Catching Up

I've had such a hectic week. We had a lovely Thanksgiving last week, put up our Christmas tree over that weekend and all week I knitted my butt off getting ready for The Big Crafty in Asheville, NC, was just yesterday. It was well worth it, though. I had great time and unloaded several items I've been wanting to find a good home for, for quite a while. And now, to the enormous task of catching up on orders and housework. Eeek! What I wouldn't give for a housekeeper.



Anyway, I just wanted to share some of my lastest designs. I am so in love with theses roses. I just want to put them all over everything! Headbands, pins, hats, gloves..... And I still have more ideas for them once I get a little extra time. And my heart gloves. The Oatmeal colored pair is my most popular item right now. I also have a denim pair in the shop.

Happy Thanksgiving

It really is a good thing that we've decided to have a Friday Thanksgiving in my house because I have been procrastinating like mad. My mother has always hosted Thanksgiving for her side of the family (not really because she wanted to but noone else would step up) and she has oh, so graciously passed it onto me, on the sly. As noone was talking about any plans or working out the menu and shopping I finally asked her last week "So you're just kinda sticking it with me this year, huh?". And she said yes, she is done with it. It's my turn now. Oh, joy. Because I have all the time in the world to make a huge meal for a bunch of moochers. Not that I blame her from wanting to get out from under it. She has served her time. Now, I'm working my poor fingers to the bone on orders and beefing up my inventory for a show I'm doing next Saturday, and. honestly, I haven't even taken the time to write out the menu, make a grocery list. And you should see my house.... But, Mom and hubby are working on Thanksgiving so we've moved it down a day.

But I did finally decide on a pic for my invites and I really like how they turned out. Now, off to dust or something.

Hi!

This is me. Like most sensible women I hate having my photo taken. Never happy with my appearance, feeling goofy when smiling for a camera and, of course, I'm usually the one taking the picture. But I've decided not to use my usual model anymore, my new model is 30 minutes away and I hate using a styrofoam head. So here I am, trying my best not to look too irritated at my photography inept husband as he takes blurry pictures of my new cowl.

......Note to self: Must buy a better manequin head.

Fall Days

It has been weeks since we have ventured outside to play. A week of rain, a week of colds and yet another week of rain. Now it's so windy one could fly a kite if one felt so inclined but the girls have been going a little crazy so we went out to play on the swing set and kick the leaves around.

No new updates to the shop this week. I've been kinda swamped with custom orders. And I just rounded them all up and realized today that I have 5 projects on needles. I really hate that. I like to knock out one project at a time. Some I got bored with and others have got pushed aside this week to make time for the custom orders. So my weekend project is to knit up all these strays....and to knit myself a cowl. I just can't help myself!

Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas?

Are you thinking of Christmas yet? I have to admit, I've been thinking about it since about July. Not that I am in any way prepared. I've been so busy knitting for shows and custom orders all I have had time to do is think about it.

I have not made one (complete) gift yet. And I try to make all or most of the gifts I give. Am I worried? Not in the least! I have quite a few handmade, though not by me, items that I have traded some other talented Etsy sellers for. So a few people on my list are already taken care of. And the rest..... well, I still have time.

I have started working on these little hearts for my own tree and ths shop. But, what you're looking at is what I've got, so I'd better get busy! But, even though I've been thinking about Christmas for so long, I have to say that I am really turned off by how each year, it seems, that the stores are bringing out the merchandise and even the Christmas store decorations! earlier and earlier. The day after Halloween, Halloween!, I went into...Wal-mart....ahem, and what before my wondering eyes did appear but a Christmas Tree!, right beside of the door. Not for sale. No, this is for decoration. Note my wild use of italics today. It's just disgraceful. Though I obviously don't agree with them, I do understand those who are cynical about Christmas. But, just like life itself, it is what you make of it. If you buy into the commercialism (or are totally repelled because of it) then that's what you'll get. A holiday for buying and shopping and working so many overtime hours you don't even see your family till Christmas day. Or you can toss all that aside and remember why we celebrate. Whether it be for religious reasons or simply a celebration of love and family.

Let Your Heart Be Light

I really love how the cards turned out! And they are available in the shop. :)

Preggers

Not me! Let's just be clear about that, to those of you who have never seen me, that is not me. It's my best friend, Lerin. She was sweet enough to do a bit of modeling for me, for the shop today and we took some belly shots while we were at it. Love the bump! She is due next month and I've not even started, or even decided on! some sweet little handmade something for the baby. That's ok. When pushed up against a deadline Super Knitter takes over and I kick it in high gear.

By the way, still undecided about which pic to use for my Thanksgiving invites so please give me your input.

Opinions Please!

I've been retaking pics of my pumpkins (again) today. And they turned out so nice that I thought I'd use them on my invitations for Thanksgiving. Problem is...I love them all! Please help me decide which shot to use. 1 2 3 or 4.

A Giveaway

I was asked awhile ago to donate an item from my shop for a series of giveaways on Debbie's blog ,Real World Martha. I had totally forgot about it but this is the first week. She will showcase 1 prize each day but you don't just win one prize. You win the entire week's prizes! How awesome is that? I am giving away a set of my Itty Bitty Notebooks. And there are lots of other great prizes so be sure to enter!

Mmmm...Handmade

What new mother wouldn't treasure a handmade anything for their new little one? An heirloom that her child can pass down to their own child. My best friend is expecting her second baby (another girl) sometime in December, and while I will, of course, be cranking out a few handmades for her myself, I couldn't resist entering this giveaway on JChandmade's blog.

She is going to make a gorgeous baby blanket like this for one lucky winner in the colors of their choice. I'd love to see it in many shades of pink for my friend's little girl. But be sure to enter yourself. Checkout her post , she explains how to enter. Good luck!

Candy Time!

Honestly, is there anything harder to photograph than your children at Halloween? This one is as good as it gets.
They had so much fun, though. Zoe love sticking her hands in the gooey pumpkin, "helping" daddy. Kaiya, on the other hand, didn't want to get her hands dirty.
These girls are like night and day. Zoe is so rough and physical. And Kaiya is sensitive and doesn't like rough play. I think they kind of help balance each other out a little, though. Zoe has definately helped Kaiya loosen up and Kaiya teaches Zoe how to play pretend and be gentle with their baby dolls. So strange that when you're expecting another child it is so hard to imagine anything but but a replica of the previous child. But Zoe couldn't be more different than Kaiya.

I've been missing my girls. Still a stay-at-home mom but I've been so busy with craft shows in the past few months I've had little time to spend one on one with them. And my house! It has definately been looking worse for the wear. So I'm taking time off from shows til December. I have a show and I'm hoping to pull a home party together. Meanwhile, I'm taking taking some time with the girls and making plans for the holidays. They seem to be enjoying the slower pace around the house. And mommy is enjoying the down-time. And you will benefit as well, as I am also taking the time to pull together a giveaway.
So stayed tuned.....

Happy Halloween!

I don't have a halloweeny photo yet. Hopefully you'll see them tomorow. Until then, I'll make do with a pic of one of my slouchy hats with a pumpkin rose.

When hubby gets home in an hour or so we'll (finally) carve up our pumpkin. It's gotten cold so quickly I haven't wanted to go out and expose my pumpkin slime covered hands to the cold. Thankfully it's relatively warm today. And later on we'll take the girls trick-or-treating at the nursing home my mom works at. Kaiya has been begging for a month or more to be Elmo. And Zoe will be a pumpkin.

Speaking of pumpkins, Alicia, over at Posie Gets Cozy shared her husbands yummy looking recipe for Pumpkin Pasta. I can't wait to try it, though I'll have to get creative with substitutions for some of the dairy products.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

My New Place

Typepad has annoyed me for the last time! When they changed things around in editing and composing it made blogging a nightmare. I had finished a post today and scrolled up to edit something and the blasted thing froze up on me with the hour glass and hand blinking furiously at me. I had to control/alt/delete out of the whole thing. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I just don't know how to work the stupid thing. But it's not the first time that has happened and not to mention it takes forever just to backspace, so, I'm done. I hope blogging is easier here in Blogger land.

What I had meant to post today was this. Kaiya was sweet enough to do a little modeling for me today, which wasn't as painless as I'd hoped it would be. The dog decided to join us and the outside cats were crawling all over the place, begging for attention. And Kaiya was bobbing all over the place. I was very lucky to get a decent shot. She's holding a little heart I made for our tree and I'll be working on some for the shop as well. This pic is for our Christmas cards. I think I'll make some of these for the shop, too.