pom pom pom pom...POM!

Click on a picture for a closer look at the etsy shop for that item! Cute and quirky, huh?

Finally ...some things for my shop!

Yesterday I finally got to crocheting some new headbands for spring!

my granny gypsy ways

These pictures, my friends are the very reason why I have neglected filling my etsy shop with winter or hair accessories! I have mentioned on a previous post that I had become obsessed with granny squares, granny circles, afghans, pillows...They are not really very good, but I am happy to utilize them to cheer up my decor! I found it hard to take a circle and make it into a square or a hexagon, so the sides of each are slightly askew from one another but it is amazing what one can do by stretching! I could not find a simple granny circle pattern for a round pillow so I improvised. That round pillow is probably the granniest looking thing I have made, something about it not quite chic but....oh well, I like it! When I eventually found a pattern for turning a circle to a square, I ended up with a cute rectangle pillow that is not too bad! And..I enjoyed making the afghan (or lapghan) but it took a long time to make and it is not that big!
It seems that my Granny and Gypsy posts were the impetus for all these projects, but I must soon get back to etsy store fillage!!

Springy Nail Polishes!

Yesterday I bought a few polishes to inspire me to keep my nails done
(without polish my nails look HORRIBLE and are very thin and weak) I purchased "chop sticking to my story" which is a nice terra cotta color, "jade is the new black" as the name implies a pretty jade green, and "bullish on OPI", a pinkish red!

Gypsy Style

Looks colorful and fun yet cozy right? I love all the different colors , prints and textures together! Makes me think of Lucy Riccardo singing "I am the queen of the gypsies, gyp, gyp, gyp, gyp, gyp, gyp, gypsies...."

Granny Chic

Granny Chic may sound like an oxymoron, but let me tell you, there are numerous images that can be found in magazines, blogs and online that say otherwise! When I see the hand crocheted pillow covers and afghans, I immediately feel warm and cozy inside, then I think, "how can I do this?"
I have been working on granny squares, granny circles, hexagon shapes, circles and such for days now, resulting in a few small imperfect but cozy little throws. I feel that I must perfect the art of making them for some reason and although I should be working on things that I can put in my etsy shop for spring, I can't seem to stop my granny ways! Maybe because ....I am a granny!! My sweet grandson Kavi is two years old now and such an incredible joy!!! yay to the grannies!!!!

I Feel Giddy!!

My snowy gnome, he looks happy!

The front of my home

Neighbor's little girl's snowman

a little throw I crocheted yesterday

the fire pit the girls sat around for hours the other day

First of all, let me apologize in advance to everyone who reads my blog but lives where this winter had had numerous snowstorms and power outages! I am really really sorry but I am overjoyed with the snowy day that I am having in North East Alabama!!! Don't forget, I grew up in the North East but lived in Florida for 25 years where a slight snow flurry in the late 80's led to rotating power outages, but no accumulation! Some winters there hovered around 80 degrees which can get old after a while!
Last year when snow flurries magically appeared one Sunday, my family and I were out in the snow dancing for joy. This past December we experienced a beautiful view of snow covered trees and houses on our way to Birmingham and my husband pulled over on the highway twice so we could get out and take pictures!
Today has been different, it has been snowing for about four hours already and the whole town is covered in powdery white magic! I keep going out and taking more and more pictures just to show the progress. I don't think it will last too long so I have to enjoy it while I can!

Adorable Adornment

It amazes me how creative people can be! RebeccasArtCloset on Flickr had these amazing shots of handmade or reworked clothing. It seems that a trend for this spring is embellished neckline and ruffles and this talented young lady has many unique and beautiful fashions displayed in her flickr site. My grandpa was a professional tailor but sadly, I can't even thread a sewing machine! Thankfully, Christina my daughter who has two etsy shops, has some sewing skills. I guess it skipped a generation! :(

Crazy 60s

From the end of the 50s ladylike era style to mod to hippie, the 60's were a decade of extremes. I remember being in 4th grade in the 60's and coveting the white go go boots with orange fishnets look! In fact fishnets were in many wild colors, yellow, green, blue and even ordinary white and black! When they first came out, one needed a garter belt to keep them up which is quite annoying for a 4th grader! The Beatles influenced fashion at the time with everything mod including my rectangle shaped purse with a round cut out handle and all four Beatle's faces stamped on it! Oh I loved that purse even though it was too big for me to carry around! Just knowing I owned it at all was quite a thrill! By the end of the decade, bell bottoms came on the scene and it was considered very daring when you got your first pair, but it was the early 70's that really made bell bottoms the thing to own!

Fashionable Fifties

When I think of 50s fashion, I think of Lucy with her couture looking "stay at home and clean" ensembles. She was pretty glamorous even when dressing casually. Even Ethel had some sweet outfits although she played second fiddle to Lucy. Of course that was all a little crazy to me! I guess TV made the wardrobers go a little overboard with crinoline and taffeta. I can't imagine that much effort going in to everyday wear!
These pictures have some lovely textures and color combinations that can inspire our modern day clothing choices, but forget about the pouf skirts unless you do square dancing!

Aqua Dreams

Spring Inspiration

Well, I have totally lost the month of January, due to trips to Florida and being sick for a week! Today was my first day outside in the world since coming down with a baaaad cold last week. I decided I had enough stuff to cook for dinner so I could forgo the grocery store and head directly to Hobby Lobby, 40 % off coupon in my back pocket! I am trying to capture a little inspiration for springtime wares to sell in my etsy shop considerthelillies.etsy.com , since the winter wardrobe window is beginning to close! I love crocheting and have been getting into knitting as well, so I am hoping to come up with some nice fibrous ideas.
These necklaces I found on a google search are just the things I needed to see and I plan on doing something like that.
I have also purchased some felt so I can try making felt flower hair pins, brooches, or necklaces too, and some more carving material for block printing, so I can get my other etsy shop thelillyofthevalley.etsy.com restarted!

My Week In Limbo.....achoo

Well friends, I have been quite under the weather since a week ago...Immediatley upon returning from a bittersweet trip to Florida, I found myself achy, shivering, stuffy, coughy and generally pooped out!
Me and my family here in Alabama went to Florida for two very important reasons, one being to attend the funeral for one of my dearest and sweetest friends that I have had since 1978, Mary. Mary fought a good fight against breast cancer, but sadly passed away from this world, friends and family to heaven where she is free from all suffering and pain and enviably in the presence of the Lord where there is perfect joy. Prayer is however needed for her wonderful husband Jerry and two daughters and three grandkids who are devastated by the loss of one so precious as she. It is so sad yet so beautiful that the greatest love produces the greatest pain when this separation comes. There were hundreds at the service, the biggest crowd I have ever been at for a funeral, which is a true testament of the kind of woman Mary was. I even hate to say the word "was", because she is still alive, just in another world, and she will always live in the memories of those who knew her.
The second reason for the trip was to celebrate the 2nd birthday of my grandson Kavi, who is the greatest joy in all of our lives! My favorite thing is to have him spontaneously come over to you and hug you while saying the most affectionate sounding "ohhhhhhh" while doing it. Sometimes it is followed by the spontaneous kiss along with his two sweet hands on your cheeks and smooch at the end! Ahhhh....I love that kid! Kavi is obsessed with cars, it was one of his first words, and he still says "CARRRRRR" is the most astonished and happy sounding voice when one drives down his street. Of course he talks a lot, but that still seems to be one of his favorite words next to mom, mom, mom and dadadadadad. We are working on him saying Nanny (me) and grandpa (ray) and he does say them really cute, especially grandpa which sounds like
" pomp puaaaaa" So cute!!!!
Well, this feels like the first time in a week where I could reflect on that trip and it feels good! Maybe I will be out of limbo soon!!!