Monday night traditions

I'm ready for 80s week on DWTS!  Here's the start of a bigger pumpkin... Hope you love my flannel from '97  seriously, I've had them since 7th grade!  LOL

Quick update

Hi everyone!  Seems like it's been forever doesn't?  I'm sorry about that - life has gotten in the way of me doing fun things like blogging!  I've still been crocheting, I just haven't had too many lunch breaks over the past 2 weeks (and when I have, I've been spending all my time reading YOUR blogs to catch up!)

Instead of continuing to hold onto some pictures I've taken in the past 3 weeks, I figured I'd just to a quick run through today before my lunch hour is up!

Here is the completed Eggplant Infinity (made scarf with THIS pattern) and Hat which was given to a co-worker on her last day

This black hat is identical to the Eggplant one above and was given to my friend Amanda for her birthday, I was only like 2 weeks late too :-)

This awesome tower of cotton (my apologies for the HORRIBLE cell phone picture.  This is proof of what can happen when you race to take pictures at like 7 a.m. on a cloudy week day morning!) was purchased at AC Moore back in September at prices that were close to them paying me to take it out of the store!  Okay, so there were $3-something a piece but considering how much I'll be able to crochet with them (and potentially sell finished projects like spa cloths for Christmas gifts) I'll definitely be making some $$$

Some time as been spent on a Christmas gift that I don't want to share until it's completed...

Yesterday morning I had the "crochet bug" and spent a couple of hours on the couch crocheting while enjoying my coffee* and catching up on some of my TV shows.

First I finished up this:

I'm officially ready to do dishes this holiday season!

I then took this stuff....

and made this!

is that "punkin'" not the cutest thing you've ever seen?  Seriously I can't get enough of it's cuteness!  I actually wanted bigger pumpkins for my Autumn decorations so this little guy came into work with me today and was donated to our dept holiday decorations.  It's a hit.

The "square" that the punkin' is sitting on is the start of another Timeout Cowl - this one is for my Mom's birthday next month.  It's now about double the size shown above, but no additional pictures have been taken.

*2 updates on the food-front:

1. If you're a fan of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes, try and find International Delights Pumpkin Pie Spice creamer.  With good coffee and Splenda I think it takes JUST like a Pumpkin Spice Latte!  This is going to save me loads this fall!!
2. I made Megan's Broccoli Cheese Soup for dinner last night and it was a hit!  It's so yummy and only calls for 1 cup of milk.  I love this vs. many other cream based soup recipes that want you to use cream etc.  I had leftovers for lunch today and I'm ready to make it again!  We will definitely be having more of this over the course of fall/winter as well!

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope that you all enjoyed the wonderful fall weather that many of us had over the weekend :-)

Could you do me a favor?

Voting has begun on Maybe Matilda's Crochet-a-long Cowls!  Click HERE to vote - you have until Monday to help determine the winner...

It would be AWESOME if you could vote for me :o)

Happy Friday everyone!  Have an amazing autumn weekend!

Finished cowl - completed CAL

I spent my evening crochet time working to finish my cowl for the CAL that Rachel has been hosting.  This was a fun crochet-a-long to participate in for a couple of reasons:
1.  nice lengthy, detailed schedule to help us all along (it was also great that Rachel took the time to teach those who had never crocheted before)
2.  easy pattern to pick up and put down throughout the CAL
3.  great pattern for everyone to really make this their own! It's great to see how the creative juices flowed while yarn was selected and length was determined, etc.  If you check out the link above there are photos to all the cowls made - they're waiting for voting to begin on Friday (i.e. on Friday, click on the link above and vote for my Berries cowl!!

I don't mean to brag but how CUTE is my cowl?!?!  It looks 100 times better around my neck then folded up on the table

Start voting for me on Friday k?  I'm going to put away this early made Christmas gift (thinking I'll make a matching hat of sorts in the coming months)

Also - GO YANKEES!

oops

I was just thinking back to my first and most recent Granny Square projects and wanted to link a picture to my comment here.  I realized that I don't think I ever posted about said blanket, so I looked in the photos on my phone and found not 1, but 3 (well 2 1/2) blankets that I didn't post pictures of!

This was my first Giant Granny Blanket which was made given to my Momma for Christmas.  Seems there is no completed picture of this one either (I'm becoming a bit of a failure at picture taking it seems!)

Below is what I started last spring for myself.  I wanted something for reading on the balcony on cool nights.  I picked "beachy" colors for thoughts of summer days...

This is all the further I got before I decided that I wanted to make my Grannie a blanket as a thank you for hosting my Bridal Shower in April.  Below is what I made her - I apologize in advance for the world's worst pictures for a finished project

The center is not white, that's the flash....it really is a square but for some reason thought that hanging this off the ironing board half crumpled in my parents kitchen was a good place to photograph my hard work.  It was likely the morning of my shower, I had probably just finished weaving in those damn ends and was racing to get it wrapped - typical.  I'm assuming I had just finished ironing my dress!

This one was to show off my scalloped border - first time I've done that on a blanket before! Love it!

I wish I had a picture handy of my Grannie with the blanket at the shower.  She loved it and still does!  I talk to her twice a day and she's always telling me how perfectly the colors match the flowers in her gardens (she LOVES to garden!)  I never get tired of hearing how much someone loves a gift that I made them.

Moving past Granny's (and my Grannie) - I don't think I ever gave you more than a preview for this little guy

 This car seat blanket went to my friend Paula's little boy Sam.  I LOVE this pattern!  It's the 2nd one I made and gave away.  The pattern is from one of my first crochet books and I just love the idea of a smaller blanket for the car seat that doesn't get all nasty and dirty from dragging on the ground!

Here's a close up of the detail as well - I love the braided cord detail that's added at the end.

I can think of 2 more blankets off the top of my head that I made in 2011 that I've never photographed or posted .  One is 100% completed and lives at my house (Jonathan's surprise Christmas gift last year) so it'll be easy to photograph.  The other was a gift to my MOH that it's 100% done, so also at home with me, waiting to be finished.
I'll add these to the list of "need to post" photos that I'm still holding hostage.

Happy Hump Day everyone!

How needs to eat anyway?!?!

Who has time these days for a lunch hour?  Not me that's for sure.  Recruiting has slowed down just enough for the year end process to ramp up!  This means I take pictures of my crafty progress in the mornings, never take my lunch hour, go home, rinse and repeat.  This equals no posting of updates on current projects, finished projects or the frustration that comes when trying to get from start to finish.  Yes, theoretically I could post from home at night, but bite your tongue!  That's my crocheting time :o)

I have 5 completed projects to share.  I only have pictures from one being held hostage on my phone by my lack of free time these days (other photos include the blocking process for finishing this project which are now dated and useless).  One is finished and sitting on the coffee table waiting for it's close up.  The other 3 need their final ends woven in for the photo shoot.  Then the frustration came last night during DWTS - I started and frogged something around 5 times before getting frustrating and pouting about it for the rest of the night.  This is what happens when I try to make something for myself.  I either can't decide on the yarn, pattern, etc or I HATE my attempts at knowing how to produce something great.

Hope to have a fun filled posted filled with the photos of my recent finished projects!

Happy Anniversary!

Yesterday marked the 40th Anniversary of the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, Florida.  Disney is a favorite destination for Jonathan and I - we love the Magic Kingdom, and I just can't get enough of Cinderella's castle!  I'm sure getting engaged there and wearing the Cinderella wedding dress have a lot to do with that! :o)  Wanted to share a few memories from our Disney trips - 3 trips in 2 years has meant a LOT of memories:

5 Year Anniversary - August 2009

Engagement - October 2010

 the actual proposal

Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party

Honeymoon - August 2011

"reenactment" 10 months later <3

On a crafty note - the weather this weekend is my proof that it's time to start some fall (and Christmas!!) projects!  For now, it's time to  - Happy Sunday!!