Reworking something Wrong

I started this cotton blanket for my daughter over a year ago. There was quite a buzz when the beloved Peaches & Creme factory in NC was purchased by a Canadian company and was being moved out of country. I ordered a LOT of cotton yarn cones. A lot. I made my son a gorgeous brown, green tan and orange blanket. Did I show you? If I didn't let me know and I will post a pic.

Well, I started my daughter's blanket. Thinking for certain it would be finished in time for her 3rd birthday. And it wasn't. And the more I worked on it, the more I knew I did something wrong. I made it wider than it would be long. UGH. I was not happy with it. So it sat...and sat...and sat...Waiting in the closet...waiting for me to do something with it. 

And finally, I was inspired. I'm going to make a "patchwork" style blanket with squares.

And it's going pretty quickly. Each stripe is pretty much a square.

Funny how life can be. Reminds me of the verse in Isaiah 55. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD." I can be so confident in doing something the way I think is right on...but if I don't consider what the Lord wants me to do first, it's in vane. Something He will have to rework later. But that's the awesome part!! It's never to late to start over. Even if you've made GIGANTIC mistakes. I read a quote this morning by John Piper. He said, " What makes {the Gospel} good news is that God is long-suffering and willing to forgive and start over with us again and again." Thank You, Jesus, for speaking to me, even in my crocheting!

Momma, Watch Me

Boy I love this little "princess ballerina." She came downstairs dressed in her dress up clothes and did the craziest little dance for me. :)

Friday Feature- Kenzie's Klippies

Hello world! I have a really fun Friday Feature today. Seriously, I think you will love looking through this post as much as I loved putting it together. Let's begin, shall we?

Today I am featuring Kenzie's Klippies a business run by such a talented momma I met through our birth board. She became inspired to craft by the birth of her daughter. Here are her words,


"I initially started making simple clips for [my daughter], but then started getting requests for certain things. It just took off from there. With so many people making clippies, I knew mine had to be different. I'm big on details :) So I suppose my mission is to provide customized, quality hair clips at a fair price. Some of my clips take literally hours to make. I want people to feel like their money was well spent :) And of course I want them to come back!"


Wanna look at some of them with me?

Her all new Christmas Collection:

And she doesn't just make them for the holidays, she creates marvelous creatures:

And sweet creations: 

Headbands and bows too:

Best of all, Kenzie's Klippies won't break the bank! They are all so nicely priced, and so well made! These would make wonderful stocking stuffers for any girl in your life...and if you ask her, she'd even make them into  pins for you to wear! :)

So check out her facebook page http://www.facebook.com/KenziesKlippies  where she is always adding something new and cute, or her website http://www.wix.com/kenziesklippies/kenzies-klippies-1 and let her know you saw this blog. If you do, you will receive a free simple klippie in your order! 

So go. Go now!! She has soooo many more items to look at than I could share!!!

What are you still doing here??

Have a great weekend everyone!

  

Friday Feature- Nenafaye

Today's featured shop is one of my favorites for wonderful little feminine gifts.  Everything stocked in Nenafaye's etsy shop is beautiful, affordable, and ready to ship! 

Here's what she has to say about her love of crafting, 

"I love creating, and I love a bargain, therefore, you will find items that are unique, well made, yet affordable. My love of glass beads, cotton yarn and embellishments controls my creative adventures! Come along with me and I bet you will find that perfect gift for that someone special...including yourself!"

Not to worry Nenafaye, we will...we will. Let's take a peek, shall we?

She has delightful Little Bit Purses that are a whole lot of color and detail...and are only $10. TEN DOLLARS!!! (Need a stocking stuffer for a sister or mom? A teacher gift?)

Really unique embellished cards. I mean, really, you  could frame some of these. 

(and they're only $3)

She carries lots and lots of beaded bracelets, necklaces, scarves and bookmarks... something within everybody's budget, and the cutest little crochet handbags as well. 

($35)

($20)

So if you are looking for something handmade, unique, and doesn't break the bank, you really should check out Nenafaye on etsy, and be delighted by what you find!

Friday Feature- Gracie Girl Barrettes and a Giveaway!

Well hello lovelies! I am going to start doing a Friday Feature to feature some of my favorite crafty people. There are just so many lovely handmade goodies out there, I want to begin promoting them, and challenging you, my readers to shop handmade as much as possible!

Today's feature is a new etsy shop called Gracie Girl Barrettes .  The shop owner and I met online because we both have our two children born in the very same months and years. She's my toddlerwhisperer equivalent back East!  She's a very talented and crafty lady. She makes a variety of different non slip hair clippies. (And believe me, the quality is fantastic. VERY well made)

But just recently, she has begun making these wonderful key fobs! (I think I have three or four already for gifts and for myself!)

She makes these great clippie holders too.  I love that you can have a cute place to hang your daughter's clippies!  Seriously, because by the time my daughter was 6 months old it seems she had quite the collection!

And if that's not all, she makes these wonderful wrapped/woven headbands with removeable clips. Really, really cute! Her choices of color combos are really tasteful and pleasing to the eye!             

This is truly just a sampling of the feminine and cute items in her shop. Her prices are fantastic, and THAT'S NOT ALL!!! She is giving away to one lucky commenter on this post....dun dun dun daaaaahhhhh....

Your choice of either a woven headband, a clippie holder, a key fob, OR a suprise variety pack of clippies!

Here's what you need to do.

1. Go to her shoppe, Gracie Girl Barrettes then come back here and tell me what your favorite item is.

for more entries do the following:

2. Heart her shop then come back and leave a comment

3. BUY SOMETHING! (link your transaction in your comment and you get 2 more entries)

4. Follow this blog... and leave a comment (you know, I'm going to showcase a whole lot more of my favorite things on Fridays!!)

Contest will close on Monday, October 11 at 2pm Eastern time. 

Dolly dolly bo bolly

My daughter is the luckiest two year old I know.  Heck even as a ten year old girl...I never ever had a barbie doll house or any doll house for that matter. My mom did, however, find these 4 cardboard partitions with dollhouse scenery on them, and my dad did build a rough wooden dinner table for the barbies, and I never lacked for imagination and fun with them...

But seriously, my daughter has three doll houses, a horse stable, and a barbie dream house. All given to her by neighbors, or grandma or papa. So I guess, in a sense I am the lucky one here...but not when I have to figure out where to put everything!

big button chain band

You need worsted cotton yarn and g hook, as well at a large button.

First you need to measure the head where the headband will sit. I measured my two year old's head to be 19". 

Then you double that length. ( 38") and crochet a chain for just about a half inch shorter than your doubled length. (So I crocheted a chain that was 37 1/2 " long)

Now you need a big or cute button. I like the ones with a loop on the back.

Thread one end through the loop going one direction.

Then thread the other end of the chain through the loop going the other direction. Tie a really tight knot, then a sailor's knot. Clip the ends short.

Flip it over and you are finished!

Just wrap it around your head and loop the chain over the button! Easy peasy!!

Handmade

I love that the blogs I follow really have useful and creative ideas that are simple enough for a busy momma like me to accomplish.  For Mother's Day, I made my mom and my mother in law each tea cup bird feeders. I learned how here .

It was a lot of fun searching for just the right tea cups and saucers...and even though they don't match perfectly, I ended up finding some that worked well with each other...very shabby chic!:)  I know my mom was very excited to get hers pounded into the ground and start feeding her birdies.  She told my Grandma about it and she is going to let my avid bird watching auntie know about it so she can make some too.

Here are my two projects:

Me? A Scrapbooker?

So, when I had my daughter, it must have flipped the girly, craft switch in me. I became a crocheting fool, a clippie makin momma, and well, a hoarder of all things memory related to my daughter. Well, in a box.  My friend then began selling Creative Memories Scrap booking supplies, and I was hooked! 

I literally have the debate in my mind when the kids are napping..."Should I crochet, or scrap?"

I love my corner rounder...I think it is my favorite purchase...and my tape runner. YAY!!

This is my newest purchase. It is a sleeve that holds everything I need inside of it.. my journaling boxes, pages, and stickers as well as scraps. LOVE IT!!

Any way, I think that if you  have a big box of pics and memories, scrapbooking can be a fun way to organize it, and make a beautiful book for you or someone you love.

Where's your favorite place to pick up scrapbooking supplies? Do you like to crop alone or with friends/family?