Custom request from Etsy. These little guys are so popular!

Etsy Listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/124220959/9-rougegray-crochet-monster?ref=shop_home_active

Pattern: http://craftbits.com/project/amigurumi-bubble-leg-monster/

Stripy mouse to match my Bouncy Ball Blanket.

Pattern (Dutch): http://stipenhaak.blogspot.nl/2012/08/piep-dit-is-miep.html

Dainty Mary Janes. Currently for sale on Etsy.

Etsy Listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/158113547/crochet-baby-mary-jane-slippers-modern?ref=shop_home_active

Pattern (Ravelry): http://www.ravelry.com/download/89833/free

Baby Booty Slippers. Currently for sale on Etsy.

Etsy Listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/158113787/crochet-baby-slipper-booties-lime-green?ref=shop_home_feat

Pattern (Ravelry): http://www.ravelry.com/download/89838/free

Toddler Girl's Chevron Cardigan with matching hair flower/pin. Currently for sale on Etsy.

Etsy Listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/158212814/crochet-mauna-loa-ripple-chevron-short?ref=shop_home_active

Pattern: http://www.freevintagecrochet.com/baby/no106-baby-set-pattern.html

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

I searched high and low for a good, classic Chicken Pot Pie recipe. It's just something I've never made before (Banquet frozen ones don't count) and it just sounded good. I finally decided to go out on a limb and try this one, mainly because of the number of good reviews it received. I'm sure glad I did -- this is simply the best! The boys often request it for dinner and it goes so fast, I have to make two to keep all my men full and happy. Cozy comfort food.
 

Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from Cooks.com

1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (corn, peas, carrots, green beans)
1 1/2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons flour
2 pie crusts (I prefer Pillsbury)


1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Mix together soup, vegetables, and chicken. In separate bowl, combine together broth and flour. Add to the soup, vegetable, and chicken mixture. Stir until combined.

3. Press one of the pie crusts into 9 inch pie plate. Pour mixture into the crust. Top with the other crust, press edges together, removing excess, and crimp with a fork to seal. Cut an "X" in the middle to vent during cooking. (I like to just fold the extra top crust and under the bottom crust around instead of cutting it off. I find it prevents the crust from burning and makes it nice and thick to munch on.)

4. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Wrap edges in foil or a pie shield if they start to burn. Serves eight.

Lace Blossoms Clutch (a.k.a. "The Cursed Purse")

Commission for a friend to carry at her daughter’s wedding.

This project was cursed! I had a horrible time deciphering the pattern (written in broken English, but I can't get too mad at the designer -- she tried), I bought the wrong yarn and had to return it, I had to buy a yarn that was four times the cost of the yarn I originally bought, the chain wasn't long enough, so I had to buy more, I had to buy transparent thread, which wouldn't feed into my machine correctly and I had to hand sew everything, and I burned myself with hot glue and poked myself with pins and needles several times. Cursed, I tell you! CURSED!!!

It's far from perfect, but I’m fairly pleased with the results, considering all the hiccups I had along the way. This may be the only one in existence, though -- at least, coming from me!

Pattern: https://www.etsy.com/listing/99554061/clutch-lace-envelope-oversize-purse?ref=shop_home_active

Projects, Projects & More Projects

I've been so busy with projects lately. You'd think it was Christmastime! Lots of commissions and gifts.

 Extra large round pot holders. I originally made these for my shop, but later gave them to a new bride. 

Pattern: Mostly my own creation. Just trying to use up stash cotton.

 A hedgehog (yeah, you read that right) commissioned from my friend who also commissioned the giraffe. Another daughter is expecting any day now.

Pattern: https://www.etsy.com/shop/daveydreamer

Bouncy Ball Baby Blanket for the same girl who is receiving the hedgehog. May make something else to go with it, depending on time.

Pattern: http://debscrafts55.blogspot.com/2010/06/bouncy-ball-baby-blanket-free-crochet.html

Mixed Feelings on a Cloudy Day

Mixed feeling sort of day, but the gloom seems fitting and welcome. My grandma called me this morning to inform me that my birth mother was killed on Sunday.

She was 58, lived a rough life brought on by her own bad choices (including copious amounts of drugs, alcohol, and men), and she died in bizarre circumstances (as her favorite role, the victim), as the news article below details.

Despite her only being an influence in my life maybe a 1/3 of my 30 years, I am grateful for her giving me life, coloring with me as a child, reading to me, and, most of all, teaching me to crochet. These are the only good memories in the sea of bad ones I have of her; I will cling to those.

I pray God worked a miracle and saved her before she died, as I did share the Gospel with her before I had to ask her to stop writing me a few months ago. I am both sad and relieved; I don't have to worry about her anymore, wondering if she's safe or cared for, but I wish things had been different. Because, after all, she was my mother and I will always love her.

Goodnight Moon

Going through some of my childhood books and sharing some sweet memories with my boys. Drew has attached himself to "Goodnight Moon" and won't put it down.

VBS 2013

Another VBS has come and gone. Five days of content stuffed into four and by the time it's over, everyone involved is mentally fried to a crisp. Makes me wonder why I keep going back year after year, but when I see the smiles and hear the joy, it comes back to me. I love being able to capture those moments; while everyone else is rushing around, I get to stop and observe through a lens. I love my job.

This year was special because Drew finally got to participate. Usually, he's stuck in the nursery, but our new director was nice enough to include some of the 3-year-olds. While he learned some difficult, but important, lessons during the week, it was a blessing. I very much enjoyed hearing the conversation over lunch between the two boys and the mutual excitement in the morning as we commuted. 

My "baby" boy painting a toilet paper roll snake in crafts. He LOVED being involved; all he's ever wanted was to be a "big kid". 

Rob painting his snake. Being his second year with the "big kids", he's all about VBS, now. Next to his birthday and 4th of July, it's the highlight of his summer.

Speaking of highlights, the kind people at Farm Bureau Insurance in Twin Falls loaned us Maggie, a cow simulate used as a teaching tool and made to allow people to experience milking a cow. HUGE hit at VBS this year. Everywhere I went, the kids were all a'buzz about getting to milk Maggie, pondering what it would be like to have to repeat the process every morning before breakfast. Many were not thrilled with the idea.

And we'll end with a self portrait -- photographer style. This has become some sort of weird tradition for me. I go to the mirrored wall along one of the church's stairways, make sure no one's coming to give me weird looks, and I snap a "selfie". Makes for good (and accurate) Facebook profile pictures. Hey, a good portion of the time, this is what I look like to people. I'm okay with that.