So I figured this was an easy title...to fill in with odds and ends that I have been up to.
Wednesdays are days that Ezekiel doesn't have preschool. Usually we try to go to a park or a mall play place with the ladies from church. However, I recently read that Hand, Foot & Mouth is going around...SO we are having a movie Wednesday.
I have decided to go through my yarn stash and take pictures and put them all in my ravelry stash. So my poor laptop is working over time. I also have yarn that I have NO clue what the brand name is anymore. I know what it is made of and such...but those can't be added to the stash.
My knitting projects are as follow...I finished a cute little shrug for Aspen to wear on Easter. SO easy! The pattern is HERE. I really enjoyed it...PLUS it's FREE! I'm working on my Ruffle Sweater. I'm hoping to bring that with me to Colorado and get it DONE! Especially if I don't bring anything else for me to do...but you know me I won't do that and I'll bring another project or two. ;)
I mentioned last time that I'm part of a quilting ministry at church. We were suppose to do strips for the quilt. Where we piece 12 blocks. The blocks are all 10 inches...so I just pressed all of the blocks and put them gently in the bag, shuffled pulled two out and sewed them together...then pressed and did the exact same thing over again. Then pressed and figured out how I should put the remaining join them all together. I think my strip turned out rather well and it was so very easy! :) Especially for this beginner quilter. Take a look at my strip...
I've also been helping an etsy shop called Handmade for Hope, you can check it out here. ALL the proceeds go to Enlace, an organization working to bring sustainable living to
communities in El Salvador. Your purchase will help bring hope to
someone in need of clean water, food and shelter. 100% of sales from
this shop go directly to this cause. Please visit www.enlaceonline.org
to find out more. So I'm making camera straps for it. She usually has key ring holders...I know I bought one for my mom and my two sisters this year for Christmas. So hopefully we will be able to stock up the store and get money for Enlace!
With the Easter Season passing...I helped out with 2 different Egg
Hunts. One at Des Moines University (the significant other's group put's
it together) and there I took pictures of the Easter bunny with the
kiddos and families. The other one was downtown Des Moines, called Eggs,
Eggs Everywhere and that one was put on by our church, The Gateway
Church. I registered people and then made people feel welcome and
answered any questions they had. We also had a great Easter dinner at
out house and it tasted SO lovely. It was even nice enough to dye eggs
in the back table outside.
So...that is my blog today...it would have been up a lot earlier BUT we ended up having some internet problems. Yeah internet problems.
Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow.
of hanging out with the chillin's. :) I love my kiddos!
I was able to take some pictures of my finished knitting projects...I think you will like them. :)
Mustard the Monster you can find the more pics and the pattern HERE this current bad boy has NO home...What is going to come of Mustard?
Simple Toddler Slouchy Beanie
(this hat is going to find a new home and the money is going to funding an adoption)
These are all newborn hats that are funding an adoption as well
Multi colored, Multi textured hats for funding the adoption as well
This is my Vintage Maplehurst Wrap(Shawl) you can find the pattern and more pictures Right Here
These hats are for 2 Blye boys...you can find the pattern and more pictures HERE
My husband brought me a slouchy beanie book at the store the other day...this one is one that I did...it's not for Aspen she's just my model. :) it's going to be sold and funded for the adoption as well...you can find more pictures and the pattern ENTER HERE (it's reversible)
So today...I had a friend come over and look at Zeke's old clothes for her son...I made $11! Played with puzzles, bake cookies...and soon going to make THIS, Bible Study is coming over early for it and it should be a blast...I'll let you know tomorrow how it worked out. We have also been enjoying the rainfall and the fresh spring air that it brings.
Hope you have a fantastic Tuesday and see you tomorrow! What should I post about???
here is a list of my favorites this week...
...TV Shows - Usually we DVR a lot and then watch stuff with out the commercials, But this week I really liked ~The Voice, ~Last Man Standing, I also watch a lot of Little Einstein's both Zeke and Aspen really like them. So it's on I like it but it's not my favorite. :)
...Books - Right now on my Kindle Fire I'm reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. So far it's really good! I have "rented" it from the Library via my Kindle Fire, so there is a due date and everything. HOPEFULLY I can get it finished before it's due (there is a waiting list for it!)
...Knitting Projects - Right now I have 4 projects going right now...I'm working on my Easy Ruffle Sweater, my Vintage Maplehurst Wrap (that one is almost done), a new born Chevron Baby hat (not for any one specifically...just getting used to a new pattern) and a couple of mitered squares for a baby blanket.
...Music - I'm listening to a lot of different types of music and I don't have any favorites that jump out to me this week though...BUT I do love my Pandora app on my Kindle Fire because I can listen to whatever station I want to listen to (Zac Brown Band, Adele, Sanctus Real, or if I need to relax then I go for Jim Brickman)
...Moment - one of my favorite moments this week was when I was driving the van and the kids were in there seats (Aspen is rear facing still...because #1 she's little and #2 because it's safer!) I heard some laughter from the kids...I look back and they are holding hands and laughing! GREAT moments I tried to take a picture BUT I was driving SO unsafe and then when I got to a light to take a picture they stopped doing it!
...Picture (these are pictures of my nephew-Tank and niece- Tink) I wish I could be there and hold them. Also sorry their not my kids!
...Food - Tastefully Simple Beer Bread...SO YUMMY! One loaf just came out of the oven because we are having people come over :)
...Drink - Chai Tea Lattes (iced), Water & Diet Pepsi
Well...I must be going we are having people over later today AND I need to finish getting the house ready as well as myself. What are a couple of your favorites (leave comment...please!)
Continuing with my miniature Thankful Series...
~ I'm thankful for a roof over my head. We are very grateful for a
wonderful couple who is allowing us to stay in their home. It is
wonderful for our family to "spread" out...all of our sleeping stuff is
on the 2nd floor, all of our living stuff (family, play, dinning,
kitchen, etc) is on the main level and then laundry and sewing room in
the basement. It's so nice for my children to have their "own" sleeping
area.
~ I'm thankful for the ability to create...I love the ability to knit
hats for my baby niece (who is yet to be born), the ability to knit a
blanket for my baby nephew (who is yet to be born), the ability to knit
hats for a wonderful teenager who just had a tumor removed and who is
about to face chemo and radiation treatment (please pray for her, her
family and her medical team) the ability to create memories with the
gift of photography, and SO much more. I'm loving that God created me to
create memories with my family and create gifts for family and friends.
One of Aspen's winter hat
Aspen's Shrug...just need to add buttons
A "Denver Broncos" custom hat that I'm doing for an auction.
~ I'm thankful for my church. I go to The Gateway Church in downtown Des Moines. This past Sunday we had a worship night. It was very amazing! There are a LOT of musicians and songwriters at our church. A Worship CD was actually made...here is a little bit about it HERE. You should check it out.
I'm very happy about doing this...You can check out #1 series HERE! Will you please join me in making a thankful comment on my blog about what you are Thankful for OR if you are a blogger and you do a post...let me know I would love to read it!
...here in Iowa. The weather has been beautiful...now only if our sinuses will catch up with it will be great. We all have had some sort of the change of season cold, this weekend was a wonderful "chilled" weekend for getting rid of the junk.
Seeing that last weekend I was suppose to have a house party it has been cleaned since then. Which is nice. So just a little pick up every night (of course after the kids are asleep in their beds and can't get it messy until the next morning is helpful.) Also the thing of putting clean clothes away right after washing, drying and folding is a big thing too.
So this weekend, was very relaxing!!! Rick let me go grocery shopping while he watched the kids...and I have meals planned for the next 2 weeks (hopefully it can stretch that far) However I usually make plenty and we have left overs a couple times or I freeze it and then I can pull it out later.
I also have set a theme and a date for Aspen's 1st Birthday Party! We will be having it before her actual party because it's hard to party on a Tuesday. I wish that more of our family can be here for it...but I'm sure that we will have a great time, none the less. However you will have to wait for that to actually happen and pics and all that jazz will be put up on here. I can't believe in 1 month I will have a 1 year old!!! The time really does fly!
Z has been trying to figure out if he needs a nap or if he doesn't need a nap. Today he didn't have a nap YET he was in bed sleeping by 8:00pm (he might of went to bed early...but I am SO nervous that he's going to wake up at the crack of dawn in the morning!) I'm SO excited because he will have 4 days of preschool this coming week! He does really well with school. On Friday of last week he didn't have school and he was like "what am I doing home...shouldn't I be at school?" He's doing very well in his potty learning too...which is wonderful! Now if only we can be "trained" when we take him out and about...usually it's pretty good but what do I do about park or outdoor play where there is no bathroom and it's a public area?
Rick is enjoying his last Fellowship block...but there is some traveling that is going to take place in the coming month. He will be going to Pennsylvania for part of his testing...where you see patients and then write notes on them and blah, blah, blah. So he will be gone for like 2 days and a night (hopefully). Then at the end of the month he has an interview and a conference down in Florida...the kids and I are HOPING to get down there too...because we will get to see Gramps, Grammy and Aunt Becs for a whole week! So PLEASEpray that the plane tickets go down so that we can get those. PLEASE!!!
Well...I'm just being me...staying busy. My "normal" routine looks something like --- Drive Rick to school/work, Drive Z to preschool, have Aspen & mommy time (this looks like a lot of different things; such as naps, girlie movies, helping mommy start fixing dinner (seriously I'm IN LOVE with my crockpot), singing, dancing, learning, go on an outing (play date, store, library) and so much more), pick up Z from preschool, lunch, naps, pick up Rick from school/work, and then usually every night of the week it's different. Stuff with small group from church, bra business, knitting club, family night. It's worked out nicely that we have dinner around the table nightly around the table which is AWESOME!
I still have had some pain in my joints and such (going to see the doctor again tomorrow about it) so hopefully we can have some answers on that soon...BECAUSE I have some stuff that needs to get finished knitting (a shrug for Aspen and a sweater for Aspen that need to get finished!) PLUS I have to get to Rick and my hat for this winter (all the colors match Z and Aspen's hat...yes...we are doing matching hats this winter) ALONG with the fact that I'm having a niece ("Tink" short for Tinkerbell) and nephew ("Tank") born in the next coming 5 months SO I got to knit them something from Aunt Trina, even though they live down south. Names in the parenthesis are names I picked out as nicknames for them...this way I can call them when they get older "Tink" and "Tank" I think they might get into trouble together. ;)
So...this is the craftiness of me. This past week I actually got finished with a knitting project...no it normally doesn't take me too long to write about it...BUT right after I got it finished I started not just 1 project BUT 2 projects! WOW all I can say is WOW!
So I finished...
Aspen's Hara Dress...you can find the pattern on Ravelry, here.I really like it...I need to do some adjusting in the back by the buttons. As well as make a matching headband for Aspen! I think as long as it fits her around she can wear it as a shirt. :) As the weather gets colder and it still fits I can see just layering with a shirt under and a pair of leggings.This yarn is the first kool-aid yarn that I ended up dyeing. :) I LOVE the change of color and the ability for it to be worn with lots of different stuff.
I'm currently working on...
I started doing a Ruffled Summer Top...you can find the pattern on Ravelry, here. This I'm going to try to finish it by April 29 for a SpringKAL contest put on by the designer of the pattern. :) This is getting knit up in the second kool-aid yarn that I ended up dyeing...I know you can't really see much of what it's going to look like from what I ended up knitting so far...but the top of the work is the top of the summer top. I'll keep you posted on the completion of this project. :) I also started a skirt...with the yarn that I got from my wonderful mother-in-law. I think I posted about getting the yarn in the mail and then I ended up getting wrist tendonitis and couldn't knit for a while. This yarn is so fun to see the colorway change! I actually got this pattern from a friend...so their is no link to it!
On a side note...I won a giveaway from a facebook friend who has an Etsy...So I'm going to "feature" her and her store RIGHT now! You can find The Adopt Shoppe on ETSY or Facebook. She started making necklaces to pay for their daughter's adoption. They brought Mia home in August 2010. Now they're on the list to adopt again!!! So they're saving for this next one! Every dollar she make from this goes toward the next adoption. Isn't that a GREAT cause!!! This is what I won!
So...here is what I have been working on besides being a wife & mother. :) Here's my knitting...Rick's Skid Hat that you can buy on RavelryHERE! Here's my "hope-to-be-starting" knitting...Wanting to do Fingerless Mitts on a Magic LoopThe yarn for my Gehry hat you can find on RavelryHERE!The yarn for some sort of skirt for Aspen... Here's my craftiness DONE...Little Leg-warmers & matching bow for AspenAspen being a good model. :) Here's my "hope-to-be-starting" craftiness...Fabric cut for more Hair Bows - I got the idea from MakeIt & LoveIt Well...I hope that you had a great Wednesday! Later!
So I want to put something every week on Wednesday about my Works in Progress - it can be any crafts that I'm working on; Knitting Projects, Hair Bows, Fabric Stuff, Note Cards, etc... So I think I'm going to put it on now and then what I have gotten done on Wednesday (then get into the routine of doing it Weekly) So over the past 2-ish weeks THIS is what I got done OR what I'm working on right now! :)XOXO scarflet Aspen's Upside-Down Daisy Hat The very top of the hatPicot Edging Hat (I'm trying to find a better name for it!) with Ribbon & a Hair bowPurple "Gehry"HatThe top of the "Gehry" hat
So I have other stuff...I'm working on here they are! Aspen's Spring Time in Hollis Sweater for when she's a year oldRick's "Skid" hat for next winter Well...Hope the hat will be done for you to see on Wednesday as well as maybe another project on the needles! Enjoy your weekend!
Sorry that it has been so long...however let's say I've been a little "pre-occupied" Pre-occupied with 'nesting', getting in all the 1-on-1 time with "Z-Man", knitting, finding new & quick meal ideas, etc.
So 'nesting' is going pretty well...going through each room and cleaning and organizing pretty good. I'm not sure if I can blame it totally on the 'nesting' or the fact that my mom is coming to be with us for a week. :)
1 on 1 time with "Z-Man" trying to get as much time with just him and me...going to the library, watching movies, going to the park, going to the zoo, going to play areas in the malls, playing on the ground with him, reading books, just laughing with him and having a lot of fun with my little snuggly 2 year old!
Knitting the Baby Girl's Blanket! I just started a block and have 7 of them to go! See pic BEFORE I started the block. I'm LOVIN' it...however I'm pretty sure the next one of these blankets I make is going to be for someone special!!! It's really not a fast project. :)A new meal...here is what I made tonight for me and "Z-Man" We both had second helpings which is pretty cool.
Super-Cheesy Crazy-EZ Shepherd's Pie
PER SERVING (1/6th of recipe): 139 calories, 2.5g fat, 842mg sodium, 22g carbs, 5.5g fiber, 4g sugars, 10g protein -- POINTS® value 2*
Place contents of the veggies & sauce bag in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 8 - 10 minutes, until mostly thawed.
Meanwhile, in a medium-large bowl, combine contents of potato pouch with 2 cups hot water, and stir until thickened. Set aside.
Spray an 8" X 8" baking pan with nonstick spray. Add soy crumbles to the pan and evenly distribute along the bottom. Evenly spoon saucy vegetables over the soy crumbles. Evenly top with potato mixture, using a spatula or spoon to smooth out the surface.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until filling is hot and potato layer is slightly crispy.
Divide into sixths. If you like, season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional spices. Enjoy!
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