Hot Off the Needles

It seems that my normal winter blah mood has set in the past weeks, leaving me nothing to be inspired to write about. Sorry patient readers! I will do my best to not let February suck me into apathy as January did.

A bright spot during January was the process and completion of another sweater, this one at the request of Jon G. In an attempt to sell more of the supplies needed to make this particular sweater, it will be hanging on a model board at Franks for the next six months. It was quite fun to browse through all of the patterns and choose something different. This sweater introduced me to several new techniques, such as the honeycomb stitch pattern and the three needle bind off. It turned out nicely, and I'm sure the pattern book ($17.95) and yarn ($7.99 per skein x 4 skeins) will be flying off the shelves in no time! All available at Ben Franklin Crafts, Moline, IL!

Over the weekend, I delivered the sweater on a weekend trip to visit Scott-o and Jon G. Mom and I spent Saturday cranking out Dana's wedding flowers. We accomplished a lot, and only quit once we ran out of supplies.

Sunday was the annual Methodist Church Ladies Luncheon. This year's theme was sports, so I can't say as that spoke to my heart, but it was a delightful afternoon spent with some of my favorite ladies. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Okay, February. Let's get this over with :0)

Horn of Plenty - Quite Symbolic

May I present my seasonal door decoration - courtesy of my favorite floral arranger (thanks Mom!)
After wrestling with a standard circular grapevine wreath for a couple of hours, I was able to create the cornucopia base for this arrangement, which I love. And what nice symbolism, too. Such a plentiful home I have... good friends, family, a rewarding job that I really am enjoying (mostly!), and lots to look forward to in the coming months. Although fall brings on horrible winter weather, I can't be too upset when there is so much to be thankful for. Hope you're feeling warm, cozy, and content, too!

Will Work for Big Wheel

Shaun and I were busy this weekend with baby shower preparations. The mother-to-be is the sister of one of Shaun's college friends, and we got involved because Shaun's friend (and party planner) lived out of town and needed some help. I'm not really a baby shower fan, but I do enjoy a good floral arranging project.

The theme was Born to Be Wild, including hot pink and zebra print decorations. After much planning and searching for just the right flowers at several Peoria grocery stores on Friday evening, here is how they turned out.

Super adorable. The animals are puzzle pieces from a Melissa and Doug puzzle, and the vases are fabric-covered orange juice containers. Our reward for all of our hard work? A big wheel from Kroger (delicious cookie ice cream sandwich), purchased with the last of our flowers. Totally worth it! The roses and daisies came from Fresh Market. They were really beautiful and very reasonably priced. The filler flowers all came from Kroger. A very fun project, indeed.

Fun Surprise

Yesterday Joshua surprised me with a lovely bouquet of flowers. How fun! The bunch includes lillies, hydrangeas, a gerbera daisy, irises, and liatris to name a few. I think tables look so cheerful with a fesh flower arrangement in the center.

Flowers = Classy

Well, Mother, you are much better at party planning than I am, but I did go the extra mile and get fresh flowers for Christmas.


I'm not sure what it is about flowers, but they really class up a place (even if a few carnations are thrown in). Today I spent some time making centerpieces with Christmas greenery and and red and white flowers. They turned out great!