Crocheted Baby Gifts from Mom

I've mentioned that I inherited my sewing capabilities from my Mom. Well what I didn't get from her is the ability to crochet. I've tried to learn a couple times, and it's just not my cup of tea. My mom, however, has this amazing natural talent. It's like she was born with a crochet hook or something. She is always working on a crocheted baby blanket for someone we know. Usually someone from church. There is always someone pregnant there ;-)

So when she found out that she was going to be a Grandma, she got right to work making all sorts of gifts. This little one is going to be spoiled rotten! I thought I would share some of them with you gals. She amazes me every day at the things she is able to whip up.

This first one is an adorable set of booties and the tiniest little crocheted hat. I love the little flower! It's the perfect touch, don't you think? She also made a matching set of black booties in a slightly larger size. I can't wait to see what they look like with a pair of tiny white socks.

Today she surprised me at work with this adorable little sweater. I absolutely love it! She must have been listening when I talked about how we didn't have any newborn size jackets.. The detail in the pattern is so cute and feminine, I love it!

She also made some super cute beanies. I found a pattern on Etsy for this incredibly adorable owl beanie. They are all over on Etsy, and so stinkin' cute! I knew I absolutely had to have one for her newborn pictures. I bought the pattern and asked (aka begged) my Mom to make one for me. The whipped up this purple one that same night as a 'sizing sample.' And she finished the actual owl hat the very next day. It's so cute I can't stand it!!!!

And of course, she made a couple blankets as well. This first one was one of my baby shower gifts. It's nice and heavy. I love it. Our little girl is going to be so toasty warm in this!! I can't wait to wrap her up in it. The second one is very special. It's her blessing (aka Christening) blanket. This one will definitely be a special heirloom piece. It's much more delicate, and absolutely stunning. I love the pattern she chose.

So there you have it! I little peak into the kind of talent I was raised with. ;-) Love ya Mom!!! You're going to be one of the best Grandmas ever!!

Lola and Max

Remember these owls I made a while back? Well there is another pattern available from Gingercake, called Max the Owl. Very similar to Lola the Owl, just a different shape. I grabbed this fabric set a while back with these two adorable owls in mind. I thought they would be perfect in my Little Girl's Nursery. The colors are brown, green, and pink, with an owl theme. I started them ages ago, and finally got around to finishing them this afternoon. What do you think??

P.S. Sorry about the bad photo quality. It was late, and I couldn't get any natural lighting. Phooey.

My First Trade!

I recently had the joy of participating in my very first trade!! One of my favorite bloggers had been searching for a cute camera strap for her fancy new camera. I've seen hundreds of tutorials for making camera strap covers online, but I've always wanted to make my own strap, instead of a cover. BUT I don't have my own SLR yet.. just a little point-and-shoot.

When I saw her quest, I decided to take the plunge. Heck, the worst she can do is say No, right? Well thankfully, she said Yes!! I was so excited. I did my research and saw how other people were making theirs. I figured, Heck, I can totally do that! I changed the way the strap was assembled, and added some interfacing with my padding. (Two things I had not seen anyone else do yet). My first attempt was a flop.. tossed that one in the scrap bin. Attempt #2 was perfect! I literally almost jumped out of my chair when it was all done.

I'm planning on selling the camera straps in my Etsy store, I just need to round up some more supplies and get to sewing. I'll be posting photos of the camera straps when they are all done and ready to buy.

My main reason for posting though, is that I wanted to show you the beautiful jewelry that I received from her in trade. She knew I had a love for owls, and came up with this collection for me. I'm so incredibly excited! She even made them on a longer chain for me. You can visit her blog, After Nine to Five, and buy her jewelry at her Etsy Shop. This whole trade process was so easy, I definitely plan on doing it again. If you are ever interested in trading, please let me know! Leave me a comment, send me an email, whatever!

WHW: Owls

Lately, I have a serious obsession with owls. Not real owls, they are kind of creepy, but the cute cartoon owls. I've even made it the theme for my daughter's room. So naturally I decided to make that my WHW post for the week! So many cute owls!!!

For those of you who don't know about We Heart Wednesday.. click HERE to go check it out! Every Wednesday, we gather up a bunch of photos from We Heart It and post them on our blogs. Visit Brie at her blog HERE to link up and check out everyone's posts. It's a great way to increase the traffic on your blog, and an even better way to meet new people!