Monday Funday #21...Penguins!!

We can't have winter with out some cute little animals that love the cold and my daughters favorite animal is the penguin.  So this Monday Funday is for her.  Penguins are so cute and who doesn't love that silly little walk that they do!?! Plus they go along with this months snowy theme.  Don't forget to link up your goodies below.

Footprint Penguin Wall Hanging


Christmas Penguin


Penguin Bib and Cloth (Bib is under Updated Bib Patterns on side bar and Cloth is under Updated Cloths)


Baby Penguin Hat


Felt Penguin


Tacky The Penguin Finger Puppet Patterns


Penguin Doorstop


Winter Penguin Clay Pots


POM Penguins (All Four Patterns)


Penguin Ornament

Oh What A Week...TGIF!!!

Oh what a crazy week this has been!!  It all started Monday.  The kids were off of School and it was my birthday.  We all got up in a great mood and I thought to myself "hey this is going to be a good day".  Not so much.  First, we were supposed to go for a little trip over to the cabin.  The boys got to go but us girls had to stay home because Miss Tootie got up running fever.  Then I get on the computer and my blog is not showing up in the blogger list of my other blogs.  Come to find out it has been deleted because their automated spam checking system has decided that it is a spam blog.  I had to send them a message requesting they review their error and fix it. Then that afternoon I had to take Tootie to the dr.  Of course last week was rough because my husband grand dad was in the hospital most of the week.  Then because of that everyone except the kids forgot it was my birthday, so no gifts or cake.  Hubby did bring cake home on Tuesday though.  It was carrot cake....My favorite!!! It was all gone by last night.  YUMMY.  Tootie and I almost went back and got another one this morning.

Finally got the blog back on Wednesday.  Miss Tootie has been home sick all week.  Took her back to the dr yesterday for a shot in the tokas and different meds.  They swabbed her for the flu.... No flu!!  Yeah!!

We went yesterday to pick up her work from school and found out that two of her teachers have been out all week with the flu.  we decided to keep her home again today just to keep her from getting the flu if she did go in.

I have gotten a scarf made this week.  No pictures yet though.  It is a ruffle scarf for Tootie in lovely pinks and white.  I am debating putting some up in the shop because they are so fun and easy to make.

I did finally pick a winner for The Billie Box giveaway.  The winner was Tonia from Little Ella Lu who said " I would give it to my sister since I can't do a thing with yarn."  Such a wonderful sister!! 

I did finally order my own birthday presents.  I bought myself a 7" tablet that will be here next week.    I can't wait to get it so I can read books on it.  I was debating one of the new Kindle Fire HD models but the price was holding me back.  Then I read some of the reviews and people said that they were great and all but they had ads that popped up on everything you did on it.  BUT, you could pay and extra $15 to have that removed.  On top of that they don't even come with a charger cord.  I settled on a Filemate Clear 

I ordered the purple one.  I got it on sale for  a little over $100 (regular $190) instead of $200 for a Kindle.  The reviews were wonderful and some people said they were better than the Kindle so we will see.  Plus you can download the Kindle and other book reader apps. I have been getting tons of free books from Amazon to read when I get it.  

And I ordered a yarn ball winder from Knitpicks.

 

I have some lovely yarn laying here but have not used it yet because it has not been wound into a ball.  I got lucky and found one for $20.  Those things can be expensive. I wanted a shift too but couldn't do it for the price.  I don't have that much yarn that needs rolled to spend that much.  Tootie wants to be my shift.  She said that was something she always wanted to do.  She likes to watch little house on the praire and the girls on there sit and hold the yarn on their hands while mom rolls it into a ball. 

 Well I am off to entertain Miss Tootie now.  We may play a game on the computer together or something.

I hope your week has been better than mine and that you have gotten lots of crafty things done. 

I will leave you with a crochet book that is free to download on Amazon right now. But hurry it will not be free for long.

You can also go HERE to find the top 100 paid and free books right now.

Have a great weekend.

Melissa

Get Paid To Tweet

I just signed up to get paid for tweeting and you can to.

You can earn money by tweeting Sponsored Tweets to your twitter followers!  They pay you through Paypal.com.  They email you with something they want you to tweet about.  You just put it in your own words and tweet away.  The more you tweet the more money you can make.  Go sign up by clicking on Mr.Parrot up there and he will show you the way.

Good Luck!

Melissa

My Style Made Easy by No nonsense

This post brought to you by No nonsense. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a busy mom of two, I like to have go to outfits that I can just pull out of the closet and be ready to go.  But I also want to look great too.  I mean who says you can't look cute and be comfy to just go pick the kids up from school.  You don't want to wear you "grungies" because who knows what will happen from the time you leave the house to get the kids until you get back home.   I grew up in the 80's when it was cool to wear the big shirts with leggings underneath.  I am so glad that this look has come back in style.  And now, with No nonsense tights and leggings, you can look stylish and be comfortable at the same time. 

Comfort for Day and Night by melsdaisypatch featuring silver dresses

These are two outfits that I would love to wear. The outfit on the left would be great for day time such as a trip to the store or for picking up the kids.  The one on the right is a little more dressy and would be a cute date night outfit.  Both outfits feature a cute pair of No nonsense leggings. No nonsene tights and leggins are very affordable and can be found at food and drug stores as well as mass retail stores.

No nonsense is now partnering with fashion expert Jill Martin. Here is a little bit about the partnership: Jill Martin to Be Brand Ambassador and Style Expert for Launch of New Tights & Leggings Greensboro, N.C. (July, 2012) – There is a new face of No nonsense. She is stylish yet practical, has her finger on the pulse of the latest trends, and is seen by millions of women as someone to turn to in the event of a fashion crisis. Her name is Jill Martin and she will be assisting No nonsense this fall with educating women on how to wear the brand’s new colorful and high-impact tights and leggings through several exciting initiatives. As the new brand ambassador, Jill will be featured in a series of online vignettes that show women how to wear the latest trends that include colored tights and essential leggings. Not just a fashion expert, Jill is also an Emmy Award-winning TV personality and co-author of the New York Times bestselling style guide “I Have Nothing to Wear!” She is also the New York Correspondent for Access Hollywood.

To stay up to date on their latest tights and leggings styles, like No nonsense on Facebook or follow on Twitter @benononsense.

The Billie Box...A Review and Giveaway

I stumbled across a new product that I want to share with all of you.  

This new product is called The Billie Box.  The Billie Box  is a plastic storage box that either has one small port in the front, or one small port in the front and one long port on the side.  You can put your yarn in the box and pull the end out through the port.  This will keep your yarn clean and dust free.  Plus you can store your yarn in the box when you are finished. If you like the idea of being able to store your yarn and use it at the same time then you need The Billie Box too.

The Billie Box is designed by Billie Morgan.
  

I had the privilege of talking to Billie on the phone.  We had a wonderful conversation and she has an awesome personality. She is very passionate about the crafts she does, her pets, and her product.  I really enjoyed speaking with Billie and finding out about how she came up with The Billie Box.

Although Billie has been crafting, with various materials, for almost 40 years, her all time favorite craft medium is yarn.  Billie loves to use different yarn types, weights and colors, alone or blended together, to come up with unique patterns and all new textures.  Her other hobby is cooking. She loves to use the motto "Love People, Cook Them Tasty Food".  

Billie says on her website that due to her love of crocheting and yarn-crafts, she has balls and skeins of yarn scattered all over her home.  Billie also has three cats that she fondly refers to as "the kids".  She says that there are times when those two groups have combined and created a royal mess.  Because of these mishaps, she decided that there had to be a better way to store and use her yarn.  She searched online, to no avail, for a solution that would fit her needs.  This is when "The Billie Box" was born.  She says it solved the need to protect her yarn from the cats and kept the dust and such from getting all over it.  It also allowed her to store it without having to move it from one storage unit to another.  She loves that you can see all the colors and types of yarn at a glance. Billie decided that if she needed this product then others must too. 

Here are a few questions I asked Billie about her product.

Q:  How long ago was The Billie Box born?

A:  I came up with the idea last summer.

Q:  Do you make The Billie Boxes yourself, or do you have friends/family that help you?

A:  I personally make each box

Q:  How many different prototypes did you come up with before you settled on the two options that you now sell?

A:  I had three prototypes.

Q:  Do you plan to offer different colored boxes in the future?

A:  I will have more colors for the side ports as I get more orders in. Blue and Purple are the next colors I am adding.

Q:  How many Billie Boxes do you use yourself?

A:  I usually have at least six boxes in use at any one time and about 15 for storage of yarns in waiting.

Q:  What is your most favorite thing that you have ever made?

A:  It would have to be each thing I create as I am working on it.  This is because, I pore myself and all my love for the person who is receiving it into the item.


Billie offers two different forms of The Billie Box in her online store.


The Single Port Billie Box features a solid brass ring that prevents snagging of delicate yarn and helps the yarn come out smoothly.


The Dual Port Billie Box will fit a single 7oz  skein of yarn or two 3oz rolled skeins.  This box also features the fixed brass port in the front, and includes a slotted side port for larger yarns or quick changes.  The slotted port comes in 4 different colors for you to choose from.  Each features a cute  little cat and a ball of yarn, as well as The Billie Box logo.
Black with Bronze Logo
White with Red Logo
Beige with Brown Logo
Bronze with Black Logo

I received the Dual Port box with the White with Red Logo Side port for review. 

Let me just say that this is one of the most wonderful products that I have seen for yarn use and storage.  

This is what it looks like from the front with a small skein of cotton yarn in it.  I think you could get at least  two or three more in there with it.  

This is a view of the side port with the yarn pulled through.  You could easily fit a pretty bulky yarn through there.

The Billie Boxes are also VERY affordable.  Both options are under $10.00. So if you don't win one or, can't wait to find out if you did, run over to the website and order some today. My Billie Box is being used, at the moment, to hold two balls of yarn from a cowl that I just had to frog.  Gotta love it when you are just almost finished with a project and you run out of yarn.  Then, you go to the store to get more and guess what, "I'm sorry but that yarn has been discontinued."  Ugh!! Now that I have the cowl frogged, I plan to make a scarf instead.  The Billie Box will come in handy to keep those balls of yarn in while I am making my scarf.  

If you would like to find out more about Billie and her Billie Box, you can visit her website. She not only has The Billie Box there, she also offers recipes and patterns. You can also reach her by email at thebilliebox@gmail.com

Now, one of you has the chance to win a Duel Port Billie Box for yourself.

How to enter:

Mandatory entry:

*Leave me a comment with which port color option you will choose if you win. (Please include your email address so that we can get in touch with you if you win.)

Extra entries:

*Leave a comment telling me how you would use The Billie Box if you win.

*Be a follower of this blog. Leaving me a comment letting me know how, and as who, you follow.

The winner will be picked at random and notified by email. (Make sure you leave an email address in your comment.)  The winner will have up to 5 days to respond, if they do not respond at that time, a new winner will be picked, this will continue until we get a response. The Giveaway will run until 1/29/2012 and is for US residents only (due to shipping cost).  Good Luck, spread the word and go comment.



***I received a Billie Box for review purposes only.  I was not compensated for my review.  All opinions are my own.***

Monday Funday # 20 .....Snowmen

Last weeks Monday Funday was all about snow.  This week is all about the funnest thing to make with snow....Snowmen and Snow women. Don't forget to link up below.

Crochet Snowman Hat


Welcome Friends and Flakes Embroidery Pattern


Sock Snowmen


Last Minute Easy Snowmen


Merry Little Snowmen


Snowman Paper Plate Windsock


Snowman Flower Pot Craft


Clay Pot Snowman


Yarn Pom Snow People


Snow Baby


Popcorn Snowman Craft


Roll A Snowman Game

Happy Friday...Lots of Goodies

Happy Friday everyone.  My Kiddos went back to school Tuesday and have only had a four day week.  Even with this only being a four day week it has seemed very long. We had a wonderful and relaxing break. I was not ready for them to go back to school.  I love it when they are off for a long break because they don’t fight and try to take each other’s heads off.  They played together and got along for the most part, it was great!!

I can remember when my daughter was three and four years old.  Every night, before she went to bed, she would look out her window and wish on the first star for a little sister.  Then she would pray and ask God for one also.  We of course thought it was cute.  Then I remember me telling my husband one day that I praised God that we only had one child.  The next week we learned that God had a since of humor when we found out that our daughters wish had come true.  The only thing was that she didn’t get a sister, she got a little brother.  There is a little of an age difference between them since they are 6 years apart.  But, they are learning how to have fun together and they get along better and better every day. 

I thought I would share the goodies that I made them for Christmas. I have a bunch of felt laying around and used some of it to make these goodies.

I made Sissy a Penguin. I have to say after I stuffed her she took on a whole new look.  Too cute and quite funny.

I (freehand) embroidered some snowflakes on her plump little tummy and gave her some swirly pink cheeks.  I have to admit I could have done better on the snowflakes if I had drawn them on there first.

Then I gave her a cute little heart on her back side. My daughter thought this was so funny.

Of course she had to have a little bow on her head because she is a girly penguin.

Boo has a little yellow chicken that he got in a kids meal from a fast food place.  He has had a blast playing with it.  While he was sick, he even used a large tissue box to build it a house.  He even decorated it with a Christmas tree sticker so Peep could have a Christmas tree too.  That’s when mommy decided to make Boo, and Peep, a new friend.

Meet Chirp.  He is a little red rooster.  Notice his cute little swirly up there on top.

I had almost sewn him completely together and realized he had no tail, so this is what he wound up with.  Sis thought it looked like a turkey tail.  I told her he was a fancy little rooster so he had to have a fancy tail also.  Boo has had a time with him.  Now peep and chirp talk to each other and sleep with him at night. Plus Boo got the snowman scarf I made HERE.

I also made my daughter a pink grapefruit scarf.  It is one of Twinkie Chan’s patterns.

One of the things on my daughter’s Christmas list was a Martha Stewart Knitting Loom. She has learned to crochet but doesn’t really stick with it when she starts something very big.  She has made a few wash cloths and started a granny square blanket but never finished it.  She loves to cross stitch though and has made some cute little projects with that.  I almost didn’t get it but thought, why not, if she doesn’t use it I can.  She was very excited when she got it and it took us a few days to figure it out but we finally got it.  Let’s just say forget the book and go watch a few YouTube videos.  She has to take gym this semester so she decided she wanted to make herself a gym bag.  She dug through my yarn and we both decided the bulky yarn might be better for a gym bag. 

So here is her rainbow bag.  It only took her two and a half days to make the bag.  She only worked on it for a couple hours a day.  She started with a magenta color, then yellow, lime green, hot pink and black on the bottom so it wouldn’t show dirt if she sat it on the floor at school or in the car.  Mom made the strap for her.  It was also made on her loom.  Then she braided some of the yarn to make the draw string.  She is so proud of her bag, and mom is proud of her for making it.

I also used part of her loom to make a scarf for hubbie’s mom. I crocheted one but this one looks a lot better. Sorry the picture is a little fuzzy, I forgot to take a picture before I gave it to her, and she took the picture on her cell phone.  It was a lot of fun to make.  I am going to make one for me next.

I also started making a cowl for me but I ran out of yarn before I finished it.  Then when I went to look for more I found out it has been discontinued.  I think that’s all I have to show you for now.  Don’t forget to come back Monday for Monday Funday.  Have a great weekend and I’ll talk to you next week.

 Melissa