Baby Shower, and blankets and centerpeices, oh my!

Warning! Tons of pictures to follow.

I really had intentions of posting these in multiple posts. And, well, that didn't happen. The week has escaped me, and here we are!

The baby shower for a friend was last weekend at another friend's house... It turned out so fun and so cute. All the guests chipped in to make/create... and the outcome was so awesome. Here are a few pictures, because pictures really do make it all better - right?

Here is the set table...the 'placemats' are actually just 12"x12" scrapbooking cardstock. Clever! I'll show you another closer sneak peak of those centerpieces below. Hooray!

And a cute little onesie clothesline that doubled as part of a gift...


And, really what's a shower without a color scheme and some pregnant-momma-friendly smoothies? The colors were pink and yellow... Don't you just want one of those right about now? Despite the 12 degree night outside!


And, seriously, check out this cake. Isn't it just adorable!? An event planner, turned SAHM found the time to whip that together. Youza! (And, again, pretty yummy, too)

So, for the centerpieces, I found a cute tutorial from Miss Martha found here on making crepe paper flowers. I used dowels for the stems and floral tape. I think the tutorial shows/calls for wire. But, I wanted something more sturdy to stand up as a bouquet in a vase. They were really quite easy... And, my spider plant has been having tons of babies lately, so why not just throw in a couple of those, too. And, while we're at it... let's add a couple of pacifiers to look like flowers.


These ended up working out great! I was able to give one to momma-to-be, and one to each of the grandmas! A perfect first baby shower momento. Hooray!

A close up of the bouquet .... they were so easy... so fast...and a bright addition to the table.

And, now it's time for the baby blanket! And...well....the knitted baby blanket didn't actually get finished. (I can always finish it, and then add little flowers to cover the mistakes, and have it ready for the next shower.. right? I guess my 5-year knitting hiatus did impact my knitting skills. Who knew?!)

I really did try to finish it. I knitted, and knitted, and knitted, and knitted myself to sleep. But, I soon realized that there just aren't enough crafting hours in a day! So, the next best (or maybe better?) thing... a ribbon tag blanket - HOORAY!

It is about 2.5' x 2' or so. And, I'm told it is the perfect size for a car seat blanket. I also line it with 'warm & natural' quilting batting, so it's a bit warmer than the simple flannel... good for those freezing winter days. The ribbons are the little tags, and you can clip little toys or pacifiers on so they are never too far away from baby. And, once baby is no longer baby anymore, and a bit more like a toddler - it's a good size to be lugged around.

Here is a full picture of it - and you can kind of tell from the previous picture that it's reversible with cute skinny stripes in yellow and pink on the opposite side.

The momma-to-be loved it - and that is what makes handmade gifts totally worth it! I can't wait to meet baby girl, now!

Knitted Baby Blanket

So, I have a baby shower coming up. On February 20. Yes, I know, less than 2 weeks away. :)

And, as someone who loves to make things, I like to make things for gifts for baby showers (or any showers, or parties, or just because). I still try to buy something on the registry, because those are things the new mom has admittedly said that she needs. But, something handmade is just special. At least I think so.

So, my latest and greatest undertaking is a knitted baby blanket. I was actually inspired by this crocheted blanket here on Homemade By Jill. Now, mind you, I have crocheted before... but I cannot for the life of me start the chain. Hmmm. Does that pose a problem?

So, I decided that I would knit again, after taking a mere 5 year hiatus. And, I found a basketweave stitch KNITTED blanket. Simple, right?

Well... after I thoroughly screwed up the transition between knitting and purling, I pulled it out (yes, this just 3 days ago) and started fresh! Yikes!

I am now going with the ever-reliable garter stitch. (Yes, knitting every row). :)

Simple, reliable, and I still think pretty cute. Maybe I'll add a few knitted flowers... just for some spice.

Now, will I be able to finish by The 20th? Hmmmm. I see a bit of knitting in my future!!!

** Can anyone tell me how to have Blogger be more friendly when uploading pictures. As newby, I cannot figure it out. They always end up at the top and I cannot move them around. :) And, when adding pictures, it screws up the layout of the font. I think I'm missing something here... Growing pains...

Welcome to the Craft Blog World to me!

Hooray!

This blog has been a long time coming. Actually, it was coming long before I really was any bit interested in blogging or the blog world. I really don't even know if blogs existed... or at least were not crazy popular...when the crafting and the photo documenting began.

I have for so long been in to crafting and creating, and taking pictures of all my crafting adventures. It is kind of my outlet. It is relaxing, and inspiring, and fulfilling.... I'm an accountant by schooling... but LOVE to create at heart. (giggle... how does that work??)

So, after getting into SO many other fabulous craft blogs, I have finally, finally, finally started one. Well.... I started the blog a few weeks ago. And, it sat empty. For a few weeks. Sad. I know. But, I didn't know how to make the blog cute. And, it still isn't, but I'm working on that. Oooh, something to stayed tuned in for.

In the meantime, I just had to start posting. I figure I can capture some of my current, past, and future hopeful crafts. Hooray! The craft blog community is such a fun one, and so inspiring.

So... here's my go at it.... let's hope it's a fun one!