Positivity Challenge: Day 1

I accept the Positivity Challenge from my mother! The challenge is to write 3 positive incidents a day for 5 days and to challenge 3 people to do the same.

1. My Tastefully Simple business with its awesome food and flexible schedule
2. Dave's job, which he enjoys (even if he doesn't like getting up in the morning)
3. Our home--while we don't own it, it's a lot more than some families have

I challenge Heather, Kristine, and Allison... how about some blog posts? ;-)

My furry office assistant

Small Project Progress

My Christmas cross stitch project is coming along nicely, albeit slowly compared to my stitching friends.  I'm also working on a knit baby set, which I'll photograph when it's done.  Speaking of done, I can't believe I forgot to post my little bunny boy cross stitch when I finished him in April!

The mouse now has a birdie friend

Finished the week after Easter... guess he's ready for next year!

New Project

I started a new cross stitch pattern at IHOP stitch night this past week. I haven't been doing much knitting or stitching lately, so it was good to pick up a small project again! 

More Girly Knits

A few days ago, I finished a pink scarf for the young lady I'm sponsoring for her Confirmation tomorrow night.  It's her favorite color, and I wanted her to have something pretty and useful that would also remind her of the past six months we've been meeting with the RCIA group to prepare for the Easter Vigil mass tomorrow night.  The scarf turned out so nicely and I had so much fun with the checkerboard pattern that I went out and bought a skein of the same yarn in a dark grey to make one for myself for next winter!

Checkerboard Scarf in Lion Brand: Heartland "Denali"

Today I donated some Tastefully Simple items and a knit baby set for an Easter auction to benefit families of children battling cancer.  I knit the set a while ago, but it hadn't found a home yet.  It made my day when the lady collecting the donations told me it was gorgeous and I could charge at least $25 if I sold it on Etsy!

Bib and Burp Cloth set in Sugar 'n Cream "Pretty Pastels Ombre"

Girly Knits

Another bib and burp cloth set made it through snail mail to baby Aaleayah, so I can finally post a picture.  Big sister Faith had a star button on her knit set, too!

Bib and burpcloth set in Sugar 'n Cream "Camo Pink"

It took me way too long to knit my second commissioned piece for the same daughter of a former co-worker who received a fuzzy purple scarf in January.  She chose a Quick & Easy Knitted Infinity Scarf pattern I found online, but in a different color yarn.  It was a fun pattern to knit, and I learned how to join my yarn with a double knot since it was too bulky to knit two strands together.  Skeeter was rather fond of this yarn, so I may have to make another one...

Infinity Scarf made with Yarn Bee's Debut yarn in "Rose Petal"

Lent

Source: On the Way Home Blog

Lent started over a week ago on Ash Wednesday.  Check out this great video that explains Ash Wednesday and Lent in two minutes if you're not sure what it's all about or would like a quick reminder.

I usually get out my small pile of Easter decorations some time during this period, but this year I remembered something I found on Pinterest (above) that was a better fit for this more somber season.  Inspired by this pin and decorations I've seen online and in church, I pulled out my large vase, dug out my purple candles from my Advent wreath, found a twig outside, and purchased a bag of river rocks at the dollar store.  Here's the final product, and I only spent a buck on it.

I hope you have a very blessed Lent!

Recent Knit Gifts

I missed my friend's baby shower at the beginning of February and didn't want to post the knit set for Baby Nathaniel until I had gifted it.  His parents are both teachers, so the school bus button is adorably appropriate.

Bib and burpcloth set in Sugar 'n Cream "Aquarius Ombre"

The dishcloths were my project during the Olympics.  My buddy Kristine had been not so subtly hinting that she wanted dishcloths, she wanted them bigger than the ones I normally make, and she wanted them to be white. So I cast on 50 stitches (instead of my normal 40) in the closest-to-white cotton yarn I owned, and I knit a pair of box stitch dishcloths for her. Maybe now she'll stop bothering me about the scarf and the hat she wants me to knit...

Large dishcloths in Sugar 'n Cream "Summer Prints"

Finished and gifted to Kristine at IHOP stitch night!