Not a good combo...walking a dog and trying to take pictures

The other day, I decided to take my "niece" Lucy for a walk and I thought it would be a good idea to bring my D50 along with my AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED lens.

I learned 3 things:

1.  It is not easy to take pictures when you are trying to train a dog to walk correctly.

2.  Noon gives off harsh light.

3.  My AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D lens would have been better to take with me.

All photos are SOOC except for converting from RAW to JPG (& Lucy was cropped).

Apron Challenge

This year, our company holiday party was a team-building party.  We cooked our own meal at a local restaurant.  To go with the theme, the Secret Santa this year was to make your person an apron.  We all started with the same plain apron.

(ugly color to match anything with!)

Before we picked names, I totally had an idea for some of my co-workers...but of course I didn't get anyone that I had an idea for.  I picked our receptionist and I was having a hard time thinking of what to do.  I really didn't want to do a football theme--her son plays Pop Warner Football.  I knew I wanted something girly and cute for the apron.  Then I was inspired by these aprons I seen at Scrapbook.com

And then it came to me.  Earlier this year, she was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer--she went through treatments and was out for a few months.  She got the call that she was free from cancer!  YAY!  So I googled the ribbon for Thyroid Cancer to see the colors.  The colors are turquoise, pink, and blue--not a very good color combination, but I would somehow get it to work.

I had the idea of going to Joann's buying some cute material (they have to have something with turquoise and pink, right?) and borrowing my mom's sewing machine.  Then I remembered, I don't know how to sew!  ha ha ha.  I went to Joann's and was so clueless about how I was going to pull it off and they didn't have anything that had turquoise and pink together.

Instead, I bought some really pretty turquoise ribbon,

 some brown ruffly ribbon,

 and a few hot pink flowers.

  I then ordered a survivor ribbon pin from Choose Hope to tie it all together. 

 I thought I was a shoe in to win!

But the plan look took over the thoughtfulness of the apron.  Oh well.  I know that of all the aprons that were made, I think she will actually be able to wear hers to cook :D

Here is the one I was given (with a hat)

She photo shopped my face into a picture with Guy from the Food Network Channel.  We watch that channel at lunch sometimes and he is always on.

I had fun making it and we all had fun looking at how creative everyone was and what they came up with for their person.

Pompom Hat

I got a request from my godson to make a striped red/black/white hat with a pompom on top and on the side braids.


It took me about a week to complete because of this

I really don't change colors so often because of the weaving that has to be done afterward.  I even decided on a double crochet instead of a single crochet so it would be about 1/2 the rows to switch.  But the outcome was worth it (even though I was injured--ha ha ha).

My mannequin also got a "head" and some hair--ha ha ha.

First Christmas Card of the Season

Supply List: 

Kraft Paper-The Paper Company 25 pack

Cream/Green paper-Making Memories Mistletoe sprial journaling book

Chipboard tree & star-Fancy Pants Designs Happy Holidays Printed Chipboard Shapes

White Pen-Gelly Roll

Background Blue/snowflakes-Love Elsie Noel recipe book

All these products have been sitting in my stash for a while, so they are hard to find online--I had to substitude the kraft paper brand.

Now I have to figure out if I am going to try to sell it or send it to someone.

Happy Birthday to my BESTIES!!

It took me years to find, but I am very lucky to have found the best friends a girl could have.  They accept my dorkiness--ha ha ha.  I find it kinda cool that they even share the same birthday.

Happy Birthday Liz and Meredith!!! 

Liz & I at a Wedding.

Meredith & I at a SuperBowl Party.

Here Liz & I are at the Renegade Fair this past summer having fun!



Here Meredith & I are with our Husbands on our First Date :D

Getting Cozy with Coffee

I know I have mentioned it before, but I am going to say it again.  Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick yarn is my favorite!!

My latest creation is this Coffee Cup Cozy.

It looks a little big on this "Tall" cup, but I know I usually have a "Grande" or "Venti". 

Unfortunately, it kinda clashes with the Red Holiday cups.

I have had a few attempts at crocheting a coffee cozy for sometime.  Here is a failed attempt

Not only was the flower way too big but the sleeve was too big as well. 

mmmm.....Starbucks "season" :D

My Favorite Hat Pattern

I usually go through phases where I have a favorite pattern which I will make over and over. 

Currently, it is this Blossom Cap pattern created by Brittany Jackson.  I was searching through the Ravelry website (a username & password are required but are free), when I came across her amazing pattern.

Since I have read concerns about using other people's patterns for items to sale, I contacted her through Facebook...gotta love the internet.  She graciously allowed me to use her pattern as long as I give her credit.

Here are my creations (so far!)

All the hats use my favorite yarn by Lion Brand Yarn in Wool-Ease Thick & Quick.

This is the first hat I completed in Linen

As you can tell from the top picture, it is pretty small.  I am hoping it will actually fit a baby--hahaha.  I have to measure it still before I place it for sale.

My second try was for an adult in Fisherman (off-white)

super cozy for cold winters (I might actually keep this one for myself--shhh!).

Then I got inspiration to make one for Halloween. 

I was totally going to make it look like a pumpkin and place leaves on the top, but after looking on Etsy, I notice a huge supply of pumpkin hats for infants.  Instead, I placed a green flower on the side.  That way, it is more of a fall hat than just a halloween hat for a small child.  The flower can also be removed, if need be.

I love crocheting :D

Renegade Craft Fair-San Francisco 2010

On Saturday, I spent an exciting day with my scrapbooking bestie Liz at the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco !

The doors opened at 11, but because we were so excited and because I have never driven through SF, we left her house at 8:45—I was a bit early! We got to Fort Mason at 10 am and found parking in a jiffy—when we left (at 3:30!) there wasn’t any parking to be found. Luckily, I had parked near the exit and parked so I didn’t have to back out—yay!

There wasn’t much to eat at Fort Mason, so we settled for a latte (sans Vanilla—boo!) and a mocha from a very pleasant lady who was thrilled that we both paid with twenty dollar bills—um, it is the morning lady—we hadn’t gotten a chance to spend any money yet. The coffee was bitter just like the barista—ha ha ha! (The coffees weren’t even picture worthy)

We sat facing the bay waiting patiently for the doors to open and chatted about this and that. It was nice and relaxing even for an early Saturday morning.

A couple of minutes before 11am, we headed on over to the Festival Pavilion. Some of the booths were still setting up while we did our first go round—there were no purchase made the first time around.

After we seen all the goodies, we went upstairs to the Etsy Make-n-Take area where they had a REAL DJ…the kind that played Records!! You know those big black vinyl things? No cd player…no iTunes off a computer! YAY…the best part was the awesome 80’s music that came out of the turntables!

Also upstairs was the “bar” which had some wine and beer. We held off because we didn’t want to chop off our fingers while doing our make-n-takes. The host wore a cute apron…So Manly! We never were able to secretly take a picture of him from the front, but it was really ruffle-ly.

Before our second go round, we stopped at the Magnolia Photo Booth which was “free” (with a donation jar). It was fun with all the props they had! So something I could never do with my family—ha ha ha.

Then came our purchases…I loved so many of the things, but I only left with these:

1. is a note pad that says "To Do*", then the bottom says "*or not to do, that is the question".  Old Tom Foolery was quite the place was cute cards I would never be brave enough to send out.  One of my favorites was "You tied the Knot*...*the knot to the noose that just killed your social life.  way to go party poopers"

2. wood print NY version was actually a gift from Liz for driving.  She got the SF one...so cute from Petit Collage.

3. can't really see it in this picture but it was a bag full of cute postage-like stamps from The Tinted Mint.

4. hand dyed yarn (I ♥ yarn) from bricolag(e)able.

5. the cutest envelop from The Postage Service.  It had vintage stamps and the best part was the postage was usable--although I would hate to use it and then not have it anymore.  I left with the California theme.

6. a business card holder from Beyond Wonderland (to put my etsy shop cards when I finally open shop)I also left with a ton of business cards.

7. and my "big" purchase...a cute cell phone holder from The Pouch Place by alliebeans.

Here are a few links to check out:

Misha Ashton Photograph (she is awesome)

Twinkie Chan

Red Velvet Art

Spincycle Yarns (love the mascot)

Seibei (love the "I am fat...Let's Party" shirt)

Bunny Butt Apothecary (crazy name)

Mis Nopales Art (awesome)

Zooni (I wish I knew some little kids to buy these for)

There were so many other vendors...I can't name them all, but you can check out the list on the Renegade site.

One of our “goals” was to meet Elsie Flannigan. We even brought our copies of 52 Scrapbooking Challenges and Love, Elsie Recipe Idea Box to be signed, but when we were at her booth, we were both to shy to ask if she would sign them. We didn’t even get a picture with her. Liz did take a photo of Elsie holding a picture her daughter had drawn and gave Elsie the picture. Maybe we will run into her at another fair someday.

We also took a picture as the Renegade Mascot Owl



and lots of pictures of the “props” throughout the venue. I didn’t want to take pictures of the items—didn’t want people to think I was stealing ideas!

(from the Postage Service)


(from bricolag(e)able)


(from Twinkie Chan)

(this was my favorite prop...I thought they were selling these faux cupcakes.  When I picked it up, I was like these look so real...Liz had to point it out to me that they were real--ha ha ha--they were selling the bird candle holders)

This guy was AMAZING...

P.Nosa...he embroidered these amazing art works on the sewing machine freehandedly.

After we were finished wandering the fair, we went outside and took a few photos of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz .

Have I ever mentioned that I love old buildings?

I don’t think I have ever driven around that area of San Francisco —I totally fell in Love with all the architecture—someday I want to go back and just wander the streets and take some photos.

We—I mean I only got lost 4 times—ha ha ha. Once, we missed the turn going into the city, but thanks to my handy dandy (annoying at times) navigation, we still made it to Fort Mason in plenty of time. Then on the way out, I was in the wrong lane and I had to turn, but it was only a slight detour that we still were able to enjoy the lovely buildings around us. The final 2 missed exits were actually in the part of California that I know!!! First I forgot to get on a freeway—I was just driving myself home—ha ha ha…then when we finally got onto that freeway, I was in the wrong lane (again) and had to take another detour! By that time, it was a joke how long it took us to get home!

I had an awesome fun time with Liz. I was able to take my time and be my dorky self :)