I {heart} Crochet

I really do. I learned to crochet so long ago, and it has always been something that I go back to through whatever projects I'm working on. It's my mindless, I don't want to think about a single thing, activity. (For some reason I tend to crotchet more when I'm feeling depressed, or exhausted from life, than anything else. but not always.) Anyway, I love it. It's so relaxing.

Anyway, I received my email from Purl Soho and saw this beautiful afghan, and I love it! I totally want to make one!

Source: purlbee.com via Diane Bohn on Pinterest

Doesn't it look lovely?! 

Anyway, they sell kits so you can make your own. I thought, "Oh, Im totally going to call my hubby and see if I can get this." Yep, we talk about things before we buy. It keeps us happy. As I was reading the description I saw how much it cost. Are you ready??

$780.

Whaaat?????????

Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised since this is Purl Soho we're talking about, but still. Would I even dare use a blanket, let a lone give it to my child, knowing it cost $780?! I don't know. If you would then I love and admire you. But for now... no way. I think I'll still ask my hubby, as a joke. I don't think he'll be very amused. He doesn't enjoy my sense of humor. :)

  

Mentioning sense of humor, I heard a new joke yesterday:

Q: What do you call a fake noodle?

A: an Impasta! 

bwahaha!! ;)

Well, off to face the day... that started at 5:30. :( For some reason my little M has been waking up crying at 5:30 every morning, waking everyone up. She can get in and out of her crib now, which isn't too bad since she goes down for bed and naps so good still, but she must fall out in the morning, or something. I don't know... it's starting to wear on me though. Crazy girl.

Happy Thursday! :)

{Celebrate Color}

Rachel, over at Stitched in Color, is hosting a Celebrate Color fall party thing. Ok, I don't know. It's a celebration, so party works for me. :) And it's fun, so of course it's a party!

Anyway, there are four different categories for which you can enter projects for prizes, as well as simply celebrate color along with everyone else. :)

I've been thinking about and eying my crocheted Market bag, and thought it would be so much fun to re-share it and link it up on her blog I'm glad I looked at the rules again. It has to be made new, not just a new post. If I make another in the next week or two I'll link it up. :) But I'll still share it anyway. 

Whenever I think of Market bags, or look at this bag, it makes me think of fall and going to the farmers market for those fresh late summer veggies. Yum. :) To be honest, I haven't ever used it for a market bag, but I have used it. And I will say one thing... boy does it stretch! Putting anything at all heavy in it makes it stretch down to my knees! lol. Though when it's not all stretched out I think it looks perfect. I just might have to make one with a lining so it doesn't stretch so far.

I made this almost exactly one year ago. I had seen a couple of different and cute bags like this, but didn't feel like buying a pattern as I they looked easy enough to make. So I went on a search for a bunch of different pictures, picked the elements I liked and went to work. I was going to go back and write up a pattern for it, but never did. Honestly, I'm a little intimidated about writing a crochet pattern. I think if I drew it and just explained what to do, then that would be ok, but to say, SS x amount of stitches, then add a stitch... blah blah, I don't think I would do a very good job. :)

The hardest part was figuring out the handles, especially since I wanted them to continue the design of the rest of the bag, but I think they, as well as the finishing round along the top edge, are my favorite parts of it.

I'm thinking that I've sat on the idea of making a pattern for this long enough that it doesn't scare me quite as much, and one of these lazy nights I just might take a go at it. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

One change I know I'll make: don't make it so tall! otherwise it's perfect.

Made It: Christmas Presents, Part 1

We had a fabulous Christmas this year. We never did get our decorations out of storage. lol. But with our paper chain and the simple ornaments I did finish, along with finally finishing the tree skirt, it was a simple Christmas. And pretty simple all around. A lot of the presents we gave out were home-made, and not all have been given yet, so I'll have to have a part two next week. (That and I forgot to take some pictures of some, so they'll be added with it when I get them from my sis.) It was such a wonderful month, reading scriptures and stories about the birth of Christ and singing Christmas songs every night. We really felt like it extended the Christmas Spirit throughout the month. We also didn't splurge on the boys this year, or each other, which to me, made Christmas day the best ever! Usually I'm really excited about getting this or that, but this year all I really wanted was a box of chocolates. haha. And boy are they yummy! ;)

Anyway, to get on with the fun stuff we (I) made, we'll start with my sister. We had her for Christmas this year, and since her and her hubby just got new Windows 7 phones, I couldn't resist making them some of these:

 (sorry the photos are the best, but hey, they work.) ;)

It's a phone pillow. I saw the idea at Dog Named Banjo's blog. Here's her etsy shop if you want one. I had kind of a tricky time figuring it out, and all my compliments to her, her's are fantastic!

this one is the BIL's, and I forgot to take a pic of my sis's before wrapping it. I don't have a cool phone, so I'm hoping that the angle is good on them. You can use them to charge, or to hold your phone/iPod while you watch movies, take in on the airplane to use on the tray table, etc. Such a fab idea!


Next up, I remember a while ago when my sis did a blog post about all the notes they always left each other around the house. When I saw these super envelopes over at Sew, Mama, Sew! I couldn't resist! I made one for each of them in their favorite colors. That way they can either know who the note is from, or just give that person a note in their own envelope. I'll let them figure all of that out. ;)

I loved the idea for using the buttons and interchangeable messages.

the backs of the cards have the same fabric as the inside of the envelope.

 I decided to stamp all the messages, since my embroidery skills are lacking. I didn't have a fabric ink stamp pad, so I just added some fabric textile paint to my regular acrylic craft paints and used stamps. (iron the paint after it dries to set the paint so it doesn't wash out). It was kind of tricky getting the right amount of ink on the stamp so it wouldn't smear, and some were a little more difficult than others, but I think they turned out. I also would have cut all the squares out first and then stamped, but silly me, I just stamped them all on a big piece of fabric, and guessed how far apart to stamp them. Some of the squares ended up a different size, but oh well. :) I still like it.

We had a white elephant gift exchange with the YW, and I thought these tissue holders were super cute so I made this:

I think this fabric is so much fun! :)

And last for now, I made new hats for the boys. They are so cute in them, if I do say so myself.  And I do like how the ear flaps turned out. :)

What did you make/get for Christmas this year?! :)


I'm linking up, so check out all the great sites on my side bar ------>

Made It: Market Bag

If you didn't notice, I am posting two Made It projects today. Missy, over at Missy's Home and Garden Improvements posted some art and asked to see other people's art. So I wanted to share some! So go check out my previous post, and then go visit Missy! :)

Yes, I could have just stuck with that post. But I made something last week that I am dyeing to share with you! I'm so excited! :)

Have you seen these super cute market bags? I love them! And I love to crochet. So I finally took a wild jump and attempted to make my own. To my surprise... I love it! :) I think it turned out alright. So, I had to share it right away! :) haha.

If I knew everything small that I put in it wouldn't fall out I would use it for my every day bag! (Plus, I don't know if I would want everyone to be able to see the random things I carry in my purse. haha. Guess I'll have to figure something out. ;) What do you think?

I just made up the pattern, eyeing the other bags that I've found around. If you want me to share, let me know and I'll try my hand at putting together a crochet pattern (that is one thing I can say that I've never done). But I'm sure it won't be too hard.