Late night project

This week has not been a real good one as far as productivity goes.

We've had a medical emergency with our dog, a toddler tooth removed, and on top of it all everyone in the household has a cold. We're also trying to prepare for an upcoming trip to visit my husband's family in Kansas. So though I have a couple items prepared and ready to list in my Etsy site, I'm afraid they'll have to wait until next week. Work on business related crafts will also be put on hold starting next week. I'll be frantically working on crafts for Christmas gifts.

However, I did accomplish something small last night and I wanted to share it. I felt it was a necessity with our upcoming trip so I sacrificed a couple hours of much needed sleep to get it done.

Aaron has a Nintendo DS and when we bought it for him we also got a pouch to house it in. It works well, however there is nothing to hold his extra games. We bought him a hard sided case to house the game cartridges in but then he's either carrying it in his pocket or just leaving it lay somewhere.

I thought if I could create another simple pouch to piggyback onto his current DS pouch that it would be perfect. I used some felt I had and I embellished it with some quick hand embroidery. I did the rocket free hand and it only took me about 3 tries to get the letters small enough to fit his whole name inside the rocket.

Knit-stravaganza!

It never fails that as soon as I start going on and on about how I never have time to finish a knit project, that I would then all of a sudden complete a whirlwind of projects and prove myself wrong.

After I finished my first cowl Aaron was very depressed that I had not yet knit anything for him (I had crocheted a sweater for Gwen a couple months ago) and so I could not let the poor boy down. He picked out this yarn himself from the store and requested a hat and scarf, "with stripes, Momma!"

Only after I'd started knitting it did I realize that he'd picked colors that almost exactly matched his winter coat. And considering that at the time he chose the yarn his coat was still in storage, he's either a fashion guru, or just plain lucky.

I also recently finished my second cowl from the fabulous bargain yarn I found at Big Lots. This time around I opted for a simple garter stitch and just made a simple tube rather than the fancy button closure like I did on the first one. It's my favorite of the two, mostly because it's a lot easier to put on and fits a little better.

I've been getting quite a bit of use out of it now that the temperatures are dropping.

I didn't have much leftover yarn. I thought it might be enough for a small scarf for Gwen but I ran short. It made a perfect little scarf for her teddy though.

Prototypes

For some reason there seems to be a fake moustache and beard trend, and I'm dying to get in on it. Why? I'm not quite sure. Maybe because it's just plain fun.

I'm still working on my prototypes but I wanted to give you a sneak peek. Aaron is seen here sporting "The Poirot" an homage to the Agatha Christie detective whom I adore. I'm fairly happy with it but I might make it slightly smaller.


I'm also working on "The Selleck" an homage to Tom and his bushy facial locks, "Bandit" which is based on Burt Reynolds stache of Smoky and the Bandit days, and perhaps a nice Fu Manchu.

Right now I'm having some trouble with The Selleck. I haven't yet captured that Magnum P.I. essence. It looks alright on Aaron but I want these to be wearable by adults as well and when Matt dons it, it is a little reminiscent of Hitler so it's back to the drawing board on that one.

Hope to have them in the shop soon.

I'm in love, and her name is Nikki

Merry Christmas to me!

I know it's a little early to be talking about Christmas but why not? They're already moving in the holiday decorations at the stores AND I've alread gotten my present!

We've been saving up for months to get a new camera. I've been dreaming and longing and drooling for months and the original plan was to purchase it as my Christmas gift in December. However, the quickening decline of my faithful duct tape encrusted Kodak sped up the timetable of the new camera purchase.

I've had my eye on the Nikon D40 for quite some time, well really ever since it came out and I was suckered in with their ingenious marketing plan. I did my research though and decided that based on its price, ease of use (it's my first digital SLR) and features that it would be perfect for our family - and it is.

I call her Niki and she and I have spent the entire weekend spooning. I've been nuzzling her lens while she wrapped herself around my neck. We shall never be apart.

It's an unconventional relationship, that's for sure. But it has its rewards. I give her a warm and caring home and she gives me:

The speed and ability to capture action shots - on the first try! Not on the 50th!

I have dozens of shots like these! Dozens! With my old camera I'd have to force the poor kids to jump in and throw leaves for 45 minutes before my camera could actually capture them mid-air like this.

She also gives me the speed needed to capture faces like this, that flash for only a moment:

and moments like these:

vibrant and detailed still-lifes:

and natural coloring and glow in low-light situations (this was taken in the basement, without a flash!)

Our love shall last forever!

(special thanks to my hubby for having the financial wherewithall to save up for this camera, and thanks to my sweet Momma for the extra push at the end to allow me to get it this early!)