mittens!

I just finished knitting and then gifting these 2 pairs of beautiful mittens! (to my momma and aunt karen)

I figured it would be appropriate to share these since they were just here in Texas visiting and keeping me company for the past 5 days! These White Witch Mitts were really fun to make. It was my first real color work project that I did correctly and successfully finished. (Thanks to my wonderful friend Erika for giving me some helpful tips!!) I think they really turned out so nicely and it was fun to make 2 pairs with such different colorways and see the different results.

my aunt picked a more traditional color palette..

and my mom picked bright colors.

With the cold weather up north, hopefully these will actually get some good use this winter! (since they wouldn't at all here in Texas!) I really learned some cool new things from knitting these and I always enjoy that. And they are so cool, right?!

PS - I also just realized that I never re-posted a picture of my finished Tea Leaves Cardigan..

Finished! What do you think?

my new day job?

We finally got our internet installed today! I know it sounds and seems really silly, but I was starting to go crazy without internet. I mean I have my iPhone, but I hate using the internet on it. I hate writing emails on it. ha ha I really just use it for texting. Anyway!

I've spent the past week unpacking and cleaning and trying to get a little bit settled in this new house. I've also spent the last week trying to figure out what to do with myself down here. I really want to get my etsy shop back up and running and I've been sewing some new bags and clutches and I hope to have them in there by the end of the week. Here are a few things you'll see soon!

a new clutch I came up with. it has a snap closure and a little pocket on the inside.

little change purses

pencil cases

coffee cup cozy

This is hopefully just the start. I also need to figure out how to take better pictures.. I'm hoping to post more pictures soon!

my tea leaves cardigan

(please excuse my appearance in this photo. i had just spent 22 hours in a car)

Here is my tea leaves cardigan! Minus a sleeve and the 2 buttons at the top (and probably a little bit of steam blocking) but isn't it a beauty?! I just cannot get enough of this yarn in my hands. I've seen this sweater made a few times when I worked at Loop in Philadelphia and I always thought it was so beautiful and so simple. It was my first [completed] top down raglan sweater and I loved it. Currently, the sweater ALMOST has it's second sleeve. I hope to finish it this afternoon and I can post another finished picture and maybe look slightly more presentable.

This pattern is a madelinetosh pattern and I have to say, it's SO easy. The finished product really makes you look like you've got some serious skills but everything about this sweater is really basic and it turns out so nice. And if you've never worked with madelinetosh dk weight yarn - You Are Seriously Missing Out. Please go buy some and treat yourself to a magical knitting experience.

Luster is the colorway that I chose for this sweater and I just love it. It's all hand dyed yarn so most of them just have a subtle color change that is just amazing. (Can you tell how much I love this yarn?!)

I can't wait to finish my last sleeve, sew on my buttons and show you the finished project!

our new chapter

As many of you know, Evan’s job decided to move him into a new position in his company and to a small place called Beaumont, Texas. It’s a huge change from what we are used to and what we love, the busy city life in Philadelphia. We arrived in Beaumont two nights ago after a long 22 hour drive. Edward and Keety made the drive also and are very curious as to why they are in a tiny little hotel room and not their big beautiful house in Philadelphia! We are stuck here for 2 weeks until our house is ready for move in.

In the meantime, I am trying to catch up on some knitting, blogging, organizing my 'Great Idea Book' and trying to gather some recipes to try when we get into our house! What else do I have to do for 2 weeks in a hotel in a town where I know noone and don't have a car?!

I've been watching a lot of HGTV lately too and I've been constantly thinking of fun projects I can do around our new house to make it our home. Let me share some pictures of our new house and some fun projects I can't wait to start!!

instagram photo

the outside of our house

it's an open concept area - this is taken from the kitchen looking into the living room

here is from the living room looking into the kitchen area

check out this lovely laundry room! I know I'm old when I am overly excited about this area!!

oh, and heres my new backyard. and the biggest reason I am giving everyone to come visit me! :)

Now - to my home ideas!!

I have always wanted a super cool, bold, fun rug.....I am hoping I can talk Evan into something like this!

i love making useful things out of something you may not think would be useful anymore... how cool is this noteboard type thing?! it's an old window shudder. i love it and so easy!

we have a pantry in our new house (yeah a walk-in pantry...I'm going to be SO spoiled here in Texas) but I really want to paint it a super fun color like this yellow one. what a fun way to add some color without painting the whole kitchen!

I am always a sucker for photo walls. how beautiful is this one! so simple and clean, I can't wait to create mine in the new house.

This is definitely a scary new chapter for me but I think I have handled it well so far. Only 2 minor break downs so far... ha ha I can't wait to get into our new house and get settled! Come visit us please! :)

fanny packs

what a werid name for something right?! who came up with that term...

anyway..

a few months ago a few of my closest friends and i signed up to do this run called the color run. its a 5k run that has check points along the way where you get powered color dumped on you. you also get a little packet of color to throw around at the end of the race... point of this is I needed something to carry all my things in while i ran.. my color packet, my phone, my house keys.. i decided a fanny pack would absolutely be the best option for this!

i spent the entire day lugging my friends and evan around the entire city of philadelphia in search for a fanny pack. who knew they'd be so hard to find! walmart, target, jo mar, thrift stores...no one had one! so i put my crafty skills to work and googled 'fanny pack patterns.' and sure enough - i found one! a really great one actually that was super easy and very simple.

I chose to use denim fabric and bright zippers..... pretty cool huh?

i'm thinkin' i should add these to my etsy shop, i got so much good feedback!

my little children

If you know me, you know that I love my little kitties more than most humans. I treat them like humans and I talk to them like they are going to talk back to me. Evan thinks I've really lost it sometimes. So, until I have human children, I'll share pictures of my 4 legged children!

sister and brother, just hangin' out.

edward is checking out patterns on ravelry here with me...

I got the kitties brand new carriers for our move to Texas and I've had them out so they can get used to them a little bit.... This is how I found Keety one afternoon....looks like shes comfy in there!

things i love

I'm always constantly searching the web for super cool and cute things. I can't keep them all to myself... let me share some things i love with you!

I always want a cute new iphone case.... yet I just have a super ugly plain ole' black one. someday ill go for it and buy one like these!

if only i have $5,000 to spend at anthro. i'd go crazy! how cute are these?!

i'm a sucker for cute tape and twine and all that fun stuff.

well of course i'd love a few diamonds in my engagement ring someday, but there's just something about this wooden one that gets me everytime. it's so simple and seams so meaningful with those hand carved initials. 

it wouldn't be a "things i love" post without some jar picture. i love jars of all shapes and sizes - and i love that dark shade of purple so much!

happy monday friends!