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Hats, Hats, and More Hats

Published by dee on October 26, 2009

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately knitting hats. The weather turned colder, the knitting needles came out, and I haven’t really stopped since. A while back I ran across a hat pattern called the “Holly Hat” over at A Suburban Hippie’s Knitting Blog. It’s a very basic knitted hat pattern with options for completing several different styles. If you want a basic hat pattern to go off of, this is it. I saved it to my iPhone so that I always have it with me if the mood to knit strikes.

My favorite is the rolled brim hat because it is super simple and quick to knit up. Plus, it’s super cute (especially on little girls, which I happen to have one of!). I’ve been knitting a ton of these lately – some for gifts and some specially requested by friends after seeing mine.

Next up I have to find some sort of simple scarf pattern. I had a request for a matching hat/scarf set and I’m stumped on how to do the scarf. Simple stockinette won’t work as it rolls. I could do a k1, p1, ribbing, but that would get a little boring after a while. I need it to be a quick knit as I have a stack of Christmas gifts planned that I haven’t started on yet, but I don’t want it to be boring either. If anyone has any suggestions, I’d be happy to take it!

**If you’re reading through a feed reader, I’d love it if you’d click through and check out the new site layout! I finally switched Getting Crafty over to Thesis theme (one of the best WordPress themes in my opinion) and would love to hear what you think. There’s still a few quirky spacing issues I have to figure out in the sidebar and I may add a few more things there, but it’s mostly ready for viewing.

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I ♥ Faces – Halloween Dress Up

Published by dee on October 26, 2009

This week’s I ♥ Faces photo challenge theme it “Halloween Dress Up!” I’ve been waiting anxiously for Halloween to get here. I had a blast last year taking the kids out in their costumes for a photo shoot and couldn’t wait to do it again this year. Since we haven’t had any nice sunny days lately (Boo to the dreary weather!) I decided to do them inside. I’m not as thrilled with them as I was last year, but a few of them came out really cute.

My entry for the challenge this week is of Zach in his Sheriff Woody costume. Instead of going for store bought this year I decided to put his costume together myself, which ended up being much more stressful. I’m glad I did though because I was really happy with the outcome. Plus, Zach loves it which makes it worth all the effort!

There are some really cute entries over at I ♥ Facesso make sure you take a few minutes to check them out! I’m already getting ideas for next year!

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Costume Preview

Published by dee on October 20, 2009

Once again I’m home with sick kids. I took both of them to the doctor yesterday morning. Evie tested positive for Strep and according to the doc probably has some variant of the Hand, Foot, and Mouth virus. Zach tested negative for Strep, but had a very red throat and the doc expected his culture to come back positive so she decided to put both of them on antibiotics just in case.

Since they have to be on the antibiotics and fever free for 24 hours before returning to day care, we had another day at home today. I decided to take advantage of the time at home and dress the kids up in their costumes for a little photo shoot.

Evie wasn’t exactly cooperative, but Zach got pretty into it. He had fun posing like Woody and even did a “rag doll” shot with his head hanging down. Unfortunately, my lighting wasn’t as good as it should have been and I forgot to change a couple of settings on my camera so there is some pretty heavy editing. I’m pretty happy with them overall and the session taught me a few things as well.

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Late Night Ramblings

Published by dee on October 19, 2009

For some reason over the last few weeks I seem to be stuck in a bit of a rut. I don’t have a lot of patience for other people, including my kids. I’ve been spending a lot of time in my own head, trying to sort out some things. I feel like I’m on the verge of a big change, though I don’t know exactly what that change will be. I want to create change, but I don’t know how. I feel stifled by my current environment and feel like I need a change. I need less clutter in my head and my life. I’m tired of the routine.

I’ve been spending less time on Twitter and more time reading blogs. For a while I quit reading blogs entirely unless I happened to see a link on Facebook or Twitter. I missed reading the stories. You just can’t get that in 140 characters. I’m trying to remember to comment more, to re-connect some of the ties that have come unraveled.

I wonder how people do it all. How do you have a full-time job, keep up with a spouse and kids, be a good parent, keep your house clean, pay the bills on time, be there for your extended family, maintain friendships and hobbies, read, create, write, and make a difference in this world? How is it even possible to do all of that? I can’t do it all. There is always something slipping through the cracks.

I have so many goals, dreams, and desires, yet I have a hard time taking the steps I must take in order to make them happen. Maybe it is insecurity, but I always blame it on a lack of time or money. There’s never enough time or money though, so do I just let those things slip away or do I step outside of my comfort zone and make them happen?

Sometimes I wonder if I feel enough. Anything involving my kids I feel with extreme intensity, but when it comes to other things I wonder if I care as much as I should. Sometimes I just feel so indifferent to things that should matter. I listen to friends discussing politics and world issues and I wonder why those things don’t matter as much to me. Am I just numb to it all? Perhaps it is just selfishness and I only care about things directly affecting me. A simple e-mail can be touching enough to make my heart skip a beat, yet I can hear stories about people being killed in other countries and just blow it off. Does that make me a bad person or am I simply tuning it out because I don’t have enough energy left in me to worry about the world?

I miss writing. I write here, but this place is no longer a place where I can really let loose. The thoughts that twist and tear at my heart don’t have a place to go. I don’t journal or even keep up with a private blog anymore. There isn’t time. Sometimes I wonder if that’s why I don’t sleep at night. Perhaps the thoughts just won’t leave me alone until I find a place to write them down. The thoughts that used to flow freely are now kept locked up. I don’t trust anyone or anything with those innermost private thoughts. I won’t let them escape and perhaps that’s why I feel so weighted down.

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Custom Postcards Giveaway

Published by dee on October 19, 2009

Entries are now closed. The winner of the 100 postcards giveaway is Average Jane!

It’s time for another fun giveaway from my blog sponsor UPrinting.com! This time UPrinting would like to offer one lucky reader a set of 100 custom postcards.

postcard_up

So, what can you do with a postcard? Only about a million different things! Postcards are very versatile. You could use them for party invitations, holiday cards, business advertisements, change of address, save the date cards, sale ads, thank you cards, and so many other things. There are so many options I don’t even know what I would use them for!

One lucky winner will receive 100 custom postcards as detailed below:

Size: 4×6
Paper: 14pt Cardstock Gloss
Printing: Full color both sides
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the US (Canadian residents pay shipping and taxes. Offer not available to residents outside of the US and Canada)

How to enter:

Got a creative idea of how you would use your postcards? Leave a comment below telling me how you would use them and you’re entered in the contest! Be sure to use a valid e-mail address as that is how you will be notified of your prize.

Contest is open until Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 12:00 Noon Central. Winner will be chosen from all eligible entries via random.org and notified by e-mail. A coupon code for the postcards will be sent to the winner’s registered email by UPrinting.com on November 6, 2009.

Disclosure: In exchange for hosting this giveaway, I will also receive a set of 100 postcards from UPrinting.com.

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I ♥ Faces – Pink Week

Published by dee on October 19, 2009

This week’s I ♥ Faces photo challenge is Pink Week to help spread Breast Cancer awareness. I’ve written before about how important breast cancer awareness is to me. My mom is a two time breast cancer survivor and she lives with the every day fear that it will come back and that it won’t be treatable the next time. I’m not ready for that day to come either.

Beyond that, I don’t ever want to see another woman have to suffer through this illness. The more aware we become, the closer we are to a cure. Women need to know the steps to take for early detection. Self exams are essential, as well as mammograms and regular check ups with your doctor. But most importantly, women need to not be afraid. We may not have a cure yet, but if caught early enough, treatments are very effective.

Ten years ago I didn’t know how long my mom would be around. I didn’t know if she would ever see my children, or even if she would be around to see me truly grow up. But she was a fighter. She fought cancer not once, but twice. Ten years later she has seen all three of her children get married and has six grandchildren to celebrate her life with.

This week’s I ♥ Faces challenge is dedicated to my mom. Each year the office park where my mom and I work turns the fountain pink for October and I knew I wanted that to be a part of my photo. Of course I also wanted to include my mom in the photo. It didn’t turn out exactly the way I had it planned out in my mind, but this was the closest I got.