No Sew and Just Chenille yarn by Premier-my take

 My first new sew project using Chenille yarn.

Yarn by: Premier Yarns

Pattern by: Supergurumi

hook size: 4mm

My husband and I went to the dollar tree to pick up some of the Just Chenille yarn by Premier.  They only had two colors and since it was $1.25 I picked up 4 little skeins.

My honest opinion:

I am happy with how the project turned out. 

But... I can tell you working with this yarn wasn’t all that fun!  I had to battle with it pretty much the whole time.  It may have helped if I had made it into a “cake” instead of the pull from the middle skein.  

I am happy that I tried this yarn so I know what I like and don’t like!

I’m also glad I tried a new sew pattern, that means, most if not all your project is sewed at once, this one let you sew the body and head together-that part I liked!

Let me know if you have ever worked with Chenille yarn-and please share your projects!

Managing time by blocking it out!

Okay, so finding time to do everything seems to be a popular "problem" to have.  Currently I find myself: coaching track, while running a small business, while trying to fit in exercise time, me time, church service time, family time, sleep time and the list goes on!  Does this sound like a familiar situation? 

A few months ago I found this awesome article about blocking out time in a schedule-say what?!  I'm serious it's working for me I've had to revamp because of my slight schedule change but IT WORKS!  AND I am deep cleaning my house at the same time so that by the weekend I am free to play!  YES, my family is involved because let's keep it real I am not the only one around here that makes a mess! ;)

It's not my idea, but I want to share it, I found it on Fun Cheap or Free: HERE  There is a free printable and ideas, and I believe a video-if you try it I would LOVE to hear about it!!

I'm off and running-hope your day is FANTASTIC!!

Not ALL stitches are the same!

As I started my search to learn how to make Amigurumi I quickly discovered that not ALL stitches are the same.  What do I mean?  US terms and English (UK) terms are not the =
Here is a simple chart I found on Simple Crochet Magazine to help illustrate:

Hope this tip helps those that are searching Pinterest for patterns and learning about Amigurumi!
Have a FANTASTIC day!!

Nope haven't fallen off the earth!

Boy, it's been a while...
I have honestly been SO busy with helping my son heal from an ACL surgery, life, and Amigurumi orders.
Back in July I shared that started making Amigurumi dolls.  First off what are Amigurumi?  It's a Japanese word meaning sewn.  Which is true-it's crochet!
So here is my story:
My son had ACL surgery the end of May, he started Physical Therapy in June.  I knew that I would be going with him to PT and wanted something to do that would be productive and not on my phone.  Reading a book wasn't going to cut it because there is to many distracting things going on!  So I started to pray and think.  I was thinking about my grandma a lot-she had recently passed away and she taught me as a teenager how to crochet and knit.  I had only ever made rectangles (TRUE STORY!) My husband and I went to visit a friend who had just had knee surgery and couldn't walk on her leg and was pretty much home bound.  ANYWAY, she was showing us different things she had made and she made this doll:

 (Picture and pattern credit is from Heart and Sew)

I honestly had never seen anything like it before and had to double check that it had been crochet.  She said yes,  I determined then and there I was going to figure out how to do it.  So I googled and found out it was called Amigurumi.  I found tips and tricks, and PRACTICED, I mean A LOT of PRACTICE.  My very first attempts got donated to the Goodwill-they were pretty bad....I mean I couldn't stand looking at them...  I even thought hey! If I get okay at these I can list them in my Etsy shop!  

So I looked on Pinterest for ideas-FREE patterns are the BEST!  And I decided on a Dragon, and bought yarn and started creating.  I took it where ever I went-even on a plane!  People are naturally curious and ask me what I was making.  I would tell them and they were like-"what?"  At PT one day a gal walked up and asked me if I was going to sell them.  I said, "well, that's the plan eventually.."  She said I would like you to make me an elephant and a dinosaur.  I agreed and the rest has been history!  I have made SO many animals, creatures, and little people-I REALLY enjoy it and hope to share more with you when I can steal time away! ;)

I'm also starting to coach track because it's the season-this will be my second year at the high school and I really LOVE it!  The kids are great and I get to be with my own kids!

Thanks for tuning in!  

-Diana

Traveling dragon Amugurumi-FREE pattern

As promised I am sharing my Dragon who has been to Washington state, and PT and back!

 He reminds me of the dragon from Pete's Dragon-this FREE pattern is from Lucy Kate Crotchet.  I again learned a lot from this little guy:
* Stuff him a little more
* I personally like to use a smaller hook then just one smaller than the yarn calls for.
* I really like working with 100% cotton, less stretchy than acrylic.

I plan on selling more Amugurumi in MY Etsy shop when I get them made!  From this guy I have 5 more orders!  I think it helps when you use bright colors and FUN patterns!

Thanks SO much for stopping in today-hope your day is FANTASTIC!

wedding party

These two boys are the best of friends and got to be a part of their cousin's wedding party last year-SO super fun!  I used up some leftovers-which I have A LOT of!

Just a quick post today sharing some FUN!!   Thanks SO much for the visit!

Pinterest food find-taco Pizza

picture and recipe credit: Ree Drummand Pioneer Woman

Pizza AND tacos?!!!  Sign me up!!!
This recipe I found on Pinterest and comes from the talented Pioneer Woman:

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
• 1-½ cup Warm Water
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ⅓ cups Olive Oil
• 1 can (14 Oz. Size) Black Beans
• 1 teaspoon Taco Seasoning (prepared, Or Make Your Own)
• 4 whole Corn Tortillas, Sliced Into Thin Strips
• ½ cups Canola Oil, For Frying
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar
• 1 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1 head Green Leaf Lettuce, Sliced/shredded Thin
• 2 whole Ripe Tomatoes, Diced
• ½ cups Cilantro Leaves
• ¼ cups Sour Cream
• 3 Tablespoons Hot Sauce (more To Taste)

Preparation

Make the pizza dough: Mix yeast with warm water and set aside for 8 to 10 minutes. Mix flour, salt, and olive oil in a mixing bowl. With speed on low, drizzle in yeast/water mixture. Allow to mix until totally combined. Cover bowl with a towel and set bowl in a warm, draft-free place. Allow to rise for 1 to 2 hours.
Pour black beans into a saucepan. Add seasonings to taste and heat up beans over medium-low heat. Use a potato masher to mash the beans to desired texture. Continue cooking/heating beans over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer runny (should be the texture of refried beans. Set aside.
In a small skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. When hot enough to fry, drop in the tortilla strips in batches, frying quickly and removing from oil with a fork when crisp–about 30 to 45 seconds per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
Place oven rack in the bottom position in the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Remove half the pizza dough from the bowl. Place remaining half in a large plastic bag and refrigerate, saving for another use. With hands, spread pizza dough on an oiled baking sheet, making sure it’s relatively thin. Spread layer of refried beans all over pizza crust. Sprinkle mixed grated cheeses over the top. Place pan in the oven (in the bottom half of the oven) and bake for 9 to 12 minutes. Watch it to make sure crust doesn’t burn.
Remove pizza from oven. Sprinkle on shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and cilantro leaves.
Mix together sour cream and hot sauce, adding enough hot sauce to make the mixture pourable. With a spoon (or you can put it in a pastry bag) drizzle mixture over finished pizza.
Sprinkle with tortilla strips. Cut into squares and serve immediately with good quality salsa.

Amugurumi-kitty cat; FREE pattern link!

So I have REALLY enjoyed making my Amugurumi!  I have made 4 of them in a month-last week I was on a 3 hour flight and really got a lot done on my Dragon-which I will share next week!  Today I would like to share a kitty cat that I made for my cousin:

This seriously is CUTE if I do say so myself- ;) . My cousin LOVES cats and she LOVED this little dolly.  I learned that I need to slow down on the attachment of the parts and I won't have to pick them out!  I also learned how to incorporate other colors into the pattern--my goal is to eventually make a calico kitty.

This was a FREE pattern that I found on Pinterest and the direct link can be found HERE.  If you want to follow my Amugurumi pinterest board it can be found HERE.  I currently have two orders I am working on-I've been seriously thinking of selling these and someone at my son's PT ordered 2!  I'll definitely share those with you when I get them done.  I planning on selling my creations in my etsy store.  When I start listing those I will share the links!

thanks for the visit today-hope your day is FANTASTIC!

Balace-part 2.

A few weeks ago I had a post about BALANCE (see post HERE).  I didn't want to write it ALL down in one go as that would've made a REALLY long post and I don't really want to put anyone to sleep.  So here are some key steps that I think will help with me keeping balance, especially since we are in summer time without a real schedule; except for my son's twice a week PT visits...I am a goal oriented person-I like to break things down into little pieces to accomplish the BIG things!

*Be ORGANIZED; now for me that means meal planning, which helps me use what food I have and keep my budget down.  I really love using Pinterest food recipes that don't call for strange ingredients that I will never use again.  And my boys are great at eating left overs. 

--Also, organization means calendering; I have created a google calendar that is shared with my whole family.  Which means they also put there items in there so EVERYONE (when they look!) can see what is going on.  I also write them down on a magnetic dry erase calendar found HERE on the fridge (quick look tells you what's going on and what's for dinner) . If you are interested in a tutorial on how to use google calendars, on your phone I can post about that...let me know!

--organizing means cleaning up after yourself.  I like a clean house, things put away no piles-does this happen often?  NOPE, it's a never ending battle living with other people in the house and even myself on those days when I feel like I don't want to.  So I set the expectation for myself and the others-you make a mess you clean it up. 

--meal prep, planning what you will eat for a week or even a month.  I also have an online google calendar for that-makes grocery shopping easier.

--there is a lot more that goes into organizing but I'll leave you with these and touch on others when I think of them...

*Consistency is also key in being organize.  It's like going to the gym to strenghten your muscles-you have to consistently be doing the little things.  Some of your balance items (creating, reading a book, cleaning, shopping) doesn't happen EVERY day-find what works for you.  It's a peace of mind thing for me...

*REEVALUATE; okay some of my best laid plans don't work out the way I have had them envisioned, lets be truthful-MOST of my plans don't work out "My"way.  It's okay to be open minded to change it up-maybe another approach to accomplish your tasks will work better for you.  Don't be afraid to try something different to accomplish your goals.

*CLEAR/PATIENT; okay so the last thing I'd like to touch on is being CLEAR with what you want to do to accomplish your balance.  This may take some thinking and PATIENCE with yourself and others around you.  But once you have a bit of a vision you can do it!

Thanks for "tuning in" I hope this is helpful to you!  I tend to have a lot on my mind at one time and it's nice to share what I know-have a FANTASTIC day!  And if you have ANY questions please feel free to ask!

Hershey track

Been using up my scraps to create fun pages with my pictures-love the NO stress of combining and using certain products.  Literally this product is 6-7 years old, and guess what?  I STILL love it!

Fun thing is that all of these kids are MUCH older now and have done track in high school AND I got to be their coach!  GOOD times for sure!