Side Tracked

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful Holiday. I just love cooking and eating all the food. Of course it is tradition around here to put the tree up the weekend following Thanksgiving.

The tree is up but it will take me several days to form the branches and then comes pulling out all those memories of past years events.

I am one to go on my adventures and pick up items, such as a rock, pine cone, napkin, card, whatever it may be and save it as my souvenir.

This year, I decided to hand down my tradition of crafting with the things I pick up on my adventure throughout the year and making ornaments for the tree to another family. I was invited to attend the pumpkin patch farm with them and it was a blast. The corn maze, which I have never experienced before was so fun. Watching the children run and play and laugh is always a wonderful thing.

Sometimes I think we forget that the happiest times in our lives is not about money or the things we have, but about the spirit of play. It really doesn't cost anything to run, jump, walk and laugh and it brings such joy when shared with others.

As I walked around, I started noticing the rocks and small pine cones. I though well, I might as well pick up one of each and make something for my tree.

I finally began creating on Thanksgiving Day my ornaments for the tree in remembrance of the event. As I worked with the pine cone, I thought, I need to give this to the family that invited me and share my tradition with them. Maybe they will, maybe they won't incorporate it, but hopefully they will appreciate it.

I still need to make something with the rock, but the pine cone ornament is finished and delivered. I think it was well received and will be enjoyed for many years.

I even used some of my vintage buttons and the stuffing as always, is plastic grocery bags. I thought it was so cute that I had to go back several times and admire it and count the stitching so I can make myself one. That is not an item I would make over and over again, so there was no need for me to write the pattern down. Especially a gift as a memory, they are one of a kind and based on what I know of the person and what I feel will bring the happy thoughts.

I can say, I have seen these from other crafters floating around but this is a one time gift that I thought reflective of the person so no need for me to write patterns and I am sure there are some out there.

So here is my whimsical owl with pine cone. I like the idea of crocheting a square of rectangular shape and then turning that into something. So now, back to working with my tree and pulling out the ornaments.

Have a great weekend........

T-Shirt Rag Rug

Here is the starting of my t-shirt rag rug. It will be a colorful one. Good practice before I start working with blue jean material for the rug I am going to make for the living room. I am using whatever t-shirts I have around the house that are worn out or not worn anymore.

In the process of starting the rug that will be going in the room where the dogs have taken over, another idea comes to mind to make dog collar necklaces for the dogs. I am not sure that Boston the Boston Terrier will enjoy it but the Shotzy the doxi will.

The nice thing about the rugs are they are washable. I love my pets just as much as I love my children, but they are a higher maintenance and carpet and dogs just don't seem to mix in my house. I have not been able to train my dogs or my children to not track dirt in, take your shoes off, wash your paws. As you can see, I am not a carpet person at all.

The one nice thing though, is the majority of the house has tile or prego flooring. The bedrooms have carpet, so we are slowly but surely pulling it up and replacing it with the fake wood floors, but for now the spare room gets painted as we work on the other rooms. It will take me months to figure out what I want in the rooms. These kind of decisions are always so difficult for me.