Blogmas 2014 Day 8 My Wish List

Absolutely Nothing!  Ok maybe 1 thing, but it's been on my list for several years.  I'd like to have my bug  (74 super beetle) fixed so I can drive it.  Oh I can drive it now if someone would help me push start it every time.  :-D   Also I'd like to get it painted so the front and back match.  Soon....someday soon I will get it fixed.

I am happy with what I get.  I'm not too picky.

I'm linking up with Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Blogmas 2014 Day 7 Handmade Christmas

Day 7

This is something I struggle with.  I'm always afraid the gift isn't good enough of the person won't like it because it's not store bought.  In the past I've made homemade gifts, but the last few years we've bought them.  This year I've made them.  If they don't like them .....too bad!

I've made slouchy hats for the finance and girlfriend.

I've made 2 dice bags and have 1 more to make.  The 3rd one will be made from variegated yellow.

AND for the kitty cat, I plan to make at least 1 catnip toy using this pattern

I will be using red yarn for it, since red is her favorite color. 

In the past (since being married that is)  I've sewed clothes for the boys when they were little, I've made a few crochet items, I've made a few patchwork aprons for a sunday school party gift exchange (this was fought over in the exchange LOL!),  and the best gift I given was a patchwork quilt for a gift exchange at work (different job and it was made for $10).  Everyone said it was the best gift ever and the girl really liked it.  It even made her cry.  

So there you have it, I am not a regular homemade Christmas gift maker, but I hope to become more of one.  Homemade gifts are better than store bought gifts, even when I'm afraid they won't be liked.

I'm linking up with Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Weaving in Ends -- A Red Heart Tutorial

All these years I've been doing this all wrong!  Since I plan to "create and sell" I thought I better find a better way to take care of those ends.  Here is a tutorial fro Red Heart on weaving in ends.

Blogmas 2014 Days 1-6

Ok so I'm a bit behind, but when you're working 2 jobs AND moving things get a little hectic.  It's never too late to start.  I will do my best to keep up.  Here are Days 1-6.

Day 1

Favorite Christmas Traditions.....things have changed over the past 23 years.  When hubby and I first got married, and before the boys were old enough to eat more than a few bites off our plate, our tradition was to go to our favorite convenience store and get sandwiches and sodas and sit there and eat them.  We also went to his sister's house on Christmas day, until we moved away.

Once the boys got older and was eating more we continued our "junk food" tradition and stocked up on chips and soda, and I would make lots of homemade cookies and candies.

We still do the junk foods and such, but not as much as we used to.  I DO make "healthier" things like bacon wrapped water chestnuts and a few different types of wings.  The foods I make for Christmas, almost always last us through New Years too.

Day 2

Christmas isn't all about getting, it's about giving.  I like to give gifts, although I don't do it very often.  I struggle between store bought and homemade gifts.  I used to give homemade ones all the time because it's all I could afford, but went to store bought gifts because I was afraid people didn't/wouldn't like the homemade ones.  This year I have made gifts (still have 1 to make) for everyone in my immediate family, if they don't like them, too bad.  LOL!

Jesus is the reason we celebrate.  He is the best gift of all.  I try to keep that in mind.  I'm not big on all the traditional decorations either.  I like to keep it simple.

Day 3

I can't say that I have any favorite Christmas movies.  

I do like the Charlie Brown Christmas movie though.

Day 4

My favorite Christmas music?  TSO all the way!  Some day I'd like to go see them.  I have all their albums.  Any Christmas music will do.  I pretty much like it all, especially TSO.

Day 5

Favorite Christmas food.....besides junk foods, we like to eat (and I make) several flavors of wings, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, cream cheese filled jalapenos (sometimes wrapped in bacon), and assorted cookies (always chocolate chip) and candies.

Day 6

We open our presents on Christmas Eve, because we like to sleep in for a change on a day our businesses aren't open.

Hope no one minds the multiple days on one post....I will do better, I promise. ;-)

I'm linking up with Diary of a Stay At Home Mom

More Yarn Art

A couple nights ago I finished another dice bag.  

I also finished this slouchy hat last weekend.

I have 1 more dice bag to make for Christmas presents and I can say I am 100% finished with the planned gifts.  No telling what I will make next.  

You can see the other crochet presents I've made Here (dice bag) and Here (slouchy hat)

I made these Dishcloths/Pot Holders last year with the intent to give them as presents, but I never did.  SO, I'm going to send them to a dear friend who recently moved away, but comment on them, on my Facebook page last year, how much she liked them.  "M"  Merry Christmas!

Yesterday I got my yarn order.  I ordered from Red Heart.  I can't wait to get creating.  My goal for 2015 is "Create and Sell".  

Making Some Scents

Here is one thing I'm up to today.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.....what I started first thing this morning.

Recently I ran out of the unscented sticks to make incense with.  I finally got some ordered in.  I think this is either the 4th or 5th case of sticks since I started selling incense back in 2005.  That's a LOT of incense.

I made a list of all the scents that were completely out or almost out.  Frankincense I need for an order.

I started several soaking this morning.  They should be ready to sell by Monday or Tuesday, depending on the humidity, which right now is pretty high.

This used to be a blue rubber band around this bottle.  Now it's just a sticky gooey mess.  Just goes to show what some fragrance oils can do.  There are several surfaces we have found that they can do damage to after extended exposure.

You can order the incense I make from my online store

Crochet Dice Bag

Since I don't think my family looks at my blog (and if they do so what they can still pretend to be excited), but for the guys (hubby and 2 boys) I decided to make dice bags for their gaming dice.  I started  a different bag from a different pattern (the picture of the kitty wearing a hat  in my post from yesterday) but didn't like the way it was looking so I went looking for a different pattern.  I don't recall doing a screen shot of this bag pattern, but it's the pattern I used for this one.  I followed it up through row 8 and then did my own thing to finish it off.