I can't believe it's been 4 days since I last posted!  It's been chaotic here to say the least.  Just usual family/everyday stuff that prevents you from doing all that you want to do.

We've been trying to decide if we want to buy a new car or not.  We have 2 cars that are paid for, but it looks like we may need to get rid of one and take the hit.  I'm torn, I could go either way. *Sigh*....

Baby Girl already has 2 teeth - the bottom ones - and just the other day we felt the beginnings of a top one poking through.  Explains why she's been drooling buckets!


She's also been starting to crawl.  And I mean that in the loosest sense possible.  More like a drunk army crawl if I had to describe it at all!  It's cute and funny and lovely.

I just made some wonderfully chocolate brownies for a mid-evening snack.  It was impossible to wait until they cooled, as I had to sit here smelling them for 45 minutes while they were in the oven.  I think I waited about 15 minutes before I cut into them and messed them all up trying to cut them into squares while they were still squishy and warm.  Oh well, they taste just as good!  A nice glass of milk accompanied the chocolatey goodness and I am now officially full.  Which doesn't explain why I'm eating Pretzel Crackers & a Cheese Ball.....

I thought I was done writing for the night but I am so peeved that I HAVE to write about this!  Our condo walls are THIN.  We hear EVERYTHING, and I mean E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G if you know what I mean.  Everyone who lives here knows this and yet, it never ceases to amaze me that one of our neighbors brings all of her friends over and hangs out in the garage at all hours of the night with a barking dog to boot!  I have no idea how people like this survive in the world.  And I also can't imagine being so rude and inconsiderate. Hmmmph!  Guess I'll TRY to get some sleep.

Until next time....
Juls xoxo

 
WHEW! What a busy time it’s been!  Where to start?!?!?!

First off, Christmas was great!  It was Baby Girl’s 1st Christmas so it was fun watching her open presents….err….eat the wrapping paper!  We were very lucky in that she got lots of new toys and gifts that were needed and greatly appreciated.  It always helps when you get things you need!  Here are a few piccies from the Holidays:


Here’s Baby Girl waiting for the Christmas Eve festivities to begin.


An early gift to munch on!
Playing with her cousin….Or maybe just playing with her hair….
Not sure what to do with a bag and tissue paper!
She figured it out real quick!
Don’t think she’s supposed to be eating that….
Crazy family picture we do every year.  Look at Baby Girl!
She CLEARLY loves our cuddles and kisses….
New hair bows!
I just love this one! My Mom got her the coat.  It has a matching pink shirt with a leopard print purse on it. OMG, it’s so cute!
Hubby was off from work for 11 days so I managed to work on a couple of projects.  I had been wanting to start a nice big blanket for the back of one of our couches.  I decided on Lucy from Attic 24′s Granny Stripe blanket. 

This blanket gets worked up and down, as opposed to side to side.  You can’t really tell, but it is HUGE!  It’s 240 chains long and I’ve added at least 60 rows so far.
I also made another one of Lucy's patterns, entitled, “Blooming Flower Pillow”.  I just HAD to take a break from the blanket.  Let’s just say I am IN LOVE with this pillow!!!!

This is the front of the pillow and I am in love with it!  Although the pattern didn’t call for it, I added this cute button in the middle.  I had bought it from JoAnn’s awhile back and have been waiting for the right project to use it.  I think it goes nicely.
This is the back of the pillow.  I’m a little unhappy with how the photo turned out, as it makes it look like the pillow is shining through!  In real life it really isn’t as noticeable.
When Lucy made her pattern tutorial for this pillow, she mentioned how this was an old pattern from the 1940′s!  She had to do some work to figure the front out with all those petals and such.  When she got to explaining the back I was completely lost!  I have no idea why.  Maybe because it wasn’t written as a regular patter, more like just talking, but I had to go to an alternate pattern to finish the back.  I used a simple mandala pattern which worked out.

My Grams gave me a nice amount of money on a JoAnn’s gift card for Christmas and I blew it all in one stop!  Thanks Grams!

I may go back to working on the blanket or I may make another pillow.  Maybe some placemats for the table…maybe some coasters….I’d love another purse!  Hmmmm…..Guess we shall see!


Until next time....
Juls xoxo

 
So I’ve decided to make a Granny Stripe Blanket for the back of our couch.  I’m going with Lucy of Attic 24′s pattern.  I’m not sure of the finished size, but I know it is 240 chains long!  Here are a couple pictures of Lucy from Attic 24's finished blanket:


The couch is a burnt orange, kind of rustic in feel, so I think some bright colors like in this blanket would go nicely!  It’ll take me quite some time I’m sure, but I will post my progress as I work on the blanket.

We are heading to my Grams’ house for the Holidays so I’ll be leaving tomorrow and taking my hooky stuff with me.  My Mom will be there too and we plan to each work on our blankets together.  Should be fun!  She’s figuring out her colors as we speak!

Got lots to do today…..I’ve packed up the baby bag, Hubby has had his shower (Thank God, PEE-EWWW! ~ Kidding Honey, he smells lovely as always)….I still need to get some stuff together before we head out to finish some last minute Christmas shopping.  Thank God there isn’t much left to do!

OMG, I forgot to mention the avoided crisis from last night!!!!!  We are SO very lucky my Mom was with us last night, as she had planned to go to my Grams’ house yesterday after work….

The sticker in the picture below was on the bottom of Hubby’s Detroit Tigers cup. Baby Girl loves it because it makes a cool noise when you rub your fingernails over it. We let her play with the cup yesterday morning not realizing it was on the bottom. ALL day she kept gagging and looking like she was going to throw up. I checked her over and over and found nothing. She cried and screamed like something was bothering her but I couldn’t figure it out!  She even ate and drank her bottles with this in her throat.  I called my Mom at work, frantic that something wasn’t right, I just knew it.  I kept looking and sticking my fingers in her mouth to check for an object but I felt NOTHING.  My Mom left work and when she checked Baby Girl over, we still found nothing.  After a nap, Mom was playing with her on the floor and that’s when she saw something shiny…This sticker was in the back of her throat! THANK GOD WE FOUND THIS!  I shudder to think of what might have happened.
Until next time....
Juls xoxo
 
It finally snowed!!!!  I’m soooooo excited!  I took this picture early this morning ~ I love how Blue the sky was!

On a less happier note….Baby Girl has started throwing tantrums when she gets tired.  She is teething and drooling excessively which I think is causing her to gag and cough.  She doesn’t have much of an appetite either, which makes me nervous!  Soooo, every two hours or so, she gets tired and starts throwing herself backwards, arching her back, and screaming at the top of her lungs until she wears herself out.  She’s getting real tears too.   She’s still the sweetest little girl in the world though! 
Until next time....
Juls xoxo
 
I wish I’d had more time today.  Baby Girl is only awake for 2 hours MAX at a time so getting into a project is hard.  Plus, she is fighting sleep so it’s exhausting!  She started a new thing this week: Throwing her head and body back while I’m holding/rocking her.  I’m scared to death she’s going to fly right out of my arms and onto the floor!

I’m having a bit of a hard time deciding what I want to work on next.  I just finished 2 pairs of “Granny Square Slippers”.  They are super easy and are really cute when on.   I shall soon upload those pics!  Gotta take the pictures first……

I’m sure I will be trolling Ravelry tonight, looking for a project.  I did however, find a neat pattern for a Granny Stripe Blanket.  Check it out!

Hubby said we could head to the craft store this weekend while we are out finishing up last minute gift shopping so I will get my yarn then.  I’m excited!


Until next time....
Juls xoxo