Just Jen

Crochet Baby Blanket - DONE!

I just delivered this blanket to a very sweet new little one. I have made this pattern a couple of times, and I love it. It takes forever, though, so I save it for very special times. This baby's momma and I have been BFFs since the 4th grade, so it definitely qualified as "special". Plus, I got a head start back in the summer instead of waiting til the last minute like I usually do.

I love working with this yarn. It's super soft and washes well, and it looks like mint chocolate chip ice cream. I also used it on Andie's hat and scarf and a new little poncho - more on that later! The pattern is from a little book called Crochet: The Portable Crafter.

Welcome to the world, Miss Addison!

 

Christmas ornament making with Jack

This year as a little gift for family and neighbors, Jack and I made these swirly paint ornaments. He loved making them - about 18 in all. They're super easy. Just squirt in some acrylic craft paint into clear glass or plastic ornaments and swirl like crazy. We did 2 colors in each, and let the first color dry for a bit before adding the 2nd one. A word of warning: these take FOREVER to dry, so don't wait until the last minute to start. It's a good idea to turn them upside down to let the excess paint drain out to help them dry faster. Once they were mostly dry, I put the tops back on, tied a little ribbon to the top and wrote on the outside with a white fine tipped paint pen. Everybody loved them, and Jack and I had fun making them together - and well, that was the best part of all.

Texas White Christmas

It doesn't happen often - almost never, actually. But this year we had a white Christmas in Texas. Couldn't have been more perfect!