Hair Clips and Stuffies

In the last week or so I have been thinking about what I would like to see in our families Christmas shop.  The first thing that came to mind was stuffed animals.  We have a lot of unique things in there, but not a ton of toys at the moment and I, being a mom, like toys.  Especially at Christmas time.  So I started searching the internet for stuffed animal ideas and eventually was lead to softie patterns on Etsy.  I found all kinds of patterns.  Some Super cute ones, but they would be much to complicated to make for selling.  I don’t have the time.  But then I found some more simple ones and this morning I actually got a great deal from from Whosies & Whatnots shop.  3 patterns for the price of 2!  I felt like I scored.

The three that I got are:

Heirloom Doll

Wilma and Walter Whoo Owl

Square Pegs Doll

Personally, I am super in love with the Square Pegs Doll and can hardly wait to start making them.  They are SOOOO cute!!  I’m hoping that by giving myself a full 11 months before we open the shop again, I might be able to have a few dolls made.  *crossing my fingers*
Yeah, I was super excited about them.  I’m still kinda pinching myself about it and I have plans to hit up Joann’s this weekend with my girlfriend and get a few supplies.

Last night I also started looking at other kid things that could be put in the shop and don’t take a ton of energy to put together.  I started looking for bow patterns because I know they are super big.  maybe they always have been and I’ve just been blind.  But they seem a lot more “in” these last couple of years.  So, I started looking and while I like the look of using ribbon and fabric, I could just tell I was going to start getting overwhelmed by all the options when it came to choosing patterns and colors.  I’m a bit of a freak like that.  So I started looking for crochet patterns.  And Low!  What did I find but this super, ubber easy and cute pattern for crocheting a simple bow from the blog Things to make and do.  Check it out:

Super simple crochet bows

I am in love with them.  Kinda addicted actually.  I made one last night just to try it out.  And them made another, and another, and another.  Kinda like potato chips, ya know?  Can’t stop at just one?  I love them!  I ordered some alligator clips this morning off of ebay so I could start making clips.  I’m excited about seeing how they actually look on my DD.

So, that’s what I have been up too.  I’m daydreaming about my trip to Joann’s and trying not to think about how much money I could potentially be spending to get supplies for projects.  And this research is about as productive as I have been today (though I did get schooling done and some paperbackswap books shipped and filled up the car with gas).  Yup.  Nice day.
Now you should go check out the links I posted cause your gonna love them too.

Depends on how you look at it…

Today felt really unproductive and lazy.  It was a pajama day.  A day to sit and play balloon tower dense 4 over and over again trying to beat the hard levels (and failing).  A day where no matter how many dishes and laundry I wash, a mountain still awaits me.  A day when the kids want nothing else but to play games on PBSkids and watch Dinosaur Train.  I feel like I failed today.

But then if I look past the unproductiveness, I see all the things I got done today.  The dishs and laundry that got washed.  The good food I made.  The “schooling” that got done with the kids (and the things they learned playing games on PBSkids and watching Dinosaur Train).  The healthy things I did for myself, journaling, blogging, crocheting, daily affirmation reading and vitamin taking.  The quality time I got to spend with my husband before he works like crazy this next week.  The organizing and setting aside of toys that the kids aren’t playing with right now so they can enjoy them later.  Really I wasn’t completely lazy, as I did get things done.  And when I look at it that way things feel a lot better.

Happy Birthday HeidiLogic!

It’s been just a year since I last posted.  Life has been busy to say the least.

2011 was a full and fast year.  How the heck did that happen?  From start to finish things went so fast I could hardly believe it.  A few months of the year we spent fighting illness, some of it was spent traveling, some with family and friends, and about 99% of it was spent trying to keep up with my kids.  Despite what I had heard from others… 3 kids is way more then 2.  Haha!  But I love them all dearly.

I am excited for 2012.  I have plans this year.  Not entirely sure what those plans on, but I know they will be good.  I have hopes that I can spend more time outside and in the garden this year.  Dreams of crafts that I would like to work on and finish.  And a goal to make the most of my every waking moment.  2011 woke me up and I realized what a very sad and unhappy person I had become.  At the end of 2011 I realized that I needed to end this old mindset and really work to become the happy person I really wish to be.  I am so ready for something new in my life.

As a part of my decision to get healthy and be happy I started this morning out by reading my Daily Affirmation book for ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) and what I read is the EXACT words that describe what I want to create this year for myself.

I welcome this new day and the new year

Today I have a fresh start.  I choose to begin a new letting go of unhealthy thoughts, feelings and attitudes that have stifled my growth.

This day I choose to think new thoughts, to look at new values and to find new ways of expressing my God-given gifts.

I now choose to deepen my understanding of myself and others.  I will look at my relationships with family and my friends in a new light.  I choose to have vital, healthy interactions with others.

I truly welcome this new day, this new year, and this new me.  I welcome the wonderful possibilities open to me.

Happy 2012 Everyone!

Of Free Slipper Patterns and Life

5 am comes entirely to early these days.  My 3 year old son has such a hard time with mornings.  He needs to get up and go potty and have a snack, but can’t do it on his own, or wont, because he’s still so sleepy.  What usually ends up happening is he flops around in bed for a half hour or more, kicking, crying, fussing, whining until DH or I get finally get tired of hearing it and get him up.  It’s a pattern that is rapidly getting very old.

This morning he’s gone back to sleep on the couch.  I guess the Christmas tree lights are soothing and help him fall back to sleep.  I’m thinking twice about taking the tree down this weekend.  And while he has fallen back into his blissful dreamland, I am fully awake and just waiting for the sun to rise, or the next kid to wake up.  Whatever comes first.

While trying to wake myself up and browsing ravelry I stumbled upon a slipper pattern.  I realized my own feet at that point my own feet were quite cold and that it would be awesome to have some slippers laying around to slip into right now.  I have some, somewhere, but a knitted (or crocheted) pair would feel so nice.  And I wouldn’t feel so bad about loosing them if I could just whip up a few more pairs for anyone to wear around the house.  The thought reminded me of when I was 12 and spent a month in Germany with my Oma and her family.  One of the first things I remember was my Tanta Lena telling me to take my shoes off and put on some of the homemade slippers they had laying around for everyone to use.  I think I thought it was cool that they were made by someone and not just store bought, but then I can’t really remember.  It had been a 16 hour flight from California to Germany and then another hour from Dusseldorf to Dresden (or somewhere near there) and I had stayed awake for most of that time.  My brain was extremely foggy and after the slippers Tanta Lena showed us where we would be sleeping and I passed out for the rest of the day.

So this mornings adventure took my back to Germany in my mind and on a search for a patter that was like Tanta Lena’s slippers.  I found a few patterns that looked like I remembered, or close enough to it that I could alter them and hopefully come out with something similar.  Here are my three top choices:

“Follow the yellow line” Boots is a crochet pattern that has been translated into english.  The pattern looks very simple and easy to alter if needed.  I and such a huge fan of double crochets because it makes things go so fast.  I’m a knitaholic but crocheting has been taking up more and more of my time these days.  Drat those double crochets.  I think they are corrupting  =P

Granny “Miezie’s” slippers is the next pattern I liked.  I’m not posting the picture because there isn’t one of the finished product, but it looks good anyways.  I also need to learn german as this one is not translated to english, but does give a diagram and theoretically could be figured out with a little bit of work.  It’s knitted, and from what I saw on ravelry it’s made with multiple strands of fingerling weight yarn held together.  I like that aspect of it and that when finished it looks very much like the above pattern, just knit.

And then there is this slipper pattern.  The whole page is an image so I can’t get it on here.  Doesn’t look much like the other patterns but I think it could work, with some altering.

At the moment I am rather overwhelmed with unfinished projects of one kind or another.  I have four sweaters, two pairs of mittens and various other projects that are sitting around waiting for me to finish them.  Slippers isn’t really a priority right now.  But maybe after I finish something I could make a pair.  My feet would really appreciate it.

2011 and HeidiLogic’s Birthday!

HeidiLogic is three years old!  Yay!
(Well actually yesterday but hey, the baby is teething again, hand usage is limited.)

I feel like I didn’t do a great job blogging in 2010.  I suppose with a new baby and two other kids, trying to recover from birth and my dad[‘s death still and “starting” homeschooling I did kinda have my hands full.  This year I envision a little more time blogging.  More time in the garden and outside.  More playing with the kids and more fun.  Not that this last year wasn’t fun, but it was busy.  Very busy.  If nothing else just emotionally busy.

I am so excited about this next year!  DH and I have been talking the last couple of days about what we want to do with it.  We’ll be able to garden in our own garden this year!  It’s been three and a half years since we moved back to Minnesota and this year will be the first we get our very own garden.  We’re going to plant our asparagus and a patch of strawberries, along with potatoes and some other annuals like lettuces and tomatoes and peppers.  We’re going to start planting fruit producing trees and bushes.  So in two years time we’ll be starting to harvest more then just annuals.

We’re going to add on to the chicken coop this year and hopefully make some runs so the chickens can get more grass and range.  I’m going to try raising broilers for myself and we’ll be building a bigger PVC chicken tractor for them so that I can move it all by myself.  With luck we’ll be investing in rabbits this year and will start a colony.  It’s probably only start with three (1 buck and 2 does) but who knows how large and fast it will grow.  More meat, manure and a wonderful addition to our farm (I hope).

I have been blissfully dreaming about what we’ll be doing on the farm this year.  I know I will be doing all kinds of other things as well.  Working on the house, visiting friends, hiking, camping, knitting, and maybe even taking a road trip to California for the first time in over two years.

My wish for you is that your 2011 is glorious and bright!

Happy New Year Everyone!