Ohhh... a RAOK.. for... for.... ME !!!!!!!!

A while back I had put my name on a list to give a RAOK (random act of kindness). Imagine my surprise when Diva came in with the mail and there was an envelope... for me!

They Say a Picture is Worth 1000 Words

... so this post is worth 2000.

Isn't it beautiful???? 

Why Is It Called a Skirt Anyways?

Ain't it purdy?

We have a 3' white holiday tree. Yes, seriously.
We once had the 7' big-o-tree, but one year after Thanksgiving dinner we went to the attic and found out that someone had stolen ALL my holiday things.

That is the downside to living in a condo complex, the shared attic space. We each have our own locked 'storage coop' but it wasn't built so much to keep people out as it was to keep the junk in.

So, there we were... Thanksgiving night. Treeless. The family tradition of gathering all the ornaments, checking the lights and setting up the tree - over.

We didn't want to spend $100+ to replace the tree, since we were afraid it would get stolen AGAIN... so, we bought a tiny tree that we can keep stored in a tote in the bottom of my hall closet. When we got home we discovered that our new tiny evergreen was white! *LOL*

It doesn't look like much right now, but after we string the lights, place the ornaments, lay the garland, place the skirt - it's beautiful!

Speaking of skirts, I made a new one for the tree this year. The old skirt was for the big tree. Glittery, purple, and bigger than our poor little much loved tree.

Click for Pattern

She'll Scream For Ice Cream !

part of ice cream kit for Diva

I think this is the cutest thing! It doesn't make a lot at one time, but Diva rarely eats more than 1/4 of a cup anyways.


Another Yule gift off the list. Yes, I was aiming for a homemade holiday, but this is the first year Santa won't be bringing his gift. Technically, it is still homemade because I am making an entire Ice Cream Kit with it. I bought the ice cream maker at one store and the bowl at another. I will add a container of chocolate milk powder, jimmies and mint extract so she can make her much loved mint chocolate. I am thinking about making an ice cream designed napkin to go with it. Oh to be a kid again. 

Best of all, I got everything at 75% off. The maker was $9.99 (paid $2.49) and the bowl was $2.00 (paid .50)

2 down, a million to go...

I finished a hat and scarf for Diva!

  

It Doesn't Get Any Easier Than This

It was a beautiful day and I wanted to sit out and enjoy the weather - but being me, I couldn't just SIT there, I had to do something!

In an attempt to be both frugal and environmentally friendly, I don't print out patterns. My entire Domestic Goddessness is kept on my laptop. The downside being, I can't do pattern work without bringing my laptop with me.

Diva was playing with the neighbor kids, running, jumping, playing ball... PLAYING BALL !!! I didn't want to run the odds of one of the balls smashing in to my "keeper of all things me"

I had a ball of Red Heart Super Saver in Zebra that has been sitting around wanting to be made in to anything. I decided to go with a scarf since it was on my to-do list for this Yule. After many failed attempts to knit it in to a pattern that worked with the yarn, I decided to start hooking.

Get your minds out of the gutter, it's crowded enough down there!

~~The "It Doesn't Get Any Easier Than This" scarf pattern~~

I am not taking full credit for this. This pattern is so easy I am sure it's been done millions of times.

 yarn: any 4ply weight will do
hook: H (smaller will be tighter, larger and you will have gaps - pretty but not very good for keeping warm)

If you want long 'stripes', chain 200 (or however long you need for desired length)
If you want short 'stripes', chain 25 

No matter if you want vertical or horizontal, the pattern is the same... 
 
Row 1: SC in 2nd from hook, sc and every chain to end, ch1 and turn
Row 2+: SC in every chain, going through both loops at once, ch1 and turn

Make it as wide/long as you want.