Updates

I'm still here :-) The computer is still sick and not letting me do much, so I've been staying off it for the most part to preserve my sanity. Stop Sign is working on the problem and trying to create a custom cure for the virus. This involves a lot of trial and error; the latest trial erased all my passwords and required me to set up new ones for all secure sites. 

The weather's been much more enjoyable. I think spring is on the way. We've had mostly cool days, but only a couple that were cold, and a few that were downright nice. We've taken advantage of those nice days with trips to the park and lots of time sitting outside relaxing. 

I've been doing more cross stitching than crocheting lately, but I wasn't able to finish my Smalls SAL for February. Close, but not done. Oh, well. I'll try again in March. I currently have 4 cross stitch WIPs and adding a 5th today (the March Smalls project). I'm still plugging away on the Squircles blanket and the Bubbles blanket, and I've been making some hats for charity. I'm bringing them to my Half Knits meeting on Saturday to be distributed wherever they are needed.

Sorry I don't have any pictures to show you. My camera has gone on vacation somewhere in the house.

Everyone in our house is healthy and content including The Bean. I am approaching 28 weeks on Sunday. 12 more to go!  Some days that seems a long time, others I'm rushing around in a panic thinking I only have 12 more weeks to get everything ready. You'd think I'd never done this before :-)

I hope everyone is doing well. I've dropped in on a few blogs lately when the computer is behaving but haven't been able to do so regularly. I look forward to having a healthy computer again.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings :-)

No WIPs for WIP Wednesday and Virus

Because I've been under the weather most of the last week, I don't have any progress pics to show you. Hopefully that'll change by next week.

The virus is in my computer. It's very frustrating; we pay for Stop Sign but apparently this one is really bad and the only way to fix it is to call Stop Sign and pay extra money to get rid of it. Some days the computer works fine, other days it refuses to load pages. Sometimes the virus disables right click on the mouse or the Pinterest widget.  This means I may or may not get to visit your blogs and may or may not be able to comment until it's fixed. Oh, well. Patience is a virtue, right?

Again, thanks for all the well wishes. I know I've been crabby and negative lately; I make a rotten patient when I'm sick or in pain.

Enjoy a wonderful Wednesday!

Thanks for reading.

Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

 

Two Tuesday

Source: hooksandyarns.blogspot.com

Two Things I'm Grateful For:

1. Better health. I'm recovered from the bug that was holding me down last week. And I'm almost recovered from a very painful procedure I had to have on Friday after an emergency situation sent me to the doctor on Thursday. The baby's fine, and I can now sit without a pile of pillows and almost without pain.

2. Penguin Days at the Dalls Zoo. Because the weather's cooler, zoo attendance has been low, so the zoo is offering $5 admission for all ages. We went yesterday and had a really nice time. 

Two Patterns I Think Are Neat:

1. Springtime Wreath

I've been in a wreath making mood lately. This one is small and cute and perfect for the upcoming season.

2. Flower Necklace 

I've never made crochet jewelry. This has a lot of color play options.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings :-) 

Today's Inspiration

Source: http://anglophilemeetsbibliophile.tumblr.com/

Source: http://bakingandmaking.com/2012/05/23/crochet-a-summer-garland/

On the Mend and WIPs

Thank you for all the well wishes on my last post. I'm on the mend and starting to feel better. I can manage to get up and move around for a little while at a time before having to take a break. I can also sit up on the couch now, so I'm able to crochet and cross stitch a little.

I have a few WIP pictures to show, although I haven't made a lot of progress this week.

I've made most of the squircles for the blanket. I just need to add the white to the last nine and join them together.

I added a few rows to the Bubbles blanket.

And, finally, some cross stitch WIP photos. 

Cats, Cats, Cats: I finished all the white on the middle kitten and added some color to his head and tail. Started January 24. Total stitches so far: 369

This one is for the Smalls SAL. The pattern is from Pets Are People Too by Judith Bonnot. As you can see, I'm working on the words. Started February 9. Total stitches so far: 247

This was originally my Smalls project until I realized how many stitches it really had. This is from Cherished Teddies Roly Polys by Priscilla Hillman. It's the February bear. I finished the center yellow stripe on the outfit. Started February 5. Total stitches so far: 324.

Thanks for reading.

Have a terrific Thursday!

Blessings :-)

Tickled Thursday

Source: http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMi05NGY0ZDA1NjVlMmUzYTVk

Source: http://iampebble.tumblr.com/post/18029436772/ahhh-yes-that-seems-about-right

Source: http://positivelifequote.blogspot.com/2014/01/friends-come-and-go-but.html

Source: http://www.crochetmagazine.com/hook_humor.php

Two Tuesday

Source: hooksandyarns.blogspt.com

Two Things I'm Grateful For:

1. My laptop. I'm sick today. Can't hardly move so crafting is out. Been sleeping (helpful since I'm still not sleeping at night) and watching TV. And with the laptop I can play on the internet and read blog posts. It takes some effort but I'm glad I can lay on the couch while on the computer.

2. Two bathrooms in our house. We only had one in Florida so it's nice to have two. It's really nice to have two when one is having plumbing problems and can't be used on the day you're sick and really need it.

Two Patterns I Think Are Neat

1.Flower Lattice Shawl
This is really pretty. I've made one in the past and am thinking about making another.

2.Counting Sheep Afghan
So cute! Lion Brand's website has this listed as a knitting and crochet afghan. I guess because it's a graph chart you could do either.

Thanks for reading. Going to take a nap now. Have a good Tuesday.
Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

Source: http://positivelifequote.blogspot.com/2014/01/too-determined-to-be-defeated.html

Homemade Instant Hot Cocoa Mix a Hit

No sleep for three days makes one tired mama today. We did a light school day, I had some hooky time, and then decided to try a homemade hot cocoa mix recipe I found over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

I gathered my ingredients

and mixed them together.

I heated the water, put 1/3 cup of the mix in each mug, and added the water.

Hope likes marshmallows in hers. I added the chocolate chips; I didn't measure them, just poured some in. A good stir, some milk to cool it down, and it was ready. It was delicious!! No more boxed mix for us :-)

We combined the hot cocoa with some ultimate comfort food (from a box; shoot me, OK) and it was just right for a cold, gray day. 

Thanks for reading.

Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

Source: http://positivelifequote.blogspot.com/2014/02/one-day-you-will-wake-up-and-there-wont.html

Source: https://www.facebook.com/hilaria.fina

Photo a Day Challenge February 3-9

Here are my Photo a Day shots for this week:

February 3: Something Orange

This is one of my favorite shirts from Dress Barn. It's stretchy and comfortable which means I can still wear it during my pregnancy without ruining the fabric.

February 4: Childhood

Something I remember from my childhood is always living out of boxes. We moved every couple months for several years (financial reasons, not military). I think that's why it bugs me so much to still have stuff in boxes right now. I hate that unsettled feeling.

February 5: Square

This is the linoleum pattern in my hallway and front entryway. We have plans to replace it with something a little more cheery. I'd like to figure out how to turn the pattern into a granny square.

February 6: C is for...

Cockatiel! You've seen our cats and dog; this is our feathered pet, Tweety. She's about 7 years old, loves to be held but hates to be touched, and isn't afraid of any of the other animals in the house. Here she is overseeing Tim's work on the computer.

February 7: Utensil

I wasn't sure how to make this one interesting. So I snapped a picture of the utensil everyone looks at with puzzlement. Few people seem to know what it is. 

February 8: Water

My almost empty water glass from Riscky's Barbeque, one of our favorite restaurants in Fort Worth. They have the best fried pickles! 

February 9: Details

Here's an extreme close up of the bead and sequin detail on my other shirt from Dress Barn. It's almost the same as the orange one from the first photo. The sleeves are a little longer and it's pink and black. 

For more details on the Photo a Day Challenge, visit Fat Mum Slim.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

Source: http://yespinit.com/i-know-god-has-amazing-plans/

Fun Day at the Stockyard Show and A Problem Solved

We finally got a break in the weather today. Although it was still below freezing when we left the house today, the temperature managed to creep its way up into the low 50s. Considering we spent most of the day at the Fort Worth Stockyard Show, that was a blessing.

First, the disappointment: we weren't able to get into the rodeo. This was something we had planned on all week. When we arrived today, they told us tickets had been sold out for two weeks! Poor Hope was devastated. But we decided to make the best of it and still enjoy the day.

We watched the horse judging,

watched the sheep herding competition,

looked at lots of animals,

and Hope rode some rides.

So, even though we didn't get a chance to see the rodeo, it was still a good day.

The problem that's been solved involves my living room light. I've complained a few times about the lack of light in my living room; we only have two small lamps for a long narrow room. It was impossible for me to cross stitch or crochet anything with smaller stitches any time after sundown.

During our errands yesterday, we stopped at Michaels. I didn't need anything, just wanted to check out the sales. And there it was.

I've looked at OttLites before, but at $80, never really considered buying one. This particular model was on sale 70% off, bringing the price down to $24. When I added my 20% off anything coupon to it, I was able to get it for about $20. I tested it out last night and enjoyed an hour and a half cross stitching before bed. So much easier :-)

I hope you had an enjoyable Saturday.
Thanks for reading.

Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

Source: http://24.media.tumblr.com/1cb8d34178647b7bb23a8bbb31ffa171/tumblr_mknkdhNp8C1qz4d4bo1_500.png

Source: http://www.annoocrochet.com/p/cartoons.html

Snow!!

OK, I know, the rest of the country is sick of the stuff. But it's not common in Texas, it's been 14 years since I've seen it, and Hope's never seen it. So we're a little excited. It's not even a dusting, and it'll probably be gone by noon, but we think it's cool.

I managed to get a couple of pictures while it was still falling:

A few flakes on the canvas chair on the back stoop

A little more on Sugar's toy

A light dusting on the neighbor's house. The flakes were falling fast at this point.

Starting to cover the pear tree. The snow was fastest here, then started to slow down.

It's hardly snowing at all now, but we thought it was neat :-)

Thanks for reading.

Blessings :-)

Today's Inspiration

Source: http://positivelifequote.blogspot.com/2014/02/dont-let-anyone-ever-dull-your-sparkle.html

Source: https://www.facebook.com/hilaria.fina

WIPs and FOs

It's been a productive morning. When you get up at 5 because the baby's doing the Hokey Pokey in your belly, you can get a lot done by 8:30. I've read my devotions and gotten caught up on my blog reading, had breakfast, planned the day's school lessons and gotten caught up with grading papers, crocheted, and taken all my post pictures.

Here are my WIPs for this last week:

The Bubbles Baby Blanket. I normally don't make blankets with baby yarn because it takes too long, but I have a large amount of light pink, medium pink, and multi colored baby yarn. I'm crocheting with 2 strands at a time and using an I hook. The pattern can be found here at Ravelry.

A Squircles Baby Blanket. I made a couple of these when I did the sampler blanket a couple of years ago (I still have yet to assemble that!) and really enjoyed the pattern. I'm using scrap blue yarn and Soft White for the squares. I'm going to join them with the Flat Braid Join (new for me), but am not sure if I should use white or the gray. I only have one skein of gray and have no idea what it is. The square pattern can be found here at Dly's Hooks and Yarns.

Slipper Socks. I've made one pair so far with Red Heart Glowworm and Pretty N Pink. I still have one more pair to make with the Perfect Pink and Baby Pink. These aren't a Stashbuster project; I had to buy the yarn specifically for them. The pattern can be found here at Yarn Lover's Room.

I still don't have any progress to show on my cross stitching; the days have been so gray that, even with the living room lights on and the blinds open, I haven't had enough light to see to stitch. 

I made my first doily. I've played with thread crochet a little (some bookmarks and flowers), but nothing large scale. It's still a little ruffly because I haven't blocked it yet. The pattern can be found here at Lacy Crochet. 

The rest of my FOs are in the following posts; just keep scrolling. I'm linking them up at Linda's Crafty Corner for the Stashbuster Link Party.

Thanks for reading!

Blessings :-)

Source: http://positivelifequote.blogspot.com/2014/02/never-try-to-convince-somebody-of-your.html

Source: http://www.obeycrochet.com/2011/08/i-am-made-of/

What I'm Made Of