Puff Stitch End Table Topper

One thing's for sure--my home is a hodpodge of new things, used things, handmade things, and store-bought things.  In May, I'll celebrate 10 years of marriage and I must say that my style has morphed and evolved over this past decade--and I can only imagine that the cycle will continue.  With that understanding, I really don't put a whole lot of money into a lot of the smaller pieces of furniture that I buy.  All of our end tables are thrift store finds, and as you know, thrift store finds often come with their own... character.  (Read: flaws, nicks, dents, scratches.)  

I'm grateful to buy things that have been pre-loved, because then I don't feel the pressure of perfection.  It's a nice burden to be free of.  

The table topper I crocheted (last year) covers a cute little cast-off end table that I bought at Goodwill for $13.50.  It was a Target reject (still had the Target label attached) that has one tiny flaw in the veneer on the table top.  A vase of faux flowers has covered the flaw for a few years, but last year I made a puff stitch table topper, mostly because I just LOVE little puff stitches.   

I started with these instructions as the first rounds, and just kept going--increasing appropriately, of course.  So, yeah, pretty easy, and it was made only using yarn I had on hand.  It's all Lion Brand Vanna's Choice, in case you're curious.

I'm sure I should add some more details or some funny anecdote to end this post, but it's Spring Break and my eldest just woke from a nap--so, I'm checking out! Go forth and crochet!

Insta-Update 4

1. Earlier this month, we visited my husband's family in Plant City (#1 producer of strawberries in the U.S.--check those boxes you're buying this time of the year and there's a good chance it came from Plant City, FL) and couldn't help but take in the Strawberry Festival.  Though I didn't buy the deep fried butter, just make note that fair food is possibly the unwritten 6th love language and it's my love language fo' sho'.

2. Being that we were in the strawberry capital of the U.S., I bought two flats of strawberries (for only $5 each) and "got my Laura Ingalls on" by making 24 pints of strawberry jam.  And then I crashed.

3. In a quest to keep my grocery budget under $250 a month, I've been making a habit of stretching rotisserie chickens from Sam's Club.  This chicken salad from Maybe Matilda was a winner.

4. Picked up a crochet hook for the first time in a while and made a hat.  Haven't put my hook down since. 

5. Our 8 year old Westie.  He's just so handsome I can hardly stand it.

6. We occasionally switch up Elliott's usual hairstyle (a french braid) with something more fun from our Pinterest hair board.  In other hair news, I'm also majorly itching to chop off the hair that I've been working for two years to grow.  

7.  FL weather has been PERFECT.  Not hot, not cold, slightly breezy, in other words: perfect.  Oh, how I dread the summer...but we're totally taking advantage of our current conditions.

8. We just bought a new (to us) grill and we're loving it!  My husband even has cooked breakfast on the griddle that he bought to extend the utility of the grill. 

9. The Brevard Zoo here in lovely Melbourne just opened a new Meerkat exhibit.  It was quite possibly the cutest zoo exhibit I've ever seen, and I have renewed excitement about being annual pass holders.

And that's that.

Mini-Easel Art

This craft is from a million years ago and somehow I never shared it here!  (Can you tell I'm going through a lot of "old stuff" and bringing it out?  It's renaissance time here at Two Girls Being Crafty).

Isn't that dog just awesome?  I loved him immediately, in all his blue magnificence, sitting aloof in a patch of wildflowers.  I don't know why, but this little guy spoke to me and I couldn't toss him in the trash.  {Cough, hoarding tendencies, cough.}

All you need for this simple craft is an inspiring photo/card/paper/clipping that you love, a 4x4 tile (16 cents at Home Depot), mod podge, spray on polyurethane sealer (optional), and a mini-easel (available in the art supply section of Jo-Ann for $1.99--but don't forget your coupons!).

Basically, I used the same method that my blogmate Sharon employed for making coasters.  Cut the image to the size that you want, coat a tile with mod podge and then affix your picture.  Once the image is where you want it, cover it all over with a layer of mod podge.  Straightforward, right?  Yeah.  We like to keep it real.

Once this is dry, you should technically use a polyurethane sealer--but it's not completely necessary if it's just going to be a decoration since Mod Podge also acts as a sealer.  If you're ever going to use it as a coaster or you're going to put it somewhere where there's moisture, like a bathroom. then you should take the two seconds to spray on a sealer.

These little art tiles on easels would make a great gift for office-mates who need a little cubicle decor. I'm out of the working world right now, but I still like it as a little knick-knack on my shelf.  {Update: He's long gone.  I got tired of him.  But the craft costs well under a buck, so it's totally cool to do so.  And the easel can be reused for another "can't throw away item" that you'll one day end up throwing away anyhow!}

Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too

A while back, as in before Bennett was born, I borrowed Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too from the library and actually made some projects!  (Don't worry, I returned the book.  I took these photos about two years ago and never shared!). It has seriously been so long since I've completed an amigurumi project, I now wonder how I ever spent my time on cute little things like these. Maybe one day when I'm eighty I can finally do it again. And maybe even get more than five hours of sleep, too.

He's so so so super-cute.  The author actually includes a pattern for a large momma turtle that these little babies (and some egg shells) can nest into.  Cool, right?  Yeah, I never made the momma.  My attention span just didn't allow for it.

It was a cute book and the author created very clear and concise patterns.  I just love amigurumi.  The counting is soothing and it's nice to be challenged occasionally by actually having to pay attention to a pattern.

I'm thinking about using this little toadstool in some yarnbombing.  Like this:

{Source}

That'd be awesome to see on a park bench, right?!

Much love! 

Tristin

 (And if you want some yarnbombing inspiration, check out my Yarnbombing Pinterest Board.)

Insta-Update 3

Melbourne, Florida is one of the loveliest places I've ever lived--and I've lived in a lot of places.  It's quaint but developed, big enough to have a Chipotle (finally) yet small enough to not have bad traffic.  The beaches are quiet and awesome, the rivers perfect for cruising, and the locals come from every walk of life though they're rarely actually from here.  Anyhow, I snapped the river scene at a local boat-ramp/playground that we occasionally visit after I was just in awe of the beautiful place that we call home.  I feel truly blessed to be here.

And the rest has to do with food.  HA!

I finally tried that whole "boil a can of sweetened condensed milk" to make Dulce de Leche and I'm happy to report that not only did it not explode like my husband predicted, it actually tastes pretty dang awesome.

Due to Benji's food phases (translated: for the last few months she starts her mornings with a banana, but now refuses and wants "my cheer-eeee-ooooh") I was left with enough bananas to make 3 loaves of banana bread.  I tried a new-to-me recipe for Chocolate Banana Bread (courtesy of the wonderful Money Saving Mom) and I totally found a new go-to recipe.  It's awesome and freezer-friendly and since making it, Benji has now phased out the cheerios and simply requests "my cookie" (aka the banana bread).

After the girls longingly stared at a cake-dome full of doughnuts until my in-laws arrived for a visit, Benji got to have her first Krispy Kreme (an event worth noting, in my opinion).  I think it took her about 4 bites to devour it. I should have kept her in ignorance a bit longer. If she's anything like her momma, this is the beginning of a life-long love affair.

Anything awesome going on in your world?  Share!

Embroidered TOMS

Before Elliott started preschool, I went on a search for the "perfect" everyday shoes.  She's a Florida girl through-and-through and lived in jellies up to the point that she was required by school rules to wear close-toed "tennis shoes".  Her narrow feet (SO unlike her momma's) don't agree with most kids tennis shoes on the market, and throw in the whole laces vs. velcro debacle and as it would turn out, picking shoes for your four-year old isn't so cut and dry.  Not to mention, this girl has her own preferences.  Sheesh.  

After much research and time spent reading reviews for all the shoes that hit my criteria (had to be able to be put on independently, option to wear without socks, breathable, good for romping on the playground, would look good with a variety of types of outfits, E likes the look) we settled for Toms. 

I may be a bit biased, here.  I have a pair of Toms, too, that I adore.  Navy blue, in fact.  Are you seeing a trend?  I think it's cool that for now she's excited to have matching shoes with me.  That day will pass, so I'm digging it while it lasts.

Elliott was SOO excited for school to start, but continued to voice one concern.  

"Mommy, what if you forget to pick me up?" 

It pretty much broke my heart.  I couldn't convince the girl that it was impossible for me to forget to pick her up, because when I am away from her, it's like a piece of me is missing and that I'm counting the minutes until it's time to get her again.  (Oh, I sound so sappy, but it's SO true!)  I decided I wanted to give her a symbol that would remind her that Mommy loves her and would always be back for her.  This symbol came in the form of a simple heart that I embroidered into the side of her shoe.  When she's sitting with her legs crossed, as kiddos in preschool do, she sees the heart that reminds her that Mom loves her and will be back for her.

Those worries have since left her tender heart, but my reminder remains, just in case they creep back in.

{Project deets: It's literally a freehand heart, backstitched with pink embroidery floss, a needle, and my hand. Cost is like 20 cents, if you have to buy embroidery floss.  Lucky for me, I have unimaginable amounts of embroidery floss, thanks to a momma who cross-stitched a lot in decades past.}

5 Blasts from the Past: Valentine's Projects

1. Sharon's Recycled Heart Garland

2. Gap Knock-off Ladybug Tee

3. Felt Blanket-stitched Heart Garland

4. Crocheted Heart Garland

5. Sharon's Crepe Paper Rose Tree

Recently I was feeling sentimental and started going through the years of old posts that Sharon and I have shared.  Oh, the crafts we've crafted!  It's funny because when I look back I laugh at my yarn choices and the dumb things I say.  Sharon's posts, I'm never critical of, though.  She's just a super-cool girl and always has been.  And yeah, I'm back to posting here and there, but alas, she's still busy with pharmacy school.  She's in her third year and it feels like (to me at least) she's in the home stretch.  We still get to hang out and maybe we don't craft like we used to, but there's just as much laughter as there ever was.  So, that's a Sharon update.

I have this sinking feeling that I'm not going to get anything awesome made for V-day, and  I'm totally cool with that.  Since it has been like three years since we've posted Valentine's crafts, it seems like it's perfectly legit to share with you some links to blasts-from-the-past V-day crafts (a.k.a. I am just not one of "those" awesome bloggers who's on top of the holidays--so sue me).  Enjoy.