Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Monster Crew Expands

I love my monsters.
I never get tired of dreaming up new guys to add to my monster crew. They are always so much fun to put together, and besides, who doesn't love a friendly monster!?

Today I have added two more to the crew:







Like all of my prints, you can find these in my etsy shop.
Here is a mass picture of every monster in the crew:
Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Flickr Favorites



I was having a hard time coming up with an idea for my flickr favorites this week.
Then it occurred to me.
These little mosaics I make every Tuesday are called "flickr favorites." Why not actually sit down and go through all of the pictures I have marked as favorites and make a mosaic around some of them!?

So here you have it, a flickr favorites of some of my saved favorites on flickr! I think I could make about 90 billion flickr favorites like this. I forget about all the lovely things I add to my favorites on that addictive little website!


(And as a side note, my favorite picture is of that Orange Ranunculus - love those flowers!)













Want to check out some more flickr favorites?
Head on over to Artmind's blog and look around!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Nursery Update


Well now that we know it's a boy I decided to add a few boy touches to a room that was looking, frankly, a bit girly.

I hunted all over etsy, and so far this is what we've got:


1. The Hirsute Hedgehog and The Happy Bear prints by John W Golden
2. Another beautiful quilt by my mom, of Pine Hill Forest
3. Cute Deer Pillow by Olive
4. Do it yourself Long Dog in brown by June Craft




5. Helicopter Decals by janeymacpress
6. Not an Etsy purchase, but couldn't resist showing the crochet blanket I made for the room once more!




Well that is what we have so far folks! Not up yet, but will be as soon as I decide where to put them are a retro weiner dog print in orange by June Craft and a light blue hippo print by yours truly!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Quilts

(detail from the quilt)


The first thing I received when I found out I was pregnant was a handmade quilt from my mom. It did not come as a surprise as I specifically asked her to make one for me to match the colors and pillows (pillows that she made) in our bedroom. I wanted it because this little dude is coming in February which I consider the coldest month of the year for us. I thought it might be nice to have to snuggle him in during those midnight feedings.

I gave her no direction, just requested she use the same fabric and colors we had picked out for the accent pillows many months before hand. I heard no more about the quilt until she was ready to put her favorite touch on it. A few pieces of velvet ribbon. She wondered about what colors I wanted. Not knowing the sex of our little one yet, I chose cream and green.

And with that choice made I received my quilt:

(quilt hung up on my bedroom wall)


Isn't it lovely!!!?
I need to figure out the best way to photograph a quilt because this picture isn't even doing it a bit of justice. I admire it sitting draped over the chair in our bedroom every morning when I wake up, and every night before I go to sleep. I can't wait to use it, and pray the little one doesn't get too many gooey messes on it! (wishful thinking I am sure) I love it so much I immediately told her she should be selling these in her shop along side her plush animals. No word yet on if she will, but thankfully I know that at least I can get one of these beauties whenever I want!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Details



What an exciting day Monday, September 20th, was!
I had been getting more and more anxious for it to arrive with each passing day, resorting to drawing lines on my pretty calendar for each day I made it through. It was a constant reminder that time was indeed rolling along even when it felt like it wasn't.

The morning started with a routine visit to the transplant clinic for my husband. It was the big removing-of-staples visit, and we were there bright and early! Once all of that was finished we decided to spend some time walking around Old(e) City. I love it there. There are so many beautiful sites and sounds. Rarely do we actually have the time to just stroll through the old buildings, or down the little cobble stone streets. This was all short lived by my urgent need to eat though!

After a lovely lunch (he had a burger, I had a calamari salad) we strolled through some pretty streets on our way back to the car. The time was really getting close.


Time to finally see the baby that is.


We arrived 20minutes early, and I expected to sit and wait the eternity that was required of me. However we were both (very pleasantly) surprised when they called my name after 5 minutes (yes!). At this point the husband was looking a little pale, and I wondered if he'd make it through the exam. This was his first time "seeing" the baby and he was all kinds of nervous about that fact.

When our wonderful technician started the first thing we saw was a little head and belly. Then I thought I saw cute little hands. "Nope!" the technician told me. Confused I asked her what I was looking at then. She responded with a chuckle that it appeared my little one had it's legs up in the air with both feet hanging out by his/her face (at this point she would not tell me the sex. She explained she always did that part last. boo!). So a little perplexed but amused, I tried to tell my brain to register the little grey images as feet and not hands.

As though the baby knew I was struggling to get a good grasp on what I was seeing, I saw little hands reach out and play with those little feet! And then I saw the same little hands play with a teeny tiny little mouth. And then I saw a spine. The technician made a small comment about this being a very "active" baby and told me that s/he had flipped to facing my spine. Within a minute or two s/he was back to facing outwards towards my belly. This went on and on, and while I watched I sort of wished I could feel that twirling happening inside my belly.

The technician clicked away, taking all sorts of measurements while I sat content to watch. After 45minutes (and with feet still up by his/her face) she informed me she was ready to make the gender call. Here we go, in seconds I know I am going to hear her say "Girl"

"It looks like a little boy!" she proudly proclaimed. I just sat there wide eyed. Next thing I see her do is zoom in so close to the baby parts it's all a sea of grey, and she begins to circle the 'jewels.' I look over at my husband who is just as shocked as me (I'm not lying when I say we really thought this was a girl.) The technician wrapped up what she was doing, I'm smiling and in shock, and she tells me to wait for the doctor to come in to tell me what he thinks of the measurements.

I snap out of my shocked state and remember to be nervous over the health of the baby. The doctor comes in right away and informs me everything looks good, and to have a happy and healthy 4.5months. Back to gender shock.

We walked to the car and I kept saying, "we're having a little boy. we're having a son."
By the time we got to the car we couldn't even stop containing our excitement.

Since then we've tried in vain to come up with a name or two we like. That is proving problematic. Anyone have any boy names they want to share? (we're going for unique, but not 'moon beam' unique) Until we come up with a permanent name, we're calling him Axel Lee. This started after hearing that a couple from a TV Show we happen to love named their little baby boy this a few weeks ago. Also Lee is my husbands name. He is the opposite in appearance to what comes to mind when you say "Axel." It's a pretty fitting nickname for our little man until we come up with something more permanent. :)


Seriously, send me boy names!
We've got nothin'

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Flickr Favorites - . b . o . y .


Not much else to say!
(okay there is, but I will write all about it tomorrow)

The verdict is in. We are having a boy, and I am in love!






















Want to see some more flickr favorites?
Head on over to Artmind's blog and sign up!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

New Cards

Why did I not post this sooner?!
Earlier this month I added two new cards to my Olive and Ruby shop:






I really love the way both of them have come out. I also have two more cards almost ready to be listed in the shop! More on that once they are up (this time I will post the update on here in a timely fashion) .

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Flickr Favorites - Best Friends


“Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms”
-George Elliot






Now I don't like being openly biased, but I happen to have the two best dogs in the world.
Piper (aka Pipes Marie) Cockapoo - Age 2: A little brownie who barks way too much, requires a ridiculous amount of love everyday (the smothering kind), and wags her tail until she topples over when I tell her she is a good girl. She has a special 'hiding spot' under the love seat with special toys. She plays under there by herself every night.
and
Nicholi (aka Nick-Nack or Choo Bear) Lhasa Apso/something with long legs - Age 7: A little guy who used to be all white, but is now white/tan/grey due to the fact that he suns himself everyday to the point of changing color. He prefers to sleep 20hours a day, or walk for just as long, provided I take him to his favorite park (he knows it as VF - Everyone else might know it as Valley Forge). He is also the only dog I know who sneezes approximately 20+ times a day when he gets excited about said walks in the VF. (hence the clever "choo bear" nickname)



I also happen to know for a fact that I am the luckiest person on earth to have found both of these little critters. I hope they know just how much they light up my life.











Want to see some more flickr favorites?
Hop over to artmind's blog and see what others have come up with!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Too Soon?





Is it too soon to bring up the holiday season?
Yesterday I had been asking this question to myself while trying to decide whether or not to start listing the holiday ornaments in my Mom's Etsy Shop.
(She sews, I list the finished work. It's good team work!)

Anyway I decided I would list one new ornament a week, until it gets closer to December. That sounds like a decent plan, right? I started off listing the Opossum Ornament above. There is no real reason other than I think it is the prettiest little animal ornament! Many of these animals adorn my Christmas Tree and I wouldn't mind so much to find her peeking out of my stocking on Christmas morning. (In my family you are never to old for a stocking. Dogs get them too.)

(We are a little crazy, but I think it's a good crazy.)

Since I am in control of the listing and editing of all photos I thought I'd show off a few more of the ornaments to be listed in the up coming weeks:
Again, not that I need them, but I really love the owls almost as much as that opossum!


Raccoon Holiday Ornament




Fox Holiday Ornament




Owl Holiday Ornament



Owl Holiday Ornament (2)



What's your favorite?!

Friday, September 10, 2010

What to Knit




I'm in a knitting rut.
After I finished my big crochet afghan for our baby I haven't been able to start anything new. I have 3skeins of birthday yarn waiting to be shawls and gloves for the fall. I have 2 skeins of yarn my little brother bought for me to make him a new winter hat. I haven't touched any of it. I was thinking I wanted to knit little bootees or a hat for the baby, but I can't seem to decide on a pattern or yarn.
Being in a knitting rut is the pits.


Anyone have any pattern suggestions?
Looking for some awesome fingerless gloves, shawls, or baby things to knit!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Flickr Favorites - bump




Every first tuesday of the month, we get a challenge for our flickr favorites.
Participation is optional, but I think it's pretty fun! Today we were challenged to do a favorite based on 'our happy.'


What's my happy at this very moment?
Easy. My little bump.










Want to see some more flickr favorites?
Head on over to Artmind's blog!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Finished (FINALLY!)

The Triple B, in all it's colorful goodness.



I have been waiting forever to be able to share this with you!
It has been sitting all finished except for the last 2 rounds of edging for a few weeks now. Last night I finally sat down and completed it.

I am so in love!
(and for the record those pretty dangly things won't be staying behind the crib. I originally had our rocking chair in that corner, and haven't had a chance to move the dangly stuff/pictures yet.)

This blanket is a whopping 4.25 feet wide x 6.5 feet long!
I made it this way because the husband is just shy of 6 feet and I wanted him to be able to snuggle up in it when holding the baby. (All 5'1" of me did not need it quite this big)

Here are some details of the blanket plus some more detail shots:
Hook Size: I
Finished Measurements: 51"x79"

Yarn Used:
Lion Bran Vanna's Choice Baby:
Duckie
Sweet Pea
Little Boy Blue
Gold Fish
Pink Poodle
Aqua


Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Solid's & Heather's:
Purple
Eggplant
Kelly Green
Mustard
Fern
Colonial Blue
Pink
Dusty Purple
Magenta
Terracotta
Sapphire


Loops & Threads Impeccable Solids:
Aran
Light Fern


Red Heart Ltd. Soft Yarn Solids:
Really Red


I only used 1 skein of each color yarn (all 20 colors!) with yarn left over in each ball.
(Hence why I made scrappy a while back.)


The reason I went with acrylics?
1) I don't have a problem with Acrylic. If you look carefully you'll find that many brands are super soft and cuddly.
2) Inexpensive. This is a blanket for a baby. I fully expect for there to be lots of unpleasantness spewed onto this blanket, so spending $100+ seemed silly.
(for the record I spent approx. $40-45 dollars)
3) Machine Washable. For the above reasons.
4) Lots of color choices. I wanted this blanket to explode with color. And I think it does :)



Now for a few more detail shots:








Now to wait (impatiently) for 3 weeks until I find out the sex of the baby. Then I can get down to some serious baby clothes knitting!

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