Blue Magnolia and a little Bon Jovi

Gotcha! Bet you thought I was going to write about a blue magnolia flower, didn't you?!!

Not so. This is Magnolia, aka Noli, when she was just a tiny thing.

 Yep, turned blue as the Bluebonnets that bloom here in Texas.

We didn't know what to make of it.

But then, both mommy and daddy are as blue as Smurfs!

Wait! What's that?!! Is her lip starting to curl just a bit?

Elvis Noli!!


OK.... I'll fess up

She's blue through the magic of photo editing.

(but I bet you already guessed that!)

Mommy and daddy, in their quirky way, changed their little Magnolia to blue!

And now for our musical interlude  ------ Jon Bon Jovi  ------

Source

This is a singer who has only gotten better over the years....

"We Weren't Born to Follow" 2009

This is an excellent song and video, especially in light of all the destruction that's been recently suffered from tornadoes, fires and explosions. Jon Bon Jovi said that this song was about "working people picking themselves up by their boot straps in hard times." I think it works for these people too -- you've just got to go on, no matter how hard.

and because I just have to include this one....

"You Give Love a Bad Name"

Early Bon Jovi from 1986

Sharing Blue Magnolia and Bon Jovi over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter B.
and on Friendship Friday which has music as a theme
and on Blue Monday, since Noli is about as blue as you can get!
and on GRAND Social at Grandma's Briefs which is a new-to-me meme for grandparents!!

♥♥

Sunflowers ~ A Challenge

This month's challenge for the Blogging Business Artisans team is brought to us by Sharla, whose blog is usually overtaken by Oliver's kitty pals Angel and Isabella. Sharla says "April showers brought May flowers, so let's see them! Create something with flowers and let your imagination bloom!"

As I thought about that, I pictured the sunflowers that my mother planted in our backyard. Right at the very back so they would look over the vegetable garden and the flowers along the fence. Standing tall and proud.

So sunflowers became my theme for this challenge and I knew that I would dedicate them in memory of my mother.

I have a couple of crochet pattern books that are full of flowers but, truthfully, I have yet to make any! So as I was thumbing through them, I landed on a sunflower pattern that I liked but wasn't quite right for the coasters I had in mind to make.

So I worked with my idea a bit and this is what I came up with .....

I thought that my favorite mug looked pretty with the coasters, and the saying is appropriate. When we have grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, these are the mugs we use because they are so big!

As I looked at the patterns in my flower book, I discovered a great way to do the petals! I like the way they are all fluffy and curve around the base of the mug.

Here they are in a stack.

I have some more sunflower ideas to work on, but for now these sunflowers are in my shop!

Check out the team members' flower creations on our team blog.


♥♥

Treasury Tuesday ~ Lemonade Stand

Lemonade Stand....

Lemonade.... 5 cents a glass!  Nostalgia for sure. Today those young entrepreneurs are selling lemonade from their front yards for 50 cents a glass!! Canned soda and water at garage sales for $1.00!

But this lemonade stand features beautiful handmade finery in lemonade colors -- from the BBArtisans team and friends!

'Lemonade Stand' by magnoliasurprise

Pink Lemonade Party... blushprintabl... $25	Pleated Clutch. Ske... PeriDotbyDuni $43	SILK Scrunchie, han... SplendidLittl... $7.95	Pink Lemonade Tutu ... HypnoticDesig... $30
SALE/Ready to Ship/... Eyelah $17.5	Pastel Easter Egg E... lindab142 $8.6	Digital Pattern. Ea... LittleAndaluc... $5	25 . Flower Custom ... DancingMooney $50
Kitty Sunset Art Pr... ACatLikeCurio... $6	Uppercase "L&q... Loveinaletter $10	On Etsy Cotton Croc... HCKCrafts $7	Wood Wine Bottle St... memoriesforli... $8
Vintage Lemonade - ... SewsaliciousB... $65.95	Vintage Pink Glass ... MilliesMiscel... $10	Floral Harmony Post... MisterPenQuin $8.5	Beaded Bracelet - S... randomcreativ... $15

I'd love for you to click on over to the actual treasury on Etsy!

♥♥

Oliver Reads!

>^.^<

Hewwo, Oliver here.

I am taking over mommy's blog on this Caturday

 because I am the King Kitty and boss around here.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

That Noli girl came over one day and brought library books....

Nobody knows this but me -- I can read!

My favorite books are kitty books but I've been known to read doggie doodles and hooman books too. At night I sneak books from Noli's toy shelves in the sun-puddle-and-outside-kitty-watching room -- I have to read them by the night light in the hooman's litter box room because I'm not sure how to turn on the sun inside.

I wonder if there's any kitty books in here? 

sharing at
Caturday
Camera Critters


♥♥

Do You Amigurumi?

Amigurumi -- the Japanese art of crocheting stuffed animals, dolls and anthropomorphic creatures. 

Kitty made for Noli's birthday a couple or so b'days ago.

Typically, an amigurumi stuffed animal or doll will have a big, round head and a small body, and something like a vegetable will have a face. The crochet will be in a single crochet stitch and will go round and round without joining, increasing and decreasing as necessary to form the piece. The arms and legs, noses and ears, tails if they've got 'em are created separately and sewn onto the body. Facial features are generally embroidered on.

This is Skateboarder Noli, made for Noli when she learned (sort of) to skate

Not all amigurumi food is made with a face -- but should be crocheted in the round and not back and forth in rows.   

Since I make crochet food that's intended for kids to play with I like to use cotton yarn and I don't put on any faces.  So these are not anthropomorphic but are perfect for playing in their pretend kitchen or for going grocery shopping!

Yummy fruits

Eat your veggies!

If you're not vegan or vegetarian, these are for you!!

Gotta love the Swiss cheese....

Ice cream! Always a yummy treat!

When we go to Braum's Noli tries to talk me into two scoops....

and I usually give in!

(I get the junior size -- shhh, don't tell her!)

Amigurimi flowers -- a face would be cute on these!

Miss Beachy Bear has been collecting sea shells by the seashore

and loves to sport her special duckie swim ring!

And last but not least.....  Mr. Earl N. Meyer Flask! 

A chemistry beaker (technically an Erlenmeyer flask) that I made for my brother! It's an example of an anthropomorphic amigurumi crochet. (Bet you can't say that three times real fast!!) 

Thus starts the alphabet again!

I really enjoyed posting bands and musicians in the last round, and so many commented that those posts brought back such good memories, that I can't give it up!!  So, even though this next round will be a bunch of craziness, I'm going to include one band at the end of each post. Hope you enjoy it!

ABBA

ABBA was a Swedish pop music group whose music spanned ten years from 1972 to 1982. Some of their songs became famous on the disco circuit, although the group itself wasn't considered disco. 

But those glittery silver outfits sure look disco to me! 

"Dancing Queen" was one of their disco-ish songs

Fun fact:  ABBA is an acronym of the first letters of the band members' names!!  News to me!

linking over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter A.

♥♥

Oliver Tested, Oliver Approved

>^.^<

Hewwo... I am Oliver the King Kitty and the boss around here

 and I have taken over mommy's blog today.

One day I was looking at the blog of my friend kitties, Angel and Isabella. They help their mommy all the time and that day they were helping her with a giveaway. 

What's that? I asked mommy (she can understand kittyspeak...) and she said it was where somekitties tried to win something.

Well, meowzer! I want to win something, I said.  So mommy used that mousie thingie and the typing thingie and entered me in! 

And you know what? I got a special Oliver email from Angel and Isabella and they said I WON!!! 

I couldn't wait -- 'cause what I won was TREATS!

I was like Snoopy doing the happy dance!

So I watched EVERY DAY to see if that nice man that puts paper stuffs through the hole in our door had left me any treats.

But one day another man in a big truck brought TWO boxes to me!! Well, one of them was mommy's new phone, but the OTHER one was my TREATS!!!

Right away mommy opened my box 'cause she knew I was waiting for those TREATS. 

First, I checked out the box

Then I stuck my head in..... TREATS!!

I used my great kitty sniffs powers

Mommy opened one and nom nom nom

yum yummy and yummiest!!

They were the goodest!

I'm losing my head over these things....

Oh good, there it is again! I was concerned....

Clean up time! Gotta get all those yummylicious bitty bits!

Or is that kitty bits....

Meowza, I'm such a funnykitty!

Here's the phooey part

I have to share with those outside kitties. 

Mommy says that's what good kitties do

sooooo

Here's Cali Mae and Patio getting their treats.  >^.^<

Patio found them first! Cali Mae is eating regular foodies

Now they did the old switcheroo and Cali's taking her turn

I guess it's good to share....

Those outside kitties better thank me.....

If you want some really good treats, get these.

They're called G-Zee and they come from Zukes in Durango, Colorado.

Mommy's been to Durango and she liked it, so their treats must be good!

Kitty thanks, Angel and Isabella, for having that giveaway!

Oh, mommy says we're sharing (there we go again with that sharing thing) over at

Caturday, Camera Critters and Blue Monday. But they're not getting any of my TREATS!!

>^.^<