Angry Birds For My Little Brother

My adorable little brother loves angry birds.  So as an incentive for potty training, I made him his favorite bird... who kind of looks like Bert from Sesame Street... {made from a pattern I found online}.

Then for his birthday, I came up with a pig pattern and made him this adorable little guy and a set of cardboard towers that he can now set up, place the pig on, and throw his bird at.

My cat, of course, had to inspect my work.  It seems she was quite familiar with the game concept...

My little brother greatly enjoys his crochet version of Angry Birds.  I suspect, I may try to make him a few more birds/pigs for Christmas.

Adventures in Tatting

On Thursday night, my friend introduced me to the wonderful world of tatting.  She taught me the basics: double stitch, picot, join, chain, and ring.

My practice thread.  It starts out with a chain of double stitches using two threads.  The the work goes to a single thread as she taught me how to make rings.  Then I learned how to add picots.  After I had practiced two rings with picots side by side, she decided I needed to learn how to join rings through a picot.  Then I started making a flower.  I got partway around it and realized that my gap between petals was too large.  So I abandoned the partial flower to start on my first project.

This project was started and completed Friday morning.  I had a lot of fun making it.

This is my first completed (minus tucking in the final strings) project.  I needed youtube's help to learn a few more steps for this project.

When I first tried joining the last petal of my flower to the first petal of my flower it ended up twisted.  So I undid my join and started hunting for a video.  I found one that showed me how to make a folded join to complete a circular motif.  I also learned how to add a bead to the center of a tatted ring, which I practiced at the end of my bracelet chain.  I also stumbled across a fantastic way to hide tail threads, unfortunately, it was after I had already finished my bracelet.  So until I get around to buying a special needle, my tails will remain loose on this one.

Close up of the flower details.

Another shot of my first complete flower.

On to project number two, which I started Saturday.  This project uses the pattern found here, except that I've added an extra picot on the two outer rings of the clover.

Project #2 - Rambling Flowers Pattern

I started this project with two threads and used the thread hiding method found here.  I also learned how to open a closed ring, because I accidentally closed the center ring of the second clover a picot and five double stitches sooner than I should have.  I wouldn't want to make a habit out of reopening closed rings, but it wasn't as painful as the tutorial made it sound.

I am very excited to work on this project some more this morning and, after church, I will be meeting with the gal that taught me to show her my progress and to tat some more.

Star Crochet Blanket - Blues and Purples

This is the largest star blanket I have made at this point.  It is very soft and perfect for snuggling.  I finished it earlier today.

I have been working on this blanked on and off for three weeks and I am really pleased with how it turned out.

 

My four year old brother giving you a size comparison.

Edge detail - I really like how the edge turned out.

Edge detail again - this time in dark purple.

Playing the Hurry Up and Wait Game

Hubby and I made an offer on a house that we absolutely love a little over a week ago.  It is a beautiful house that needs work, but that's okay.  We are still waiting to hear back from the bank on our offer.  It is rather hard waiting and I'm trying not to drive hubby (my real estate agent) crazy while waiting.  So that is the exciting/anxious piece of news in my life.  Please pray for good news from the bank. :)

I'm still learning to cope with decisions made by a family member that has turned my entire families' life upside-down.  I know that I will jump for joy when I am finally able to sleep straight through the night without waking up in the middle due to nightmares.  I've had three solid months of nightmare filled nights and it's getting hard to function on this lack of sleep.  I don't like being tired all the time.

It may just be that I notice the rain more right now, but the last three months seem to have been filled with more rain and grey days than normal.  Currently, it is pouring.  The parking lot has a river of rain water flowing through it and the thunder is cracking loudly as flashes occasionally light up the sky.

Overall, my heart is happy for the blessings in my life and the hope I cling to.  I know that when this tough period of time has come to an end, I will emerge from the other side stronger than when I entered and I know that God is in control and He is my strength through this stormy time.

Blessings Abundant - Even in Hard Times

The last month and a half has been the hardest in my life.  The pain and anger I have felt have outweighed any other emotion at any given point in my life.  This period of time feels harder on me than when my brother died.  I don't feel like I am myself right now.  My concentration is shot.  My focus on any given task seems fleeting.  I've been shot emotionally and it feels like I'm just waiting to bleed out.  I don't like this sensation.  I want to find me in all this.  I want to see the happy things again and not just wait for the next heart wrenching e-mail to come my way.  Most of all, I want my family back the way it should be, but that doesn't look likely.

I'm thankful for my husband through this all.  He has been so strong, loving, and accepting of me through all this.

My mother, she is one amazing woman.  She has every right to be mad, angry, or bitter in this situation, but relying on God, she is choosing to love.  She is a woman that I aspire to be like.  If I am ever considered a fourth as fantastic as my mother, I will feel that I achieved much with my life.

So I want to take some time today to focus on the positive.  I have several friends who have told me recently that they are expecting.   One is even expecting twins and another is starting their adoption process.  It truly is excited.

A dear friend of mine recently proposed to his beloved and she said yes.

Another friend just tied the knot and there are a few more planning on getting married later on this year.

My sis-in-law has made an offer on a house she loves.  Bevan and I plan on house hunting later this year.

My brother is starting to do really well in school.

My youngest sister is one smart princess.

My middle sister seems to be loving her job, dog, and place over on the west side of the state.

My brother is finding that God is providing for his family even when it looks like his current job will end soon due to city budget cuts.

My youngest brother is full of life and always knows how to make me smile.

My sis-in-law is enjoying her job and motherhood suits her very well.  She loves her daughter so very much and my beautiful niece is growing healthy and strong.

My mum-in-law is an amazing woman and I am greatly thankful for her kindness to me.

My father-in-law is a man of integrity.

I have a roof over my head and food in the pantry.

The sun has decided to come out and it is finally starting to feel like Spring.

I enjoy my job.

I have many talented and wonderful friends.

God is good and He provides for me.  He comforts me in my time of pain.  God is in control.

Shattered

Shattered

Bang!
The shot gun sounds,
That turns my life upside-down.
Crash!
There goes the mirror,
That used to show those I held dear.
Sob.
Here beats my heart,
In pieces as it is torn apart.

Sigh.
The splinters cut and tear,
As I gather them from everywhere.
Shattered.
The mirror will always be,
As time tries to heal the wounds in me.
Thud.
To my knees I fall,
To cry to Him who hears it all.
                            -Natalie R.

Interesting Reads

I've been on a reading kick lately.  Here are some of the books I would recommend.  Clicking the link will take you to descriptions of the book on Amazon.

Flicker by Kaye Thornbrugh
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Likable characters, deep friendships, harsh lessons, court intrigue, colorful magic, and an abundance of perseverance make for a fascinating tale. Kaye Thornbrugh weaves a vivid world dancing just beyond normal sight. Flicker is a great read. I look forward to reading future works by this author.  This is Kaye's first novel and I think she did fantastic!

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Genre: Science Fiction

I had been told by several people that this would be a good set of books to read and I am glad that I listened.  Katniss' story was artfully and often gruesomely described.  The tale highlighted both the highest and lowest points of humanity.  Courage, hope, despair, love, heartache, and revenge are all evoked within the pages of this tale.

 ~*~*~*~

I have many more things to say about these books, but I will save them for other posts as I fear they will need spoiler tags as warning.