Nautilus....

My dear sweet son is turning 13 this weekend! He asked me to crochet him a nautilus...like a cute one....pillow sized. Yeah.

I go online, I search and search and search for a pattern..nada...zip...zilch. Not happenin'..

So, I email various artisans on etsy asking if they have a pattern....in CROCHET mind you....I don't knit. Nope...not that either.

I had to wing it. I don't mind winging it. This is what it turned out like. Not bad for my first attempt...but not 'pillow sized.' It is about the size of a dinner plate.

its okay though, he loved it!

Mail for me...yipee!

I love good mail days! Look at all that came in the mail yesterday for me!
WOW!

I can't BELIEVE that I won this gorgeous apron and cute kitchen towel set.
I entered the contest over at Cathy's from Lika's Organic. She was celebrating her first year bloggaversary. She has some lovely items...go take a peek...and check out her photos of this particular apron, they are much better than mine.
Look at them HERE.
I win so rarely that I REALLY get excited when I do, it is SUCH a treat! It is the softest fabric ever and is reversible. The reverse side is cream with 2 purple pockets. BEAUTIFULLY made.


I was in a swap thru swap-bot. I already posted about what I sent to Marcel. This one came to me from Jill.


And now....look at the FUN Mardi Gras apron Gin sent me. We surprised each other with Mardi Gras aprons. I wore this one all day yesterday!

I had the same idea for adding the beads but promptly forgot about it when making the one I sent her.
I love this fabric....our little store (Hancock's) had NOTHING like this....so much fun!

Ladies, THANK YOU so very much!

Tea for ME!

I was in a Tea themed apron swap awhile back and already posted about it here.
Now you get to see the AWESOME little apron I got in the swap. I just love the little towel sewn into the waistline...just like vintage aprons had on them.

The apron itself is very narrow...I think she used a tea towel to make it, the fabric is simply too sweet. Oh! and look at the cute pocket...she used more of the pink towel to edge it with!

HOW CUTE IS THAT!


Here is another shot with some other goodies she added.


Thank you Donna!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Today our little family is going out beggin' for beads at the parades.

I made a couple Mardi Gras aprons to help celebrate in style:

I made this one for a friend as a surprise.....I don't know if she got it yet...


I made this one for me...

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!

Little owls....

I was in Apryl's owl swap last month. I posted what I sent awhile back...here are the goodies I got in return from Izabela:

A little needle felted owl, a tiny owl bead and an owl lipstick cozy! How Cute!
Then to top it off, Izabela sent me 2 skeins of lovely yarn, an owl notecard and several sweet treats to try.....



I sewed this teeny one onto a branch of my Halloween Tree....isn't he cute?


Thank you Izabela!

Paying it forward........

Here are the last 2 PIFs I made. I had a year to get them made and shipped but I was afraid I'd forget so I just went ahead and finished them up.
First, I made these little cards and the stiletto pin to go with it. Jenn is SUCH A GLAMOUR GIRL! I really wracked my brain to come up with something a bit different for her.

Here is a close up of the pin....


A sweet little crocheted hat and a receiving blanket for Ramie who is expecting...

Mommy hack, again.

I'm a mommy hack, we all know that. First I give my kids cheesecake for breakfast...

Here is another reason why.

I don't give my kids chores. I've tried in the past but I'm not good at reinforcing it.
They do make their beds and help feed the pets...and they do 'stuff' fairly quickly when asked. So, why write it all down, right? If your kid clears dishes, helps set the table....thats good, right?

Apparently not.
You see, I've been told they won't be responsible if they don't have 'chores.'

As in 'a list of chores.'

Someone told me that having chores makes you a better person and this 'someone' had chores and turned out GREAT!
BTW, this 'someone' lived on a smallish FARM.

COME ON...everyone has chores on a FARM...even the animals have chores on a farm. Even on a smallish farm.

So I made up a 'chore list' to appease this person and to be a better mommy, instead of the slacker I am.

Then I called the kids, my darling, sweet, helpful, energetic, bright eyed kids.

Then I started reading the 'list.'

Granted, the list wasn't much more than what they already do, I added stuff like 'weeding' and 'scoop poop.'
But it was IN WRITING...it may as well have been in blood.

Curly Girl got all teary and slumped down in the couch cushions.
Ripstick Boy got this half slitted eye-look and pretended to be disinterested.

My other half sat there smiling.

I said to the kids to not get worried, they do this stuff anyway.
Then after I went over it, I asked if they had questions.

Yeah...about a million.

They started with the..."but how will we make extra money if that is a regular chore now"...
Then they pelted me with "what ifs"...."What if I'm sick?" "What if I have tons of homework?" "What if I'm at a sleepover?"

You get the idea...

I answered questions, I calmed nerves....I needed a drink.

But overall, it went well so I thought maybe this isn't such a horrid idea. Maybe I AM a slacker mommy.

Then Ripstick Boy went into a different room to watch TV without saying a word.

Then Curly Girl went to take a tub so we could condition her gorgeous curly hair and KEEP it gorgeously curly instead of frizzy.

Then she started disrobing. Then she looked up at me. Then she started to cry about 'the CHORE LIST.'

I asked her why...after all, she does EVERYTHING on the list anyway.

She said "I do those things because I love you and I WANT TO....not because I HAVE TO."

Yeah, that did it....

So....You know what I did...

Yep, I ripped up the list...

So, I'm a mommy hack.

My kids will probably grow up to be horribly irresponsible and probably jump off a cliff because someone told them to...all because they don't have a "list of chores....."