I finished these up today. Sewing on the velcro was simple and then I started on these bibs.
Not bad for a quick mornings work! I have tried to crochet some snowflakes today but I am not very agile this morning. I will have to try again later.
See you later,
Karen
I have been really lacking in creativity in my crochet lately. I have done tons of sewing and I have enjoyed it but I have been spending time with family and not much time with the hook in the evenings. I haven’t been pleased with the projects I have been doing and that seems to breed procrastination and lots of thinking. What I was working on wasn’t pretty or bright or even colorful. It did have plenty of colors in it but I think the background color wasn’t/isn’t working. So, I am not even going to show it to you until I improve it with a new background color. I did get a crochet hook out and start some long stringy things but they also lacked life.So, those also fell by the wayside. This did start this weekend and I am pretty driven to complete it. I am happy and at peace by this one little square. Now to figure out what I did and how to make tons of multiples. Yes it is a granny square, and it makes me very happy. 
I am off to crochet a bunch more. See you later, Karen
I just broke through a pattern writing slump and finished up the pattern for the Neon Crochet Afghan blanket. I first showed this blanket to you in February.
 The black was rather difficult to photograph at different parts so I did those parts (for the pattern) in the pink and orange yarn instead. I hope it turns out well. I have it listed on Etsy and Craftsy if you are interested. This is another beginner level pattern, half double crochet and double crochet are the only stitches used. You do need to be comfortable in changing colors and counting stitches. The blanket is 45″ x 60″.
See you later,
Karen
Here are the new bibs for Chocolate’s baby Shop!
Aren’t they bright and fun! I have more cut out ready to sew but I was out of thread today. I will work on those tomorrow morning.
Talk to you later,
Karen
I was doing my morning check up on my computer this morning and discovered this post   http://time.com/2855449/parents-kids-college-tips/  from Time. Since we are sending two kids off to college this fall, I read through it to see if there was anything I needed to do. Well, anything I needed to do besides buy him everything under the sun. It had the normal things, make sure they know how to do laundry, make sure they know how to cook some basic food, buy them something special before they head off. There were also some great suggestions about doing fun things to build memories. We are doing these things this summer and we will do more later in the year. 
This is a photo of the impromptu marshmallow roasting that happened yesterday. We had a good time before all the kids disappeared back inside the house. We hope to take a vacation later this summer and also do some more spontaneous fun things this summer as well. I really have to plan the fun or it doesn’t happen.
Talk to you later,
Karen
You know how you start to look for an important piece of paper and it isn’t to be found, ANYWHERE. I have had that problem three times in the last four months. I have been been putting off working on our files since we moved to Iowa. There is so much that we just dumped in a drawer or cabinet when we moved back. I have been letting things like filing and organizing slide around here. I am an artist/packrat type person, my husband is the Engineer/keep it we might need it one day person, and together we have children that are a wonderful combination of our two personalities. We have been drowning in clutter. I would really like to say that I had planned organizing today several weeks ago and as it came up on my planner I got right to work. HA! Really, I am procrastinating doing something else.
Here is the before photo. I hate to share it but we are real people around here.
Umm, the toilet paper is for noses and dog ears.
This is the top of the dining table and my drafting table height desk, which I love but I had given to hubs to use when we moved back in. We have a spare door that belongs on the laundry room door but doesn’t work when you actually have a washer and dryer in the laundry room. So, it has been stored in the house in another room and was just waiting for this use. 
Here is the door on top of the filing cabinets, which are full of paper, which is the reason I started this anyway. The other reason I started this was to do this with our common everyday papers.
Isn’t it beautiful! I love how organized she is. So, I set out to do something along the same lines without running to the store. I have set a challenge for myself for the year to do as much as I can without buying new organizing things. I love her color coordinated notebooks, and it would look so much more put together but, I have a busy, busy life, and I won’t get it all together and keep it together long enough to do this.
This is my take on her organization method. I also added a front piece on each binder because, and there are two of us using these, and it would help to have directions. The perfectionist in me wants to rip that label out that is cut crooked and fix it. I am NOT going to obsess about this. IF this system works then I might revamp it later and pretty it up.
Here are some after photos of my desk and his desk. I am working on the files on his desk, so it is more cluttered than mine. I also wasn’t sure where he wanted his white board hung.
The green and red box is for paper to shred, which should open up some room in the file drawers. My Mom sent me this great link about which papers to keep and which to shred.
http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Money/Personal-Finance/Managing-Household-Records.shtml
To keep it all real, here is the photo of the table that I am still decluttering. Why does organizing always make things look worse before it looks better?
I am excited to have a landing pad for my laptop. I am determined to spend less time on the screen and more time with my family. So, I am going to try to treat my laptop as a desktop. We are also washing the dog beds and dogs. We did sweep and mopped thoroughly. The floor had been in bad condition since it had been raining, and the dogs have had access to this room only.
Talk to you later,
Karen
Every once in a while I will stop by an estate sale. I stopped at two today. I found this beautiful hand hooked rug. The date says ’54 so I am assuming that it means 1954 and not 1854. I really don’t think it is that 100 years old, but I really don’t know much about it.
It is a punched rug with wool strips instead of yarn. It has never been used as you can see that the burlap backing isnt tacked down to the back of the run like it would be if it had been used.
It is a little old fashioned and somewhat out of style but I love the color shading in it. I also found a wonderful bucket of crochet cotton thread in various sizes and colors.
Quite a nice selection of threads. It was a fun day though my feet hurt today after all the walking.
Talk to you later,
Karen
I have been sewing a bunch of beautiful baby bibs. They are so cheerful and happy!
They aren’t quite finished but they will be soon! Â I can’t wait to show them all to you. I hope to get these bibs photographed and in the shop on Friday of this week, along with some new baby blankets. They are all lighter weight and perfect for summer weather. They all have snuggly flannel on one side and cool soft cotton on the other.
This week has been a busy driving one back and forth to different activities for the kids. One is assisting at vacation bible school and the other has been needing a ride back and forth to work. So I have put many miles on the car this week. It ends tomorrow and there should be more down time next week.
Talk to you later,
Karen
I have been working on this for several weeks now. The blues were relaxing and fun to work with. Here are some of the teaser photos that I have shared with you via Instagram and Facebook.
This is a photo of the lovely fringe! So textural and fun!
I see this poncho with black skinny jeans and boots or a fun flirty skirt! This is the latest installment in my new line of ponchos/shawls. I love crocheting these wearable boho works of art! Each one is unique and you can be sure that there won’t be another just like it! It takes about two weeks of off and on work to reach the point where I can add the fringe.
I personally picked the yarn for this poncho. At the end of every row I ask myself which color or texture does it need next. It will be available in the http://www.chocolatedogstudio.etsy.com shop on Friday at 6 pm. I will never make another just like this one, when it is gone, it is truly gone.
See you later,
Karen
I am sure that you remember these from my sewing binge last week.
Here is the midpoint.
Here they are in all the beauty. These turned out so well that I can almost forget all the zip bag failures!
I spent a whole day piecing these together. Then the better part of a morning stuffing and hand sewing the opening closed. They are cute and lovely. They will also be available in the www.ChocolateDogStudio.etsy.com shop on Friday at 6 pm. There are all sorts of lovely colors in each one and they are stripey and fun. I am working hard on the fun part of the shop! When they are gone they are gone as I used bits and pieces I had been collecting for awhile. Each one is unique. These could easily have fit in with the use my stash challenge!
see you later,
Karen