New Hobby!

Ok--really this is just a new focus in my old hobby, but I am currently obsessed w/making stuffed animals!


I made my first--some little bears back in May 2010--and then made oh-so-many variations on that pattern, that I decided to start to branch out and make some other cutesy little things :).  I found an awesome animal pattern database and have gone crazy!


Here are some favorites:

monkeys for the twins

a bunny for a friend's new baby

cherries for my bestest's little one's toy kitchen:

A hippo just because he's friendly:

and because they are also friendly...

a cute little bluebird, another hippo, and a mouse on which i messed up the head: 

And, most special of all...

This little ducky friend

who oh-so-magically reverses...

and becomes a twirly-eared bunny!

I've also made a can of spam with slices and a wedge of cheese but forgot to take pictures of both of them :(. 

These have been such fun projects to do--I used to always make baby blankets but I've noticed that most of my friends w/kids end up with tons of blankets, plus these toys knit up a lot faster, are very original and safe, and they help me use up my massive stockpile of yarn!

If you are a knitter or a crocheter you should definitely look for free pattern databases online--there are so many creative and easy things that you can make!

Fab 5 Friday!

Yay for Friday once again!  I'm joining Emily and the gang to post a list of five things that made our week fabulous, here goes!

1.  the Beater Blade for my Kitchenaid Mixer!

 I have been lusting after these ever since I discovered them...if you bake much you know how annoying it can be to have to stop your mixer to scrape down the sides...and that hump in the bottom of the KA bowls drives me crazy!  Well, weep no more my friend!  The Beater Blade is here!  It scrapes down the sides of my bowl as I mix so there is no more stopping or unmixed bits at the bottom.  I am in love. :)  Thanks to my super-sweet mother in law for a birthday giftcertificate that paid for this baby! 

2.  My Bears. 

So I told you that I have been knitting up a storm lately, and this is one of my projects.  I have made 4 little brown bears in the past 2 weeks.  I found the free pattern at Hobby Lobby and decided it would be cute for my sister in law who is pregnant with twins. I made 2 bears before I came to a conclusion about size and whether or not to do a lining (i did line them, and was excited to use old t-shirt scraps that I had saved in my hoarding-ness), and then I had to learn how to knit w/more than one color (super easy).  The bears in the picture are the final result, and knit with the first initials of each of the twins.  My sis loved them too :)  I'm also excited about this new world of stuffed toys--i'm gonna use up my yarn making little toys!

3.  My new bag

(butch was interested...)

My super fun bloggy friend Danae (aka: The Busty Baker) made this bag for a recent giveaway, and I won it!  I have been using it all week for emergency grocery trips and to carry my knitting projects.  I adore the little cupcake!  Thanks so much Danae!

4.  It's Complicated

One of the few movies that hubs and I have gone to see in the theaters (we're cheap...) we bought it on blueray once it came out a last week.  LOVE this!  It is so funny and sweet at the same time...and I want to BE Meryl Streep's character (minus the divorce...)  I adore her bakery and her house and the way she dresses...I swear I must be older than 26...

5.  Longhorn Steakhouse

Hubs and I are routine kind of people, I will not lie. We keep trying to go to a new restaurant but we can never seem to stray from our favorite!  It is the one place that we are NEVER disappointed...and we always get the same thing: hubs gets the Renegade steak with garlic mashed potatoes and cinnamon apples; I get the Longhorn salmon (which is so much better than Red Lobster's) with rice pilaf and a baked sweet potato.  The bread is delicious and we both save half our meal and have it the next day!  It's a great little routine and I love it. 

What made your week fabulous?

Fab Five Friday

Yep, it's that time again, to join Emily and list five things that made our lives fabulous this week!

1.  Knitting.  I have recently gone on a knitting kick again and am working on a very special project that I'm super excited about!  I will post it once it is gifted as I don't want to ruin any surprises.  I've spent my evenings knitting and watching my shows and really relishing both the freedom to do that and the fact that I am accomplishing something in my leisure time.  

I know, it looks gross but it is wonderful!

2.  "Mexican mush"  I've mentioned this before, but one of my very favorite things about going to eat at a Mexican resturant is mixing up the beans, rice, queso, sour cream, and guacamole and eating it as a dip with chips.  It  brings joy to my heart!  Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to have dinner with some of my former Bible study girls and I got to pick the resturant in honor of my birthday (next Tuesday)--so of course I chose my favorite Mexican resturant, Peppers.  The night was perfect with great food and fellowship, and I got to eat my leftover mush for lunch today.  yum!

 

3.  Zoom panel   This is another thing that I mentioned a while back, but I love this market research panel!  I signed up with it in college and take several online surveys each week, and then I win points to cash in towards awesome things!  Of course, being the reading whore that I am, I ALWAYS use my points for books (cooking or "regular").  I got one of my prizes in this week (shipping is free) and was super excited to get Julie Powell's new book Cleaving, which I had been wanting to read while I"m on my memoir kick but didn't want to pay for in hardback.  Now I'm quickly accumulating more points and cannot decide between getting Baked or Pioneer Woman's cookbook...(please way in with feedback if you have either one...)  Also this week I got a new product to sample and report back on--and it was something that I was going to have to buy otherwise--score!!  If any of you are interested in joining this, send me your email address to sarahw5484@gmail.com and I will send you a referral link--it's a great way to feed your "shopping" habits for free! (and they have tons of non-book stuff too: kitchen gadgets, electronics, dvds, you name it!)

4.  Bloggy friends :)  In the past few weeks I have really found joy in the blogging community.  I truly feel that so many of you are great friends--even those of you who I've never met!  I love how I can communicate and grow closer to people that I know in "real life" but may not get to see very often, and I love finding new friends all over who share interests and encouragement.  It makes me feel so special to know that some people who I have never met care about what is going on in my life.  Hugs to you all!

5.  Twitter.  So I caved.  I signed up this week and love it! (even though the stupid facebook apps are not working for me to link my accounts...)  Another fun way to keep in touch!  I'm @sarahedmundson1 if you want to follow me :)

What made your life fabulous this week?