My Floridian Adventure

Hey Readers!

I had a great trip down to FL with my dad. We listened to music on the way down, cruising along in the truck. I edited my book all the way down and all the way back, with my little laptop sitting in my lap. (I reached page 190!)

Here is my trip, in photos:

An orchid bloom on the living room coffee table in my grandma's house. The cot where I slept was right next to this pretty blossom.

 A hibiscus flower in the front yard.

Sunny palm trees...

Happy little milkweeds...

 The afghan.

I crocheted this afghan for my cousin Katie for her wedding present. I gave it to her early so that she could snuggle up with it this winter and get some use out of it... the wedding is in March and she won't need a warm blanket very much by then, in Florida.

It features 3-D flowers, a ruffled border, and a color scheme of lavender, warm grape, chocolate brown, peanut-butter brown, creamy ivory, and a light khaki.

Katie and her afghan... She liked it. (YES!) Whew! :)

My shades. There's a funny story behind these cool sunglasses.
I forgot to pack any.
And on the trip down, I squinted the entire day, resulting in a wrinkle between my eyes! Aaaagh! I am way too young for wrinkles.
So the next morning of the trip we took a little jaunt to Wal-Mart and I picked these up. They worked really well on the way back from Florida, and I am happy to say that the wrinkle in my face is no more. At least until I turn 90 or so. ;)

 I decided to model them for you. ;)

 And I am thrilled to say that my grandma finally has a computer. We helped her pick it out. It's a smart little HP laptop, to be precise. I even called to set up her internet and talked with a live Verizon representative. (That was rather nerve-wracking. The representative was a sweet lady but I have a mild phobia of calling complete strangers on the phone...) :)

Today Daddy and I went down to an empty school parking lot and practiced parallel parking. Again and again and again... etc. I think I finally have the hang of it! Before we headed home I parallel-parked five times in a row in a fashion that would have passed the test. I just hope I can do it for the driver's license test!

The test is Tuesday, the 10th, if you wouldn't mind praying for my success. (Please do!) :D

Have a lovely week!

I'm thankful for... Crochet

http://younghomemakers.blogspot.com

I really am so enjoying this challenge! It's a wonderful stretch to have to come up with one significant thing every day to be thankful for. :D

Today I am thankful for crochet. :)

 While my usual favorite thing to crochet is an intricate crochet block, later to be sewn together with other blocks to create a colorfully patterned blanket (afghan), I have loved making these slippers lately.

I am thankful that my dear mother taught me how to crochet when I was 8 years old. I have since been able to crochet for fun, for giving away, and also for earning money. :) It's been lovely!

Still Thankful,

Of Giveaways, and Gray Slippers, and Great Ideas...

Top o' the mornin' to ye! :)

Well, don't know about you, but it's gotten pretty chilly in my neck of the woods! Whew! Time to unpack my winter clothes... and put away some of my beloved t-shirts and capris and bermuda shorts! There's just something nostalgic about finding soft, cozy sweaters and becoming acquainted with the other half of your wardrobe all over again... :D

And I'm trying not to dread those mid-winter months when I just get so tired of wearing knee socks and long johns... sigh! ;) But spring always comes again. A cheery thought. :)

For now, though, it's still Autumn, and the many oak trees around my log home are dropping a bountiful harvest for squirrel and interior decorator alike! :D I picked up some acorns just for the fun of it, and was wondering what to actually 'do' with them, when I found this stellar idea:

See? See the jar at the bottom of the picture? It's filled with acorns and tiny pinecones! How CUTE! We have some old mason jars just like that! *bingo*. :D I just LOVE the amazing interior decor photos on this blog, it's so creative and artsy it  almost makes me want to do handsprings...

And then for something I've been working on:

(this is not my main crochet project, just something I tried in between working on that) :) I found this slipper pattern and thought "Oh! I want to make those!" So I tried it... I made myself a little slipper in shades of gray, and even crocheted a little flower to go on top... I haven't taken any pictures of it yet, but I thought I'd tell you about it anyway. It looks just like these... (only cuter.) ;)

The pattern for these sweet slippers can be purchased on Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/62872279/crochet-slipper-pattern-oma-house?ref=em

That's where I bought it! :D

And it was only $5. I mean, come on, that's a pretty great deal! :D 

And how cute is this branch decorated with little crocheted leaves! An adorable way to use up your leftover yarn bits! :D The free pattern for this project and several other charming ideas can be found here: http://easymakesmehappy.blogspot.com/2010/03/page-under-construction-crochet.html
I want to try making one of these in burnt oranges, crisp reds, and golden yellows... :D


And lastly, a giveaway for a cute Sense and Sensibility e-Pattern for a "Tea Gown" can be found HERE.

Very pretty, don't you think?

Have a lovely week!

Crochet Book Giveaway

Calling all Crocheters! I just found out about a cool giveaway at AllFreeCrochet.Com and thought I'd share it with you.

They're giving away this book ^ on crocheting, and it looks really cute! The giveaway ends on November 17, 2010.

So....

Go HERE to enter. :)

Happy Crocheting!

Very Exciting News!! New Shop!

I am exceedingly pleased to give you...

JandKdesigns! A fabulous new Etsy shop that my dear friend Kierstyn and I started together!

Kierstyn and I go way back. We've been friends ever since we were about 3 months old in church nursery together. :) We grew up going to the beach together and having the most wonderful time dancing together in ballet class. There were several occasions that we performed choreographed worship dances to songs like Shout to the Lord on stage together. When I moved up to GA we lost touch, but last year Kierstyn looked me up on white pages and sent me a letter. Ever since, we've been in close contact, catching up on each other's lives. Then, Kierstyn got a bright idea.... Scarf and Earring sets!

We have combined our talents of crochet and jewelry design into one amazing place.  Kierstyn and I have matched up sets of her scarves and my earrings to make something splendid. :) Here are a few samples:

Now you just HAVE to go take a look. :D

Tips and Tricks for making a crocheted afghan

I've been asked several questions about making my afghans, so to make things easy I thought I'd just do a post about it for you all! :) I've got a few tips and tricks and thoughts to share on creating a handmade afghan.

Firstly, I get all my crochet block patterns from this wonderful book, 200 crochet blocks for blankets, throws, and afghans by Jan Eaton.

This book has taught me so much about crochet and the patterns are all so clearly written and easy-to-read! There are illustrations in the back that show how to make each crochet stitch mentioned in the block patterns. From this I learned how to make Popcorns, Bobbles, Puff stitches, and Triple and Half-double crochet stitches. (SO much fun!) 

These are some of the patterns in this book.

Ok. First thing I do when starting an afghan is to make a plan. I choose what size I want my finished afghan, and what crochet blocks I want to use in the afghan. I draw up a diagram like so... (Sometimes I take the time to use a ruler and make much straighter lines) This diagram below was hastily drawn in a moment of frenzied creativity... :D

And here we have one of my typical crochet blocks. I use an H/8 size hook, and regular worsted weight (4-ply) yarn... sometimes mixing in some baby yarn here and there... and since I've discovered I crochet with such a large (rather loose) tension my crochet blocks all come out about 8 1/2 to 9 inches.

When creating your afghan, make up a 'test block' and then multiply the dimensions to whatever size you want the finished creation to be and calculate how many blocks you'll need.

To piece the blocks together, I lay them out in the order I want on top of a solid-colored surface (i.e., a white sheet on top of my bed) and pin them in place, for a large afghan. I sew the blocks together, row-by-row, with coordinating yarn and a large plastic needle. I use a whip-stitch sort of technique... ah, might have to post pictures of that later so you know what I mean.

 

Colors are very important for me when making an afghan. What 'feel' do I want the completed piece to portray? The muted berry colors and purples I'm using in my current afghan create a feeling of understated elegance and sophistication, and the touches of pink and lavender add a hint of sweetness.

Feel free to ask me any other questions you have that I didn't answer in my post! :) I'll be happy to help.

Rachel asked me ... Q: Where do you get your yarns?

My answer ... A: I wait for super-duper sales, like you, Rachel, and I also adore this beautifully soft and inexpensive yarn that you can get at Hobby Lobby called "I Love This Yarn" - how appropriately named - It's usually $2.39 for a 7-ounce skein, which is a great deal when you consider that the Vanna's Choice yarn (which I love as well) is usually around the same price for only 3 ounces of yarn. So check out the Hobby Lobbys in your area! :D 

"Purple Berries" afghan in the works...

So... there is a very quick preview of some of the squares for my new afghan! :) I've been crocheting them for a little while now and I keep falling in love with each one I make. :)

My color scheme this time is composed of dreamy, muted shades of purple and warm berry colors, iced with a sparkling white and lightened here and there with delicate lavender and pink. Ahhhhh. :) Doesn't that sound nice?

This afghan also features some of my finest crochet work, with tons of actual, 3-D, stand-up flowers in many of the crochet blocks. I LOVE making those! :)

I know what you're thinking... "But Julia, didn't you just make a huge afgan?"

Yes, I did... It's on my bed right now, and there it will stay. This one will hopefully be a Twin/Large throw size and will go in my hope chest when I can bear to put it away.  :D No, I'm not tired of crocheting... in fact, as soon as I finished my other afghan, I was itching to start another one! :) It didn't happen for a while, because mama insisted that I take a break from crocheting and focus on other homemaking skills. But now I'm back at it, picking up my crochet in the evenings to work away. :) 

I was actually going to make an afghan in greens and blues, but the inspiration just wasn't flowing there for some reason. I love the colors I'm working with now, though!!

How about you? Are you creating anything right now? I'd love to hear about it. :)

http://jewelsbyjulia-lauren.blogspot.com/

Starbucks: The Verdict

OOoooooooooooh Yuuuuuuuummmmm! :D

I must say, I am very impressed with the Starbucks Peppermint White Hot Chocolate. Delicious! :) However, next time I might order it *with* whipped cream on top. :D I forgot to specify that at the register (just naively assuming it CAME with whipped cream) and to my surprise it was whipped cream-less. :P Oh well. It was still mouthwatering.

I had a great time chatting with Kierstyn and Alex ... that was the first time I'd met Alex (Kierstyn's newlywed husband) and to my delight I found that he's a very nice guy. Yay! I am SO happy for both of them. :D :) :D

We ended up hitting Jo-Ann fabrics and I took advantage of some on-sale Lion Brand Yarn... I actually came home with a huge bagful... like I need more yarn. Ha! :D It doesn't help that some of the skeins I bought are the size of watermelons. (no kidding.) The check-out lady asked me what I was doing with all that yarn and I replied calmly "I'm replenishing my stash." *giggles* We ended up having a nice (albeit short) conversation in which I told her about my crocheted afghans.

Speaking of crochet... yesterday I saw a pillow at somebody's house that was crocheted. I examined it and noted what stitches were used, came home, and made one of the mini-blocks that it was created out of with my new yarn, and sat back and marvled. I was surprised at how I could make something without a pattern, just from seeing something else that I wanted to copy. :)

Now I just need to learn how to sew! :D But that's another story... :)

I Finished My Afghan...*dances*

I do apologize for the lateness of this post. My family and I have been up to lots of things lately...

But, anyway, here are some pictures of my finished afghan!

I absolutely l♥ve it!

I finished it on Saturday evening at 9:30 pm, so it was ready for homechurch the next morning! :) I was very pleased to have completed it and reached my goal to have it done. :) And, I must confess, I am delighted with how it turned out. It's bright, colorful, crazy, and for me, distractingly pretty. :) The next afghan I crochet (not doing that for a while!) ...will have a pattern, and will not be so 'sampler'-style... but I like how this one came out. :)

Collecting my Thoughts...

Well, I am attempting to collect my thoughts and grab ahold of my days, though they still seem a little frenzied now and then...

Today was absolutely beautiful... the sun was shining, the air was clear, the birds were singing outside my bedroom window, and life was good!

My mother and I went over to a lovely friend's house for lunch and she showed me how to cook "Fritatta" (Sp?) and it was delicious! For those who aren't sure what a Fritatta is, (I wasn't until I saw it made) It's kind of like Quiche, but without a crust. Fritatta is made with eggs, and then whatever you want to throw in them, cooked in a pan until they're like a thick, fluffy egg pie. Delicious! Ours was made with tomatoes, romaine lettuce (did you know you can cook it? It's very good!) cheddar cheese, parsley, thyme, and parmesan cheese. Mmmmmmmm. :) Wish I had a picture to show you... but I didn't have my camera!

Well, the other day we talked about me getting my driver's license finally (After having had about 3 years of learner's permit... yeah....) I kind of felt like this little guy:
But I'm sure I'll get over that feeling. :D

And I know ya'll are very curious about what I am making with my crochet blocks....

But... ahem, *cough* I just realized I didn't download pictures of it yet... *blush* so you'll have to wait to see what it looks like, but I will tell you.

I'm making an Afghan! (blanket, but the proper name is afghan) When it is completed, it will fit my Queen-size bed. :) I am very very close to being all done. I can hardly wait!

In fact, I think I'll go work on it right now. Ta-ta! :)

Swirly, Whirly, Busy Days...

Well, my life has been a whirl of activity over the last week and this weekend... we had a wonderful time visiting Homechurch yesterday after not having gone for a few weeks due to sickness... it was so nice to see all the familiar faces again. Our homechurch seems to have grown closer and deeper and I am so excited to see how the Lord is working through all of us. :)

.:.:.:.:.

The SBD (South Beach Diet) is going splendidly - Mama and I made tacos for dinner tonight and she and I had ours 'taco salad'-style without chips. I put a smidgen too much *hotsy-totsy* sauce on mine and consequently felt somewhat akin to a fire-breathing dragon, but it was very tasty nonetheless! :)

And...... for the past week I have been up to something very special, colorful, and involving...

Crochet blocks.

And that's all the hint you get, until further notice. Any guesses? :)

Love & Hugs!

What Ho! Home from the Show.

We're home from the show! Actually, it was done on Saturday, but it took me a while to get around to posting about it. We were very tired afterwards.
Mama and I did rather well, getting about 1/5 the profit we made at the GHEA homeschool convention in May... but then our town is a small town and we had much less people stop by than at the convention.

Here are all the new doughnuts I crocheted for the Fall Fest...


Aren't they neat? I just love them. Unfortunately, not one sold! I was rather disappointed, but now this means you have a chance to purchase them from my Etsy Shop! (give me a few weeks to get them on there...)
Here's our little booth... my jewelry table is the one with the pink tablecloth and Mama's 'craft' table is the one with the cute little autumn ribbon running around the top edge.

This is the garland we made to hang around our booth... we took square fabric 'charms', folded them in half to make triangles, and sewed them all together in a straight line! :) I thought it was quite adorable. :)

I had lots of jewelry for sale...

...mostly earrings and necklace & earring sets, with a few bracelets...

And some stunning beaded watches that I designed and Mama put together. (Will have better pics soon!)

Here is Mama's table. She was selling all-natural heating bags, crocheted hotpads/potholders, homemade peach jam, and gift baskets with two jars of jam and two potholders inside.

We were giving away free samples of the jam on wheat thins... I think that helped sell it! :) Once people tasted it, they wanted to buy some.

We also had the doughnuts on a dessert stand on Mama's table. So many people stopped and picked them up and exclaimed "how cute!"... yet I didn't sell any! :( sigh.... (let it go, Julia....) :D

Now, for some breaking news from Julia's Family...

Yesterday, Daddy, Mama, and I started the South Beach Diet! :) I never thought I would try something like this, with rules and a menu plan... but we found the book at a yard sale for only $1.00, so... we thought we'd give it a try! :) I'm excited about it, yet also a little sad because for the first 2 weeks, we won't be eating sugar, fruit, bread, rice, pasta, or carbs, and no dairy except low-fat cheese. However, there are lots of tasty things we can eat, like my mom's homemade chili, black-bean soup, and crockpot chicken, and I'm SO thankful that I can still have all the dill pickles I want. Whew! Those would have been very hard for me to give up.

I will try and keep you updated with our progress! :)

Love & Hugs,