Road 10: Handmade is now OPEN!

Finally Road 10; Handmade is now open!  I'd been making things here and there for a few weeks and yesterday had a little photo shoot with little missy (not the most cooperative model, but we ended up having a fun time with it).  I plan to keep adding items over time.  I need to take some photos with a few smaller models in some of the little hats and bibs.

I'm also wanting to get another good batch of vintage items photographed soon for Road 10: Vintage so it's stocked and ready for the holidays.

I am really trying this go round to not let myself get too overwhelmed or busy with the shops, to remember to enjoy the little bit of time left with the little one around most of the time.  She'll be off to school all day soon enough!  But, it's so great to have something that is an extension of me, something that let's me show my creativity and express my self.  I think that is really important as a young mom at home.  I think ever since missy was about a year old, I've been working on some sort of shop or idea or way to try and be creative and contribute to our household.  It's a very hard world to break into and I feel like I have so very very much to learn so I can become successful.  But I want to just start small, work out some patterns (all of the items in my handmade shop are patterns I have made up myself).  I think my biggest hope would be to maybe write a craft book of some sort, crochet maybe.

My hubby and I had a wonderful vacation last weekend to Las Vegas.  It was a fun time with friends and nice to be away from the norm for a bit. 

Vegas Strip from the top of the Stratosphere



Had to make a stop by the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop,
didn't see any of the guys from the show, but it was fun to see the place



Enjoyed a HUGE Margaretaville Blender


48oz of yumm! But mine was on the rocks :)

And now it's nice to be back home.  I think a vacation (no mater how nice or fun) is always nice to remind you that home is a wonderful place.

Now we are looking forward to the weekend festivities for Halloween!

The end of the day....

You know I'm sure many many moms out there blog about the hard ships and woes of all that motherhood brings.... I'm about to do the same thing...  while I finish my glass of egg nog (yes, I have egg nog already... I keep my eyes pealed at the store this time of year and the moment I see it, a happy and wonderful little carton will be in my cart with in seconds) and maybe go get another glass of egg nog and listen to some nice slow Great Lake Swimmers (although Pulling On a Line is a bit faster... they are so great.)....

So anyhow - there are just some days where I think, I was a better mom to a baby than I am to this little preschooler.  I had more patience if I remember right.  It's hard some days when you just loose sight of things and that it really isn't a big deal that your kid is doing that thing right now and it will all be fine if you'd just chill out....  But at least there is the reward at the end of the day when that one sweet little thing they will do wipes that slate clean and you are ready for tomorrow.  Little Missy sang me the cutest song this evening called "I am here and you are here" that she learned at school.  It just made me giggle till I had tears.  It was so sweet.

So, a bit of egg nog, maybe a bit more since now my glass is not the same as the one shown above.... and maybe I'll finish up my granny square bean bags (note to self, do not bother trying to take tutorial photos till you've made one and it's turned out...  take photos of the next one...  silly!)  and go watch some funny TV....
because tomorrow is another day.

Good reads for you and your kiddo: Big Plans by Bob Shea & Charlot's Web by E.B. White

Big Plans!  Big Plans I say!

Little Missy and I have loved this book for ages now.  We haven't read it in quite a while (which we really must do soon - I enjoy reading it to her - I love books like that), but the other day a friend of mine told me how much her kids LOVE this book and they read it all the time.  It's a great read - very fun to read aloud and quite a few laughs to be had.

I think I some times forget about all the great books on her own bookcases.  We get such HUGE stacks from the library so we have fresh reading.  But we did pick something off Missy's shelf this evening - we've started reading a chapter book - Charlot's Web.  We did start this once before, but I think she was a little bit too young yet to keep her attention.  I'm very much looking forward to reading this one all the way though.  And I must admit, I can't recall reading this myself...  surely I did at some point, but it was long ago. 

Anyhow...  I'll be going now.  Off to start some work on an idea for bean bags and granny squares...

Easy Peasy Dishcloth Pattern

Tomorrow I will attempt to teach a sweet friend or two how to crochet.  I'll be using a pattern (my very first and very own pattern) for an Easy Peasy Dishcloth.  I'm hoping that it will be a great way to teach how to chain, single, double and half double crochet, as well as slip stitch.

Crochet somehow came very naturally and easy to me.  It just makes since.  It is really all just a variation of two things - yarn over and pull through...  I can remember being at my Grandma Van's house along with my cousins and we would all be making chains.  I sort of remember a beginning of an afghan some where in my early teen years, but it never got too far.  So my mom showed me this past Spring the basics and since then I haven't been long with out a hook and yarn in my hands.  It's become something I really adore.  So with that, I'll share my pattern for the Easy Peasy Dishcloth!

Easy Peasy Dishcloth

 by Gail Winters

H hook

100% Cotton Yarn

Ch 27

Row1: SC in 2nd Ch.  SC in each Ch across.  Ch 2, turn.

Row2: DC in 1st SC.  DC in each SC across.  Ch1, turn.

Rows 3-18: Repeat rows 1 and 2

Row19: Sc in 1st DC.  SC in each DC across.  Ch 2 turn.

Edging:

*HDC, Ch1,

Sl St

in SC,

Sl St

in next SC*

repeat from * in each SC across and around the edge of the cloth.

Finish: Weave in ends

Enjoy - please share with others and share with me if you make one!!! 
Happy Crocheting All!