Happily Bright ZigZag and Babydoll 3

So this past weekend, I was suppose to start on my first pair of socks....didn't happen. Sunday was a cold, rainy, deary day, so I decided to start an afghan. I have fallen in love with all the crocheted blankets out in blogland, but since I can't crochet, I needed a knit pattern. After searching many patterns on Ravelry, I settled on this one - Zig Zag Afghan. The pattern is easy and I'm really enjoying the zig zag pattern.

I wanted an acrylic yarn that is durable and washable. My favorite is Red Heart. The main color is Bikini. I love this yarn because of all it's bright colors. Pairing it with an even brighter pink, orange and white and I'm on my way to a SUPER BRIGHT afghan! I'm loving it already! Looking at the bright colors make me happy, hence the name,

Happily Bright ZigZag.

I'm hoping to have it done by Fall, but the way I'm going I may get it done before then!

I'm working on 2 babydolls at the same time. This is Babydoll 3. Look....I've become like other knitters and have more than one WIP! Yay me! :)

For more Yarny goodness, click the icons below and enjoy!

Weekend Snaps - There's No Place Like Home

There's no place like home!

Love the smell and look of fresh cut grass.

Our Hood.

Flower Planting

I love flowers. Wildflowers, sunflowers, all flowers.

So this year I wanted to grow my own flowers, which meant I had a lot of work to do.


Our backyard is pretty big. So we decided the corners would make good flowerbeds. That way the boys would still have plenty of room to play and I wouldn't have to worry about them killing the flowers.

See all that grass in the corner. That's the area I had to clean out for the first flower bed. Let me tell you, that was not an easy job!


But I did it!

I cleaned it out and prepped the dirt for the flower seeds. I have sunflowers, and wildflowers. The sunflowers are different colors. The traditional yellow and a hybrid maroon color. Someone told me they have sunflowers that smell like chocolate! Flowers that smell like chocolate! I need to find me some of those!

I can't wait for the flowers to come up. The packet says within 7-10 days the seeds should sprout and within 55-65 days they should bloom! The sunflowers should get 5-6 feet in height! From those little bitty seeds they can grow taller than me!

I'm so excited!

Next weekend I'll do the other corner along the back fence. I haven't decided if I'm going to do more than that.

Fonzy is planning a fruit and vegetable garden for next year. We are becoming little farmers in the middle of suburbia. I like it!

Sweet Random Life

Kinda of dreary and chilly this morning. I'm ready for the warm weather to stay! One day we are in the 80's, the next back in the 60's. Just give me the 80's!

Porch swing will be finished tonight. I stained the bottom half yesterday and doing the top today. We decided to do a dark stain. I like dark stain, but not sure if I'm liking it on the swing. I won't decide until it's done and dry. Maybe once it's dried it won't seem so dark.

I've decided to work on the two babydolls I need to make at the same time. I finished the body of one last night, so going to start the body of the other today. I will switch back and forth between them and hopefully it won't take me too long to finish both. I'm kinda ready to move on to other things. Like....

~ socks - going to attempt a pair this weekend.
~ crochet - I have seen SO many crochet blankets, ripples, granny's, stripes! I want to make one!
~ flower planting - I have seeds, but need to prepare the flower beds. I might get to some of that this weekend. The seeds need to be in the ground before April is up!
~ knit something other than monsters and dolls. I have a few cowl patterns I want to try and even a cape. I figured a cape would be much easier than a sweater. And I kinda want to do a photo shoot in the woods with a basket and a Red Riding Hood cape. I know....according to my husband, I say the darnest things. I'm sure the Red Riding Hood cape would be one of the darnest things I say.

I've been craving shrimp and grits! I have all the ingredients, so thinking shrimp and grits for dinner tomorrow. Tonight is left-overs! How exciting!

This was a random post huh? Random is good sometimes :)

Babydoll #2

Happy Wednesday Crafty Peeps! You know what time it is...so here we go.

My WIP this week is babydoll #2. This will probably be my WIP next week too. Just giving you a heads up. I need to become like a normal knitter and have more than one WIP. Socks would be a good second project, right? I really need to get over my fear of socks and start a pair.

OK....I'm putting it out there right now! I'm going to start some socks this weekend! I need you all to hold me to it. If we are FB friends, or follow each other on Twitter, then send me some positive knitting mojo please :) I'm going to need it!

I actually do have another work in progress, just not of the knitty kind. See my lovely porch swing up there. I also posted about it here. Well, I'm staining it, so that's a work in progress. I hope to have it hanging back up by the weekend.

I see some sock knitting and porch swinging this weekend! ♥♥♥

As always, to check out more yarny goodness click the pictures below and enjoy!

♥ Porch Swing ♥

I love porches.

Love the thought of sitting on a porch to drink my morning coffee, or in the evening after a long day. My love of porches probably came from growing up in a house with a porch. The porch was a place to play with Barbies, read, chit chat with friends, or just sit and watch the world go round.

When we were looking for a house one of my wants was a porch. The house we ended up buying didn't have one, but that didn't stop me from daydreaming about a porch swing.

I no longer have to daydream!

I got my ♥ porch swing ♥ !



Isn't it beautiful!

I sat in it all evening, swinging away......content and happy :)

The swing needs to be stained (working on that today), but it will be ready by this weekend. Saturday morning you will find me in pj's enjoying my morning coffee.....swinging away ♥ ♥ ♥

Weekend Snaps

Sleeping in.


French toast for breakfast.


Yard work in the sunshine.


Lunch - yummy seafood salad and sweet ice tea.


Happy flowers.

FINALLY!

HaPpY Friday!

I couldn't wait for this FO Friday! I have finally finished the never-ending babydoll and I'm sooo happy with how she turned out! She is sooo worth all the fussing I did while making it.

Isn't she cute!

OK, OK.....I guess I shouldn't toot my own horn, but I really didn't think the doll was going to come out like she did.


I'm not even sure why it took me 3 months to make! The pattern wasn't hard at all. I started a second babydoll on Saturday and I'm already half way done with the body.

I hope Lil' Miss Carmen loves it. If not, I told my son I want it back :)

The second one I'm making is for my BF's daughter 2nd birthday, then I have a 3rd one for a sweet friend in the UK for her grandbaby.

Let the babymaking begin!

Babydoll pattern here.

Want to check out more projects?

Click on pictures below for FO Fridays, and Creative Friday.

Have a great weekend!

Rainbow - licious

Last year one of my goals in knitting was to learn to knit socks. Ummm.....never happened! So that goal moved into 2012. As of yet, I haven't even attempted socks. Doing the heel, and gusset and all that stuff scares me!

I really want some rainbow stripped knee high socks. I have the yarn, just need to swallow my fear and...

Just Do It!!

So all my sock knitting peeps, please share with me what you think is an easy pattern for a new sock knitter that will show off all my lovely rainbow stripes! Pretty please....with sugar on top! I REALLY want these socks!

To check out more yarny goodness click the pics below for WIP Wednesday and YarnAlong. You won't be disappointed!

Oh...I also guest posted today for Akhila @ the Crafty Homeschool Mom. Check it out.

Lorax Ta-dah!

I just realized I forgot to post pictures of the finished Lorax.

So here he is in all his orangey glory.

Some Bunny Loves You!

Some Bunny Loves You!

Corny I know....but I couldn't resist! I'm sometimes corny like that :)

Spring - Sprung

Spring is in the air!

This past weekend we had gorgeous weather. So gorgeous in fact, I spent most of the day outside working in the yard. Which according to my boys and hubby is a RARE event! I spent the afternoon cleaning out flower beds. It felt so good being out in the sun and dirt.

This weekend was also the passing over of the grass cutting. Ezekiel will be 13 in June and Fonzy said he is old enough to cut the grass. Lucky for him, huh? He actually did a pretty good job.


All smiles now - I'm sure when it's 90 degrees outside he won't be smiling :)


Some of the trees in the area are already full of leaves. Ours are just starting to show their leaves. I'm sure by next weekend, it will be full.

All things are sparkly and new!


Fonzy planted some random fruit seeds in a pot last year and they are growing! We are not sure what it is, but it's pretty, so we decided to let it grow.


The gladiolus Fonzy planted last year are coming up! I'm so excited! They are my favorite flower and I can't wait to see them bloom.



Ezekiel's handy work.

He was so proud of how the grass looked. I'm hoping to get a few big pots of flowers in the front, some sort of hanging plant in the entrance way and a porch swing! Yes, I said porch swing! I don't have a porch, but have an area in the front there for a swing. I'm hoping to get one soon, so I can sit on my swing in the mornig sipping my coffee or enjoying the evening out there. Especially on beautiful days like we had this past weekend.

A Life in Stitches

I've been reading A Life in Stitches by Rachael Herron and really enjoying it. The essay's in the book are really touching. Stories or love, loss, and relationships with knitting stitched into each story. If you need something light to read I recommend this book. I'm sure at least one essay will touch your heart.

Blah

Haven't been feeling good this week.

Migraines!

Hoping to get some relief soon.

Bright flowers make it a little better.

Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That

Don't you just love fresh flowers? I do! Just looking at them brightens my day. If I could afford it, I would have fresh flowers all over the house, and when they died, I would get more. My favorites are Gladiolus. We planted some last year and I'm hoping they come back this year.

Make a wish!

Sibling birthdays were celebrated this past weekend. Karen's birthday was Saturday, Jay's is this Thursday. Cake and cheese cake for everyone!

Elijah finally got to go fishing this weekend. He has been bugging me everyday to go fishing. I wouldn't mind taking him, I like fishing, but I need to find somewhere close to take him. Also, even though I like fishing, I have a hard time putting the worm on the hook....just the thought of piercing them with a hook doesn't sit well with me. Then if we catch a fish, I have a hard time taking them off the hook. I feel bad, cuz it has to hurt. Luckily, they have an uncle who likes to fish!

Seeing these pictures remind me of another time they went fishing.....with Samuel. It hurts my heart to know they will never fish with their older brother again. All we have are these precious  memories.