My Little Loves

Busy, busy, busy.....

I've been so busy with school work lately that I'm starting to feel overwhelmed.  I don't know if I mentioned it to you guys but I'm going back to school for nursing.  This is my first semester and I'm just trying to figure out how it's all going to work out between the studying and taking care of the kids.  It's been a struggle for me as I think about how I can juggle both being a good student and a good mom. I don't want my kids to suffer in the least but how do they not?  I've been trying to do most of my lessons in the morning before the kids wake and in the evening after they go to bed.  But sometimes you just need to sneak a little in here and there. 

So this is what happens when I am trying to sit for a few minutes to read something...

Oh crap.....

Yeah, and here's the face I get from Nissa when I tell her I have to do homework...

That is the cute, mad version.  The real, honest, no camera around face, um, not so nice.  I call it the crunchy face.

So in the midst of all this, I'm thinking I need to find something to do that will help me relax a little in the evening.  I went upstairs and got all my pretty yarn down, admired it's beauty, and thought of my next project......

Or rather projects......

English and math can take a back seat for a bit...just a little bit.....

Christmas card outtakes....

Several Christmas cards have been rolling into our household and I hadn't yet prepared mine to send out this year so I decided I better get to it.  I knitted both of these Santa hats while Mae was in the hospital and they are extra special to me.  I plopped them on the kids heads and started to take some pictures.  Here are some fun moments from the Christmas card shoot...

First Nissa had on the antlers......

After many cheesy 'cheese' smiles....I finally managed to get some real sweet smiles out of this gal.....

Wow, look at the family love here.....

Oops....a little too much love......

That was the last photo I took.  I had to bribe Nissa with a popsicle in the bathtub to get these....but I managed to snap a few good ones that landed on the card.  So family and friends....check your mailbox!

If you are interested, I got the Santa hat pattern from Handknit Holidays.  It was really fun to make them.....especially the bobbles for the brim.  I used the super soft and fluffy Blue Sky Bulky yarn the pattern called for and they probably ended up costing me $50 a piece.  But man, are they awesome!

Soaking it all in......

Fall is leaving us.....the last warm day has come and gone.  I wanted to go outside and soak it all up.....so I brought the kids out to the backyard to take some pictures of them before it got too cold....too cold for them to have to sit through my photo shoot that is.  Do you remember this sweater I made for Boden?  Well I thought he'd be wearing it next spring but it fits him now.  Doesn't he look so dapper?.....

Look at the love......

Boden's first time with leaves.  Ah the little hands grabbing....

and eating....

Nissa enjoying the last day of coatless swinging....

The end of the photo shoot.....it can't be perfect all the time right?

Home Sweet Home

I finally finished my knitted house picture!  My gauge was off a bit and it came out a bit larger than I needed so when I tried to jam it into the frame, I broke the glass.  Not going to be over by IKEA anytime soon so it will be glassless for now.

This will be the perfect gift for baby Boden.  We are excited to welcome you home soon little love!!!  Ok, not too soon.....I still have things I need to do!!!  The anticipation of the onset of labor pains scares me.  When will it happen?  Where will I be?  What will I be doing?  Midnight?  Lunchtime?  Breakfast?  When!!!???  With Nissa, it happened after midnight on her due date.  With Mae, I was induced a few days before I was due so I could have my mom come down from Chicago and help me.  I'm not a scheduling type of person but this worked out really well.....especially with everything that happened after she was born.  I guess the surprise of it all is pretty exciting though.  Sometimes I feel so selfish for not wanting him to come yet because I don't feel ready.  But I know when it's time....it's time and it will be awesome!  And let's face it, are you really ever ready for a newborn?

What a tangled...

mess I am weaving!  My latest project is a knitted picture for the baby's room. 

I thought this was such an interesting idea and haven't seen anything like it anywhere.  I have seen lots of mini quilts that have been framed....especially the beautiful ones from Little Quilts on Etsy.   Someday I am going to buy one of those!  Hope to have this finished soon.

On a separate note, do you guys have a Trader Joe's near you?  Well, one thing I love about them is their plants and flowers.  Most of my trips there are under false pretenses of getting some wheat pretzels and pasta.  I mainly go to see what flowers they have.  They are so inexpensive!!!  Here is my latest acquisition of muscari and iris's bulbs....

I am ready for spring!!!!!

So much to do....

I feel like I have so many projects in the works and so few get done or get done in a timely fashion.  So I'm going to try to tackle each 'unfinished' thing at a time and make my pile go away.  I always seem to have future ideas of things to make, knit, sew, etc. that steer my focus from finishing things.  That is one thing I hope I can change about myself.  Let's see...... I have to finish 2 chair pads (out of 4), one dress needs pockets, one skirt needs a waistband, hem some curtains (they need to be ironed first so they have been sitting for so long), embroider two doll faces, and finish the crib bumper.  Gosh, that is embarrassing now that I see the list....ugg.  And the sad thing is that there is probably more I am forgetting!

But there is always hope for a sad case like myself!  Here is the first thing I have finished from the pile....

I started this sweater coat about three weeks ago.  I have only done one other clothing item in my life so sewing it together was a bit of a challenge for me but it came out pretty well......not perfect but I'm happy with it.  This was from the book called Easy Baby Knits by Claire Montgomerie.   I made the size 6-12 months and I think the size will be a good fit for the age.  The pattern was easy to understand, the only thing that differed for me was that I had to use an extra ball of yarn.  A full extra so if you want to make this, I'd suggest buying more than is called for.

We have also been busy with our Mini-Swap so that should be sent out soon and I'll share some pictures of the things we did.  Nissa was really excited about this project.  It was such a good thing for her to be involved in.  I'd do this again in a heartbeat!

When you are stuck at home....

What is the best thing to do when you are stuck inside on a wintery day?   Play doh!  We got out the play doh box and realized that pretty much all the dough was rock hard.  I wasn't going to go outside to buy some so I decided to make a few batches.  How easy and cheap it is!  I wish I would've done this before. 

Recipe:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup water with preferred food coloring
1 tbl oil

Mix all ingredients.  Cook over medium heat until forms into a ball and becomes "translucent," not "milky."  Knead dough.  Store in plastic covered bowl in refrigerator when not using it.

When I got some down time today, I was able to continue work on my first new baby project.  Since I'm having a boy, I had to find something cute to make him. 

What do you think of this cute little sweater coat?  This is knitting up quickly and I hope to have it done soon.    I just love the vintage look to it!  Nissa saw what I was doing and said that it looked like a towel.  I'm sure this will soon become known as the towel coat.  I know some people think that it's costly and time consuming to make knitted items for babies when they just get spit up on and outgrown in the blink of an eye, but I have a different idea about that.  There really is something to having your child wear an item that was handmade and made with such love and care.  Plus, one always hopes it can become an heirloom to your own children's children.

Donation Day!

Today I am going to be heading over to Riley Hospital to donate all the items that were lovingly made in Mae's memory by my family, friends and myself.  Look at all the beautiful things that I am so blessed to bring -

Tomorrow is the day she will have passed away one year ago.  I try not to think of the day before that because it was such a horrible day leading up to her passing.  Tomorrow will be a day of remembering and sharing and I actually look forward to the tears I will shed because I know she loves me and misses me too and we will have a special connection that day.  I wanted to leave you all with a sweet picture of my beautiful Mae.  She was such a joy to me and will always be such a huge part of my life.   Her angel face is always in my memories.

Collection of Hats...

I have been on a hat making frenzy over the past month.  Here is what I have made so far....

The santa hat is my favorite of course and was really fun to make.  This pattern is from Handknit Holidays.  I made one for me and one for my daughter and got to wear it at our holiday party.  The pink and orange hat is from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts.  This one is in need of a pompom I believe!  The top brown one in the middle was a pattern I got from Knitty called Foliage.  I have already made two others and they go really fast.  They make perfect gifts.  The small brown ones on both side are infant and preemie hats that I am donating to the Cheer Guild on behalf of Mae.