Merry Christmas ....

From our house to yours!!

This 'n That

Sorry I have been MIA lately, just have had so much going on. I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving Day with Mr. S.'s family, then the Saturday after with my family, so that was one busy weekend filled with lots of traveling.

The games I planned for Thanksgiving Day with Mr. S.'s family went over really well. I did not tell you that I later decided to add some Minute to Win It games. They were sooooo much fun! If you have never watched that show on NBC, you must. Contestants are given crazy things they have to try to do in one minute. I bought small things at the dollar store as prizes, and it was so much fun watching the family trying to do the crazy stunts. I went to their website and picked out games that used ordinary things around the house so that I didn't have to buy a bunch of props. We will have more family gathered at Christmas, so think we will do it again for those who missed it.

Thank you for your kind comments about the loss of our dear cat Pepe. It is so hard losing one of our pets; since we don't have children, they are our babies.

I spent all of yesterday putting up our Christmas tree and decorating the house. Yes, it took me all day! I was going to show you some pictures, but it says I am out of storage space... YIKES! Does anyone know how to fix that? I really don't want to have to pay monthly for it if I can help it.

I need to go for now, have lots of running around to do today. Have a great week everyone :)

It's Never Easy to Say Goodbye

We had to have our 15-year old Black Persian cat Pepe put to sleep today. He was diagnosed with feline kidney disease a few months ago, and we were hoping we would have more time with him. Unfortunately his kidneys started failing, so there was nothing that could be done for him.

Here he is in healthier times:

He was a Daddy's boy through and through, so needless to say, this has been especially hard on Mr. S.

Pepe was unique from any other cat I have known in that his favorite treat was Cool Whip. Yes, Cool Whip. He did not like cat treats, the only thing he liked was a dollop of Cool Whip. I will never be able to look at Cool Whip without thinking of him.

Rest in peace Pepe - you were very much loved.

Quick Post about a Fast Project

I am Crazy for Cowls lately. Don't know why. I am just enjoying making them I guess. Last night I made this cowl in an hour, maybe less:

That is the fastest I have ever made one! This is so easy, and would make great Christmas gifts. The pattern can be found here.

All you need is one skein of Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn and a Q hook. I used a color called Honolulu Pink.

Hope you try one, I think you will love it!

Fun Thanksgiving Ideas

I thought I'd share with all of you some ideas to make your Thanksgiving day even more fun. Lots of family will be gathering this year to spend the holiday with my in-laws, so I found some games and activities for us to do before the turkey feast begins!

As usual, I found most of the things on the internet, so I will provide links where I can. For some things, the idea was found on the web, but I ended up having to make the documents in Microsoft Word. If you are interested in any of those, let me know and I can e-mail the document(s) to you.

My husband's family loves to play games, so I created some word games for us to play before we eat. I will put together small prizes for the winners - probably something simple like candy, gum etc. Here are the word games:

1.  Find a Thanksgiving Day word for each letter of the alphabet. I made this as a Word document. You could give a special prize to anyone who can come up with a word for the letter "X."

2.  Make as many words as you can using the letters from the words "Thanksgiving Day." I made this as a Word document.

3.  Put the Thanksgiving Day words in alphabetical order from A to Z. This is also a Word document I created. The words I used were:

• holiday
• feast
• harvest
• pilgrims
• corn
• Indians
• squash
• autumn
• family
• turkey
• pumpkin
• thankful

I think all three of these games will be lots of fun using a timer and only giving the players so much time to complete them!

4.  I created my own Thanksgiving Word Search using the puzzlemaker found here. There are lots of different puzzles you can create for free, like word search, crossword, etc. It takes you through step-by-step how to create the puzzle and was really easy.

5.  For the little ones, I printed out coloring pages of different Thanksgiving items like a turkey, pilgrim, pumpkin, indian boy/girl, cornucopia, etc. I found some good coloring pages here.  Don't forget crayons or markers.

I also wanted to do something special for my father-in-law who is suffering from lung cancer. I am going to have cardstock paper and markers available for all of the family to write messages for him about what he means to them. Then I will bind them all together for him to keep.

I saw the idea on Pinterest for Thankful Rolls, which would be another great idea for the family to do together. Here are the instructions:

Provide small slips of paper for all of the guests. As they arrive, have them write a thankful message on the piece of paper, wrap it in foil, then insert it in the crack of rolls before baking. They're like Thanksgiving fortune rolls!



I'm looking forward to a joyful Thanksgiving celebration with family, and hope you are too!

Inspiration and a Project

One of the things I most love about blogging is all of the creativity that I get to see every single day when I log onto my computer and read through my blog list. I am constantly inspired by all of you talented people out there! Today I was inspired by Doni at Whiskers and Wool. She posted this morning about a cute Christmas ring ornament she made called Santa's Jolly Belly - isn't it cute?

(Doni's pic)

I have lots of those plastic rings (I sew them on my kitchen dish towels so that I can hang them on a hook near my sink) so I went to Ravelry to get the pattern. However, I accidentally clicked on Doni's name instead of the download link. What a happy accident, because it took me to all of her designs that are on Ravelry. Boy, she is one talented lady - you really need to go check out her designs there (many of them are free!)

Anyway, I spotted a Christmas Wreath ring ornament that she made last year and I got to thinking that I needed to make a wreath, but that small plastic ring was not going to be big enough to fit my project. Then it hit me - I had some plastic bangle bracelets left over from a jewelry project I worked on last week, and they were the perfect size for what I needed.

I re-worked Doni's pattern a little and before you know it, my project was completed. Thanks so much for the inspiration Doni!

Oh, were you wondering about my project? Well, this past weekend I attended a Holiday Bazaar and bought several cute things, including this wooden deer made from willow branches and twigs:

Isn't he cute?  I really like him, but the more I looked at him, I thought that he just looked too plain.... he definitely needed something. I thought that a wreath around his neck would be just perfect, and it was:

Now he looks even better, and is ready for the holidays. The change I made to Doni's pattern was to Chain 56 at the beginning rather than 36; I followed the rest of her pattern after that. The plastic rings that Doni uses are 2 inches across, and my bangle bracelet is a little over 3 inches across. I know it doesn't seem like a huge size difference, but it worked for this project. I used a size "I" crochet hook. The yarn I used is by Caron and is called Victorian Christmas Gold. I bought it years ago at Jo-Anns, so I don't know if they even make it anymore.

Are you wondering how the heck I got the wreath around his neck, since he has those antlers at the top of his head? Luckily for me, the crafter who makes these puts them together with dowel screws, so the head, neck and legs all unscrew. I can't wait to put up my Christmas decorations and find a special place for this guy!

Oh and guess what? I just looked at the business card the crafter gave me and she has a website where you can order your own - isn't that awesome? Just go here and you can order your own deer in sizes ranging from small to extra large (mine is a medium). In addition to the deer, she also sells owls, candleholders, napkin rings, photo frames and tic tac toe game boards, all made out of wood. She also makes some gorgeous furniture out of willow (that site is here).  (Please note I am in no way affiliated with her, I just think she makes nice stuff and thought others might be interested in her work.)

Hope everyone has a good week :)





 

I'm Still Here

Happy Monday everyone!

Sorry it has been so long between posts. The first part of the month I went to Virginia for a week to visit my nephew, his wife and their two adorable baby daughters. A few days after I got home I got sick with a cold or flu, but am finally feeling better.

Here is a picture of one of my nephew's adorable babies wearing a crocheted hat I made for her while I was there:

Isn't she a doll? It was so much fun spending time with her and her big sister, I hated to leave. I got their Mama into crocheting while I was there, and she was happily working on a scarf when I left! She kept commenting to me how relaxing it was... so happy I made another convert... ha ha!

Thanks so much to everyone for your comments on my post about my father-in-law. Several of you asked about patterns for chemo caps. You can really use any hat pattern that you like. I found a great website called Knots of Love that has some excellent patterns for both crochet and knitting. If you go to the link "Our Caps" at the top of their home page, it will take you to their pattern page. I made one called the  Red Poster Cap and it turned out really cute. I don't have a picture of it because I made it while at a chemo appointment with my in-laws and donated it right then.

My father-in-law is doing pretty well, all things considered. He has found a doctor and oncology clinic closer to where they live, which will be easier on them. They have decided to start radiation in addition to the chemotherapy to try to shrink the mass in his lung. He has already started losing his hair, so I will be making a couple of caps for him.

I can't believe that it will already be Halloween on Wednesday. Before we know it, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here and another year will have gone by. Seems the older I get, the faster the time goes.

Wishing everyone a great week :)

Getting Serious

Hello my crocheting friends. I have a serious subject to talk with you about today, so there will be no photos, just lots of words. I hope you will stick with me through it.

Our family was dealt a huge blow last week when my dear father-in-law was diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer. He has COPD, and his lungs are in such bad shape that he is not a good candidate for surgery. Therefore, his only option at this point is chemotherapy in hopes that they can shrink the mass in his right lung.

To say that this has knocked us all for a loop is a huge understatement. We have been feeling all of the emotions you go through when something like this happens - denial, anger, frustration, etc.

Since I don't work, I volunteered to go with my in-laws to the chemotherapy treatments. He had his first one yesterday. Thankfully it was not as bad as we all thought it would be, and we are praying that the side effects will be minimal. The doctors and nurses who work in the oncology unit at our local VA hospital are absolutely wonderful, and I know he will get excellent care there.

After his diagnosis, I knew that I had to do something, anything, to help, so I decided to make some chemo caps to take with me. I took several with me, and finished one while I was there. Later in the afternoon, one of the nurses saw me sitting there crocheting and asked what I was making. When I told her, she asked if I had made the ones that were sitting over there on the table and I told her I had. She was so excited, and told me that one of the patients there receiving chemo had already picked one out and was wearing it, and she wanted me to meet her. She took me over to meet Judy, a wonderful little old lady without a stitch of hair on her head. But there she was, proudly wearing that purple cap I had made with the biggest smile on her face! She thanked me profusely, and said she absolutely loved her cap.  Boy did that make me feel good. :)

A little while later, a breast cancer survivor came in to say hello to the nurses and she saw me crocheting and asked what I was making. When I told her, she got tears in her eyes and said that when she was undergoing chemo and lost her hair, it made such a difference to her that people cared enough to knit and crochet hats for her to wear.

This is where you, my crocheting friends, come in. As crocheters (and knitters too) we are blessed with an awesome gift. You may never have thought about it that way, but you are. You have the gift to make a huge difference in the life of a cancer patient.

I felt very strongly today that I needed to write this post to encourage you to crochet and/or knit some hats or caps and donate them to your local cancer center. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but to someone undergoing chemo who has lost their hair, it IS a big deal. All you need is a skein or two of some very soft yarn (Caron Simply Soft is what I used) and any hat pattern, although the less holes in the hat the better (hides the fact that there is a bald head underneath it).

Thank you so much for reading this, and I hope you will take some time to make a few hats and donate them to your local cancer center.

Completed Projects and Other Stuff

My Granny Shawl is finally finished.... well, sort of. Here is what I mean:

All the crocheting is done, I just need to weave in all the ends. However, our Black Persian cat Pepe has sort of adopted it as his blanket now, so I hate to steal it from him to finish it up! He is our 15-year old with kidney disease, so I figure I will let him have it. :)

I also made a Round Scarf that I absolutely love:

 

The picture does not do it justice. I plan on wearing it wrapped around my neck twice like a cowl. Neicee from Insomniac with a Hook posted about this scarf HERE.  As soon as I saw the video, I knew I had to make me one. Once you do a row or two you will have the stitch memorized. It is a very unique stitch, I don't know if it even has a name, but it makes the scarf very stretchy. I used a "K" hook and Red Heart Super Saver yarn - think the color was called Cafe, and I made 10 rows. I am currently making a blue one for my sister, then will do a red one for my niece! I may even make a few more as Christmas gifts.  Note that there is no written pattern for this one, you have to watch the video to learn how to do it. It is very easy once you get the hang of it, and doesn't take too long to make.

 

 

Several of you asked me about the ergonomic crochet hook handle that I showed you a few posts ago. Here are all the parts and pieces to it:

 

It is made by Boye and comes with eight "washers" so that you can use the handle with hooks from size B-D all the way up to K. There is a color-coded card that shows you which color washer matches with which hook size (although frankly it would have been a lot easier had they just engraved the hook size into the washer, because some of the colors are very close to each other!) The handle comes apart, and you stick the end of your crochet hook into the blue part of the handle, add the appropriate washer onto your hook, then attach the green part of the handle. I got mine at Wal-mart and I think it was $5.96.

 

The only thing I didn't like about it was that I felt like it slowed down my crocheting. It also feels a little strange holding that bulb end in your hand when you are used to holding a slim crochet hook. I will keep using it, though, and see if it grows on me!  BTW, I keep the washers in an empty baby food jar so that I don't lose them.  Well, that and my cats would think these were play toys, and the dog would probably eat them, so I need to keep them away from them :)

 

 

 

Have a nice week.

 

 

 

Help Wanted!

Do any of you have any good chemo cap crochet patterns that you like that you could share with me? I searched around but didn't find any that I really liked.

Thanks in advance for your help :)

My Pet Peeve

I don't know about you, but I really, really, really don't like it when I try to follow a pattern someone has written and keep finding errors.

I crochet to relax, not to get stressed out!  I have been trying to make this simple dishcloth for two days now and am about ready to throw up my hands and say "ENOUGH!" 

Please, please, those of you who write patterns, please double and triple check them before you share them with others! I mean, honestly, is it wrong of me to expect a pattern to be correct?

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now.. going to give this one last try and then I give up!

EDITED TO ADD:

I just realized that this is the second time this has happened to me from this same person's patterns, so unfortunately I am going to have to stop following her blog. I figured out the pattern for the dishcloth, glory hallelujah!

Progress

I am making progress on my Granny Shawl. I am really loving the colors that I picked out for this too.

 

Picked up an ergonomic crochet handle at Wal-mart the other day. Still not sure if I like it or not.

 

Going to be watching football with Mr. S. today, so more progress to be made on it today. Happy Sunday!

Happy Wednesday

Hi everyone! Hope you are doing well, and that the weather is nice wherever you are. I absolutely love this time of year, it's not in the 100's anymore and the nights are cooling down. I will be getting out my Halloween decorations before long!

I started the Granny Shawl I told you about in my last post. I haven't gotten too far, only a couple of rows, but I can already tell that it will go fast once I get going on it. Here is the progress so far:

I am using Red Heart with Love yarn and so far, so good. It is way softer than the Red Heart Super Saver and is not much higher in price. Since I don't have a Hobby Lobby near me (yet!) this yarn will have to do.

Here are some pictures of random things around here:

Butterfly bush in our front yard.... it is huge and attracts the hummingbirds. Our cats love to sit in the window and watch the birds all day. Mr. S. calls it "kitty TV"  ha ha!

Speaking of hummingbirds, I was out back one day and was just sitting there with my camera and got this great shot of three hummingbirds at one of our feeders:

 

The area in Arizona that we live in is known for its hummingbird population. We get so many species of them, and they are just fun to watch. We have feeders in our front and back yard both and we have hummingbirds at them all day long.

 

I have not posted a recent picture of our adorable Malti-Poo, Lulu, in quite awhile, so here she is:

 

She will be a year old at the end of next month. We just love her to death and cannot remember what our lives were like before she came along!  One of my next crochet projects will be to make her a sweater. :)

I have been trying new recipes again. We are trying to eat healthier around here, and although Mr. S. loves vegetables, I'm afraid I am not a huge fan of them. I saw this recipe yesterday and it looked good so I thought I'd give it a try. Boy am I glad I did, because it is scrumptious!  It is a Raw Veggie Salad, and the beauty of it is you can really include whatever veggies you like. I did not add radishes because we don't like them, so I added more snap peas. I used pine nuts and pepitas, and since I had them in my pantry, some dried cranberries. Here is what it looks like:

 

It is mixed together with a Citrus Poppyseed dressing... as Rachael Ray would say, yum-o!! It is a great mix of sweet and sour, crunchy and soft, tangy and mild - well, you get the idea. Give this one a try, you won't be disappointed.

Recently I also tried making my own homemade pickles. The first time I made them, I used the method you can find at Jillee's blog here. They came out really good, although Mr. S. says I added too much garlic (I didn't think so!).  The other day while shopping at the Commissary (grocery store on the Army Post) I found a kit from a company called Pepper Creek Farms. It had three varieties you could make - Kosher Dill, Polish Dill and Bread and Butter pickles. They only had enough pickling cucumbers at the store for me to make two of the three varieties, so I made the Kosher and Polish ones. They turned out yummy too, and the nice thing about this kit is that it only takes 24 hours in the refrigerator and you have pickles.

I got eight pint jars of pickles out of it, four of each variety. I only paid $6.99 for the kit, and I notice that their prices on their website are higher than that (you can check them out here, the pickles are under Gift Sets).  I may go back and get a couple more kits.

Okay, I think that's enough rambling for today. I need to go buy vacuum cleaner bags, make a few phone calls and maybe head to the grocery store. Have a great rest of your week.

Gaga for Grannies

 

I have such a love affair with the Granny Square. It is one of my very favorite things to crochet, mainly because it is so versatile. You can make your "basic" granny square, but there are also so many other things you can do with it.

I was perusing Pinterest the other day and found some things that were quite interesting.

A Granny square lampshade.  I'm thinking this might be a safety hazard!

 

Granny Square Parasol. So cute... maybe not practical, but cute!

Granny Square Birdhouse. This is so adorable, but I'm not sure how well it would hold up in the weather.

Love, love, love this Granny Square Ball. The link went to an Etsy shop, so no pattern, but shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

Can you imagine how much time it must take to make these Granny Square Cookies??

Love this... so colorful and fun!



I saw this Granny Shawl pattern on Tangled Happy the other day (do you follow it? If not, you should!) and fell instantly in love:

So much so that I bought some new yarn (gah, like I need more!) and plan to start it ASAP. If you love it too, here is the post from Tangled Happy:  http://www.tangledhappy.com/2012/08/granny-shawl.html

I'm going to be visiting my nephew and his wife and two adorable little girls next month in Virginia, so I need to get this done before then. I'm sure the weather will be much cooler there, so it will come in handy.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend :)

Delicious Chicken Recipe

We eat lots of chicken at our house, and I am always trying to find new recipes to try. When I saw this one I had a feeling it would be good, but I did not know how good... it is one of the most delicious recipes I have tried in awhile.

It's called Parmesan Chicken Bake:

Parmesan Chicken Bake(adapted from Food.com)
6 chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayo (lite or regular)
1 small container plain Greek yogurt
1/2 c fresh parmesan cheese, plus more for the top
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray the inside of a 9x13 glass pan. Lay the chicken inside the pan.
2. Mix together the remaining ingredients and spread evenly over each piece of chicken, being sure to cover all the exposed raw meat (so it doesn't dry out.) Sprinkle on a bit more fresh parmesan over all the chicken.
3. Bake for 45 minutes. This dish is even better the next day, so just reheat in the microwave!


Now I must warn you that this dish, as written, is pretty salty. We happen to like that, but if you don't, I would definitely cut back on the amount of seasoning salt you add.  Serve this with a salad and a vegetable and you have a fantastic dinner.

 

Just wanted to thank those of you who left such nice comments on my last post. Things are going much better. My nephew is feeling good and has pretty much healed, although he will have permanent nerve damage above his right eye. 

 

 

Have a great weekend all.

Patti's Winnings... and Curveballs

Awhile back I had a giveaway, and Patti L. was the lucky winner. She received her package from me (so sorry it took so long Patti) so now I can share with you everything that was included.

The original giveaway included these items:

I added a few more things that I made myself. Patti told me her favorite color was yellow, so I made her some kitchen dishcloths, a scrubby, a mandala and a potholder all in yellows:

I also sewed her a snack mat that is meant to hold your tea or coffee cup along with a little snack like a cupcake or muffin. I made a matching cup cozy that she can put around her coffee or tea cup.

Patti said she had to make a trip to the ER yesterday and was so happy to get home to find the package from me. I'm so glad it made your day, Patti, and that you liked everything. I sure hope all of your tests come out okay and that you are soon feeling better.  :)

On another note, thank you everyone for your kind comments about my blogging break. Physically I am starting to feel better now and am slowly getting back into crocheting and sewing again.

Do you ever feel like sometimes life really throws you a curveball? Well, seems I have had more than my fair share lately. A few weeks ago our oldest cat, our 15-year old Black Persian named Pepe, was diagnosed with Stage 2 Kidney Disease. There is no cure, and we have no idea how much longer he will live. There are 4 stages of kidney disease, so at least we caught it fairly early. We have had to change his diet, put him on probiotics twice a day, and we have to give him subcutaneous IVs twice a week so that he doesn't get dehydrated (this involves a huge needle that we have to stick under his skin). So far he is responding pretty well and has gained a little weight back (he was down to only five pounds). The vet bill for all the tests, medicine, etc. came to a little over $800.00.

Then last week our tenants at our old house called to tell us they had a high water bill (over $300 and it is usually around $50). Seems there is a leak somewhere, but we are not sure exactly where it is. Mr. S. suspects it is in the irrigation system, but he will have to wait until the monsoon weather is over before he can dig it all up and locate the problem. Of course, we are going to have to pay the high water bill(s) until the problem is resolved.

Last, but certainly not least, my nephew was leaving a nightclub last Tuesday night when he was jumped by three men. He was severely beaten, and his wallet and car were stolen. He had to get 19 stitches in his head, he has numerous bruises all over his body, along with several broken and bruised ribs. I went to see him this past weekend in New Mexico. He is hanging in there, but is in alot of pain. They have not caught the perpetrators yet. It is beyond my comprehension how one human being could do this to another one. If you are the praying sort, I sure would appreciate some for Jason's recovery.

They say bad luck comes in threes, so I hope that is the case, because I don't think I could take much more happening!

Thanks for letting me vent.  I know we all have our share of problems, and these may be minor compared to some, but I appreciate being able to share it with you. Hope we all have a good week.

Looking for Patti L. Again

Patti L., I sent your package off to you last week, so you should have gotten it by now. I haven't heard from you, and just want to make sure you got it. Please let me know, either by commenting on this post or sending me an e-mail (azbelle3@yahoo.com).  Thanks very much :)

I'm Here, But ....

I have just not been feeling that great lately. Don't know if it has been an exceptionally hot and humid summer or what, but I just have very little energy these days.

Think I will take a bit of a blogging break and try to get to feeling better. Patti L., I have not forgotten you, and I promise I will try to finish up your things just as soon as I can and get them in the mail to you.

Hope everyone is having a good summer.

Patti Has Been Found!

I heard from Patti L., so she is definitely the winner of my most recent giveaway!  Keep reading, though, as you never know when I might do another one!  :) 

Patti L., Where Are You??

Patti L., if you're out there, you were the winner of my recent giveaway! I have not heard from you yet to claim your prizes.

If I don't hear from Patti by Tuesday, July 17, 2012, I will draw another winner!

And the Winner Is ....

After a very scientific drawing of names (Mr. S. picked a number between 1 and 10!) I am happy to announce that the winner of my most recent giveaway is:

Commenter #8 - Patti L.

Yay!  Congratulations Patti!  Please send me an email (azbelle3@yahoo.com) with your mailing address. Not only did you win the bracelet, crochet hook, crochet labels and yarn needle, but I am working on some special things to include in your package, all made by me!

Thanks to everyone who entered. Most of all, thanks for following my blog!

July 4th Decorating

Yes, I know, I'm a little late with this post!  Oh well :)

Thought I would share my 4th of July decorations that I made this year. I started with a rag wreath for our front door:

I then made this banner out of burlap and paint:

I decided to freshen up our pillows on our back porch that sit on our gliders and made some pillow covers out of drop cloths and paint:

I used drop cloths and some scrap fabric to make this table runner for our dining room table:

And finally, I crocheted this cute bunting:

The pattern for it can be found on Ravelry - it is the Patriotic Bunting by Doni Speigle.

Hope everyone had a safe and relaxing holiday. We had quite a bit of rain, and the cooler temperatures were such a relief from our normal summer heat!

Don't forget about my GIVEAWAY  - you have until midnight tonight to enter.

Finally... A Giveway!

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get around to this giveaway. This is to celebrate my blog reaching 100 followers. Here is what you will win:

You can click on the picture to get a closer look. There is a package of crochet labels, a set of Susan Bates Steel Yarn Needles (great for weaving in those pesky ends!), a Susan Bates Bamboo Handle Crochet Hook Size H, and a beautiful bracelet handmade by me!  Here is a closer look at the bracelet:

If you have seen any of my giveaways before, you know that I will also include some extra stuff that will be a surprise!

This will be the easiest giveaway yet to enter  ... all you need to do is:

• Be a follower of my blog
• Leave me a comment on this post telling me what your favorite color is

That's it! Told ya it was easy!

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only (so sorry, but shipping costs have gotten outrageous).

The giveaway will be open until midnight Mountain Standard Time on Friday, July 6, 2012.  I will put all of the names of the people who leave a comment on this post in a hat and draw a winner.

Good luck everyone!

So Adorable!

I came across this picture the other day and just had to check it out:

Aren't these the most adorable little baby sandals ever??? I just love them!

Naomi over at Lovely Little Life kindly allowed me to share her picture. She has the free pattern posted for these on her website. It can be found here.

Naomi is in the UK, so she used an aran weight cotton yarn. I have no idea if that is similar to the cotton yarn we get here in the States or not. Does anybody out there know what that is, or what a similar equivalent yarn would be?

Thank you Naomi for letting me share your picture (and pattern)!  I can't wait to make these :)

Thank You for the Awards but...

I have decided that from now on, my blog will be an Award Free Blog.

Much as I appreciate the award, I feel there are so many wonderful blogs out there that we are ALL winners!  A kind comment telling me you enjoy my blog or a particular post is good enough for me :)  Thank you for understanding.