Baby Boo's Sock Monkey

Well, I crocheted the Boo a sock monkey hat before he was born, and recently my daughter asked if I could crochet the diaper cover for his Halloween costume. She had seen a sock monkey set on Etsy for $75! I couldn't believe that anyone would pay that much money for a sock monkey set! Not that I don't believe that time isn't money...I have two university degrees and believe that time is the most precious commodity that we have in this life. However, I decided to try to make the diaper cover to match the hat. Thank goodness I saved some of the yarn! It turned out so darned cute. I am posting a couple of the fitting pics and will post more when she has him all ready for Halloween! So fun to have a grandson!

Boo's too cute!

Oh my, how time is flying! Baby Boo is getting older so fast and cuter by the second! He is such a joy! I love seeing the little personality changes...the smiles and laughs, and yes, sometimes the attitude. He is such a joy! Pics of his little Halloween costume are soon to come! I crocheted the little diaper cover (and tail) to go with the sock monkey hat! It is so precious.

Visit with Uncle D and Boo!

A couple of weeks ago, my son got to come home for a visit from Chicago. We miss him so much down here in Texas, but as long as he is happy, I am happy. He came especially to visit his new nephew and as you can see from the pictures, he had a great visit!

 

Love this! Boo looks just like Uncle D when he was a baby!

 

 

and...MiMi's favorite!!

 

 

 

Baby Boo's 3 Months Old!

What a beautiful boy! So excited to watch him grow. He is so strong and precious. I love him so much....

Grapes and Jelly!

I have a grape vine in my backyard and it had several grape clusters this year.

Some supports to hold up the heavy vines and they turned out beautiful!

I decided to make some grape jelly if the grapes turned out and it was a bit of a process, but so worth the trouble.

I did this over several days and was so glad we didn't try to finish in one day. I made jelly several years ago with my grandfather; however, it was not as time consuming as working with grapes. I cut the grape clusters off the vine and washed them and set them out to dry. I bought and washed the jars and let them dry overnight. The next day, I boiled the jars and lids and again let them dry overnight.

Removing all of the grapes from the stems was more time consuming than I thought. The fruit has to be examined to ensure that underripe (or overripe) fruit is not included with the other grapes. The grapes were absolutely beautiful! To make the juice for jelly, the grapes are smashed and water added and brought to a boil.

I didn't take a picture of the actul process, but I did take a picture of the fruit colander that was used instead of cheesecloth for straining. My grandfather gave me the fruit colander and I'm not sure where these can be purchased. I did see some mesh strainers at Williams Sonoma, but not quite like the one that I own.

The grape skins and seeds were seperated from the juice and then I was finally ready to start the jelly!



The jelly was prepared with SURE JELL and it turned out wonderfully. 

I used burlap for the lids with pretty tags. The jelly is awesome! I will definately make more next year.

Birthday Flowers

Well, another year older and definately happy to be here. This has been a hard year for me; however, I am so grateful to have such a loving family.

Baby Boo's Closet Organizers

Well, as I have probably discussed as much as any new grandmother, my new grandson, Baby Boo has arrived. I'm so addicted to Pinterest and I got some cute ideas on baby closet organizers  to seperate clothing between 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. I didn't think the wooden round hangers would work well in the closet. The first reason being that the closest does not have a single metal rod. The second reason being that it would be difficult to take the closet apart to slide those onto the rods. So, I thought about the foam crafts. I bought single sheets of the foam and then made my own pattern because the wooden animals were too wide for the precut door hangers. I then traced the patterns onto heavy scrapbook paper and applied to the foam using Mod Podge. After that, I used good old fashioned Elmer's glue for applying the wooden animals. I was in luck and found the sizing numbers in some scrabook stickers for babies. There are a ton of the prepainted cute wooden figures around at the moment so the possibilities are endless. I think they turned out precious. I hope they help keep Boo's clothes easy to organize. Please tell me what you think...

Another bow for my precious cousin!

I finished another hair bow for my cute little cousin. It turned out so cute. I would think that these would have to be sold for quite a bit more than the other bow that I posted because it is a lot more labor intensive and requires a lot more ribbon. It sure turned out cute though. What do you think?

Feeling better...

MiMi and Luke in the garden on July 22, 2012

Up close and personal with MiMi....

This is a neat product that I found at http://karen-mycuprunnethover.blogspot.com for a creative typography. I am hoping to purchase this soon. It looks amazing! Karen's blog has lots of great ideas on the blog as well as neat giveaways.

Family thoughts

I have some health problems and so I am often sitting or laying in bed remembering times when I had so much energy and life. I still have lots of dreams, but just not as much energy. I really enjoy Pinterest because it gives me so many glimpses of my childhood memories, ideas for fun things that I might feel like doing (or used to do), and most of all, a smile. There are so many glimpses into art, funny sayings, and pictures that put a smile on my face. I know that I don't have many followers yet, but I am also writing my blog for my children and my new grandbaby. I hope that they will be able to read what I have written and get to see a part of me that they may not have known existed. I'm sure anyone could look at my Pinterest board and see right away that I am a romantic and I love beautiful vintage items and lovely gardens. I also love to read....a trait that I passed on to my son but recently my daughter has been reading more. I still have faith in people and in our country although at times I feel that we have lost a lot of innocence and love that I had when I was growing up. When I was a little girl, I got to see my grandparents at least once a week or more and I always was close to cousins and family. It makes me sad that so many of our families have to move away for work or go to college and find a new life somewhere else. I know that is a part of life, but I miss the days of being with family. Thank goodness for my grandmother (Nonny) and grandfather (Papa) because when my children were little and I was working, they were always available to help. I miss them so much that as I sit here and type this out, tears are streaming down my cheeks. I miss the love that was so strong that I never had to question one second of it. But, I know they are both in heaven and still loving me from above. I got the pleasure of spending some time with family at our family reunion that has always been held on the second weekend of June. When I was young, there were sometimes 250 people who traveled to Stamford, Texas where we had the best time in a big bunk house. A lot of us slept there. I had some of the best times of my childhood there. Now, the only family that attends are what is left of my grandfather's siblings and some of the children and grandchildren. I still have my great Uncle Henry, Aunt America Jean, Aunt Billie Jo, and Uncle Morris. My mom and Aunt Beck were both there and I haven't been together with the two of them in years. It was so fun to be with family.

Thomas Ray and his children, (left to right back) Morris Ray, Willis Ray, Dallas Ray, Henry Ray, (front) Billie Jo Ray, American Jean Ray taken in the early 1940s.

Family left from my Papa's family who were all at the family reunion this year, (left to right) Billie Jo, Henry, America Jean, Morris

And, we got to go visit my daughter and new grandson. My mother is such a proud great grandmother. This is the picture of 4 generations.

Pretty Bow for a Pretty Girl

When my baby girl was little, I was always making pretty bows for her hair to go with all of her pretty little outfits. As you know, she recently gave birth to my first grandbaby boy, Luke. I hope she has a little girl next, because there is nothing more fun than all of the little girl frills.

My aunt was recently here to visit and asked if I could make her grandaughter Cheyenne a couple of bows. I experimented and I think this first bow turned out beautiful. I just love black, white and khaki! Hope they like it. I am currently experimenting with the twisted ribbon bow (will post soon). If anyone is interested, I will post pictures of step by step instructions for making a beautiful bow! Please comment! I would love to hear some thoughts....?

I crocheted a hammock for a photo prop that I downloaded from Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com/designers/elizabeth-peck) for my new grandson. The photogrophers loved it and I think it turned out so precious! I will post new pics after the kids look at the proofs. This will be such fun to keep track of the progress that baby Luke will be making over the next year! Adair Photography will take his photos every 3 months, so I will keep you posted!

My Baby Boo

On May 19, 2012, my first grandson, Luke, was born. He was three weeks early, but a strong and healthy baby boy. In my eyes, he is an angel. He has the most beautiful complexion and perfect little lips. I love him more than words...I didn't think I could love anyone as much as my own children, but he has filled my heart with such love and joy. My daughter is a wonderful mother and her husband is so supportive and such a great daddy for baby Luke. They have been blessed with a baby who hardly ever fusses! He is a truly a blessing to our family...our little gift from God.

My Georgia O'Keefe

I purchased a couple of Georgia O'Keefe prints in Santa Fe, New Mexico about 7 years ago at an art gallery. They have been rolled up in the tube we purchased them in for all that time....until about 2 months ago (yeah)...only I still haven't framed the other because I'm not sure where it will hang (it is a beautiful red flower). I had it matted and framed at the Hobby L store. They have great prices on matts and the frame was not custom.The mat took time because it was so large, it had to be ordered; however, the entire project was about 2 weeks. There is a large variety of pre-made frames that get quite large and the entire cost with the museum glass was only ~$200.

I am having my bathroom updated and some wall paper removed to texture the walls and I have a big wall over my tub. The print is actually pretty large, but fit perfect. I love the mat choice, green is one of my favorite colors. Anyway, it is finally framed and hung and really makes for a smile on my face every morning when I get up!

I love being a grandma (MiMi)! Baby Boo is starting to fill out in his little cheeks. I am amazed at the awesomeness of our God. I wonder what he is thinking with all of his family oohing and awing over him. The doctor said that the baby can see about 6 to 8 inches away. He is eight days old this Memorial Day and I get choked up thinking about how I wish my Papa was here to see this beautiful baby boy. My grandfather was a soldier in WWII and even guarded General Eisenhower which is another miracle in itself. His unit was to be one of the first wave into Normandy and at the last minute, he was assigned guard duty over the General. God truly has a plan, for I would not be here writing this blog and looking at my new grandbaby boy without that truly wonderful man that I called Papa. He was a true Christian man and he set an example for my mother and aunt, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He died in March of 2006 and not a day goes by that I do not miss him. I grew up around him and in my adult years seen him nearly every day. Times have sure changed! Now, people have to move for work and it is seldom that a family is lucky enough to grow up around family. I remember him as a great veteran hero who continued to serve our country by folding flags at military funerals, visiting veterans, and serving the Disabled American Veterans. I love you Papa and I pray that you are looking down from heaven with prayers for all of us and your great-great grandson Luke. He would have loved you so much!

Crocheted baby cowboy boots for my Baby Boo! He will look so handsome in them. Now all he needs is a pair of wranglers and and cowboy hat!

Hydrangeas

I love hydrangeas and this beautiful arrangement was made after my daughter's wedding. I had what seemed like tons of autumn flowers for the beautiful fall wedding. These were left, so I bought this buttery yellow vase and made the arrangement. The colors are perfect for my home and when I look at it, I am reminded of my daughter and her beautiful wedding!

This is the beautiful buttery colored pottery vase that I chose...

Beautiful Arrangement

This beautiful arrangement was made using turquoise and brown with green and tan accents.

Sock Monkey Hat for Baby Boy

I have been working on several little things for my new grandbaby. I love Sock Monkeys and wanted to crochet him a little hat for a newborn photo. The hat I created is so cute! I can't wait for the little boo to wear it on his precious little head. Six more weeks and he will be here. At the time I started making this cute little baby hat, I did not think about putting him on my blog, so I'm going backwards on instructions.

Any way, I searched around on Pinterest for free patterns and did some research on the size for newborn hat sizes. I ended up using a free pattern from Liz on crochetwithcolor.blogspot.com (search for sock monkey). I also added a few additional rows of white for the top part of the hat. For the main color, I used Vanna's Choice Taupe Mist and then picked a soft white and red. I used black buttons that I picked up for under a dollar for 4 buttons. You need a yarn needle to sew on the ears, eyes, mouth and pom pom. Also, you need place markers or a piece of yarn (I use a different color) to mark the rounds.

Hats should be made 1 - 1 1/2" smaller than the head of the baby.
Newborn head circumference is normally 13 - 14."
Hat Height are normally 5 1/2" - 6"

I will not know if it will fit the little boo until he arrives. One of my friends who crochets a lot of baby hats said that it looked great.  Yea!
I have only made this hat once, so I am giving you the basic instructions that I used and adjusted to make this hat. Some of this is trial and error, so use your judgement and the measurements. The pattern I got most of the information from said it is easy to adjust, and I didn't many problems.

So, with E hook and white, Ch 3

Rnd 1: 7 hdc in 3rd chain from hook .

Rnd 2: Ch 2 (counts as first st here and throughout), hdc in same st, 2 hdc in each st around (16 hdc).

Rnd 3: Ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next stich, (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next st) around (24 hdc).

Rnd 4: Ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 2 sts, (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 2 sts) around (32 hdc).

Rnd 5: Ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 3 sts, (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 3 sts) around) (40 hdc).

Rnd 6: Ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 4 sts, (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 4 sts) around (48 hdc).

Rnd 7: Ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 5 sts, (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 5 sts) around (56 sts).

Rnd 8: Repeat Rnd 7 (56 sts)

Rnd 9: Join red with sl st and chain 2. Hdc in next st and each st around.

Rnd 10: Using Taupe Mist (or other main color), attach with sl st and ch 2. Hdc in next st and each st around.

Rnd 11-20 (or until it measures correctly): Ch 2, hdc in each st around. Finish off.

This part was trial and error for me...

Ear Flap (I outlined in red)

This will be on each side of the hat, so try to pick the middle of each side and go back 5 sts to start the ear flap. Join with main color, and

Ch 1, sc in same st and in next 10 sts, turn, (11 sc)

Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 9 sts, turn (10 sc)

Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 8 sts, turn (9 sc)

Repeat this method of decreases until you eend with one stitch, finish off.

2nd Ear Flap

Go to the opposite side and attach with sl st and ch 1. Sc in same st and in the next 10 sts, turn (11 sc)

Work this earflap the same as the first.

Ears (make 2)

With main color crocheting tightly,

Ch 3

Row 1: 7 Hdc in the 3rd ch from hook, turn (8 hdc)

Row 2: Ch 2, hdc in first st, 2 hdc in each st (16 hdc)

Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first st and in each st around (16 sc)

Finish off leaving a tail long enought for sewing


This picture to the right is the one from the free
pattern from Liz at crochetwithcolor.blogspot.com.

(This is the one I made with a few

changes from the pattern above.)

Mouth

The mouth from Liz's pattern is on top of this one. So use your own imagination and judgment to determine how big you want the mouth.

Ch ~ 14

Rnd 1 Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 11 ch, 2 sc in last ch and work around adding in sc as needed until you get the size of mouth you want. Fasten off.

I then took red crochet thread and yarn needle and made the mouth, going over each stitch at least 2 times.

Braids

The braids were used with 11 stands of each color (red and white). I cut them strands about 30 inches long.

Pom Pom

Make a pom pom (if desired) using red yarn.

Using your judgment, position ears, mouth, and pom pom on hat.

Enjoy!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. If you don't understand something, let me know and I will do my best to help! Also, if you dont understand the braids, just ask and I will try to show you.

Old Wheel Barrel turned into Planter

This is a picture of an old wheel barrel that my grandfather used many years ago. I sprayed the inside with liquid rubber (to prevent rust) and then drilled a drainage hole. Next, I filled with potting soil and planted several spring flowers. Love...