Gratitude Friday

This week I am thankful most for...

: : 1 pink line...

: : the above mentioned...

: : and also the first thing I wrote...

Pelting your kids with snowballs

Yesterday was Wednesday. 
Wednesdays tend to be long days around here.  Especially when the whinning and crying bordom sets in at approx 8:30 in the morn, you KNOW it's going to be a long day.  So what's a mom to do in the middle of February when you are just aching in your bones to go outside and plant your hands in some soil and send your kids to the sand box and listen to the birds and soak up the spring air?

I chose to bring the small folks outside in the snow...

Have I mentioned that I hate going out in the snow? 

Well?  I do.  I don't have any snowpants that fit.  It's kind of a cold experience to go out in the snow in Western New York when you don't have any snowpants that fit.  But I decided to put on my big girl pants (literally and figuratively speaking) and bring my shorties outside.  (Anyhow, we're having a heatwave with the temperature hovering around 32.  BONUS!)

And you know what?  It wasn't that bad.  Mainly because I toke my aggressions out on my children in the form of a snowball fight.  And the fact that they laughed and giggled the whole time made it all the more enjoyable.  'Cause when your kids are laughing and giggling you can't really help but join in with their jovial spirit. 

Gracie making snow angels and Annie observing the madness. (A girl after my own heart.)

RUN while you still have a chance!

Oh yes, I did.

My sweet little Annie, sneak attacked from the back! 

I know! She's cute, right?  Who would have expected it from her!? 

Snow down my back. But fear not! I had my revenge...

WIP: Needlefelted bugs

This week I decided to work on some needlefelting. 

So I got the book Wool Pets out of the library and went to town.  The directions were detailed and very easy to follow with lots of pictures.  I had previously only needlefelted on a flat surface and on a wetfelted ball.  I had no problem whipping these up.  They each took approximately half an hour.

Annie LOVES the CD Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner especially the bumblebee song...

So Mama made her a bumblebee. 

The ladybug is Gracie's, since she befriends real ladybugs daily...

Ladybugs seem to think that me casa es su casa.

Do you know how hard it is to get a 3 year old to show you the new buggies?

So I had her lay down with them instead...

Next I think I will try the bunny.  :)

SUPER cheap BabyLegs...

just thought you should know...

BabyLegs for $2.80 a pair!!!  (After the 20% OFF discount.)  That is the best deal I have EVER seen on BabyLegs... and that inludes the Target knockoffs when they are on sale!

And some awesome amber jewelry as well...
Use coupon code Blog68 to get 20% off your total.

Gratitude Friday

Things I am grateful for this week...

~ Grandpa's 81st

~ lost debit card

~ freebie pattern

~ oranges

~ inspired giving

A bit of Nuno and some Valen-times babies

Well this isn't so much a Work in Progress but here's what I did this week...

Monday night a couple ladies got together to learn a bit about Nuno felting, with my lovely friend Pam, not to be confused with Pamela...

although she was there too...

and she is equally lovely...

I think I have a new love...

And some Valen-times (as Gracie calls it) Heart Babies, inspired by 2 other crafts.  Luna Organics Valentine Babies and the Waldorf Heart Baby in the premier issue of Living Crafts Magazine. 
Small people just love holding little treasures in their hands and pockets. 

Gratitude Friday

Some things I am grateful for this week...

~ valentine flowers

~ yarn sale

~ longer sleep stretches

~ hearthside warmth

~ seed catalogs

~ books on Playaway

It takes a village... even in the country

Here is a funny little story for you.

In our flock of chickens reside these 2 little hens.  The one with the white/grey around her head is Aunty.   The one with the brownish feathers around her head is one of Aunty's daughter... she is one of 3 ghetto crazy kung fu fighting sisters who have no name.  Last summer these 2 hens went broody at the same time.  (That means that they tried to hatch babies out of eggs.)  It is a very annoying time for the egg collector (me) because those witches the hens try to scratch your eyes out everytime you so much as glance in their direction protect their eggs.  So instead of wringing their necks upsetting them every time I went out to collect, I decided to let them have a couple eggs to hatch.  Once they have a baby to fuss over the broodiness goes away.  So I marked and left some eggs for the 2 hens to set on. 

(Please note: It is important to mark any eggs left to set so that you don't accidently collect eggs that have been allowed to, ummmm well, grow fetus inside them... take my word for it... mark your eggs.)

So the 2 hens, mother and daughter, nested side by side for a time.  Weeks past.

One morning I went out for my eggs and found a chick!!  A sweet little fuzz ball was hanging out under Aunty.  The next day the fuzz ball was under the other chicken!  She was Mama hopping!  No other eggs hatched.  Just the 1... and 2 Mommies wanted her!!!  So my silly little chickens (at this point they were no longer kung fu fighters broody) worked together and raised that little chick.

And that's my sweet little story of how it takes a village... even in the country.

Work in Progress Wednesday

Find out what it's all about.

My knitting seat and my Great Granny's Rocking Chair.  My dad refinished it when I was prego with my eldest. It warms my heart to sit and knit (or feed my nursling) in the same chair where I remember my "Chicky" Grandma knitting when I was a small person. 

You see him eyeing that ball of yarn?  He's in to the mischeifs already.  There's nothing like a boy...

But onto the scarf. It's a self-shading ruffle scarf knit with Wisdom Yarns Limerick.

It's pretty easy, but also looks fancy schmancy when finished.

Cast on 20 sts. 

Knit 5. Turn Knit to End. Turn Knit to End. Knit 5. Turn knit to end. Turn knit to end... You get the idea?  An extra row of 5 stitches at each end makes some cute little ruffles. :)

Lace-weight Mohair Scarf.  Also very easy.  Cast on 70 stitches on size 9 needles.  Knit until end of skein. Laceweight mohair is just so pretty that you can make even the most simple projects look all kinds of fancy!  This skein is from Blue Ridge Yarns (Shadow Mini in Rainforest.)

Some of ma stash... 

My most favorite local yarn store is closing shop so I am loading up while the gettin's good.

Get off your tushy for Pete's sake!!!

The rights of parents in New York State are at risk.  Check out my gal pal, Jocelyn's newest post over at Tillaboro Orchard...

Knit One, Purl Two, Post Three

Have I told you that I recently picked up knitting?

NO! You say? Oh right, well this is only my 3rd post.

Well, I recently picked up knitting. I have been meaning to learn ever since I got a subscription to the Holy Grail of Natural Crafters Living Crafts Magazine.  In which they have some of the most amazing and inspiring handiworks. Plus ma gal pal, Pamela is an exceptional knitter who was putting me to shame with her crafty shmafty self. So right now I am working on no less than 4 knittng projects (and no more than 6...) I keep starting new projects because I am just ADD like that. And since I won't take the ritalins to keep my gray matter on task. I will just hop around to my different projects as the winds blow me... Hehehe, I just typed blow me

See what I'm talkin' bout...

So anywho. If you are wanting to try your hands at knitting and you also have small folks living in your abode you should most definately buy (or borrow from your local library if you want to be green and thrifty) Knitting for Baby. It has lots of super cute knit patterns for baby and it guides you through how to go about making them, even if you are a beginning beginner knitter!!!
Next perhaps I will learn to spin.
Maybe I should could even get some sheep? No?