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. 

BaLLLLoooooooooooNNNNSssss!!!

Went on a walk today, and this is what we saw. Enjoy! 

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!

Ten Minute Hot Drink Sleeve

Hello folks...and my yarnies especially.

Not that I really have time to be fiddling around with yarn and hook...except to delve into my pile of slipper orders....but, I can afford ten minutes, and so can you!

Printer Friendly Version (CLICK HERE)
Items Needed:
K hook
Worsted weight yarn  (I used Peaches & Creme for the cotton one and I Love This Yarn  for the acrylic)
tapestry needle to weave in ends

abbreviations:
ch- chain
sc- single crochet
hdc- half double crochet

You will be using two strands at the same time for this project.

Chain 25 join with a slip stitch to first chain
(Row 1) Ch 1(does not count as first sc) sc in next ch and in each ch around. Join in first sc (24 stitches)
(Row 2) Ch 2(does not count as first hdc) hdc in same stitch as join and around. Join to first hdc (24 stitches)
(Row 3 &4) Repeat Row 2
(Row 5) Ch 1 (does not count as first sc) sc in same stitch as join and around. Join to first sc.
Fasten off and weave in ends.

Pattern Copyright Jennifer Kaye 2010
You may make items from this pattern to gift or to sell. You may NOT make copies of this pattern to gift or sell, please link to this pattern instead. Credit for this pattern would be appreciated with online selling.

Easy right? Go make yourself one...and your friends and family too!

Slipper Season

Already!
So. I have been a little quieter here in blogland. With good reason my friends. Slipper season has begun, and I am averaging a couple pairs a day. Add keeping the house clean, going to the gym and caring for my tots...well, not too much time to chit chat on blogger. My apologies. Oh and I have been making the prettiest crocheted beaded bracelets. yum.

I do have a wonderful giveaway from one of my new favorite shops coming up very soon so stay tuned!

Lovies...

Me

Form and Function

Been working out for pretty much the summer, but only in the last 6 wks have I been doing resistance with my cardio. One of my longest standing friends and I have been working out together, well, she's pretty much training me. She is awesome. 

Anyway, she's been drilling in me how important form is...

Note image B.

This is the exact exercise we were doing about 30 minutes prior to her taking this stance in front of the elevator at the mall to RIP the doors open as her three year old daughter was punching numbers and the doors were totally closing to take her away.

It was kind of awesome. I mean, we got to see the inner workings of the elevator door...and my friend rescued her babe before the elevator descended. oh. and her daughter never wants to ride in the "vator" again.

Chit Chatting

Hello friends!
I've been working on some secret-ish projects...I need to get some off in the mail to the recipients..

I made this for a friend of mine who adopted the cutest little man from Manila I believe.. It's this free crochet monkey hat pattern. My daughter is such a little diva...already has the faraway model gaze.

I've been training at a new gym because mine really PO'd me by sending me an email on the 31st of August to tell me that September 1 was the last day they were having a kid's club. Thanks for the notice!! I have been training with my lifelong friend.  I am having so much fun. We work out like an hour and a half everyday and work on different parts of our bodies every day...5 days a week. Love it!

I am going to my first women's Bible study on the book of Hebrews too. This week will be week two. I am really excited about this study. I've been working on reading the Bible through all the way this year. It's been really interesting! Books that were usually really hard to get through (Lamentations, IKings...) are not so bad when they are broken up into a couple chapters at a time.

My garden...well, it's still chugging away. I need to make a separate post on it. Let's just say, my pepper patch is amazing, my tomatoes have been a bust and squash bugs decimated the squash, zucchini, and cucumbers.

I ordered some more yarn from Peaches & Creme cotton yarn from the source. I am thrilled because this will mean I can finish my cotton mile a minute afghan and also some secret projects for my Secret Santa swap partner on Ravelry.

Sure is starting to feel like Fall over here. I love September. It really is one of my favorite months..not too hot, not too cold...just right!

I appreciate all of you readers!!
I'll try to be more frequent with my postings...I've got lots to say and show you!
J

Mount Pom Pomma Slippers

These sure did keep me busy!! 12 pairs of identical cheery school colors slippers!!

Want to show your school pride?

Little Chef

So in the last few days my little lady has told us that she wants to be a chef when she grows up. She is constantly making things for us...a purple hexagon toy becomes a cookie, a washcloth becomes a tortilla...and the other day she told us that she was going to make daddy a salad for dinner. (like he'd ever eat that!!)

Anyways, we went to a pizza/soup/pasta/salad bar last night for dinner. The waiter was very fun and friendly, and was talking a lot to the kids. I said, "Sissy, tell him what you are going to be when you grow up."  She thinks long about it then answers, "A woman." Ahaha we got a good laugh about that one.

After dinner, she wanted to say hello to the chefs working away behind the bar. Daddy took her over to the counter and told the chef she wanted to say hi to them. I was so proud of her...she didn't just say hi. My sweet little two year old says, "Thank you chef for my dinner."  I saw that grumpy, hard looking chef just completely melt. He squeezed her tummy and said, "Well I guess you really liked your dinner tonight!"

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!!