Christmas gifts.

I've been able to make or trade for a number of gifts this year which has certainly helped the budget. I haven't been able to trade for Joey's computer games (Tycoon upgrades/ expansion packs), but Jessi wanted play kitchen stuff.

This is a pocket friend for Joyana. She loves all things ladybug. I got some little pocket friends last year from Lisa at Winsome Whatnots and this year I asked about getting a custom ladybug done and she obviously did a great job. It is about 4 inches or so, little enough to fit in Joy's purses, and big enough to not get lost. It is hand crocheted and washable.
Play food ham sandwich, complete with bread, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato. Also from Winsome Whatnots.

A petite four cake I sewed from felt.

Felt pizza slice- I made this and the following felt foods.

Felt sugar cookies with sprinkles

felt gingerbread lady cookie.

I have more felt food in the works and a big felt treasure map for Joey.

I also was able to trade for a bunch more crocheted food from Tiffany of Fair Trade Family, and she was kind enough to get me some kitchen tools from Ikea since she has one local to her and I do not. From Tiff I got some great Icecream cones, cupcakes, and a few other things.


I also want to get Joey an I-Spy bag from All 4 Kids to play with in church.

I have some other things in mind too, if I can arrange trades for yarn. I used to be able to trade with my applique'd shirts but I just don't have time anymore.

On my "covet list" are toys from Anne Moze, Happy Squash and Doohickies

Please consider buying local or handmade this season and help support the American small business.

More pictures

More pictures of the kids.

Jonny Jumbo showing off his grins and his chins.

Hands. Hands are SO cool. I love hands.
I took these tonight... can you stand it?

Jonny and Jessi chilling in bed.

I think I forgot to show pics of H'ween. We had a Princess, a Knight, and two little dragons. Don't mind the daddy, he's just holding one of the dragons.

The dragons. By the end of the night, they were both pretty beat.
Just hatched dragon baby.

RARRRR, I'm a big, Scary, DRAGON!

who happens to wear pink crocs.

dancing princess

With her BRAVE knight

recent yarn

These were both custom colors I did up for two different customers.

The first is for a newborn set so she wanted nuetral colors and she likes earthy colors. This is a variation on the Desert Turqouise colorway I did about two years ago.

This one is for a mamma who wanted pink and brown to match winter coats for her girls. This colorway is so simple, but it turned out gorgeous! I looks like neopolitin (sp?) ice cream. I made it to be self- striping so as it is being knit, it will make bands of the pink, natural, and brown. I love doing custom dye jobs, it's so much fun to see what people come up with and then it's a fun challenge to interpret that idea on yarn.

The photo shoot

While Julie was here, we took the kids to the park to get a bunch of photos. I'll be posting later the finalists for the christmas picture, these are just some of the ones that were taken in the process.

Joey, aka, GQ modelsilly kids
Jonny Jumbo wondering what his shirt tastes like.

Laughing Jonny

Shy Jonny

Bubby and Joy

Jessi and Jonny

Brothers

Peek a boo!

Wheee

I made this little outfit for Joey before he was born. unfortunately, I didn't get it unpacked in time for Jonny to wear it. He's in it, but the bottom won't snap.

Little Gypsy

Aunt Julie visits

And Jonny has a dimple!

so now we wait

well, I went this morning and did my duty. And for some reason, even though no one threatened me with past criminal convictions, or wrong address due to foreclosure, or told me that because the polls were so busy I should vote tomorrow... I still feel very disenfranchised.
No matter what Jesse Ventura says about a vote for a minor party not being a wasted vote, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Not that I honestly put a ton of thought into it in the first place, although, I did visit some of the third party websites to see what they were all about. One friend was all about Ralph Nader and I did think about him. Another friend introduced me to Bob Barr and I've discovered that I have some quite Libertarian leanings. Someone else urged me to vote for Chuck Baldwin, although I have to admit that I closed his website with disgust when he mentioned "anchor babies."

No, I voted for one of the two main parties. And I didn't want to. I don't like what either of them stand for. I tried and tried to figure out who was the least slimey, the lesser of two evils. Eventually I just closed my eyes and pushed a button.

Just kidding.

We don't have push button voting here. I had to actually look at the paper and fill in a little black bubble.

Here's what my fear is, if McCain and Palin win, all of this conservative fervor will die down and the churches and christians that have been fasting and praying for deliverance will go right back to their apathetic ways of being sure to preserve the purity of the church and forgetting about the great big wide world right outside its doors.
Being pro-family will continue to be a cover term for homophobia, and being pro-life will involve standing on the side of the road once a year on Sanctity of Life Sunday.

Honestly, I'm not sure we deserve to be delivered.
Maybe the scary prospect of a democrat presidency, especially THIS democrat, will get conservatives up off of our "blessed assurance" and actually DO something.