Nurse Momma

One of my best friends, works with me in the hospital. She's an incredible pediatric nurse. An amazing woman. And the best friend, I could ask for. No lie!!!

Lexie struggled with fertility problems. For years. And it just broke my heart. You know, sometimes, you meet people, and just know. They are meant to be parents. Lexie and her hubby, are those kind of people.

On December 12, 2012, the welcomed twin girls!!! What a blessing! Oh, and I just might be a Godmother again. :)

Sweet Lexie went on maternity at the end of the Summer. She spent her last trimester, on bed rest. A precautionary move. To make sure, those sweet girls, were safe! Then Lexie got 8 1/2 weeks of maternity leave! If you're doing the math, she would have been back to work on February 11th. But my friend was pretty smart. She stacked her vacation and sick time. Saved it up. Which allowed her, another 8 weeks at home!!!

That brings us to today. April 8th. Lexie is going back to work. I talked to her last night, and she was a total wreck!!! Actually, all week we've been talking. And Lexie, was not looking forward to going back to work. How could she leave her girls? Especially for the hours she works...

I knew I had to do something for Lexie. And the girls. But what??? I'm over 4 hours away. Working at another hospital. All I want to do, is give them all a hug. Tell them it's going to be OK. But I'm not near. What to do???

I spent a few hours searching Pinterest. :) And then headed to Target. I bought my sweet friend a gift. Wrote her a note. And set to make 2 little nurses...

I figured I'd send each of the girls, a little nurse. So they could have their momma close to them. You know, while she is at work! I got everything made, and sent out on Friday. And they got their package on Saturday! :)

Love this pattern! It's so cute. And was such an easy pattern. Did I mention, it's free!!! You just have to love K and J Dolls. Their patterns are adorable. Now, I'm thinking of turning this amigurumi nurse, into an amigurumi doctor. :)

I feel bad, because I'm not near Lexie. What can I do??? I did give Lexie my work number. Hoping to be of some help today. I know she has missed work. And I know, she'll miss her girls. But I know, this will be good for all of them.

Lex, I love ya girl! Take deep breaths. The girls are going to miss you. But they will be OK today. And when you get home, they'll have great big smiles. Just for their momma!!!

Cupcake Garland

My beautiful Goddaughter turns 1, later this week. She is a doll and a half!!! Her family is having a fun dinner, later this week. On her birthday. Because her birthday party is later this month. But I wanted to make something fun. For the dinner.

I found this cute garland pattern. And I called up my Commadre, to ask what colors she was going to use for the dinner. I know Alice. She had already bought colorful plates, decorations, and an outfit for Sofia!!! And she ordered the most beautiful flowers.

I'm going to go with some pretty, and bright colors. I'm definitely going to make Sofia's cupcake garland longer. Alice and Mark, have a long buffet in their dining room. I know exactly how long it is. Because I might have made a few garlands for my friends. :)

I honestly can't wait for Friday!!! I get to see my good friends. And my precious Goddaughter. Dr. L...I've missed my old friend. He also happens to be Sofia's Godfather. Friday night, is going to be all about fun. And shouldn't turning 1, be all about cupcakes and fun? I think so!!!

Easter Garlands

It's almost Easter. And if you're like me, you're running a little behind this year. Is it just me, or is the year racing by???

Yes, the "Queen of Holiday Decorating," is ridiculously behind. If I hadn't run to Dollar Tree on Monday, for electrical tape, I wouldn't have any Easter decorations. Nor would I be motivated to create any. But there is something about that store. And once I seen the cute wreaths, I knew I had to get in gear.

Yesterday was insanely busy! Add to that, my Dad was incredibly sick. Today he's not much better. But there seem to be a few hours, between "emergencies." Also, we are less busy. And my Mom can help much more.

So I thought I look around the internet for some inspiration. And I found just what I needed. You know, to get me motivated. And with some scraps of yarn, I'm well on my way, to making a fun Easter garland.

I'm using this bunny pattern. Making a few of these sweet little guys. They are super easy! And I slightly modified the pattern. I wanted bigger ears. And I wanted the bunny to look a little more "neat." The way the pattern is written, my bunny was a little on the "wonky" side!

Then I found this cute egg pattern. This is really helping me use up the scraps of yarn, that have been stacking up! I've got bits and pieces of so many colors! But I picked out 5 colors. And I think I'm going to make 2 eggs, with each color.

A few years ago, I made a cute Easter garland. It's back at my house. And I haven't been able to find the same patterns, that I had used. :( I know! It really is sad. One was an adorable chick! But I think this is going to look great!

And if I had more time on my hands, I would try something like this. :) I know for a fact, that my Mom has a ton of these plastic eggs. But you know, I'm just going to be happy on Monday, when I can take down the St. Patty's Day stuff, and add in some cute bunnies. I can't believe, Easter is almost here!!!

Groundhog Day

On Monday, I was just not having the best of days. Sometimes, that just happens. And you have to deal with it. You know, life is not always about sunshine and puppy dog tails. Let me tell you, neither was Monday.

But I'm lucky. I have a wonderful group of friends. That surrounded me. Helped make Monday, a better day. Thank goodness for them! And as I was trying to wrap my head around the days activities, my friends made me a yummy dinner. My best friend suggested we watch Groundhog Day.

Where that came from, I'm not sure. But she pulled out a DVD. We settled in. With our yummy dinner, and enjoyed the movie. I'd never seen this movie. I don't know how that happened. But this was a nice way, to take my mind off of my troubles.

And the evening wasn't complete, without a little crafting. I started a new summer throw. Crochet. I'm in love with the colors of yarn. And I'm totally "winging" the pattern. I'm making it up as I go. So we shall see what happens! Either way, this is what I needed on Monday night. Oh, and don't forget to enter our giveaway. You have until Friday! :)

A Story About a Sewing Machine

I got my first sewing machine, when I was in elementary school. I wanted to sew. But I'm positive, my Mom didn't want to teach her small child, how to sew on her expensive sewing machine. Instead, my parents bought me a sewing machine for Christmas. Nothing fancy, or special.

But I LOVED it! My sister also bought me a big sewing box, filled with tons of supplies! There was not a happier 7 year old, around. :) I'm almost positive, my parents bought the sewing machine at Wal-Mart. For less than $100. Crazy thing is, I never used it! I think, I tried sewing once. And didn't know what I was doing. Heck, I was 7 years old!

Well, we ended up taking my sewing machine, to my parents' cabin. We figured, on the weekends I'd learn how to sew. It didn't happen. But my Mom did sew on it. :) Jump ahead. I'm in my twenties. Living on my own. And I take my sewing machine, to my house. I start sewing, and I LOVED it!

For the next few years, I'm so inspired. Not just by "Blogland." But by my friends' kids. My Goddaughters. And stuff that I couldn't afford to buy. All was going great. Until, it wasn't anymore. My sewing machine, didn't want to work. I tried everything. I took it, to get worked on. Nothing!

After a few months, I just gave up. And I honestly didn't have any money, to spend on it. Or a new one. So when I had to sew, I'd go use my Goddaughter's sewing machine. Not convenient. But it was working. My parents surprised me, with a new sewing machine.

Again, it wasn't anything fancy. One of the Singer sewing machines that Target sells. That week, it was on sale for $70. How do I know? Because I went to the 5 local Target stores, looking for it. With no luck! And I happened to mention this, to my parents. On a Friday night. Before my birthday. Not expecting anything. Just annoyed that I couldn't find my sewing machine.

My parents happened to find one, in their city. The next morning. That was my birthday present. And I was over the moon! It was quite a bit different from my old machine. This one, was a front loading machine. My other, was a drop in bobbin. This machine, was also light weight. That was both good, and bad. But I've gotten to enjoy it.

Honestly, I've been saving my pennies. Hoping to buy a better sewing machine. It's not that I don't appreciate these sewing machines. Or that I don't love them. Because I LOVE them!But I've been sewing a lot more. And I want something more durable. Something that has a few more "bells and whistles."

That lead to me visiting JoAnn's. And I was dreaming of the day, when I could invest in a nice sewing machine. One that makes button holes. And has fun stitches. Something to grow, with my new sewing abilities. That's when I spotted this beauty!!!

Isn't this a pretty sewing machine? Well, I picked up the brochure. And showed it to my Mom the other day. She LOVED it too! I'd love to buy this for myself. The 50th Anniversary Singer Sewing Machine! It's nice to dream about. A little bit of history.

But I'm very happy with my sewing machine. And the fact that there is history behind it. My own history. My own story in the sewing world. And I'm really grateful, that my Mom shared this love of hers, with me!

Finally!

Months and months ago, I was browsing Bernat's website. And I really fell in love with this sweater, that was on the front page. I still remember it. It was lavender. And adorable! So I contacted Bernat, to ask them, what pattern book it was from. Very quickly, and super nice, a rep told me it was the "It's a Girl" pattern book. I wrote it down, and started my hunt.

I live in a "smallish" town. I looked everywhere! Both Wal-Marts, Hobby Lobby, and JoAnn's. Nothing! So I started hunting in the nearby city, where I work. Nothing. And there are so many more stores there! I searched in my hometown. NOTHING! I looked everywhere. And finally, after months, I ordered my book online. And I got it today! :)

Along with "It's a Boy!" I LOVE both of these books. And they are definitely worth, the $5 price tag. There are such cute sweaters in each book. And lots of projects, that I want to make. These books may have been difficult to find, but I'm glad that I finally got them. :) The only sad part is, that my cousin's baby shower is tomorrow. Maybe, I might manage one quick project. Maybe!

I Just Might Have

Tomorrow, we're going to be selling at our church's Valentine's Day Craft Fair. Life has been really busy around here. You know, school, work, baby showers, birthday parties, and just life. That means, crafting has been a little slow around these parts. You know what I mean? Life has just taken over.

This is not good for a variety of reasons. I'm sure you can guess why. One, we're behind, way behind, on gifts! Way behind! My cousin's baby shower is about 2 weeks away, and I might have 1/2 of her gift finished. Half! My Mom is a little behind too. Oh, and then, our "stock" is down. From the craft fair in December. And Christmas time.

But with life being so busy, there's not much I can do. I managed to make a few hats, some amis, and a baby blanket. This week! It's been crazy! I've literally been crocheting between classes, on my way to work, and through meals. But it's getting done. :) So I feel like I need to make up in other places. Like baking. So I went a googling, and I came across these beauties!

Whoopie pies. Not just any whoopie pie. But chocolate cherry whoopies! I couldn't pass them up. And along with my usual cupcakes, candy, and other treats...I baked up a batch of these goodies! Yum! I can't wait to see people's reactions. I know in the south, these are big. Real big! My friends love them. But around my hometown, I honestly hadn't heard of them.

The craft fair is in a few short hours, and honestly I feel so behind! I'm going to try and stay up a few more hours. You know, to make a few more things. Perhaps some headbands, hair clips, or maybe finish this sweater that I'm working on.

Let's Wear Red!

Today is the first Friday in February. And I encourage everyone to wear red today! It's a simple way to show your support. For all the women in your life. And I also encourage you to visit this website. Take a look at the different signs and symptoms. Consider your own health. You just never know, when this information, can be lifesaving! Let's wear red all month long!

Lost Patterns...

My little cousin is expecting her first baby, in about 6 weeks. Her baby shower is just weeks away. And I'm barely starting her gifts! :( My schedule has been so bad! I've wanted to sit and start some stuff, but school, work, and the holidays kind of got in the way.

Not to mention, all the babies that were born, between August and November! So I'm ridiculously behind on projects. Oh, and the fact that the hospital where I work, is moving to a new building...is not helping. My office is in shambles! Half of my stuff, is in my old office...the other half is in my new office.

I tried to get started on my projects. Yesterday. I bought all the yarn I needed. And then I hit a wall. I couldn't find the patterns that I needed. Or more like, that patterns that I wanted to use...

Like this book. Coats and Clark, "Soft and Sweet for Baby." That blue sweater with the hat, "Fairytale Set," is my favorite to make! There's also a cute Christening Set. And a Mother's Shawl in this book.

This book of booties, is also a favorite! I like to make those white booties, with the blue ribbon, to match the set above. Or I make the Mary Janes, to go with another hat, that I make.

And this book, well, has 2 sets that I like! A LOT!!! I like to make the flowery set, in pink. It's so cute! And that green hat at the top, it's a butterfly set. I really like making the hat and booties. :)

Two of my favorite blankets to make, are in this book. Along with those cute animals! Because the crib bedding that my cousin bought, would go perfectly with those animals!

This is the only book that I don't own. I've never even seen it in person! And there is a gorgeous sweater, that I want to make! No luck. At all! I just can't find this pattern book.

So I've looked all through my house. And in my office...my old office. With no luck. I don't know what I'm going to do. Most of these are older books. And I can't find any of them in the craft stores, around here. If you happen to know, where I can find these books, PLEASE let me know! As soon as you can. Because I only have one blanket made...and I totally winged it! Looking at another blanket, that I had made...using that pattern. Oh, I'm having some issues...

Cute Pillow!

I recently came across this picture. I'm telling you, I'm needing some serious motivation. To craft. To decorate. To do anything, other than work and school. It's so sad! I've been so consumed with boring things. Things that matter, but don't really add lots of "Happiness" back into my life. But this pillow...it screams HAPPINESS to me!

I'm thinking of making a couple. But instead of pink, going with red. That way I can use them for other holidays. Not just Valentine's Day. I would definitely pull these out for the 4th of July and Christmas. What a fun project! Now, I just need to figure out, how to make them...

Look What I Found...

I don't know about you, but I got a few gift cards for Christmas. And it was a nice little treat! :) Just a few days ago, I headed out to Wal-Mart. I needed a few essentials. And was going to look through the craft section. Honestly, I was leaving with bread, milk, eggs, grapes, and some cotton thread.

That is, until I past the book section. That's when I about died! Did you know, you can buy books for $2.96? Books that sell for at least $12.95 elsewhere! Actually, many of the books that I picked up, had a $16.95 price on the cover. But Wal-Mart had them for $2.96! Like this one...

I bought 10 books! A little crazy. I know! But this book, it immediately grabbed my attention! I just had to pick it up. And since I'm a HUGE reader, I was in heaven! Even more so, because I only used 1 gift card. And it still has money on it. This is going to be the first book that I read...as soon as I finish my current book. Oh Wal-Mart...can you offer some craft books at this price? Pretty please!

What Do You Think?

Recently, my cousin has been talking about The Shack. She's been talking about it for a while now. A few weeks. And it's sounds like an interesting book. Not really a religious book. But more of a book, that questions ones beliefs and religion. Makes you think a little...

Have you read The Shack? Would you recommend it? Is it something worth my time? I absolutely LOVE reading! Add I've been wondering about this book, for a while now. Honestly, if I could find it at the local store, I probably would have bought it. So what do you think?

The Flu, Dark Water, and Crafting

The past week has been tough. I started feeling sick last week. But I pushed on. It was Thanksgiving after all. And we had a lot of company coming over. Lots of cooking to be done! We got through it. And during the weekend, I could feel it coming on. I was getting sick.

I tried to ignore it Sunday. But Monday morning, there was no denying it! I could barely move. Everything hurt. And I felt like someone had hit me with a bus! I slept most of Monday. My parents had no medicine. And by the time I got some Monday night, I just wanted to sleep.

I got it together and went to work on Tuesday. Spending most of my day, driving. It was horrible! Come to find out, I not only have the flu. I have Strep Throat. Ugh! This was not the week to get sick. On top of all of this, I have 2 big concerts to perform at. And my Mom and I, are selling at our church's Holiday Craft Fair. Yup, bad timing!

While trying to recover this week, I've been curled up, in my office. I would say, a good 85% of the doctors are sick. The hospital is horrible right now. And I don't get it. We get so many shots every year, so that we don't get sick. But some "mysterious" flu has hit. A couple of us, have been reduced to "paperwork duty." Not too bad. We curl up in my office, watch a movie, do paperwork, sleep, hydrate, and I've been crafting.

One of the movies we watched this week, is Dark Water. Oh my goodness! What a movie. Initially, I didn't want to watch it. But my colleague was all over it. So I said, why not? It was such a great movie! You have to see it. I know that my Mom would LOVE it! She really likes movies like this.

I was just so into this movie. The ending was so good! And I got about 5 hats made. 5 hats, in less than 2 hours. At least my crocheting, isn't getting affected by my horrible health! :)

Absent...

We've been ridiculously absent. A lot has happened in the last 6 months. Lots that has left us with little time to sit and blog. And for that, I'm sorry. But we're back! Just in time for Giveaway Day! So please come back to see what we're giving away this time. :)

I promise to write out a longer blog. Explain more about our absence. And tell you a bit about my family. But right now, I'm on my way to work. And I have a busy 10 days or so ahead of me. But when I return, hopefully, I'll be posting a quick tutorial on here. Just something fun!

For those of you that graduated, Congrats! And for all the students out there, have a very happy and safe summer. I do promise, lots more blogging and crafting. I'm out for the summer too!