It feels like I’ve been away from the blog for so long. Maybe that’s because I have! A lot has been going on since I finished the ’80s craft-a-long. . .
I first took a trip to the Sunshine State. I usually fly, but this time I actually drove. It really wasn’t as bad as I thought, 12 hours alone in the car driving Interstate 95, but coming back I was so sick it was by the grace of God I got home in one piece.
While in Florida I visited my family, attended my best friend’s baby shower, and went to Disney World. It was not my first time visiting Disney, it was more like my 75th time. Growing up in Florida, Disney World was like my second home. I’d visit there at least twice a year, basically because we were so close and because my grandparents lived in Orlando.
A lot has changed in the 30+ years I’ve been going to Disney: some of the rides are no longer there (Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride & If You Had Wings) and some of the rides have been altered (The Haunted Mansion & Pirates of the Caribbean). All of these changes make me sad. I guess the rides needed to be updated throughout the years, but when I go to Disney I want “old school” Disney not “new school” Hannah Montana and Lilo and Stitch.
Anyway, I had a great time visiting the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and MGM, oh sorry it is now called Hollywood Studios, another crazy change. And this was the first time I had visited as a non-Florida resident. Wow, was that a shocker when I had to pay full price for a 3-day pass. My ticket cost the same as my mom and sister combined.
It was still a good time. The crowds weren’t terrible and the temps weren’t unbearable, so if you are planning a trip to Disney remember March is a nice month to go!
After my Disney vacation, I went down to South Florida to visit my family, the brand new Ikea, and attended my best friend’s baby shower. Though the present took me way longer than I had imagined it would (I was actually finishing it at 11:00 p.m. the night before the shower), I finally finished the crocheted whale baby blanket.
You can’t tell from this picture, but the blanket is gigantic! I had to lay it on the carpet and stand on a step stool to take this picture. I think it came out nice, even with a minor error. 🙂
Unfortunately while in Florida I picked up a really nasty cold, which I am still battling a week and a half later. I think I gave my virus to my computer, because it too is very sick. For some reason, my web browser got deleted from my computer so I can no longer browse online. I do have one link that lets me get online, but I have to jump through hoops to get there. I ordered a new browser this week, so hopefully I’ll be back to normal next week.
In crafty news, this whole CPSIA deal is really getting on my nerves. I am starting to think about items to make for my new shop, and every time I think of something it tends to have an unauthorized material in it. Ugh! this is very frustrating. I hope to have some items in the shop by May!
I have also decided to give Ravelry the benefit of the doubt and have started using the crochet/knit site again. Boy am I glad I did, because my NCIS group is hosting it’s first swap this month. We have to send our swap partner an item for each of the letters of “NCIS“. This should be fun. I already have an idea of what I am going to send to my partner who loves Gibbs!
And lastly, I had such a great time crafting through the ’80s that I wanted to join in on a weekly/monthly craft-a-long or challenge. Thanks to Indulge Your Shelf I found the Cinema Saturday Challenge.
Every week the hostesses of the challenge choose a movie as your inspiration for your craft. Unfortunately, they only allow paper crafts (cards and/or scrapbook pages), as do the majority of the craft challenges out there. That really bummed me out, so it got me to thinking. Would anyone be interested in playing along with a monthly challenge (weekly is just too much for me)?
I was thinking the challenge could be pop culture themed, which would give me a lot of variety for the monthly challenges (movies, TV, music, books, etc.), and the craft could be in any medium (crochet, knit, beads, paper, felt, etc.).
If you would be interested, just leave me a comment or shoot me an email. You don’t have to commit to participating in the challenge, I just want to see if there is enough interest in it before I move forward. And, if you have any ideas on this challenge or a different one just let me know.
I think that sums it all up. Hopefully I’ll be back to my normal web browser next week and I can go back to my smaller posts, because this one is out of control!
not gonna lie…i *heart* the idea 😀
I love your whale blanket – what an heirloom for the baby/family to cherish!
I love your idea of a monthly challenge – especially one that’s not paper! – count me in!
I love your whale blanket – what an heirloom for the baby/family to cherish!
I love your idea of a monthly challenge – especially one that’s not paper! – count me in!
that blanket is the best!
a monthly challenge?!? I could handle that WAY better than a weekly one. 🙂
that blanket is the best!
a monthly challenge?!? I could handle that WAY better than a weekly one. 🙂
I missed your blog. Glad to see you are back. I love the whale blanket. My hubby thinks its so nice he doesn’t want the baby to use it and mess it up!
I missed your blog. Glad to see you are back. I love the whale blanket. My hubby thinks its so nice he doesn’t want the baby to use it and mess it up!