Happy Belated Birthday To My Blog!

Thank you all SO MUCH for taking the time to check on my blog! It means a lot to me and I'm glad that through here I have met some really talented and interesting people. My blog is ONE year old and I haven't noticed! My very first post was on  Monday, November 23 2009!

WOW! How time flies! And how things have changed! This past year my blog has developed, evolved and grown, thanks to all of you! I'm so glad that you are sharing this journey with me and I want to thank you for the support and encouragement through your visits and your comments! I hope that I will keep you interested also through this new year and our little blog-"neighborhood" will grow even bigger!

So, the occasion calls for a giveaway!

Yes, that's right!
You are going to get something from me in return!
4 Lucky Winners!
Because I LOVE YOU!

1st: This Crochet Necklace- Headband or

any other necklace from my Etsy Shop.

2nd: One Handmade Notebook of your choice.

3rd: 1 Crochet Bow Hairclip in any color you prefer.

4th: My two pockets Make Up Purse.

The rules are simple:

1. Be a follower, but I guess you are already!

2. Leave a comment (with your e-mail, so I can contact you if you win) telling me your favorite post so far OR what do you want to see more on my blog.

3. Blog, tweet, put on facebook, use whatever way possible to spread the word about this giveaway and leave a separate comment for each of those actions.

You can also use this image with a link back here:

This Giveaway is open

for everyone in the world!

Winners will be announced

January 10th 2011

Good Luck & Happy New Year!

Some Things To Smile, Cry and Think About

As this year is coming to its end it's nice to stop and think for a while. What we have, what we don't have, what we want, what we don't want, what we need, what we don't need and re-evaluate our lives.

(source: 1, 2, 3)

I came across this interesting post 101 Short Stories That Will Leave You Smiling, Crying and Thinking. It's a brief list of stories that have been submitted to the Makes Me Think, an online community where people share daily life stories that provoke deep thought and inspire positive change. The 101 Short Stories... are worth reading. I know I laughed and cried over many of those! Here are a few:

4. Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying.  And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face.  MMT

12. Today, I was working in a coffee shop when 2 gay men walked in holding hands.  As you might expect, heads started turning.  Then a young girl at the table next to me asked her mom why 2 men were holding hands.  Her mom replied, “Because they love each other.”  MMT

21. Today, while I was driving my grandfather to his doctor’s appointment, I complained about hitting 2 red lights in a row.  My grandfather chuckled and said, “You always complain about the red lights, but you never celebrate the green ones.”  MMT

39. Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe.  He said he hadn’t eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy.  Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating.  The first thing the man said was, “We can share it.”  MMT

53. Today, I asked my 6 year old son what he wants to be when he grows up.  He said, “Mommy, all I want to be is happy.”  MMT

61. Today, my mother passed away after a long battle with cancer.  My best friend lives 2000 miles away and called to comfort me.  While on the phone, he asked, “What would you do if I showed up at your house and gave you the biggest hug in the world?”  “I would surely smile,” I replied.  And then he rang my doorbell.  MMT

66. Today at the Atlanta airport, as I walked off a plane dressed in my Army uniform, a little girl grabbed my hand and asked me if I would be going back overseas soon.  I told her I would be in 6 weeks.  She smiled and said, “Can you please tell my daddy that I love him.  My mommy told me he’s never coming home from over there.”  MMT

70. Today, my father told me, “Just go for it and give it a try!  You don’t have to be a professional to build a successful product.  Amateurs started Google and Apple.  Professionals built the Titanic.”  MMT

86. Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success.  He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.”  MMT

90. Today, I was walking home from work in the pouring rain without an umbrella.  I was walking just behind an elderly man who had an umbrella.  As we both passed under the overhang to an apartment building, he stopped, turned around and handed me the umbrella.  He said, “This is my stop and you look like you need an umbrella.  Pass it along someday when the opportunity arises.”  MMT

101. Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class.  When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.”  MMT

Go ahead and read the rest of them here and tell me whether you were touched or not.

Granny Squares

Ever since I've first learned how to crochet I've been dreaming of learning how to crochet Granny Squares.

(source)

I don't know why they call them like that, but even their name is cute! My goal is to manage to make a Granny Square blanket someday but I'm going to need LOTS of them!

(source)

(source)

So, I've made the start! These are my first attempts

after a lot of try and error and the help of my mother.

Yes, my first granny square was a CIRCLE!-hahaha

She hasn't crocheted for YEARS and she hardly remembered anything but everything came back to her!

THANK GOD!

Not so bad I think!

And these are for a special secret project-present

that I'm preparing.

Shhh!  It's a secret!- you'll see it in time!

Project Restyle

A fun project that I'm willing to follow this year:

Project Restyle is a just-for-fun creative group focused on ReStyling damaged, unwanted or unusable goods into fresh, beautiful pieces. Project ReStyle is Rachel's and Elsie's New Years Resolution! They are going to create weekly projects to give life to used items. They'll make fashion pieces as well as home decor projects!

Anyone can join in the fun....

Project ReStyle Guidelines

1. You must use unwanted, damaged or unusable vintage or used items to ReStyle. One of the big purposes of the group is that it encourages green living and is budget friendly. You can use items from your own closet/attic that you no longer love, thrifted finds or hand-me-downs. 

2. Take a Before & After photo of your ReStyled project. It's that simple!

3. Share your creative work on your blogs and in their Flickr Group. If you don't have a Flickr account, it's free to join. They'll be choosing favorites each week to share on their blogs, so you'll want to be sure to join the fun. 

4. You can create fashion, home decor or gift items. There are no limits on what types of items you can ReStyle! Be creative and make items you know you can really use!

So, don't wait any longer! Go and sign up your name in the comments to "pledge" to be a part of this challenge, join their Flickr group to share your creations and post on your blog each time you make a new project. This seems like so much fun! And I can't wait to see what everyone will come up with! I'm sure it will be a creative and inspiring experience!

Flower Headband

Just another thing that I've made. A couple of weeks ago I saw on A Beautiful Mess this Daisy Headband by Twinkie Chan.

So I've made my version.

A little more LOUD and colorful though.

Cute, huh?

Ho-Ho-Ho_Back Again!

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Mine included mainly eating -A LOT!- with family and friends but also I had the time to relax and create a thing of two. So, here is what I've made.

I had around a tutorial for a Boxy Cosmetic Bag but -as ALWAYS!- I can't follow the step by step instructions as they are, I have to experiment a little! hahaha The truth is that I haven't had a long zipper, so I thought that if I would change A LITTLE the measurements then it would fit the one I had around. I've made a mess! I've put the zipper on the wrong side, the measurements were in inches, I arbitrarily changed them into centimeters and... a whole new bag was born! hahaha

It looked like that

When it supposed to look like this

Then I figured... what if I would fold it in half
and maybe put a decorated elastic band to hold it?

And a whole different idea was born!

A cosmetic bag with two pockets.

Cool, huh?

The second one that I've made was based on a tutorial for a Make Up Bag. Again, I've made my changes. Since I didn't have the printed pattern, I've sketched one free handed on my own. I didn't use any fabric or any other for the inside lining, just the plastic fabric that I've used before.

My Bag ended up like this

When it supposed to look like this

 A little close up

Well, aren't these two bags represent the phrase

"take this tutorial to the next level"? - hahaha

I'm thinking of making more of those. 

What do you think?

Merry Christmas

I'm wishing to all of you and your families MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you're having a wonderful time, filled with joy and happiness, surrounded with people you love! May the Christmas spirit fill our hearts and that we'll be more optimistic about what future holds.

Thank you so much for reading my blog! ❤

Enjoy your Holidays!

Last Minute Christmas Gift

A great idea for a last minute Christmas gift! All you need is your crochet hook, some yarn, a hair clip or a safety pin and some basic skills of crocheting. I've found a tutorial at Crochet Spot if you need any help but it's pretty simple, even without a tutorial. You just crochet a rectangle and then tie it in the middle. You sew, glue or tie it on the hair clip or safety pin and you're done! Simple as that!

You can also use it to decorate anything else, a purse, a blouse, even a package. You can make lots of them in every color, I know because I can't stop making them!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas 2010 Wish List

Well, Dear Santa,

I've been an extremely good girl this year, so I'd like to ask for  the following:

I'm IN LOVE with those shoes from Melissa

designed by Vivienne Westwood.

I can't choose between those two!

Fuji film Instant Mini.

SO CUTE!

Tom's Shoes.

After all, they serve a higher cause!

Anything from my wishlist.

or anything that has to do with Scrapbooking, fancy papers and cute paper punchers.

Anyhting from Desigual. ANYTHING!

Well, I know I'm sending this with such a sort notice (and I have a whole lot more things that I've been meaning to ask for - also WORLD PEACE e.t.c.) but I'll be fine if you even make it for New Year's Eve.

Thank you so much and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Angela