A VERY IMPORTANT milestone

It took only a few weeks of diligence, patience and unbridled determination.

I FINISHED CROCHETING MY FIRST HUMAN ADULT-SIZED BLANKET.

Do you fully understand the magnitude of this achievement?!

(And is it not beautiful!?)

(However it's not really my personal taste, what with the lacy border, although I do like the textured herringbone pattern. It *is* my mother-in-law's taste, though, because it's a gift for her birthday, which has since passed, but that's okay because I think she will be elated.)

I have grown as a person because of it.

Perhaps now I will have the fortitude to eventually finish these other projects.

Gift wrap

There comes a time in every woman's life when she is faced with a seemingly insurmountable challenge, a problem with no clear solution, and she must look into the farthest reaches of her soul, take a deep breath, and ask herself one question.

What would Martha do?

Jen B's bridal shower was yesterday. Since lemonade is her *favorite* beverage, and she is a soon-to-be Southern hostess, I thought that I'd give her a lemonade set. In fact, I *created* a lemonade set, searching high and low, online and off to find just the right serving tray, glasses and pitcher. And I threw in some super cool screen-printed lettuce and tomato dishtowels from Crate and Barrel (because you can never have too many dishtowels).

The problem was this: how do you gift-wrap a pitcher, four glasses, dishtowels and a serving tray in a way that is neither cumbersome nor ugly (hello), that won't keep the recipient occupied for a decade unwrapping stuff in order to figure out just what in the hell you're giving her?

And so I sought intervention from Michael's. I found an oval box in the boxes-to-decoupage section, and with a little kraft brown wrapping paper, scissors and PVA, I lifted that box from a humble ready-to-decoupage box, to THIS:

A decoupaged box.

The four glasses fit inside *perfectly* (woohoo!), and after stuffing it with yellow tissue paper, I put the lid on and was ready to add some pizazz with ribbon and raffia.

Eh. It needs some OOMPH, I thought. A lemon perhaps (real, of course)? With a bit of mint? Attached with floral wire to the raffia?

Mmmm. Delectable.

Tout de même, there was still the stupid pitcher, towels and tray. Or at least the pitcher and towels, because I figured the tray could just function as a tray and be used as a device to both contain and carry whatever clever solution I came up with.

I tried stuffing the pitcher with yellow tissue paper and draping the towel over the edge of the tray, in a casual sort of way.

No, no, no. Martha would definitely NOT do THAT.

And then I remembered the Blue Wind Gourmet, a local restaurant that serves the most delicious chicken tortilla soup -- AND sends your carry-out with you in plain brown, but sturdy, paper bags, which I save because they make perfect gift bags. So smart. So, so smart. :)

The pitcher fit in the bag perfectly. Regrettably, I did not take a picture of the pitcher before I wrapped it all up, but here's what I did: I placed two lemons inside the pitcher, along with a sprig or two of mint, then placed the lemon-filled pitcher in the yellow-tissue-lined bag. I added some extra yellow tissue on top and VOILA! A gift-wrapping job to arouse ample curiosity, speculation and admiration.

I think Martha would be pleased.

CrADD

While color will always be, in my heart, the numero uno design element, texture runs a tight second. And that is precisely the reason I'm loving crochet. It's been a loooooong time since I picked it up, but I've started, I've fallen deeply in love, and I can't stop. It's like some highly addictive fiber arts frenzy. Crafty crack.

The catch, however, is an affliction I call Creative-ADD (CrADD), similar to Cleaning-ADD (ClADD); both involve starting a project and working feverishly on it...until I think of another project to work on (or notice something else to clean), and I may at any one time have several projects or chores underway. I'm currently working on (1, 2, 3, 4) 5 crochet projects (and was thinking of starting another, oh and I've promised to start another blanket for my mother-in-law), and 1 knitting project (by the way, I'm teaching myself to knit, too).

ALTHOUGH--to my own credit--the reason I haven't continued working on two of the projects is that I ran out of the yarn for them.

ALTHOUGH--against my credit--instead of buying the yarn to complete the projects, I bought the yarn to start new projects, but WHATEVER. I need VARIETY (another element of design, thank you very much). And I *will* finish. Someday.

So here are just a few of the projects I am working on (and one that I've finished!).

This is the afghan that started it all. It's about 6 1/2 feet long, currently ~2 feet wide and has used $100 worth of yarn, which is funny because that's the exact price Keith said he would pay me for finishing it...

A baby bootie (just one so far):

An egg cozy, also lonely:

Look! A finished piece! It's a bookmark crocheted with red thread. Or a runner for a miniature table. I didn't know I had the patience in me to do work so tiny, but lo and behold, I do, and here is the FINISHED product in all of its book marking glory. Now that I know I can work with this stuff and not jab my eyes out with the miniscule crochet hook, I can try making pretty little crocheted trims! You know, to embellish stuff.

I WANT EVERYONE TO SEE THE TINY-ASS HOOK I USED FOR THE BOOKMARK (it's the shiny thing in front of the pencil) and marvel and go "OOOOHHHH!" and "AAAAHHHHH!" and "Sarah! You are AMAZING!":

And finally, four completed motifs for another blanket. J'ADORE the colors. (And the texture too.)

Ahhh crafts.

This may come as a shock to you, but I--yes, I--am the creator of the ugliest angel ornament *EVER*.

I discovered it in a box of Christmas tree ornaments at my parents' house, as if to remind me--before I embarked on a stack of sewing projects I've been planning--why I *DO NOT SEW*. See the fine craftsmanship? I especially love that the floral pattern is going sideways. The random sequin detail is also nice, as is the jingle bell belt accessory I've given her. And the gold rick-rack halo.

To underscore my absolute sewing genious, I also found this gorgeous miniature snowman pillow.

You will note the beautifully raw edge--on *top* mind you--which I clearly did not feel like stitching by hand.

Which is why I work with paper and glue.