M-I-C-K-E-Y... M-O-U-S-E!!

My son loves Mickey Mouse, so I thought I'd make him a cute little hat with mouse ears. The pictures do not even do this hat justice: it is SO cute when he wears it! He loves to point at it and say "Me mou!" My next project will be a Minnie Mouse hat for girls. :) 

This hat is made with Acrylic yarn in Black, Red, and White.

New Items

I think I have learned my lesson to start making new items for my Etsy shop in the Summer. I wanted to have Christmas items, but I started getting so many orders that I didn't have time! I've been checking things off my to-do list for orders as well as getting all situated in my new house. The holidays really are full of hustle and bustle! 

I usually update my blog with pics of my new items, so here are some of the orders I've been working on.

I am really hoping to make new things but not sure when that happen. Keep checking my Etsy Shop for new items! :)

Busy!

What a busy November! I can't believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Christmas will be here before we know it! I have been so extremely busy with Etsy orders that I haven't really had time to make new items. I did, however, find a SUPER CUTE pattern on Etsy for these adorable Cable Baby Boots! I have only made one boot so far. Not even a set. BUT, I love them and can't wait until I have some time to make more!

My husband and I bought our first house, and we are moving in today! We just need to unpack everything, which isn't easy with two little children running around. Tomorrow we will celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday, Boo-Boo Chicken!

My daughter Genevieve is 4 years old today! I can't believe it has been 4 years since she was born. Where does the time go? She went off to Preschool today decked out in her High School Musical sweatshirt, with birthday snacks for her friends & an excitement that I LOVE to see. She gets super excited about simple things, so I know today is really extra special for her. After school, I am going to attempt to bake a Barbie cake. I am not a baker whatsoever, so it should be interesting. Hopefully the YouTube video I watched can get me through it. You really can learn anything from YouTube. :)

Genevieve Ann was born October 27, 2007. I had two different due dates: October 31, and November 5. Apparently the first ultrasound determined that I was further along than expected so they moved it to the 31st. On the 26th, we were at home relaxing and I went to bed a little early because I felt like something was going to happen. I told Don to not stay up late playing video games because he would need sleep. Of course he couldn't sleep...so I went to bed alone. I had a stomachache. Turns out I was in labor! Around midnight I had to use the bathroom, and my water broke. I brushed my teeth & put on some makeup (LOL) and we went to the hospital. The drive there was terrifying. It was foggy & raining. It seemed to last a lifetime. Don parked in the lot & was gone! He ran inside to get me a wheelchair. I was in labor for 13 hours and pushed for 3. I didn't get an epidural until I was dilated to 8cm. (I really should have written a complaint letter about that! LOL) She was having a difficult time, so they had to use the vacuum. I knew what this was from watching A Baby Story on TLC, and I also knew this was NOT going to be fun or pretty! Finally, Genevieve Ann came into this world at 2:51 in the afternoon on the 27th. She was sunny side up, they said. I knew something was wrong because she wasn't crying, but of course no one would answer me when I asked. There were nurses all around her and I couldn't get a good look at her face. It took her a full seven minutes before she cried & could breathe on her own. It was the most beautiful & terrifying moment of my entire life, all wrapped into one. She was the spitting image of Don! She was so cute, even all the nurses and doctors said so. :) I won't explain the gory parts, but let's just say that her birth was very traumatic on my body. But I would go through it all again in a heartbeat. 

Another wonderful memory of her birth was that they allowed me to have many family members in the delivery room. My mom, sister-in-law and brother were all present when Genevieve was born. My brother & I are extremely close, and he is always there in the scary moments of my life. I don't care if it's weird, but I wanted him there. It came in handy when Don was rushing on the counting when I was pushing because he didn't want me to be in pain. Good luck with that, buddy! My brother is a musician, so he took over. It sucked for me, but it was very effective. :) When it was over, a nurse said, "That was the most attentive brother I've ever seen in a delivery room. Actually, that was the ONLY brother I've ever seen in a delivery room." 

Genevieve is a very special little girl. She has an old soul. She wants everyone to feel loved & happy. There is just something about her. I know that she was meant to be in my life. The first time I laid eyes on her, it was love at first sight. It really is true that when you have a baby, you made the decision to have your heart go walking around outside your body. She has so many nicknames, too. Boo-Boo Chicken, Princess, Baby Snake, G-Bird, Pickle, Pumpkin, Monkey... almost all of them are animals of course. :) 


Happy 4th Birthday to my little girl! I love you beyond words. To the moon and back.

Etsy Madness!

My little Etsy shop has been SO extremely busy recently! If I didn't have a calendar & had no way to know when the weather cooled off, I would know just by my Etsy sales! Hats & booties galore! I love making & sharing my creations with people from all over the globe. I've shipped things to Australia, Spain, Canada, and all over the US. Even though I am currently feeling like all my spare time has gone to crocheting, I am still so happy that people enjoy my creations. Plus, I can help out with the bills since I am a SAHM.

I wish I would have discovered Etsy earlier. There is something about buying handmade items that is just so wonderful. I know that I am supporting a mom, a family, or even the single people every time I buy something from an Etsy shop. I also love that the things I find are unique & special. I just recently purchased a ring from frecklelips jewelry on Etsy for my brother's birthday gift. He loves to play Bingo (Even though he's in his 30's!) and I-16 is his lucky number. I found an awesome ring made out of an old bingo chip that says I-16! I knew I had to get it. He wore it to Bingo this past weekend and won twice in one night! It was an awesome good luck charm, and not something I could find in a store. I am going to try to buy all my Christmas gifts from Etsy. :)

My most popular item recently is my Pretty Penguin Hat. I have made a bunch of these in the last two weeks. I originally made the hat with Hot Pink trim, but someone ordered it in red so I made this one.

I think I actually prefer it to the Pink one. The Pink one was first made for my daughter, since she LOVES Penguins & anything Pink. The Red one just seems more Christmas-y to me. :)

Check out my Etsy Shop and get in on all the fun Penguin action!

Crabby Baby Hat

Are you feeling crabby today? :) This little hat is made out of Acrylic yarn in red, has black and white eyes, and his claws are stuffed with cotton balls. I wanted to make something fun and different than the average animal hat. I tried so hard to get a good picture of my son wearing it! He did NOT want to cooperate! That is the problem about creating so many hats...my little model has quit his job! 

I think animal hats make super easy Halloween costumes. I tried so hard to talk my daughter into being a penguin for Halloween, but she wanted to be a baker instead. She has a new obsession with Betty Crocker and anything to do with baking. It all started with one YouTube video of someone making a princess cake, and she was hooked! I can't bake anything unless it comes in a box. :) 

We went to parent teacher conferences this morning for my daughter's Preschool. Her teacher said she is a joy to have in class. When she first saw all her energy she thought, "Oh boy, here we go!" but she said she just loves her. She needs to work on sitting and listening during circle time, but other than that she behaves perfectly well. So apparently my daughter is not a little crab at school!

You can purchase the Crabby Baby Hat from my Etsy shop!

Pop Culture Dolls

I know I've posted these before, but I wanted to post them again for people who may have missed them or don't feel like searching my blog for them.

My most viewed items in my Etsy Shop are my dolls. They've been featured on blogs, in treasuries, etc. I don't follow a pattern for these dolls, I just make them up on the spot. I am always looking at different pictures of celebrities and wondering if I could make a crocheted doll look-a-like. I like the challenge and people seem to respond well to these dolls. 

The single most viewed item in my shop would be my Lady Gaga doll. 

  Lady Gaga is wearing her signature shades, a lovely Black leotard, fish net tights, her hair bow, and extra dark makeup. She is ready to ship if you'd like her to live with you. :)

Second most viewed is Captain Jack Sparrow. 

Mr. Sparrow features his Red bandana, hair beads, dreads, vest, sash, belt, boots, purple bag, and he even wears eyeliner! The original doll sold and went to live in Australia. I hope he's having fun in the land down under.

Shortly following Jack Sparrow in views is Harry Potter.

Harry features his lightning bolt scar, glasses, and is wearing his Hogwarts uniform. The coat is removable. He has Blue eyes like in the movie, but he can also be made with Green eyes like in the book. 

This doll doesn't have as many views, but he needs to be included since he goes with Harry Potter: Lord Voldemort!

Lord Voldemort was very difficult to make out of yarn and have it look kind of cute and not totally creepy. His coat is also removable. He would love to live with Harry so he can terrorize him some more. :) 

Please feel free to stop by my Etsy Shop!

Pretty Penguin Hat

My daughter loves Penguins. It is actually a funny story: we were at our local zoo when she was just a few months old, and we found a little Penguin stuffed animal in the gift shop. We gave it to her and she instantly fell in love with "Pengy." After many snuggles, Pengy started looking a little shabby. Two years ago we visited the Brookfield Zoo and found the exact same Penguin in the gift shop. I knew we needed to buy it to replace Pengy #1. My daughter would NOT let go of him, so she ended up with two pengies. She calls the newer one "Soft Pengy." When she started preschool, she was so worried about what would happen to Pengy when she was gone. I had to promise her that I would take good care of him for her. She told me that he couldn't eat Oreos until he had his lunch. :)  The funniest part is that when we visit the zoo, she is scared of the real Penguins. She doesn't like when they make loud noises, she thinks they smell bad, and she doesn't like when they swim too close to the glass. She warmed up to them a little the last time we went, but she definitely prefers the stuffed version. :)

It has started to get really cold here (hello, it's Michigan!) so I wanted to make her a new winter hat. I decided a Penguin hat was the way to go. This hat is made with soft Acrylic yarn in Black, with White eyes, and a Gold beak. To make it more girly, I added eyelashes, a Hot Pink border, braids, and a bow. This hat could easily be made for a boy- just take away all the girly glamor! 

DIY Wreath With Crocheted Flowers

My husband and I recently bought a house. Unfortunately things fell through, and we have to stay with my parents for awhile. Before this happened, I made a wreath for my front door. I bought the wreath from Hobby Lobby on sale. I'd say it was less than $3. I have also seen people use pool noodles and tape the ends together to form a circle. I wrapped a little string of yarn around the wreath and tied on some ribbon scraps that I had. Then, I made a few crochet flowers and sewed them onto the wreath. Voila! A beautiful and inexpensive wreath that looks nice and fancy! 

Now, I just need a new house with a front door to put it on! :)

ThunderCats: Cheetara Amigurumi

Things I learned this week:
1. Cheetara is really hard to make out of yarn.
2. My daughter LOVES Preschool.
3. Cheetara is really hard to make out of yarn. :)

My beautiful little girl started Preschool this week. She is a social butterfly, so I didn't have many doubts about how much she would love school. I thought it might be difficult since she has been at home with me since she was born, but she ventured out into the world and was such a big girl! The first day, I went with her dad to drop her off. She marched right into the classroom, sat at the circle time rug, and barely noticed we were still there. She gave us hugs and went right back to the rug to hear a story read by her teacher. I wanted to cry the entire way home, but surprisingly I didn't. I counted down the hours until I could pick her up. She loved school and couldn't wait to go back the next day. I was so proud of her.

One of the things she has been requesting for a long time was a Cheetara doll from ThunderCats. I guess that is an advantage to having a mommy who can make you fun stuff. :) Yes, G is a girly princess with a love of all things Pink, but for some reason she has an obsession with ThunderCats. She watched a few episodes with her daddy and was hooked. I don't get it and the show makes me nuts, but whatever. I bought G & her little brother E some foam swords from the dollar section in Target, and they pretend it's the "Sword of Omens" and have a blast. Anyway, G desperately wanted a Cheetara doll. I didn't know if I could pull it off, but I did the best I could. 

It was not easy and it took a few days, but G loved her and has slept with her at night & carried her around constantly. It is very challenging to make a person out of yarn and have it actually resemble them. I ran out of the Orange that I used to make her bodysuit, so I had to improvise with some Sharpies. I really don't know what I would do without Sharpies! They are one of the greatest inventions ever.

I am sure that creating an Amigurumi Justin Bieber doll is in my near future, but for now Cheetara will have to do! :)

Pink "Converse" Baby Shoes

These could possibly be the cutest crocheted baby shoes I've ever seen! I was browsing Ravelry the other day and found a free pattern for these and knew I had to make them. I wish I would have discovered this website earlier.

These "Converse" baby shoes are definitely very tedious and difficult to make. I would rate them at an intermediate skill level. They really took a lot of patience and I had to make a few pairs before I really got the hang of it. I love them so much that all the hard work was worth it. 

Here is the pattern!  And, it's free which is always a plus!

To Infinity....and Beyond!!

Greetings, Space Rangers! Here is my Buzz Lightyear Amigurumi doll. I made him for my 16 month old son who is a Toy Story fanatic. It took a lot of time, patience, and hard work but the smile on my son's face when he saw him made it all worth it. I used my new Sharpie Stained fabric markers for some of the smaller details. I don't know how I would have done it without them! 

 This was one of my most difficult projects yet. He is made out of Acrylic yarn, felt, Sharpies, and stuffed with polyester fiberfill.

Here is what he looks like from the back! :)

Blonde Baby Doll

I have been in such a crocheting frenzy lately! I am surprised by how each doll I make takes less and less time. There are so many crochet projects on my to do list. I wanted to make dolls to sell at the local artisan's market but didn't know if I'd have enough time. Thankfully, this little lady didn't take me very long:

I couldn't get a good picture of her hair, but it has little Gold sparkles in it. It is so super cute in person. I am planning on making a Brunette & Redhead doll as well. :)

 

Little Yellow Rain Boots

These past few days in Michigan have been rainy & dreary with only a little sunshine. Not typical for August, but when is the weather in Michigan ever typical? I was trying to think of something to make while my husband was golfing, my son was napping, and my daughter was watching yet *another* episode of Thundercats. (Don't ask.) I decided to make rain boots for babies!

 These were fun to make, and they work up pretty quickly which is always a plus. Picture these with a little rain coat and umbrella! How can you resist??

 You can find these adorable Little Yellow Rain Boots for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Baby Mary Janes

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I LOVE BABY SHOES! They are my favorite baby accessory. My favorite style for baby girls are Mary Janes. I love to make them because they work up quickly and people always comment on how adorable they are. I am hoping to make enough of these little shoes for the Artisan's market where I am hoping to sell my items.


Here is the latest style that I've made:

These shoes are made with soft and comfy Acrylic yarn. They have different colored soles and tops & have a cute little flower with two leaves attached. SO cute and SO fun! 


You can get your own pair of Baby Mary Janes from my Etsy Shop!

Just Keep Swimming

Michigan summers are amazing! The sunshine, lakes, flowers, etc. I love every single thing about Summer. I don't even mind the heatwave we just had where it felt like 102 degrees almost every day. I love going to the beach, but with two kids it is A LOT of work. We bought our kids a cute little pool and they love to play in it! I can't say that a lot of "swimming" actually goes on, but they love to splash and play. 

I've spent the past few days watching my kids play and crocheting outside. I can get some work done & they can get their sillies out! It works perfectly for all of us. Here are some photos I snapped of them playing outside this morning:

Elliot was trying to run away as quickly as possible, but I got a pic of him on the fly! I just love his bright blue eyes and curly hair. He is such a stud!

Genevieve likes to do different poses. She won't ever just stand still and smile at the camera. :) Right before I took this photo, she had a bucket on her head and called herself "Bathing Suit Girl."

Little Lion Hat

"I'm afraid there's no denyin' / I'm just a dandy-lion / A fate I don't deserve / I'm sure I could show my prowess / Be a lion, not a mouse / If I only had the nerve."
 
I am trying to crochet as many items as possible so I can sell them at a local artisan's market. It is turning out to be a lot of work, but I am hoping it will be worth it. I made a list of different animal hats I wanted to make, and I knew the lion hat would be the most fun to make. I have made a lion hat before, but I changed it completely. I think this one is so cute! I wish I had a baby to model it for me, but my daughter's doll (that she has named Carlos) will have to do!

This Little Lion Hat is made out of Yellow Acrylic yarn. The mane is made with Homespun yarn. It is textured and has different shades of brown and black in it. It is much more beautiful in person! It is soft and silky and made with an Acrylic & Polyester blend. To make it even more fluffy, I combed it with a comb after attaching it. 

 
You can purchase this Little Lion hat in my Etsy shop.

Toy Story: Woody the Cowboy

 "You've got a friend in me
You've got troubles, well I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and we see it through
You've got a friend in me..."



My one year old son loves anything Toy Story related. He has all the movies, all the figurines, Toy Story sheets & comforter, stickers on his walls, clothes, etc. I haven't seen a bigger fan of something since my daughter went through her Abby Cadabby phase. I knew a very long time ago that I wanted to make an Amigurumi Woody doll, but I had to get the courage first. I knew it would be a pretty difficult task. The hardest part is trying to make yarn look like what you intended it to be. After a few days of blood, sweat, and tears...

Obviously he doesn't look *exactly* like Woody, but that is OK with me. My son knew who it was right away. He was SO excited to see the finished product. He wanted to play with him before I even attached his arms! I haven't decided if I wanted to list him on Etsy yet. Mainly because I'm not sure I want to make this multiple times. But, we'll see. :) 

Crochet Frenzy

I've been trying to crochet like a mad woman so I could have enough items to sell in a local art fair. I feel like some items won't take me very long, and then I remember that I have two small children to deal with in between stitches. :) In between playing outside, coloring with sidewalk chalk, watching movies in the air conditioning, and dancing to the Lemonade Mouth soundtrack, I surprisingly haven't had as much time to crochet. That is OK though, since my first job is being a mommy. 

The things I have managed to make in recent days couldn't be more different. I knew that if I made Harry Potter dolls I would need to make his enemy, Lord Voldemort. It was really difficult to make him look creepy. I kept thinking he just looked like a cuddly little evil dude, if that's even possible. I decided that I didn't want him to be completely ugly. I wanted him to look a little on the cute side. Here he is, in all his glory:

I also made these items:

I guess I could make a game out it, like: "Which Of These Items Doesn't Belong?" :) If you would like to purchase any of these, you can find them in my Etsy Shop.