'm pretty much my own boss. and above all else, the company I work for actually refers to itself as the "World's Greatest Bank" so I can actually say "I work for the world's greatest bank". How awesome is that?

3. Have at least 12 dinner parties: You know, we don't have people over for dinner nearly enough! We always say, "We should have you over for dinner." But we never actually invite them. I am going to make it a point to invite someone over for a nice dinner at least once a month. I'll find a nice recipe, make a fancy desert, pour drinks (see resolution #1) and have one family or another over for a sit down dinner and talking and even maybe a game or two.

We also have 2 family resolutions:

1. Go out of the house for a family activity each Sunday. We take turns picking the activity. Last week was hubby's turn and he chose racket ball at the school down the road. We weren't all excited about it, but did it and ended up having a great time together.

2. Wednesday night 8-9pm game night. Again we will take turns choosing the game. This week we moved it to Monday night and played Kinnect (Christmas present) online w/ the girl's boyfriend's family. What a blast!

Fun w/ blogger

2010-12-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

As you can see I am tying out some new looks. Bear w/ me over the next couple weeks while I decide which fits me best. I want to make sure its a simple enough design so my mom can view it easily on her old computer, but at the same time make it....uniquely me :) Votes and suggestions highly encouraged!!

Urban Craft Uprising....I wanna go!

2010-12-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

Hey for all of you up in the Seattle area, are you going to the amazing Urban Craft Uprising? I wish I could go but we will be out of town on Saturday and then I have "critical" missions on Sunday. Drat DRAT drat!! Double Drat! If anyone is going, please take me in spirit and share what you find :)

Bazaar fever!!!

2010-11-30T13:09:00.000-08:00

Ugh!! Only 3 more days to go and I need more hats! I need more time to make more hats!!

Crazy me spent the whole Thanksgiving 4 day weekend working on ONE, count that as ONE, new pattern. Ever have those days-weeks-months you get an idea stuck in your head? That's what I was like all weekend. Good thing I learned long ago that ripping out a mistake is my friend :) I must have ripped it out at least 15 times. Finally finished the hat Sunday night, only to have both the teen and the boy give it a thumbs down. :( So last night spent again redesigning it! UUUGGHH! I need to stop messing w/ it and finish making hats for the bazaar. (Picture of the agonizing design to follow soon.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

Bazaar Bazaar

2010-11-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

I will only be doing one bazaar this season, the Pleasant Valley Elf Festival on Dec. 4 at Pleasant Valley Primary/Middle school. So I have been crocheting like mad! The boy is my co-sponsor. He wears my hats to school and "advertises". The deal is he gets 50% of any sale if the kids mention his name :) If he sits at the bazaar with me all day, I'll also give him 50% of sales. As you can see, I'm not really into this to make money. I'm also working hard on Christmas gifts as they ALL are going to be handmade this year.

The hat's a work in progress, I have an idea of this type of hat, but not quite happy with the end product yet.


Yeah! I felted another purse! I'm using this as my purse now, it's so darn cute!

New items in the shop

2010-11-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

Hey! I've been working on some things and finally got around to placing them in my etsy shop.

Click on over and check them out!

Pumpkin time!

2010-10-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year! Time to go get pumpkins!

We took the girls w/ us and went to our annual favorite pumpkin patch, Pomeroy Farm in Yacolt, WA. We visited the stinky pigs, the old barn, the silly chickens, and best of all, Pumpkin Lane!

They had so much fun running around the pumpkin patch looking for just the right pumpkin.

They have lots of fun things throughout the property. Magic shows, music, food, hay rides, and lots of great photo ops.

What the kids remember and look forward to the most is Pumpkin Lane. They decorate various "pumpkin people" throughout the property and through the back woods. The kids love looking for their old favorites and can't wait to see what they will have new each year.

They even have a small hay maze that we have to go through...many...many...many times.

All in all, a good day!

Halloween crafts

2010-09-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

Another season, another reason to craft! Rather than dig out the same ole', same ole' Halloween decorations, I thought I'd try some new craft ideas. These come from my favorite inspiration blog: One Pretty Thing. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is the best blog for craft ideas! If I don't have time to go through my daily list of blogs, I at least go to One Pretty Thing. I've been so inspired by all the lovely bloggers this site features.

First craft: Halloween plates.

This is from TheAnswerIsChocolate . I opted not to add the metal flakes as her tutorial showed, (only 'cause I did not have the supplies) but instead covered the whole plate w/ paper.

Supplies:

Clear glass plates (local Goodwill $2)
Mod Podge
Sponge paint brush
Scrap book paper and/or Halloween napkins (I used both)
Sharp Knife

Napkins from Target, $1.50. And you only use a couple so you still have plenty left to use for your Halloween party.

Step 1: Measure the bottom of the plate and cut out a circle to match from either the napkins or scrapbook paper. I wanted the skull on the bottom, so I cut my circle with the skull in the middle of the circle.

Step 2: Paint just the bottom of the plate with Mod Podge.

Step 3: Press your cutout circle onto the Mod Podge on the plate with your fingers. The object is to press out all the bubbles. Then paint over the paper with more Mod Podge.

Step 4: Cut strips of paper a little wider then the width of the sides of the plate. Paint one side of the plate with Mod Podge. Apply a strip of paper to the Mod Podged plate as you did with the circle. Press the paper down with your fingers, then cover the paper w/ a layer of Mod Podge. Continue until all sides of the plate are covered.

Hint: If you are using stiff paper like scrap book paper, wet the strips of paper first to make it more pliable. You want to make sure there are no bubbles and that all the glass is covered. If need be, cut smaller pieces of paper to cover the gaps.

Step 5: Once all paper is applied,cover the entire surface with another layer of Mod Podge.

Step 6: Let plates dry overnight. Or until completely dry.

Step 7: Once dry, use a sharp knife to cut off the excess paper around the edges.

Step 8: Ta da! You now have beautiful Halloween plates! Obviously these cannot go in the dishwasher, but you can use a damp cloth to wash off the top after use.

For the large plate, I cut out the skull from the napkin, then used scrap book paper to cover the rest of the plate. I like the effect it had of the skull looking "ghostly". On the smaller plates, you can see where I had some of the strips overlap the skull and since the napkin was pretty thin, it showed through. Next time, I would probably not overlap black on white. But I still think it looks pretty cool!

Second Craft: Spooky Bottles

This is pretty simple. I bought these "spooky" labels from the Dollar Store a couple years ago. But you can also print off your own from this site: http://www.fantasyjr.com/printable-halloween-labels/ or from Just Something I Made or from The Graphic Fairy. I use these sites for lots of fun free printables.

Step 1: Get some cool looking empty bottles. (I keep used bottles just for this occasion.)

Step 2: Remove the labels by soaking under warm water and scrubbing w/ soap.

Step 3: Apply labels w/ double sided sticky tape or Mod Podge or glue. Your choice!

Step 4: Fill with colored water and oil.

Step 5: Set out amongst your Halloween welcome center-piece.
NOTE: The Boy felt that the Rat Poison needed something "extra" so he filled the bottle w/ rice. Nice touch!

Third Craft: Halloween Pictures

This idea came from The Graphic Fairy . Talk about simple! I did this craft while waiting for my kids to finish getting dressed Saturday morning.

Step 1: Print out picture of your choice onto card stock.
Step 2: Frame!

Hope you enjoy! Happy Halloween.

Yummy!

2010-09-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Chocolate cake, blackberry pie, banana cream pie

Blackberry cobbler was a hit!

Recent Crochet Projects

2010-09-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

Even w/ all the kid and summer activities, I've been able to sneak in a couple projects.

I found the pattern for these cute little flowers over at Easy. She has lots of wonderful crochet ideas. I took her flowers and added beads to the centers then attached them to bracellets and rings. They would also make nice headbands.

The flower pattern came from Sew Ritzy-Titzy. I just added a crochet leaf, although her fabric leaf I've logged away for another project.

Then my bags, oh my beautiful, fun bags. I got the idea for these bags from one Future Girl's blog. This link is to her free download page where you can download the pattern for her Starling handbag. As you can see I took some liberties and added longer handles and embellishments. I really need to go through her tutuorial on linings as mine didn't come out quite right....they were a bit off but the hand sewing covers it up...I hope.

This cross pattern comes from a silly little crochet magazine I receive in the mail. I don't know why or how I started receiving this, but I do, and occassionally it has cute patterns that I can follow.

Kids kids kids

2010-08-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

When I started this bog I had grand ambitions that it would be filled w/ all my wonderful crafts and crochet projects. And some posts about the kiddies. Silly me! I thought I could somehow change my life priorities. Instead, this blog has turned out to mirror my life rather than my personal dreams. Its all about the kids :)

Not that that is a bad thing....just a fact of reality. So once again, here is a post about the kids.

All 3 grand-daughters have their birthdays at the end of August. So to save some money, time, and make their birthday memories last longer than any toy might, we decided to take them all to Enchanted Forest, the Disneyland of the Northwest. It was also a great end of summer activity for the Boy and Teen and her Boyfriend.

We packed a picnic lunch complete w/ birthday cupcakes. The girls had so much fun running through the fairy tales houses, visiting the castles, and going down all the different slides. They could not get enough of the Old Lady in the shoe slide. We stayed there so long, they started folding the rugs and handing them out to other kids.

Taking a short break in between fairy tales

At the mouth of the Witch tunnel/slide


Panning for gold in the western town

Alice, Pappy, and china

The big kids even had fun. Of course they had to go on the log ride several times, as it takes a bit more than a slide to get their adrenaline running. But at the end of the day (we closed the park!), all were exhausted big and little.

After hours of running up and down hills and lifting a 3 year old up and down ("Molly, up, up!") I think I've had a good enough work out for the next month. Today is definitely a day of rest and recuperation.

Kids entering high school...

2010-08-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

1. Have no concept of computers w/out internet access

2. Get their music via downloads and sharing not the music store.

3. Watch TV on their schedule not the network schedule.

4. Use gift cards as a common form of currency.

5. Will openly talk about homosexuality, pedophiles, HIV, and narcotics...probably since 10.

6. Equate having a debit card to having a bank account.

7. Will never write a check or balance a checkbook in their lifetime.

8. Have at least one game system and most have more than one.

9. Consider off-line or single person gaming out-dated.

10. Have made at least one video recording and probably posted it on the Internet.

11. Have never used and nor probably seen a phone booth.

12. Consider security guards and metal detectors common place in schools.

13.     Know the proper procedures for a terrorist attack at school
14.     Have never used a phone book
15.     Have at least one "log on" ID and password
16.     Expect all public buildings to be smoke-free
17.     Believe smoking kills and should be out-lawed
18.     Have lived through 3 wars.
19.     Know more families that are divorced than not
20.     Expect Internet access to be available everywhere via wireless.

What else can you guys think of?
Here's what Beloit College came up with for the class of 2014.

Happy 3rd Birthday!

2010-08-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the 3rd granddaughter's 3rd birthday. All 3 came over and spent the weekend. We had so much fun! Catching frogs in the planters, jumping on the trampoline with the sprinkler, Popsicles, and cupcakes :)

Then Spongebob and they all crashed before the movie even got going.

I wish we could keep them all the time...but then again I think sleep-overs are probably just as good.

Summer = Fair, so when the fair is over does that mean summer is over?

2010-08-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

This year the Teen and I submitted some of our handmade awesomeness to the Fair. My photos are kinda blurry as I only had the camera phone w/ me when we went to the fair.

Lol, we got Red Ribbons straight across the board. Don't know if they equate to any premiums (cash) yet, but it was fun seeing them hanging up at the fair and having friends and family go see them.

The judges actually commented on each item so we have an idea of what to do to get a Blue ribbon next year....we'll see. As the Teen says, "I don't believe in re-dos. Once is good enough."

I love that the Teen submitted this dress she made from her dad's old shirt. It looks absolutely cute on her! Her sewing style is...unique to say the least. More of - eye it and hand sew here and there, then any great seamstress skills.

This photo is of my friend's felted hat that won the Judge's Prize. She just started felting this year! She learned so she could teach her GS Troop, and now she's an artist. She also submitted a beautiful scarf out of silk, but that photo really looked too bad to post.

Too bad the photo is fuzzy, because the hat is gorgeous!

The Teen's BFF is an amateur photographer. Here is the photo she submitted:

...and now the fair is done and gone. Time to start thinking about school shopping. Ugh.

Palm Springs baybay!

2010-07-22T00:26:00.000-07:00

I love our annual trek to Palm Springs. People think we're crazy for going in the summer, but after all this rain and cold, we can't get enough heat! Average temps were 112, even when the weather was overcast. We spent at least 3-4 hours every day in the pool.

We also went to the Indio street fair (at night of course) which is one of our favorites.

Indio street fair - table of ladies undergarments for $1

Then on our last day, our traditional lunch at the Cheesecake factory.

Someone ordered too much cheesecake.

We had another wonderful relaxing vacation :)

20 and counting...

2010-06-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

Putting it to good use

2010-06-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Here is hubby's afghan in action. Told you he loved it!

And second best...cuddling with the grandbabies!

Another one down

2010-06-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

Here is the jacket I made w/ that beautiful fabric from the Sewing Fair.

I made this pattern from a jacket I bought a year or so ago. When I saw this fabric, I knew it would be perfect!

I even lined up the back pictures...pretty well!

And I added cute little ties to the sides.

I love this jacket! Might wear it every day this week :)

Where have I been and what have I been doing

2010-06-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

OMG, can't believe it's been so long since I last posted. I've got to come up with a better game plan to stay on top of things. I have been very busy crochetting away. I love to crochet :) It calms me and provides the creative outlet I seem to need....every day!

Here's what I've completed while away:
First up, my very first QUILT! I am so excited! I used the applique I purchased at the Sewing Expo from Hawaiin Applique. I can't believe I actually made a quilt with a backing and hand sewn border. This will be a Christmas wall hanging that I seriously thinking of giving to my sister-in-law as a present. She is my quilt sewing buddy in that she inspires me :)

Next up, a baby blanket (afghan) and matching hat. This is to replace the hat I made for my nephew's new baby, but was way too small. I had a small problem with counting....I didn't... so its not exectly square, but I'm hoping the baby won't notice. The pattern is my own, one row of double crochet, a row of single crochet, a row of bubbles, a row of single crochet, repeat until reaches desired length. I love how the back side came out smooth and consistant :)

And third, a large afghan for my hubby! Yeah, I'm pretty proud 'cause afghans take like forever to make and that's usually way past my attention span, so for me to actually FINISH a project that I started months ago, was pretty awesome :) And hubby loves it! He is so happy I made him an afghan. Apparently it's the first and only one he has that he can call his own. Kids...not so happy, they were looking forward to it as well. So on to more afghans!

Parades!

2010-06-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

Time for a parade. We've been to the Hazel Dell Parade of bands and our favorite, the Jr Rose Parade to cheer on our favorite school band, Pleasant Valley Middle school. They rock!

And of course the drum line..check out that bell player!

Ain't it pretty!

2010-04-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

I wish I could take better pics. I think taking them outside helps, but its usually nighttime by the time I get around to taking pictures. Oh well. Here is the finished apron from the Sewing Expo. I LOVE this green print fabric and wish I could think of other projects for it. I added the flower at the last minute, think its just the right touch. Now I'm not convinced that this is the best style for a "full sized real women" (note there are no pics of me wearing it) but the teen seemed to think it looked nice on me. I might try it in the summer over a tank top...we'll see. In the meantime, it will be a nice accessory in my kitchen :)

Fun with Etsy!

2010-04-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Whew! Finally found some time to 1) take pics of my creations, 2) write up a descrip. of my creations, and 3) POST them on Etsy! So go check out some of my new patches HERE.

First Afghan!

2010-04-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

Yeah! It's done! Isn't it gorgeous? I love how the colors actually seemed to go together in the end. It's small but I think the right size for a new baby. I ended up making the ruffle more simple than I had originally planned, but I think it's just right for this blanket, too fancy would have seemed odd.

The only thing I'm not happy with is the way the seams in the back seem to stand out. I'm going to wash and iron it to see if they can settle down a bit. I only picked up the inner loop on each stitch so not sure how else you would have combined the blocks w/out a seam.

Now to wait for the baby to arrive!

Mom's day celebration!

2010-04-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Two lovely ladies have taken it upon themselves to help all of us celebrate Mom's day (May 9). Ms Disney from Ruffles and Stuff and Ms Dana from MADE. I love both these ladies (though they don't know it!) and all teh wonderfulness they share through their blogs. So please click on the button on the right and find yourself something to do for/give to your mom. SHE DESERVES IT!

WIP

2010-04-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Oh how I wish I had as much time to blog as I did when I started! You have no idea how many posts are in my head that I've been dying to share! Until then here's a bit of the Work In Progress that I've squeezed into my rare free moments late at night.

"The First Afghan":
I don't know what has come over me but suddenly I'm all "homey" and want to make heirloom projects that my kids will take with them to college and their homes. So in the spirit of, "everyone should have an afghan made by their mom", here is my FIRST afghan...attempt. Ok, truth is, I saw this awesome yarn at JoAnne's. Loved the colors, loved the texture, loved that it came in this humungous skein. So I bought one and started crochetting. As with most of my projects, there was no end goal in mind when I started. As I kept going I realized that whatever it was turning out to be, it needed to be bigger. So bought more yarn, and here it is so far. Confession - I'm not real good at patterns that repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat...so time will tell if this actually gets finished.

In the spirit of afghans and babies, I have also decided to make a baby afghan for a friend (shhh!) whose prego.It apparently will be made w/ granny squares of different colors. Do my granny squares look odd to you? I thought that was how you made a granny square, but these look odd to me. Oh well, I've got about 12 done of the 30 I estimate I'll need. No idea how to connect them, but I've been crusing the blog-way and all my fav hookers to see how they've done this. I am very excited to see what this will end up being! Luckily baby's not due for a couple more months.

And lastly, I saw this great pattern for a small crochetted pin cushion that apparently I decided needed to be something else, so in the end I made these awesome....things :) I picture them either added to a quilt as an embellishment, or sewn on a jacket as a button loop. They are so fun to make and turned out so awesome I kept making them for several days...and may keep making them. I think I'll add them to my etsy store...the picture does not do these guys justice. I've have to take better photos when the weather clears up. They are so cute!!

Enjoy! and Happy hooking!

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our week of spring break. Once again, we tried for sun and fun and ended up with cold and SNOW! We went to Sunriver Oregon by way of Kah-nee-ta resort.
The weather was crazy! We had snow, sleet, hail, sun, wind, rain, you name it!

The kids always only want to swim, swim, and swim. So, we swam. In the rain, in the wind, in the cold, and even in the snow! The teen refused to accept that we were going to the mountains, so she packed flip flops, shorts and tanks, oh and her beautiful new sun glasses. Don't they look like they're having fun!

We went to the High Desert Museum, spent a day in Bend , found a great indie book shop Between The Covers, and a bead shop AZillion Beads!

We woke up this morning to about a foot of snow and it falling fast. A crazy end to a week of freaky weather.

Sewing Expo 2010...already a wonderful memory

2010-03-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been several weeks now since the Sewing and Stichery Expo and I haven't even blogeed about it yet! Uuggh! How time flies.

So, of course we had a FABULOUS time. This year it was mom, older sister, and me. We stayed at a lovely motel down the way that had a nice continental breakfast. It was very reasonably priced and our second year there. I think mom has already made reservations for next year.

We arrived Friday early afternoon. My sister lives in Gig Harbor, so she was already roaming around by the time mom and I pulled in. We spent the day looking at the many vendors in the Showplex and attending various seminars. Friday evening we went to Pacific Fabric's after-party. This was our first time attending, and I think we'll plan to attend each year from now on. There were about 4 hands on crafts, sales, raffle drawings, and cake and punch. It was a nice way to end the day. We then headed out to dinner, and as 3 moms, I gotta say, it was so relaxing to order our own dinner and drinks and just sit and enjoy a quiet dinner.

Saturday was full of more shopping and seminars. We didn't see any of the fashoin shows, but sure seemed like we ran out of time! The whole weekend seemed too short this year. Two friends arrived Saturday and it was nice to catch up with them over a scone. Dinner kinda fell apart. My nephew lives in the area, and we had arranged to meet him for dinner. But being a typical 21 year old bachlor, he stood us up. Oh well, no hard feelings...we had a lovely dinner without him!

Sunday we took a 4 needle hands-on class that was very worthwhile. It was a beaded crochet class where we made beautiful beaded necklaces. I learned some very cool beading tricks that I'm looking forward to trying. Best of all, I met a lovely lady from CA in the class. She and her girl friends have been coming to the Sewing Expo for about 12 years and make a whole week of it. They drive up from San Diego, stopping by yarn and fabric shops along the way. Too fun!

We were done by 3pm so headed home. All in all, it was a good show. I got some great fabric and a couple extra addons.

First I bought some (and I think the only) Alice in Wonderland fabric. Look for more patches in the near future!

Next, I could not resist the plastic coated fabric of bright circles, birds, and airmail stamps. Definately a lunch bag or two coming up!

Then, this unbelievable fabric from Echino. I saw this fabric on Friday, and it stuck with me all weekend, so last thing on Sunday I had to go back and buy a couple yards of each style. Fabric is like that some times. I bought this fabric at the Pacific Fabrics booth, but could only find a link online for it at SuperBuzzy.com. But I do want to give credit to Pacific Fabrics for bringing this to the expo. I have great plans for this fabric!

I also purchased for the first time, a Hawaiian applique. It is a christmas motif. I am planning to make my first wall quilt....we all can't wait to see how that progresses :)

Then I paid way too much for a silk ribbon kit that made a beautiful stuffed heart. I've alread finished the heart and I look at it every day for inspiration...so maybe it wasn't too much to spend after all. It also motivated me back to silk ribbon embroidery, one of my first loves. (see previous post).

And lastly, what is the sewing expo without an apron pattern! This year's apron seemed to be this "Lilly Apron" from Busy Bee Quilt designs. One year I bought their French Apron and LOVE IT! I've made many an apron for gifts and home. I really liked how this year's looked on several women who had more of my body type then the model's so I'm hopeful it will be another big hit. And look at the gorgeous fabric I found at The Pine Needle booth!

Wow! No wonder it took me awhile to write this all out! So, more projects, more fabric, and more inspiration!

Gotta go sew!

Time flies!

2010-03-08T20:55:00.000-08:00

When I started this blog, I had planned to update it at LEAST once a week, but here we are only 2 months in and I'm already behind. And the Sewing Expo is already 2 weeks behind us and I haven't even showed you all the cool stuff I got and saw!

Here is one project I have been working on in my absence, a silk ribbon embroidered needle case.

Walking w/ Dinos!

2010-02-25T22:57:00.000-08:00

Yep, we went and saw Walking with Dinosaurs tonight at the Portland Rose Quarter. The boy was soo excited all week counting down to this event. And it didn't disappoint. It was pretty cool. The boy LOVED it and even the teen had a good time (contrary to her earlier claims).

I'd definately recommend it as a family activity. Little and big kids both will be entertained. There's some blood and roaring but not too scary or over the top. And there is intermission after only 40 minutes, so not too long for little kids. Its a bit spendy, especially when you add in the required shirt and program, but that's my only complaint.

Here are some great photos we took,w/out flash!:

Another successful family adventure!

and tomorrow on to the Sewing Expo!

Pants-less

2010-02-22T20:58:00.000-08:00

The Sewing Expo is only 3 days away! (Actually only 2 but I can't go until Friday, so 3 for me). Friday is Recycled Denim Day so I've been trying to come up with a beautiful-creative-yet-stylish-and-"cool" project to wear.

I have a pair of jeans that I thought would be perfect. 1) I got them from Goodwill, so cheap and already upcycled, 2) I never wear them, so increase my wardrobe, and 3) they are denim!

What to do?
I could felt them....
I could add beadwork....
I could cut them into a skirt....
I could add a cute patch (like one of the many I have made and never used)...
I could do any number of embellishments,
Heck, I could even add some crochet edging....

But alas none of these were choosen. Instead I decided to add very bright, big ruffles down each side.

Cricket...

Cricket...

...did I mention I made a pocket on the back of my sizable bum to match?

Cricket...
.. and that the pants are like a size 22.

Yeah.
Once hubby and the teen stopped laughing, they tried to make me feel better by saying, "Well, if there was anywhere you could get away with these, it would be your Sewing expo. Ole!"

Needless to say, the ruffles are gone. Back to square one. What to do with the pants. Auugh!! I feel like I have writers-block for sewing...is that called sewing-block? Creative-block? And only 2 nights to go!!!

I'll keep you all posted. But no pictures until they are done! Thankfully there were no ruffle photos.

OWOH..and the Winner is....

2010-02-15T12:40:00.000-08:00

Wienermaedl from Vienna/Austria!!

Thank you all so much to everyone who visited my blog and entered my give away! It was amazing to meet so many artists and crafters from around the world. I am so glad I participated this year and got to know you all. I look forward to a long friendship with all of you and hope you keep your magic carpet powered for more adventures.

Happy blogging!

mly

Sweethearts, Sand, and Yarn

2010-02-14T23:28:00.000-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Hope you all had a lovely day with your sweetheart and enjoyed your valentines!

I received a very nice valentine from my sweetheart. After 20 years, it's more about appreciation then romance. Appreciation that someone still wants to hang out with me, still laughs at my jokes, still asks if I'm ok when I cough, and still wants to give me a kiss and hug after having woken up to my morning breath for the last 20 years. Yeah, he's a keeper. Heck my parents kicked me out after just 18 years!

Since it’s a 3-day weekend we decided to go to the beach for the day. The beach is about a 2 hour drive from here. We are firm believers in sleeping-in and taking our time, so we got on the road about 11am and arrived around 1pm.

Now, for those of you who don't know, I live in Washington State, so when I say "the beach" it’s not the crowded, hot, bring-your-swimsuit California style beach. It’s the cold, windy, unpredictable weather type beach. Even in the middle of the summer, it’s safe to bring at least a sweatshirt and hat if not long johns and boots.

BUT...for the past many years we have been going to the beach on Valentine's day weekend, and I believe, that if you want to see the beach at its best, don’t go during August, go Valentine's day weekend. This year was no exception. Before we left home I checked the webcam and saw cloudy, overcast, and rainy weather. But that must have been for those early risers, because by the time we pulled into town, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, no wind, and the temperature was up to 55! We even left our jackets in the car! Look how gorgeous it was! There's the teen and her best friend playing in the surf.

We went to Long Beach, WA. Our family's favorite! Being a lifetime Washingtonian, I am partial to Washington beaches. Oregon has some nice ones too, but, there's just something homey about Washington beaches.

We saw Jake the Alligator man, (that's the boy standing next to the Cheif) stood in front of the big oyster pan, bought candy in the candy shop, avoided the arcade (barely), walked barefoot on the beach ‘til our toes froze, and rode the go-karts.

It was a great day! And to top it all off, I found a new-to-me yarn shop...Tapestry Rose Yarn Shop! This yarn shop is AMAZING!! I could have stayed there all day…all weekend actually! There is a lovely yet deceiving café in the front of the shop, but head to the back as if you are looking for the bathroom, and you walk into a world of color, fiber, and the warmth of two lovely ladies. They were so nice and fun! The boy kept pulling on my sleeve to leave, so I will have to come back when I’m by myself so we can talk about patterns, textures, and they can help me with some of my stitches. Can harldy wait 'til the next beach-run!

I couldn't leave without buying some yarn (even though I'm suppose to be saving all my pennies for the Sewing Expo). I got some gorgeous wool yarn that I think I'll crochet and felt...maybe a purse? Maybe a vest? Can't wait to start whatever its going to be!

Hope you all had a wonderful day! Tomorrow I will announce the winner of my OWOH give-away!!

etsy!

2010-02-08T22:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have an etsy shop. And once I figure out how to add the little button on my side bar, I'll point ya'll right to it! In the meantime, here is a link to my shop Pickled Tink.

I just added some cute little Alice in Wonderland patches. I don't know why, but I am suddenly bitten by the Alice bug (I'm painting the roses red!). Heck, I don't even care that much for the story, nor do I have any kids in the local play. But who am I to question my creative streak? So when my brain says "Off with their heads!" I make patches :) Actualy, the "off with their heads!" patch didn't come out so good, so I'm still working on that one. There is a White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Tea Party, and Painting the Roses Red. Go have a look and let me know what you think!

I like making patches and then attaching them to a coat or purse with safety pins. That way they aren't permanent and I can move them around as my whimsy dictates :)

I have a bunch of Wizard of Oz patches I'll put in the shop later this week. Right now, the Queen is calling and I have more roses to paint!

Quick Valentine Craft - Willy Wonka Wall

2010-02-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

I was looking for something quick and easy to brighten up my office cubeland for Valentine's day. So, this is what I came up with:

They are exactly what they look like...candy hearts stuck to the wall. ~~I have another great photo that shows them stuck to the cube wall but its having a hard time findingits way to my blog~~. Here they are on the cube wall.

Here is what the back looks like:

And now for the tutorial:

Supplies:

Candy hearts (I sorted through the bag and found ones with clear writing)

Thumb tacks

Glue (I used a hot glue gun)

5-Step Process

Step 1: Turn the candy heart over

Step 2: place a dot of glue on the back

Step 3: place thumb tack on glue

Step 4: let it dry

Step 5: Stick to wall in any pattern you choose :)

Note of caution: Make sure no one tries to eat them. The glue could be toxic and the tack might be tough to digest. Licking of the wall is left up to your discretion.

Enjoy!

..and the countdown's on!!

2010-02-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

23 days says the countdown in the corner. Only 23 days until the wonderful, much awaited, lovingly talked about, blissfully dreamed of...SEWING AND STICHERY EXPO 2010. I just got my tickets so decided it was time to write the blog.

If you are a lover of anything fiber and are in the Pacific Northwest, you have to have this on your calendar. Feb 24-27. It is held in Puyallup, WA at the state fair grounds, and even if you can only come for a day, it is worth the $12 ticket. Just walking around and ogling at all the vendors in the 2 expo buildings is worthy. There are vendors for quilting, sewing, patterns, felting, beading, fabric, yarn, embroidery, etc., etc., etc. You get the picture.

My mom and sister and I make this an annual event. We share a hotel room for the weekend (short-straw shares a bed w/ mom), leave the hubby and kids at home, gather our money from all our secret stashes, and hit the expo running!

I'm not sure exactly how many I've been to in the past, but I do recall pushing around my baby boy in a stroller one year and he is now 12. So at least 12 years.

For those of you new to the expo, here are my top 10 tips:
1. Everyone at the expo looks like my mom, and that's a good thing...unless I am trying to find her in a crowd.
2. If at all possible, do not bring the husband
3. If at all possible, do not bring the kids
4. If at all possible, bring your mom, sister, or girlfriend. Giggling and oohing and aahing is more fun with a friend.
5. If #4 is not possible, don't fear, you will quickly meet a mom, sister, or girlfriend.
6. Plan to eat lunch at the expo and sit with strangers who quickly become friends and ooh and aah over your purchases.
7. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a big bag to carry your treasures in.
8. Bring a water bottle that's easy to refill. There are water fountains available so you won't have to waste your hard stashed money on frivolous things like water. You'll need it when you get to the next fabric booth.
9. Each booth has a number but they are hard to see. Get a map at the gate and get oriented before you begin. This makes it easier to find your lost mother later in the day.
10. Do stash away a little extra cash for going out to dinner with your mom, sister, and girlfriends. You deserve a special treat after a long day of shopping and oohing and aahing.

As the countdown gets closer you'll hear more about the expo. For now, check out the web site and blog and get your tickets!

So many blogs...so little time

2010-01-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

I am having so much fun visiting all the OWOH blogs (at least trying to visit them all). Hope I can get through them all by Feb. 14.

Don't you love it when you go to one blog that takes you to another that takes you to another, and soon you forget what you were originally searching for but are so happy at where you ended up? Well one of my fav blogs to start the "don't know where it will end" journey is One Pretty Thing. If you are crafty and have not visited this treasure trove, you really must put it on your DAILY travels. I don't know how these ladies keep up, but every day they have wonderful links to crafty goodness all over the web. At the moment I am obsessed with crochet. So I usually start wandering to crochet sites. My latest little find is JulieK. She has the cutest little crochet heart pattern.

The pattern was a little tricky to follow and I'm not sure I got it quite right. I had trouble at the point and then again at the top (I know, kinda crucial for a heart). You'll see Julie's hearts are much more "heart" shape whereas mine are more "heart-ish" shaped. I'd be curious to know if anyone else tried this pattern.

I had been working on an odd little doily pattern that I got in the mail, but was getting bored and thought these hearts would spruce it up. What do you think? The home-critics were not that impressed but I thought it was cute enough to put on the entrance table w/ a candle. (Valentine day decorating...done!) I have misplaced the odd little Crochet magazine where I got the doily pattern. If I find it I will add that link as well.

My photographic skills definately need improving. I would put more items on Etsy, if I could figure out how to get the pics to look more appealing! This is another of my 2010 resolutions.

Enjoy the hearts! ~mly

Oh My!

2010-01-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

Wow!
I just have to say I am tickled pink or pickled tink or both!
Thank you to all my new friends who have stopped by and offered encouragement and such kind words! I do need to figure out how to get out of this corporate "commitment" it is taking up too much of my time that should be spent visiting all these blogs and chatting with my new friends.

I hope to come visit you all soon!

mly

Give away!!

2010-01-25T23:55:00.000-08:00

One World One Heart

I want to share a lovely blog and blogging experience that started today, OWOH. This was started by a lovely and talented lady, Lisa. It was her thought to have one big Blog block party! She asked all her friends to host a OWOH party with giveaways for several weeks. Of course everyone signed up, and they told their friends, who told their friends, who told their friends, and so on and so on...And before she knew it, there were over 900 participants! The blog neighborhood is kinda funny that way :)

So, go to her site and check out all the wonderful blogs and enjoy your travels from one to another.

I am still trying to figure this blog thing out (did you catch the double back-ground a bit earlier?) and thought it would be a good way to meet other bloggers and get some ideas (read as "desperatly need help!") about blogging :)

For the OWOH party, I am happy to announce my very first ...

Give Away!

To assist travlers on their magic carpet ride, I will give one lucky winner this lovely traveling purse. It looks vintage-ish in that it is made out of some sort of plastic green straw material (think '50's). As you can see I've added to this beauty by hand embroidering a lovely patch on the front AND back. Multi-lingual as well! Don't be envious of my embroidery skills :)

To win this "sorta-handmade" traveling purse, please just post a comment below. I will randomly pick a winner from all the comments on Feb. 14! The winner will be announced on Feb. 15. (Please remember to provide me with your email address so I can contact you if you win!)

Enjoy the blog-party and your tavels to fun and interesting blogs! Hope you stop by again. I'm hoping to have some random thought or craft here at least several times a week.

Thanks for stopping by! (please ignore the mess)

Weekend and grandchildren

2010-01-25T18:06:00.000-08:00

It was another rainy, wet, moss covered weekend in the northwest. But nothing adds sunshine like children! We had the grand daughters over this weekend (all 3) and their laughter, playing, and even snoring where like rays of sunshine. We have 4 grand-kids, all belong to my step-daughter. The oldest, 11 years, is living w/ his other grandparents right now, so we didn't see him. The second oldest "Pickle" is 8 and used to live with us so is quite at home at our house. Then there is "Cilly" who is 4 and very much a bulldozer with the biggest smile you ever saw. Last is "Angel Baby" who is 2 and a half and very shy for the first hour.

The Boy is an amazing babysitter! Much better than The Teen who gets either bored or annoyed after a couple minutes. Her door shuts...alot these days. But The Boy seems to never tire of taking charge and coming up with games. As soon as he expresses annoyance or exhaustion, one of them will come running up to him and off he'll go again.

Bed time was so easy! The Boy made one big bed in the playroom, selected an appropriate movie, tucked them all in and before the movie was over, they were all asleep. Angel Baby fell asleep in Pappy's arms, so we just laid her among the other three and she didn't miss a baby snore!

We forgot how early they get up when they are younger. The Teen and The Boy have taken to appreciating the joy of sleeping in on Saturday. But Angel Baby was up at the crack of dawn! And there The Boy was, ready to play, change, and feed her if necessary. He's a GREAT babysitter!

Hopefullly "mom" got some needed rest while we got some needed "little kid" time. Lots of tickling, dress-up, puppets, and PB&J.

2010-01-22T14:17:00.001-08:00

Resolution #2

2010-01-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

This one's a bit more....intense.
Resolution # 2 is to use the exercise equipment and routines to increase my flexibility, health, and yes, size.

Now, first off you have to understand my background. I grew up average sized, height and weight. I ate whatever I liked, I played some sports, but "size" was never really a problem until.....pregnancy at age 27. Now, after 27 years, you develop some pretty hard habits. Like eat what I want, move when I want, by clothes that fit, etc.

I gained "some" weight with my first pregnancy. Not problem, I figured I'd simply lose it after she was born. That was a problem, the weight did not go away. Exercise was not only a foreigh concept to me, it caused pain just to THINK about dieting or exercising. I mean, God made me this way, therefore I must be alright. The way I saw it, I was going to get pregnant again, and would probably gain more weight. So if I was going to put any effort into losing the weight, I could kill two birds at one time, and work off ALL the extra weight after the second child. You know where this is going... Second child came, with a lot more weight, and way less motivation to do anything about it.

Now my thinking starting moving towards the, "its only a problem b/c your clothes don't fit." So the easy solution (god probid we go with a difficult solution) was to "buy bigger clothes" :) Brilliant!!

In addition, around this time I heard about a lovely study that showed how the elderly were benefitting from excercising even if they had never excercised in their life. This was great news! One of my main obstacles to exercise was TIME. Now, it looked like I could just wait until I retired and had lots of time for excercise!

Second child is now 12 years old, and my size has grown every year. I am now having to shop in a special section and stores in order to find clothes that fit. And to really put salt in my wound, I cannot play with the kids and do the physical activities I once could. This is the biggest "pisser" for me. Size is one thing, but when I can't do the things I want, then we have a problem.

So, this leads to my New Year's resolution and the 2 goals I have:
1. Be able to wear clothes and have them look like the designed intended and not look like cloth hanging off my body
2. Have the stamina to do physical activities with my family

For Christmas my husband bought me Wii Fit Plus and a 5 day dvd work out program that includes Yoga, Strength training, ball excercise, Tai Chi, and something else. (He does love me, and actually never says anything about my weight, so he's not as bad as it sounds.)

My plan is to do SOMETHING every day. Some days I complete a full hour aerobic work out, some days I do a 30 minute strength and flexibility training,

Here is where I am going to track what I do each day and for how long. I'll also give you guys an idea on how its working towards my 2 goals.

Resolution #1

2010-01-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

OK, this one is easy, so that's where I'll start :)
My first resolution this year was to start a blog. Ta da!

Why and what?

2010-01-22T11:48:00.000-08:00

I decided to start this blog for a couple reasons: 1) because I am having so much fun reading and interacting with other blogs that I wanted to join their world, 2) I wanted one place where I could showcase my crochet and "art" projects, and 3) I have an underlying desire to track the progress of my 2 resolutions.

As you can tell, I'm not very good at all the "techy" stuff with blogging yet, but I have LOTS of friends out there and am confident that by the end of the year it will get much better :)

The first is so far so good. I do need to add ALL the blogs I follow so anyone who stumbles upon this site can continue their journey onto other pleasant worlds.

Second one has started, but I'm finding my biggest challenge being the photos. I need to really carve out time to take, upload, and post photos.

So on to the third reason...(new post)

2010 Projects

2010-01-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

The year has started off pretty well. I completed the Granny Square afghan (I actually completed this right before Christmas, but close enough!), the yarn basket, the smaller yarn basket for mom, and several hats.

The granny square blanket was inspired by a pattern I saw at www.purlbee.com. I adapted it to the request of my daughter (she picked the colors.) I don't see the pattern on their site anymore but they are offering a class, and there is a picture of the original one there.

The yarn basket was inspired by one of my favorite crochetters "Attic24". Again I adapted the pattern to match my own taste (I got bored just making single crochets) and the smaller yarn basket was born out of a request by my mother for...you guessed it...a SMALLer basket :)

Both are perfect for holding more yarn.

wow...now to get started

2009-09-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

With all the wonderful crafty, creative, and spirited blogs in the universe, I thought it was time to throw my "blog" into the ring.

So here it is, for what its worth. I'll use this space to share others' blogs I love, projects I've made, and inspirations for other projects.

To be clear, my projects tend towards the following:
crochet (love!)
sewing (2nd love)
beading
felting
alterted books
upcycling
and of course KIDS!