Week 8: Bunny Crochet

This is the bunny that I was supposed to make the week before Easter. Finally finished it...

52 Weeks Let Down

I feel really guilty for having neglected 52 Weeks of Pinterest for the last month or so. I don't even have the excuse of being busy and simply not having the time. In all honesty, I just haven't thought about it lately. The few times I have remembered that I am supposed to be doing a recipe it has been at the end of the week and usually after we have already gone shopping. As for the crafts, I always seem to be working on something else that I want to get done before I start something new. Then I just forget again.

I did try to make the Cinnamon Roll Pancakes this morning. I got all of the ingredients out and ready to go... then realized I have no milk and won't be able to get to the store to get some for at least another two days or so. I guess I have no choice to put those off a little longer. I was also going to make a teriyaki chicken dish in the slow cooker. Again, was all ready to make it and realized that I forgot to buy the pineapples the last time we went grocery shopping. I'm thinking that I will be doing a lot of cooking next week.

Cooking and crafts. I have two crochet projects to catch-up on for 52 Weeks, plus a couple that I am trying to get finished before the baby gets here. Also, I have some button art that I want to do for the nursery (since I probably won't be getting my Etsy prints), and I have to find a substitute for the egg shell candles that I was supposed to make for Easter. I am definitely going to be a busy girl over the next week if I can be disciplined and motivated enough to make myself get all of this done. Maybe it will help pass the time waiting for the little man to arrive.

I don't think too many people care one way or the other if I get every week done. I care, though. This is something that I really want to accomplish to prove to myself that I can. So, I feel really bad, like I've let myself down, when I have missed a week or two (or four, as I have now).

For my own sake, I am going to try really hard to catch-up. I hope I can catch-up by the time the little guy gets here, because I know it is going to be so hard to get these things done after he is born.

Before I end this post, though, I would just like to say that all of this time hasn't been a complete waste. I have been working on projects outside of 52 Weeks of Pinterest. I've made several baby hats and started a crochet blanket for the little guy, and I've almost finished a knitted blanket that I am making as a gift for someone. So, I haven't been totally lazy. Just wanted to make sure everyone knew that. Haha!

Week 4: Gift Exchange Hats! Finally!

As promised... My exchange partner received her gifts, so here is week 4 finally.

Eventually I am hoping to also sell these in my Lemon Drops and Gumdrops shop. And I will definitely be making the baseball hat for our little guy and taking lots of pictures for Umma and Poppa!

Week 7, Part 1: Ribbon Flowers and Pom Poms

My creations for today...

Ribbon Flowers, perfect for barrettes.

Pom poms and the headband I made with them.

And my epic fail of the day. This was suppose to be a rose. I tried really hard to make it work, but after a while I just had to give up on it.

Week 6: Ribbon Shamrock

As always, sorry I'm late.

Source: http://www.theribbonretreat.com/blog/shamrock-ribbon-sculpture.html

Owl Hat!

Just finished making this adorable owl hat for our baby boy! I love it! <3 I can't wait to take lots of pictures of him in it. :)

Erik wants me to make him a little monster hat with one big eye in the middle. I guess that will be my next hat project. It shouldn't be too hard after this one.

I thought this baby wasn't going to have a whole bunch of cute accessories, being a boy and all, but it seems he will have a whole collection of adorable hats! I just have to learn how to make them in lots of different sizes, otherwise he will have a ton of newborn hats that will only fit him for a month if I am lucky!

Maybe if I get good enough I will even sell these one day! :)

I labelled this under 52 weeks of Pinterest. It's not on my list, but I did get the idea and pattern from my Pinterest. 

Another Project Done!

And finally done!!! It only took me about a month, month and a half, but I did it. I finished the knitted, hooded blanket. It looks good. Although, one side looks a little girly because I didn't count my stitches properly. Too many stitches equals a somewhat ruffled look to the border. But meh, it's only the one side.

Sleep Sheep all cuddled up. Soon that will be Baby!

My Little Boy's First Bear

Finally finished! I got the eyes and nose on the bear this morning. He looks so cute. :) I can't wait to give him to my little boy. 

This is the bear and his buddy, the sleep sheep, chilling in the crib together.

Week 3/4: Crochet Teddy Bear

Well, here it is. A few days late, but I would have finished it on time if I had started at the beginning of the week. It still needs eyes, a nose, and a tail, but I haven't got the black yarn to finish it. In the mean time, here is a picture. :)

I promise I will get a better picture when it is finished. It looks like the legs are really short, but it's just the way I took the picture and had it sitting. They are the same length as the arms.

It's not perfect by any means, but I'm very pleased with it. I can't wait to give it to my little boy.

(Oh and he kind of looks like an evil teddy because of the shadows. He actually looks very sweet in normal light)

As for the light box which was supposed to be this week's project, I don't think I will be able to get the materials for that. It will have to be a project for later on. I will find another project to do for this week and update the list. Also, my knit, hooded baby blanket is almost finished! The blanket is finished, the hood is attached, now I just need to add the border.

A little side note about my experiences making these things... I definitely need to work on my sewing/seaming skills. The seams are all a little bit sloppy. They aren't pretty, but they're functional and they will do. It is something I need to work on for future projects, though.

Change of Plans

I am sad to say that there will be no 52 Weeks of Pinterest this week. I just now realized that I did not buy the supplies I need to make my project (Photography Light Box) or the ingredients for the recipe (Country Club Chicken). I have no way of getting the supplies now as Erik is in Timmons for the week and I don't drive. This is very disappointing. I was looking forward to both of these.

However, all is not lost. I do have all of the supplies I need to make the project I had planned for next week, the bear for my baby boy. I bought the yarn last week and I already have the crochet hooks I need, so I am all set. It might actually be a good idea to start this project a little bit earlier. I have a feeling that, like my knit blanket (which has taken me about three weeks to do and I still have about 6 inches left, plus the hood and border), it will be a longer project. I am incredibly excited to make this bear as it is obviously a very special project and I am hoping it will be my son's first stuffed animal that we bring to the hospital with us for him. I am more than happy to start a week earlier.

I will simply move the Photography Light Box to next week along with the Country Club Chicken. Hopefully by March 3 I will have both the light box and the bear to share with you guys. Who knows, I might work super fast and finish the bear this week... doubt it, but maybe. Haha. :)

Week 2: "I Love You Because..." Frame

This project was so easy! It took me, literally, five minutes to do. All you need is a frame (this one is from Ikea, probably about $5.00), some pretty and romantic scrapbook paper, and either a black pen (probably a felt tip would be best, or a calligraphy pen) or a stamp and black ink. I had to use a stamp and ink because I do not have a good black pen. It doesn't say "I love you because..." like it is supposed to, but the result was still beautiful and it gets the same point across.

Step 1: Measure and cut out your scrapbook paper to fit the frame. It doesn't have to be perfect because any uneven edges will be hidden by the frame edge.

Step 2: Take your pen and write your phrase, quote, or whatever you like on the scrapbook paper. Or, use your stamp like I did. :) Allow it to dry if you do not have the quick dry ink.

Step 3: Take off the back of the frame, remove the contents and replace with your scrapbook paper. Secure the back of the frame in place, and tada! So simple!

There you have it, your own "I Love You Because..." frame (or whatever you choose to make it). The glass frame will act the same way as a white board, so you can use a dry erase pen to write your messages right on the frame. Now, if only I had a dry erase pen... :(



Week 1: Name Letters

Well, let's just say that it was a lot harder than I expected it to be. Don't get me wrong, this craft has a lot of potential to be super easy and quick. However, the letters I used were ridged instead of the smooth, so I had to cut the letters to match the size of the ridge and not the whole letter. (I know I'm not explaining it very well, you will get what I mean when you see the pictures). Anyway, that proved incredibly difficult to do and took up the bulk of time spent on the project. For something that should have been quick and easy, it took me two and a half hours to complete. Next time I will definitely use the smooth-surfaced letters.

Also, I'm not sure that I like how the colours I used work together. One of them just seems off. I am seriously considering buying another set of the letters that I did in that colour and doing them in a different colour. I think I have a colour already that will work a lot better. We'll see. It might just be one of those things I have to look at for a while and let it grow on me.

Anyway, here they are. I can't show the whole name as we are not announcing it until the little guy is born, but I will show a few of the letters. I will put up the rest of the pictures after he is born, maybe.

52 Weeks - February List

Okay, so I've done up a rough list of my projects and recipes for 52 Weeks of Pinterest. I still haven't got it all figured out, but since we are already in to February, I am posting the February list and will post the master list sometime later this week. I've discovered that it is super hard to plan around a baby, but I am trying.

So, here it is:

February 5-11

• I have two projects. The hooded knit baby blanket I am currently working on and wood name letters for the baby's room.
• My recipe is Broccoli, Chicken, and Cheese Casserole.

February 12 - 18

• Valentine's Week
• I have two recipes this week, one (Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing) I am going to make on Valentine's Day and the other (Chocolate-Stuffed Raspberries) I am going to make when Erik gets home from the field.
• This week's project is the "I Love You Because..." frame

February 19 - 25

• A photography box so I can photograph all of my projects and recipes from here on out.
• Country Club Chicken

February 26 - March 3

• Crochet Teddy Bear (I am hoping this will be our little guy's first stuffed animal that we are going to give him when he comes home from the hospital)
• Cheesy Tomato

There you have it. The plan for the next four weeks. I can't wait to finish all of these projects and post pictures of them! :)

52 Weeks of Pinterest!

It is official. I am addicted to Pinterest. Any of you who follow me will know that I pin at least a score of things a day. I start and I can't stop! I tried one day to not pin a single thing and failed. I didn't make it very long at all. I was pinning before I even realized what I was doing. As of this moment I am four short from having 800 pins (believe me, I will probably far surpass 800 by the end of today) and I have only been on Pinterest for about two or three weeks.

For those of you who do not know what Pinterest is, here are a few definitions - which I think are incredibly true and very accurate:

I always smile and shake my head at this last one because it is so true. And this got me thinking, how many of my pins am I really ever going to do? I would like to say I would do most of them (eventually) but the honest truth is that I would probably do very few of them, if any of them. It's great fun to pin them and think "Oh yeah! I could totally do that!" but actually doing them is a whole other story. For example, I have a ton of sewing patterns and tutorials on my DIY and Craft Ideas board. Funny thing is, I don't have the first clue how to sew! I will probably never do any of them. There are so many reasons I would not do a lot of them: lack of skill, availability of materials, low confidence, and the main reason... I am too busy pinning more stuff to do the stuff I already have pinned!!!

So, I am making a resolution. 52 weeks of Pinterest. Funny enough, I got this idea from Pinterest. The original idea is 365 days of Pinterest, but I don't have the money or motivation for that and also, some projects take more than one day to complete. I think I will take it slow and start with one project a week for now. I have several categories that I am working from: DIY and Craft Ideas, Food, Baby, Stuff for the Home, and Crochet/Knitting. I've already made a list of the ones I think I could attempt. It is definitely longer than 52. I am thinking of grouping a few of the smaller projects together.

In fact, I have so many food and DIY ones that I think I could probably do one of each per week. A recipe to try and a project or craft to make. I think I could manage that.

Now comes the hard part of deciding what to do each week for the next year... This should be fun. I will post a list once I have one. And every week I will update with what I made! I'll do a little write up with pictures for each thing and I'll be sure to include all of the recipes.

This will definitely be a good idea for passing the time until baby boy comes, although I wonder how I will be able to keep this up once he does get here....