I Believe...

...that Christmas is pretty symbolic. Maybe some things weren't originally meant to be but I made them that way in my own mind ;). The tree and decorations - part of the celebration, like anyone would do for a party right? :) Party for Baby Jesus' birthday! ^-^ The star or angel at the top of the tree reminds me of the star the three wise men saw that guided them to baby Jesus or the angels that sang and rejoiced the night he was born. The presents we get to give to each other are wrapped and we get to wait in anticipation to open them ...like all of the old testament - throughout the pages it shows Jesus was on his way... what an awesome present He is ^-^. So while St. Nicholas is another story as well having brought gifts to people, which is another cool story :) the symbolism I see in the shirt I wore is more that I believe in the "magic" of Christmas and the possibilities... that anyone who truly wants the way, the truth and the life can have it, in abundance through Christ. Its a pretty awesome story - why not be excited for Christmas!? :)

I added a few embellishments to the t-shirt for the Christmas Holiday party at work. Of course this was brought on by a co-worker who said we should don tacky Christmas shirts :) though I think I may have failed because most people just said the shirt was cute lol :)

It was a good time - my coworkers get up reminded me of a girl in the 1960's who would be ice skating. Super cute :) And while I wore my santa hat I did not come home with it - because I SOLD it :). (yay!) :)

Alright - I hope you enjoy the pictures! :) We had a lot of fun with them :)

In a Winter Wonderland

Lovely Laura and Myself :) 

We be dancin' ! :)

And the tacky shirt itself :) 

I added a pompom to the top of his hat and pieces of felt and yarn to the shirt :) 

Christmas time prayer...

The tree is up! The stockings are hung with care. The kitchen window and other areas have been sprinkled with dashes of Christmas items... as I sit here typing by the light of the tree I remember Christmas growing up. I thought our house all decorated and Christmasfied in the living areas would give someone an idea of what a gingerbread house would look like if you could live in it! :)

 I LOVE to decorate, create and imagine, so Christmas has a special place in my heart, 2nd place on Christmas anyways. ;)  Christ being born a babe and endure all he did remaining blameless and sinless to be an offering for us all is the most beautiful love story to me. I love what Christ did and what he has done for my family through the years, though times have gotten tough (and they do! ;)) He's always brought us through and will ever be, faithful. The twinkling lights are fun and I'm thankful for the income He's given my family so I can buy gifts that put smiles on peoples faces when opened, but I realize its because of Him that I've been blessed with so much. That I'm in a position to give...depending on the season He's allowed me to give of myself to others, my time, my talents, my money, etc. may Christ be glorified in me and that others would experience Christ for the first time this Christmas season.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas! Thank you for reading my blog and following along in my creations. I appreciate and pray for you! Be blessed! ~Dawn

The Christmas Ornaments are Done :)

It's true! :) Mr. Snow survived after having set him on the shelf to watch me work up the rest of his friends he'll (literally) be hanging with in the near future. With much excitement I should add! :) 1st to be made after him was the Polar Bear, which he quite liked. Then I made the Brown Bear and everybody was excited and realized all their scarves were made especially for them, Mr. Snow - Red, Polar Bear - Blue, Brown Bear - Green. I told them it took me a bit to decide because I needed to make yet another friend and wanted them each to have their own special color scarf. I consulted my facebook fans - while Angie and Wendy did mention green for Rudolph I later decided Rudolph shall have a mixed scarf. :) Some vintage red yarn from my grandmother dons Rudi's nose and scarf. They're all excited to watch the festivities as they unravel where they are headed for years to come :)

*UPDATE*

PATTERNS for each can be found here or via ravelry for download here.

PATTERN for the set of 4 can ber found here! :)


Here is the complete set all rallied together...

They were all about the picture taking... they even lined up for me :)...

...then they wanted to move around, before things got too crazy I snapped this picture. :) 

I hope you like them! :) Have you put your tree up for the year yet? I hope to this weekend :)

Thanks for reading!

Francesca

...is a new boutique store I visited on black Friday and while I was looking for gifts for other people that day I found I gravitated to stores that had no lines versus those I'd be standing in for nearly an hour just to check out... um, no thank you. :) Of course this resulted in me wandering into a few shops I wouldn't have if I'd been sticking to my list. ;)

Francesca is a lovely lil shop I was happy to have found in the mall because it reminded me of etsy artisan creations. :) birds perched on circular mirrors, pearl beaded jewelry, mustache ladened items and chalkboard pieces to add a whimsical touch to any decor. Their scarves are lovely as well but I gravitated to the jewelry stands and these two beauties jumped out at me (oooh shiny! :)). There was practically no line (yes!) allowing me to check out and be on my way in next to no time... onto my next adventure!

Come Saturday I was getting ready to go out with the mister and some friends, I was trying on my new earrings to see how they looked (though at the store I held up the card  in front of my ear to give myself an idea without really trying them on). I then thought of the many bloggers who share their new found purchases and decided I'd snap a few pictures & share my finds here as well. While I can't say it'll be a permanent consistent thing (historically I don't go shopping for things other than groceries and yarn :)) I love sharing these items! I see clothing as a way of self expression and reflecting to the world the way we see it or how we wish it would be. I'm an artist. I love to create and dream. I realize not everyone is like this and at times I will be misunderstood. For some reason I used to think once I was older people would understand me better but I also realize I need to stop caring if that will ever happen or not, people will not always see eye to eye and agree on everything, but differences don't have to separate us. I still say we can learn a lot from others and each other.

I suppose that's enough philosophy for a day :)

Beautiful flowers... for casual or for business adding a feminine touch.

This is the pair I decided on for the evening.

I do like accessories and pretty things, thanks to Francesca's designers I was feeling like a queen about the time I left the house with my husband  (which is also partially his fault ;)). I think I all the more enjoyed sharing the night with him because of it. :0)

I hope you like the earrings! :)

Tell me - what makes you feel like a queen?

Polar Bear Amigurumi Ornament Progress

Whew! Okay - where did the last 4 days go?! I was able to put together 4 Mr. Snow Ornaments and just finished the head of the Polar Bear  (scarf to be added soon :))

With any luck and a lot of patience and (perseverance ;)) I should have many more to share soon! :)

Snowman Ornament - Mr. Snow

A friend of mine had a baby last year and requested some child safe ornaments. In the end the set will consist of polar bears, brown bears, snowmen, reindeer and a few pine cones for good wintry measure ;). I started on the reindeer first... but to get my creative juices flowing and to have one done for a bit of moral ;) I put down the hook on the reindeer and picked it up for this guy ;). Mr. Snow is making eyes at me and will be quite encouraging as I work up the others I'm sure.

2 more of these snowmen to go! :) Then 12 more ornaments to go :) I'll share them as they are finished :). And rest assured I'll add the patterns to the shop as soon as I can :)

Hope you like meh snowman! :) I call him Mr.Snow for short - shows' respect ya know? He's a fun guy but as suspected the sun makes him kind of nervous... we all have our weaknesses, no? ;)

Have I told you lately...

...that I love my customers? ;)

I recently sold a holiday garland - one of my favorites I should add - with the Victorian (discontinued) red heart yarn.  I also have a tree skirt made from this yarn that I pull out every year to dress up underneath a tree around the house :). I love Christmas time. Its such a magical time. :) *swoons*

Sorry, Christmas is shiny so I got distracted lol ;) back to my awesome customers - Stefanie was gracious enough to share her photos of this adorable little gent with me to show how she used the garland. You will see the garland has a cameo in each photo behind this lil guys adorable hat (or smile :)) Photography by Stefanie Politi as you'll notice in the photos - please take a look at her other photos on fickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/njmommyof3boys/ . The kids are so cute and Stefanie knows what she is doing with the lighting ;) :).

Thank you again Stefanie for the photos - allowing me to show the world how awesome my customers are :). You's the best! ^-^ ...and I love the photos! :) They all make me smile! :)

Finished Crochet Baby Cocoon

I'm pretty picky when it comes to working up projects.. just call me Goldilocks - everything has to be just right lol. After working up the base 4 different ways I was glad to have spawned a kind of bowled base. :) I did put finger to keyboard and typed up the pattern as I went, it will be available in the shop and ravelry soon! :) With any luck sometime tomorrow even so stay tuned! :) I will add the links here :).

I found out through researching different styles of baby cocoons a few reasons these are sought after as of late. Not only do they make amazing baby picture props but they keep babies warm! ;) Nursing a baby while swaddled in a cocoon helps keep babies hands inside and their lil toesies warm too! So mommy only has to concern herself with feeding because baby is snug as a bug in a rug :). This is what I call win - win :) Both mommy and baby are happy ^-^ Thank you Julie for requesting this! I hope you get lots of use out of it! :) 

                 

 Thank you for reading! :) Are you working on anything right now? Knit, crochet or otherwise?

Baby Cocoon - Sneak Peek!

I hope (I hope I hope!) to have pictures taken of the full baby cocoon tomorrow and a finalized pattern for it by this weekend sometime - that would really put some wind in my sails! :) That would totally give me some added "oomph" for starting my next custom order....  crocheted baby safe ornaments! :) 

More to come! :) Hope you're having a wonderful week! How are you getting ready for the holidays? 

Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup for the Crock Pot

Um, can you say yum? Because if you can't you'll learn to after tasting this recipe. Or else! ;) 0:) ...just kidding.. it really is yummy though.. okay? :) Just try it...

This is comfort food at its best, you'll be feeling snug as a bug in a rug sipping on creamy cheesy goodness and chewing on broccoli bits (are you saying yum yet?! ;)) definitely a recipe to use on those rainy or snowy days...

What you'll need:

8 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 c water
1 1/2 c freshly shredded cheese
1 package frozen chopped broccoli
3 - 4 cubes chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp pepper

NOTE: I used mild sharp cheddar and honestly, getting a block of cheese and shredding it yourself makes the best cheese to use in this recipe, if you get preshredded cheese it doesn't melt quite the same. In the end this is YOUR recipe - make it as you please ;).

Place all your broccoli in a microwave safe bowl - place in microwave and cook for 8 - 10 minutes.

While the broccoli is heating up add all the other ingredients to the crockpot.

When you take the broccoli out make sure to use hot pads - the bowl will be hot!

Grab a potato masher and mash the broccoli bits, (the more you mash, the thicker your soup will be.... yum? :) Once they are mashed to your liking transfer them to the crockpot. Realize too that the broccoli will continue to cook and soften once in the crockpot. Feel free to mash them bits more later! ;)

Cook on low for 1- 2 hours stirring occasionally. Enjoy and say YUM! :D

Let me know how you like it and how it turned out for you! Happy cooking! xo ~Dawn

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Looking for more Low Carb soups or crock pot recipes? 

Since posting this recipe I've started a foodie blog! 

Find more low carb SOUPS HERE. 

Find more low carb CROCK POT RECIPES HERE. 

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Hey Santa! Wait, wait... Lucy is that you!? :)

I recently sold a tiny Santa hat to a wonderful customer Cindy of California! :) Cindy was kind enough to share photos of her feline Lucy in my Santa hat! Lucy looks like she would make a very good Santa - organized, calm and collected - don't you think! ;)

I hope you enjoy these photos & a big thank you again Cindy for passing these on! Lucy looks adorable! :)

Knitting Scarves to Infinity!

...and beyond! :)

Just kidding ^-^ but I've done a few infinity scarves in the past few weeks and one I'm still not sure it will be added to the shop or not but I'm sharing photos here of the fruits of my labor. I hope you like them. ;) My sister and I had fun with the shutter feature on the camera :) She's so nice to be my model :)

                              

Infinity cowl in Black Raspberry
 Gray, Black and Pink
We have fun... yes :)

I'd love to know, which of these scarves are your favorite? :)

Infinity cowl in Northern Lights 
Blue, Purple, Teal, Green and Black!

Here they are stacked.... oh the colors!! :) 

Happy Halloween!

Indeed! :) This was the best Halloween yet :) The foyer was decorated, I was in costume today to hand out candy and I got to see another happy customer model one of my creations :)

Look at this little cutie! :) He's the roughest toughest viking there is! Just look at how he sharpens his ax with his teeth! :) ;) That would intimidate anybody who might have to fight him, no? ;)

This lil boys parents are super awesome - not only did they get him a hand knit viking hat (complete with horns and faux knit fur!) and a matchin fur vest,  but they made his stroller into a boat as well! :) I'm so glad to be sharing these photos with you - compliments of his mother :). Thank you again Julie! :)

...to all you followers of lostsentiments here, facebook and twitter ... here's to you! :) 

I'd get you a cold one if I could to show my appreciation! :) And if I could I'd do it in the costume I had on today compliments of an awesome co-worker :) You all rock! :) Many many thanks! I hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween! :) 

Bunny Santa, Witchy Cat?

I have awesome customers :) they are so nice! Truly... they send me pictures of their pets with my hats on from time to time and recently I was lucky to get these photos! Had to share - enjoy! :)

              

Santa is coming... He is coming!

Said Buddy the Elf! ;) with a wonderful hop, skip and a jump! :) I really like that movie - so playful, light hearted and endearing :). I thought of that line while I took pictures of all these tiny hats! :)

I received and order for 9 Santa hats and then received several orders for individual hats soon after. So last week after work I spent much of my time on my couch with hook and thread in hand shelling out these lovelies :).

Here are a few pictures of the finished hats, some while in progress and a few elf hat photos as well as I received a few orders for those in the same weekend (business is good! ^-^) :)

So as I rallied the hats together as if they each have a personality of their own - I laughed quietly to myself imagining little Buddy Elves coming together and scrambling to help Santa before he leaves the North Pole for his awesome once a year trip. What can I say, my childhood was good to me lol - I look back on the wonder and the possibility of there being a Santa when I was younger, a guy I knew, leaving me gifts for no other reason except that I bothered to ask and tried to be a "good girl" that year... ah nostalgia ;)

I hope you enjoy the pictures! :)

The photo second from the bottom reminds me of when Buddy Elf talked about passing through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest... :) lol great movie, as always thanks for reading :) 

Chicken & Spaghetti Squash Noodle Soup

Chicken & Spaghetti Squash Noodle Soup
Pin it for later here.

What you'll need:

1 Onion chopped
4 Carrots sliced
4 Celery stalks diced
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Sage
1 tsp Garlic & Herb Spice
1 - 4 lb Chicken
5 Cups Water
1 Medium Spaghetti Squash

Put all ingredients in a 6 quart crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours or 4 - 5 hours on high.

About an hour before the soup is ready remove the chicken and let it cool. While letting it cool, prep the spaghetti squash.

Cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise. Pull out all the seeds and fibers, I use a large spoon to do this ( save the seeds for roasting later if you like! :)). Once both sides are clean fill one half with water and place it in a microwave safe bowl setting the other half right on top. If the squash seems to want to wobble slice a very thin piece from the bottom of the squash to make it stay in place. Microwave for about 10 minutes. Use oven mitts to pull the dish from the microwave it will be really hot! Take the top side of the squash off and let it set while you pull the meat from the chicken. Add all the chicken meat to the soup and return to the spaghetti squash.

Use a fork to pull all of the squash and add to the soup! Let it simmer, all together in the soupy, veggie, meaty goodness for an hour more and then enjoy! :)

If you try it I'd love to know how it turned out for you! :)

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Looking for more Low Carb soups or crock pot recipes? 

Since posting this recipe I've started a foodie blog! 

Find more low carb SOUPS HERE. 

Find more low carb CROCK POT RECIPES HERE. 

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