Etsy Treasury

Congratulate me, because my chaps made it to an Etsy Treasury!

What a day for Leg Warmers!

It's snowing today. Snow.  The white fluffy stuff.  The COLD white fluffy stuff.  Why, oh why, did we move here? I love snow, but I'd love it more if it would only be around for, say, three months of the year.

Oh well, what can you do but bundle up and enjoy it.  I just finished a pair of girls' leg warmers last week, and it looks like it wasn't a moment to soon.  So, here's my niece, Marigold, strutting her stuff.

I had a little fight with the pompoms, and there is the fact that they are two different colours.  But, my Grandma always said that if it were perfect it would offend the angels, and I need all the angels I can get on my side!  Lesson learned though: dye lot matters!  I bought one skein in Rochester, Michigan, and another in Sandpoint, Idaho. Same colourway, different dye lot. Oh well, I still think they are cute.

Don't forget to comment on any post this week to be entered to win this week's giveaway!

I am working on a pattern and a tutorial for these babies, and will post it as soon as I am done. Yeah for tutorials!

A Little Something

The whole family is sick this week, so not much fun to talk about.

But, on Tuesday night my sister in law Renee took me on a fabulous date to Cirque Du Soleil's Kooza.  It was fabulously wonderful. We dressed up, went out for dinner and to the show.  No pictures were allowed, but we sneaked this one in:

Also, I've managed to get the room organized enough to know where all my crafting supplies are, and even have finished a few projects.  This sweet hat needs a baby's head to warm:

Love?  Me too.

Oh, and I did buy a new book, new book, Knitting New Mittens and Gloves: Warm and Adorn Your Hands in 28 Innovative Ways, that I'm so excited to get started on.  Who's on my list for Christmas, and what's your hand size?

Holidays in the Way Brings Upon a Giveaway!!!

I'm not one to rush things, but frankly, Halloween and Thanksgiving tend to just get in the way of my full enjoyment of Christmas.  Living in the States for three years really cramped my style, as their Thanksgiving, a whole six weeks after Canada's, three weeks after Halloween, has the habit of needing to be celebrated before bobbles can be hung, bells can be rung or carols can be sung! If it were up to me Christmas would begin as soon as the last leaf drops, which in Calgary is probably going to be this weekend.

So, as today is Thanksgiving in the True North, and I'm not going to let all these holidays get in my way, I am hosting a giveaway... or six...or seven!  That's right, every week from now until American Thanksgiving, when every person can freely celebrate Christmas without reproach, I am going to be giving away a little Christmas cheer.  All I ask is that you follow my blog publicly (oh, the joy I get from your happy little faces smiling at me from the Follower list!), and that you leave a comment on any post during the week of that particular giveaway.  That's right, it's that easy.  Follow and comment.  Comment on more than one post, you get your name in the draw more than one time!  (But, comment on one post several times, you still only get one entry, sorry.)  Each Sunday night I will announce a winner, and Monday morning I will post a new giveaway.  How's that sound to you?

So, starting today on this wonderful Thanksgiving morning, I am giving away a leaf inspired garland.  For those of you trying to hold on to the last few weeks of fall, this one's for you.  8 feet of beautiful fall colors, this can be used year after year.  I've loved mine, and hope whoever wins will enjoy theirs too.

Working like a Man

So, I'm not sure if it's proper blogging etiquette to blog about other people's kids, but frankly, I don't care, and I'm going to do it.  My dad has a really nice shelf in the garage.  On top of it rests all sorts of junk: skis, tennis rackets, boxes of old clothes to be donated. You get the picture.  What many onlookers don't know, the shelf is actually a disguise, for if you pull off all the crap, underneath lies beautiful old car, a Triumph TR6, in desperate need of a little love. However, it's spent many years as a shelf, forgotten.

Until Benny came along. My 9-year-old nephew, Ben, decided that fixing up the car would be a great project for him to do with his grandpa.  So, after hours of trying to get grandpa going he finally took matters into his own hands and started uncovering the relic.  Eventually my dad had to get involve, and together they have started to work.  So far they have spent two full days taking apart the exhaust, the engine, and other stuff I know nothing about.  I love it!

While I absolutely love both my Grandpa's, I don't remember doing anything like that with them. I hope when Eli's a little older he can find something to do with his Grandpa, too!

A Toddling Toddler

It finally struck me this morning just how grown up Silas is getting: he brought me a shoe to put on him, and he walked to get to me!  I know, CRAZY!  He's supposed to be a baby still, but he's definitely entering the realm of toddler. I don't mind so much.  I love to watch him walk, hands held high in the air like he's in some kind of stick up.  For the upcoming winter it will be so much nicer to not have to worry about putting him down on the dirty ground because he will be on his feet, not his hands and knees.  He will soon be able to keep up so much better with Eli, his favourite person on earth. Still, with each step he takes I am reminded of how he will not be little forever, how precious these sweet moments of babyhood really are.  I already miss the little guy!

But hey, no use crying over that which you can't change, right?  So, let's celebrate! Put your hands up for our talented little walking man, who just loves how clever he is and loves to show it off.

In my other life

Believe it or not, I was somewhat crafty before the world of mommy and blogging and such.  I've always liked to make things, and one thing I always wanted to make was my very own saddle.  So, a few years ago, before Eli was born, I went to Saddle Making School and made my very own, full blown, western riding saddle. To prove it to you, here's a picture:

Purdy, ain't it?

Well, after I made the saddle, I decided I needed to try my hand an some more leather work, so I convinced Adrienne to go back to saddle school with me to make chaps... and make chaps we did!  We spent a whole weekend and worked our tails off, and came out with many pairs of chaps, plus a few other trinkets.  Wish I had some pictures to prove it, but I can't find them. (Interestingly, on the weekend in question I happened to be exactly five weeks pregnant with Eli, and morning sickness hit in full force.  Sitting in a closed room surrounded by leather did nothing to help the ailment.  For the rest of the pregnancy I couldn't so much as touch leather with my bare hands. I couldn't stand the smell of it either.  This was problematic when I had to drive in vehicles with leather seats, put on my leather shoes and saddle my horse with my leather saddle. Luckily the aversion went away after Eli was born!)

Anyway, that was 4 years ago, and of that trove of treasures we made, which we planned to sell to pay for the adventure, I still have four pair of chaps. These I do have a picture of:

Also very purdy, if I do say so myself.

So, in an attempt to FINALLY get these off my hands, I am listing them everywhere I can think of.  But, the exciting part is, I am listing them on MY NEW ETSY SHOP!  That's right folks, I did it, I started a shop. Right now it's not to flashy, I've got no banner and I've only listed the chaps, but I am hoping to get to listing some of the growing pile of baby goods I've got cluttering 'the room.'  Don't worry, I'll keep you posted! And hey, if you've always wanted a pair of authentic western chaps, now's the time!