Something Glittery This Way Comes

In January, my parents-in-law will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. That's hard to believe. FIFTY years, 5-0 years! Not enough people make it to that any more. At any rate, there will of course be a party, which is still a surprise at this point. But being crafty and having the willing help of N, we are ready to tackle this.

The in-laws are pretty low-key people who don't like a big fuss being made, and the party will reflect that. The first items to be be done will be table decorations. My sis-in-law had quite a few vases we could alter to match our color scheme. Here you can see a few of the vases lined up and ready to be prettified.

The colors we are going for are black & white with gold accents. The venue will provide tables with white table cloths, so the decision was made to accent the vases with gold glitter and paint the insides black. It is going to be beautiful once it all set up, with drastic contrasts and simple ribbon flowers.

My dining room is currently covered in a festive, gold-sparkling, plague. I need to get the glitter sealed before I can move forward with painting the inside and arranging flowers. Hopefully, the sealing will get done today so I can get a picture of the whole thing put together!

Just Another Blanket...

Earlier this year, we had J's girlfriend and her daughter live with us for a little while. There was a turn of unfortunate events and she needed a place, so we opened our home. (Living together forced J and her to realize they weren't ready for anything serious and they have since broken up.)

Anyway, her daughter was about 2 at the time and every time I picked up my yarn and crochet hook, she asked what I was doing. When I told her I was making a blanket, her eyes would get huge and she'd ask, "You're making me a blankET!" (The emphasis on the last syllable was adorable!) And I'd always have to tell her no, it was for someone else. I finally asked if she really wanted one and what were her favorite colors. She lit up and told me pink and orange. Two weeks later, she had her blankie.

It turned out a little more "Dora the Explorer"-ish than I intended, but she was thrilled! Dora was her favorite cartoon and she cuddled this like crazy. It made me happy to make it and see her dragging it around with her.

I was able to get it done very quickly by using a simple twelve-square (three by four) pattern and alternating the pink and orange in each granny square. The white tied everything together and I added a simple faux-scallop border to finish it. Personally, I think the scallop finish makes it look a little more feminine.

I'm sure in time she will forget that I was the one who made, and me all together. But that is fine. She can use the blanket for many years to come and know that at some point, someone cared enough to make something just for her!

Howdy Card

 As things get busy, sometimes it's really nice to get a sweet little note just to say hi. Think about it, how much would you love to get a random greeting card for no reason other than to say hello!

That is why I made this little cutie - to brighten a friend's day. It is super simple, which is the way I love making them. I used a black polka dot paper and punched the corners, added a simple tag, rub on word, a small flower and that tiny touch of bling.

My favorite part of this card is the ombre hearts down the right hand side. Guess how I did! Punched a paint chip card! I love using those - the color card was free and I only paid a $1 for the punch at Walmart. Granted it wasn't the greatest punch in the world, or the easiest to use, but it did the trick for minimal investment.

Things here have been pretty busy. I have a few things I have been able to get done, but not nearly as much crafting as I would have liked over the past few months. I'm hoping with the changing season I will be able to get more accomplished, I have a couple of blankets that I am in the middle of crocheting, DH is just about finished with some living room additions that I am super excited about.

And with everything I am working on and wanting to get done, I also have some pretty big organization projects in the works. Some are for around the house, others just for my office. I have to be honest here - my office is no longer controlled chaos, no it has gotten to where it is just a mess. That is my biggest work in progress at the moment.

Anyway... I should be able to share a couple other projects I have gotten done. Please be patient with me!