Bonjour.....

My sister once took a trip to Paris with a friend. It was a trip that changed her life. You hear this said often from people who visit Paris. For some reason the images, food and Parisian life become ingrained in your psyche. Images of the Eiffel Tower floated through my mind a few days ago and so I dedicate this blog entry to my sister Janet who still was visions of Paris when she daydreams.

Visit www.creativecarmelina.com to see her beautifully creative work.

It wouldn't be Paris without wearing a beret! Find out the do's and don't. http://www.ehow.com/how_8398363_crochet-berets.html

This beautiful hair accessory was created by Jane Quillerat - Les Bijoux de Jane - Bijoux au crochet.

Eiffel Tower - Paris in Pink - at ekaterinahasbarger at Etsy.

Wild Rose Vintage Flowers. Take a look at wildrosevintage.blogspot.com

French Vintage Hand Crocheted Lace Gloves. - Mariette's Back to Basics

A lazy afternoon at a Paris cafe....

These Parisian styled mitts can be found at redheart.com

This beautiful painting of the Eiffel Tower is by Natasha Wescoat. You can find her on Etsy at westcoatart.

Bagette?.....

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Here comes Peter Cottontail....

It's almost here...Easter. Remember when you were a kid and on Easter morning there was a big basket of candy waiting for you! A chocolate bunny, Peeps, jelly beans, chocolate eggs, etc all sitting on top of that fake sparkling grass. My sister and I would squeal with excitement.

I decided to see what kind of work is being done out there with the Easter theme. Spring is in the air, (even though some of you may still be getting snow!), here in Florida the grass is green again and the flowers are blooming. Let's take a little Easter Holiday....

This Easter Egg with Chick comes from Amy's Cute Creations.

This lovely Easter Bonnet comes from www.lululoves.co.uk. I highly recommend you visit this blog. It's beautiful!

This crocheted Easter Garland comes from www.mamamichie.com and Mama Michie's Musing. This is another beautiful blog.

These lovely Crochet-Covered Easter Eggs are by Anne Weil at www.flaxandtwine.com.

Crochet Easter Hat for Girls by Anyalu on Etsy.

These lovely Easter Eggs in a Basket come from deerseason on Etsy.

Finally this Tiny Chick was created by http://www.lucyravenscar.blogspot.com/

For those of you who are still in the snow how about this Snowboarder Hat design I created in Purple!! You'll be warm and yet full of Easter color!

For I remember it is Easter morn,
And life and love and peace are all new born.  
Alice Freeman Palmer

The Left Side of the Brain

This week I wanted to look for unusually crocheted items. Something from the left side of the brain. Something that you don't see every day. So follow me on this journey to find the out of the ordinary, extremely creative and beautiful.

This crocheted hat is by fashion designer Anna Sui.

This Granny Square oversized scarf comes from the House of Holland.

This is really working with the left side of the brain. So creative! Crocheted sculpture by Emily Barletta.

Pizza anyone? This crocheted pizza is by Bonnie Burton.

This cotton crocheted covering on a crab was created by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos. Beautiful.

7 Sea Urchins Sculpture "Mad River Driftwood & Stones" You can find this designer at debnatism on Etsy.

This bright and colorful pillow can be found in the 2010 Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

Where the Wild Fingers Are... created by Meet Me at Mike's - Good Stuff for Nice People

This bib necklace made of crochet and sea glass can be found on astash on Etsy.

Sometimes you need to see the possibilities before you can take the plunge to try something new. So put it on your list to try something new. Something you've never done before. Use your left brain!

The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.

Julie Cameron

When Irish eyes are smiling...

As St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching it's time to celebrate! St. Patrick's Day has always been a huge holiday in my family. My father was a great partaker in the festivities every year and my husband's birthday happens to fall on that very day! So every year we begin the festivities on Friday night and carry on until Sunday evening when we prop our feet up and say Job Well Done!!

So let's celebrate the color green, shamrocks and an Irish state of mind!

Last year we started off at the Marketplace at Disney and Steve got his face painted!

The paint actually lasted all day and into the night! He was hit of every party we attended. A definite conversation starter!

This beautiful shamrock garland comes from Shelley in Cheyenne, WY at The Prairie Cottage. http://www.etsy.com/listing/93594325/st-patricks-day-shamrock-crochet-garland

This adorable Fourleaf Clover Crocheted Headband Hair Accessory comes from a designer at Purdy Things on ArtFire. http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/PurdyThings/5216677/adjustable_shamrock_crochet_headband/handmade/accessories/hair/headbands

This cute St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Beanie would be cute to wear at any party! You can find it at MarciLynn Designs on Etsy.  http://www.etsy.com/listing/92567451/st-patricks-day-shamrock-crochet-beanie

How about at little a little bit of a vintage look with this beautiful Irish themed doilie.  You can find this pattern at http://www.crochetdoilies.com/doilies_for_sale_1.html

You can never go wrong finding a holiday pattern at RedHeart.com. This shamrock afghan is perfect for the occasion. http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/crochet-shamrock-afghan

 

A little bit of Irish countryside!

"May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, May good luck pursue you each morning and night"

Spring Fling!

We had some great weather last week which put me in the mood for Spring! The next few days here in Orlando will be chilly, in the 40s & 50s so I'm going to put my mind on the warmer breeze of spring and bright colors. Come along on this Spring Fling!

These beautiful Crocheted Flowers in Pink & Cream were made by Annie Design. Check out her work on www.etsy.com/shop/AnnieDesign

This crocheted Hair Barrette - Pink Daffodil is by meekssandygirl.deviantart.com.

In addition here is the Crocheted Spring Flower Necklace by meekssandygirl.deviantart.com.

This crocheted Violet Colorful Shawl is by Crochet Butterfly. You can find it at www.etsy.com/shop/crochetbutterfly.

These beautiful flowers are the epitomy of Spring! These crocheted wildflowers can be found at carriewolf.net.

This crocheted mini blanket is a true inspiration. So delicate. The pattern comes from a Japanese magazine. You can also find out about it at blog.shopwiksten.com.

If you go to hookandbake.blogspot.co.uk you'll find a comfy, cozy blog that you can't help but smile at when you sit and flip through it. The crochet work is extraordinary! This Country Cottage Dreams pattern is quaint and screams of a British Tea Party!

I follow a blogger and avid crocheter The Needle Nerd. She posts such beautiful images on a daily basis. I have so many projects that I have tagged to work on just from her posts. This image came across Facebook this past week and I am in love with it. The following link will take you to the creator's raverly page where you can purchase the pattern. I think this would make the cutest baby shower gift. So precious and such detail. http://www.ravelry.com/projects/hamishbrown/lollo-the-african-flower-bear-11

I hope some of these images have inspired you to get in the mood for Spring. Here's a little gift for you. This is a spring printable that I created. You can print it, stick it in a frame and then it will remind you that you are in a springful state of mind!

 
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”

― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina