Christmas Knitting. Hot Diggity Dog.

I bet you're wondering about how my Christmas is going...
and if you're not...I'm still going to tell you.
Better yet, I'm going to show you what my little "To Do" looks like.

Weds- 2 pairs handwarmers
start Bro-Inlaws gift

Thurs- work on Bro-Inlaws gift
Complete Godson/nephew's gift
Go shopping for stocking stuffers and a couple extra things

Friday- Make David's gift
Celebrate Recovery
Stay up all night gift wrapping

Saturday- CHRISTMAS EVE!
Finish Brother Inlaws gift
Make Brodey and Saiya's ornaments

I don't know how I'm going to do it.
Please pray for me.
Today's snow has added a little stress because the roads are so awful so I hope it clears up by tomorrow so I can get some shopping done with little difficulty.

so please say a prayer for me and enjoy this little comic :)
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and will be sure to post pics of the Christmas knitting after they have been gifted and openned.
Love you ALL!

Blessings,
Caren

Lava Flow Love

As you can guess I have been knitting quite a bit and I feel hopeful.
In fact I feel so hopeful that I took on 3 custom knitting projects to help bring in a little extra holiday money and to help out some good friends of mine.
anyone seen my money tree?
I figured I wouldn't be posting much on what I've been working on due to the fact that I don't want anything leaked but figured it may be safe to share here and there because I don't think everyone reads this blog.

I made a "Lava Cowl" which is once again off of Ravelry.
I absolutely love this mock mobius.
(meaning that it did not use a mobius cast on but has a twist in it like a mobius would. oh and it was knit flat which was nice)
The pattern called for quite a few rows in between cable rows and I didn't care much for that so I decreased the amount of rows in between cable rows which caused for a prettier "flow", in my opinion.
If you're a non knitter I am sure that doesn't make a bit of sense but Isn't it pretty?!

Lately I've been eating an abundance of cookies.
Seems to be a gift often given during this time of year and its one I am glad to accept.
The only problem is... my sweet tooth is massive and I find myself grazing through out the day on them.
So I've taken up Yoga again in hopes that it will help and better motivate me to eat better.
I'm not out to lose a particular amount of weight; I just want to feel good.
This is not a New Years Resolution cause I really suck at those.

Any of you have New Years Resolutions?
Have you ever followed through on one and completed it to your satisfactory?

Off I go to race the day!
I hope you all are doing well.
Love you ALL.

Blessings,
Caren

Mustache? Or Moustache?

So I realized today that I have 17 days to complete my Christmas knitting.
My first thought is "Piece of cake"
My second thought is "My wrists are going to die!"
I'm thinking that I will have many dates with Icy Hot and my wrist compressing gloves.
I've been working on my Grandma's gift over the past few days and with all the twists and turns my wrists have already started to feel the damage.
My goal is to do two days on and one day off which will hopefully give my wrists some time in between projects that shouldn't take too long.
Anyhoo.

I went frolicking through Ravelry looking for Christmas ideas for a couple of the dudes in my family...
I found this....

I am thinking that Saiya will have a new little spring sweater.
I don't know what it is about mustaches but I love them!
I just think they are fun to put on things.
I would so totally grow one if I could but I will settle for knitting them and leave it up to the men.
P.S. You can find this sweater patter on Ravelry under "Mini Moustache Sweater".

My search also lead me this!
I am certain that a lucky fella in my family will be receiving one for Christmas and I am also certain that I will end up making one for me as well :)
This pattern is free on Ravelry and is called "Incognito".
The pattern provides information for multiple sizes, styles of mustaches, and two different ways to make it. Not to mention it provides you with links to learn how to do the questionable parts.
I am so excited to cast on!

Once Christmas is over I will be picking back up on the custom knitting.
Seems that Christmas has kind of taken over and has forced me to cut back.
I just need the next 17 days to focus and few days after that to recover!

Thanks for dropping by!
I hope you all are further long in your Christmas shopping and preparations than I am!

Love you ALL!

Blessings,
Caren

Switching Holidays

I hope Thanksgiving was a well enjoyed holiday for you all!
My Thanksgiving was pretty good.
Thankfully David did a good majority of the cooking while I made just a couple of easy side dishes and my mom brought pie and a tasty side dish made of sweet potatoes and brown sugar.
It was a wonderful feast and we snacked on leftovers all weekend long and don't have that mess hoarding our fridge any longer.

Brodey has been asking me for a while now to make him a Wiggles Hat.
Not any particular style... just the colors Yellow, Blue, Red, and Purple.
I managed to come across a hat pattern on Ravelry and figured out how perfect it would be to incorporate all 4 colors without it looking super busy.
I finished his hat Thanksgiving day and he loved it so much that he insisted on sleeping in it.
He sure looks cute in it :)

Yes. He is giving "thumbs up". lol

So now that Thanksgiving is over I was able to justify setting things up for Christmas yesterday.
It didn't take as long as I thought it was going to. or maybe it just seems that way because I did a little bit at a time...
I just love this time of year because we imediately switch from Thanksgiving to Christmas and it seems that Christmas is a month long event with all the parties and dinners that people are throwing. Not to mention I spend longer than that preparing for it.
It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in the Willy household!
Now for that dreaded "S" word.
I will admit that snow does help contribute to the whole Christmas scene.
So as much as I don't like driving in it... It will be nice to see it when I look out my window.

Now to finish my Christmas Knitting!

Are you making your Christmas gifts this year?!

Well I must get back to work.
Hope you are doing well.
Love you ALL!

Blessings,
Caren

Gobble Gobble

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and I figured I would write today seeming as how tomorrow will be spent with family, friends, and food.

I did a search for knitting patterns using the keyword "Turkey" seeming as how that is the "mascot" of Thanksgiving.
I had expected that I would find some cute little stuffed turkeys and maybe a few washcloths with a little turkey image on it, but the hats I found seriously took the cake.

The name of this pattern is the "Sexy Turkey hat".

My thoughts were as follows.
1. How in the world could a Turkey be considered sexy?
2. What makes this turkey hat sexy?
Kudos to the person that made that hat. I mean seriously.
It's great!

But it is not sexy in my own personal opinion
The last thing I would put on my head to feel sexy would be a turkey hat.
But seriously put a smile on my face!
Gobble Gobble, Baby! Grrr Gobble Gobble!

Anyway.
Moving on.

I found this super cute baby hat and I seriously wish I would have found this pattern sooner cause I would have made one for my kids.
Here is the link if anyone is interested!
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jive-turkey-baby-hat
Seriously. I love it.
And if you make it, please let me know!


So excited for Thanksgiving!
I pray a blessing over all of you during this Holiday.
May you continue to find things to be grateful for year round!

Love you ALL!

Blessings,
Caren

Winter knitting

Feels like winter is settling in Wyoming for a cold and miserable stay.
Who is old man winter and can I file a complaint?
It's not that I don't like the cold or the snow...
I just don't like being cold or driving in the snow.
You'd think I live in the wrong state or something.
But once I get past the shock of going from 5o degree weather to below zero temps... I come to appreciate the beauty of it as it justifies my yarn stash and compulsive knitting.
Nothing is better than curling up on the couch with a cozy blanket, some comfort food (or drink. depending on if you are hungry or thirsty, or both), and a good movie, book, or for me KNITTING.
I've been thinking about what I can knit while curled up (partially cause I need free hands) under a blanket and I was thinking...
ANOTHER BLANKET!
I went to www.ravelry.com which is a knitting and crocheting community where I go for inspiration and a ton of free patterns.
Here are 3 afghans/blankets/throws that have caught my attention.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mitered-crosses-blanket--for-japan
I love the accent of the crosses against the neutral. I think this is one blanket my husband would appreciate because I love lots and lots of color.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/falling-leaves-afghan-wtv1602
I thought this one was beautiful! Seriously love the colors!
Think I'm stuck on fall and I'm ok with that.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boldly-colored-plaid-afghan
Yeah I love this one too.

I love color.
I love bright colors.
I love many colors.
And it drives me nuts.
Ever heard the term "less is more"?
I can agree with that but more than likely I will have a very colorful blanket and I will either love it or dream of it in other colors.
Guess we will see!

Seriously just crossed my mind that I would jump out of my seat from pure joy if I saw granny square snuggies! I challenge one of my crochet friends to make me one! ...please...

Christmas Knitting Progress....
It has begun!
Finally!

I hope you all are keeping warm where ever you may be!
Love you ALL!

Blessings,
Caren

Honoring

Today I've been thinking a lot about my father inlaw.
He passed away 3 years ago, this month, and
Since then David and I have proudly displayed his flag and picture.
I wasn't told much about his service other than he was a hero.
That he put his life on the line for the ones he was fighting with and for the ones he was fighting for.
That he was a man of strength and determination.
That he was a man that was passionate about his country.
That on a boat he saved the lives of his crew mates by risking his own life.

He didn't really much talk about it.

He lived his last years, months, days,
doing what he enjoyed.
Panning/dredging for gold
hunting
fishing
skiing
hanging out with his best friend, Rod, at the Lazy J where he lived in his motor home.
He was a son.
a dad.
a grandpa.
He was a veteran.
When I think of him today I think of how proud I am to have known a hero.
Happy Veteran's Day, David Alexander Williams.
You are loved and you are missed.

Thanks be to my Uncle Dennis and his service.
Thanks be to all of you who have served and never reached it home.
Thanks be to all of you who have defended our country.
Thank you!
God bless you and your families for the sacrifices they have made and are making.

With sincere gratitude,

Caren

I shall blog!

I've kind of been missing the last few days!
It's hard to be motivated to blog when
1. life is busy
2. my computer runs as fast as a herd of turtles
But I had a chance to and so I shall blog.

Seeming as how this is a "knitting blog" I suppose I should share my recently knitted item.
Brodey and I went on a date one night to a costume party and so I worked diligently on this hat that I've been wanting to make for the past 3 years.
I finished it just minutes before we needed to be to the party and was thrilled because honestly... I like dressing up and even if it is just as simple as putting on a hat.

I was bear.
You're welcome for stating the obvious!
Brodey of course was dressed in his Yellow Wiggle Costume and was quite the center of attention as he danced, giggled, and played.
It was a perfect date!

In my blogs I keep talking about Christmas knitting.
Well, I haven't even started and I am hoping that this weekend is when it will start.
Birthdays and holidays always seem to pile up at the end of the year and I sadly can not knit fast enough to keep up.

Things on the home front have been well though.
Saiya is growing and learning all the time as she moves herself around our home and discovers new things. Lately she has been "talking" and gets really serious with this baby babble business. Soon enough I will understand but am loving just listening to her in her own little language.
Brodey has been quite excited over the past couple of days.
He has been moved into his very own bedroom which means he no longer has to share with his little sister. I am so glad we did that cause I think with all the things he has had to adjust to over the past year... he deserves it.
He also has a new best friend which is about 7 inches tall and is dressed in a yellow shirt.
My mom bought him a stuffed wiggle doll.
He corrects me and tells me that its a toy. not a doll.
It's a doll.
BUT
a very special one that is stuffed and huggable and small enough to go just about anywhere.
Such a sweet little boy that deserves nothing less than to be loved and blessed.

Over this last weekend I went to Living Proof Live Featuring Beth Moore with my mom and sister and came home feeling pumped about all that I learned and totally refreshed.
check out the blog posting from Beth Moore, recapping on her Casper experience.
http://blog.lproof.org/2011/11/living-proof-live-casper-recap-video.html

Another fun thing...
Snow.
It happened last week and I'm hoping it doesn't happen again for a while.

I hope you all are having a blessed week!
Love you ALL!

Caren

Post Halloween

Halloween had been a long thought in my home for a few months when Brodey decided that he wanted to dress up like the Yellow Wiggle (and not just for Halloween).
The plan was for all of us in our family to dress up as the Wiggles but unfortunately they didn't make a shirt small enough for Saiya and it was far too expensive to purchase the shirts for dad and I. We had looked for iron on patches but were unsuccessful in that search. I was pretty bummed out because I know how much Brodey was looking forward to it and thought that it would be fun to have a family costume!
We did buy Brodey's though and was shipped promptly from Australia and ever since then Brodey asks if we can go there.

I hadn't really thought about what to dress Saiya up as but I didn't want to buy a costume that I knew every other little girl out there would be wearing.
I decided that she would make the perfect Garden Gnome and so I knit.
This little girl seems to get spoiled with knitted baby things cause I made her a little red pixie hat and matching ruby slippers.
The overalls that she wore were made by my Grandma and out of recycled denim which i thought was perfect for her little ensemble!
So this little girl was just covered in handmade things.

Trick-or-Treating happened at the mall where the kids just walk from store to store in their costumes where the employees usually are dressed up as well and are handing out candy.
We've done that for the past 4 years with family and works out well considering we don't have much ground to cover and its indoors.
The weather was abnormally nice for this time of year and so David and Brodey did manage to make it out house to house while I hung out with Saiya and my friend, Emilee, at her house.
We enjoyed a very tasty dinner with our friends (whom I am so thankful to for offering to feed us last minute.) and headed home to tuck in our tuckered out little munchkins and relax after good conversation and great company.

It was a simple Halloween full of random crafts through the month of October and a night of dress up and trick-or-treating.
A month of popcorn, fun school projects, fake cobwebs and spiders, vase full of candy, pumpkins, and cute movies.
(Including "Hocus Pocus" which was watched about 3 times on Halloween day)

All in All pretty simple.
Just the way I like it!

I hope that you all had a fun and safe Halloween!
Love you ALL!

Caren

Craftin' Bug Satisfaction

Things have been so busy that I am just now getting a chance to share with you my crafty weekend... which started last Friday.
I don't know what got into me but I was feeling mighty crafty.
I stayed home from Celebrate Recovery with Saiya on Friday night because she was feeling a little under the weather so I decided that while she slept I would browse my favorite blogs and ran across a pattern for this cute little guy. (I finished him Sunday as I got distracted with life)

This little creation is called "Owl Puff" and is actually suppose to be much smaller but thought the kids would appreciate something a little bigger.
I will be making lots of these in their intended size which is like 1/4 of what this one is.
I love owls and they seem to be quite popular these days.

I had shared a fun wreath on my personal facebook page that I thought was kind of odd but oddly enough... it grew on me.
So I went searching for a few hours looking for the key ingredient which were eyeballs.
Didn't find them.
BUT
my wonderful husband found them at the Halloween store next to hobby lobby and bought me a few bags to fulfill my crafty itch.
I'm so lucky to have a man that is so thoughtful and looked for eyeballs for me while I worked the yarn store. <3
So Saturday night I worked and worked (for a couple hours at least) and made this wreath as a Halloween decoration.

I added ribbon for a touch of class and sophistication.
I know... Like ribbon helps but I think it is fun!

I did mention the handwarmers that I had been knitting for the kids at the Wounded Knee Indian Reservation.
Though I didn't get a picture of all of them I thought that I would post a picture of a pair that I made nearly 3 years ago so you have an idea of what they are and what they look like.
These are so easy to make.
You just knit a piece in garter stitch and seem it, leaving a hole for your thumb.
This is the first project that I have ever made.
I have made quite a few pairs and am able to make a pair in a couple hours.
Makes for the perfect last minute gift.

Sunday night I hosted a knit night for the teen girls that go to the youth program at Celebrate Recovery which was a lot of fun.
The girls had the option of learning to knit or crochet but we all ended up knitting in the end and watched a (very appropriate) chick flick..
We started the simple earwarmer from about 3 posts back and I managed to finish mine Monday morning. I am sure the girls are anxious to finish theirs and am certain they will have questions when I see them on Friday.
I will be doing this once a month and will more than likely extend this to all teen girls within the youth group.

Well, I need to go.
My husband is home after a long day of work and I would very much like to hang out with me without the distraction of the cyber world.
I hope that you all have had a good week and that your Halloween weekend is fun and SAFE!

Love you ALL

Caren

Giveaway Sharing

This is not my giveaway but It is on a blog that I frequent often and thought I would share it with all by crafty friends that can appreciate handmade/custom clothing!

The Willy family (which is my family) takes pride in our collection of hooded sweatshirts.
We love them and seems that when the cool weather comes around we pretty much live in them.
My only issue is that I have a hard time finding super cute ones that don't make me feel frumpy.
Check this out!

CUTE RIGHT?!
I'm a ham for stuff like this!
so unique and so cute!
<3

You can enter for your chance to win a hooded sweatshirt from the talented owner of Mungo Crafts by going to the provided link.

http://www.loveelycia.com/2011/10/review-giveaway-mungo-crafts.html

Good luck to those who enter!

Blessings!
Caren

Much about nothing

Halfway through the week.
Happy Wednesday!!!
Been busy knitting over the past few days.
and I say the past few days because I had to take a couple day break to allow my wrists to rest.
Seems I get so focused on what I'm making that I don't take the time to stretch my wrists and fingers during my productivity and I usually get to be pretty sore as a result.
Anyway.
After knitting away on orders I decided that I needed to make something that wasn't going to take any thought.
Thankfully by friend Sabrina posted a projected on Facebook that fit perfectly into what I consider "Mindless Knitting".
You can find it at...
www.ravelry.com/patterns/its-a-cinch-head-wrap-and-collar

I made it out of Malabrigo (of course) and gave it to my friend Emilee for her birthday as well as a bracelet that I didn't take a picture of because I didn't think of doing that until now.

I also managed to finish a scarf that I started on almost two years ago.
I hardly ever make scarves.
I've made a total of 3 which adds up so far to about 1 a year.
It just seems like never ending knitting and I have project A.D.D. and seems that I start a lot of things but don't finish them.

hmmm.... looks a little bright in this picture.
It really isn't that bright... looks more like a marbled cotton candy pink...
Not anywhere close to hot pink.
The yarn was hand spun and so the consistency of the thickness of the yarn varies.
But all in all it's ok.

I have also been busting my butt working on super simple garter stitch hand warmers for a friend of mine.
My friend Ashton is going to leave for Wounded Knee Indian Reservation soon and asked if I would help knit hand warmers that she can take to give to the kids there.
I was more than happy to help and have been working with the two skeins of yarn that was donated to bust out a few pairs.
I'll have to post those later.

Christmas has been on my mind and I started thinking about a different kind of Christmas knitting.
Not knitting to give as gifts.
I have plenty of that and am tired of thinking of it. Ha!
But I was thinking back to a thought I had about my Christmas tree.
Every year I paint an ornament for Brodey and last year was my first painting one for Saiya being that she arrived last year.
Its a tradition that I started and one that I intend on doing every year until my kids are at least 18 years old.
But in addition to those hand painted ornaments... I would very much love to cover my tree in yarn.
I came across this pattern that is a composite of numerous Christmas ornaments on KnitPicks.com.
I pulled the pictures to show you what I have in mind!

These pictures are ridiculously spaced apart.... Not by any fault of my own but I just had to show you and deleting any of them would do no good.
But yes.
I think they are perfect and maybe someday my tree will be covered in pottery and yarn arts!
Not to mention I will have ornaments that the kiddos made in school which I can't wait to receive.
I just want my tree to be one big love mess.

I hope you all are having a great week so far!
Love you ALL!

Caren

Happy I Love....

Happy I Love Yarn Day!!
Today is a day where you thank your stash for always being there for you.
Hug your yarn for allowing you to take out your every day frustrations on it while you tug and pull and knit those stitches.
I celebrate with yarn.
I grieve with yarn.
Yarn is my Therapy.
Yarn is such a part of my every day life and such a huge and very important part of my passion, that without it... I don't know what I'd do!
I'm sure I'd survive but don't be surprised if you saw me trying to knit some grass out in some field somewhere.
I'm sure I'd get pretty desperate if it just disappeared off the earth.

Took a picture of my favorite kind of yarn though!
Malabrigo!!
100% Merino Wool from Uruguay!

I think I've bought more of this kind of yarn than any other.
In 2nd place would probably be Cascade 220 which is 100% wool and knits up beautifully and evenly.

Though I love yarn, I often times have to check myself.
There are greater things than yarn.
Though yarn is wonderful... Yarn is not God and sometimes I feel like I focus more on my knitting than the things that help me grow in a relationship with my saviour.
Without him my life would lack purpose.
Without him my life would lack substance.
Without him my life would lack peace, hope, and grace.
Without him I would still be indulging in my selfishness while I hurt and destroy the things and the people that I love the most.
Without him I would be nothing more than what the world has labeled me.
I am not defined by my talents.
I am not defined by my family.
I am not defined by friends or acquaintances.
I am not defined by YARN.
I am what God says I am.
I am a princess to the highest of all Kings.
I am a daughter to the world's greatest Father.
I am a warrior for my biggest defender.
I am his hands and feet to serve others as he has served those who would seem so undeserving.
I am a knitter but first and foremost I am a Christ follower.
The follower of a God that has loved me more unconditionally, more deeply, more purely, more intimately and a God that loves me so much that he would give the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. He sent his only perfect son to die for me.
Every day is "I Love Caren Day" in his calender.
I am so blessed and so undeserving but am so thankful.
So on "I Love Yarn Day" I am declaring I LOVE GOD because he is and will always be my first love.


I felt like I had to write this because as I sat and thought about "I Love Yarn Day" and how I was going to write about how much I love yarn, I felt like God was saying "when are you going to write about how much you love me?" and I said "Good point! I'll do that now!"

So yes.
I love yarn.
But
I love Jesus MORE!
I love God more than any skein of yarn out there.

I also love ALL of you!
I hope your week has been a blessed on and that you have a great and safe weekend!

Caren

p.s. wish I could knit Jesus a sweater. He would have a lot of them.

Fall/Winter/Wallinter

Fall is here which means that people are getting an itch for cute, cozy, Knitted accessories.
I have a few orders right now that I am trying to get on and quickly off the needles just so I have time to knit for Christmas without having to put icy hot and compresses on my wrists.
One thing I miss right now is knitting for myself.
I know I know... I just made a hat a couple weeks ago but I have all of these patterns that scream "Make me and Wear me!"

Thought I'd share with you 3 of my knit must haves for this fall/winter/wallinter.

Danforth Pullover by Pam Allen
www.ravelry.com/patterns/danforth-pullover
I love the simplicity of it.
I love the cowl neck.
I want it. I want it. I want it.

Susies Reading Mitts by Janelle Masters
The pattern is free on Ravelry @
www.ravelry.com/patterns/susies-reading-mitts
They just look so cozy and I love the design!

Bad Oyster from Alexandra Tinsley
www.ravelry.com/patterns/bad-oyster
I have a thing for shawls/scarves.
Don't think I will ever knit a shawl without wearing it like this just because I love the drape in this style of shawl.

So those three patterns are waiting to be knit and I will hopefully soon get around to at least one of them.
I'm thinking I'll just have to cast on one of these and work on it during a designated time.
We Shall See.


What are you wanting to make that you feel would be perfect for fall/winter/wallinter?
If you have a blog please post cause I would love to see what you have pending in your queue or what you are currently working on.

I hope you all are having a great week so far.
Love you ALL!
Blessings!

Caren

A Sister's Gift

In my previous blog I had mentioned that my sister, Carrie took my family pictures over the weekend and that I would probably be sharing them with you.
I am so excited about them that I had to share them with you TODAY!
I just picked out a few of my favorites to share with you and by a few of my favorites I mean that I have a lot of them and didn't have time to load them all on this thing. :)

My sister has such a talent!
She has always loved taking pictures but over the past few years it has really become a passion and she has invested so much into this hobby and has elaborated so much on her skills that she has decided to become a professional photographer and announced the launch of her new business "Carrie Lea Photography" recently!
She would probably laugh at that statement because
1. she is modest
2. i'm sure she still sees this as a hobby more than a profession.
3. i'm sure she feels unworthy of that title.
Now I could be wrong about that and I am sure she will correct me if I am (haha Carrie!) but sometimes I think she under-estimates herself.
In a lot of ways I see her as being super woman and
Sometimes I wish she could really herself the way so many of her friends and family do.
I know sappy.
(tune in the violins and past flashback of all those loving, sisterly moments)

No but seriously.

Carrie I am so proud of you!
Thank you for being such an incredible Sister, amazing friend, awesome auntie to my babies, and now for being my photographer that helps capture who the Willy's are and those priceless moments in our lives. :)
I have been blessed in so many ways by you.

Carrie has a blog as well called "Hebert Everyday" and can be found to the right of my blog posts under the section titled "Blog Stalking".
Please pay her a visit!

Hope you all are having a good week so far and that the extreme sentiment of this blog posting hasn't made you sick. :)

Love you ALL!

Blessings!

Caren

A perfect weekend- my first being 26!

It is Monday and it feels like I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.
It was one busy weekend but it started out with a busy Friday which was full of errand running.
I have joined this facebook page called Casper Parents Free Cycle where people can join to either get rid of unused things or put in requests for things that they may need.
Well there was a gal on there that has some pretty amazing paintings that she was just giving away!
By the time I responded to the post she had given them all away.
She then randomly posted a picture of one and somehow it was bumped down a few listings and I managed to see it and snag it!
So cool!
I felt like I had won though it wasn't a competition.
Thought I'd share a picture of it...

Love it!
So in addition to picking that up I had done some last minute finishing touches to an order and got it shipped it which felt good to do because I am always so anxious to get feedback on the work I do.
My cousin Jenny had ordered a couple of diaper covers for her photography business to match some hats that I had knit for her a while back.

So my Friday was full of last minute catch-ups and errands before the weekend came...
which was a very busy weekend mind you.
It was my birthday weekend and it was pretty full of fun things to do!

My morning started off with Starbucks coffee with my Momma!
We had originally planned on getting breakfast but David surprised me with Cinnamon rolls and I couldn't pass that up so I tried a Salted Caramel something or other as a recommendation by my friend, Amanda.
It was the perfect way to start the day :)
Yummy coffee and great company.

Shortly after that David and I headed to church where we helped bag meals for
Kids Against Hunger.
You can find out more about it by clicking on the link below.
http://www.kidsagainsthunger.org/
It was honestly a lot of fun and I felt greatly blessed by being able to serve like this.
Often times it seems people think that they have no way of helping poverty stricken countries that are hungry and without any means of getting a meal.
This is one way you can help... Allllllll the waaaaay from Wyo.... You can make a difference and it felt good to be able to participate in feeding thousands of people.
I would volunteer for this again in a heartbeat!

Afterwards David and I hit a massive garage sale!
Usually I am not very optimistic on garage sale and thrifting finds.
I luck out from time to time but it is rare when I go and find the perfect fit/find.
For the last 4 years David and I had toyed with getting me a bowling ball but those boogers aren't cheap.
But tucked away in a neon lined bowling ball bag with a flame on the front of it was the perfect bowling ball for me. :)
It is purple and teal marbled and my fingers fit perfectly!

The purple looks blue in this pic but I promise it is purple :)
I also scored an awesome quilt which I have been wanting for a while now.
It was free and my ball was $5.
Score!

A little bit after that I went and picked my mom up for some pottery painting at
Pottery By You.
David had bought my mom a gift card to that place for her birthday and surprised me with one too so we could go together!
My mom painted a super cute frame with a little lamby on the corner of it.
I painted a sugar bowl/jar/dish.
whatever you want to call it.
I did take a picture of it but when it is fired in the kiln it will be much brighter and much darker.
Figured I'd post a picture of it pre-firing just because I am slightly proud of myself even though it isn't anything super extravagant or detailed.

As soon as I got home I got ready for dinner with my hubby for a fancy dinner at a local Italian Restaurant that we had yet to eat at together.
It had been years since we had been there and thought that it would be the perfect start to our night of celebration.
We ordered and giggled as we pretty much slaughtered the names of the dishes and how they should have been pronounced.
At one point I thought I wanted desert until I looked at the menu and realized that it was also in Italian, without description, and I had no idea what the deserts were unless it had the word "cake" in it.
We paid for our meal (duh) and headed out to the.....
Bowling Ally!

I'm not the best of bowlers.
My first two games were awful as I'd throw too far one direction or too far the other and ended up in the gutter.
At some point my friend's little boy, Carson, was beating me and I honestly believe it was because he was using bumpers.
Did I mention he is 3 years old?
Well a miracle happened and I broke 100 for the first time in 5 years!
I'm tellin ya! It was birthday luck!
The cool thing about that is that my mom and I finished the game with the same score!
What are the odds of that?!

My score is the second down from the top and my mom's score is the one below mine :)

Needless to say... I went home and slept.
Sunday was going to be full of church, a mini family bday party, and family photos.

I got this awesome Fuji Instant Polaroid (not the brand, Polaroid.) camera and I have really enjoyed taking pictures with it.

This isn't the only thing I got for my birthday.
I got a lot of thoughtful things and am so fortunate and thankful.
This has just been one of those things that I've been wanting for a little over a year.
I love taking pictures but usually don't have a way of printing them very fast.
It is nice to take some sweet photos here and there and have them print out instantly.
Like today... I took a picture of Brodey reading his VeggieTales Bible to Saiya!
I love that picture!
Such a sweet little keepsake.

I enjoyed my time with my family yesterday as we ate and visited.
and as a topper for the weekend, my sister took pictures of the Willy family (that's us. Willy is short for Williams) up on the mountain and it was a lot of fun!
I love seeing the creative ideas my sister comes up with and am anxious to see how all has turned out!
I've seen a handful of them and so far I am in love!

Needless to say it was a very busy birthday weekend and a super fun one at that!
Kind of hard to return back to routine after having so much fun!
Definitely a birthday to remember.
Thank you to everyone who made it such a special day!

Guess I will be posting family pics soon! :)

Hope you all had a great weekend and hope that you all have an awesome week!

Love you ALL.

Caren

Late Night Blogginess

First I have just got to say that half a pot of coffee before bed is probably not a good idea. BUT it's a good thing that I am impervious to the effects of caffeine and will be ready for bed as soon as I finish this post. :)

I know that I promised Saiya's first birthday pictures but have yet to upload them. I'm hoping friends and family will post soon so I can can just use those pics seeming as how I was so busy helping the little stinker open her gifts and wasn't the one behind the camera. But I have at least one picture that I can share that was take by Saiya's Godmother, Charlotte,via cell phone. :) I thought it was a good picture seeming as how Saiya is wearing the little sweater I made her, wearing a matching headband that Charlotte made her, as well as a flower clip that I had made that was was o so cleverly clipped onto her headband, and in the background, on the table you can see the bear I bought and it is wearing the sweater that I knit for it. Knitted goodnesssssss and Saiya precioussssssss! (Maybe this is the caffeine talking here...) Anyway. Still can't believe I have a 1 year old. But another thing that just blows my mind is that in February... Brodey will be FIVE! And on Saturday I will be 1 year past the half way mark to 50. Just can't believe how time is flying. OH and might I add that my mom had a birthday just this last Sunday?! I love how close our birthdays are because for three weeks we get to eat birthday cake! LOL!

Another fun thing... I worked at my favorite yarn store this last Saturday :) I can't work as much as I'd like to because of my radio job and daycare issues but when I do get to work there I am a pretty happy camper. I look at things as I help customers and put things away and plan what my next purchase will be. Needless to say that by the time I leave there I practically have already spent my paycheck. I am hoping now that I have stocked up on some yarn I will be ok for a few weeks while I work on orders, Birthday, and Christmas knitting. But if Malabrigo orders keep pouring in there... I don't know if I can resist. Malabrigo makes up at least 45 percent of my stash and lately she has been getting in SuperWash which means this soft, wonderful, gift from above, yarn can be WASHED! <3 LOVE IT!

Anyway... I taught a man how to knit. A successful, married man, with a simple interest in the art of knitting. It seems that many people think that knitting is for the female and for the elderly and if you're a male knitter than you must be of the non heterosexual kind. (sorry. trying to be politically correct here... can I say gay?) Well, here is your wake up call. :) Knitting knows no boundaries. It is not exclusive to any age, gender, or sexual preference. It is all inclusive and I was quite thrilled to finally teach a man. Rock on duder!

Yup. Guess I should go to bed. I don't know why I think staying up late won't make it hard for me to get out of bed. Seems I wake up at the absolute latest time and then I'm wishing I wouldn't have slept that extra 30 mins that came in 9 minute time increments. Seriously... like that is rest? May as well get up. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. Done.

Love you ALL,

Caren

Catch-Up

So last week I wrote a post about the "Kidd" couple. They showed up late Wednesday night and stayed with us until early Monday morning (which was yesterday). That was quite the stay but so much fun and hard to see come to an end. We did quite a bit in the time they were here and unfortunately am not able to upload photos from my camera but I had one on my phone that I was able to post. The picture posted was from our Kidd/Willy date night which was this last Friday. Usually David and I are at Celebrate Recovery on Friday nights but we had the night off from leading and thought we would take advantage by going on a date sans the kiddos. We went to Poor Boys Steak House for dinner, Bowling after that, and then to Metro Coffee Co. for a little pick me up so we could watch Xmen 3 when we got back home. It was adult time full of uninterrupted laughter and conversation. So Thank you Grammy for watching our kids! lol It really was a fun night.

Brittany and I didn't get to go yarn shopping like I had posted in the previous blog. :( it's not that we didn't try because we did! We got to my favorite LYS and she had closed for a little bit and we were on a time crunch. We ended up just walking down to ToyTown and browsed while we sipped on sodas that we bought from the Sandwich Bar. And we dropped in to visit my friend Emilee at The Jade Elephant which was fun, partially because she was so in love with Brittany's Kentucky accent. lol "You're so cute! Say something else!". If there is one thing I can count on when I see Emilee, it is that she will make me smile. :) So it wasn't a total loss though we didn't get to drool over malabrigo and other fine fibers.

I was in such a rare form yesterday. Apparently I had become so use to having a full house that I became quite lonely after they left. David went to work, Allen and Brittany left for Idaho to continue their road trip, Brodey went to school, and so it was just me and Saiya. Much different compared to the house full of people that i had over the last 5 days. I just felt unsettled and my anxiety kicked in. I cleaned, I grocery shopped, I hopped on facebook for a little bit, I watched a movie... All of these things to either distract me or relax me. I tallied up a lot of the unease and anxiety from the 1.5 pots of coffee I had and my lack of water intake. Between caffeine and missing the company... I was feeling not quite like myself. Today? I feel better! Still miss the company but now I don't feel like I could hop through a window and run down the street screaming like a mad woman.

Saiya turned 1 year old a couple days ago! I'll be posting pictures soon of that in my next blog. Her party had such a great turn-out of family and close friends. We tried to keep it small being that we have a fairly little apartment and lots of people that love her. lol What a blessing! She sure was tired by the end of it all and went to sleep without a whine or a peep. Must have been all that cake and excitement. :)

I did a little weekend project. I'll knit something in between orders as a way to clean my pallet I guess you could say. Something easy that doesn't make me think super hard. I found this hat pattern online from DullRoar and just had to make it! I thought it would be perfect for fall and it seems that fall is just around the corner. The hat pattern is called "Meriwether" and is a sweet slouch hat that just kind of drapes on my head.

I have an order that I will be shipping out on Friday so I've been busting my tail to get that done. On top of that I have been planning and shopping for Christmas knitting. I don't knit for everyone but only for family and maybe a close friend if I have time! In my family, birthdays land at the end of the year as well as Christmas, so that can get challenging because I usually knit for birthdays too. Maybe I'll have to do something differently here.... *shrugs*

Well Off I go before I talk about EVERYTHING and have nothing left to post about later on. I hope that you all had a great weekend!

Love you All!

Caren

Kidds

Meet Brittany and Allen Kidd! :)
These two wonderful peoples are visiting us all the way from Kentucky!
A congratulations to them cause they just got married 9/10/11!
They will be staying with us for the next couple days and we couldn't be more thrilled to have them.

David and Allen have been friends for years. Even in the time of B.C. (before Caren! ha!).
They have that kind of friendship that there is never a question of where one or the other stands in the other persons life.
There is just that knowing, regardless of the lack of communication they can always pick up where they left off and be just as tight as they were to begin with.
It seems that these kinds of friendships are rare but that is what makes it all the more special and why I appreciate and respect the friendship they have had over the years.

We met his darling wife Brittany for the first time last night!
Her and Allen have been together almost as long as David and I have been so I had heard plenty about her. (all good things of course!)
I always get a little weird (for lack of a better word) when it comes to meeting new people.
I may struggle to find something to talk about...
to maybe find a common hobby or interest...
But Brittany...
So easy to get a long with and talk to!

Don't know what all that odd worrying was about cause all turned out just fine.
I feel like I've known her forever.
And might I add... her and I are going YARN SHOPPING today!!!!

I'm thinking we will be a pretty tight KNIT group for the next couple of days while we just soak up our time together and thank God for bringing us all together to remind us just how special of thing we have going on here.

Brodey is so excited to have them too, though he has yet to meet them.
He was sleeping when they got to town and was up and out of the house before they woke up this morning.
But he was certain to tell me this morning that it was not okay for them to be sleeping because it was morning and they needed to come out of their room to talk to him. lol
Then he informed me that he likes them though he has not met them yet.
What a little character.
I sure love him!

Looking forward to posting more about our time with this awesome couple!

Hope you all have a good day!

Love you ALL!

Caren

CONGRATULATIONS ALLEN AND BRITTANY KIDD!
GOD BLESS YOU IN YOUR NEW JOURNEY AS HUSBAND AND WIFE!
LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS GOD SO LOVES US AND LET YOU NOT FORGET THAT LOVE WHEN THERE ARE TRIALS, BUT EMBRACE THE GROWTH AND STRENGTHENING THAT COMES FROM IT AS YOU TRUST IN GOD AND RELY ON HIM AS ONE.

WE LOVE YOU!

Wishful thinking

Ok. So as I was cleaning last night (till 1 a.m. mind you) and trying to get some things pulled together. I was forced to dig into the mess called "My Knitting Corner".
This corner is desperately trying to escape to other parts of the apartment and I tell you what... It is getting mighty difficult because it has turned more into a business, crafting, knitting corner. I moved out a chair that was sitting there and replaced it with a desk so I could work from my laptop easier and not have to worry about it falling off where ever I set it down.
Well, between yarn, paperwork, books, magazines, and other crafty things knitted and non-knitted related...
I'm running out of room fast in this tiny corner.
I pulled a couple pictures of a couple of craft rooms that I liked from the wonderful worldwide internet database.

I love the space and organization.

The yellow one is super bright for me but I'd love it if it were a different color.
maybe one day I will have a room of my own that can be a craft room/office.
But for now I am thankful for the space that I have and will make it work for the time being.
Just seems that we are out growing our apartment.
Maybe we need to look at having a yard sale...

I have a fun Knit Princess comic that made me giggle.
Hope you like it!

Have a good day!
Love you ALL!

Caren