Eye Spy - Something I Shouldn't Eat But Do Anyway

Oh Yeah...definitely Blue Bell

My downfall in life is ice cream -- and it absolutely must be Blue Bell -- and the top two are Cookies 'n Cream and Moo-llennium Crunch (totally decadent). If there is ice cream in the freezer, it calls to me like a siren song and gets me in trouble every time. I can't just have a little ice cream, I must have huge scoops of unprecedented size. As much as I can cram into my bowl.

So, to try to get past this, my hubby (who can eat only a tiny bit and be satisfied, the snake) started to buy it in the pint size. But no, this did not work -- we would finish the whole thing between us -- and definitely not evenly -- a bit heavier on my side. So, now I simply cannot have the heavenly Blue Bell around at all. Well, maybe every now and then ;)

But wait!! They've now come out with Blue Bell on a stick!!

I am saved!!!

(For more delicious gotta haves, go to bugandpop and join in!)

Great Giveaway!

Win this "Tweety" Pillow!

You could win this beautiful pillow from The Lavendar Tree -- just go to Resweater who's hosting the giveaway. I know I'm entering! Also visit The Lavendar Tree's Etsy Shop to see some really wonderful designs -- her pillows are amazing!

Resweater has an Artfire shop where she sells thrifted wool sweaters so you can do your own felting and making. She posts links to shops selling all manner of things made from felted wool -- definitely a must-see! I love to follow along and grab some ideas! Or just salivate... Or buy!

So, enter to win and then check out these shops -- remember Christmas is just around the corner :)

In the Front Yard, After the Rain

Mushrooms!

Little Elf umbrellas...

Patrick Swayze

I've had a crush on Patrick Swayze for a very long time -- something about the combination of a very masculine, rugged man who is also a wonderful dancer. The "rugged boy with a poet's soul" (from a poem about my astrological sign (gemini) when I was a teen, you know, the boy I would love and all that). Oh yeah, Dirty Dancing is another one of my favorite movies that I can watch over and over.

Rest in peace - you will always be remembered.

photo from here

Doin' the Mud Dance

A bug, a bug!


Doin' the mud dance....

This is what all that rain gets us -- Mud Noli! It's a shady area where grass will not grow...

Eye Spy and First Sale!

Eye Spy Season Change

Rain, rain go away... it's been raining since Friday with little let-up. Today has just been drizzle though. I tried to take a picture of the drizzle but all I got was puddles. So I guess that's our season change here in Texas! It doesn't get even cool here until October and sometimes later. I do remember taking the kids trick-or-treating and having to wear a coat but now it's still shorts weather. Global warming perhaps?

My backyard looks like a lagoon!!

See more eye-spys here! And I hope you're a lot drier!!

And, drum roll please!!

I got my first sale on Etsy!!! My store's been open since Sept. 1 and still doesn't have too many listings so I feel pretty dad-gum good about the sale!! I'm crocheting a little pumpkin baby hat right now to add to the Halloween listings. I have renewed etsy excitement!!!

Etsy and My Creative Space

Yahoo!

I finally got my Etsy shop set up! I'm still working on it but I guess you always are anyway. Right now I'm trying to get all those pumpkins listed! Good grief, figuring the shipping drives you nuts! I've got so many ideas, so little time.... but I'm so excited! I've wanted to open an Etsy shop for the longest time - I've been a shopper for almost two years - so I feel so good that it's finally done!

Now for My Creative Space for this week. Besides Etsy I've been working on this:

Can you figure out what it is? I'll give you a little hint (whispering) -- it's cross-stitch! Ha! Bet you didn't know that, did you? I can tell you this - stitching is so very relaxing. Maybe next week I can let you in on a little more...

Ooh ooh! Flash Dance is on tonight!! Oh yeah I'll be watching... it's one of my all time favorite movies! Love the leap over the chairs. I haven't seen it in years so gotta watch tonight! Love them dancin' movies : )

My Creative Space

Pumpkins!

Fall/Halloween is just around the corner!! I long for crisp, cool fall weather and leaves that actually change color. TX gets cool about November...

I'm working on the crochet pumpkins right now. The ceramic and wood stuff are things I had forgotten I had. I used to be in craft malls (when they existed around here) and this particular one closed suddenly when the manager ran away with the money -- the crafters' money. The owners closed the shop and when they reopened it, they absorbed it into their antique mall. So, since I had recently decorated my booth with Halloween, this was pretty much what was left. I was poking around in the shed yesterday, and opened a plastic bin and there they were! So I wiped everything off for good measure and took off ribbon or raffia. Now I'll cutesy them up again and they'll go in my soon to open Etsy shop! (Determined to have that done by Sunday)

Do you have trouble keeping your place?

Well, this will rescue you!

I thought I would share some of my vast knowledge (wink, wink) with you from time to time --- tips, how-to's, recipes, stuff and since today is Tuesday, I guess it will be called tip o'the day Tuesday.

So to start us off: in rambling around various crochet sites, there have been questions about how to keep up with where you are (always a difficult thing to do, crocheting or just walking around or looking for your car -- I know I parked it right here). Anyway this is what I use...

It's a metal board with a magnetic strip usually found in the cross-stitch section of craft stores.
Very simple device, but a life-saver! Next best thing to chocolate!!

For cross-stitch

For crochet

You can easily use it for keeping up with where you are when crocheting. I put my printed instructions in sheet protectors and then they don't get wrinkled. I also stick on a post-it note when writing down how many times I've repeated a row when instructed.

It also works just as well in a book or pamphlet -- just stick it under the page. With a pamphlet you can also hold it in place by clipping with a binder clip so it doesn't slide out.

If only it would work with the parked car situation!

Eye Spy

Something I Want to Try!

So many ideas, so little time... But here's my top two....

Recycling Yarn!

This sweater

I think this is the right kind of seam to work with

I have been getting thrift store/garage sale wool sweaters for awhile now -- to felt and make things from (purses, scarves, toys, embellishments, etc.) Kinda hard to find in TX!! But I've read some tutorials on frogging the yarn and I want to try it! Would be really neat to "make" my own yarn and maybe to dye some too.

AND

Dry Felting!

My tools

I've had these felting tools for a long while but have never used them! :p My daughter took mine (the little snit) and made the most amazing animals and dolls and gnomes and fairies (she'll be on Etsy eventually) soooo, I had to buy them again for me! I have wet felted (like crocheting and then felting or using wool sweaters) but have never dry felted.

So these are on my to-do list -- my very, very loooong to-do list -- but they're at the top!

Thanks to Cindy for hosting and Melanie for thinking up a very neat theme. Go on over and check out all the creative blogs participating. Lots of fun!