Posies on Parade

Yesterday was the 8th snow day for our school district. 8th! Ohio weather is infamously moody, but yesterday was the mother of all moods swings. Went to bed Thursday evening to the sound of a crushing rain pounding against my window. Woke midway through the night to hear the steady tapping of ice. Chanced a peek out my window 7:30 am Friday morning to see a blizzard of fine, icy snow racing by at a sharp, sideways slant. Late Friday morning, big fluffy snowflakes softened all the icy angles on the trees and shrubbery to make the world seem light and lovely once more. By late afternoon, a warm up had removed almost all traces 

of the previous 15 hours' tirade. 

I was supremely glad to be snuggled into my home with a big, fat pile of posies to sew while Mimsie and the 9th season of Murder, She Wrote kept me company. The finishing touches came together quite nicely and I cannot wait to see how well they look on the sweaters for which

 they are intended.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Say hello to Billy

This sweet pattern appeared on my Crochet-a-Day calendar courtesy of Bernat back in January. Even though it was originally intended for a baby sweater, I knew it was the perfect little friend to sew for my Lil' Sis. She and I both have a thing for snail motifs. When I presented it to her the other day, she immediately named him Billy. 

Why? Because Two Weeks Notice is her favorite movie and she wanted to be able to look at him and say... (wait for it)

"Billy, I love you"

*in exaggerated Hugh Grant voice* 

Priceless, or what? 

I love my Lil' Sis and the way she can always make me laugh. 

Pretty Posie Smiles 

It's been a rather gloomy day here in Ohio. Snow covers the ground in soggy blankets as eerie mists hover among the tree lines. With such dank, creepy weather I thought we could all do with a happy dash of electric aqua and luscious raspberry. This color combo always brightens my day! 

For the raspberry center, I followed the directions per Miss Suzann Thompson's suggestion in her inspirational book Crochet Flowers. Since these posies are being transformed into broach pins, I felt it needed a sturdier base. To make the base above simply grab your F-hook and your favorite light weight yarn before doing the following:

1 - chain three and slip stitch to form a circle. 

2 - 8 sc in circle

3 - ch 1; turn; 2 sc in each sc of round beneath

4 - ch 1; turn; 1 sc in first sc; 2 sc in next sc; 

keep working sc pattern till round is complete

5 - sl stitch in 3 sc; chain 4; sc in 2nd ch from hook and all the way down remaining chains; sl into base of stitch; repeat (note: I cannot remember if this turned out evenly or if I had only 2 sl st between two of the sc spikes)

My hands are busy every night cheerfully whipping up lovelies for the big day. Just 128 days left to go! And about a billion more details to wrap up. Really puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Have a safe and happy Thursday!

Why, what a happy little box!

I wonder what could be inside? 

Let's take a quick peek, shall we?

Oooh la la!

Yummy yarns in fabulous, sun-bright colors!

Notice the delicate shimmers of luminous thread woven 

throughout its crimped sweetness?

Okay. Well bye-bye for now. Hope you enjoyed the little look-see. 

More posie pix will be soon forth coming, so stay tuned and have a... 

Happy Wednesday!

A bold and vibrant take... 

... on the traditional posy. 

My dear hubby-to-be got me a copy of Suzann Thompson's fabulous book Crochet Bouquet for Christmas. I have spent this past week creating these and other posies to be posted in the coming days. They are going to be turned into broach pins for the kitchen staff to wear during the wedding reception. I am also planning to make each of the servers an apron fashioned out of vintage-style handkerchiefs. I am striving for a Farm Chicks look. Hoping it turns out the way I am envisioning. 

Will post more soon!

As cute as these ruffled delights are...

... I always relish slipping into these cheery darlings at 
the end of a long, hard day. 

P.S. I have sadly not been online as much this past week and have greatly missed touring all of your fabulous blogs. Since I live in the sticks, my internet service provider puts a limit on how much internet usage I get per month. My account was nearly drained with 10 days left to go in the billing cycle, so I will be back to catch up more thoroughly with all my dear friends this coming Tuesday. I am on pins and needles counting down till Tuesday! Until then.... 
Happy Crocheting!

Isn't it sweet?

My sister crocheted this adorable little bag for me as a Christmas gift.  I love the posies that so neatly frame the rainbow curves of the handle. Such a nice feeling to have someone crochet for me for a change. 

Thank you, Little Sis!

The bridesmaids' flowers are...

...DONE!

A cupcake for you

~ Happy Valentine's Day ~

It's all in the details

 1). These lovely corsages will be adorning the petite wrists of all four of my four flower girl fairies. I was smitten with these fabric flowers the moment I first saw them at Bath & Body Works over the Christmas holiday, but (cheapskate that I am) I was not willing to pay $2.50 for each one. My patience was rewarded the week after Christmas when I got these for only a buck a piece! I love dollar delights!

2). It was Mimsie's thoughtful eye that caught sight of these goblets ~ in a Kroger advertisement of all places! Even though they were intended for New Year's Eve celebrations, we loved how these goblets not only had the wedding's accent colors, but were also printed with the year we are getting married. What a perfect way to commemorate our special day for years to come!

With roughly 20 weeks to go before our big day, this household is full wedding mania. Not to worry, though. I am still crocheting and will have some new projects to share shortly. Until then...

Happy Friday!

And now for a hint about 

my upcoming crochet project.

Hmmm. I wonder what it could be?

 Boutonnieres 

~ for the ushers ~

~ for the groomsmen ~

~ for the fathers ~

I spent Sunday afternoon putting the finishing touches on fifteen boutonnieres. Once I was done, I needed a way to store them safely and to also clearly label each one for whom it is intended (because, Lord knows I won't have time to hand deliver them to their intended the day of!). 

Then, I remembered my substantial cache of aqua organza bags purchased from Ebay last summer. My sweet fiancé had also given a beautiful set of kitchen labels as part of my Christmas gift which perfectly complemented the color of the bags. 

So problem solved! I carefully labeled each bag and then placed them all in a box generously swathed in cushions of aqua tissue paper. I love it when beauty and function come together in a harmonious way!

Rose Petals

Nonplussed by the current availability of rose petals in the color I wanted for a price I was willing to pay, I decided to try something a little different. 

I took plain white rose petals from the Dollar Tree and then lightly brushed them across an aqua ink pad.

 Total cost for six hundred aqua rose petals? 

$3.00

Happy crafting!

Finally made my decision.

Since experimenting to create this motif (pattern here), I found myself wondering exactly how to use the lone, large leftover. I debated on a brooch pin, a hair band, and a purse ornament, but none of the ideas seemed to fit. 

Then, my love of coffee nudged me to this conclusion: 

a coffee cozy! 

Before I pop off of here for the day, I wanted to leave you with another posy to perk up your day. 

May it inspire creativity & bless you with a joyful heart.