Saturday, June 25, 2011

June has been a busy month.....

Washcloth lollipop by mad4marvin
Washcloth lollipop, a photo by mad4marvin on Flickr.
     After I finished the Graduation Afghan for my niece's best friend, I then have become a whirlwind of knitting. I also have been knee-deep in my niece's baby shower planning! My niece is having a boy, her second child, and is due in September. I have decided to make all of her baby items in Pound of Love Antique White because it can easily be for a boy or a girl (I began knitting before knowing the gender) and I even wrote my very first pattern for her baby afghan. Now I am in the middle of making a washcloth with my niece's last name initial, booties, hat, and possibly a vest. At the same time I am making centerpieces, deciding on color schemes for tables, cups, plates, and silverware. I am also working on games, favors, deciding on menu ideas, and about a million other small details for the shower. On top of that--I am also co-planning a baby shower for my nephew who is due a week or two before my niece-they are also having their second child and its a girl. Teddy bears are the theme for this shower while pacifier/blue/white is the little boys shower theme. I am also knitting for the little girl but not anything nearly as complex as for my nephew....I am making the new little girl a pair of booties, a hat, and maybe a bib...I am not sure.

     Planning baby showers is something I really enjoy. I have planned several different kinds over the years for various nieces and nephews. I love the picking of the theme, shopping for all the little pieces, and crafting up centerpieces. In the past, I have held a Baby Block theme where I made handmade ABC blocks that I woodburned the letters into, sanded, and spread all over the baby shower. I have also done Baby Ducks with a duck floating in a ceramic bathtub and I have made centerpieces of vases filled with washcloth lollipops.

     For my nieces baby boy I did something I have never done before...I handmade every single invitation. 35 individual handmade cards...it was A LOT of work but I loved the end result. As soon as the baby shower is over I will be posting a TON of pictures but right now everything is kind of under wraps....for right now I will offer a peek of the lollipops I have made for this shower....

Monday, June 13, 2011

I FINISHED!!!

     I just finished (last Monday) the biggest the project I have worked on to date: my Bachelor's degree in Communication!!! I turned in my last Astronomy project (it was an elective class--you do not have to study astronomy to get a degree in Commuincations!) and today (a week later) I have recieved my last grade: an A!!! Now I have to apply for my diploma and wait for anxiously for the mail to bring it! I am really excited! I decided against going to the Commencement ceremony because of the hassle involved with it and really have no regrets about that. It is important but it would have made me too sad to go. The last time I graduated (with my Associate's degree) my mom was there for the ceremony. Since then she has passed and I think that going to my Bachelor's degree ceremony would have been toooo sad, even though I know she would have been proud of me. Anyway, I have decided to take a month off of school and then return for my MBA. It is going to be a challenge but I think it will be worth it in the long run! So that is what I have been doing these last few, non-blogging weeks--working on finishing my degree!!!
     Now it is off to work on my newest project: a baby blanket I designed myself!! I have never designed anything so I am super excited to get it done! Then write it up and offer my FIRST FREE BLOG PATTERN!!! YAY!! Stay tuned....