Crocheting, Gimp, and Other Stuff

It really bugs me that I can't figure out how to layer an image in Gimp. I need to get with the times and learn about this stuff. I found out how to do it in Photo Shop but the problem is...I don't have that program. I have the free one:) Also I got frustrated with my last post because I wanted to move the pictures around and I couldn't. Hmmmmph! I have a lot to learn! But I want to learn to use Gimp because I may transition into digital scrapbooking. It seems a lot easier...and cheaper than the traditional way I have been doing it...even though I still love it.

Also I wanted to share my crochet project. I got this out of Vanna White's crochet book that I bought. You use two strands of yarn together the whole time. This is my very first big crocheting project. Before I have made dishclothes that look like triangles (not on purpose!). As my friends grandma said, "I can tell you how to make a chain from here to North Carolina but I couldn't tell ya how to get back!"...that has been the extent of my skills. But I decided that I wanted to learn so I bought a book and watched some You Tube videos and away I went. I don't do this consistantly...I have to be on a kick and then I will get this project out and work on it. Then I will get bored with it and move on to something else. One of these days I will finish it. I don't think my stitches are right but for my first time I don't think it is that bad. I am planning on giving this to my parents for Christmas this year. Hopefully I will be done by then! With my short attention span, who knows:)

It's Sunday which means it's mean planning time for this coming week. I have been following "The Grocery Cart Challenge" blog that is a really cute stay at home mom who is sharing her menu and money saving ideas. She has a big family and they only spend like $65 a week on groceries. I could really cut down on this area of our budget so if you are in the same boat this is a great place to stop by for tips and inspirations. She also posts links to her recipes. So I am off to plan my cheap but good menu for this week and hopefully I will get my grocery bill down by taking her advise. I am excited:)

I'm On a Sewing Kick

Here are a few of the projects I have been doing. Don't you just love my photography skills? These are all baby gifts. The ones with the initials on them are fonts I copied and made patterns from. I used a tight zigzag stitch and sewed them onto the fabric. The two bottom pictures are of what I call "lovies"...just smaller squares of fabric that the little ones can carry around. I sewed little loops of ribbon onto the lovies for the babies to play with. All of my friends loved these and I just got an order for two of them. Not that I was taking orders but a sweet friend of mine asked if I would make her 2 for her friends. I had a lot of fun with these and with the blanket for baby Henry at the top. All of this was very easy and it got my creative juices flowing again. So I got really brave and decided to make my six year old daughter's Easter dress. It turned out really cute too. Now I am on the search to find what I want to sew next. I found this really neat link on another blog I am following for cloth napkins. They are so cute and vintage that I thought I might make a set for my mom to go in her Mother's Day basket. I'm not sure what else will go with them but Mom is easy to please.

My First Blog

Well how exciting! I am writing my very first blog ever. I really don't know why I haven't done this before because this is "write" up my alley! I hope you like occasional corny humor...I come by it naturally. Thanks, Dad! I am not sure what I am going to focus on yet. I'll just fly by the seat of my pants and see what happens. A little about me: I am a wife to a wonderful man and a mom to two awesome little girls. I work part time from my home office as an interactive recruiter. My faith is the center of my life. It is the hope that I have so deep in my being that I could not ever go back to living without it. I like to laugh a lot and I try to find humor in every day. I am good at a lot of things but I am not great at any of them. I like to learn something new all the time but I might get bored and move on before I get really skilled at it. But some things that have stuck that I really enjoy doing are: cooking, photography, song writing, sewing, scrapbooking, quilting, and crocheting. In addition I love things like going camping, curling up with a good book, and just being with my friends and family. I look forward to sharing my stories and experiences with you.