Splat! The weird freaked out thingie....

Not sure what he is...But I like him!

My newest creation!

(above is his front)

(below is his back)

Mardi Gras Ninja Bunny

Tomorrow is our monthly bunco night! YAY!

So I needed a gift to bring....What to bring to a Mardi Gras themed bunco...

Why, a Mardi Gras Ninja bunny of course!!!

She is a wild one! She already has 2 sets of beads...you know what that means!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

$40 for a Hello Kitty Backpack??? I think NOT!!!

So my 2 1/2 year old daughter likes to carry about 3 beanie babies, some coins,a sippy cup and other various items EACH time we head out to run errands, which means that either I try and keep track of all of them the entire time, or we lose some and then there are tears! Sad baby tears.

So I told her I would get her a backpack, silly me asked if she would like a Hello Kitty backpack....You can see where this is going. We are in Okinawa and anything Hello Kitty, especially backpacks are ridiculously expensive! So we shopped all day long and the only tiny toddler backpacks with Hello Kitty on them were $40!! I refuse to pay $40 for a backpack my 2 year old may or may not use to transport her coins and dolls.

I checked for patterns online and only found ones that I had to pay for. So I decided that I would wing it and try to figure one out on my own.

I had Hello kitty fabric that had cost me $2 for about a yard (I only used 1/2 of it). I had interfacing, a zipper (84 cents), I cut a belt in half for the straps and I used D-rings that I had cut off of an old belt. The total project cost me less than $4. And although it isn't perfect, it serves it's purpose and my daughter LOVES it!

I still can't believe I actually MADE this on my own with no pattern!

Cheesecake the HUGE Monkey

Meet Cheesecake the monkey.

She took a very long time to make, but was well worth it!

Made with red heart acrylic yarns and safety eyes.

Did I mention she is HUGE?!

She is 19 inches from head to toe!

She likes listening to Flight of the Conchords on her Ipod!

Super Sweet Nintendo Fabrics!!!

So, imagine my surprise when I took a quick detour through a local fabric shop and ran across some amazing Nintendo licensed Super Mario fabric!! Of course I had to buy some! As I was sewing, I realized I had run out of interfacing. So, twist my arm, I returned to the fabric store, all three kids in tow. And as I am contemplating how much MORE Mario fabric to purchase, my son excitedly points out ANIMAL CROSSING fabric!!!! I LOVE that game!!!

So of course, I had to make room for some of that also. :) I don't think I have ever been so excited in one trip to the fabric store. I mean, obviously since I am a craftaholic, the fabric store ALWAYS excites me. But I think this is the coolest fabric I have ever found! So I decided to make some DS pouches for my online shop. I mean, since a DS is a Nintendo product, it seems fitting! :) So here are the mario, animal crossings and some sweet gnome pouches! Feel free to leave comments if you like!

Special Order Bunnies

Toph's teacher from 1st grade, who we LOVE (she is so sweet), ordered some stuff from me this week. She wanted something the size of the ninja bunnies for a baby girl and a baby boy. I drew out a new pattern and these two cuties came to life! I really like them. The ears aren't stuffed, so they can flop down or make them easy for baby to grab onto. They are made with soft fleece and are embroidered, so they are completely baby safe!

So here are the newest bunnies.

Easy Cat Bed

So I was trying to find a sewing pattern to make Miss Leia a cat bed and I came across this really easy super cool idea. All you have to do is take a sweater, sew the arms together and down the sides of the sweater. Then you stuff it (I used scraps of fleece from other projects and other scraps I had lying around) and sew the two opening ups and voila.....Instant cat bed. I had one old sweater in my closet and so I sewed it up and surprisingly Miss Leia LOVES it! I set it on top of the art cart, right near where I sit to use the computer. So she can sleep right by me. :) Here are some pics of her enjoying her new bed. Side note, it took maybe 30-40 minutes total to finish this cat bed. Not bad...

New Crochet Project

I have been way busy with family and friends and haven't had much time to crochet or sew. (Also I may be considered a facebook addict, but who's counting?)

I have a HUGE list of patterns that I want to make. I have no idea what I am doing with them when they are finished. Selling, gift giving, saving for Christmas gifts...Not sure. But they are patterns that I have been dying to try.

So I started this cute monkey pattern. I LOVE monkeys. Plus I have more yarn than one person should EVER own at one time. So, perfect way to destash to make room for more yarn. (*insert evil laugh) :)

This pattern is super easy and although this monkey is HUGE (you'll see). It is working up fairly quickly. 2 nights of crocheting when the kids go to bed and voila, we have a giant monkey head, face and all. I used a barbie for size reference. Please disregard the fact that she is naked and also has an awful haircut. The haircut was done by my sister many years ago, the nudity was caused by Bella's need to undress EVERY doll she gets her hands on. Onto the photos. Here is my work in progress.

Giganto Monkey!

Remember this is JUST the head!

Bella's Summer Hairdo

So summer time is awesome in Okinawa. This will most likely be our last summer in Okinawa, and so we are taking full advantage of the gorgeous beaches while we can. Well, not only is it ridiculously hot in the summer here, but each and EVERY time we hit the beach Bella proceeds to throw sand into her OWN hair and rub it in. Also, I have had it with me putting her hair in barrettes and ponytails only to have it ripped out moments later. So off we went to Miss Stephanie's wonderful salon and after a few tears, a sucker and some coaxing from Mamy and Me-April, she got the CUTEST haircut ever! It definitely fits her feisty personality. We probably had about 6 inches cut off, so it is a huge change! Here is my summer ready Bella girl!

Nasty Easter

We had the opportunity to try something totally different and super fun this Easter. Our friends included us in their Easter tradition, which we will be sure to continue for years to come. The moms did ALL of the prep work for this, but if we start earlier next year the kids will be able to do most of it themselves, atleast the older kids will. :)

We started by blowing out dozens of eggs. (Try to start early so as not to waste any egg insides).

Make a pin hole in the top and a hole about the size of a quarter in the bottom.

Blow the egg out of the big hole.

Then rinse each egg thoroughly.

Let the eggs completely dry.

Dye the eggs.

I wore rubber gloves and just used food coloring and vinegar.

They will float since they are hollow, so I just rolled them around in the dye while they floated.

Then set them out to dry.

It is VERY important that they be completely dry in order to stuff them.

We used confetti & glitter to stuff the eggs for the kids.

Then we took small squares of tissue paper and used a bit of water to adhere it to the egg covering up the large holes.

Once they were dry, they were sealed and ready for action.

*** The adults also participated and stuffed their eggs with: flour, cinnamon, ground up catfood, funyuns, fritos, etc. Some also filled theirs with whipped cream. Make sure everyone "playing" is willing to get messy!)***

Then we took everyone out into an open field and let them go WILD! It was the most fun I have had on Easter in years! Although, I cannot stand the smell of catfood,and my lovely friend Steph nailed me immediately with a "catfood egg".

Thanks Steph!

Enjoy the pictures of our fun "Nasty" Easter! Our friends are our family while stationed overseas, and we have the best family ever!

Love you guys!

Bella smashed atleast a dozen on HERSELF!!



Look what I did Mom!

Steph's confetti hair!

Photography

I've decided to share some of my photography. I just got a new camera and I have been testing it out and seeing what it & I can do together. We have had recent trips to the zoo, the botanical gardens and even some trips right out our front door. I hope you enjoy things from my point of view.

A rusty lantern at the Southeast Botanical Gardens, Okinawa.

Comprehensive Park, Okinawa

My view of a sign at the botanical gardens, Okinawa.

Marble stone etched with kanji at the entrance to the botanical gardens, Okinawa.

A fish statue at the botanical gardens, Okinawa.

The railing of a dock in the botanical gardens, Okinawa.

I found these bricks fascinating.

Botanical Gardens, Okinawa.

A thatched roof and a wooden light fixture.

Botanical Gardens, Okinawa.

Now onto the kid pics! These are pics I think are artistic or I just love them so I am sharing them. Most are Bella, but one is Chan. Enjoy and feel free to leave comments.

Bella at a park in Okinawa

Chan in our front yard in Okinawa

Princess Bella in our front yard
Okinawa

Bella at Cape Zanpa

Okinawa

Bella

Southeast Botanical Gardens

Okinawa

Bella

Southeast Botanical Gardens

Okinawa

Bella looking at the fishies

Southeast Botanical Gardens

Okinawa

Bella

Southeast Botanical Gardens

Okinawa



Thanks for stopping by!