Keep On Crafting

In my previous post, I told you guys I haven't been doing much crafting because a lot of my supplies and tools have been packed away.  Well, I realized that's not entirely true lol.

All Instagram pics.

 

Tshirt scarf I made for a coworker.

Bottle top coaster I made for my brother-in-law's "man cave"

 



 

New wreath for the front door (this form as been recycled a few times) and this will be moved to my new place too :)

Not much crafting right now

With all the packing I've been doing I don't have a lot of time for crafting or baking.  However, I have crocheted a few things, mostly small.  Most of my supplies, though are in boxes and most of my yarn and fabric are in vacuum bags.

Anyway, I follow a blog called Under the Sycamore.  Not sure if anyone of you do as well.  But, just recently Ashley and her husband added a new little one to their family of 6.  Ashley calls her Little One.  She's from China.  She's SO cute!  She also has a cleft palette.  Ashley has written quite a bit about the whole process of adoption and the projects she supports for other children that have cleft palettes.  But yesterday she posted about her experience with other people out in public- people staring, pointing, whispering.  I instantly thought of my friend, Andrea.  She has a prosthetic leg.

She's beautiful.  When these photos were taken, we were in LA.

We went to Disneyland for a couple of days and she was such a trooper.  Her prosthesis is all the way up to her hip so she gets tired after a while because walking takes a lot of effort.  But she didn't complain.  Her twin sister, Amanda, and I were more concerned with her than she was.  For me, it was my first time going out into such a public and crowded place with Andrea.  A lot of people stared.  I got a little angry.  But, honestly, because I'm so used to Andrea's "walk" it took me a while to even notice that people were staring.  Then I did and I wanted to yell at them.  But I refrained because Andrea didn't even seem to notice.  I asked Amanda about it, and she said they've gotten used to it.  Andrea's had the prosthesis since she was a baby.

It's funny how self-conscious I get about the scar on my throat sometimes- from my thyroid surgery.  But when I ask people if it's really obvious, no one even knows it's there.  I think sometimes people are staring at it when they're talking to me, but no one is.  And then there are people like Andrea or Ashley's Little One that are born with deformities and the like, and they are just used to it- and don't even notice stares and whispers.

I think that's confidence- when you don't notice anyone else around you talking about you or staring at you.

Crocheted Awareness Ribbon {Free Pattern}

One day I came up with the idea of crocheting an awarenes ribbon for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

 

I made a bunch for all of us to wear at work. 

 

Pattern:

 

5mm hook

worsted acrylic yarn

Chain 24
1) ch 3, DC into the 3rd ch from the hk, 1/2 DC into the next 21 sts, DC into the last st., FO
Twist to form a ribbon, weave a safety pin into the back, or glue onto a pin back.

Easy peasy!

The Best Woman I Know

I was reading my Google Reader and saw a post from Joy the Baker about her mom, and I was inspired.

I'm moving in less than three weeks far away from my mom.  The furthest we've ever lived from each other for any length of time.  Twenty-five years of being in the same household.  And over sixteen years with my step-dad, Donyvan.

 

They are the cutest and I strive to find a love like theirs.

 

She's my best friend in the whole wide world.  I've never kept secrets from her because even if I don't tell her right away, I feel guilty about not telling her and eventually I confess all.  But she doesn't judge, she does, however, tell it like it is.

 

Things I've learned from my mama:

+ Music should be listened to at high volumes, and the words should speak to you.  It tells a story and a song can mean a lot, and take you back to a great place and time.

+ Be positive.  Now, neither of us always live up to this, but we try really hard.

+ Have fun.  But not too much fun.

+ Spank your kids.  I know this sounds harsh, and a lot of people won't agree with this, but in my family this is how we got punished and it worked.  She didn't beat us, but we got the point.

+ Work hard.  I don't think I've ever met someone who works as hard as my mom.  When she and my dad got divorced when I was about four, she had to go to work full-time.  She has been in construction for well over twenty years and she continues to kick butt at it.

+ Wear comfortable clothes.  My mom hates to be uncomfortable.  I think her closet is half-full of clothes my sister or I encouraged her to buy that she just isn't comfortable in.

+ Don't hoard anything.  When I was about ten we had a house fire, and ever since then we don't hoard anything.  That helped us to see that there are a lot of material things that we just don't need.  And when it came to our clothes every six months we had to go through our closet and get rid of things we didn't wear, and donate them- I still do this.

+ Be independant.  There's nothing wrong with relying on people for certain things, but my mom has always been independant and she taught me to do the same thing.  (sometimes too much to where I'm like "I don't need anyone," which isn't always true)

+ Don't be jealous.  Ever since she and my step-dad got married she's struggled with this and she doesn't want the same for me.

+ Be happy!  That's all she ever wants for me.

+ Be goofy.  Who cares who's watching.

 

Love them!

 

Thanks Mom for the lessons!