Crocheted Valentine's Day Hearts

As much as I hate to stray from my pictures from my night Dancing with the Stars (did I mention that I got to meet Derek Hough and Mark Ballas!?!?!?!) - I felt I should get this blog back to this sort of stuff.......

I found this great little pattern for Sweet Crocheted Hearts on Bella Dia's blog -http://belladia.typepad.com/bella_dia/2008/02/sweet-heart-cro.html and thought I'd give it a try myself since I really don't have that many cute Valentine's Day decorations.

Give it a try if you want - it's super simple and you can add any sort of details that you want. I'm planning to add more vintage buttons to mine and then probably string them into a garland to hang somewhere in the house.

I'm also planning to try this Valentine's Day Craft from Heather Bullard - Vintage Inspired Living.

http://heatherbullard.typepad.com/heather_bullard_collectio/2009/01/valentine-craft.html

Her blog is so beautiful - it's sure to inspired you! I just found the $1 wooden hearts she mentions at Joann's on Saturday in their dollar section. I'll have to let you know how they turn out!

Check out my Etsy shop soon - here are some pictures of items I am trying to get listed today. My girl is due home from school in about 20 minutes and the boy is stirring from his nap - so that may or may not happen, but we'll see!

Craft Shows Here I Come

Just wanted to share with you a few pictures of the items I'll have for sale in Indiana these next few weeks. The first show is Saturday, November 15th and the second is Saturday, December 6th. I will also be setting up in my town during the Christmas Tyme Celebration on the 6th. I'll be at Milestone Portraits again (same place we had our pictures taken a few weeks ago) I'm headed to the post office to ship everything off to my sister as soon as my boy gets up from his nap and his sister steps off of the school bus.

Along with the hats and diaper/wipe bags, I'll have an assortment of other items - pillowcase skirts, glamo camo items, fleece hats, and bibs. I really wanted to have more ready, but this was all I could get done. My sweet hubby has offered to take the kids all day Sunday so that I can have the entire day to sew. So, hopefully I'll have more items to add to my Etsy shop. Getting antsy for some apron sewing!

Drum Roll...........And We Have A Winner!!!!!

I'm so excited - this was so much fun! Thank you all for all of your comments. I had a great time reading all of your thoughts and suggestions.

The winner of a Child's Hat is.... JINXY AND ME!!!!

Here's what she had to say: "I like the sweater! It's really pretty - I would wear it in a heartbeat. I would love to win a child size hat. Thanks for the giveaway!"

Congratulations! I'll be contacting you soon! You'll be receiving the hat in the picture.

The final tally on the sweater: Yay's: 42 Nay's: 26

That's enough Nay's for me to make some changes to my sweater. Not that I feel like I have to please everyone, but as much as I hated to admit it, I did feel like something was missing, or that it just wasn't quite done. So if you suggested that I take the lace off, sorry, that's not gonna happen - because frankly, I don't see how that would make it any more than a pullover I cut up. Once it's done, I'll post the final results.

In honor of this most successful GiveAway, I've decided to hold more! So, stay tuned for details!

A Hook and Yarn

Several years ago, during a trip to Mississippi, my mother in law gave me a handful of these crochet hooks that her father had hand carved from a Bodock tree. On the drive back to Alabama, she taught me a simple chain stitch, and from then on, I've been hooked!

I bought a book on crochet and taught myself. I love having an excuse to sit down, do something relatively mindless and somewhat meditative, and still be productive. Of course, my husband is still scared to death that I'll crochet him a sleeveless vest or even a tie and expect him to wear it.

Please look past my unkept fingernails. I know you'll forgive me since I have been cleaning up after my 2 year old boy today - let's see.....cereal mixed with water dumped in my bathroom sink (then more water blasted on top, makes a great mushy mess), an entire box (not bag) of goldfish crackers dumped out in his lap, while strapped in his carseat while travelling down the highway - these crackers are now wedged in various locations inside my car since they were hurled at me while I was driving, one large glass of water poured onto the carpet in my bedroom - which had been sitting quietly on a bedside table, and last but not least - a bottle of massage oil from a decade ago (because, honestly, who has a two year old and a 6 year old and has a need for massage oil?!!) was poured out onto my tile (thankfully, not carpet) floor - this makes a great slippery surface for mom or dad when exiting the shower. Now then.........So, I've gotten my hooks out again and started working on these:

Don't the yo-yo's look pretty?? My sweet sister has volunteered to man several craft shows for me in Indiana this holiday season. So, these are hopefully headed that direction before too long -

do you crochet?

Vintage Hats

This past weekend, I flew to Birmingham to help my mother-in-law with a garage sale. She is down sizing to a smaller house, and let me tell you - this was no ordinary run of the mill garage sale. You could easily have furnished another house with all of the stuff she had for sale. Thankfully, it was successful, and she's just a few days away from moving into her new house. Everyone involved is relieved that that day is almost here - especially my mother-in-law.

The weekend was also a get away for me. It's the first time I've really left my boy for any length of time, and the longest stretch for me to leave my hubby with the kids. It really was a good break for me, even though it was lots of work, I'm still glad I was able to get out there.

Let me tell you, that flight going out was the most peaceful experience I've had in a long time. Once on the plane, I looked at the guy sitting next to me and said, "I don't know what to do with myself! I've usually got two little ones to contend with!". I stared a the seat in front of me for awhile, then got out my book and read the rest of the way.

I packed very light. And it was nice - no stuffed animals, snacks, books, DVD player, car seat to contend with - but I knew I'd probably be coming home with a few treasures also.

I wanted to share with you all these great vintage hats I brought home. They belonged to my husband's grandmother - Ninny Johnson. I'm not sure what I'll do with them - how to display them. If you have any great ideas, let me know! But, I do love having them. Do you all know anything about hats? I'm new to this - I love the black straw one the best I think. Although, the green one really makes brings out the green in my eyes - as if I'll be wearing it out somewhere! Wouldn't it be fun if women still wore hats like this? I have 2 fun 50's dresses that are hanging in my closet. One is black, and could easily be worn out today, I may get brave one day and wear it - they both just make you feel beautiful.

Don't you just love the bags under my eyes?! Lovely. My boy is sick though, I have an excuse. His temperature got up to 105.7 today - got me a concerned for sure! I took him to the doctor - she says it's a nasty viral infection. Poor little guy was just a mess today. After dinner though (which he ate), he proceeded to pester his sister. So, I'm hoping that's a good sign that he's over the hump and starting to feel better.