Mitten basket

We were in desperate need of a mitten basket... so I took a medium wool sweater from the thrift store and put it on a milk crate ... wrapped the arms around so it hugged itself and tied it into a bow. Et voila! Practically free, and useful (and i think kinda cute, too....) and no sewing or glue involved, so easy, too!

Variegated yarn ....present. (stay tuned)

Just a tiny snapshot of the yarn I'm using for hubby's Christmas present... i love the way variegated yarn makes such interesting designs!
I'll share the pattern I used after he receives them :)

Snore

December 8, 2013- first sticky snow started about 9:30. It is about 10:00 right now. David and I are making the trek to our little church, and then plan to drive to Michaels for my shift.... enjoy your morning, and don't forget to listen to His Word today.

Coffee or tea? Why not save time and have both?

Have you ever had a craving for some delicious fruit tea, only to find that you'd left a K-cup with coffegrounds in your brewer, leaving you with a half-caff cherry berry coffeetee?

365 temperatures - a year's worth of blanketing

I have decided to undertake yet another a rather momentous project. . . and am looking for your help!

Perhaps you have heard of the temperature scarf? As in, you knit/crochet a row a day in various colors depending on the temperature out-of-doors? ...(seen on revelry, with bernat yarn, and several bloggers' attempts.)

Well, I would much rather have something more all-purpose-and-all-encompassing, so my goal for January1st - December 31st of 2014 is to crochet a blanket (potentially 10 foot long, enough for couch-warmers to share/stay warm) with a row-a-day based on the temperature.

Here are my color choices, and the temperatures I chose to associate with those colors:

(All yarn is Caron Simply Soft, found at Michaels, Joanns, Walmart, and online retailers).

100F and higher:  Autumn Red

90-99F: Red

80-89F: Persimmon

75-79F: Bone (also used in another afghan I am trying to finish)... 

65-74F: Sunshine (because I hope to have lots of sun this coming year, obviously!)

55-64F: Sage

45-54F: Light Country Blue

33-44F: Blue Mint

21-32F: Pagoda

10-20F: Ocean

0-9F: Iris

below 0F: Passion

....would you be willing to sponsor me by donating a skein (or more?!) of yarn? My goal is to start and finish this project by January 1st of 2015, and I would need to start ASAP on January 1st of this coming new year :)  I can't promise you a prize or anything fantastic if you donate some yarn, but I will mention your name (or not, if you prefer anonymity) on this blog and post updates regularly of my progress.

Please let me know in an e-mail (if you have my address), FB message (if we're friends), or a comment if you would like to donate some yarn, and I will message you my address if you will be willing to be so fantastic as to join me in this!  ... and share this post with your friends, and maybe we can keep this fun little (well, large) trend going!

~Amanda

nothing = 0

"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing." 
-Theodore Roosevelt (born in New York City on October 27, 1858)

201 (boldly approach because of Him!)

This is my two-hundred-and-first-post. Here's something insightful:
my next post will be number 202, which is coincidentally "Amazing Grace" in my favorite hymnal, right next to hymn number 203, my favorite hymn, "And Can It Be" -

And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love Divine!
’Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.
’Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness Divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

this little nose

this little nose likes to lead this little dog to some interesting places. . .
tonight, for example, she was sitting at the top of the steps sniffing under the door (leading into our neighbor's kitchen, where she was baking something delectable). 

Loud crickets and louder dogs need not apply...

photo from Orkin

For the past two days in a row Chester, Clyde, and Cletus Cricket have serenaded us half an hour before our alarm (at least they waited until seven in the morning instead of five A.M. today!), and when I went to escort Cletus to the door this morning (Or was it just Clyde returning after feeling he had failed to complete his assignment yesterday??), our upstairs new-neighbor-dog, Boaz, decided I was an axe-murderer and has spent the past quarter hour and the authorities that I am on [my own] premises. 
[nb: Boaz is as "protective" as Sally, but much more relentlessly, persistently annoying in what exits his throat]... 

photo from http://www.etsy.com/shop/geministudio?ref=si_shop - buy his stuff!! 

Needless to say, I could have walked up the stairs to ask him to cease and desist his clamoring and reassured him that I was, indeed, a murderer of the worst sort, but I chose to leave him in suspense and slink back into the apartment, allowing his imagination to run rampant, and his howly-barks to condemningly follow me back to my courtly oasis as I tried to be quiet so my husband could glean a few more needed minutes of slumber. 

I am almost afraid to go into the kitchen and make coffee, because opening the cupboard and refrigerator doors might stir up another dose of you-must-all-hear-her-sharpening-her-knives!




You mean to tell me I could have just set out some molasses?
*link discovered, but not made, by myself....

Baby mobile

Just finished a little mobile for Johnson grandbaby #1 :)  I tried to incorporate all of the colors mama and daddy have in the nursery; the stinkers aren't revealing the gender until baby is born, and they wanted a gender-neutral room. I really hope they like it!