And The Winner Is...

I had Chelsea draw a name for me and it looks like the winner is...

Kar from "Kar's Down Home Bliss"!
If you haven't visited her blog yet, get on over there. You'll love it!
She crochets all kinds of brightly colored beautiful goodies!

So~ Kar, if you don't mind, e-mail me your snail mail address and I'll send a surprise your way first thing next week. I sure hope you like it. Let me know when it arrives and I'll put a picture on my blog for everyone to see what you got.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Pretty Little Gifts

We live just 3 doors down the street from a fabulous second hand store. So, needless to say, the girls and I pop in there on a regular basis. My sweet Chelsea wandered in to rummage around a couple of days ago and came back with this darling birdhouse for her mama! She said she knew the minute she saw it I would love it. {I think the pink roses were her first clue! Plus ~ I do have a small collection of birdhouses.} Anyway, I do just love it!

This has been a week for pretty little gifts. First, my dear friend Amy showing up with the lovely tulips, then Chelsea bringing the birdhouse home and ... NEXT... It's MY TURN to be the gift giver. OOH! I just love to GIVE gifts. Especially when they're SURPRISES!!So~ let me remind all of you that tomorrow I will do a post and reveal the name of the winner in my first blog give away. I can hardly wait! I know I said originally I would put the names of those who commented on my 75th post into the drawing. But I'm actually going to include all the names from all the comments I've received on any post this week, in case any of my precious friends out there in The Land of Blog didn't see that particular post the other day.

Early in the week I laid aside all other current yarn creations and started working on a pretty little gift for one of you. I am ready to put a couple of final touches on {there will probably be some of my signature "blossoming" involved here!} so it will be ready for shipment by Monday.

After I announce the winner tomorrow I'll wait to get an e-mail telling me where to send the fun little package off to. Since I don't want to spoil the SURPRISE for the winner ahead of time, I will wait until after I know the package has arrived and then post a picture of the gift for all of you to see.

I have enjoyed making this gift so much that I'm going to do the same kind of thing again when I reach my 100th post, my first year anniversary, and maybe even every 50 posts! I mean, after all ~ it's my blog, my yarn & my time, so ~ I can do whatever I want!!!:-)

TaTa for now.

Don't forget to check in with me tomorrow to see which one of you I get to send this little surprise to!

A Smile On My Face

My dear friend Amy showed up at my door today with this lovely bunch of delicate little tulips.

Hearing a knock on my door, but not expecting anyone, I opened it and there she stood. She stepped in, thrust them at me, hugged me & away she went! What a breath of fresh air ~ the tulips AND the friend!

Thanks Amy!

The pretty square coffee pitcher was a Christmas gift I bought myself {I know ~ rather naughty!... but it WAS on sale... HONEST!} Don't you just love it?! Now you KNOW I had to HAVE it.

The cute little ducks, which Gabby sat and played with off & on all day, were another gift to self a few years ago. I found them in a hospital gift shop. I guess really the idea is to purchase something for the patient, but since I was there that day for a mammogram {or something utterly pleasant~I don't REALLY remember exactly what}, I decided I was the patient and, therefore, must have a little something! So, they found their way home with me. That was before there was a Gabby and now I am especially glad I bought them because she loves them so much.

Phoebe is another thing she loves so much. The two of them are partners in crime who keep this Grammy on her toes all day long. But they're so darn CUTE together that they get away with pretty much anything. No matter how long the day has been, their antics and Gabby's giggles send me off to bed with a smile on my face and a thankful heart!

Birthday Bash!

Yesterday we celebrated Chelsea's 21st birtday with the family over some homemade chicken pot pie, {mine being vegetable} which is her favorite dish of mine, and plenty of cake and ice cream! She requested a coconut cream cake so early in the day Gabby and I got busy!

Dinner was set for 4:oo but the family started arriving around 2:30 to fill the house with laughter and commotion. Becky, who would be technically classified as a "friend", was the only non family member here. She is however, more family to all of us than friend! DARN ~ I didn't get a picture of her shaking her groove thing in the kitchen with Gabby!

We had a great day with lots of food, laughs, and all around nonsense. We ended the evening with a couple of rounds of our favorite game "Apples to Apples". For those of you who like to play games, if you've never tried this one, it's a LOT OF FUN!

Today, being a typical MONDAY, I have loads of laundry, etc., etc., etc., BUT....... well....... I didn't get much knitting or crocheting done over the weekend, my feet sure do hurt from being on them all day yesterday, & I'm just a bit tuckered out! How's that for a list of excuses?!

The real issue is: THIS YARNAHOLIC NEEDS A FIX!

One last little picture. I'm sure you're all getting sick of seeing Phoebe & my other assorted "babies", BUT~ I just have to give you a peek at Phoebe wrestling down her best friend ~ Gabby's {but she thinks it's hers!} glow worm. She pounces on it to get it to light up and play lullaby music. Then stands back and cocks her head every direction like it's talking to her. It's hilarious!

Happy Monday to All!

****~~~**********~~~**********~~~**********~~~****

Coconut Cream Cake

1c. butter, softened

1c. milk

2c. sugar

1t. pure vanilla

3 eggs

1t. lemon extract

3c. flour

1t. butter flavoring

2 t. baking powder

Beat butter in large bowl at medium speed. Gradually add 2 cups of sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Combine flour & baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in flavorings.

Pour batter {which is thick} into 3 greased & floured 9" cake pans {I usually use 2 - 8x8x2" square pans}. Bake at 350 degrees for 25~30 minutes. Cool 10~12 minutes on wires racks.

Remove from pans & cool completely.

While cake is cooling, combine 1/2 cup of water & 1 tablespoon of sugar in small saucepan on stove & heat to boiling. Turn down & simmer for 3 minutes. Drizzle over cooled cake layers

{I usually poke the layers gently all over with a toothpick first}.

Spread 1 cup of coconut frosting {recipe following} on each layer, top with approximately 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, then stack them. Spread rest of frosting on cake & sprinkle remaining coconut over top & sides { I usually end up using the whole bag of coconut!}.

Coconut Frosting

3 c. shredded coconut {set aside}

2 c. heavy whipping cream

1/2 c. sugar

1t. pure vanilla

1t. lemon extract

2 drops butter flavoring

Combine all ingredients, except shredded coconut, in a meduim bowl & beat at medium speed until soft peaks form.

Yield 4 cups.

This makes a lovely cake for Easter. Also the coconut can be colored pink, green, or any pastel color you like!

I just realized this is my 75th post! WooHoo!! Time sure flys when you're having FUN!:-)

I'll put everyone's name who comments on this post into a drawing at the end of this week and have one of my daughters {or maybe Gabby!} draw a name. I'll announce the winner on Saturday and send off a little surprise gift!

Hmmm......... I feel a fun project coming on!

My Birthday Girl

Today my youngest daughter, Chelsea, is 21 years old. ~~UNBELIEVABLE!~~

How did she get this old & more like it...

HOW DID I GET THIS OLD?!!

Chelsea is quite a busy young lady these days.

She meets herself coming and going ~

{I tell her to wave as she passes herself by!}

She's a waitress & cosmetology student.

Plus Mommy to Princess Gabriella.

I am very proud of her and admire her endless energy, constant tenacity, and all around good attitude.

Not to mention she's just darn cute!!!:)

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHELSEA~

I sure do love you!

This is just a pretty little hair bauble I gave the future hairstylist for her birthday.

It was made by Theresa at Pumpkin Glass, an absolutely FANTASTIC bead shop here in Morton. The rose and 3 large leaves are vintage German glass beads. Isn't it gorgeous? Just the thing in that beautiful red hair! {Which I prayed for, by the way, during my pregnancy with Chelsea. My mother~in~law has that lovely hair & I wanted it for my daughter as well. Like I said... we just have to remember to ASK!}.

"Chidren are a gift from God; they are His reward." Psalm 127:3 The Living Bible

No matter how old they get, they are still our "chidren". Our constant, forever reward in this life!

Thank you Jesus, You have blessed my mightily!

Resting Easy

Just a quick post to let you know we are resting easy today. Gabby is away for awhile and the pups and I are enjoying some quiet time. Jose' is nestled down in some pillows on my bed while the two weenies are snuggled up keeping their mommy warm while she relaxes to an audio book with yarn and crochet hook in hand. {I'm still working with the ingredients from my bowl of "yarn soup"}. This is a picture of Phoebe and Sophie keeping my spot warm while I was brewing a cup of tea.

Phoebe is completely over her toxic reaction to the shot. It was 12:30 that night {the shot was administered at 10:00a.m.} before all of her swelling was gone. Her ears were the last thing to go down. She is once again chewing all of our shoes and causing a ruckus with Sophie & Jose'. So all is well with her.

Sophie has finally finished all her antibiotic from having 8 teeth pulled and is now able to eat her dry food again. The brushing starts next week! I'll need prayer coverage for that one too! I'm going to introduce them all to daily toothbrushing!!!

And I just have to show you this picture taken over the weekend of Scott covered in doggies! It's how we relax around here:-)

Many heartfelt thanks again to each and every one of you out there. Your prayers and comments of concern made me feel very much comforted and loved!

Please ~ always feel free to send any prayer requests you may have my way.

"And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." James 5:15

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." Matthew 18:20

Our God is mighty and He is able to do all that we ask. We just have to remember to ASK. And it ALWAYS helps to have someone agree with us in prayer. And after we ask, we REST... and WAIT... because our answer is coming down from the heavens, sometimes in the form of a miracle.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Matthew 11:28 & 29

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." Psalm 37:7a

"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint." Psalm 40:31

May you all be blessed today!

Please Pray for Phoebe

I need all of you to pray for my sweet little dachshund, Phoebe. She's 13 weeks old today & I just took her to the vet for shots. I've had to leave her there because she had a bad reaction. Her whole face, especially her lips, and one paw are TERRIBLY swollen. They've given her a couple of injections to counteract the reaction but have to watch her for a while & make sure her airway stays open. Right now her heart & lungs sound good. Please pray ~ I don't handle doggie emergencies real well.
Thanks everyone.
I'll keep you posted.

UPDATE
Thank you so much for those of you who have seen this and prayed. My animals are very precious to me.
Phoebe is home now and most of the swelling is gone. Her ears are still thick & swollen and the lips are still a little puffy, but she's eating, drinking and being a little like her rowdy self.
Just pray the swelling is completely gone & no other symptoms occur. The vet wants me to call if there is ANY swelling left before he leaves at 6p.m.
Once again ~ thanks.
Also pray for Scott {my hubby}. He just came home from work sick. This is a man who the last time he had the flu & missed 1 day of work, they looked at his record and realized he hadn't taken a sick day for over 7 years. Since his stomach surgery in November he hasn't had the flu ever. The type of surgery he had leaves him unable to ever vomit again. If this is the flu, it could be a bit of a rough go.
On tuesday of last week my 8 year old dachshund, Sophie, had to have 8 teeth pulled. She just spunked up yesterday. I'm ready for some peace & good health all the way around here!
I pray blessings on the rest of you today.

~UPDATE #2~
God is so GREAT!!!! Phoebe is almost back to normal & Scott was only home for a couple of hours then was well enough to return to work. Your prayers worked. When we come together in the Name of the Lord we can move mountains!

My sweet friend Kathy who lives in Georgia {we were BEST friends in high school}, sent me Lam. 3:22 in response to my prayer request. It soothed my soul. Thank you dear, dear friend.

"But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope;
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him." Lamentations 3: 21~24

Thank You Lord that You ARE my portion. You are water to my parched soul & I will ALWAYS have hope in YOU!

Roses, Fern & Pearls

What do you get when you start with Roses, surround them by some Fern & throw in some Pearls?

A lovely, romantic Valentine gift? Well... sometimes... But this time what you get is a bowl full of scrumptious yarn!

Now ~ before I go any further ~ I must confess to everyone that I am a bona fide, unwavering, dyed in the wool {pun definitely intended here!} yarn snob!!! My girlfriend Karen is always amazed that I can usually tell the fiber content of her clothing from across the room! And on those rare occassions when I cannot be 100% certain, it only takes one little snif & voila'! ~ I usually know at least the top note. The fragrance of fine fiber is like sweet perfume to me.

So, all that being said, I am more shocked than anyone who knows me well could be {even my crochet/knitting students know me for the snob I am}, I have found an acrylic ~ Yes, I said ACRYLIC {and I mean 100% so}, yarn I have fallen head over heals in love with!

It's Vanna's Choice ~ put out, of course, by the lovely Vanna White, who is not only one of America's favorite sweethearts, but is also a Crochet Queen who has been Lion Brand's national spokesperson for 15 years. I mean ~~~ who doesn't love Vanna! So, I figured her yarn was worth a try, especially since the price is somewhat less than this fiber snob usually pays. Now, don't misunderstand me, I still have a natural, deep down abiding love & preference for NATURAL FIBERS {AND my "family" at my fabulous local yarn shop ~ Ewenique Yarns ~ where 99.9% of my yarn comes from}, however, I do like this yarn. It is unbelievably soft for an acrylic and has that wonderful added bonus of being completely machine washable & dryable. Plus, I really like the color choices.

Therefore, it will from time to time show up in my handwork from now on. As a matter of fact, it made its debut for me in that "Rambling Rose" poncho I just finished recently. The new project I've started with it is using the color ROSE MIST. It's pictured in the bowl along with color choices: FERN & PEARL MIST.

What a lovely bowl of Yarn Soup it makes!

May you all have a Happy Heart today!!!

Birthdays & Bloomers

Remember last week when I mentioned it was my girlfriend Karen's birthday? Well, I finally had her over to celebrate today. {Only a FEW days late!} But, you know how hectic life gets and like I said before, Karen is a busy mother of three and is currently doing her clinical time in nursing school. So, today we did the girl thing... scones, coffee {tea for me}, lunch, gossip, more scones, more gossip... you get the picture! Basically we ate, drank, laughed and solved all the worlds problems in about a 3 1/2 hour span. It was good.

After she had to leave, I decided to check in at the Land of Blog to see what all you girls are up to today. If you've never visited La Tea Dah at Gracious Hospitality, you should pop over for awhile. You'll LOVE her blog!:) When I saw what she had pictured today I decided to strut my stuff with my cute little bloomer set also. This was a gift from Becky and it looks adorable hanging in my kitchen!

Happy Day!

Rainy Day Roses

On this rainy day I am staying inside where I am still working on scattering roses with my hooks and needles. I'm enjoying the different color combinations of the Debbie Bliss cotton washcloths and now have 4 roses completed. This yarn is nice to work with because it is so soft and comforting while it glides through my fingers. And before I know it another little rose has blossomed!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The other project I have going {because I NEVER have just one at a time}, is more rosy slippers. There's a need for more PINK, of course, and then I must make a purple & off white pair. I sold a pink pair at the local yarn shop this week. So now I still need more for gift giving and selling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I really enjoy making both of these items because, well ... after all ... there are ROSES involved {and plenty of PINK}!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, today's tea selection is, naturallly ~ Rose Petal ~ in my beautiful china cup and saucer set that Hilary gave me for Mother's Day a few years ago. Gotta love a daughter like that!:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~And last, but most certainly not least~ I leave you with a picture of my favorite rose covered Princess ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Smelling Like A Rose

Once again ~ I'm LOVING my new book: "The Chicks with Sticks ~ Guide To Crochet" by Nancy Queen & Mary Ellen O'Connell. I knew the minute I saw these darling washcloths pictured on page 73 that I just HAD to make some. The timing is just perfect for some cute little, quick to make up, Valentine gifts.

The yarn I used is Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton in dusty rose with a dusty teal center. The colors are so pretty and the cotton is so soft and who doesn't love anything Debbie Bliss comes up with?! Her designs and yarns are at the top of my list of favorites. So this morning I'm off to my local yarn shop, Ewenique Yarns, {where not only do I have stalker status, I was actually the very first customer in the door when they opened a few years ago!} to buy another color or two to see what pretty combinations I can come up with. Naturally, I already had 5 skeins of PINK in my stash! Plus there was that partial skein of the teal left over from a cute little baby shrug I knit a couple of years ago.

I really like how puffy these washcloths look on one side. The fun thing though is that they are pretty on both sides. I can just imagine how heavenly it will feel to cleanse your face with one or lather one up with some pretty scented soap and soak in a nice warm bubble bath. Ahh... I can hear that bathtub calling my name.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

While visiting Mimi's Garden, one of my favorite blogs, a few days ago, I decided to play along with a little game of hers. She listed "10 Things I Love" starting with the letter "H", which had been assigned to her by another blogger. So I contacted her & she gave me the letter "B".

So here's my list: {O.K. ~ I'll confess right now ~ I didn't follow the rules exactly! Go Figure!!! My list is actually 20 items long. As I'm sure you've noticed, I never ever say in 5 words what I could say in 75 words!}

20 Things I Love That Start With The Letter "B"~

*Babies {even the furry kind!]

*Bible Reading

*Books, books & more books
*Blue Skys

*Breezy Summer Days

*Berries

*Birds

*Begonias

*Baking
*Bracelets

*Bed & Breakfasts

*Butterflys

*Being at Home

*Boyfriend {yes, I know Scott is my HUSBAND, however I still refer to him as my "boyfriend"}

*Bunnies
*Bicycles

*Beauty {it's everywhere}
*Blogs {had to include this one}

*Bath Time!

*Baa~baa! {as in SHEEP, as in WOOL, which got me to YARN~ because I had to figure out a way to go there! As with all addicts~ all roads eventually lead to our obsessions!}


Bye~Bye for now!

It's A Wrap!

After yesterday mornings necessary shopping trip to replace the glasses Phoebe ate, I got serious about finishing that poncho. As I started laying out and sewing on the roses with stems and leaves I got more and more excited to see it completed. Adding roses {or any flower} to an item ALWAYS gets my blood flowing!

The pictures make the crocheted poncho appear to be more of a true red than it actually is. The color is labeled "antique rose". Needless to say, I LOVE it. I knit the roses up in a pretty off white and the leaves and I-cord stems are knit from my favorite soft green baby alpaca. I'm pleased with the vintage look this color combination conjures.

Of course, I did require some feline assistance {all doggies were napping at this point}. Mercedes felt that she should oversee the final touches to make sure they were purr~fect!

As for the new glasses ~ they are too cute & I really like them. Sadly, however, they were fresh out of rose colored ones. So, I opted for a soft navy blue to match my baby blues! And really, looking at life through rose colored glasses is a state of mind nobody can take away from me anyway!

Without further ado, here's the finished garment. Hope you all like it. I'm glad it's FINALLY a wrap!

The Scene of the Crime {otherwise known as Miss Phoebe in the Kitchen with the Knitting Needles}

While Gabby was finally napping yesterday afternoon, I picked up my knitting to finish the roses for the poncho I'm STILL working on. When I reached the point of being ready to bind off 90 stitches for the last flower, I laid everything down on my kitchen table and left the room for about 5 minutes. During that time Chelsea went out the back door to leave for school but had forgotten to do something in the kitchen and returned for a brief moment. From the other room I said another goodbye to her. Upon my return to the kitchen {now known as "the scene of the crime"}, I found Phoebe wanting to "help" me along with my project. Apparently even SHE realizes I'm taking too long with this one! Now~ I had to ask myself, "How did a long bodied, short legged fur pants get ahold of something that I KNOW I left on the table? I looked around for an accomplice, but... alas, there was no cat in sight, and as I mentioned before, Gabby was sleeping. Without wasting too much time thinking about it {I AM a blonde after all}, I confiscated {which the dictionary says means: to take or seize by AUTHORITY} the stolen articles, returning them back to the kitchen table.

Then {still being a blonde}, I left the kitchen again, without thinking it might be a good idea to investigate the scene of the crime for anything else that might be out of place. {You'll never see me on CSI!}. This time it was approximately 10 minutes before my return to THE KITCHEN. At which time I discovered the before said THIEF {little Miss Phoebe} EATING MY READING GLASSES! This time, as cute as it was, grabbing the camera was NOT my first thought. Instead I made a lunge for the glasses and Phoebe, thinking it was all a great game at this point, held firm to her looted bounty! After some struggle ensued I {being the one in AUTHORITY} won the battle. However, the victory was a short lived one... you guessed it... I'm off to Vintage Optical here in town today to replace the reading glasses. And ~ doggone ~ those were my favorite little "rose colored glasses". They're still somewhat usable, if I don't mind puppy teeth marks in the lenses and being scratched half to death on the side of the head when I put them on and they pull half my hair out! The problem is, I've always had perfect eyesight but I got over that about the same time I got over being 40. Now I must have these little cheaters if I want to actually SEE what I'm knitting.

By the way, to solve the crime at last, I finally figured out that when Chelsea returned to the kitchen momentarily, she must have knocked my knitting and glasses onto the floor in her haste to get back out of the house, because sitting there on the chair, where I had been sitting before the whole crime occurred, was the diaper bag from her car. {Once again~ Blondie didn't notice that until the last minute!} Therefore, you see, it wasn't Phoebe's fault after all. It was Chelsea's. This makes Phoebe feel MUCH better about the whole thing. Now she can put the unpleasant episode behind her... until the next misunderstanding takes place.

What A Night!

All day yesterday Gabby and I talked about having company for the evening as we cleaned house together. As you can imagine, she's a great little helper. We even cleaned the bird cages {ICK!}. She loves to get on the business end of a broom. I just have to watch that none of the doggies receive an accidental thump on the head while she's wielding it!

We had cousin Heidi and her two children, Tanner & Chloe, over for a pizza night. Heidi is just home from spending Christmas and the month of January in Denver, Colorado with her family. We hadn't seen her and the kids since their return, so we thought it was high time for them to meet new puppy Phoebe, come play with Gabby, catch up on chit~chat and FINALLY let me give Heidi that Christmas present that's been hanging around on my shelf waiting for her return!

Gabby was excited and anxiously awaiting her playmates all afternoon. The only problem was that she never took a nap. Her head is still stuffy for one thing. The other thing is she waits for her Aunt Hilary to get home from work all day. The minute Hilary was in the door, at about 5:20, Gabby started asking for "Elvis, Elvis!". Believe it or not, my not yet 2 year old granddaughter is addicted to Elvis on YouTube. So Hilary brings it up on the computer and we all usually dance around the room with ole Elvis the Pelvis. {Gabby especially loves it if Becky is here to join in!} Anyway~ I was still tidying up {cleaning the bathroom ~ more ICK!} so there was no jirating for me. Gabby being a bit tired at this point just sat on Aunt Hil's lap in front of the computer and at 6:00 in the evening her head hit the desk and she was OUT! We moved her to the couch thinking she would wake up when our company arrived with all the fanfare of 3 doggies announcing them. But...NO. We couldn't wake her. No matter WHAT we did she literally snored through the hub~bub until 9:00.

Needless to say, once she came to, ate, and played, she was REALLY AWAKE! Since her mommy meets herself coming & going between work and school and never gets enough sleep, Grammy took the night shift in the rocking chair with the movie ELF playing. She finally drifted back to sleep & I put her to bed at 2:30 a.m.! It was nearly 3 a.m. when I crawled into bed and at precisely 3:28 Scott rolled over & Phoebe, who was sleeping on his chest, hit the hard wood floor. Poor little thing was stunned but O.K. The rest of my night was filled with tossing & turning and weird dreams! You know how those nights go ~ we all have them sometimes!

Anyway, we did have a good evening and so far all things seem to be set to rights today.

After all :

"This is the day the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

And when there are babies in the house, things may be unpredictable, but there is ALWAYS rejoicing involved!

Oh Happy Day!

We are having a lovely sunny day here in our castle. Jose is feeling much better today, for which I am very thankful, especially since today is his birthday. The little prince is 7 years old today. He has been his usual feisty chihuahua self today, even enjoying a bit of sunshine. I've only caught him trying to sneak Puppy Chow once so far. Just like the rest of us ~ just because something makes our tummy sick doesn't mean we don't want to try again!
Happy Birthday Little Man!

The other picture is of some of my favorite knitting needles. They're harmony wood from Knit Picks. I have the whole set in circulars as well. They are smooth and have perfect tips for making every knitting endeavor turn out beautifully. Plus, with all the pretty colors they are a feast for the eyes while they work their magic!

Today is also my girlfriend Karen's birthday. {I'll be nice & not mention her age!} Even though she's had to spend the whole day slaving away at nursing school, I hope she's had some fun somewhere. Karen is an amazing, Godly woman. She has a son in college, a daughter in high school, another son in kindergarten and she's in nursing school. Whew! You Go Girl!!! {And Go and Go and Go ~ she's like the Ever Ready battery bunny ~ she just keeps on going!}

We've had lots of laughter and good times over the years and done some trudging through life's true grit with each other. She is much loved and treasured!

"She is far more precious than jewels." Proverbs 31:10b

Happy Birthday Karen!

*I know sticking that picture of my knitting needles in between a couple of birthday salutes may seem a bit odd ~ but any "happy day" for me always includes my knitting needles!

Help! I'm Crocheting & I Can't Stop!

Here's a sneak peek at the poncho I'm working on. I finished the crocheting and construction of it this afternoon. Instead of adding an elaborate edging I opted for the old standby scallop. Anything else would have fought with the pattern too much. Tomorrows project will be finishing the knitted roses {I have one done}, then making the leaves and some I-cord stems. Once it's all put together I'll take a proper picture of Griselda {my name for my mannequin~ don't ask me why, it's just the first name that came to my mind ~ how weird is that?!} wearing it & show just what embellishments can do! I mean, after all, I DO like to fling flowers on anything that will stand still and take it.

While I was knitting the rose, this is what was going on around me. Gabby and BaPa {that's Grandpa in Gabby~ese} were kicked back in the recliner watching Toy Story, which is Gabby's current favorite and must be watched about 15 times a day right now. Grammy could do a one woman show on it at this point!

And my little Jose was tucked under his mommy's sweater up on the bed. Though Gabby and I are mostly over our sniffles, there's a sick poochie in the house today. When I wasn't looking yesterday he got some of Phoebe's Puppy Chow and since he has to eat only a special hypo~allergenic food from the vet {THE most expensive kind they have}, he's a bit puny today. We're hoping for a better day tomorrow for him.

Nighty ~ Night everybody!

Creativity Blooms Afresh

I spent the weekend fighting a case of the sniffles that Gabby graciously shared with me. Well, actually... I didn't put up too much of a struggle. Mostly I succumbed by snuggling into my warm shawl I just recently crocheted for myself, with my feet {bedecked in my rosy pink slippers!} propped up and dogs {and a sea of tissues & plenty of hot tea} surrounding me while I pored through some pattern books looking for new inspiration. After knitting 5 pairs of slippers, I was ready to move onto something else.
So, I'm starting with the stitch pattern of a crocheted wrap from one book and reconstructing it to look like a knitted wrap from another book. Then I'll either crochet or knit up some roses to sprinkle across the top and possibly finish it off with a crocheted edge from yet another book. Whew! This creativity stuff uses up some of the little gray cells sometimes!

The three books I'm working with are some of my favorites:

"The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Crochet" by Nancy Queen & Mary Ellen O'Connell
"Knitted Flowers " by Nicky Epstein
"Crocheting on the Edge" by Nicky Epstein

* I really like Nicky Epstein. Does it show?

When the project is finished it's going to be a poncho. I'll show it off in a few days. Then put it in my Etsy shop. {No matter how much Chelsea begs for it!}

Happy Monday to all!