Merry, Merry

Just popping in to wish everyone a very merry, merry Christmas!  And here's hoping the day brings joy and happiness shared with friends and family. :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Scarecrow courtesy of morguefile.com

Even though it's dark, dreary and pouring rain, I feel incredibly thankful. So hug your babies and enjoy time with your family and friends this fine Thanksgiving morn. :)

A Day for Moms

Photo credit: bambe1964 via Foter.com / CC BY-ND

Here in the Maritimes, the lobster fishing opens about a week or so before Mother's Day.  So in many communities, there are traditional lobster meals served on Mother's Day.   This afternoon, I will partake of this maritime tradition with family.

Photo credit: garryknight via Foter.com / CC BY

As I enjoy my buttery crustacean with freshly baked rolls and green salad, I wilI give thanks for all that I have, modest as it seems.  There are those who have much less.  And although my own mom will be miles away, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to all the mothers out there.  Thank for you for your time, your kind words, your hugs and most of all, your love. :)

Happy Happy, Merry Merry

Even though I've been MIA these past few weeks, you were never far from my thoughts.  So many times I had photos, but no time OR time but no photos--what with work and school and lots of Christmas knitting . . . Rest assured, we'll be catching up soon.

Photo courtesy of Stock Photos

Meanwhile, thank you for your patience.  Hope your day is filled with joy and happiness as you celebrate the season with family and friends.  Have a great Christmas! 

Lots of love,
DinaPurls :)

Post Halloween

Any trick-or-treaters at your place?  We never got any when we lived at the farmhouse, but it was nice to see some last night.  

Pumpkin dude--just hangin' out.

My boys were out on their own with their friends.  I'm glad they're growing up to be responsible young men, but I do miss those little rituals, like taking them out to trick-or-treat.  

Pumpkins on the deck

Hope it was a nice weekend for you.  I haven't  done much--it's been a "day off".  Today we deal with the time change and the fast-approaching darkness (I'm a summer girl with it's warm breezes and light-filled evenings). So Halloween always has me feeling melancholy (Winter is just 'round the corner).

All lit up for Halloween

There has been some knitting--well, very little knitting.  Maybe therein lies the problem?  Knitting cures all ills, including melancholy.   Persevere I must, so I hope to do more knitting in the upcoming weeks.  There are Christmas knits that need finishing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo from . . . ?

 Just poppin' in to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving on this lovely long weekend.  I know I have lots to be thankful for.  Hope you do too.

Happy Egg Day

Hope you and your family had a nice Egg Day.

photo courtesy of pixelperfect.com

We've been hit by illness: some of us were sick while others were recovering.  So it was a quiet Easter Sunday, spent in pajamas under blankets on the couch.  Here's hoping everyone gets well soon.

Merry Merry!

Special ornaments made or gifted from family

Hope you are all having a great holiday with loved ones nearby.  Merry Christmas everyone!!

Gifts under the tree Christmas morn

We are enjoying the holiday in our new home and feel very blessed for all that we have.  May your season be filled with joy, love, many blessings . . . 

Knitted mini-stocking from Little Cotton Rabbits

. . . . and lots of yarny goodness.

;)

Christmas Lights

Details of Lights

Yup, still working on school--one more project to finish and then I can relax (translation: do some crafting!).  Meanwhile, everyone all around is getting ready for the holidays.    Hubby and the boys put up the lights outside and I really like it!

Lights on Bush

I think they did a bang up job!  The photos don't do it justice.  Those LED lights don't show up as well as the old regular lights.  Just the same, it's enough to get a person in the holiday mood . . . 

Later,
:)

Happy St. Patty's Day

St Patrick's Hat and Coin (courtesy of Stockphotos.com)

Hope you had a good weekend.  Hope you have a good day.  I'm at work dressed in green "celebrating" with my toddlers where we'll be eating lotta green food.  ;)

Shamrocks (courtesy of PixelPerfect.com)

Wishing that everyone's days will soon be filled with green and sunshine and warmth.

Cheers!

Happy Holidays . . .

How's the festivities at your place?  We're in full Christmas cheer here in the house on the hill.

The tree is up.  The presents are wrapped.  The baking is done.  We're just relaxin' and chillin' with the kids as we await Santa's arrival . . . .

Hope y'all have a wonderful Christmas with loved ones nearby.

Happy Turkey Day!

Turkey Cupcakes courtesy of foter.com

Hope you're enjoying your turkey day with family and friends.  Cheers!

Father's Day

Remembering all the dads . . . 

photo courtesy of foter.com

Here's to happy memories . . .  :)

Happy Egg Day

Dyed Easter Eggs

Pretty eggs?  The kids and I had fun playing 'round with the dyes.  We even went egg hunting in the melting snow . . 

Plastic eggs found in the snow

Now don't think it was all work--lots of R&R.  There's nothing like a long weekend for extra rest and relaxation.  Surprisingly warm temperatures and loads of sunshine left me further contented.  And of course, there was plenty of delicious meals, goodies and treats . . . life is good!

Little peep on a chocolate treat
courtesy of foter.com

Hope this bodes well for the rest of the week.  Have a good one!

Any Crafting?

What you ask?  Have I been crafting?  Of course not!  Even with all the time off during the holidays, you'd think I'd have got some crafting done.  For all my free time, I have very little to show for (except for some tentacles and a couple of teddy bear legs).  Although I must confess that I quickly finished my Barbie's new outfit.

My doll's new outfit

I'm not happy with my finishing (very hard to make neat seams with teeny tiny stitches).  Wonder if working the same pattern in the round will offer a better finish . .  . At the very least, I joined a neat doll and amigurumi group (called Good Things Together) over on Ravelry.  They have lots of helpful links (for knitting, crochet, sewing and prop construction), so I'm hoping it'll give me the inspiration to tarry on.

Despite my general lack of crafting over the holidays, there was much baking (and subsequent eating), game-playing, lots of movie-watching and general merriment--oh yes, and much napping, LOL.  Now that I've re-entered the doldrums of everyday life, I`m slowly getting back into my daily routines.

This weekend, the house slowly returned to pre-holiday order with the ornaments going into storage and the tree going outside.  And the gifts needing "re-adjustments" were tackled.  What re-adjustments?  Namely hemming.

I can sew--sort of and in a semi-straight line.  I've devised a technique for hemming that is relatively painless for the sewing-impaired.  You will need:

• a sewing machine
• a tape measure
• scissors
• marker
• pins

1) First have person wear the pants and then fold the pants up to the intended length.  Pin in place.

2) Before cutting, use tape measure and mark off in one inch increments on the wrong side of the fabric (see example below).  Depending how much has to be taken in, you can make marks on fabric at 2", 3" and 4 " from original hemline.

One inch increments on wrong side of fabric

3) Remove pins and cut off old hem with scissors (this part might be scary, but is necessary).  Only cut enough to remove old hem.

Cutting old hem after measuring off the one-inch increments

4) Now fold over raw edge onto 2" or 3" increment.  Sew into place using straight stitch (if fabric is really stretchy, you should consider a zigzag stitch.  Using a matching thread will hide from visibility on right side).

Sewing raw edge to desired increment

5) Fold over a second time, using the 3" or 4" increment (depending on how short the pants need to be).  Sew into place in same manner as in step 4. Why sew a second time? Most fabric tend to unravel after washing.  Sewing in place a second time prevents this from happening (Yes I know about pinking shears, but I don't always find them effective).

Folding over second time and sewing into place 

6) Viola!  You're finished!  Pants are ready to be worn.  No ironing or pinning required. Easy-peasy!  

Finished hem

I've been using this technique for quite a few years.  I don't know if it's the correct way to hem a pair of pants (psst, don't tell my mom the seamstress), but works great for jeans and cotton pants.