Ornaments!

So this year, we decided not to put any traditional 'balls' on our tree and just use our 'special' ornaments. Which we had a lot more of than we thought. Every year Jay and I would each pick out one (or two) ornaments to add to the collection and of course last year Johnathan got one too. And also, people gave us a lot of ornaments, when we got married, bought a new house, for Johnathan's first Christmas, etc. So we have quite a few. And there are the ones that I make for the kids each year. Here a few of my favorites (that I could get a good picture of):

The pinecone snowman is one of Jays:

This is obviously another of Jay's:

The cross is one that I made:

So this next one was one of the first ornaments we bought together as part of this tradition, back when we lived in our townhouse. It had a little friend, another red bird to perch on a branch nearby. The cats killed it. Really. All we ever found of it were some red feathers near the tree. Very sad.

For our new house:

A few for Baby's 1st Christmas:

And for getting married:

This last one is another one that I made:

This year I made a yellow star. Johnathan got two special ones this year because we just couldn't decide. One is a monkey and the other is music notes (with bells in them). I got a butterfly ornament and Jay chose a reindeer. I think it makes the tree look pretty cool and different. There are a lot more, but maybe that is a post for another day. It is officially Christmas Eve and my 25th birthday. How incredibly depressing. Well here's a nice pic of Johnathan to cheer us old folks up! I hope everyone has a very Safe and Happy Holidays.

Tree Time!

So we went to the Tree Farm and picked out our tree. They didn't have a ton of huge ones left to cut down yourself, but as we realized once we got home (and I said when we were there), it was probably for the best, as we don't have a ton of space.

How about this one?

Maybe this one is more my size!

Still Looking!

So it was pretty cold and getting dark, but we finally found a really nice tree!!

And, we have started our Dickens Village collection! Three new pieces (I only have pics of two) are now on display on the bookshelf.

And we already have some presents under the tree, which the cats obviously love playing with...We're not quite sure what Johnathan thinks of the tree yet, but he seems to like looking at the ornaments. Hope everyone is having a great holiday season!

I've been Crafting!

Yes, there are new projects, FINISHED projects, and unfinished ones. I've made the Christmas ornaments for this year, and I'm very proud of myself for finishing them already. Especially since only two people got theirs last year, and I still have to finish one of the snowflakes. But the snowflakes were very time consuming and this year's ornament was much easier to complete. And once I find my camera and take pictures of them, I will of course post them.

I also made a hat for JW. It was supposed to be for him at least. I had a pattern but it was for a baby, and of course he is NOT a baby anymore. He's a little boy. So I tried to make a few adjustments to the pattern to make the hat bigger, and I did. But maybe a bit too big. So I'm going to wash it in some hot water and see if I can get it to shrink. Otherwise it might just have to wait for next year.

I was going to do some more craft stuff last night but after Jay got home I pretty much crashed and had no energy whatsoever to work on anything. Maybe Sunday when the boys are in Indiana. Pictures coming soon!

Long Time, No Blog

Well there hasn't been much crafting lately, besides still working on some things that may never get finished. For example there is a blanket that I've been knitting for a few years...about 5 probably. And I'm not a fast knitter and it makes my hands hurt so I don't work on it that often. In fact, I had to google 'how to knit' when I went to pick it back up because I just couldn't figure out how to get it started again...pretty pathetic, I know.

I've decided to pack up some of my craft stuff that I'm not using right now to try to make a little more space in my craft room, yet somehow it still seems like things just multiply in there. And we're running out of room for storage containers in the garage and shed. I guess I need to make more stuff and give it away in order to clear up some space. Good thing Christmas is coming up soon, maybe I can give away some good stuff then.

We went to a farm last weekend to pick our own pumpkins with some friends of ours, the Clarks. They have a little boy only a few months younger than JW. We had such a good time. They also had some farm animals that you could pet, though neither the boys or the animals seemed very into that. They had a corn-field maze and a sunflower maze and then a smaller maze for little kids, that ours were too young for, but looked cute. There was also a barn full of hay, with some slides that the boys (including husbands) really enjoyed. We took a hayride out to pick out our pumpkins from the field and JW had his first public meltdown, complete with tears and screaming. Of course once we got back to the car, he was just fine and happy as a clam...and no one else was around to see THAT. Oh well, all in all it was a good time. We ALSO had some delicious cider and pie while there, we even bought some to take home!

Bathroom, Crafts & Evasive Maneuvers

We finally finished our bathroom. Well, we finished all that we plan on/can afford to do right now. And we really like it. With the exception of one wall which was is really bad condition before we even touched it, it looks really nice. It's a small space so it's hard to get any good pictures, but here some are just the same. The first one is a picture of the bathroom when we first moved into the house.

I had also started some cross-stitch projects for the bathroom, hoping to finish them and hang them up before the baptism, but I only completely finished one (out of three). The second one still needs a border and I haven't even started working on the third one.

Evasive Maneuvers: So my son loves it when we play 'chase.' I get down on my hands and knees and crawl around the room with him until one of us catches the other. He laughs and laughs and also performs evasive manuevers to escape me. He lays down on his back and then rolls over once or twice and then gets up to crawl away again. I think he's been watching old war movies when I'm not home. It's hysterical!!

Christmas in July

Okay, this is really off of my 'crafting' topics that I was planning on sticking to, but hey, I figure it's my blog and I can write what I want.

Am I the only one who gets nostalgic about Christmas in the middle of summer? I was watching TV and there was a rerun of a Christmas episode of some show on and all of sudden, I found myself craving Christmas. Not that I am all that fond of Christmas when it comes along. I mean, it's great; family, presents, the tree. But it's also full of stress and so overdone by retail stores and the media. By the time Christmas gets here, I'm ready for it to be over. But now, just about halfway between last Christmas and next Christmas, I think it's the best holiday ever.

In theory.

In television world:

Where there is always a happy ending, with strangers carolling in the street and a light sprinkling of snow out, where its just cold enough for a sweater and maybe a nice stylish hat, but you don't really need a coat or gloves. You know, fantasy Christmas. I have a vague recollection of feeling this same way last year, but blamed it on pregnancy hormones. But since I am most definately NOT pregnany now, there's really nothing to blame it on. I wish it were Christmas. I want my tree and a nice cup of hot chocolate and to be snuggled up underneath my favorite blanket with a good book. Doesn't that sound nice? And this is the one time of year that Christmas music doesn't get automatically annoying. There aren't all the same commercials on TV or the radio over and over and over again. Ah....

And now is when I start planning out everyone's Christmas presents. Ugh. Let the headache begin!! Only 146 days until Christmas (and 145 days until I am a quarter century old! That's practically elderly...)

Baby Blocks.

We're painting our bathroom and putting up new hardware/fixtures so there really hasn't been much crafting time lately. I'll post pictures of the bathroom once it is done, but we only get a little bit done each day. But with one more coat of paint on three of the walls and then some touch up work (which could all happen by tomorrow) all that will be left is hanging the light and mirror and towel holders and shelves. So, maybe by the end of the week? Let's keep our fingers crossed!

I have some really cool projects in mind to start once I have time. And one of them is something I haven't ever tried before so I won't jinx myself by talking (blogging?) about it, but if it works out, I will be really excited.

In the meantime, here are some pics of a project I did for JW. He loves this toy, I have no idea why.

It's just a cloth block and it was really easy to make:

The hardest part was the stuffing. I didn't want to stuff it too much but now in retrospect I wish I had. It's been grabbed and squished so often that the stuffing has become tighter and the fabric is loose. I suppose I could just open up a seam and restuff it. My plan was to make a few smaller ones in solid colors, but I only got two of those done so far.

There's also a craft project for the bathroom. And when THAT is done, I'll post pictures also. Gives everyone something to look forward to.

Pictures for YOU

Here are just a few pictures to get us started.

This first one is of my first major sewing project, a quilt for my baby. A real learning experience!

I loved how this next shawl turned out. I found the pattern on the internet and actually followed it pretty exactly (I have a habit of changing patterns to fit how I think they should be- or to make them easier!) and used the softest off-white yarn. By far one of my favorite crochet peices.

Ah, my most popular peice. I'm not sure if I could recreate this one if I tried. I got a free pattern from the craft store and when I tried to make it, it didn't make any sense (what did you expect- it was free!) so I altered it a bit and this was the result. I had a lot of trouble with the handles and the lining. But sewing this lining (which is actually quilted to match the crocheted blocks) is what got me interested in quilting/sewing other things. I always get a lot of compliments on it, but I'll be damned if those handles don't kill me shoulder!!

First Post!

So, here it is. The first post. Nothing too exciting yet. Just testing the waters. And wondering how to spread the news of my new blog. But that can't be too difficult as compared to finding a blog name. I Googled name generators and spent almost an hour trying to find something suitable. And on some band name generator site, this one finally popped up. And so Groovy Ketchup of the Pink is born.

I'm planning on using this mostly to post pictures or ideas about my crafting. Not that I have much time for that usually. Especially with JW's baptism looming in the near future. But I did make a pretty cute (if i do say so myself) bag for my neice's birthday. And of course I didn't remember to take a picture of it before I sent it off, and only one other person besides my husband saw it, but thats okay. I'll make another one soon. But now I've wasted an entire evening setting this blog up when I really wanted to be watching the first episode of Mcleods Daughters final season on YouTube. Maybe tomorrow.