Baby Things to Love at Etsy

Baby Wash Cloths by Zummi

Newborn Cocoon by lillebarn

Beanie by TwoSeasideBabes

Beanie by TwoSeasideBabes

Beanie and Scarf Crochet Pattern by WarmandFuzzyBaby

Flapper Beanie by pdxbeanies


Beanie by pdxbeanies


Mary Janes by diddledumpling

Emma by MiaJoie
Sebastian by AureliaandAnnalise


Luella by AureliaandAnnalise
Pink Pearl Bloom Shoes by 5eizen

Crib Shopping

I realize that this is going to get a bit boring for those of you who aren't pregnant, but its hard not to have baby on the brain at the moment. Some of this stuff is just cute to look at anyway.

We've been trying to get started shopping for cribs, because some of these places take about 12 weeks to order one in and I really don't want to be waiting on stuff like that at the last minute. And given how long it takes the Man and I to decide on anything, I think its best that we start now.

I think that I'm going to put the baby in my office, at least for awhile, so that I can keep a spare room with a bed in it (just in case someone should come visit me, Mom!) So I think that I'm going to try to keep it simple with a crib and a dresser. I'm shopping for a new light fixture and I've got a new rug in here, now I am looking for the furniture.

Here are some cute cribs and matching dressers that we found at Penney's website (no one has this stuff so that you can look at it in person. Boo!) All of these are convertible, so I'm looking for something that will look nice as a full size bed too - and not terribly crib-like.

Morgan Crib and Dresser

Monterey Crib and Dresser

Heirloom Crib and Dresser

Cottage Crib and Dresser

Wash Cloths

I don't know how practical these little washcloths are for a baby, but they are super quick and easy to make, so I did. I just like to look at them, I guess.


I found a nice organic cotton yarn to use (look at me, going for the organic!) and its very soft. You can get about 3 little washcloths out of each skein, so they aren't very expensive. I want to make more things with this yarn. Perhaps a little hat?

Start of Something That Resembles Productivity

This is what I've completed so far. I haven't crocheted much recently, but I figured I ought to have at least made one little blanket for my own little one. So this is my first.


I may make more, just because I can, and because its an easy project to tote around when we're out running errands or whatever.


Its actually pure white, but I can't get that color corrected for the life of me in the photos and I don't have that much ambition. Its a nice cotton blend yarn.

This is not where I got the pattern, but I was just browsing today and found a pattern that is nearly identical to what I used for this blanket here. Its even using the same yarn and hook size that I used. Wierd. I got the pattern out of an old pattern book that I had.

Lack of Craftiness

So this is my reason for the lack of posting and craftiness going on around here. I'm not feeling like crap now, but I sure did when my Mom sent me this card. I had no idea that it would knock me for such a loop, but I didn't feel like doing a blessed thing for awhile. And I didn't do anything, either.

At any rate, I've got 18 weeks down and 22 left to go. Now that I am regaining my ambition, I've got a list of things to do. I'm working on some projects that I'll show you eventually. For now, I'm just planning and catching up on cleaning the house and other things that I've let slide around here.

I need to do some shopping and I'd like to make room for the baby in my office. I've got to do some reorganizing to fit a crib and other things in here, and we'll need some pictures on the wall and a new light fixture and whatever else to make a quasi-nursery. I don't like anything too baby, so we'll see what we come up with. I'm finally starting to get excited.

So there. That's my news and my excuse. Hopefully I'll be back at it soon.

Faces in the Dirt

I meant to post this way back in the spring when I found it, but I forgot. Actually, the Man found it for me in the backyard. I think it was after we removed a giant shrub in the backyard and he was cleaning up the weeds and junk that had accumulated under it.

This is it. Isn't that a funny thing to find in your yard? Or maybe not. There's an old crumbling stone urn on corner of the patio that I am assuming it fell off of. There aren't really any other details left intact on it, so I don't know for sure, but it must be where this guy came from.

I don't think I took any pictures of the urn this summer, but I rather like its crumbling.

Anyway. I also needed an excuse to play around with picture size on here. Trying to figure out how to make the pictures genuinely "large" on here, since posting them Large doesn't do the trick. Who likes little pictures?? Seriously - anyone know the secret? Scaling makes them look pixellated in Internet Explorer......

Fixed Retaining Wall

We moved into this house last fall, and over Christmas last year, part of the retaining wall on the left side of the driveway fell down. Not that the mass of weeds and rampaging yuccas weren't enough on their own - the wall itself had to fall apart.

We spent a ridiculous amount of time this summer ripping out plants over there and maybe that was a waste of time. I'm hoping that it will at least minimize the number of yuccas that survived all that.

We have been contemplating rebuilding it since then, but it took us a while to decide to spend the money and to find someone to do it. It cost more than I expected, but since we have such a narrow driveway anyway, we decided to have it widened at the same time. Might as well, since it was difficult to get in and out of vehicles in the driveway when the doors couldn't open the whole way.

They did the work over Thanksgiving and while it made a huge mess out of driveway and the street with all the mud, it is all finished now and it looks much better! We still have to have someone come in and pour the concrete where it was widened. And someday we will have to gather up the cash and get the other side done so they match. Wouldn't that be nice??

Seriously, though, it looks so much better than the giant mass of weeds and ugly triangular blocks that were there before. Someday maybe we'll make the front of this house look nice!

Dutch Does Prep

Dutch got a new shirt and he doesn't hate it. I'm not sure he likes it either, but at least he doesn't hate it. I think I must be in the mood to dress up the dog.

How About Something Not Negative?

How 'bout a shot of my favorite boys making our bed?

Happy Birthday to Me

So the other day was the big 3-0 for me. The Man took the day off and we had fun together. We just did random stuff, went out to dinner, ate pumpkin cheesecake (yummy!) and watched a movie. We crawled into bed at the usual time - 1ish - and were just asleep when we heard a loud noise.

The Man crawled out of bed and went around the house to investigate. He was just returning to bed when we saw flashing lights go past and stop just up the street. We went to the front window so we could see what was going on and we could see a vehicle upside down in the driveway two houses up. He got dressed and went outside and checked to see if our truck had been hit. Of course it was!


Turns out that they hit our truck, went up the bank just past our neighbor's house, hit a pine tree and flipped a time or two before coming to rest in the next driveway - upside down. I suppose they were drunk, since it was only rainy and dark, however, they bailed out and took off, so who knows? When the police went to the home of the owner of the vehicle, it was discovered to have been stolen. Yeah! Could this be more fun?

Oh, I suppose that it could. I don't imagine they would, but I suppose we could up the fun factor by totalling the truck. Surely not, right? Perhaps that's just the pessimist in me.

For now, we're out the deductible, since there's no one else to pin it on. The insurance adjuster hasn't been here yet. Take your sweet time. We're not worried about what this will cost us!

Okay, I'll stop being negative. Perhaps it will just be the deductible and all will be fine.

Its just that we also had a landscaper here today who is going to widen our driveway and rebuild the retaining walls. To be safe, we're only going to do one side right now, but I think I'm still suffering from sticker shock on that little project. I like a nice cushion. Bye bye savings! I was hoping for a bathroom renovation or two, but I guess I get retaining walls and wider driveway. Hooray! Okay, NOW I will stop being negative. Because I'm going to shut up.

**Perhaps a disclaimer is warranted. I maybe abnormally cranky about the whole thing. Its a possibility. Just sayin'.

Cowboy up, Dutchie!

The Man came home today with what I'm going to call a snowsuit for the dog. It is so stinking hilarious. I think if he got over his dislike of anything on his little body, he'd love it, since he's always cold. He however, acts as though he's being tortured and may possibly fall over and die at any moment (just like he did with his first few times on a leash - heavens, the torture!) He's not dramatic at all.

Anyway, aside from looking like a cowboy in a snowsuit, he's waddling just like one too. We were crying trying to take his picture in it.

This is what I think of your stupid snowsuit, Dad!

Leaf Peeping

What is leaf peeping anyway? Why "peeping"?

A few weeks ago, the Man had a rare Saturday off, so we went on a drive south to Ohiopyle State Park to look at leaves and get out of the house and spend some time outside.

I'm so in love with rocks and water. Darn city. This is what I need in my backyard.

Maybe part of why I love it so much is that it reminds me of all the time that the Man and I spent in a nearby gorge when we were in college. I think we literally spent every single afternoon that first spring that we dated in that gorge. You know, studying and all.

But anyway, it was the perfect weekend to go and all the leaves were beautiful down there, even though the trees in our backyard didn't change color until this week.

Even Dutch enjoyed himself climbing over and around the rocks and crunching in the leaves. There were so many things to see and smell, he didn't mind the chilly weather or even his accidental leap into the water.

It wore Dutch and I out and we spent the drive home on the "scenic route" sleeping. He's a fabulous warm little cuddler and the sunshine and the ride put us out. That part ought to have reminded the Man of all those trips home from college when I napped for 5 hours while he drove. What can I say? Sunshine knocks me out.