Grandbaby's coming... I'd better get busy.

So... I asked my ever-growing, but glowingly beautiful daughter and first-time mother-to-be, "Is anyone throwing you a baby shower?" Her answer surprised me. "No. We've already bought almost everything already."  HUH?  Not what I meant when I asked, but now I have to know.  Oh!  They've already bought the BIG stuff: Crib, changing table, car seat, stroller, etc...

Now I have have to get to work on the baby shower I am throwing.  First off, I have to come up with a theme.  Zoo/Safari she says, and I can live with that.  LOL.  Next, search the Internet for resources (free help).  I find my best help while reading one of my favorite blogs:  http://fresh-linen.blogspot.com/ .  Ilu (accent over u) is immensely talented in graphic design, her hobby.  And she created a collection of paper goods for a baby shower that fits our theme perfectly.  And even better, she shares it for FREE.  I am one happy camper.  Finally, Brianne sent me all of her friends addresses and after making my own envelopes, I mailed out the invites this week.  I must say, they came out adorable:

Now, I have a confession...

I'm still trying to come to terms with becoming a "Meema". (Giggling)  I'm not even sure that's what I want little D.J. to call me.  I called my Grandmother "Grandma" even though she signed everything "... from Nana & Papa".  I'm not sure why.  When my daughter was born my mom was Nana and my step-mom was Grandma.  I really don't want to be called either of those.  I guess I like being different.  But I don't want to be so out there that my grand kids won't want to use the name.  I've asked friends and they just roll their eyes (I'm not offended anymore), as they usually do.  They say "What's wrong with Grandma?".  My answer is "Nothing. It just doesn't feel like Me!"

So I'm sending this out into the "Blogosphere" for advice, discussion, alternatives, and perhaps some of your own stories.  Let's talk...

International Crochet Day! Did you miss it?

September 12, 2011 was International Crochet Day and I missed it!

The idea is to publicly promote the art of crochet in some way. Maybe it's something you'll wear... can you tell why I love this!

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Or maybe you've brought your yarn & hooks out in public today and you are the object of "craft envy" and they're wishing they had paid attention to _____________. (Fill in the blank: Grandma, Auntie, Mom, Dad, Home Ec. Teacher).

Why not take a class or better yet teach one.  It's really not difficult to teach an enrichment class. You could offer to do this at a senior center, church, public library even at your local school district. Practice in a mirror to find your rhythm and you'll surprise yourself at how much you have to share. Remember that the students want to learn this skill. It’s a great opportunity to pass these crafts onto the next generation.

Or if you can, support a local art teacher by donating yarn, tools, or your time.

If those options aren't for you the Lion Brand Yarn website (see link below) has 1000's of free patterns and can also help you find a charity in need of donations.
You could make some "preemie caps" and drop them off at a local hospital.

At the very least... Go buy that fancy yarn you've been dying to get and make yourself something really nice for a change. It's a known fact that of all the needlecrafts, those who crochet are second only to knitters in their charitable donations of handmade goods.

If like me you missed out this year, not to worry. You don't need International Crochet Day to do any of these. So like Nike says, "Just Do It! And don't forget to put this special day on next years calendar.

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The Lion Brand Yarn website is a great resource. 1000's of FREE patterns and I use the yarn store for project research before going to my LYS:  Lion Brand Yarn

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My Top 3 Favs on the Web

One of my favorites. Lion Brand Yarn Blog. I especially love the CALs:  Lion Brand Yarn Blog

This is another one of my favorites:  Crochet Liberation Front Crochet Liberation Front

Love, love, love their Logo!    



And rounding out the TOP 3 Favs is... Drum roll please...

Crochet Spot! Rachel, Claire, Vernoica & Candace run a great
website full of "Crochet Patterns, Tutorials, and Ramblings" http://www.crochetspot.com/