New Look For Fellow Blogger!

BEE sure and check out my blogger friend .. Lori at BEE IN MY BONNET. Lori has a new look on her blog. She's super talented. Sometimes I think it should be against the law to be so talented and sweet too! I just love looking at Lori's blog. I'm always amazed at how relaxing it is to search her blog and see what new creative things she has .. I do it EVERY day! She's such an inspiration to all those in blogger land! Lori has a fabulous line of quilt patterns. I simply love them. Check her out .. you'll love her too! Drop her a line, follow her .. she's always got something new and exciting going on and lots of give aways!
Thanks Lori for inspiring us always!

New Toy!

I have a new toy! I'm so excited! For Christmas a friend's wife made me 3 scarves. I loved them. She's crafty and when I found out she used a small knitting loom I had to have one! So off I went to find one. The first one I bought was by Singer .. like a childs loom. It was round and had a crank handle. I bought it, bought some yarn and came home to give it a whirl. Well, the directions said feed the yarn in and start turning the handle clockwise. When it wouldn't turn anymore, turn it counter clockwise. Keep doing this till you had your project done. HAH! Wasn't that easy. Mine made a horrible noise like it was breaking with each turn and didn't turn smoothly. My yarn got in knots from this so I finally gave up. Maybe this is why this was for kids .. I needed a kid to operate it! So, back to the store it went.

I found another loom and bought it. The box said it would make scarves, hats, etc. Read the directions which were super simple with pictures. Just exactly what I needed! So off I went. I made a large scarf for myself first. I loved the width. Living in the country it is sooo windy and cold some morning so I thought I'd just wrap it around my head to cut the wind. I worked on it off and on for a couple of days and it was done! It took almost 2 bundles of yarn. I could have gotten off using less yarn but making it so wide caused me to use more yarn. I finished it off with fringe. Can't wait to wear it.

So, People at work are seeing me work on it at lunch and then before I know it, I'm volunteering to make some more. You buy the yarn, and I make it. Gives me something to work on while I'm babysitting our facilities at nite.

It's super simple to use. Weave the yarn back and forth in a figure 8 design over the pegs. Get to the end and reverse it. When you have two rows on the loom, take the hook (came with the loom) and pull the first loop over the second. Keep going till you have the desired length. It just doesn't get any more simplier than that!

I think the next one I make, I'm going to try and mix it up and use different yarns.

2011 - The Year of the Dotee

New find .. Dotee Dolls! Searching through the current swaps on Swap-bot I found Dotee Dolls! So, I googled them to see just what is all the fuss about this cute little unique doll. Dotees are an artful creation by Dot at dotslifeandart.blogspot.com. However, I don't think she's active on her blog any longer. But her dolls are still going strong and spreading the internet like mad and have been for several years. I'm a newbie at Blogging and Swapping, so I'm just now learning of these cutsie little creatures! Dotees are handmade, each unique, 4-6 inches long, must contain a hanger and a tail, a face, but NO arms or legs and dolled (pardon the punn) with jewels, laces, beads, yarn .. etc. Just where ever your imagination will take you. Most dotee swaps have a theme like Mermaid Dotee, St Patty Day Dotee, Valentines Dotee, Little Bo Peep Dotee .. and the list goes on.

So, while I'm still working on my next quilt (piecing the top) I'm also swapping Dotees like a mad woman. It's a great way to use up some of those small pieces of fabric! My Rainbow Dotee left on Tuesday to go to her new home in the UK. I named her Daisy. My Valentine Dotee will leave today. She's going to the beautiful state of Hawaii to bask in the sun. Her name is Valentina. My St Patty Dotee is still waiting for her adoption (swap partner has not been assigned) and last nite I started my Newbie Dotee .. sender's choice. No theme on this one but she's got long hair with a beaded headband and coming together beautifully! The Gypsy Dotee is also waiting for her new home to be announced. It was suppose to be on the 10th but no news yet.

It's been super cold here in Texas .. high 20's but no snow or ice .. thank goodness! So, no better way to pass the time but inside in my studio with hot cocoa and my sewing machine staying warm!

Burrrrrrr ....

Alittle late but Christmas Finds!

Right before Christmas I managed to get by the resale ministries shop in my small town I live in. Boy, did I feel guilty getting already super bargins at 1/2 off! My kitchen is pink (surprise surprise!) so finding a Santa in a pink sleigh was a sheer delight. Then when I see it's marked down from $1.50 to .75 I hurried and snagged it before someone else did!

Then I find some vintage ornaments that I just had to have. They were so precious I didn't put them on my tree but sat them on my coffee table on a mirror .. I loved the reflection. These 3 came in a plastic baggie with a wire candy cane with red jewels on it along with a strand of red beeds to hang on your tree. All this for a meer .25. Originally marked .50!

Then I found the cutest little knick-knack. My husband loves tree houses so to find a tree house with snow on it and children playing and making a snowman. I hurried and grabbed it also. Originally marked $1.00 and I got it for .50.

I know the money goes to help families so I sure feel guilty paying even less for them when they were such a steal to begin with!

I've loved hunting for bargins this Christmas. That just may be my New Years Resolution .. finding bargins at resale shops!

Good, Bad, Good Christmas

Well, I guess I should start by saying my Christmas Holidays started out Good. We adopted a yellow lab 9 month old 100 lb puppy from Bellville Animal Shelter. We picked him up the Monday before Christmas. He's adorable and his name is Jake. He's fitting in well and starting to adjust to his new life. I think before he was left alone because he is starved for attention. I know Labs are attention hogs anyway .. but bless his heart he needed so much love. He's feeling at home and his big LITTLE sister truly hates him. She ruled the school and now we are showering attention to him as well as her .. she's just use to getting it all! That is the FIRST good news. The second which was the BAD was on Christmas Eve my husband was in the front yard of our property playing with Jake who was on a lead. The neighbor's pit bull dog climbed their 6 foot chain link fence and was charging. I came out of the house following my husband who had gotten a gun for protection and so did my chihuahua Chloe. She doesn't realize she is only 5 lbs. She usually runs all the animals out of our yard including neighbors cow, horses, chickens, rabbits .. you name it. Well, she charged for the pit bull and he attacked her. My husband tried several shots in the ground to break them up but he was still after her. He had no choice but to shoot him. It broke our hearts. We both love animals and have no intention of hurting any animal but he was on our property and was attacking my dog. She was ok. Luckily she was smart enough to stay under him and he couldn't get his mouth on her. We call the county police and a report was done but we were informed it was on our property and we have the legal right to protect ourselves and our livestock. It still doesn't heal the hole in your heart you have killed an animal and then our next door neighbors dog.

Then on to a good Christmas from that. All the family came over. Even my kids spent Christmas Eve night with me! Oh how awesome to have my babies (30 years and 25 years) wake up Christmas morning and get their stockings!

My daughter graduated the weekend before Christmas with her degree to teach elementary school. We had a big party for her with a bonfire that lasted 12 hours!

My husband had his mom's side of the family over for a Christmas gathering the weekend before Christmas and then New Years weekend his sister on his Father's side spent the night with her husband and then his Father's family was at the house New Year's day for their version of Christmas.

We have been busy in Waller as you can see .. that's why I'm just now posting!

New Year's resolution .. well, I don't make them. But I am going to try and do better with my blog!