crissybell's musings...

Photography.

2012-01-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

Whew, January FLEW by! My baby girl had her first birthday last week. How did that happen? I am marching onward into February, which is going to be another brutal month for me, school wise. I can do this, I just keep telling myself that!

I haven't had much of a chance to sew, my serger has been messed up for most of this month and I just got it back today. Apparently it had a worn out something-or-other, which is why it was chewing up anything that I tried to serge. My sewing machine is not being cooperative either. I think it's time for a new one. Any suggestions??

Instead of sewing, I have been keeping up with both of the 52 week photo challenges I started this year. Although I don't have a ton of time to take pictures, I haven't fallen behind (keeping my fingers crossed). Here are a few of my favorites so far...

The theme here was "open" or "responsibility" and this week we adopted a kitten, or we opened our hearts to a kitten and that also means I took on more responsibility. :o)

I didn't submit this one, but I couldn't resist sharing it, this was day 2 of the snow fun and baby Bella's first time in the snow. (don't worry! she was only out for a minute before we brought her in a got her dressed properly)

This one was "my favorite things" something that I love (other than family/pets). It was taken during our power outage/snowstorm, which is why I am wearing a beanie indoors.

Everyday tools.

a self-portrait. I got lucky, perfect afternoon sun, shining in my bedroom window, both girls napping, sometimes things just work out perfectly!

Theme here was "sparkle." Yay for sparkle toms!

xoxo

crissy

Snow!

2012-01-16T13:17:00.001-08:00

LPTG 2/52, originally uploaded by crissybell.

That's right, the snow fairy came to visit yesterday, there's even more today! I am trying to finish all of my reading/grading papers/studying so I can go out side and enjoy it!

School is back in session and is hoarding all of my time once again. So sad.

xoxo
crissy

weekly.

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to try a 52 week photo challenge. So I joined two. This one and that one. I am by no means a photographer. I would love to do it on the side, someday.

Although, one thing that bothers me is how saturated the world of photography is with "professional photographers." It seems that everyone who buys a DSLR suddenly has their own business, and is snapping away, making tons of money (ok, I know that last part isn't always true). Oh how I would love to be able to jump into something like that. But I don't like to do anything until I am good at it, really good at it, and I am definitely not there yet.

I've been taking picture for what seems like forever, I always had little cameras growing up, and in high school I took photography and fell in love with it.

It has now been two years since I bought my little Canon Rebel and my skills have grown so much. I've read, and read, and read, everything that there is to read about digital photography. I've spent hours researching online and in books, how to get the most out of CS5 and lightroom. I know I've come a long way. But I also know I still have a long way to go. 25,000 pictures later and my little xsi is still shuttering away.. I've definitely outgrown that little camera, but I have also learned so much from it. Without my rebel, I'd still be shooting in auto mode (terrible, I know).

So who knows if I'll ever make it to pro level. Maybe I'll always be an amateur (I hope not). One thing is for sure, I will ALWAYS love taking pictures, because I can capture moments like this:

xoxo

crissy

Minty green.

2012-01-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

I've been having a love affair with mint green for quite some time. You can tell by looking at my house, there are bits of minty green loveliness tucked all over the place. You can even see it in my fabric stash and my yarn basket. I decided to share some of my love for this yummy color with my sister this Christmas.

I took some fuzzy/soft yarn and a thin stringy yarn and crochet them up into an infinity scarf (there are "proper" names for these yarns, but I'm not about to go search for their labels). I used a huge hook, 10mm, I think. It's only two rows of double crochet, so I was able to finish this in a little over an hour. It is SO soft and looks perfect when wrapped around three times. I hope she liked it!

I've been having a really hard time with blogger uploading pics, and now that they finally decided to appear, they are really "warm." I promise, the chair is really not that orange!

xoxo

crissy

Little hats for little heads.

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Since the gifts have all been given and opened I think it is safe to post a few things I whipped up for the holidays. I made quite a few of these for my nieces...

These are little owl hats made from a pattern by Inner Hooker. They are a basic ear flap beanie which I think is so cute on little heads! Easy to whip up in an afternoon, if all the naps align, of course.

xoxo

crissy

Dresses.

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I started a little early on one of my goals for 2012. This December, I actually sewed matching dresses for the girls! I am so beyond proud of myself. And no, I didn't finished them Christmas morning, or a 3am on Christmas Eve, or even on the day before Christmas Eve. I finished these four whole days before Christmas. Can you believe it? That kind of nonsense is just unheard of around here!

Without further ado, here is the playdate dress from oliver + s.

I made a 12-18 mo, and a 3T. Miss L picked out this fabric for me back in October when I caught the sewing bug again. For a two year old I think she did a pretty good job! Love the paisley print, so cute!

The collar detail is adorable. I even found eight matching buttons in my stash that matched the light blue in the print of the dress. The pattern was very easy to follow and of course I created a few short cuts here and there, mostly in the collar attachment. If there are any short cuts to be found, I will find them.

There hidden pockets on each side of the dress which is fun for Miss L to put little trinkets in. Bella has no idea they exist. Silly baby. :)

I am currently cutting out fabric for another set of oliver + s dresses for the girls. Hopefully I'll have some cute pictures to share soon!

xoxo

crissy

Goals for the New Year!

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

I try to be conservative with my goal making lately. It is a bad habit of mine to go above and beyond my abilities and make these lavish lists of a million different things that I want to do. Then, in the end, I get disappointed and discouraged because there is NO way I can finish it all.

This holiday season I found a balance between what I need to get done and what I want to get done. By setting very reachable goals I found myself able to accomplish more!

Here's my 12 for 2012, in no particular order...

1. 4.0 for Winter and Spring quarter.

2. Sew an outfit for the girls from each Oliver + S pattern I have (I have quite the collection!)

3. Paint the dressers/nightstand in our room.

4. Plant a garden

5. Visit Hawaii this fall

6. Sell stuff this holiday season in local craft/art shows (start prep NOW!)

7. Participate in a 52 week photo project

8. New camera

9. L lens

10. Read my bible everyday

11. Tackle debt and get rid of it!

12. Love my family and be thankful for everything that I have

What are your big goals for 2012?

xoxo

crissy

Welcome, 2012!

2012-01-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe how fast 2011 passed by. While it was in session, 2011 seemed to drag on, but then looking back, I can't believe all that happened in only 365 days...here are a few highlights of my year.

On January 23rd we added #3 to our family. Isabella Rae, she was the sweetest little bundle of love, with deep dark eyes, and fine, dark hair, so quiet and alert! Always observing us. We call her baby Bella. What a wonderful new years gift after waiting SO long for her.

In the midst of midterms, in February, I cranked out the pink granny square blanket, the blue one I finished in January, while I was in labor with Bella. It felt good to crochet again, it had been a while since I had to time to be creative.

In March, baseball started, and brrrr, was it cold. It was an adventure taking R to his practices with both girls and no help. Adjusting to 3 kids was harder than I thought it would be!

In April, we took a short trip to Austin for a special wedding. We took Bella with us, but it still seemed like a lazy vacation only having to take care of the baby! It was in the 90's when we were there, that is my kind of weather. :o)

In May the cloud cover began to lift and we were finally able to crawl out of hibernation and go to the beach! This is what I look forward to every year. I am not a cold weather person!

June, we were settled in our "new to us" home. We finally felt like we were at home, so much space, storage, a huge yard, and I finally got my own sewing/crafting area!

July arrived and we took our annual trip to south western Michigan. We enjoyed ten days with family, on the shores of Lake Michigan. Sunshine, and sand, I can't ask for much more. :o)

I was a brave soul in August and took all of the kids to watch the Blue Angels practice, we saw them take off and land. So cool! August also brought summer quarter to a close for me (whew! I survived) and I started to study for the GRE.

In September, we enjoyed a week of the hottest days of the year. After an unusually cool summer, this was a much needed way to end the season. I tackled the GRE and then immediately started fall quarter. Yikes, that still makes me exhausted thinking about it.

October brought sunshine, and pumpkins! Miss L couldn't wait to pick out a pumpkin! I also started to blog again, after taking a long hiatus.

This little trouble maker started WALKING (at nine months!) in November. I wasn't ready for it at all! Even in the midst of midterms and finals I was able to crank out some fun DIY projects for around the house, can't wait to tackle a few more!

December arrived and along with it came sunshine (wow!) and very little rain. Being able to see the mountain during sunset is always a nice treat. I finished a ton of creative ventures, I needed a break from school and time to let my creativity take it's course.

It was a great year for us, despite quite a few ups and downs. But that is normal, a year of all ups wouldn't be very interesting.

Cheers to 2012, I can't wait to see what this year holds for my family. Here's to loads of fun, laughter, adventure, and memories.

xoxo

crissy

what Christmas looked like at my house.

2011-12-30T19:16:00.000-08:00

After taking the tree down on Monday, my living room feels so much bigger! But it is a little depressing to look in the corner and see a blank wall, with no glitter, snowflakes, twinkling lights, or shiny colored glass.

I scored some pretty new ornaments for next year at 50%-70% off right after Christmas. I can't wait to unpack them next November and decorate with them! It seems I give our tree a facelift every few years, but I can't seem to stray away from the silver/green/blue color scheme. I love it so much.

I have a fun project I just finished, using a ton of old ornaments that I replaced this year. Hopefully I can get the pictures off my camera and onto my hard drive so I can share it here. I always have trouble with that process!

xoxo

crissy

and just like that...

2011-12-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

...the holiday season is behind us! What a fun one it was, and how quickly it flew by! Soon we will be ringing in 2012 and my countdown to summer will officially begin. If I had it my way, I'd live in Hawaii and enjoy warm weather year round except for the month of December where it would be allowed to snow. But as soon as January 1st rolled around, the "tropicalness" would return. That would be perfect!

snow and palm trees...so pretty!

source

What's your ideal climate?

xoxo

crissy

Merry Christmas.

2011-12-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

I hope you are enjoying a fantastic day with your family and friends. Relax and enjoy this special day and remember the real reason of this holiday season!

crissy

xoxo

quiet time.

2011-12-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

It's been quiet here. Peaceful, not rushed, a snails pace. I like it. Usually this time of year is full of stress, wrapping, making, sewing, cooking, and not sleeping. This year has been different. I really cut back on my "to-make" list and we only purchased gifts for a few people. I started making gifts early, whenever my school work would give me a free moment, and I finished creating things way ahead of schedule. All shopping was done online, so easy! This allowed me to sneak in a few extra projects here and there. It is so nice to be able to work on something without feeling rushed. I had so much time left that I actually was able to sew matching dresses for the girls. Wow. I don't think I've ever had a holiday like this before.

Unfortunately, we didn't do a few of the holiday traditions we usually take part in. We've been too tired. There are so many changes going on around here right now. So many things waiting to happen. January is going to be a month that is full of choices and hopefully new beginnings. There are quite a few forks in the road next month and we knew that we should start preparing for those now. And that meant stepping back and doing this holiday season a little different than before. Are the kids going to remember that "one year where we didn't do it all?" I doubt it. Next year I'm sure will be full of rushing around to check everything off our list. But this year has been nice. No holiday caused stress (there was enough of it coming from other angles). Lots of quiet nights spent admiring the lights on the tree, staring into the fire, and thankful for the roof over our heads.

Even if it hasn't been the most exciting of holiday seasons and we didn't get to travel like we had planned, we still have so much to be thankful for...

miss L, 3 years old.

baby bella, 10 months old.

Riley, 7 years old.

xoxo

crissy

and the winner is...

2011-12-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

Mr. random.org helped me choose a winner for my scrappy giveaway.

Number 19 is Michelle, who said:

I will be mailing out a BIG box of scraps and fabric to Michelle on Monday! Thank you to everyone who participated in my giveaway. I hope everyone won something this year. Unfortunately, I don't think I did. Which is a bummer, because last year I won three different things and the year before I won two. Oh well, you can't win them all and I still had fun!

xoxo

crissy

Giveaway Day!

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

The giveaway is now closed. Thanks so much for playing, all 88 of you!! I will be using random.org to choose a winner tomorrow morning, so stay tuned!

xoxo

crissy

It is Giveaway Day over at Sew Mama Sew! There are literally hundreds of other blogs that are participating, and there are so many fun items you can win!

I'll start off by introducing myself, my name is Crissy. I love yarn, I love fabric, I love to paint, I guess you could say I love all things crafty. I'm a shutterbug and would be lost without my camera. I am a student, I am a mama to three cute kids, I am a wife who has a wonderful hubby that puts up with all of my nonsense, and I live in Seattle where it rains too much.

Now, for the fun part. Here's what I am giving away...

These are scraps, tons of them, a whole drawer full. I've been holding onto them for far to long and it is time to let go. I thought I would eventually make a crazy quilt with them, or sew doll clothes, but it just hasn't happened yet. These scraps are all sizes, there are even a few bigger pieces of fabric in there. I thought that perhaps, someone else would be able to use these! I am also including about 10 small balls of yarn that I have been hoarding for way too long. I hope they can be used too!

To enter you must leave me a comment. That's it. You can say hi, or maybe tell me what your favorite crafty blog is, as I am always looking for new inspiration.

Rules:

My giveaway is open until Friday, December 16th, 5pm PST.

I will announce the winner on Saturday, December 17th, on this post.

The winner will be notified via email so make sure I have your email!

I will ship out the box of fabric scraps and yarn by December 24th.

I'm sorry but I can't ship overseas, US and Canada only.

If you have questions, please email me at crissybell17 (at) gmail (dot) com

Thanks for stopping by!

(click the button for hundreds more giveaways!)

Cute faces.

2011-12-09T16:45:00.001-08:00

I woke up to these smiling faces this morning. They make my mornings so much brighter.

In other news, today is my first day of being "final free" and no more classes until January 4th. I do have two research projects to work on, but that's mostly reading and descriptive stats. Nothing too terribly difficult, just a bit tedious and boring. So it is on to Christmas crafts that I go! I've already finished crochet beanie #5, only a few more left to complete!

xoxo

crissy

finished!

2011-12-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

I finished it! (the "it" I am referring to can be found here)

It is a tree skirt! The pattern is an old (like 1984) McCalls pattern that my mom has had forever. It was fun to sew this pattern up and think that my mom probably was doing the same thing about 25 years ago, only instead of Miss L playing at her feet, it would have been a little ME! That is cute to think about.

xoxo

crissy

as promised.

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

I didn't have a chance to take pictures of my own, but this is what I received in the gift exchange.

(credit)

I can't get over how beautiful it is! The size is just right for me, I can fit my camera, an extra lens, plus anything baby related. I LOVE it! My little gift pales in comparison. I wish I would've spent more time and made something that was not so, uhm, boring. :(

Thank you Scotti, you really are amazing!

xoxo

crissy

blast from the past.

2011-12-06T23:39:00.000-08:00

Another project from many moons ago, two years to be exact. Well, I bought the supplies in 2009, I cut it all out in 2010, and finally I finished it in 2011. Feels good to finish, no matter how long it took me!

xoxo

crissy

Handmade Gift Exchange

2011-12-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

This is my first year participating in the Handmade Gift Exchange and it was so much fun! I have to admit, I was ~~a little~~ really intimidated at first because I was paired up with Scotti Oxford, aka the Inner Hooker. She is a freaking genius, and a yarn master, who crochets the most adorably gorgeous hats, and photo props. She sells her patterns too, I love them and have purchased quite a few. She is famous in crochet land, so like I said before I was totally intimidated.

Here is what I made for her.

I thought a mug rug, coffee cozy, and a cute camera strap cover would be the perfect gift for someone who likes coffee, late nights crafting, and has a DSLR.

I used this tutorial for the camera strap cover.

The coffee cozy was easy to make so I didn't use a tutorial, but if you want one I am sure there are many floating about in blog land.

For the mug rug I just looked at several pictures of mug rugs (all so cute!), and kind of came up with my own.

I thought my gift was totally cute and crafty. Then a big box arrived in the mail yesterday, and I just opened it. I. was. amazed. She made something completely gorgeous. It is too dark to take a picture of it now, but I will post it tomorrow. I'm totally in love with it!

xoxo

crissy

Wow, you're 3?

2011-12-04T01:55:00.000-08:00

My little Miss L is three years old today! My how time flies.

It seems like just yesterday I was holding you as a tiny baby, wondering what on earth I was supposed to do with a baby girl.

Then you turned one, and your personality exploded! You were smiley, loved to talk, and had no fear!

As your 2nd birthday approached, we knew we were in trouble because you were already obsessed with dresses, shoes, and loved to sing and dance, so fancy!

Now, you are three, still a little girl, but so much different than that baby of three years ago. You still love to sing, love to dance, have a bad habit of bossing your big brother around and you love to hug on your little sister. You still say "I wanna hold you" when you need a hug, you love to run your fingers through my hair as you fall asleep, just as you did when you were a baby. You are still my precious little girl and I love you very much, Leilani Rose.

xoxo

mama

birthday party.

2011-12-03T23:36:00.000-08:00

finally an excuse to use my milk glass collection. yay for Miss L's birthday fun!

xoxo

crissy

a picture a day in December.

2011-12-02T23:31:00.000-08:00

December is a busy month for me, just as it is for most. I find it hard to post on a regular basis normally, and then you throw in Christmas, and all the hubbub that goes along with it and I really don't have any extra time for blogging.

Thankfully instagram has come to my rescue by giving me a quick, and interesting way to post pictures. I am going to try and post a picture each day for the month of December.

Hope you enjoy!

glitter.

one of my favorite parts of the holiday season.

xoxo

crissy

Happy December 1st!

2011-12-01T16:37:00.001-08:00

It's finals week for me, I'm up to my ears in papers, exams, grad school apps, and birthday party planning. Miss L is turning three on Sunday and we are having a birthday party for her on Saturday. It's a bright and tropical Hawaiian theme, with a Christmas twist, since all of the Christmas decor is up around the house. It will be a Mele Kalikimaka birthday party!

I'm not sure how I am going to cram everything into the next 48 hours, but where there is a will, there is a way!

In honor of December 1st, here is a Christmasy picture. These vintage lovelies joined my ornament collection last year. They are beautiful! I love the blue/green tint, the worn edges, and most of all that they were made in West Germany. Vintage goodies of the holiday variety are so much fun to find.

xoxo

crissy

Joy

2011-11-28T12:59:00.001-08:00

Even though this time of year is supposed to be joyful, merry, exciting, and bright, it is often, stressful, exhausting, and not very enjoyable. There are so many pressures, deadlines, so many events all squished into a short time period, that we often forget what this time of year is really all about.

I know that I am especially guilty of forgetting the true meaning of the season. I get so wrapped up (no pun intended) in all the holiday gift making, the shopping, decorating, that I forget to slow down and really enjoy this special month.

Although I know it is not realistic to completely bypass all the whirlwinds of the holiday season. I believe it is feasible to stop, take a deep breath, enjoy a quiet moment here and there, and really soak up the specialness of this holiday, without giving yourself an ulcer.

Lately I've been inspired by two simple words. Choose Joy. This slogan has a very special story behind it. Ashley is the creative genius behind the brand Lil Blue Boo which has been one of my favorite reads since I started blogging a few years ago. Ashley is a wonderfully creative person, she is inspiring, she is an artist, a designing guru, who has the most adorable children's clothing line. Besides all of this, she is real, she is down to earth, and she has problems just like the rest of us. The thing that inspires me most is Ashley's decision to Choose Joy.

If we can do one thing different this holiday season. Let's Choose Joy. If you can't bypass the rush, the bustle, and the hustle this season. At least you can do it with a smile on your face, and joy in your heart.

xoxo

crissy

Fail.

2011-11-27T20:38:00.001-08:00

I don't make very many "boy-ish" things. I guess since my son is about to be 8, handmade items just aren't his thing anymore. Which is ok with me. I don't mind making girly things, but it is nice to whip up some blues, browns, and tans once in a while.

My sister is having a boy at the end of January and we gave her a shower today. I made my nephew two hats, one similar to this and one similar to these. I also painted three small canvases to match his nursery bedding. Now here's the fail part. I wrapped it all up and gave it to her without taking ANY pictures. None. Nothing. Zilch. I can't believe it. You'll just have to believe me when I say that his gift was super cute.

Since a blog post without pictures is no fun, here's some cute feet to look at. :)

Am I the only one that constantly forgets to take pictures of the things I create?? It's an annoying, bad habit.

xoxo

crissy

For those that celebrate...

2011-11-24T08:45:00.001-08:00

Wishing you all a very special Thanksgiving. May your day be filled with love, laughter, and of course, never ending, food-filled delights!

xoxo

crissy

Pie time.

2011-11-21T19:29:00.001-08:00

It's been a few days since I posted (alright, not a few, more like TEN!) things get so busy I just can't keep up with it all.

My in-laws came into town for a pre-holiday visit and they just left today. They live in Atlanta and don't make it out here much, but they were able to stay for two weeks this time. It was so nice not having to cram a bunch of activities into five shorts days.

We cut a Christmas tree last week and it is standing proud in our living room, decked out in tons of glitter, glass, and vintage pretties in the colors blue, green, turquoise, with some strings of lovely, white lights. I will take a picture and post it soon!

I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving. We are going to two Thankgiving celebrations this year and I am on pie duty (at my request). Wednesday is my day to whip out four pumpkin pies.

When I make pumpkin pies, I like to do it from scratch, this means making my own pumpkin puree. It is a little extra work but I think it tastes better than the canned stuff. I followed this recipe last year and it was pretty easy, well besides the fact that the sugar pumpkin I used was SO hard. My father-in-law had to get out the hacksaw just to cut it open! The hacksaw was damaged beyond repair and we have since had to buy another. This year I am using one of our pumpkins we picked up for Halloween. I used one last year and the puree turned out quite a bit smoother than when I used a sugar pumpkin.

Here were my victims from last year.

left = reject pumpkin that broke the hacksaw

right = reject carving pumpkin that made the best puree

Hope you are enjoying your week!

xoxo

crissy

In my house.

2011-11-10T16:14:00.001-08:00

I'm totally on a home decor kick right now, in the last five days I have...

painted our dining room table.

painted this mirror (haven't hung it yet - and you don't get to see the whole thing because it is covered in finger prints!).

These ugly wood frames weren't safe either. See that dark dresser underneath the frames? That's my next victim.

These were unfinished wood mirrors from Ikea and they were spruced up a bit.

and, last but not least, my Ork poster finally found a frame and mat that fit perfectly and a spot in my entry way. I have a little table in mind to go underneath it, but it needs a makeover first.

I've been lucky that it hasn't been raining here lately. However, I looked at the forecast for the next week and all I saw were raindrops. That is totally depressing, but at least I've have some projects to keep me busy.

xoxo

crissy

No words.

2011-11-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

So many people are doing "wordless" posts. I love the idea. A single picture that tells a story, I think adding a small quote is fun, too. Here is mine for this week...(I know it's early, but I can't wait to decorate)

xoxo

crissy

Such a dilemma...

2011-11-06T22:36:00.001-08:00

(this is my first "iPost" from the blogger app, exciting!)

I have two midterms tomorrow. Both of which I've been studying for most of the day and should continue studying for. But I've been getting distracted by working on some little hats for cute little heads. Yarn is just so much more interesting than the psychoanalytic learning theory right now.

Anyone else up late creating tonight?

xoxo

crissy

Blue and green.

2011-11-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

A gift for a dear friend and fellow Seahawks fan. Made from lion brand, thick and chunky yarn, so very soft and I love the color combo! This yarn crochets up super fast and it is really fun to work with.

I added a fringe at the bottom for some extra fun, and a row of single crochet up each side to make the sides look uniform. I think it turned out cute!

xoxo

crissy

a pumpkin here, a pumpkin there...

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm ashamed to admit this, but I am not a huge fan of Halloween decorating. I do, however, enjoy decorating for fall. This year I kept it simple and tucked in some little pumpkins in a few corners of our house. That way I can slowly pull out the Christmas decor and leave the little bits of fall up until Thanksgiving, without things looking too terribly tacky.

white pumpkins, cute!

my mom gave me these last year, one for each kid.

they weren't painted and I finally got around to painting them last week.

weird little faces, but kind of cute too.

we were too busy for carving this year (terrible, I know).

instead I spray painted two of our pumpkins, a white and a black (the black one is a little hard to see).

a black and white checked pumpkin would be fun, maybe next year?

xoxo

crissy

While we are on the subject...

2011-11-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you love a handmade holiday as much as I do, you should participate in the Handmade Gift Exchange organized by Linda at Craftaholics Anonymous. Sign-ups are from now until November 7th, so get over there and sign up! I've never participated in this particular exchange so I am rather excited about it.

I do have one reservation, the last gift exchange I participated in my partner didn't send me anything. That was a bummer, so I hope it doesn't happen again.

Are there any other fun exchanges going on in the blog world that I should know about? Let me know!

xoxo

crissy

another reason I like November...

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

...Handmade Holidays at Sew Mama Sew! I love, love, love it! So many cute ideas, fun places to shop, and great prizes, too! If you haven't already, head over there and check out Day 1 and Day 2. Ha, that sounded like something from a Dr. Suess book.

xoxo

crissy

Happy November!

2011-11-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

It's November now, which mean Christmas is LESS than two months away, which in turn means that it is time to start working on homemade gifts. I thought that it would be fun to share some things that I've made for gifts. Sounds like I good idea, right? Well, there's a catch... Most of what I'll be sharing is from last year, and I'm just now posting them. Ha!

I made these for a friend who was having twins, a boy and a girl. I used two skeins of thick, chunky, soft yarn for each blanket. They are just a big granny square. I had originally planned to make smaller squares and join them together but because the yarn was so thick, it looked better as a giant granny, instead of a bunch of little ones.

The yarn was mostly acrylic, and oh so very soft.

Funny side note, I finished the blue blanket the night I went into labor with baby B. I was up late, crocheting like a mad woman while I kept track of the contractions. When the blanket was finished, I got up, called my midwife, and told my husband we needed to go to the birth center, baby B came six hours later!

xoxo

crissy

Butterflies

2011-10-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures back in April, I've been diving deeper and deeper into photography. I love it, I really do. These were taken at a butterfly exhibit at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. Pretty cool place to explore. I had never been to the butterfly exhibit before, so this was a treat...

(all of these were taken with with a 35mm lens, f/3.5, 1/80 sec, ISO 200)

Butterflies are so delicate and beautiful. Although I've heard of quite a few people who are actually afraid of them? Really? Do you have any strange phobias about insects?

xoxo

crissy

It's that time of year, again.

2011-10-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

Summer has come and gone, the days are getting shorter, the nights are cooler and longer. Boy, has it started to rain. The leaves are falling, the garden is slowly turning brown. Pumpkins and squash are plentiful and the furnace has finally been turned on. It's officially fall and that crafty itch has struck me once again. What a better time to prepare for Christmas giving than right now? After all, it is only two months away! Can you believe that? I know I don't post here much, three little kids, going to school, and applying for grad school have been keeping me plenty busy. However, now that Christmas is on it's way...

I'd like to do less of this

And more of this...

xoxo

crissy

five!

2011-02-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

Five weeks old today. And weighing at 10lb 15oz a week ago, little whopper. That's 3 lbs difference from birth. It really is amazing how these tiny humans can pack on the pounds! Now if I could just lose weight that fast, everything would be awesome!

In other "non-baby" news, my new lens arrived yesterday. I loves it, so much. Its a 35mm f/2.0, which amounts to about 50mm with my little cropped sensor Canon DSLR. I have a feeling this lens will live on my camera, unless I am shooting a sporting event. Sorry 50mm f/1.8. You've been replaced, thanks for the memories.

I was playing around with the new lens, taking eye pictures. Pardon me, it was a Saturday morning, so I was make up free. :o)

xoxo

crissy

One month today.

2011-02-23T22:53:00.000-08:00

This past month has flown by!

My quarter is 2/3 done, February is almost over and my baby bella is one month old!

lately, she likes to smile...

sleep, alot...

and spit up all over herself (and me) then relax in the bath...

but mostly she just likes to lounge around looking cute.

xoxo

crissy

Happy Valentines Day...

2011-02-22T00:37:00.001-08:00

These two were my valentines today.

My big boy Valentine was at school today so he didn't get to take part in my photo shoot. I am sure he was glad he missed it, little stinker.

No crafting this Valentines day, which is completely tragic! But I did eat my fair share of chocolate from my hubby, which in turn gave baby bella a terrible tummy ache. No more chocolate for me. My diet these days is becoming quite boring!

xoxo

crissy

three weeks!

2011-02-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

Three weeks already? Really? How can that be?

She is getting so big, all her newborn clothes are shrinking already! And the newborn diapers won't hold up for much longer either. I had forgotten, how much they grow at this stage. It's amazing. Oh yes, she smiled at me finally. The big goofy newborn grin that just melts your heart. Love it!

Random fact, this bottom picture is the 9,999 picture that I've taken in a little over a year. That averages out to about 25 pictures a day...crazy!

xoxo

crissy

two.

2011-02-06T09:29:00.000-08:00

two weeks old today...

so close to smiling and so very sweet.

these newborn moments are just precious.

When I find a spare moment in between, diapers, kids, essays, reading, and trying to sleep, I've been crocheting like a mad woman. But I can't post pics of my two completed projects yet because they are gifts. As soon as I give them to their rightful owners I will post pictures. Then my poor craft blog will actually have a craft to boast!

xoxo

crissy

First week!

2011-01-30T23:41:00.000-08:00

One week old today.

Little Bella weighs 7lbs 15oz.

See the lovely green and purple? This is a little better view of the granny square baby blanket I made for her, I love it. :o)

xoxo

crissy

purple and green...

2011-01-30T00:08:00.000-08:00

...are so pretty together, don't you think?

what are your favorite color combos lately?

xoxo

crissy

She is here.

2011-01-23T23:50:00.000-08:00

I am going to be back posting a bit because someone special arrived on Sunday, January 23rd, 2011 at 9:29am.

She weighs a whopping 7lbs 9oz (kidding about the whopping part) and was 20.5 inches long. She is beautiful and so snuggly. I finally got my "all natural," birth center, birth with the help of some wonderfully marvelous midwives, my amazing doula, my fabulous husband who I couldn't have done it without and my wonderful mother. Labor was only 6 hours and yes it hurt but totally doable, why I didn't do it natural with the other two in beyond me!

I'd like to introduce my sweet Isabella Rae.

here she is only a few hours old and already at home!

tired, but happy daddy and L, who is now a new BIG sister!

big brother R, and mama. recognize the green and purple blanket granny squares? I posted them a few weeks back.

the newborn wrinkles are slowly ironing out...01.24.11

baby Bella's first sponge bath...

who can resist baby feet? precious.

01.25.11 - three days old

and a crappy cell phone picture, but too cute not to post - 01.28.11

I will be posting weekly updates of her on Sundays (when I can). Since life with a newborn, toddler, first grader and my school is just too crazy for me to fit in any craft time, I hope you don't mind the baby overload. No crafting is sad, but oh well, that's life for now. One day I will create again and blog about it. But for now, enjoy some cute baby pictures and if you get tired of the lack of posting around here, and leave, I completely understand! :o)

xoxo

crissy

Happy New Year! (a little late)

2011-01-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that it is 2011? I can't. It just seems like yesterday we were celebrating 2010. Another year goes by!

In honor of the new year I would like to present my first project for Project Restyle.

I started with this, which I made a while back in Style School.

I decided to give this styrofoam circle some new life for the holidays, I removed the old yarn, buttons, and paper flowers.

Nothing new was purchased for this wreath: I used vintage yarn, vintage glass ornaments, some glass ornaments from my tree that I bought last year, and lots of hot glue to throw this together.

It is based loosely on this wreath.

I love it!!

I love the colors, although its not the traditional "Christmas" colors, I adore green/aqua, silver/cream and pink together. In fact, I love it so much I just might trim my little tree in this color scheme next year!

xoxo

crissy

Restyle me!

2010-12-29T16:16:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas is over. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Ours was magical... spent with family, and friends and was full of wonderful memories. The gifts are all opened, my lists are all crossed off, so this is my ~~relaxing~~ nesting week and then school begins next Wednesday! Unfortunately that means this space will quiet down once more as I am taking 15 credits next quarter and there is a baby girl on the way in a few weeks! Yikes, what have I gotten myself into?

Even though I won't have too much time for crafting/sewing and the like in the next 13 weeks I wanted to be a part of this. Project Restyle lasts for an entire year, so I figured I should have a chance to finish a couple little projects here and there.

I guess this would also fit nicely into my New Year's resolution of trying to use what craft and sewing supplies I already have on hand and completing projects without purchasing new items. I think that's a good resolution, don't you? Definitely will clear up some of my "creative clutter."

What are your New Year's resolutions for 2011?

xoxo

crissy

Stockings

2010-12-21T23:10:00.000-08:00

I made these for a friend last year. One for mommy-to-be and one for daddy-to-be. Well, this year baby joined the group and she needed a stocking. I couldn't find the font I used for the names, so I tried to copy it as best I could. It came out a little wonky, I think. Or maybe I was just rushed because I finished this right in the middle of finals (yikes!).

I think the colors were so cute and I bought a little more of the fabric so I could make one for my baby girl. Not the unborn one, but the one who just turned two. I am working on that this week, they will be done my Christmas, I just keep telling myself that, you have to think positive you know. :o)

What last minute projects are you working on this week?

xoxo

crissy

A countdown to Christmas...

2010-12-20T22:34:00.000-08:00

And it only took my a year to complete! No really, I started working on an advent calendar last year, in November of 2009. After rummaging through some craft supplies, while setting up my craft/sewing room in late October, guess what I found? An unfinished advent calendar! So I set to work, 30 minutes here, 20 minutes there. It was slow moving as children and school was my main priority. But by staying up late a few nights before December 1st I was able to finish it!

I was inspired by this and another advent that I found last year. But I can't find a link to the other one, I'm sorry! I want to give credit where credit is due, so just know it wasn't totally my idea. :o)

Each felt pocket is hand stitched and closed with a vintage button. Each pocket contains a candy cane, a verse, and a fun activity to do for the day.

The tree is made of granny squares with white trim and the bows are leftover felt from the pockets. Looks almost Dr. Suess-ish to me.

I am so relieved that this is finally finished. Good grief!

xoxo

crissy

Winners!

2010-12-19T23:29:00.000-08:00

Wow, I was going to post this on Saturday morning but sheesh, its been a rough couple days. Friday night we had a big windstorm and were without power for nearly 12 hours! This morning I woke up to a toilet that was acting really weird and then the bath tub started filling with murky water (gross!) and it ended up our septic system that was backing up. Yuck. Thank goodness nothing overflowed into the house, oh that would have been terrible. Anywho, now that its quiet, clean, and I have electricity I would like to post the winners of my SMS yarn giveaway.

Winner #1

Stacy said...: What a great collection of yarn!

Winner #2

Lee said...: What a lovely giveaway! thank you - I am a blog reader, right now anyway! have a wonderful holiday.

Winner #3

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...: Wow, love all the vintage yarn!! Thank you for the generous giveaway!!
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, I'm following you now too :)Carriehttp://inthehammockvintage.blogspot.com

Congrats to all three of you. I've contacted everyone by email and will be shipping out the yarn tomorrow.

As always the giveaway was so much fun and I have found plenty of new blogs, which means new inspiration. For those of you that participated, I hope you enjoyed yourselves as well.
Stay tuned this next week as I'll be sharing some cute projects that I've completed just in time for the holidays.
cheers!
xoxo
crissy

Giveaway Day!

2010-12-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

**A BIG FAT !!THANK YOU! to all 141 of you who entered my giveaway, comments are now closed and I will be picking three winners randomly and contacting you via email, to all those who didn't win, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and comment on my blog!!**

Hi! Welcome to by blog...my name is Crissy and I love to create things. It has been rather quiet here the past few months, however, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a giveaway. Sew, Mama, Sew! is hosting the fabulous giveaway day that we all know and love so very much. I can't wait to head over to the lists and enter into as many giveaways as I can. With all the chances there are, you are almost guaranteed to win something!

Now that you are here, I am sure you'd love to know what you can win...right? Well, I am offering THREE prizes, that's right...THREE. All 3 winners will be chosen randomly and the first will be able to pick out their two color preferences, the second will be able to choose their two preferences, and the third winner will get whatever is left over (don't worry, it is still a great prize, no matter what!)

So without further ado here are my goodies. If you are a knitter, crocheter, or just like yarn, I hope you think these bundles of joy are pretty cool...I know I do. I recently came across a HUGE collection of vintage yarn. All in great condition, most worsted weight, acrylic and most seems to be from the 80's. I am guessing the age based on the prices left on some of the packaging and the fact that I recognize a few of the skeins from my grandmas yarn basket when I was young! There was so much yarn that I couldn't possibly keep it all, so I am sharing it with you...

Here is the "red and orange batch"

and the "greens and a few blue"

don't forget about the "pinks"

and of course, the "whites, yellows and creams"

here's the "Christmas bonus" batch!

All you have to do is comment on this post with a link to your blog/shop, if you have one...I am in need of some fresh inspiration and would love to see what you are all up to! Don't worry if you don't have a blog/shop you can still be entered to win, just leave me a happy comment!

I will ship to the United States and Canada, only. The giveaway will close on December 17th at 5pm PST, the winners will be chosen randomly after the giveaway closes and I will ship prizes out on Monday, December 20th.

Any questions, please email me at crissybell17(at)gmail(dot)com.

xoxo

crissy

so bad!

2010-12-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

I've been terrible with posting...so sorry. But school is over for the quarter, and I have about four weeks off! Yay! Today is my first official day to be "crafty" and it is being spent editing photos, which is so long over due it is not even funny. Once that is complete, I can post a few little peaks at the things I've been making for the holiday season. It's not much, but is better than nothing. Oh and don't forget to check back here on December 13th...I am participating in the Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day! Exciting!! I love these giveaways and I have quite a bit to offer this time around, should be fun!

xoxo

crissy

what I am looking forward too.

2010-11-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

December 8th. Nope, its not a due date, no special holiday visitors are arriving either. Its the day of my last final for fall quarter. That means that after 6pm, on Wednesday December 8th. I will be free to crochet. Free to paint. Free to sew. Free to take pictures and actually edit them. Free to bake (and eat). Free to CREATE! I don't think anyone quite understands how much this means to me. I have been dying to be crafty and just can't fit it in with all the papers, reading and statistics that I've been working on since September. It will feel so liberating to have some freedom, especially with the holiday season upon us. I can't wait!

What are you looking forward to?

xoxo

crissy

knitted loveliness

2010-11-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

Browsing through Anthro today and I happened upon these beautiful things. Wish I could remember how to knit...

Set Free Cardigan


Shrewd Stitches Stole

Now, how clever is that!? A little different but way better than the "real" alternative.


Estelle Elephant

ADORABLE!

I'm back...?

2010-10-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

I've just stepped into a dark room, the lights slowly come on and I see bits and pieces of the things that I've created over the past few years, all over the room. This place looks familiar, but I haven't been here in SO long. Rushes of happiness come back and my fingers itch to create something, photograph it, and share it with whomever is interested...

Where am I?

I've returned to my blog, of course! My little spot of happiness and creativity is still here, its been rather lonely, dark and quiet here. Meanwhile, life has been busy, adventurous, full of downs and full of ups, full of studying, full of family, full of memories, full of new life, and full of change! No matter how busy I am, there is NO way that I could let a Holiday season pass me by without creating something. Lately I've had this urge to create something, ANYTHING. I've been so overloaded with Psychology (I've returned to school!), the life of a very important first grader and a busy busy 23 month old that I haven't had time to do much of anything else!

There is also other news...In about 11 weeks we will be welcoming another munchkin to the nest. Sometime in early January, after the busy-ness and crazy-ness of the holidays have passed and winter quarter is just getting started. That's right, another one. Another baby. Am I crazy? Perhaps. Or maybe I just like being busy. Either way we are so excited and can't wait for the little #3 to arrive!

Now then, since that is off my chest. I would like to say I am officially BACK! I won't be posting everyday. Once a week if I am lucky. But I will be posting again. A little here and a little there. I hope to see some familiar faces around here, as well as new ones!

xoxo

crissy

taking a break.

2010-06-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

We are finally setteling in after our move, but life seems to have a plan of its own and we have a few more things to deal with around here. Mostly my health hasn't been the greatest, nothing too serious though! And this soon shall pass, but until then, I am going to take a break from blogland. Thank you to all of my new and old followers. I will be back once I am able... and I am excited for that time, but for now this place will be quiet. Thank you again and I hope to once again share my craftiness with you!

xoxo

crissy

getting to know you!

2010-05-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

I borrowed this from Laurie Anne over at Rebel Blossom. I thought it would be fun to do a little "get to know you" since I have some new followers lately! If you want to play along, leave me a link to your blog with the answers.

1. Is there something you've always wanted to try but just can't muster up the courage to actually do yet?
I have the courage to do this but I haven't had the chance yet...I really want to go scuba diving, not snorkeling - I've done that plenty, but deep sea scuba diving!

2. If you had $100 handed to you in cash what would you spend it on?
It would go directly to my fun for a 18-200mm lense for my camera.

3. What was your favorite piece of playground equipment as a child?
I loved swinging, as high as I could go, then jumping out of the swings from way to high. Felt like flying!

4. Do you prefer a sweet or hearty breakfast?
Hearty. I like Kashi Shredded Wheat, its filling, a tad sweet and healthy. Too much sweet in the morning makes me a little ill.

5. Are you a Neat Freak or a Messy Bessy?
I can be both, I lean more towards Neat Freak. Messes give me a headache, HOWEVER my creative area is always messy when in use. :o)

Now its your turn!

xoxo

crissy

something old

2010-05-26T22:52:00.000-07:00

I took pictures of an antique camera about a month ago. Yes, that's how far behind I am on editing all my pictures! Anyway, I think its lovely and I wish I owned one. I really know nothing about old cameras, but its fun to imagine who owned this when it was new and what kind of pictures it took...

Any of you out there an expert in the antique camera field? I know I can just ask google, but its more fun to hear about it from one of you!

xoxo

crissy

how does your garden grow?

2010-05-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

So far, its grows quite nicely thank you, although mostly in pots.

This is the first year in a while that we are not
a) living in a highrise in waikiki where I can grow nothing other than bamboo.
b) living in north carolina where I would be eaten alive by giant misquitoes if I dared to step outside.

Because of the two reasons above, I decided to try a hand at gardening this year.

Meet the marigolds:

They are about a week old, I love these, they remind me of helping my mom plant this when I was a little girl. They are fool proof, pretty and its super easy to harvest the seeds. We will revisit these guys in a few weeks and you'll be astonished by how much they have sprouted!

May I introduce, the Early Girls:

So far they have done well being transferred to bigger pots, they seem much happier than when I found them at the nursery. Squishy isn't too thrilled with the prospect of us having to eat the tomatoes though...he's not a fan of the veggie fruit.

Next, meet the strawberries.

I've got three different types in there, and wouldn't you know I don't know which is which! Oh well, they are just starts that I "borrowed" from my mother-in-laws plants. Squishy is very excited for these...there's nothing better than fresh strawberries on a nice summer day...yum!

And last, but not least, here are the sunflowers:

I still have no clue where to transplant these little guys once they are ready to be moved. I'll have to think of something clever though...since they are supposedly going to reach 5-6 feet. Yikes!

So...how does your garden grow?

xoxo

crissy

who's the winner?

2010-05-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

I am sure you are all dying to know! But first things first, I want to thank each and every one of you for playing along and entering my giveaway...209 comments! That's more than I ever dreamed of. 93 followers...that's nearly 40 new followers?!? WOW! Thank you so much for visiting my blog, you all have no idea how much that means to me. :o)

Ok, now the reason you're all here for...let's ask Mr. random.org who will win the green giveaway.

Who is #102?

Congrats Sarah! You won my green goodies!

I'll be in touch with you soon!

A BIG thank you, to all who participated!

xoxo

crissy

oh, happy day!

2010-05-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for the SMS giveaway, click here!

I have a few things to chat about...but nothing crafty to post about - yet. That will be coming soon.

My craft room is almost done. It is a converted garage, converted back in 1956...so picture this: wood paneling on all the walls, not pretty wood either, old-dark-dirty-cedar-wood paneling. UGLY. Yuck.

We gave it two coats of primer and two coats of paint and it looks AMAZING! The carpets are clean and we are going to hang blinds (you should have seen the curtains, they were hideous - so gross).

This room is no longer a dark, scary cave, home to spiders and who knows what else. Its it now the new home to my sewing machine, serger and of course my stash! I will post pics as soon as its all set up. I am still kicking myself for not taking "before" pictures. The difference is incredible. It's amazing what a little paint can do!

source

In other news, yesterday was my 2nd wedding anniversary! I can't believe its been two years since my toes were buried in the white sand at Lanikai Beach on an early Sunday morning, while we said our vows with the Pacific Ocean as our witness. It was magical!

Happy Anniversary my dear NP, I love you more than you'll ever know!

(sorry for the mushy post - I hope you can forgive me!)

xoxo

crissy

I promised!

2010-05-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

**comments are now closed. I am completely overwhelmed by the number of entries!!**

I promised I'd have a giveaway. And I don't break promises, I delay them at times, or forget. But I don't purposely break them. :o)

It's giveaway day over at Sew, Mama, Sew, if you haven't already - go check it out! It is so much fun sifting through all the blogs, to see what goodies are available to win! I participated back in December and although I only won a small item, I found so many great blogs that I am still reading now.

What can I win, you ask? Why, a lovely collection of green goodies. If you read my blog, you know I ~~love~~ am obsessed with the color green. Because of this fact, I put together a pretty little gathering of all things green.

Included are three fat quarters of green prints, two spools of green ribbon, some super cool, La Mode buttons, made from recycled cotton (very "green" if you ask me), mint green thread and a lovely little green tin.

how cute is that?! seriously.

Now, here is how you can win...

Leave me a comment, on this post, telling me about your dream vacation spot - I can't wait to hear all about them! Followers get an extra entry, but please leave me a separate comment telling me you are a follower. If you want to blog about my giveaway, I'll give you an extra entry as well, please leave a separate comment with the link back to your blog.

Sounds easy enough to me!

The giveaway is open until Thursday, May 20th, 9pm PST. After that time, I will being assisted by random.org to choose a lucky winner. The green goodies will be shipped out on Monday, May 24th. Unfortunately I cannot ship internationally.

Thanks for stopping by and good luck!

xoxo

crissy

its here!

2010-05-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

I've been wishing for and wanting this comforter set, badly, for quite some time now. I finally found it in stock at Target and brought it home. Its beautiful and goes so nicely with the minty green wall in my bedroom.

I loves it. :o)

I promise to take "real" pictures soon of our new home, I've just been so consumed by moving that my camera has been neglected...along with everything else. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and we are slowly emerging from this haze. Exciting things are on the horizon!

What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

xoxo

crissy

beautiful.

2010-05-11T09:14:00.001-07:00

My Pyrex Collection - Revisited - Again (explored!), originally uploaded by thami.mitten.

Look at this collection of pyrex...found on flickr. Wow, its beautiful, makes me want to go thrifting immediately! Did you know its been a month since I've stepped foot inside a thrift store?

Moving has completely throw everything out of whack. My sewing is still all packed up, my scrapbooking is in an unorganized mess and my desire to do anything crafty has been smothered by things I need to do (like: unpack the many boxes that litter my floors, finish painting the trim, mow the lawn, attempt to plant a small flower garden...)

I feel as though I may never have the chance to be crafty again. And that makes me sad. I know this is just a phase and I'll be back to my usual endeavors again. But until then, I'll look at the 700+ blog posts in my google reader and cry because I know there is no way I will ever have enough time to read through all those posts, let alone catch up on my blog!

xoxo
crissy

special day!

2010-05-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

I know I said I'd have a giveaway ready for today, but I lied. I'm sorry (hangs head in shame) It is coming soon though...once I can walk through my new house without seeing boxes that need to be put away.

However I do have a very special wish for all you mama's out there. Today is YOUR special day, enjoy it! Enjoy your family, take it easy and relish in the fact that you are such an important part of everyone's life!

I woke up today with breakfast being served, the dishes all done and a large bouqet of daisies waiting for me. Little Big even got her bath without my help. Not only all that... but the sun is out, the sky is blue and its going to be WARM today. I love it. Sundays are a beautiful day, nothing to do but enjoy my family and drool over pretty orchids. :o)

source

I hope your day is as wonderful as mine has been so far!

Happy Mother's Day!

xoxo

crissy

its been a year?

2010-05-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

I am sneaking some internet from my parents. I will be officially "hooked" up tomorrow and I can't wait. This poor blog has been neglected terribly and I am sorry!

Its been a year since I started this blog...my how time flies. In honor of my 1 year "blogiversary" I think a giveaway is in order. The announcement will be made this Sunday...A fun collection of goodies will be offered, so stay tuned for that!

I love my new bedroom...I'll post pics when its finally finished. Its so small, but so comfy and it has a beautiful mint green wall which makes me swoon everytime I see it. :o)

So here I leave you with some pretty pictures of pretty bedrooms that make me want to take a nice long nap...enjoy!

source

xoxo

crissy

2010-04-30T17:26:00.001-07:00

Still moving and painting... I'm beat! Oh yeah, no internet until thursday :( that makes me sad. But i will be back soon so dont go anywhere! Xoxo crissy

a minor obsession.

2010-04-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make. I am obsessed with all things mint green. I even painted a wall in my new bedroom mint green. It looks so good I want to eat it...uhm, that sounds weird but it's true!

these are cute!

I want this savoy

flower rings are so pretty!

he is deadly, but so adorable!

HEAVEN in a glass :o)

I hope you enjoyed drooling over my minty obsession as much as I did.

Forgive me if the blogging is a little sparse this week, we are painting, painting, painting and then moving, moving, moving...I am busy and won't have much internet access.

Welcome to all my new followers! Make yourself at home and please stay awhile, I love new friends. :o)

xoxo

crissy

week in pictures...

2010-04-25T21:05:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful week. The in-laws came to visit us from Georgia and we had a great time. The kids loved spending time with their grandparents and I loved taking pictures of everyone having fun. I snapped about 500 pics last week alone. Can you say shutterbug? Here are a few of my favorites from our mini trip to Portland, OR. If you've never been...GO! Its beautiful, green, on the water and best of all, downtown is flat. I am used to Seattle which is full of steep hills so it was really nice to be able to walk around downtown without feeling like I was walking parallel to a hill. Oh yeah, the food is awesome too. I had the best vegan pad thai that I have ever eaten. It was heavenly. But I'll stop blabbing now, please enjoy some pretty pictures. :o)

riding the Amtrak Cascades down to Oregon

The Union Station in Portland...it was beautiful

I love clock towers

little man needs a haircut

Portland has a TON of briges...this is Burnside Bridge

the Burnside Bridge in action

and my favorite, Steel Bridge

Day #2 we visited Multnomah Falls ...hello gorgeous!

I played with the shutter speed in this picture...see the water fall in action?

so much green

Here you can only see half the falls...it made me feel very tiny

Later that day we walked around downtown and this sign in front of the courthouse caught my eye...Alice Springs isn't far at all...

That's it for now...hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

xoxo

crissy

adorable.

2010-04-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

Elsie's fox pillows...How cute are they?? Seriously.

First time I've been online in almost 3 days, that's a while for me. Lots to catch up on...

Happy weekend to you all!

xoxo

crissy

earth day

2010-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day to celebrate our planet!

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Happy Earth Day!

xoxo

crissy

an adventure

2010-04-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

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If you are reading this...I am well on my way to the city pictured above. What city is that, you ask? Why it's Portland, Oregon! (the next big city, south of Seattle)

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I can't wait to take a million beautiful pictures and eat some tasty food. Portland boasts some really delish restaurants and I am really looking forward to some yummy eats.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

xoxo

crissy

shameless

2010-04-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a shameless and very selfish promotion for a giveaway that I REALLY want to win. :o) If I won this it would just make my day...I mean ~~week~~ month!

Ashley, from Lil Blue Boo, is giving away a custom made dress to the winner of her giveaway. My Little Big would look darling in an original LBB dress!!

So here's to hoping that I win!!

xoxo

crissy

another weekend gone

2010-04-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

The inlaws are in town for a visit, we are making some HUGE "life changing" decisions and we are all coming down with a nasty cold...

But in spite of all the stress/busy/chaos, I still found time to make another little upcycled t-shirt based on this pattern. I love corvettes and tie-dye is pretty rockin' too, so I am pretty much in love with this t-shirt. :o)

Sorry for the lack of creativity in these parts.

I really have just been SO busy its hard to find the time for blogging - hopefully this blog and I can be reunited soon.

Oh yeah, LOST is on tonight...are you watching?

xoxo

crissy

old things become new.

2010-04-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to making a Sienna dress from Lil Blue Boo. Well, I've made two so far, but you only get to see one today because the other is in the wash. Uhm...I love this pattern. I heart it so much - it takes a little over an hour to make a dress, from start to finish. Now that's my kind of project! My stash has a large number of my old tshirts that I just can't bear to get rid of for one sentimental reason or another. Well, I finally found the perfect reason to cut them up and make them into something new...like this...

This is the 2nd dress I've made, its a size 2T so Big can't wear it until next year (its down to her ankles right now, ha!) but I loved both of these shirts to death and they just got a little too short after being washed a ba-zillion times.

little wahines (girls) wearing roxy make me smile.

Well, I should get going, I've got a stack of t-shirts to cut up...you will be seeing variations of this dress again very soon! :o)

Happy weekend to you all!

xoxo

crissy

questions.

2010-04-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

I got these from Rachel's blog...thought I would play along!

1. When do you feel happiest? When I wake up on a Saturday morning, with nothing to do but snuggle with the fam.

2. How do you take care of yourself? I love my family, be creative as I possibly can be with the little time I have and sleep as much as I can.

3. Are you internally (by yourself) or externally (by others) motivated? I am a total introvert, sometimes being around large groups can be exhausting for me.

4. What do you do for fun? I take tons of pictures, I heart my camera.

5. What intimidates you? Other people who are "more creative" than I am. They really intimidate me.

6. What is something you're proud of? My accomplishments, no matter how trying the past has been, I'm still here. I'm a fighter.

7. Finish this sentence. I never thought I'd get married - really!

8. Favorite vacation spot. Hawaii, that's easy.

9. Today is a (rate from 1 - 10) I'm feeling a little sick so I am going to give today a 7.

10. Finish this sentence. If you knew me really well you'd know that I can be really shy at times and loud and obnoxious the rest of the time, I'm a weird mix.

Happy Friday!

xoxo

crissy

200!!

2010-04-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

Yay! It's my 200th post today! I have a giveaway in the works but I am going to save it for my blogiversary...which is coming very soon! So stay tuned for that...

A BIG THANK YOU for all of your kind comments on hobbes, he is something I am really proud of and to read all the nice things you said about him really brightened an otherwise stressful week. :o)

Stephanie nominated me for a "Beautiful Blogger" award.

"If you choose to accept the award you must:

- Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.

- Copy the award and paste it to your blog.

- Tell us seven interesting facts about yourself.

- Pass this award on to 10 fantastic bloggers you have discovered.

- Contact your nominations and let them know they’ve won."

Seven facts about me...I am going to share 7 things I love (besides my family/friends of course)

I love...

1. my bible

2. the pacific ocean

3. sunshine

4. my camera

5. my sewing machine

6. my laptop

7. my jeep wrangler :o)

Now to pass this along...

Happy Thursday everyone!!

xoxo

crissy

PS...I finished a fun project last night...I will be sharing a sneak peak tomorrow.

meet hobbes

2010-04-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

He is about 18" tall when sitting down, mostly hand sewn, made of a super soft velvet minky. I spent hours of love on this guy. And although he was fun to make and a great learning experience - I am so glad he is finally finished!! I didn't use a pattern, which I think (for me atleast) is rather impressive. Making clothes without a pattern is one thing, making a plushie is quite another. Whew! But he's done and I am happy. :o)

he has the trade mark "blank stare" of the orginal Hobbes.

Today, Riley informed me that I "need" to make him one. That makes my fingers hurt just thinking about it...

xoxo

crissy

I've been branded.

2010-04-12T21:17:00.000-07:00

Look!

I made labels. With twill tape, and iron-on transfer paper. I "think" they turned out ok...good enough for now anyway. They need a little tweaking but I was in a rush and these were just going to have to do.

Here are where the labels ended up.

A cute Kimono-Style PJ set from Amy Butler's Little Stitches. Yet another baby gift for another sweet little one that is soon to arrive.

Busy busy weekend. We are moving soon so this space may be quiet as I pack things up, sort things and hopefully get rid of lots of things! I love the purging that comes with moving, its really satisfying to the soul.

xoxo

crissy

fashion for your friday

2010-04-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

Nordstrom catalogue arrived today! So many pretty things.

This page in particular caught my eye...

Notice the outfit on the left side...

The denim jacket, white shorts, cute sandals and that top! I love it!

I want this outfit. I've got everything in my closet... but the shirt.

So...I think I should make one.

My version won't be very fancy and I am going to use knit instead.

I have a knit with this same navy/white strip that I think would be perfect.

I am excited to start!

And if it turns out, I just might have to enter into this contest.

Happy friday blog friends - thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

crissy

thrifty thursday 1.1

2010-04-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

My second installment of thrifty thursday. If you haven't noticed I gave up on tasty thursday. I just get too busy when cooking to take pictures of the food I'm making...that, and I just forget. :o) So thrifty thursday it is. Yesterday I stopped by the local goodwill looking for vintage sheets and I came home with these little guys instead...

more little owls for my growing collection. the little guy on the left has a cute story, he is made of ash from Mount St Helens, an active volcano in Washington State. It errupted on May 18th, 1980...I was married on May 18th, 28 years later. Just a random sidenote that made that little grey owl extra special.

These are not thrifted, but I think I scored big time in the remnants bin this week. There was so much to choose from and just under a yard of everything. These prints are perfect for cute little things for a cute little girl I know.

For all you sewers out there, where do you usually buy your fabric?

xoxo

crissy

done!

2010-04-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

I just finished this guy:

but it's too dark to take pictures so I'll post him once I get pics.

Hope you are having a fab week! Tomorrow I have some cute things to share for my thrifty thursday.

xoxo

crissy

I'm in love!

2010-04-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

I finally made my first oliver + s pattern. Oh my, I loved it. I made the birthday party dress - so cute. Honestly, this is the first time I've used a pattern to create something for Little Big, that I didn't have to adjust. Most patterns for little people seem to be really w i d e and boxy. This fit perfectly, no alterations needed. The instructions were clear, precise and logical...which is just my style.

Please forgive the wrinkles, I photographed this after she wore it all day on Easter. I was just too lazy to re-iron it.

I love the detail over the box pleats, I used some 60's vintage fabric in brown to make it pop.

My little dollie. :o)

I will definitely be making more of these adorable little outfits. Maybe the sailboat top and skirt? Or perhaps the pleated skirt and top? How about the ice cream dress? Which would you make?

xoxo

crissy

good times.

2010-04-05T23:01:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter (if you celebrate) if you don't, I hope you enjoyed a beautiful Spring Sunday.

We had a great time up north, enjoying the sunshine, even though it was really cold.

We colored eggs...

Hunted for eggs...

Got all dressed up for church and a nice Sunday brunch at Semiahmoo Resort (we ate way too much, eggs included)...

It was a great weekend. Here is the only successful family pic of the entire weekend. Ha - we are all making weird faces...love it.

How was your holiday weekend?

xoxo

crissy

happy easter!!

2010-04-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter, please enjoy this very special day with friends and family!!

God bless.

xoxo

crissy

eye candy for easter

2010-04-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

enjoy!

all images found via weheartit under the tag "easter"

xoxo

crissy

more orange, black and white

2010-04-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you that guessed this is a tiger...you were right! Even more on point, was the guess that it is hobbes! He is coming along nicely, I took these pictures yesterday so he's a bit closer to finished than you can see here. But I wanted to share anyway.

body, head and tail...

these were also taken before I cut a huge gash in my left index finger by a needle. That sure felt good!

starting to look like a tiger! (can you see Leilani's foot?)

I hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful easter. We are heading up north to the beach house to spend a long weekend with the family - what are your plans for this special holiday?

xoxo
crissy

thrifty thursday

2010-04-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

I went thifting today...and look at what I found!

This fabric is beautiful! Nearly 2.5 yards of blue and green loveliness! I think it will make a cute spring skirt and at $1.99 it's a steal! Kitty wanted to pose on top of it while I was trying to take a picture.

And these...

They used to hold Avon bath oils. My grandma gave me one when I was really little, so when I saw these two at the store today I just had to pick them up. Now I have three, but one is missing its plug. Oh well. I just love the color, its very peaceful.

So, I just have to ask. Did you get anyone with an April Fools??

xoxo

crissy

oh dear

2010-03-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

I've really been neglecting my blog lately. I am so sorry! It nags at me all day when I don't make time to sit down and type anything in this space. But, life has been very hectic, we are in the midst of searching for a home, its Squishy's spring break and I am working on a long, tedious project. Yes, this is the same one I complained about on Monday. But its starting to take shape and is over 50% done which is giving me hope! Here are a couple pics of my progress...any guesses as to what I am making?

xoxo

crissy

in need of some inspiration

2010-03-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

While working on a big sewing project (involving mostly hand sewing) I am starting to feel overwhelmed and on the verge of getting very frustrated. But I HAVE to finish it. No matter how bad my fingers hurt, or how many times I've stabbed my thumb with that needle, this has to be finished.

Etsy breaks alway help me though. So I am taking a little break and admiring some pretty plushies. Enjoy!

what a cute little foxy!

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stella and stewart - adorable!

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oh my, be still my heart

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this tiger deserves a "holy cute!"

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and I must make one of these little dragons

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alright - I feel better now and will go back to ~~making my fingers bleed~~ sewing. I need a thimble. Hopefully I will finish tomorrow so I can share my hard work with you!

xoxo

crissy

sweet something sunday

2010-03-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

I would like one of these prints. In blue please. :o)

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xoxo

crissy

a quick DIY

2010-03-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

I needed a gift for my sister and wanted to frame some pictures I had taken but I couldn't find a frame that would fit three 4x6 and not cost a fortune. Frames can be so expensive!

Instead I bought three separate wooden frames, twine, upholstery tacks and a little hot glue to make a hanging frame display.

After cutting the twine to the length I wanted, I secured each frame together using a tack and a dab of hot glue, like this:

Once each frame is secured I created a piece of twine to hang it from...

This is a maybe 10 minute project, actually...more like 7!

Happy Friday!

xoxo

crissy

thrifting therapy 2.0

2010-03-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

I felt pretty good after all your nice comments (thank you!) about my thrift store finds so I ventured out again yesterday morning. Unfortunately, I only made one stop, Leilani feel asleep on the way and it is really annoying to drag a sleeping/crabby toddler around. But one stop is better than no stops. I found a few pyrex dishes but they were pretty "eh" ...no lids, or lids that were cracked and/or the actual dish itself was cracked. Oh well. Maybe next time.

I did, however, find another owl for my collection. He was crammed in a dirty, bottom shelf and was covered in dust, poor guy looked like he had been sitting there for a very long time - how lonely.

He was just begging for a new home.

And I found three more pretty pillow cases.

The blue print is my favorite.

I saw the most beautiful set of vintage sheets in a bright orange, brown and yellow but they were nearly $8, I know that's not expensive, but every other set was closer to $2. This store is having a 40% off sale on saturday morning so if they are still there, I will pick them up.

I wish I had taken a picture of them though, imagine this print...

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...but in all bright yellow, orange and a bit of light brown. Beautiful!

I hope you are all having a wonderful week!

Can you believe it's Friday tomorrow?

xoxo

crissy

thrifting therapy

2010-03-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

I hate to admit this... but I am not a huge fan of thrift stores (aka vintage shopping). This is due to a few bad experiences that scared me. But I think I am finally getting over my fear. Today I discovered the cleanest thrift store I have ever been in. Not only was it clean, but everyone was friendly and it was well stocked with treasures. I purchased some of these treasures and am very pleased with my thrifting adventures. Would you like to take a peek?

1/2 yd lavender flannel for .99 cents, two vintage king size pillow cases (over a yard of material) for .99 cents each, 2+ yds of yellow polka dot for only $1.99 = SCORE!

two cute pyrex dishes, .99 cents for the pair...they are a little dingy in this picture, I took it before they were washed up.

aren't these little guys adorable? the ones on the left are "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" they need a fresh coat of paint and they'll be perfect... the round fellow on the right has a few little white marks, but I think I am going repaint him in brighter colors.

A very successul thifting adventure if you ask me. :o)

happy mail came today too - and it made me smile.

thank you Stephanie!

What made you smile today?

xoxo

crissy

monday monday

2010-03-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Our weekend was full of baby showers, birthday parties and three days in a row where Leilani didn't get her nap (not fun). Needless to say, today has been a day for recovery - I needed it! I did miss my blog, but just couldn't find time to sit down at the computer.

Here was part of my gift for the baby shower I attended...it is another empire waist dress from Amy Butler's Little Stitches book. I used the same fabric as version 1.0, except I used the creamy print as the main color, and I left off the little bow.

I can't wait to see pictures of these new little girls in their dresses.

Oh yes, spring has sprung around here.

Spring makes me giddy. How about you?

xoxo

crissy