Tis the Season!

Last weekend I was selected to be an exihibitor at the Professional Childcare Development Conference for Early Childhood Educators at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.  I thouroughly enjoyed the experience and the wonderful people that I was able to meet.  This weekend I participated in a local craft show and I will participate in more over the next month.  Here are a few of the pictures from my trip and a few of the items I've made for the shows.

 This was my booth at the conference. 

I really wanted to get more creative with it but I just ran out of time.

 

 A mug or cup cozy.  So your coffee can burn your mouth and not your hands.  :)

 

 A franken-mug cozy.

 

 My first attempt at the Grinch.

 

Baby Santa suit

 

 Holiday hat

 

 Yee-haw!

 

 The view of the lake from the conference area at the resort at Osage Beach.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  It was so pretty with the leaves starting to change to fall colors.

 

 One of my littlest customers in my teddy hat.

 

 Creeper!

 

Minion! 

I was able to sit in on one of the workshops from the conference.  Very informative and very fun!

 

Andy Warhol Bridge 'yarn bombed'!!!

Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh, PA

How amesome is this !?!

After 18 months of planning, more than 1800 crafters gathered over the weekend to 'yarn bomb' the Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Volunteers have produced almost 600 handmade blankets (roughly 3,000 feet of yarn) to cover the bridge to honour the artist's 85th birthday.

The Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, which organized the roughly $100,000 project through endowments and individual donations, called it the nation’s largest “yarn bomb.”

Adding a high-tech element to the project, its lead design artist, Amanda Gross, shared that the knitted panels were numbered and cataloged as they were installed so that knitters would eventually be able to locate – through a database and possibly a smartphone app – their work on the bridge.

When the “sweater” is removed Sept. 6, the knitted blankets will be cleaned and donated to area homeless shelters, nursing homes and animal shelters.

For more information visit the Knit the Bridge website at www.knitthebridge.wordpress.com.

Stuffed Animal Net/Hammock - FREE PATTERN!

CLICK HERE

to download my free pattern for a Stuffed Animal Net/Hammock!

Longies with Driving Cap and Bowtie Set

I'm so proud of this adorable little set!  It's just so stinkin' cute!  I can't wait to see it on my friend's little guy!  If you would like a set for your own little one or to gift to an expecting mother, please send me a message!  I'd be happy to make one for you too!

National Craft Month

Celebrate National Craft Month with us by sharing a picture of your current project on our Facebook page HERE!  Happy National Craft Month!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Lemony Chickpea Stir Fry

This year I set a goal of living a healthier lifestyle and providing one for my family as well. Although I've not really defined what that means, I am trying to be more conscientious of our overall diet and exercise, in particularly mine. While I'll never be able to get my family of 5 to adhere to a strict vegan, veggie, or paleo diet, I do want to try to provide healthier, more organic meals for us. Each year we plant a fairly decent sized garden so this will help on the grocery budget as well. I would like to complete my first 5K race this year. I've also been toying with the idea of a backyard chicken coop for well over a year now. I do not intend for this blog to turn into a food/recipe one, but I will occasionally share on this topic as well.

I was trying to come up with some sort of rating system for these recipes. I think for now I'll go with a five star system and will award one star for each of my family members, including myself, that was willing to eat a fair portion. Let me add that a 3/5 star rating will actually be the norm on these as my youngest two (ages 3 & 5) are a lot more finicky eaters than my 12 year old and husband.

Let's get started...

Lemony Chickpea Stir Fry - 3/5

 

You can find the recipe here.  This recipe alone contains 3 ingredients that I've never cooked with before in my life; chickpeas, kale, and tofu.  I tweaked the recipe a little bit, I used regular salt and instead of lemon juice I used balsamic vinaigrette.  Next time I make it (yes, I said NEXT TIME), I might try adding some yellow squash or red peppers too.  It was definitely a different taste than we're used to however I really liked how much better I felt afterwards.  I didn't feel sluggish or overly bloated and I wasn't hungry again later in the evening.  As you can see, this recipe received a 3/5 star rating...my younger two wouldn't even go near it.  I accept responsibility for that and I'm hoping after many attempts at providing healthier choices, their palettes will begin to change.

 

Good eating...

My Crochet Items

I enjoy crafting. The main purpose of this blog is to share my creations with you. Most of it will be crochet items but I will throw in some random items here and there. If you see something you like or if you would like to put my creativity to the test feel free to email me or visit my facebook page HERE!

Below are a few examples of my work: