Crafty Christmas 2016

I started working on Christmas presents in October this year.  I found the cutest dinosaur patterns for my boys.  I made the first one during General Conference.  I then found the Rainbow Cuddles pattern, and I made two of them for two of our nieces on Mark's side.  I sewed 26 hot pads for a bunch of people.  The last two things I made were two different rattles for Albric to play with.  I have loved watching each thing transform into the final product in my hands.  I loved to picture the kids playing with the toys I was making.  It helped me to not feel so worthless knowing that if it weren't for me, those particular things would not exist.  It helped me in my depression feel some worth.  I hope you enjoy the pictures I took.  It would be nice to be able to home make presents every year, but I know things will change in the future, so I am enjoying the time I have now to put into these gifts.  I hope the people I gave them to can feel my love for them.

Rainbow Cuddles for my nieces.

They had rainbow manes.

Heart-shaped hot pads.

Brachiosaurus

Stegosaurus

Pentaceratops

Kentrosaurus

Amargasaurus

Triceratops

The collection.

The rattles.

Ducky Momo and Rainbow Cuddles

I learned to crochet in August of last year.  Some of my previous work can be found here and here. Mark suggested that I make a Ducky Momo for Calvin.  I was really lucky to find a pattern here.  I started making him and realized that since I make my stitches really tight he was smaller than the original pattern said.  So, I got a bigger crochet hook and started again.  I finished him last week, and he is currently hiding in my closet waiting for Calvin's birthday next week.  Here are a couple pictures of the finished product.

In Mark's family, each individual person draws a name for someone else for Christmas.  Both of my boys drew girl cousin names.  While looking for crochet toy ideas, I came across this pattern.  I decided it would work well for both of our nieces.  I bought the pattern because I am making it twice, and it was worth it.  I finished this on Monday night, and Calvin thinks it is his, so it is hiding with Ducky Momo.  I might be convinced to make a third one because it is super cute.

Halloween 2016

I only got one good picture this year.  :(  Since Calvin's favorite show to watch this year has been Phineas and Ferb, we decided to dress us as characters from the show.  I had to sew something for everyone's costume.  Calvin was Phineas and Albric dressed up as Ferb.  Mark dressed up as the dad, whose name is Lawrence.  I dressed up as the mom when she was a pop star in the 80's.  My costume was the most complicated, and of course I didn't get a photo of it.  For Calvin's, I found some orange and yellow striped lace that I sewed into a shirt.  We also spray painted his hair orange.  Then he just wore blue pants.  I made Albric a pair of purple pants and a green 'wig' out of yarn.  The 'wig' took three days to do, but it turned out super cute, plus helped keep him super warm during trick-or-treating.  For Mark, I just found him a white polo and sewed an emblem on it and added a bit of maroon to the bottom and sleeves.  For me, I bought an orange wig, fabric for a bow, hoop earrings, a pink shirt, a jean jacket, and a sweater to make leg-warmers from.  I wore some leggings I already owned, and sewed myself a teal skirt.  It was fun to dress up, but most people did not know who we were.  Several people thought the baby was a chia pet.  We attended our ward Trunk-or-Treat and a family party and then went trick-or-treating on Halloween.  We decorated our trunk to look like the backyard on the show and put our Perry the Platypus on the 'grass.'  We went trick-or-treating with the boys' cousins.  Mark held Albric, and when it got a little chilly, he strapped him on and zipped his jacket over him.  In the dark, with only his head sticking out, people thought Albric was a doll.  I love doing family themed costumes and I hope we'll come up with something fun for next year. 

Calvin was pooped out after trick-or-treating.

This was our trunk all decorated.  (We still don't have our blueberry back, so this is really my in-law's trunk)