resolutions

When I was in 5th grade my new year's resolution was to not watch anyone blow their nose for an entire year. I think it's the only resolution I ever kept. This year I won't be making resolutions. I am just going to try to get back into a healthier lifestyle like I was during the summer.

What was your strangest resolution? Did you keep it? Are you making any this year? (feel free to answer even if you've never commented before)

happy christmas

May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,

The gladness of Christmas give you hope,

The warmth of Christmas grant you love.

~Author Unknown

75 Cent Teacher Gifts

Seventy-five cents is actually a guess. I didn't stop to figure out the exact price. They were inexpensive, anyway. I knit a bunch of little stockings (for reference, the plate in the picture is dinner-sized) and filled them mostly with dollar store items. The hand sanitizer came two to a pack and was the most expensive single item included. The clementines came in a big bag from Costco (we barely put a dent in the bag making our 13 stockings). Pencils and erasers came in packages that were divided. I bought the kisses for something else, had some left over so I just put them in for fun (and so I wouldn't eat them all myself). I made the hard suckers with a friend, also inexpensive. I'm told the teachers liked, if not loved, their little gifts. I liked making them.

Yummy!

Tessa. Eating cotton candy. At 10:30 Saturday morning. Yikes.

Yes, There is a Santa Claus

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist... Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS...

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! ... Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world...

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

- Francis Pharcellus Church New York Sun 1897

I've always known she's incredible

but really? REALLY? Oh my.

If you want to check out some amazing crafting, I recommend At Second Street. I've known this girl for what feels like forever. I consider her one of my many sisters-in-law. Really she isn't but how can one tell? I grew up with her husband and his sister, they were our neighbors. She's also the sister of my amazing sister-in-law. Her kids call my parents "Grandma & PopPop" and my kids aren't sure how they aren't cousins.

But until today I never realized how truly awesome her crafty gene is! Check her out, you won't regret it!

At Second Street

tis the season for teacher gifts

This year I thought it would be fun, inexpensive and easy to crochet some mini stockings for teachers.

But that didn't work.

Then I remembered I know how to knit! Socks, even! So I dug out my needles, located all Christmas-ish yarn and went to work. I figured the girls can fill the socks with a clementine, some homemade caramel (well, we're going to attempt homemade caramel anyway!), pencils & maybe erasers (from the dollar store) and (if I can find them! would you believe no luck so far?) candy canes.

The beauty about these is that because they won't be given in pairs, I don't have to make any two alike or follow any sort of a pattern (and believe me, they aren't and I'm not!). The horror? Now that my oldest is in 7th grade I have 6 more teachers! (I'm about halfway done)

building a crocodile

I thought I might like to make a post showing the construction of one of my creatures. This one is a crocodile I'm making for a new friend who lives in New York. Lucky her! I think she said she lives an hour to an hour and a half outside of the city. I want to go there. I'm a little jealous of my crocodile. But whining about that isn't why I'm here! I'll get back to it. Oh and a little fwiw in case you are interested in doing so, I believe clicking on the pictures will enlarge them.

This is the first picture I took and I did so last night. I was crocheting whilst watching one of my favorite shows online after the kids had gone to bed. I paused after sewing the mouth and crocheting teeth in the lower jaw. I usually prefer to crochet in round, but the croc really seemed better off being made flat first.

I worked on him some during church, attaching the eyes and such (sure hope the pastor didn't mind!). This afternoon we watched A Christmas Story and Elf (hey, it's Sunday!) and I crocheted some more. I love the weekends! As you can see I went with a lighter green for the bottom, I guess I felt it would look more natural. I think I like it that way though I may perhaps just do the belly lighter and the mouth all dark if I again make a crocodile. I attached the bottoms and continued with the dark green (crocheting in the round this time!) for the tail.

Here he is getting his sides sewn and ready for stuffing. His tail had been stuffed already. (oh and you may recognize the bag in the picture ... I won it in a contest a friend hosted on her blog and now take it everywhere with me!)

I crocheted lines down his back, I guess to make him look more real too. That's the way most of them seemed in the pictures I looked at. Most of the animals I make come out of my head but sometimes when I can't quite get a picture, I'll google. My favorite inspirations come from coloring pages.

This picture is a little on the dark side. Sorry about that. Here I'm making his legs. I first crocheted 4 small squares that I sewed into triangles. The main part of the legs were attached by putting the top of the triangle inside the leg and sewing. I hadn't tried anything like that before and I was quite happy with it! The last thing to do was attach the legs and give him a name...

Silas

a puppet named Porter

I named this little guy after my nephew because of how much he liked my pup before it was even anywhere near being finished.

I never knew I could feel so strongly about yarn. But grief, I love this guy!

I made another monkey

He's for a friend's sister who just had a baby! I love requests! I'm finishing up a puppy about whom I am very excited and after that I need to make a crocodile (another request). Oh! And an alien! I have the yarn to finish him. And maybe I'll make a giraffe. My brain is all over the place today. I think It's time to shower & get dressed.

a giveaway

So a blogging friend of mine posted about a giveaway on another blog (Works in Progress). I clicked on the link. Trouble.

Oh. My. Check out this awesome prize:

Seriously? Are you kidding me? I really tried not to enter the contest. Really. But how could I help it? And not only did I enter once (leaving her a comment) but I subscribed to her blog for a second entry and here I am blogging about it for a third! What kind of friend am I? Making my poor, poor friend's chances even smaller still. Dear, I hope you can forgive me but really, these buttons alone are worth the entries!

So, go enter if you want. How could I possibly blame you?

a christmas cup of tea

Just a few pictures from decorating day ...

The Festival of Trees runs from today through Saturday at the South Towne Expo Center. Tickets can be purchased at Zions Bank for a discount or at the door. Come see Lucy's tree! (Aisle A; space 4 - right next to the Coca-Cola tree)

decorating day

"The Season to be Jolly" tree, 2008

Tomorrow is decorating day for The Festival of Trees. I expect to spend the day wiring, gluing, hanging, laughing, crying and eating scones at the South Towne Expo Center as we prepare Lucy's 6th tree. Thank you to all who donated!

The Festival runs from Wednesday, December 2nd through Saturday December 5th. If you are in the Salt Lake City area during that time, go! You won't regret it. It's an amazing cause and the trees, wreaths, gingerbread houses, etc, etc, are equally amazing. Lucy's tree will be on aisle A, tree space 4.

(P.S. All, all, absolutely ALL of the money raised goes to help sick kids and their families, and what's more, everything there is donated!)

turkey

I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with turkey, potatoes,

and stuffing,

With family, friends, and love.

But perhaps more importantly, I hope you ate pie.

And more pie.

I know I did.

Oscar's Friends

Oscar's Friends:

Bubbles!

Goldie!

Franklin!

underbelly

My friend Jennifer (Hi!) said I ought to post a picture of Oscar's belly, so here it is:

Oscar

When I was a little girl I always sort of believed my stuffed animals were alive. I felt like they could talk to me. The story of The Velveteen Rabbit spoke my heart. I loved my stuffed friends. Perhaps that is why I very much love creating these animals out of yarn and fluff.

Oscar is the first in a set of sea creatures I'm working on. I haven't quite decided what I will do with them, but I love him regardless. On the hook right now is a multi-colored fish. I imagine it will only take a fraction of the time Oscar took, what with all those legs and suction cups. I hope you love him as much as I do!

we went to moab, utah

Veterans' Day

My dad in Vietnam, 1969

I don't deserve to have anyone die or be willing to die for me and yet, thousands have. Thank you, Veterans.

t-rex

ROAR!

(he has a face only a mama could love)

animal friends

these seven friends were requested by a friend of mine for Christmas gifts. I started them last week and finished this morning. L-R we have a duckling, bear, pig, ladybug, monkey (his tail is curved and cute! I was proud of myself for being able to figure out how to do that!), bee and lion.

***

And for another friend and her daughter, I made a frog & a white horse. I was particularly proud of the froggie's eyes. I've never made them quite like this and I was very happy with how they turned out.

twins

I love babies. Probably everyone knows I love babies; it's no great secret. My neighbor recently had twin boys so I got my scissors out and started cutting. P.S. I also love rag blankets er, nokies.