All Things Easter

Hope you all had a WONderful Easter!  It was a different kind of Easter for us, as we usually get to spend it with family.  This time, however, we spent our Easter weekend at home, just us.  We did partake in All Things Easter, of course.

I always try to decorate our home to reflect the fun and beauty of the season for the little ones.  It may not be much, but even just a little decorating goes a long way with little people.  Hopefully creating memories that will last and last for them.

This little bucket should leave quite an impression since it was knocked over and eggs rolled all about numerous times!  Even the cat had his paws into this little game.  When we came out in the mornings we would find this toppled and eggs everywhere.  Fun for all!

Yes, this would be the cat ...  Now he's trying to 'be the egg...'  Nice hide, Axle.

Do you make Easter Egg Trees for the kids at your house?  My grandmother always decorated her home and she did the neatest things that made the most lasting impressions on me.  One of the things I could always count on was her Easter Tree. 

In all of our Easter preparations we found this perfectly beautiful robin's egg on the ground.  No Easter egg could ever be dyed to match the beauty found in nature itself.  We searched bushes and trees looking for the nest where this egg belonged.  We were not successful, but the Young Man felt better for trying.  He's something of an animal whisperer if you know what I mean....

These are one of our favorite things at Easter time.  They are called Ressurection Eggs.  They can purchased already prepared but we made ours at home.  They help to give meaning to your Easter activities.  Once we've colored our eggs, made a huge mess, cooked a huge meal and overdosed on chocolate - it's good to slow things down a bit and get out these great numbered eggs.  Each egg has a surprise inside that relates to the meaning of Easter. 

Then it's time to get outside and have an egg hunt.  Whether you have a hunt with one child or one hundred, it's always fun and the kids are always happy and springing about to find the next prize.  Certainly, they want to see if there is a quarter inside or a bit of chocolate, but there is something special about that once-a-year hunt.

As far as weather was concerned, it was a spectacular day.    Just absolutely beautiful.  These clouds looked as if you could reach out and touch them.  I couldn't resist sharing them.

And I have to say that when I told you that this Easter was different for us, I really meant it....

Once all fun had been had and dinner was ready to be eaten, we were sitting out on our patio watching kids play when Young Man dropped out of a tree.  Now, if you know us at all you know that Young Man's feet have rarely been on the ground since birth.  That no longer surprises us, we just always make sure he does not climb too high.  On this particular climb, however, he was barely off the ground, hanging from a  low branch.  Just one slip and falling just the right way results in a loud 'whack' of a sound, followed by an alarming moan of pain.  What a way to end a beautiful, almost perfect Easter day. 

The upside:  He got to choose his favorite color for casting, he got to keep his x-ray, he didn't have to write for school work for a few days and now he feels so good I have to keep telling him to stay on the ground!
Thanks for visiting us!  I'll be back shortly with a hopefully done stripey thing!  xo, Chris

Colors and Stripes and Squares, oh my!

Before I get to the colors and stripes I want to share one of our favorite garden books.  This is primarily about gardening with and for kids, but I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy this little gem of a book.  It's called Roots Shoots Buckets & Boots by Sharon Lovejoy.  It is an ablsolutely delicious book full of the neatest ideas for kids (and kids like me)!  And it will literally be delicious should you grow some of the treats inside.

As you can see by this picture, we were working very intently on planning our garden.  We may have missed the early spring planting season, but we will be ready for summer veggies here.  If only it grows as planned, lol...

This is one of our Favorite Gardens!  It is exactly as it implies - All Big Stuff.  This is our first year attempting this By-The-Book and we are very excited about it.  I promise to take pictures as we go and share with you and hopefully there will actually be something giant to marvel at!

I'm sure ours won't be picture perfect, but we certainly are going to try!  This illustration is very inspiring, isn't it?

This is such a wonderful perspective on gardening and the book helps you prepare and layout the whole thing.  Now just cross your fingers and hope for the best!  Come on sunshine, come on rain.  Let the growing begin.  Oh, now I'm just getting ahead of myself.  It's not even planted yet...

So for some color:

This is just a peek at my WIP.  It's still a stringy mess, but I'm so excited about it that I have not been able to take the time to finish as I go.  I just keep making rows and now squares.  I'm having so much fun making squares I'm going to have to find another use for them!  I was inspired by the colors and the whole granny thing (squares and stripes) by Lucy over at Attic24.  If you haven't checked out the Attic, you really need to.  Lucy is inspiring soooo many folks in soooo many ways.  It's really such a joy to check in on her.

Also, my lovely little recent accomplishment:

This is a little baby shrug.  It's adorable, really.  Rows of double crochet with shell edging and shell cuffs.  Too cute for words.  I added to the pattern and changed it up a bit, mostly to accomodate my Sweet P's little (um, chubby) arms.

This is the part that goes across her back from the shoulders down to her waist.

To be worn as such.  I find ponchos aren't too easy for her to wear yet at this age and this is a wonderful solution.   Just enough to wrap across the back and keep little busy arms warm.  I had bought 3 little rolls of cashmere blend yarn on sale a couple of years ago and have been waiting for just the right pattern to use it.  Finally, I found it!

Well thanks for looking and listening, friends.  I need to go do Happy Easter things with my little people and hopefully find time to finsh up my stripes!  I'll be back soon with more to show! 

Happy Easter!  Chris

Old Favorites

Hi there.  As promised I wanted to share a few pictures of some of my favorite things to crochet.  After making a couple of giant granny blankies I was feeling like I needed to get back to what I love most. 

That tends to be clothing and purses.  Here is a sweet little cardigan I made for Sweet P before she was born.  Of course she only wore this about 3 times before it was too small!  No fear.  I'll make another when time allows. 

And this little dress I couldn't resist when I found the pattern.  If I remember correctly, I did something different here than the pattern called for.  Anyway, once it was done it reminded me of Lucille Ball!  Does anyone else get that feeling?

I know this is just a swatch of a picture here, but it shows the beauty and depth of color in this shawl I made a couple falls back.  I was so in love with this shawl pattern and yarn that I asked hubby for the yarn as a Christmas gift.  If anyone is interested I will post a link to the yarn.  It was made by Manos del Uruguay. 

Last, but not least...  Purses.  Purses and  purses and purses.  They are just so much fun to make and all so different.  I really don't ever tire of making bags.  Oh, just remembered another favorite one I made and I don't think I have a picture of it!  Well maybe for next time then. 

Looking back at favorite projects is fun.  I can see all the quirky things I've done and the mistakes I've made.  And the time spent on each project, whew. 

So next I will give a look at a more recent accomplishment, although I could NOT get a good photo of it really...  Oooh, and my WIP!  It's a first for me, this one.  Lots of color and stripes and squares!  Color and stripes and squares, oh my! 

Ok, I'll go now as I'm just rambling on, but I did want to share some of what is fun for me and I hope it's fun for you too! 

Chat soon!  xoxo  Chris

Spring Things & Happy Thoughts

Hello again.  I hope you are having a wonderful day!  Since the weather has proven that spring is actually here, we have been spending a bit more time outdoors.  Except for all the rain we've gotten, we've had a good deal of time spent running around outside, getting the ground ready for a garden and just plain cleaning up. 

This beauty happened to end up indoors quite by accident after one of our outdoor playing adventures.  We had a wonderful gentleman from a local tree service come by and he told us that this is a Magnolia Tree we have.  A quite nice one apparently.  Anyway, during our young man's outdoor adventure time a sweet little branch got whacked off completely by mistake.  I just did not have the heart to toss this lovely branch aside.  No, no, it had to come in so I could see if it would bloom.  And it did!

Isn't that the greatest thing?  I just love bringing the outdoors in.  At least when it comes to plants and things.  My young man would love  to bring (and occasionally does) some of the frogs, bugs, etc. that he catches.  Last summer we had a lizard of some sort in the kitchen -  that was also a complete accident.  I think!

So lots of lovely, colorful faces are sprouting all around the yard and we make trips around the house each day, rain or shine, to take peeks and rescue any blossoms that have hit the ground so they can be repurposed in a vase indoors, of course.

Such as these.  The daffies had gotten knocked down and then I just couldn't resist taking a couple snips of the forsythia bush to put with the daffies.  They made the kitchen look so bright and cheerful!  A few little flowers from the yard can change a whole room.  I highly recommend it.  Go on out and find a little bloom or two of your own and just clip it and bring it in.  You will smile and be glad you did it!

I have been reminiscing about some of my favorite crocheted things that I've made in the past and I have some pictures together to show you, but I'll save that for the next post.  Then maybe a look at a little project I just completed and a work in progress! 

Hugs to all!  Chris

Spring's Beauty

Hello!  I could be so ashamed of myself for taking almost a whole month between posts!  But, I knew it would happen.  And it will happen again...

Anywho...  I really do want to share some Beeeautiful pictures of spring with you.  Now they aren't all sunny and warm looking, so don't be taken off-guard.  I happen to be one of those people who really loves a rainy day.  Rain just doesn't usually get me down.  We love weather here at the Bungalow.  We had planned a trip to visit Monticello in Charlottesville, VA and, okay, we did NOT get to play on the grounds and picnic as expected.  But it was so beautiful there nonetheless!

Gardens!  In the rain!  Could that be more perfect?  Since we are so excited about getting our own garden going, we were very happy to walk the rows of Jefferson's.

These lovely little onions looked so healthy with the tiny droplets on them.  I would love to have smelled them, but dared not touch!

I know there is an amazing view from these grounds that we could not see on this particular day, but the fact is it almost forced you to take a closer look and imagine the very people who worked this ground as if they were still present. 

Is it just me or is there just something special about a row of pots?

The cover of the weather just made everything seem so peaceful. 

There is so much to see at  Monticello.  It's time well-spent no matter what the weather.  And hey, it's just what we need to get our gardens growing. 

Spring thoughts to you all!  xo

Many uses of a cake plate

Hello friends!  We have been busy here on the Hillside.  I think I told you that this house needs lots of TLC and we have started the process of relandscaping.  You know how they say things have to get worse before they get better?  I totally believe that statement now.  We have removed tons, (ok technically only 2,380 pounds), of landscaping.  I know this because we donated it to the local landfill to become mulch.  Anywho, in the process I found lots of bulbs popping little shoots up through old, lumpy mulch.  I dug out every little bulb I saw and transplanted them into pots for now, but I could not resist the temptation to bring some indoors and force them into bloom.  That brings me to Cake Dish Use #1:

These hyacinths are soooo lovely!  They have always been one of my very favorite flowers, mostly because of their beautiful perfume.  I had no idea how many of these would actually open into such full beauties and it's been fun watching them day by day.  Now our dining room has the most wonderful, delightful scent.  I can't help but stop and put my nose into these flowers each time I walk by. 

And the color!  Wow, so vivid. 

 

I really do wish you could smell these beauties...

Ok, so on to Cake Dish Use #2.  In getting ready for spring and Easter I have been pulling cute little bits out of boxes and dusting them off in hopes of giving our home a lovely spring-y feel for the little ones, (and us big ones, too).  I also have been getting some very important little feet ready for spring, as they are starting to cruise around and spend time outdoors.  So I had to find some new girlie baby shoes that are not just cute but good for new feet, too.  That's how I found Pediped.  Maybe others already know about Pediped, but they are new to me and I am in LOVE with them.  Look what we found:

Is that not the cutest little thing you've seen today!?  And from what I have read and choose to believe - they are good for little feet, too!  Can you believe it?  You can check them out at http://www.pediped.com/home/home.aspx

 So I have this cutesy little painted cake dish sitting with some paper grass in it and on one of my trips through the house I just plopped these little cuties in the dish.

When I walked past them again I thought they are cuter than candy!  I just had to share. 

Well, I do hope you are able to enjoy some of the little changes that come with the season.  Hope you are able to find some little springy flowers popping up near you.  I know it's too soon for some of you - still getting snow - but close your eyes and imagine the smell of the blue hyacinths above.  And with that smelly thought I wish you all well and leave you for now. But I will be back to share the new hooky creation that's soon to be complete! xo

Giant Granny Square Completion

I promised I would share these new giant granny square blankies I made.  It all started when my little man asked me to crochet him something new.  Can you belive it?!  My little man asked me to crochet for him!  Yippee for me!  Off to the yarn store we went to pick out guy-ish colors for this blankie pattern I had seen on http://www.lionbrand.com/.  The pattern that caught my eye was called 'pansy patch throw'.

 So he tossed his colors in the cart and I was all set to begin.  One problem though...

I was so not inspired by his colors choices.  Do you ever have that problem?  I mean, I love, love, LOVE to play with yarn, but it usually is something that speaks to me, sings to my heart!  Not so much this time.  Anyway, it is for my special guy, at his request, so on with the hookin' I went. 

He truly loves it.  I think I must have asked him on three different occasions if he really liked those colors?  Are you sure you want this blanket?  Yes, Yes, Yes, he would say.  And so here it is and he does love it and he went straight to put it on his bed all by himself.  Ahh...  What a guy.

So then I had left over yarn...  (giggle - giggle).  It was the purple color and some white.  I happened to have a bit of pink in the same yarn type left over from another project...  hmmm...  I'm thinking this same blanket in girlie colors in a smaller size for my little sweet girl.  Yes, that did sound good.  I just needed some contrasting color, so off to the yarn store I went and found a great green for the border.

The original pattern was for a 'throw' size and I made it quite large for a big little man to get properly cuddled up in.  So for my sweet girl I made it much smaller.  And I found that it does quite resemble a pansy with the green trim, although I didn't actually use the above mentioned pattern.

For my next trick I will be trying to find some patterns to help use up some yarn stash.  So for now, consider yourself all cuddled up in a gaint granny blankie! xo