Pay It Forward Challenge

Is there anyone out there interested in joining this great challenge, in getting a handmade gift from me and then doing the same on your blog??????????

I've joined the Pay it Forward challenge. I think it will be lots of fun. I joined over at Monique's blog, Thyme and Lavendar. She collects lots of vintage things that are just gorgeous! And, she's making something JUST FOR ME! I love to craft and not everyone appreciates handmade gifts. However, IF YOU WOULD LIKE SOMETHING FROM ME, let me know in this post's comments. The first three people to join me will receive a handmade gift from me. I have 365 days to make it and send, after a bit of sleuthing to see what would be perfect just for you.

Then each of you three must also put this on your blog and get three people each to sign up. Then you make your three people a handmade gift. I think it sounds just great. Hopefully three bloggers out there will want a handmade gift from me.All you have to do is put this fun challenge up on your blog and lets keep it going.

RAVELRY

I'm in, I'm in, I'm in! I can't believe I so excited about this, but it is true.

So, come be my friend -- CrochetCupcake to you!

I LOVE CupCakes Swap - by 9/30/07

(Sigh) Okay I joined just ONE MORE swap. How could I resist, when my Ravelry (yes, I said RAVELRY) login is CrochetCupcake?!?

It's the "I LOVE CupCakes" swap over at Swap-Bot. Details:

Swap Homepage:	http://craftypiggies-goodies.blogspot.com/
Swap-bot URL:	http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/7368
Swap Coordinator:	craftypiggie (contact)
Swap categories:	Crocheting
Number of people in swap:	8
Last day to signup/drop:	September 30, 2007
Date items must be sent by:	October 15, 2007
Number of swap partners:	1
Description:
This exchange will usa ..sorry international friends. This is cupcakes only everything to do with cupcakes.You must make one cupcake any craft is welcome crochet,knitting,sewing. You also will add your pattern that you used to make your cupcake. Please no real cupcakes lol!!! Please embellish your cupcake to make it fun. must be 3.0 to join if you are new please message me and we will talk about everyone starts some how. Good way to make hearts for your profile because everyone loves cupcakes. There is lots of patterns on the web so you must 1. make a cupcake 2. copy of your pattern Any questions email to at craftypiggie@aol.com or message me.

New Apron Swap

All right folks, pop on over to Swap-Bot and join Beelicious' Halloween Apron Swap. Make an adorable apron and get a beauty in return!! (Click on image.) Beelicious gave me an gorgeous tote in an earlier exchange and is an amazing crafter, as seen on her blog. Join the fun!!

FFBE - Week of 9/24 Topic

"As of this weekend, the season has officially changed on the calendar - but what makes Autumn feel like Autumn to you, and why?"

I know it's Autumn when school buses are part of my regular commute, when the air is cool enough to wear cuddly sweaters but not so cold as to need mittens yet, when the leaves rapidly change color and disappear, when soup just sounds good, when sunflowers are still blooming next to pumpkins, and when I see Christmas decorations for sale - and I get grumpy instead of excited! LOL!! (Listen Mr. Retailer, DO NOT put Christmas decorations out at the same time you run back-to-school sales! )

God Bless Drew and Mary Ann

September is always difficult in my job and at home, but this has been a little bit less hurried week, both home and at work for which I am thankful.

However, today was an emotional day -- I attended the funeral of a co-worker's son who had served in Iraq. Four months ago, his vehicle was hit by an IED and he was left paralyzed from the neck down. Such a sincere, dynamic young man with a strong faith. He chose to be removed from his respirator, before his troop that he commanded arrived back in the States. It was a beautiful and emotional service, and it ended with a recording of him saying goodbye, thanking people for their love and support, and asking for their understanding. You could hear the respirator in the background. Heartbreaking, and touching. Just attending that service made me want to be a better person, to live my life in a way that really matters, you know? Jesus IS my Lord and Savior, and I want to live my life to the fullest everyday to His glory.

Then, I went straight from the memorial service to a mammogram appointment, and spent that appointment thinking of my dear friend who's battling cancer caused from radiation treatments during her breast cancer battle. She is the model of grace and kindness, and I so miss seeing her face at work every day. I pray for a miracle of healing, and am thankful for her friendship.

Let's all take a moment out of crafting and hurriedness, and thank the Lord for our good health, shall we?

Cozy Tea "Cosy"

Here's a little gift I'm working on for my Knit One, Tea Two pal. Check out this adorable Tea "Cosy" (spelling New Zealand style). I think it's so cute, I may need to make one for myself! Here's the pattern at Megan's site. The yarn is mostly from my stash -- burgandy and the rose are "Online Lambswool 112", and the deep olive and cream are both Patons Classic Wool.

Cat 2, Mouse 0

Our little tabby cat is taking to being a country cat. The poor mousies don't have a fighting chance. He keeps leaving them as gift in front of our shower. I had a horrible surprise when I got home from work. The bathroom door was closed, and I opened it to find Ollie taking his job very seriously. YUCK!!

Knit One, Tea Two Swap Update

I'm having so much fun gathering goodies for my swap package ... I found this beautiful fine bone china strainer on eBay, have a perfect tea sampler on order, and want to make a felted tea cozy as my handmade item but have never done that before. I think I better send a card of something so my gal knows I'm thinking of her!!

Another FFBE Contest

1. Post on your blog, and give us SOME kind of secret "Bag in Progress" photo.
Here's my sneak preview shot. I'm excited to say that this is my first venture into Entrelac and I'm having so much fun. This is a bag of my own design/dimensions. The brown and cream are Lions Wool, and I finally found the right pink at Elann. I also have some purchased handles that aren't in the shot so I'm so jazzed about this one. As it's coming together, it reminds me of Brachs candy, although the colors are Neopolitan ice cream all the way! Hey, if you've figured out that I'm your pal, cover your eyes!!

2. Post a link to the blog of one other swapper that you 'met' and have continued to read through the 3-2-1 contact post!
I've been reading LaurieC's blog through this exchange, plus ITE4 and Crochetoholic Swap. I was an Army wife early in our marriage and I feel a kinship to her.

First Day of School

You can't see Tatum's adorable plaid dress, but she's in her new school's sweatshirt and showing off that fun new messenger bag. Third grade already ... it's going so fast!!

Thanks SP11 Partner!!

Check out my spectacular box. This little goodie was on my front porch yesterday, a wonderful surprise for a busy weekend!! She packed it so great, with lots of unwrapping which made each item even more special.

I hope you can see it all ... a cute postcard with crab soup recipe, Maryland keychain, Orioles game schedule, yummy Ghirardelli Chocolates with Caramel, clover stitch markers, the perfect farm house Mary Engelbreit magnet, a great local newspaper with country news, a fun pattern book with crocheted shrugs, capelets and amazing flowers that I can't wait to try. And, the best, TWO SKEINS of delicious BAMBOO in a fun color called "Twink". Isn't that adorable! I can't wait to find the perfect scarf or other pattern. This yarn is begging to be next to my skin. Thanks, secret pal - you're the best!

On a side note, my first package will on its way to MY SP11 pal tomorrow. I feel so late!

Scattegories MEME

The rules are: Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the questions. They must be real places, names, things ... nothing made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question. If your name happens to start with the same letter as mine, sorry, but you can't use my answers! So join in the fun...
My name: Shawnee
1. Famous Singer: Sting
2. Four letter word: Shoe
3. Street: St. Charles Place (Monopoly)
4. Color: Shocking Pink
5. Gifts/Presents: Silk sheets
6. Vehicle: Subaru
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Spoons
8. Boy's Name: Samuel
9. Girl's Name: Sophia
10. Movie Title: Sleepless in Seattle
11. Drink: Sparkling Champagne
12. Occupation: Stockbroker
13. Celebrity: Sally Field
14. Magazine: Sunset
15. U.S. City: Salt Lake City
16. Pro Sports: San Francisco 49ers
17. Fruit: Strawberries
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Stuck in traffic
19. Something You Throw Away: Squashed bugs
20. Things You Shout: Stop!
21. Cartoon Character: Scooby Doo
TAG! If you're reading this and want to Participate, then you're tagged! It's fun to do!
Thanks, Mary and Debb! Fun idea!!

Christmas Around the World Questionnaire

1. Are you religious? Yes, conservative Christian
   
2. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider yourself a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced? I'm a beginner knitter
   
3. Do you have any other hobbies besides knitting? I'm an advanced crocheter, and also love to read, watch movies, find new recipes and kick back with family
   
4. Favorite color(s)? I love ALL colors ... red and black, pink with brown, all shades of white
   
5. Do you collect anything? I have several collections: David Winter cottages, Mary Engelbreit items, pocket dragons, danish candleholders
   
6. Are you allergic to any fibers or animals? I'm allergic to cats but have always had them!
   
7. Do you have any pets? Yes: a white American Eskimo (Ringo), a young tabby (Ollie), and a beta fish - Rainbow
   
8. Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate? My drink of choice is soy hot chocolate with whipped cream, or soy chai tea
   
9. Cookies or Sweets? I enjoy Russian tea cakes, and chocolate/caramel candies
   
10. Do you knit socks? No, but I so WISH I could
    
11. If not socks then what? (tell us about your favorite knits) My first knit project is still on the needles, a red scarf. I love to felt bags and that's my craft of choice right now.
    
12. Do you put up a Christmas tree? If not then what do you do? We love the tree. Due to allergies, we can't do a real tree, so the good news is I can put it up early and now worry about it dying on me! I love to leave the tree up until Twelfth Night/Epiphany or beyond!
    
13. Favorite holiday treats? Homemade anything!
    
14. Favorite holiday smells? Spiced cider, pine tree, eggnog
    
15. Do you celebrate Christmas in a traditional or unconventional way? Please elaborate. Very traditional Christian holiday celebration ... family, church, presents, giving to others.
    
16. What are your favorite holiday traditions? Open one package on Christmas Eve, go to late church, then open bunches more gifts at home. Santa comes, too, so there are a few more gifts in the morning but we don't get up a oh-dark-thirty then. Big breakfast cooked by hubby, and try to stay in jammies as long as possible. Oh, I must watch It's a Wonderful Life!
17. Finish the sentence: “For me Christmas is all about....” Making others feel the joy of Jesus love through me and my family; giving to others is what is important.
    
18. If you were a Christmas ornament you would be…….? One of the angels at the top of the tree, watching over everyone.
    
19. What was your favorite gift you've ever received? Or given? We received amazing outpouring of love from our church for two Christmases when my husband was unemployed. That time, which one of our most difficult, will be treasured in my heart forever.
    
20. When do you start your Christmas? I think about it all year, buying little things (and sometimes forgetting where I hid them). Then, I begin decorating right after Thanksgiving and put up a bit more throughout the month. Unfortunately, that makes for a LOT of stuff to put away afterwards! LOL!!!
    
21. Do you send Christmas cards? Do you make them or buy them? My card-sending is very sporadic. I BUY them every year but don't always seem to get them into the mail! Hopefully I will this year ... we've moved so I really need to send early.
    
22. What is your favorite Christmas dish? Scalloped Potatoes and Honey Glazed Ham
    
23. Carolers are at your door. What do you do? Close the door on my messy living room and step onto the porch to listen. Then invite them on in for treats, mess and all - it's Christmas!!
    
24. When do you open presents? Christmas eve or Christmas morning? Both!
    
25. Do you celebrate with family or friends or both? Mostly family, small as it is. We don't have a lot of close friends who leave near but want to make more.
    

No Time for Swapping!

I am almost at the end of new school year madness, I hope. My day job is in HR at an education agency, so I am intensely busy from August 1 through September. Of course, I joined three or four swaps that began mid-August and early September. Now, my reasoning is that they run into October and November, so I really can participate but I'm off to a rotten start. Please, dear partners, if for some reason you figure out that I am your secret partner, know that I am constantly thinking of ways to spoil you as soon as I can take a breath!!

What to make for FFBE?

Whatever will I do? My Fall Felted Bag Exchange partner, that I'm making for, has excellent taste --- she likes the same unique and funky bags that I do! The ones I don't know how to make!! And, she is an excellent crafter so I can't just make any ol' thing. Ideas???? I want her to feel "wow" and loved, not "oh no, what's this junky thing?" I know, I really just need to learn to knit ... okay, relearn to knit and actually FINISH something. In the meantime, can anyone direct me to some amazing crochet felted bags? I've made a few ... Pike's Place Bag from CrochetMe, Ribbon Weave Tote from Marlo's Crochet Corner, and then the cute Beads, Welts and Popcorn Bag (B4Bag-lookalike); but I'm a little of tired of making the same bags over and over. Any other hot ideas??

Auction-itis

Oh dear, I'm in a fierce bidding war on eBay for this luscious yarn. I REALLY want to make my new bag out of this yarn. Now, don't you go bidding but just cross your fingers for me! I haven't found a local source for this yummy Karaoke yarn, and I just hate paying full price at the other on-line stores.

Autumn Swap Pal

My darling crochetville Autumn Swap Pal --- THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIFT! It was totally unexpected and delightful surprise. I apologize for the confusion on which swapper this came from .. it won't happen again!!

I'm very much looking forward to enjoying the goodies in your package - a nice soak in the tub and lotioning up, perusing patterns to try and I love the colors on the dish cloths and scrubber you sent. Super big hugs to you, dear CV secret pal.

Swap Bot Apron Swap

I participated recently in a fun Apron Swap on SwapBot. I found an adorable crocheted apron on eBay that I picked up for my Australian partner, Joyce, and made very sure she didn't think I made it myself - I wish I hd though. Anyway, I felt it was perfect for that pink and retro-loving gal, made with pink, black and white stripes.

I received a cute apron made from vintage floral with a pink ruffle around the edge, again just perfect for my new pink kitchen. Yesterday, I just found Lisa's notecards tucked in the apron packaging that I was finally getting around to tossing. Her bittersweet story about her grandmother made me cry and I DO love the sweet apron she made. It definitely makes me smile, and I feel so blessed that it and its story was shared with me. I look foward to trying a new Macaroni recipe and I beg her forgiveness for not giving proper thanks in the beginning!!