I did something off of my list!

 I had the day off today, and finished this:

 

Elizabeth was cuddling with it, until I got my camera out. This was the result:

Greg said she looks evil, but I just love how blue her eyes are, and this picture just shows it off!

 And just for an extra dose of cute today, have a collage of Elizabeth!

Happy Thursday!

Love, Beav

Ten for Tuesday: To Do Edition

This week's top ten is my Pinterest "To Do" List. I am addicted to Pinterest, it makes me feel productive without actually getting anything done. It gives me so many new and creative ideas of things to do that my list is getting out of control! So for this week I decided to look through my ever-growing list, and get it down to ten things that I simply must do before the year is out! 

#10: Knitted Cushion Puff

I love these! They are so cute! And I can just picture them in Elizabeth's room on the floor for us to read on! I'd like to get them done sooner rather than later so that we can enjoy them! My only concern is our pets and their hair. I imagine they would collect it like crazy. Although, they could go in pet-free rooms! 

#9: Helena Baby Sweater

 I love this sweater. It's beautiful! I am planning on making it for Christmas. 

#8: African Flower Crochet Purse

 

Isn't this simply gorgeous!? I'm hoping to have it done sooner, rather than later. I'm working on the pieces in between other projects. I'm excited to use it as a project bag. I'm excited to show of what I can do when I'm working on something. This looks pretty simple to construct, it will just take time to get all of the pieces completed!

#7: Pillowcase Dress or Bandana Dress

 

I'm torn between the two. I'm thinking this will make an adorable Fourth of July outfit for Elizabeth. I'm picturing red, white, and blue, obviously! Which pattern I follow will ultimately come down to how much time I allow to actually get it done. I'm considering the bandana dress for this year. Next year, when she will be standing, running around, and can show it off more then we'll do the Pillowcase dress.

#6: Our Family Tree

This is such a beautiful idea! We have just the wall for it in the dining room. After I have all of the pictures collected, we will actually hang them. Ours will be a tad different, but this is what gave me the basic idea.

#5: Monster Butt

 

These are a necessity for my little monster's butt. Again, I will wait to do them until she begins standing and walking in order to show them off more. 

#4: Shopping Cart Cover 

 I'm so excited about this, too! I'm hoping this one works for restaurant high chairs, like the store bought ones do!

#3: Sewn & Crochet Pin Cushion

The website I found this idea at is not in English, sorry. The pictures explain it well enough. I'm going to do the African flowers first, then sew the fabric pin cushion to fit them.  I can't wait to have the beautiful, colorful addition to my sewing area!

#2: Parent/Child Hand Print

This is adorable! I'll have to this for both Greg and I before Elizabeth gets too big! Maybe this mother's and father's day! 

And finally, #1: Greg's Anniversary Gift

Sorry, no photos yet, or details even. If I put it on here, he'll see! And it will ruin the surprise! Our anniversary is next Monday, so I'll reveal it then! That is, unless we exchange gifts early.

Do you have a growing to do list because of Pinterest?

I bid you adieu! 

<3 Beav

Tales of a Blueberry Sunday

Every Sunday I make a batch of muffins and wrap them individually for grab-and-go breakfasts throughout the week. I have yet to repeat a muffin recipe, I love trying new ones! I'm very open to new foods, but the beau is not so he gives me an honest opinion of how someone else might feel about my creations. He tends to like about every other recipe. I made the mistake of using a recipe that had absolutely no sugar in it one week...needless to say, from that point on he always makes sure I put sugar in my muffins. While the sugarless muffins didn't taste bad to me, they apparently tasted like cardboard to him. Therefore, 9 times out of 10 there will be sugar in the muffin recipes you find here. :)  

This Sunday I found my recipe on one of my new favorite blogs, The Yummy Life.  They are Blueberry Oat Streusel-Topped Muffins, and they are delicious. I found the nutrition facts using the recipe calculator at My Fitness Pal (the website I use to track my calories - I highly recommend it, their database is HUGE), the totals for these muffins are as follows; 256 Calories, 38 carbs, 10g fat, 4g protein, 275mg sodium, and 20g sugar. They are the least healthy muffins I've made so far - but I'm satisfied as long as the total calories do not exceed 300 and the total fat does not exceed 10g. It's really no wonder they taste so good...they almost count as a splurge! Click here for the recipe. I followed this recipe exactly as it's written, so I'm not going to re-write it here. She also provides step by step instructions including photos which makes it very easy to follow along. For other recipes I post I may include the link & then my variation, as I tend to tweak the recipes as I go.  This recipe worked wonderfully and I actually had all the ingredients that it called for, so I foresee no issues for anyone else attempting it. One thing you should be aware of: I baked mine for about 30 minutes before I felt they were done enough. At the suggested 23 minutes they were still pretty doughy.

These blueberry babies got good reviews from both myself and my beau. Success. 

In the future I will be sure to post pictures of what I make! You'll have to forgive me, I'm new to blogging and I forgot that you could do such cool things!! 

Now let's all take a moment and celebrate surviving MONDAY! Happy days to you!

The Spice of Life

Ok, so call me crazy, but I've made some changes. This is the site formerly know as The Unslipping Knot. Yes, I know. It was hardly even two weeks old! But I'm really excited about the changes I've made because I now have a contributor! My dear friend, Leesa, hereby known as Weazel (yes, we're aware that it is misspelled) has offered to help me out! She is brilliant, strong, and beautiful! I'm so excited to have her!

In addition to the new addition, I will also be signing my (b)log posts as Beaver (where Leesa will sign as Weazel), so that if you cannot tell by the post itself, you will know who wrote it!

I will let her tell you a little bit about herself...

Thank you Beav, for that marvelous introduction.  My name is Leesa but I've been known as Weazel since I was 8 or 9 years old. It's a long, boring story involving a fish - all you need to know is that it's my name! :)

From Monday through Friday 8am-5pm I am a receptionist at a primary care doctor's office, but in my real life I'm an eccentric ball of goofiness. I have a little doggy named Abbey, I refer to myself as her mommy and she is my little girl; yes, I am one of THOSE pet owners. In my opinion, it's the only kind of pet owner to be. I also have a wonderful boyfriend who finally made me understand what all those cliche sayings about love & happiness mean, and I could not ask for more. He & Abbey are my heart. 

I'm known for being a quasi-health nut. I count every calorie I eat, therefore I try to make them count. I try to stay away from fatty foods, or foods that just don't offer much value nutritionally. I'm still learning the ways of the 'whole food' world, so many of my (b)logs will be about my experiences with new recipes, new foods, or how hard it can be to find some of these foods in a not-so-health-centered supermarket! It feels like quite an adventure to me, but since I've started this journey I can honestly say I've gained more confidence, I feel better in my own skin, and I feel healthy. Don't get me wrong - I am still overcoming hurdles in my healthy lifestyle. I am constantly tempted by yummy goodies! Also, exercise is not my strong point. Working on that one, too!!

Beav thought it would be fun to add my adventures to her adventures and have a well rounded blog full of everything from sewing, crocheting, comic books, movies, and TV to cooking with a variety of whole foods like flax meal, chia seeds, whole wheat flour, and perhaps some funny anecdotes about our insane animals and everyday lives (or really, just whatever we feel inspired to share).

I hope you enjoy our posts as much as we enjoy sharing them with you! Until next time, we bid you adieu!

<3 Weaz & Beav

Cute little diaper cover!

I wanted to make Elizabeth some diaper covers for those utterly adorable diaper only photo shoots that have yet to come. I found this simple pattern through Pinterest at Dana Made It's blog. 

I'm pretty happy with the results!

It's a little loose in the waist on her at the moment, but otherwise fits perfectly! 

 It also matches her new cowboy hat! I'm excited for her to sit up for photos now!

And here are some cute pictures of Elizabeth that I've been playing with in Apps on my iPhone. 

 Have a great Thursday, and hey, it's almost Friday!!

10 for Tuesday: My favorite self made projects!

I was raking my brain to think of something I could do every now and then that would be fun or educational or even just a great way to post things. I got to thinking about how much I like when some of the blogs I follow do top ten lists, because everyone loves a top ten list! So here it is: 10 for Tuesday!

In an effort to help you guys get to know me, this week I am posting my favorite knit/crochet projects that I have made! I feel it is appropriate to help you see my ability, and what type of projects I like to do! Here goes nothing! (The links in their title lead you to my ravelry page for each project where you can learn more about them)

#10: Santa's Little Helper Earflap Hat

This project is crocheted. I made this for Elizabeth's first Christmas. It is very cute!

#9: My Wedding Garter

This is a knit item, I wore for mine and Greg's wedding! I love it for so many reasons!

#8: E's Galoshes

These are crocheted, the pattern is one of The Lovely Crows (same as E's Cowgirl Hat!)

#7: Kinsey Family Stockings

This is knit, and also is the only one done. I hope to have mine and Elizabeth's to add to it by this Christmas!

#6: ShashieBell

This is a horrible picture, but the hat is knit. I made it to keep my friend Chelsea's head warm after she cut her hair REALLY short.

#5: Dark Mark Illusion Scarf

This is a knit scarf that I made for my brother Jon for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows premier.  It's perfect for him because straight on, it looks like a regular striped scarf, you can only see the image from an angle. 

#4: E's Cowgirl Hat

This is crocheted. This is also the second attempt. See my previous post for the first attempt. I'm going to add a ribbon/braid option to it at some point.

#3: Unkie Jon's Zhevra

My brother Jon loves Zebras. I crocheted him this as practice for the animals I hope to make for Elizabeth as well! He likes it, and Elizabeth does too!

#2: E's Flowertot

I knit this for Elizabeth. Isn't it precious? Can you believe she's grown out of it already!?

#1: Elizabeth's Tree of Life Afgan

This is my absolute favorite project that I have ever knit. I absolutely love cables, and the lace work on the leaf border are just beautiful! My only complaint about the whole thing is that it is too tiny for me to use, and I'm afraid that Elizabeth will hurt it and not have it forever like I want her to! Eventually, I am going to make an adult size for Greg.

 There it is. My top ten favorite projects I've made; at least that I can think of. I took them off of my Ravelry account which does not have everything I've ever made on it. I know that if I am nuts about something though, it goes on there. So really, it's be a good a judge of my favorite projects I've ever made too.

I hope you're all having a great Tuesday!

Boot Scoot'n Good Time

Greg was a night-shifter when we started dating. Recently, he got moved to days! Yay for us! It has been awesome! We get to eat meals together! And not to mention sleep next each other at night! But anyway, yesterday was the Saturday that we have both been off since he got switched to days so we made a great day of it! We hung out, made BLTs for lunch, and I made this:

Which I then turned into this:

This is a pattern, Boot Scoot'n Cowboy Hat, from The Lovely Crow (this is a link to her Etsy Shop), I love her patterns! She does BEAUTIFUL work, and you may see me use them often! They are easy to read and she also does videos for any part that may be difficult to understand. She is just terrific! 

But,

I followed the directions, [Correction, I did not follow the directions. In my excitement, I bought two skeins in order to double strand it, but I guess I forgot. It's only a single strand; which may expalin why it doesn't fit! I'm reattempting it now, properly!] I did a swatch, used the measurements the Dr took of E's head last week and made her a size 6-12 month hat. Well, I'm learning (since I'm still rather new to crocheting), that I crochet tighter on projects then I do swatches. This does not fit my little girl's noggin! 

But at least she's not upset about it! 

We went to my bestie's, Chelsea, for dinner last night, and when I put E in her car seat she made me smile!

She really wanted me to drop her toys down! I had a hard time getting her strapped in!

Chelsea has two dogs, Roxi and Cloud. I don't know how they know, but some animals just know to be delicate around little ones. We had Elizabeth lying on their big chair & ottoman (she was less likely to be trampled by the puppies this way) and Roxi just laid next to her and let her pet her! It was so cute. Of course, by the time I got out my camera, Roxi was trying to get a little closer.

Elizabeth did not mind her puppy kisses at all! I think it helps that Greg and I have a cat, Snickers, and two (large) dogs, Zeus and Juno (or Juice and Zuno, depending on who you ask) as well. Although the dogs don't really get too close to her yet, Snickers will let Elizabeth pet her and even pull on Snickers' ears! 

Chelsea made us pasta with meat sauce (with garlic bread, of course) and it was divine. 

Greg and I supplied dessert, Betty Crocker's Fun Da-Middles cupcakes. They are so great, and I love them because I don't get icing everywhere; it's on the inside! 

They usually have a very plain exterior (since you don't icing the top), so this time I decided to add some mini chocolate chips! I think they turned out well! 

Side note: I made these for Easter at Greg's parents' house. We added icing on the top (in addition to what's inside), and it was way too much! Not only that, but on one or two that I had I could only taste the icing on top. We did use complimentary flavors to the chocolate, strawberry on half and orange on the rest.

On our way home last night, Elizabeth fell asleep in the car. I put her straight to bed since it was well past our bedtime, and the little tyke went straight to sleep!

Hanging out with mom and dad all day, and the going to Aunt Chelsea's must have been so tiring! 

Fan girl time

I will not apologize for being a fan girl. I am proud of it! I mean, how could you be ashamed of it?!

May 4, 2012 is a day that I have been waiting for quite a while.

The Avengers

I don't think that I've been this excited for a movie in a long time. I cannot wait!

In the meantime, you can brush up on back story with any of the Hulk movies (Norton's is my fave), Thor, Captain America, and of course, the Iron Man movies. I know that's what I'll be doing!

Time for a bit of back story:

My name is Brandi, I have a  beautiful (growing) family. My mom taught me to sew when I was younger, and I taught myself to knit and crochet while in college. As for cooking, baking, and all other matters I may post about, they are learn as you go sort of things and also mostly based on opinion and my own taste.
I went to college, and am not using my degree (as most of my fellow graduates). I work part time at as a bank teller. I am a mother of one (for now), Elizabeth, and married to a wonderful man, Greg. We are planning on continuing to grow our family. I love books, movies, and video games. I think that is all that I wanted to share for the moment. I will hopefully have a real post to share with you soon.

If any of my posts offend anyone, I apologize as that is not my goal. If I post something incorrect, please feel free to tactfully correct me. If I post something you love, let me know! Share it with your friends! I will do my best to cite sources and such as necessary. So until my next post, have a great evening and enjoy what you have! Thank you for reading!

Welcome to my blog!

Hi! I'm Brandi and this is my space.  I hope to share lots of things with you! Soon! But at the moment, I am just trying to get this set up and get something together to get on here!

Check back soon!