Friday, May 27, 2011

Feature Friday - Mario

How many of you remember Mario and Luigi on the old Nintendo?  I have to be honest, I may have played the game once when I was a kid.  Never was a gamer.  I discovered this past Christmas that I am still not a gamer.

We were wandering around our local GameStop and I was looking for a game that the family could play together on our Wii.  I came across New Super Mario Bros. Wii and really thought this would be fun to play.  I got the game as a Christmas present from Mr. Sunflowers.  We sat down one night to play it.  The kids loved it.  Hubby loved it.  I hated it.  I don't know if it was because my family gets to competitive and I am just not a good player which leads to a lot of "hurry up mom!" or "do you want me to do this part for you?" (boy doesn't that one just make you feel like an awesome player!) and not a good time.  So my family plays together without me and I am still searching for the ultimate, fun family Wii game.  (Any suggestions?)

So what drew me to this game in the first place?  I love the characters.  Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess.  They are just so darn cute!  So this week I am featuring amigurumi Mario Bros. characters!  Fortunately I an not the only one who thinks they are cuties.  Linda Potts has created many of the characters and kindly posted her patterns over at her site WolfDreamer off the Hook.  Check out a sampling:




Linda has several other Mario Bros. on her site as well as Pokemon patterns.  (I used her pattern for Pikachu to make a stocking stuffer for Little Man one year.)  Her patterns are very well written and easy to follow, best of all they are free!  Hope you found some weekend inspiration!

Until next time,

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

2 summer sundress

Just wanted to share my latest project for Princess A.  I love those little dresses with crochet or knit tops and fabric bottoms.  I found this pattern on Ravelry and it is called the Two Summer Sundress because it is made in such a way that your child should be able to wear it for 2 summers (bet you couldn't guess that from the name could you!?)

 Doesn't she just look so sweet and angelic in this picture? 

And the back?  The pattern calls for ribbon on the inside of the straps and waistband to keep it from stretching out and I really think that the pattern could use some visuals for that.  Princess A seems to like it pretty well.  Now to find the perfect flower to go with it for her hair and for next months June Blooms series.

Until next time,

Friday, May 20, 2011

Friday Features - headbands

I thought we would do things a little differently this week.  Rather than feature one designer, I thought I would feature a design type.  Since the weather here is warming up and today is the first day in about 10 days that it hasn't been rainy and overcast, I feel the need to pull my hair back and get out in the yard.  (Despite the fact that it is a clay, muddy mess!)  So this week the focus is on headbands!

Like this cutie from Cornflower Blue Studios called the Bow Headband.
(Image copyright Cornflower Blue Studios)
And keeping with the bow there is this one from Creative Yarn.  It is called the Headband with Bow 
(image copyright Creative Yarn)

I love this little crown/headband.  It would be perfect for Princess A's dress up box.  It is called the Wee Crown.  The pattern is in French I think, but if you scroll down it is also in English.
Wee crown
 image copyright DeeDeen Bird 

This one has beads, and rarely can you go wrong by adding beads!  It is called the V-Stitch Headband from Desperate Houselife.
image copyright Desperate Houselife

The final pattern this week is called the Linked Headband from  Crochet 'n CraftsIt calls for size 3 thread but I imagine you could use two strands of bedspread weight cotton held together or sports/baby yarn instead.


image copyright Crochet 'n Crafts

Hope you found something to inspire you to pick up your hooks.  There are lots more patterns out there but so many of them involve flowers and I am trying to save those for next months June Blooms series so you will have to find those on your own if that is what you are looking for!
 

Until next time,

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Wecipe Wednesday - Honey Almond Granola

I have a confession to make.  I have become a granola lover.  No, I am not a health nut and I won't sit here and tell you that it is a healthy breakfast, a tasty topping for yogurt and even ice cream.  Generally, granola is just yummy!

I have even turned my kids onto granola!  That is a HUGE thing, especially when little man HATES anything relatively healthy.  (Basically if it grows it is out of his diet, but if it bleeds it is in.)  Even he requests granola and yogurt for lunches.  And I figured that if I can get my kids to eat this stuff, maybe you might want to get your kids to eat it too.

I prefer to make my own because then I can control what goes in it.  Little man doesn't eat fruit in his so I can make a big batch and then divide it up so some has fruit and others do not.  You can also decide if you want more or less of one of the add ins, or even leave an add in completely out.  You can total control!  (With a 2 year old in my house sometimes it is nice to feel like I have control over something)  So here is my go to granola recipe:


 You will need:
3 cups rolled oats (not instant or 1 minute cooking) 
1 cup flaked coconut, unsweetened 
1/2 cup  honey 
1/4 cup wheat germ  
1/2 cup slivered almonds 
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (may substitute oil of your choice) 
1 tbsp vanilla
How to:
In a small pan mix the butter and honey.  Bring to a boil.  While this is warming mix everything else but the vanilla in a large baking dish.  Once honey mixture boils remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour over the oat mixture and stir thoroughly.  Place in a preheated 300 degree oven.  Bake for 45 minutes stirring every 15 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before eating.

You can add dried fruit after it comes out of the oven and you can add different nuts if you wish

Until next time,

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Lazy Kitty

I used to think that my life was tiring sometimes.  Chasing the kids around the house, preparing 3 meals a day, cleaning, laundry, cleaning, laundry, crochet, let the dog outside, exercise, help with homework, volunteer work etc.  You know how it is, you've been there too. 

Then I saw this:
and I just knew that my life couldn't possibly be as taxing as it must be for my poor little kitty, Nibbler.  Seriously, how difficult must it be that she just falls asleep in such an unusual and probably uncomfortable position, knowing that as soon as H moves her little snooze is over.  Such a hard life.  I should count my blessings, and you should too!

Until next time,

Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday Musings

Just wanted to share Princess A's new dress.  Last year I fashioned a dress for her made from 2 bandanas and some ribbon that everyone seemed to love, so of course I had to make one this year too.  To be honest though I had wanted to make her one of those adorable dresses with the shirred top out of the bandanas but after much some trail and error I scrapped the idea and fell back on this standby:
The back is bare with the second bandana beginning at her waist.  It is elastic so it can grow with her.  The ties are also very long on her neck so she has room to grow there also.  All in all it is pretty simple to whip up and she loves them.  I love that they are lightweight, inexpensive to make, and look cute. 

I am also working on a cute project from Natalie Larson called the  Two Summer Sundress.  To the best of my knowledge it is only available as a Ravelry download, so if you aren't a member what are you waiting for?  This one has a knit bodice and material skirt.  I have it finished and hope to post pics of it later this week.

So what are you working on?

Until next time,

Friday, May 13, 2011

CAP's Crochet Feature Friday

This week I am featuring Cathy Phillips of CAP's Crochet.  She has a small little site that has about eight patterns available, but they are really nice patterns.  Check them out:
 I LOVE pink and grey together.  So combine that, with a new stitch that I had never heard of, and this one was a hit with me!  She calls this one more of a recipe than a pattern since it is primarily a repeat of the Snapdragon Stitch.  She doesn't name this one either, but you can find it here
 For me, this one is a must have! I love that it is light and airy with that femine flower on the front.  It is appropriately named the Bloomin' Bag
 This is the pattern that originally caught my eye.  I was looking for a summer-y hat for H to wear since she seems to love wearing hats.  Once at CAP's Crochet I just started roaming.  This is the Flared Shell Brimmed Hat.  She has another on the site also that is similar as well as modifications to this one to give it a different look. 
 I have a friend who is expecting a little boy in just a few months.  May have to make a run to the store and buy some yarn to start this blanket as a gift for her!  It is called the Color Blocked Stripes baby blanket
 Here is her Sweet Pea Tote Bag.  I have the perfect cone of yarn to make this one up.  Maybe H needs a new bag to back her school books in!
 This one is called the Stylin' Tote Bag.  I love the combination of green and yellow here.  She also shows one done in a solid color.

This is the Lacy V Market Bag.  I can also see this as an awesome beach bag if you aren't the type to make and bring your own bags with you to the market.  I like the rows of open lacy work. 

Hope you found something to inspire you for the weekend!

Until next time,

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Introducing Belle

Just wanted to share my latest project with you.  Introducing Belle:


My Belle sits on the shelf in my hallway watching over all that pass by.  You can find her in my Etsy Shop.  What have you been working on lately?

Until next time,

Friday, May 6, 2011

Friday Features

How many of you out there know about Ravelry and/or Crochetville?  If you haven't ever been to either then what are you waiting for?  Both offer tons of free patterns, but it doesn't stop there.  There are communities within the communities with lots of people willing to answer questions, direct you to patterns and in general just help out and hang with a fellow yarn crafter.  I have found myself (especially on Ravelry which features free projects and pictures!) getting lost on these sites.

So I have decided to put my project drooling time to use for you, my beloved readers.  Every Friday I am going to feature a few of the new patterns that I would just LOVE to work on, as well as a link to the patterns so that you can work on them too.  Hopefully you will find something to inspire you.

This week I am featuring projects from Larisa Glinchak's blog Розетка вяжет. Below are a few of her FREE patterns.  Fair warning, the site is in a foreign language (sorry, not my best subject, but I think it is Russian) but there is an awesome translate button on the right side of her blog that will translate it for you. 

http://rosetka.blogspot.com/2009/12/porosenok-amigurumi.htm

Isn't this little guy great! Now, the translation isn't great, but combine it will all of the beautiful pictures and you should be able to complete this little guy!

And then there is this cutie!
http://rosetka.blogspot.com/2011/04/promokashka-master-klass.html

Her neck, arms and legs are wires so she is completely poseable!

http://rosetka.blogspot.com/2009/12/slonenok.htm

Aren't these guys to cute!  I love all of the attention to detail: chubby cheeks, toe nails, the little smiles under the upturned trunks. 

 
And this little guy has so much personality.  I just want to pick him up and hug him. 

Until next time,

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

making some changes

Most of my readers are here for the craftiness. (Not that there has been a lot lately. Sorry readers!) But I keep finding myself drawn also to sharing the things I put together to help my kids in their educational pursuits. Everything I read about blogging says to K.I.S. Keep it simple. In others words don't try to put everything in one place.

As a result I have started Sunflowers at School where I can share all of those ideas (some are nifty, some are not so nifty) and keep this blog primarily a crafty place to hang out. So if you notice some posts missing or some things turned around, please don't panic. I am just doing some spring cleaning and transferring.

And in the spirit of keeping it crafty, I wanted to share my latest simple (and I really do mean simple) project. It was inspired by Ashley over at Make It and Love It. She created an awesome back strap from scrap material, elastic, and snaps to attach to a pair of flip flops to help the little ones keep them on their feet. (You can see her creation here.) I love what she did but when I went through all of my fabric and notions I realized that I didn't have the right snaps (just the sew on kind here) which might have worked just fine. Shoot, I could have even just sewed them on as a permanent part of the flip flop. But my fingers were itching for a hook in them, sooooo I hit my thread basket and went to work creating these:



Not quite as fanciful as the ones Ashley created, but definitely serviceable and they have lots of potential for cuteness.  Crochet a little bow for the back or add some crochet flowers to the sides and/or on the top of the strap.  I made mine as a permanent fixture since they use so little thread and I only paid a buck for the flipflops.

Anyway, this isn't so much a pattern as it is a tutorial since I can't really tell you how many rows to do for your little ones shoe size.  I can tell you my princess wears a size 8 shoe and these flip flops are actually a little big for her (they were the smallest size the store had) so I can give you details for that, but otherwise it really isn't hard to adjust.

I used a size 7 steel hook and bedspread weight crochet thread size 10

Start by chaining 5 and then sc in the second chain from the hook and the remaining chains.
 ch 1 and turn, sc across.
 That is basically it.  If you want them to be interchangeable then begin with a chain of 9, join to form a circle, ch 1, and work 4 sc in the circle.  ch 1, turn and sc in each sc.  The loop then becomes your button hole.  To attach them permanently, when your piece is long enough to wrap around the strap simply wrap it around and then sc through both layers on each stitch for next row.  (I did 14 rows of sc and then joined them together on the 15th row.)  continue chaining one at the end of each row and working sc in each stitch until you get the desired length.  You want to try it on your child for this.  Remember, crochet stretches quite a bit so be sure to pull it tight across the back of her foot.  When you have the right length to go across the back of her foot and wrap around the strap then you can either finish off leaving a long tail or create a button hole by chaining 5 and joining it to the opposite end of the row.  Wrap the crochet around the flip flop strap being sure not to twist it.  Use the tail to sew the loop around the flip flop closed (for permanent attachment) or mark for button placement (for interchangeable attachment).

I hope this makes sense to you.  If not, leave me a comment and I can create a step by step photo tutorial for you.

Until next time,

Breakfast Bar recipe

H is going on a field trip to King's Island with the school this week, which means an early day.  She will have to be at the school by 6 am and will be eating breakfast on the bus.  I was given the choice of either letting the school pack her breakfast and paying for a lot of preservatives and junk food (they are seriously packing "super doughnuts" to give the kids for breakfast!) or I could pack and send one with her.  Guess which one I chose!

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not a health nut.  I eat doughnuts and junk food on occasion.  But I seriously think that if I am going to pay for a meal at school, it should be relatively healthy.  Especially when they have put so many restrictions on the food that parents can bring in for parties.  (I can't order pizza for a class party but I can order pizza through the school for a class party.  I can't bring in cupcakes on my child's birthday, but they can serve super doughnuts for breakfast.  No candy for the Easter egg hunt but I am expected to sell candy, cookie dough, and candy coated popcorn for school fundraisers.  Makes LOTS of sense to me!)  Any way, enough ranting.  The point is that I had to come up with something that doesn't require refrigeration, was relatively healthy, tasted good, was portable, requires no utensils to eat, and I can pack in something disposable.  What came to mind?  Breakfast bars!

I love the ease and portability of a good breakfast bar.  I also like that when you make them yourself you can throw just about anything you want to in them.  So I figured why not share my basic recipe with you so you too can enjoy your own breakfast goodness.

Sunflower's Breakfast Bars
 (YES!  I took this picture on my back deck because the sun was finally out and
I could get a decent picture of something....finally!)

2 cups old fashion oats (these are the ones you have to cook, not the 1 minute or the instant variety)
3/4 cup milk
1 cup mashed fruit of your choice (this batch was 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of any add ins you want or leave this out.  It's your breakfast bar!  Some suggestions are raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, coconut etc

Here is the hard part.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray an 8 by 8 pan with cooking spray.  Dump all of your ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Pour into the pan and cook for about 1 hour.  Allow to cool completely and then cut into bars.  (I prefer to make 3 cuts L to R and then one cut top to bottom down the center to get 8 bars)

I love "dump" recipes.  They are pretty much fool proof.  Let me know what you think if you decide to make a batch!
Until next time,

Monday, May 2, 2011

Preschool Bible verses

Trying to get back into the swing of things. The weather here has been nothing but rain so I haven't been able to plant anything or do much around the outside of the house. Then Mr. Sunflowers was on vacation for the week and we spent that time working on a few projects that we had been wanting to complete. (a canopy for his fishtank, roof repairs, mulching the flower beds, etc)

In addition to all of this I have been trying to do a lesson with Princess A 2 or 3 times a week. She sees H and J head off to school in the mornings and she wants to go to. This way we have our own little school at home.

In addition to learning about a calendar, weather, letters, numbers and colors I wanted to work on some Bible memorization with her. Which sparked me to bring back the scripture cards, preschool style. Here is what we are working on now:


This prints out business card size. Feel free to share, but please give credit and mention this blog.


Until next time,