A Crowning Achievement

The winter weather has given me an excuse to start a fire with my knitting needles – I sure get them blazing as I’ve been knitting some hats.

Hats are a great way to try different stitches, do something a little mindless when watching TV on a cold winter’s night and to add color to even the dreariest gray day. With all the somber days here, interspersed with the occasional sunny, yet freezing one, I have been inspired to have some fun with color.

In Florida, I took color for granted since even in wintertime there were still flowers in bloom. Here, wearing gray and black seems so gloomy that I just had to refresh my dark wardrobe with a pop of color.

I needed a little something to go with my lilac hoodie when I walk the dogs, so I fashioned this sassy purple number. I used a mistake stitch pattern (k2, p2 pattern with the next row being p1, k2, p2, ending with a k1 – all when knitting in the round) this creates a more interesting rib design. I did the brim in a regular rib with a feathery bulky yarn and the body in an alpaca in a similar hue of purple. It’s slouchy and adds a little drama to a dreary day.

I have been on a green kick lately, and needed a little green number for the transition to spring (or maybe to call spring forth since it seems a little shy). This is am ombre green yarn for the entire hat and a feather yarn for a band on the body. I started with a tight fitting stockinette stitch and increased so I can wear this pulled down or as a beret style when the weather is a bit warmer.

I loved the green ombre so much that I paired it with a sea blue yarn I had (this pairing was used a couple years back for a favorite headband). Same as with the hat above, I started out tight, increased and then brought it all back in. This is my Florida hat since it reminds me of the sea.

Tangerine is my favorite color and has been for about a year, though I never was brave enough to wear it, but here I go with a daisy stitch cap. A simple cotton yarn with another feathered brim to add just a dab of luxury. Depending on the day and my mood, I either fold the brim up and go playful or pull it down to add a touch of mystery. Who is that woman with the sunshine touching her head? Me!

For bad hair days, and to keep my locks from crawling into my eyes, I created this open weave hat. I had made this before for friends, always giving away my favorite, but this time, it’s a keeper. Worn back on the head to keep stray hair out of your face or just to hide those curls that refused to curl that day, this hat is a trendy number that is functional as well.

Lastly, I put my scraps to good use and created this great cap. This hat always makes me feel happy since there is so much color and it just shouts, “Even us leftovers are magnificent!”

My chapeau collection is far from complete, but with spring around the corner, they promise me, I will have to move back into headbands to weave into my waves.

Happy Head Dressing!

I Love You The Purplest

When most people think of February the color that comes to mind is usually red (or black if you’re unhappy with the love month). But Feb babies dream in purple.

Amethyst is the birthstone of the month---dramatic and rich with royal appeal. I’ve been in a purple mood lately with the giddy heart-felt love of the month paired with a little blue (not as in sadness, but more like regal hues) that make me want to craft in every shade of this brilliant color.

Projects of cuffs and flowers

Cuffs for the winter saying goodbye and flowers to welcome the spring. I actually made these cuffs a couple months ago (this purple thing has been going on for quite a while) and I got a lot of use out of them while we were in the mountains during the holidays. I even got to sport them at home for a couple cool dog-walking mornings. The flowers are inspirations from Nicky Epstein’s Knitted Flowers. I just love this book and there are so many fantastic ideas. I’ve spent the past few nights knitting little gems, but now what will I do with them all.

Heart Healthy Month Tip: For February, add purple fruits and veg to your menus. Sweeten things up with your sweetie when you serve blueberries, raspberries and blackberries as a dessert. Need a pick-me-up at work or in the afternoon? Grab some purple grapes. Give your heart a boost with red cabbage slaw or make a Greek salad with extra beets. Snack on a few blue (purple) corn chips or potato chips, just watch the portion and the fat. Purple and deep red fruits and veg have loads of antioxidants that not only help your heart, but also have been shown to help prevent some forms of cancers. Plus, the ingredient that makes these such an inviting hue is great for your hair and skin so pack on the purple!

Blogs I Love - Getting Crafty

Blogs I Love

I don’t have a whole lot of time to cruise the Internet looking for great idea pickups. When I do get a few moments to scan through craft, food or any other sites that grab my fancy, I like to save the best ones to share with my friends and to visit later. Here are a few crafty pals I have picked up on the way.

Ellinee Design House
This is such a great site if you want to try a new craft or even order some wonderful designs from those who are the experts. I just love their paper flowers. I have had a thing for paper lately and adore how these paper petals can bring life to any occasion. Thanks to the free template, I am inspired to add some Springtime to my workspace and liven it up a bit. (Plus working in Marketing, we always have out-of-date paper samples around the office that would be perfect for transforming into flora.

Quiet Lion Creations
I love cool DIY projects, especially when they are fashion forward. I'm not the trendiest girl around, but I could always use a little pick-me-up especially this delightful bracelet, plus what a great gift idea and a way to use any leftover fabric. I also love the trapeze earrings and have decided to take up jewelry making. Thank you Allison for all your inspirations.

Keeping It Indie
Can I just say, I love Brandi! This is such a great site with things to make, inspirational interviews and just so many pictures to make the heart beat faster. So far my favorites are the printed candles, rosette bracelet, Carla Dyck photography, and oh so much more. You just have to visit the site to find out about what you’re missing.

The Cheese Thief
Not only is this one of the best names for a blog (or anything for that matter), but I just couldn’t help getting caught up in all the great ideas found here. Since I am on a jewelry kick, I just couldn’t pass up this beaded ring. And that was only the beginning, how about this wonderful Birthday decoration – perfect for cupcakes and cake.

Maggie Makes
These pictures caught me.

Heart Healthy Month Tip: Making new friends, learning new things and creating something always makes the heart happy.

It Always Seams Like Something Else

And it is something else. The latest sewing repurposing adventure is taking a pair of capris that don’t fit and fashioning them into a beautiful handbag. I used this Simplicity pattern, the one resting on the teal chair. I am still learning to read patterns and figuring out stitches so it’s not perfect, but I really do love it. I also couldn’t help making it my own by changing up the handles and instead of using trim, I made tabs and attached these cool handles to the bag.

Deconstruction Time – sorry I don’t have a picture of the pants whole

I took the seams out of the inside leg and crotch of the pants, removed the cuffs and took out the pockets. It’s a great activity for a rainy afternoon when you’re watching TV since it is slow going, but can be done in an hour or two. I used each leg for the front and back body of the bag and the pockets for the gussets. The cuff was fashioned into tabs. The lining was some gold satin I had acquired more than 4 years ago from a wash sample. The handles and flower are sale pieces from Joann’s.

My final verdict: Love it! Total cost of bag: $4.00 (fabric: free since they were well-worn as pants; lining: $.25; handles: $2.25; flower: $1.50.

Happiness Happens Month: Happiness Happens when you give yourself the permission to be happy and enjoy the process just as much as the outcome – Me.

Fear Factor

Fear is a powerful thing. It can stop you in your tracks even when you so desperately want to move forward. From another’s perspective, your fear may seem silly. Fear of flying, of insects, of mother in laws all seem like small blips to me, yet to others these are mortifying paralyzing fears. I admit, I have many fears and they have shaped my life for both good and bad. My biggest fear right now isn’t a gray hair or wrinkle, the future or loss. My mortal enemy that stops me in my tracks is my sewing machine.

I have been so afraid of my sewing machine, but I have met my fears head on letting the critic inside me have her say and still moving on. Through frustration, disappointment and even a few curing matches with the machine, I prevail a little more every day. In fact, giving myself permission to make mistakes and not be perfect, yet still trying (and retrying) my best, I am winning this fear factor battle.

My latest step to conquering my fear has been repurposing a pillowcase. I was inspired by Betz White, but Penny Carnival has a cool idea too using a real pattern. My sewing machine is a pretty basic model, so I couldn’t adjust the bobbin tension to use elasticized thread. Instead I used ½” elastic along the top and under the bustline to create sort of an empire waist. I was so proud of myself adding the ribbon trim and getting the hems straight, even though it isn’t perfect. I tapered the bust area and left the bottom wider to fit my curves. The flower is from Joann’s (on sale) and was just too cute to pass up.

This was my second attempt and something I really enjoy. With each experiment, I am getting more confident with my sewing and falling in love with the items I make and the skills I am acquiring. I am starting to love my sewing machine and respect its power. Next fear to conquer … snorkeling (I get all claustrophobic).

Happiness Happens Month Quote - Sewing mends the soul (and makes me very happy). ~Author Unknown

Today's Inspiration - LV in NYC

New York just inspires everyone in some way, shape or form. I have so many photos of the city, but LV’s photos are just amazing and make me miss the city even more. She has some pretty cool crafty ideas as well. You should check her out!

The 25 Days of Christmas

This year will be the first that I host my family in my home for the holiday. Our tradition is to get together on Christmas Eve, since the nieces and nephews have other families and such to visit, so this is the only time we can get together. Unlike a lot of families, this time of year has never been very stressful for me since I make the stop to see the kids on the designated day and then spend Christmas Day with my friends. This year is making up for the past decade as I am already experiencing anxiety attacks that even double doses of Xanax and martinis can’t calm.

You see … I am the odd ball in my family, refusing through just simple choices to remain out of the box finding sitting on the edge a bit more comfortable. I have my own sense of style that no magazine nor Martha Stewart would approve of and never minded until now. There is very little ecru or beige in my home and my decorating motif is bibliophile mixed with crafter and a touch of animal tumbleweeds. There is no theme, unless you count my bowling ball collection in the front garden or the blue glass in the back, and my shabby chic tends a bit toward the shabbier in some eyes. I am assuming (always a bad thing) that I may be the talk of the day after with my kin as the crazy aunt who lives in the shoe.

But the blame for my anxiety isn’t only on how I perceive their perceptions. It is also due to my own expertise at indecisiveness. Until now. I found in my overflowing garage treasures I forgot about and have no one telling me to stop so here I go. With limited funds, friends and cohorts who appreciate my individuality and yes, a lot of creative vigor I am on a mission to not only transform my home in 25 days, but also to create presents for my friends and family and keep myself sane while doing it.

Here’s my game plan. Keep this blog up and running, since it allows me to do one of the things I do best, write. Also I am open to suggestions from readers, inspiration is key for anything creative. In times of stress the most important thing to do is to stay calm, so at the top of my list is a very healthy diet, daily exercise and meditation, and playing with all of my four-legged kids. Then comes painting, cleaning, knitting, cooking and wrapping all of the goodies I hope to bestow on gracious loved ones. It will be difficult, but when I think about all the work others are doing, I can keep up for at least a month and have fun doing it.

This week’s task: Re-do the hideous bathroom with what I have. This means spending next to nothing and retooling those things I already have such as paint, curtains, elbow grease, friend’s leftovers and dollar store finds. Plus a lot of hope!

We start with painting the dark wood paneling that has haunted me for 10 years, the ceiling which has had a sunburn peel forever and the door. I may even do the cabinets as well to give the basin a new feel. This should take a week of evenings after work and a Saturday of finishing. I would love to show it off the next time Paul stops by.

Ren has offered some finds from her garage to help out, draperies to enliven the room and a Web site to inspire and learn from. I may ask Paul for some help hanging lighting and other crafty ideas (he is a very creative man) and see what else my pals have to get rid of. It’s a small bathroom, but already I feel like taking all those projects that promised to be completed and egging them on to completion. No walls will be torn down or windows crashed through, just a few coats of paint, some hopeful finds in the mess called my garage and champagne toasts as I soak in my luxurious bath.

Plus as an extra incentive, since the shower will be out of commission for a week or so, I will be off to the gym each morning to workout and shower. That will be a nice touch to relieve the stress of the holiday and open myself up to a new habit.

My Favorite Etsy Things - This Week

When I need a bit on inspiration for anything creative and feel the pull to be self-employed I find my way to Etsy. My meanders find themselves lost in the maze of what-ifs and why-nots as I peruse the cool items and either picture myself (or my home) adorned in beauty or as an artsy-craftsy rock star.

Some of my favorite finds today included my friend Renee’s page with all her whimsical glory. Right now she is working on illustrating a children’s book for a local writer and has been experimenting more and more with painting pots for spring and designing kid’s décor.

The Creative Redhead really caught my attention with her mallard duck pin. I love her detailed little works and thought how they would make not only great gifts, but the perfect little gift for me when I meet a weight-loss marker. Plus her pear paintings are just divine for my new kitchen.

My love of flowers and my love of jewelry came together in the perfect marriage with a dash of sexy when I discovered FancifulForm. The flower forms are wonderful pieces and I saw a fabulous silver bowl at IKEA that they would look perfect in. I love the smaller rings too and the black floral pendants (it’s the goth in me showing.) Double that with the fact that she does this for her full-time job and I am hooked.

Playing on my love of all things sweet, especially to bake I came across the Cupcake Mint and fell in love not just with the sweet treats, but the logistics as well. I wonder what it would take to do something local like this and maybe set myself up for the holidays. (See in a way Etsy is safe for me since I love to purchase the items on its beautiful pages, but I am even more inspired about being one of those fantastic people.)

Lastly is my other favorite, photography. Alicia Bock’s work really caught me. Here eye is fantastic and her subjects reflect a dreaminess. I love her technique and want to grab my camera and get shooting, along with everything else.

So those were my finds today. Please take a look and share what you love.

Welcome to the Craft! - Day 9

My goal – to never spend more than $10 on one of my creations. How? Recycle and bargain shop. I am so happy to be crafty. Over the past few weeks of being ill, I actually felt joy when I was knitting and crafting. Ronn even said he would build me a nifty workbench in the garage so I can craft to my heart’s content. (First I have to clean out the garage.)
It is getting to be almost like my love of cooking. I confess that I have spent many a solo Saturday night perusing through cook books discovering new combinations and techniques. The same is true with online crafting sites. I have pages of print outs with patterns and notes to do all kinds of things.
Big Lots is one of my favorite places, though I have come to suspect they are getting rid of their yarn since the selection seems to be pretty dull lately. I used to spend a breezy $10 on yarn there with no idea of what I would do with it, just having all the soft threads in my hands and the wonderful colors calling out to me. Now as I get more ambitious, I am finding a use for my treasures.
I also have been looking for recycled materials like sweaters and buttons and purse handles to make new things. Watch out everyone, this Christmas, it could be crazy. So far headbands, scarves and belts are my forte. Next is a handbag which I am currently working on. It’s a test to see how it all works and to go from there. New techniques too – like felting and beading have worked their way into my head with hope.
I just don’t seem to have enough time to do all that I love so I find the time whenever possible – waiting in traffic, waiting in the doctor’s office, waiting for Ronn to get ready, or just watching TV.
I figure if I knit most nights it will keep my from eating – my hands will be busy and from drinking – since I can’t knit when I am buzzed. It could be my diet plan.
The discovery of new craft shows and the archaeological dig in my garage, I am even more inspired. ETSY here I come. Plus my stepmother gave me a portable sewing machine (not sure if it works) and a neighbor gave me her old Singer. It’s a classic, nestled in a table and petite in turquoise blue. I am making space in the library for it now, though I would love to eventually put it in my den. I have my altered books I made when I traveled, collages that have inspired a few stories, writing (of course) and other little tidbits that really bring to life my soul. Even though I falter into a practical world from time to time, I am elevated with the wonder that comes from little bleeps on the screen of my "ah-ha" gene.
It’s a lot of fun and even on a morning like this when I should be cleaning and should be doing a billion other things, I am thinking of crafting instead. I figure, like Guy says, you can clean when you’re dead.

What are some of your craft ideas? Care to share?

What Could He Be Thinking - Day 16

As I was driving home from work today, I spotted this license tag. At first glance I thought it read "Colon8R" and I giggled. My mind went to a person advertising their business in colonics. He He He. Then I re-read it (the editor in me reads and re-reads, yet I still make mistakes) and saw it read "Colin8R". So I figured it was some guy named Colin who had a weak sense of humor. Since he was also advertising Jimmy Buffet ( a big NO in my book), his limited wit was easy to mark (possibly). Then I noticed it was a girl driving and I was lost.

I just don't get vanity plates. I think it is the term vanity. Yet I have a few friends that have them like Misty who has the tag "Write". She used to be a marketing copywriter, so it fit - both witty and explanatory. I appreciate some since they give me something to read and think about in traffic, but I don't think I could ever get one. Once again back to the vanity title again. Plus what if mine wasn't witty - that would diminish any vanity or ego I have about my creative talents in one simple remark made by a tired woman driving home in her car taking a picture of my tag to blog about. - Huh.