Source for this image: bloomandgrowministry.blogspot.com

Adding Sparkle

 Preparing the house for Christmas means bringing all that is shimmery and sweet into prominent places of honor. My heart keeps a continual happy hum as I practically dance from room to room imagining myself to be the sugar plum fairy pirouetting my magic all over our home 

(as opposed to the overgrown, sloppily pajama'd elf that I am in actuality).

 Confession: I so love this glimmery bit of sweetness that I keep it hanging on this hall closet doorknob year round!

 All this house prettying, as fun as it can be, is tiring nonetheless. Time for a well-deserved coffee break. Will post pictures of my Christmas vignettes over the coming weeks along with more crocheted gifts. So....

Stay tuned! ;-)

A hint...

... about an upcoming project.

Happy day to you!

A Scarf for Ozzie

This scarf was worked in long lines of single crochet with 4 different yarns. I was amazed by what an interesting result could ensue by simply using a variety of colors and thicknesses. There was: 

Hot Pink DK Weight

Soft Pink Fuzzy Alpaca

Palest Pink Cashmere

Multi-Color Looped 'n' Chunked

The cashmere was the only row that did not get pure single crochet, for I v-stitched down into the line or two below every 6-9 stitches for some extra contrast. My sweet young niece is going to enjoy the snuggly warmth of these princess pinks. Can't wait to see her reaction!

The closer Christmas gets, the faster my crochet hook has been flying. Looking forward to sharing more presents with you soon. :-)
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Wishing you all a fabulous Thanksgiving filled with happy laughter, joyful memories, and yummy food!

Flashback

Okay, okay. I know tomorrow is Thanksgiving, but I just uploaded my Halloween pictures and could not resist sharing. My parents host an annual fall harvest/Halloween/bonfire bash for our extended family. This year was doubly special because both my parents turned the big 5-0.  (special note: the awesome skeleton key was scored from a Michael's dollar bin!)

 

It was fun devising a theme that incorporated the season's colors but also gave an elegant nod to the birthday aspect of things. I was most proud of my "cards" bunting because it was not pre-planned and came together without much conscious thought yet somehow looked cuter than everything I had been meticulously planning in my head all week! 

The "50" pendants were simply made from cupcake liners and numbers printed from a Word document in Algerian font.

 Each year, my father plans a surprise for all of us. We are always on pins and needles trying to figure it out, but we never can.  As you can see from the picture above, he truly outdid himself this year! After mysteriously disappearing for a while, he came walking up the long drive, carrying only this lantern and a walking stick. His black cape billowed ominously behind him and the fog machine whirred on in perfect time to his arrival. We were all seated around the campfire anxious for what was coming next. He then  dramatically and powerfully recited in its entirety Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell Tale Heart. It was certainly a night to remember! 

We could not have asked for better weather for this momentous occasion. Everything sparkled and gleamed in the waning afternoon light. As darkness fell, the twinkle lights cast their romantic glow over the spread. Many happy hearts gathered to share a night of 

laughter, fun, and frolic.

May you make many such a dear and joyous memories as you gather with loved ones this week!

Before & After

Bye-bye medicine cabinet blues!

(Been itching to do this for 5 months now... feels good to have it done!)

Sunday Scripture

 “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; 

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 

Let us come before him with thanksgiving 

and extol him with music and song.”

Psalm 95:1-2 NIV

Baking Day

Some days call for heaps of chocolately, ooey-gooey indulgence. Plain and simple. Drown it and down it. Healthy? Not really. Yummy? Yes!

Bon Appetit!

Christmas is coming!

I have been enjoying saving money, using what I have, and creating homemade ornaments. These pictures are from a lovely October evening spent with cousins who also enjoy crafting Christmas early. 

Pandora had the perfect mix of holiday favorites playing for us in the background. Hot coco filled our cups and laughter made our hearts merry. 

  

(Too bad the lighting was so awful that night or I would have had more pictures to share. Will showcase some of the finished products soon).

May your Christmas preparations keep 

your hands busy & your hearts light!