Fred's In The Head

Getting the itch to stitch

2012-11-10T11:07:00.000-06:00

I've been itching to make a simple slouchy hat for awhile, and now that the temps outside have chilled, it's time! The problem is that I hadn't really found one that I like. I want a hat that fits my criteria:

it must be super simple
it must be quick to make
it mustn't take skeins & skeins of yarn
it must be SUPER cute!

While browsing online this morning, I stumbled across a cute blog named, Gleeful Things, which had a slouchy that appears to fit all my criteria.

Better yet, the pattern is FREE! Yay me! :) While I plan to start writing some of my own patterns soon, this cute slouchy fits the bill perfectly for now. Head on over there and show Julie some love! She has many adorable patterns and her prices are very reasonable!

I'll be making this tonight! :)

Puppies!

2012-11-08T14:21:00.003-06:00

Yeah cool! Blogger is now allowing pages to be added so I don't have to move all this over to Wordpress. Yay! Not that there's anything wrong with WordPress - there isn't. I simply wasn't looking forward to moving all the content and energy to another site. I've put a great deal of time and effort into Fred's, and was bummed when I discovered (after the fact) that everything posted on the ONE home page! Yes, yes, I know I didn't do all my research beforehand...boo me. 3D life and work took over after that and everything online pretty much froze.

So, here we go and I'll be adding a whole lotta new content as well as a bunch of new products over the next few weeks! Mainly doggie stuff, but some other fun stuff as well!

Take a look at what's been keeping us busy over the last few weeks:

Jenni

Uno

Jack, Jill, and Jenni

Jack, Lily, and Jill

Jenni

Jill, Lily, and Jack

a good mama, Lauren

Jack

Sam, Jack, and Jill

Swirl

Jenni

Eight precious new lives in a variety of colors from an emaciated, stray German shorthaired pointer my son picked up from a country road. Thank God he found her in time for her to be cared for and gain some weight before her pups were born. All 8 babies lived, 4 girls and 4 boys, and all are healthy.

Here is mama Lauren when he found her:

So skinny, she was all bones and starving to death.

Here is mama Lauren afterwards, but before her pups were born:

A sweet, beautiful dog she is! How could ANYONE throw this loving dog away?!

Here is a very pregnant mama Lauren:

Look at that happy girl!!! She's so precious!

But in desperate need of a dentist! haha! Now that she's finished weaning her pups, getting her teeth cleaned is the next order of business.

Here are her pups now, getting ready to be adopted to good homes! We are very carefully screening folks who will be taking them when the time comes and each pup will have it's shots and worming treatments before they leave us.

Jack (white/black) & Sam

Uno

Swirl (top) & Jenni

Jenni

Sam

Swirl

Jenni, Lily, and Sam

Swirl

Aren't they adorable?! Yes, their eyes and ears are open and have been for about 2 weeks. They are 5 weeks old and mama has already weaned them. I have more up-to-date pics on my camera which I will add later. If you think they're adorable here, you should see them now. Rambunctious little critters! Their names are Swirl (the girl shown immediately above), Jenni, Lily, Jill, Jack, Sam, Uno (the first born and he has a large dot on the top of his head), and Dexter. We're quite sure these pups have at least two daddies because they have some very distinct differences. :)

So now, I leave you with health, happiness, and puppy paws...

2012-07-30T11:27:00.001-05:00

Oy...I've neglected this blog for too long. So much has been going on and not a whole lot of it good! Two surgeries and one more scheduled for October, stray dogs, job hunting, mega home repairs, home refinancing (yay!), and yet more mega home repair fun planned, loved ones passing, and gardening 101. The changes planned for the blog have yet to surface (obviously!). Patience, dear friends, patience...The ball has started rolling!

Please stay tuned! :)

Blog, blog, blog

2012-06-22T01:28:00.001-05:00

3 guesses as to why I have been away from the blog for so long....

Carpal tunnel release surgery today...more reconstruction surgery coming up Monday. On that note, I'm planning to do an overhaul on the blog with some serious, yet exciting changes coming so stay tuned!!!

saluu,

Cute Little Owls :)

2012-04-10T02:53:00.002-05:00

Don't you just love owls? They are all the rage these days just like they were in the 1970's. And it's no wonder because they are fascinating animals.

The other day I stumbled across the cutest crochet owl pillow patterns and I just had to have them! This lady does phenomenal work and has a great eye for color. I'm not really interested in making pillows with the patterns, however. I'm thinking more along the lines of cute purses, bags, or backpacks. As a matter of fact, I'm in the process of making a little owlie for the cutest little girl! I haven't decided whether or not I'm making this into a girly bag or maybe into a little backpack. I'm following the pattern as written and will let the finished size dictate what this little owl will ultimately turn into.

As you can see in the photo below, I've almost completed the front side of the owl. Sorry for the lousy photo! The colors are actually MUCH brighter than the picture shows. I will take better photos when the item is finished:

Do you get the idea? :) This will make a rockin' bag or backpack! I may even make some coordinating shoes to go with it (the jury's still out on that one!). It's been a quick and fun project though honestly, the pattern has been a little difficult to read. Before I make any more of these, I will most likely rewrite the pattern a bit and make some adjustments. I'm assuming English is not the first language of the gal who wrote it, but CUDOS to her for the beautiful patterns she has created! Plus, she allows you to sell things created with her patterns as long as you credit her for the design. How cool is that?!? Stay tuned! More to come on this soon!

saluu,

Growing Tons of 'Taters in 10 Easy Steps!

2012-04-10T01:31:00.002-05:00

It's only April 7th, but the garden is getting into full swing. (Excuse #5 for my most recent absence from the blog) All the potatoes are in the ground and finally peaking their little heads out of the soil. I'm trying something different this year with a few of my purple potatoes - growing them large, black new garbage cans on the patio. I can't remember where I got the idea from, but it's super easy to do! I bought seed potatoes this year from Big Lots and Lowes...and used some sprouting Russet ones we had here. :) (And for those who are wondering, this site is in no way affiliated with Big Lots or Lowes.) Last year growing potatoes in our 1st-year-tilled-red-clay-yard-crappy-soil-garden was a bust. This year we've added several soil amendments and it's looking much more promising. This season we are trying several different types of potatoes to see how we like them. We are growing the Adirondack Blue Potato, Russet Burbank Potato, Yukon Gold Potato, Red Norland Potato, and again, whatever Russet kind we had that was sprouting in the pantry. Eh, why not? ;)

So here's how we did it:

Step 1: Obtain seed potatoes and cut the potatoes into chunks (pieces), with at least one "eye" on each chunk (piece). Allow these pieces to dry for about 24 hrs to help reduce the chances of them rotting when you plant them.

Step 2: Obtain large, black (or dark) garbage cans. We bought new ones
from the dollar store. If you already have garbage cans, you know what they've been used for previously, and you've cleaned and sterilized them well, then I suppose you could use them if you wish. I believe I read somewhere that you can also use those galvanized metal cans, but research that to make sure it's safe before you do it. Really, you can use any large, plastic container as long as it's food safe and can be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Potatoes do grow in DIRT after all.. We're using 3 new large, black plastic garbage cans.

Step 3: Drill several good-sized holes in the bottoms of your containers.

Step 4: Potatoes like their soil slightly acidic so mixing the soil with some leaf compost or a small amount of pine straw should take care of that. I've grown them in the ground without either of these amendments before and they've done just fine. So, add about 6 inches or so of a good, friable soil to the cans.

Step 5: Take your cut seed potatoes and add 2 or 3 of the potato eye pieces with the eye or sprout facing upright to the top of the soil, spacing them about 12 inches apart. Just eyeball it if you have to, keeping the potato pieces as far apart as you can to give them all room to grow in this space.

Step 6: Now add about 4 to 6 inches of good soil into the container, making sure you cover the potatoes well.

Step 7: Place the garbage cans or whatever container you're using up on
blocks, bricks, wood, or whatever you have to keep the containers off the ground for good drainage.

Step 8: Water your potatoes enough to get the soil damp throughout, but not enough to leave them sitting in soggy soil. Your soil drainage should be such that most of the water will drain out the bottom leaving the soil moist, but not soggy.

Step 9: Sit and watch them grow! Seriously folks, this is akin to waiting for water to boil. Give it about a week or so and before long, you'll see the sprouts peeking through the surface of the soil. When the sprouts grow to about 6 inches over the soil, cover them with good soil again leaving a couple of inches of the plant uncovered. Water periodically and lightly fertilize occasionally (I use diluted fish emulsion), but again, do not water so much or so often that the plants are sitting in wet, soggy soil for long periods. Repeat this process until your plants start flowering.

Step 10: Once your potato plants flower, do not water any more. Move the containers to a place where the plants will dry and wilt and soil will dry out, and allow your potatoes to "cure" for a few weeks to enable them to store longer after harvesting. After this, harvest and enjoy!

Edit: Unfortunately this method was an epic fail this year. This works great in a warm, DRY climate, but here in 'Bama...not so much. Even with the "drought" it has just been too wet here for this method. I was able to grow a few potatoes out in the garden, but even most of those simply would. not. grow. The plants grew to about 6 inches tall and just stopped. I'm also hearing much the same from other gardeners in the area as well. Well, there's always next year! (hopefully...) :)

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats...a different kind of birthday cake!

2012-03-21T09:54:00.002-05:00

Today is Honeyman's birthday so what better excuse is there for making these yummy treats?! My husband is a HUGE fan of peanut butter and loves just about any food made with it. Whenever these treats are made for the Relay for Life bake sale, he usually buys all they have. He loves peanut butter sooo much that a good portion of his daily food intake consists of something containing...you guessed it...peanut butter!

There are probably thirty gazillion Peanut butter Rice Krispie Treat recipes on the internet, so if this is similar to anyone else's recipe, my apologies! This is a recipe my husband and I came up with some time ago and have played around with it to get just the right peanut butter-marshmellow flavor he enjoys. I personally prefer these made with crunchy peanut butter, but Honeyman prefers the smooth version. If you make these yourself, please leave me a comment letting me know what you think! These are super easy to make and one that kids can help with! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

1 1/2 cups (around 12 oz.) crunchy or smooth peanut butter
2 regular bags tiny marshmallows (some folks prefer marshmallow creme instead, but I prefer using the actual marshmallows)
1/2 stick of butter (do not substitute margarine)
6 cups Rice Krispies (some prefer chocolate Rice Krispies instead of plain)
9x13 inch rectangular glass, ceramic, or metal pan sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray or greased with butter (I've found that cooking spray works the best)
optional ingredients: add up to 2 of these with the Rice Krispies depending on your taste - chocolate chip morsels; coconut; peanut butter tiny morsels; chopped walnuts; M&M's

Use a large skillet and melt butter over low to medium heat until melted. Add all the marshmallows to the butter and stir constantly until completely melted, being careful not to burn the marshmallows. Unless you're using a non-stick skillet, some marshmallow mixture will inevitably stick to the bottom of the pan and darken. Remove from heat and add all the peanut butter to the butter/marshmallow mixture and stir until well mixed. Measure out Rice Krispies into a large bowl and pour marshmallow mixture over the Rice Krispies. Fold mixture together quickly until well combined being careful not to mash the Rice Krispies too much in the process. Transfer mixture to prepared glass, ceramic, or metal pan and pat into place to fill entire pan. Cover and transfer to refrigerator until chilled. Cut into squares and enjoy!

2012-03-20T03:08:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure why everything is gone from the "home" page, but I'll look into it tomorrow. Check back tomorrow evening for a couple of great recipes!

saluu,

Spring has sprung!

2012-03-19T00:58:00.000-05:00

The time has finally arrived to get those seeds started for the Spring crop of veggies! This just so happens to be my favorite time of year with the arrival of crocus & daffodils nudging out the cold. When we were living in South Dakota, the crocus were always the first to peek through the late winter snow reassuring us that Spring had arrived!

Here in Alabama this year, I think we had 2 full days of chilly weather and that was it! Though skipping most of winter is nice, it unfortunately means we're probably going to have an active tornado season. Nearly a year ago on April 27th, 2011, several states, including Alabama, were hit hard with a series deadly tornadoes. That day hoping (& praying!) that we would be safe from the storms, my son, the Fred's, and I spent that day holed up in the hallway of our home. We were fortunate and escaped harm, but sadly many folks did not. Still nearly a year later, many areas here remain devastated and look just as they did when the tornadoes hit.

Now our new year has begun with renewed hope that this year will be better than the last. Folks are recovering and rebuilding their lives one day at a time. Difficult lessons were learned as ~many~ of us realized just how unprepared and vulnerable we were. For many folks, this new year is all about preparedness and regaining control of their lives. A renewed movement toward sustainability and self-reliance has taken hold and folks are running with it! I know that for our small family we are researching, learning, and moving forward.

This last month, I've been pouring through seed catalogs and making a list of all the seed & plants we need to get started. I found a great deal at Lowes on some nice, STURDY grapes vines. I can't wait to get them in the ground! :) This year I've also decided to try something different by planting a couple of Paw Paw trees and a Chocolate Vine! I mean, what could possibly be better than a CHOCOLATE VINE for crying out loud!?! haha...There's a couple "new" veggies I'm itching to try too. Purple potatoes seem to be all the rage this year and of course, this chickie is going to have to try these. Artichokes are new on the list too...LOVE them! Honestly, I'm not real sure how I'm going to feel about eating a purple potato, and I seriously doubt the boys will touch them with a ten foot pole. We shall see... :)

This year, instead of buying those aggravating little peat pots to start seed in, I'm making little newspaper pots. I borrowed the idea from here. These little guys are a cinch to make and work great!

Honeyman tilled the garden while I was at mom's today (thanks babe!) so I believe it's time for me to get cracking!

saluu,

Sweet Tea...

2012-02-23T01:32:00.000-06:00

Nothing says Southern better than a big ol' glass of sweet tea. So simple to create - "good water" (meaning filtered, not tap), sugar, tea bags - and oh so good.

As far as I know, recipes for making sweet tea are pretty much the same all across the southeastern US, but oddly enough, everyone's tea tastes just a little different, even within the same family. My husband can't stand the stuff, but my son Tyler loves it even more so than soda. I find that funny considering Tyler spent most of his young life living out in the Great Plains of South Dakota (where ordering a glass of sweet tea at the restaurant will undoubtedly get you a gasp, and possibly an, "Oy vey!" from the waitress). Regardless, the boy learned at an early age just what this nectar of the gods was as well as how to make it. And yes, his sweet tea tastes slightly different than mine even though I taught him how to make it.

:)

Monday is coming around the corner too fast for this gal! For those of you who do not know, I'm having yet another surgery Monday to continue with my nearly completed breast reconstruction ORDEAL. I'll save that long story for another time when it's not 1:30-in-the-morning-and-I-have-to-get-up-in-5-hours kind of day...er...night. You get the picture. :) Time for that last sip of sweet tea and then off to bed...

saluu,
Susan

2012-02-14T04:04:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentines Day! Just when you think Spring has arrived early, what happens?! Brrrrrr.....winter is back! I'm not complaining though...it gives me an excuse to grab a cup of hot chocolate and snuggle with my honey in front of the fire. :)

This week has jumped into full gear and I've hit the ground running! Work has been busy, and the extra traveling I've done today sent me straight into nap mode when I returned home. Unfortunately, not much else was accomplished this evening, but oh...I sure do love those catnaps.

This blog has been an idea circling in my head for quite some time. I've started and stopped it umpteen (is that really a word??) times and changed the blog name at least a half dozen times. No doubt you're curious as to where the final name choice actually came from so, voila!

Please allow me to introduce you to the Fred's. These are our furbabies, Bodie and Koko...both Boston Terrier rescues, and both truly adorable. They are a rambunctious, loving, mischievous hot mess and I love them dearly. Because of their antics, they've earned the nickname, "Fred's in the Head," or "Fred's" for short (no offense to anyone named Fred!). :) It's really just a silly little nickname, but one that they respond to surprisingly well, haha! They do inspire the funny side of me so I thought the name would be perfect for the blog.

Other than the Fred's, one thing you're probably going to see a great deal of on this blog is homemade hot and cold process soaps. I caught the soap bug a few years ago and have been churning out the soap bars ever since. Lately I've taken a hankering to playing around with different soap formulas and natural ingredients in an effort to create one really kick-ass bar of soap! It has to have it all: soothing, softening, cleansing, and the oh-so-wonderful-yet-very-subtle scent. I'm also trying to incorporate various plants from my garden as much as I can. One of these such soaps is a cold-process soap handmade with cucumbers from my garden last summer. This was actually the first time I tried going the cold process route, but I was very pleased with the results!

The second time I made cold process soap was also the first time working with goats milk. I thought it turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself, though honestly in the larger bars, I found the patchouli scent a bit overpowering (note to self!)...

This will be made again soon (minus the overpowering scent), hopefully by the end of the week, and will be for sale in my Etsy store. :) I will post a tutorial & recipe for making this soap so you can make your own as well! Speaking of Etsy...I'm adding items daily as time allows so check back often for a variety of goodies and giveaways!

saluu,
Susan

Good Evening everybody!!!

2012-02-13T01:24:00.001-06:00

I know there's not much going on here yet, but I have a whole slew of fun things planned coming up soon! Please bear with us as get it up to snuff!

2012-02-03T01:55:00.001-06:00

What an unusual winter we've had thus far. While daytime temps hovering in the 50's & 60's certainly isn't unheard of here in Alabama, continuing to have these through winter certainly is! You won't hear this gal complaining though. After living in South Dakota for 16 years where we often had 9 months of winter every year, this is simply paradise. :) Unfortunately though, we've had a fair amount of rain with a good bit of flooding. I stopped at a few places on the way to work Monday and snapped some photos of the flooded areas:

Even with all the flooding, there's still a great of beauty to be seen:

Saluu,
Susan

Backtracking a bit

2012-02-01T06:23:00.000-06:00

Knowing that I would eventually get this blog thing down and an actual blog up and running, I've been busily preparing for months. I think it's safe to say that I've photographed just about everything under the sun that's been stationary for longer than 5 seconds! :) This, of course, is in between working full-time as a hospice nurse, cleaning, cooking, sewing, and mending my 23 year-old's broken heart. Becoming an adult really bites sometimes doesn't it? (More on this later...)

One of the more recent projects I was involved in was the SewMamaSew December, 2011, Giveaway week. That was loads of fun and I was soooo excited and blessed to be able to participate! If you've browsed through the Fred's very short (ha!) archive, you've probably seen our giveaway already. Thanks to our new Jo Ann's store for the beautiful fabric and a lovely pattern from ithinksew, I was able to sew some fab women's Kimono slippers!

I had a blast making these and hope to sew a few more pairs for the women in our family in the near future. :) The soaps shown were a sampling of what Fred's Koko Kabana shop will be offering soon (that is...as soon as I find a spare minute to list them on Etsy!) :)

Did any of you participate in SewMamaSew's Giveaway Day? If so, please shoot us a comment on your experience with it!

saluu,
Susan

Whew!

2012-01-31T03:12:00.002-06:00

Talk about a busy winter! Can we even call this winter in Alabama with daytime temps hovering around 60 degrees? You won't hear me complaining about that! :) I'm loving it!

So I guess by now you've figured out that I've been absent from the blog (at least in appearance) since my last post? I do apologize for that! To be honest, I've been struggling with creating a unique background and business logo through Blogger. I pretty much know how I want the blog graphics to look, but getting that info from my brain to the computer screen isn't an easy process. What I'm going for is an artsy-craftsy feel with fun projects and tutorials...since it is, primarily, a craft blog. Since I've named the blog after my two silly dogs, I wanted to include them in the process somehow. I have yet to be thrilled with the results so I shall continue working on it as time allows until I'm satisfied with it. Being a perfectionist is hard work! :)

I promised you the recipe many moons ago for Island Jam, so without further ado, here it is!

Island Jam (with bananas)

3 cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 6 medium)
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup diced orange pulp
1/2 cup dried coconut
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or half lemon, half lime juice)
1 box powdered pectin
1 teaspoon EVER-FRESH or Fruit Fresh Fruit Protector (optional, but highly recommended)
6 cups sugar
2 tablespoons light or dark rum

Mix bananas, pineapple, orange, coconut, lemon juice, Ever-Fresh or Fresh Fruit Protector, and pectin in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add sugar and bring back to rolling boil, boiling hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add rum and skim off foam.

Ladle into prepared half-pint jars, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

(I added a little additional coconut to each jar before I added the cooked jam) :)

Island Jam II (without bananas)

2 cups crushed pineapple drained
1 very ripe pear (peeled, seeded, and finely chopped)
1 teaspoon EVER-FRESH or Fruit Fresh Fruit Protector (optional, but highly recommended)
1/2 cup dried coconut
1 cup diced orange pulp
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or half lemon, half lime juice)
3/4 cup coconut milk
6 cups sugar (or a little less if you want a more tart jam)
2 tablespoons light or dark rum

Follow the same cooking directions as posted above.

Final product! :) The jam pictured was made with the second recipe because I didn't have any bananas on hand at the time. Island Jam is deliciously fruity with a slight tartness I think you'll love. It really does remind me of summer and the fam loved it with their Christmas gifts. :)

Enjoy!!!

More yummy jam recipes coming soon...

saluu,
Susan

2012-01-08T11:05:00.001-06:00

Okay, finally back from an extensive holiday break! I've decided after much thought that I'm not crazy about the current blog layout so I'm going to do a complete overhaul. Hopefully I can get it done today, but please bear with me. I think you all will like the look and ease of navigation much better when it's done!

Susan

Gooey Butter Cake....YUMMMMM

2011-12-20T02:58:00.000-06:00

Wow...this week is flying by already! We've been BUSY getting everything ready for Christmas coming up this Sunday. One of my favorite things to give any time of the year are homemade food items such as cookies, cakes, jam, bread, etc. There is one cake I've made several times in the last few months...Gooey Butter Cake. Just the name alone makes your mouth water doesn't it??? :) Well it is just as delicious as it sounds and is super easy to make. I'm not sure what cave I crawled out of, but I had never heard of this dessert until I read about it on faster kittykill's blog (did I mention that I love her blog?!) Apparently Gooey Cake has been around for eons I've been told. Before I crawl back into that cave, here is the recipe from her blog: Gooey Butter Cake
As I said, this is super easy to make and can even be made in a dutch oven on a charcoal grill after a tornado blows through and wipes out your utilities for 5 days! (yep folks, I've done this) :) Enjoy!

My recipe for Island Jam coming tomorrow... :)

2011-12-17T10:41:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone! Well the day is here where the winner is picked! I ran the numbers through Random Number Generator at www.random.org and the winner is.....

Kristi @ mindfulhome!!!

Congratulations Kristi on the win!!!

I have sent Kristi an email letting her know she has won. If I don't hear from her within 24 hours from now, then I will run the numbers again and choose another winner. :) Thank you ALL so much for your comments and for visiting my blog! I hope you all will stick around or check back with me because I am working on some neat tutorials and will be having more giveaways in the coming weeks!

xoxoxo
Susan

SewMamaSew Giveaway!

2011-12-14T01:36:00.000-06:00

Well, the time has arrived for SewMamaSew's December 12, 2011, Giveaway Day! http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2011/11/giveaway-day-december-12/ The Giveaway actually extends beyond Dec 12th this year, and will run through December 16th until 5:00pm PST! There are tons of other sites participating in this so make sure you check out the link above. So obviously I'm late getting started with this as life tends to get in the way sometimes. :) Better late than never, right? So here it is...my part of the Giveaway will consist of 2 different things...a Home Spa package, if you will. The first item will be a custom-made pair of women's Kimono shoes that will look something like this:

I can make them several different sizes, so whomever wins will need to let me know their shoe size (or slipper size). A big thanks to IThinkSew for offering this pattern (and many others!) for half price! Again, you will be getting the Kimono slippers, not the pattern. Don't they look totally comfortable?! :)

The second thing I will be giving away is a handcrafted soap package consisting of 3 different cold process soaps that I've made:

The diamond shaped soap is Mediterranean Mud Soap (yes, it's made with actual Mediterranean clay!); the brown and white bar is Milk & Coffee soap (made with Colombian coffee and goat's milk); and the one behind the others is Cucumber Shea Butter soap (made with actual cucumbers from my garden plus shea butter).

The winner of my giveaway, whom I will choose randomly, will win BOTH packages. All that I ask is that you leave me a comment telling me what your favorite color is and why. For example, does this color have a special meaning to you? represent some wonderful memory? etc... I'm looking forward to reading your responses!

xoxoxox
Susan (aka StitchGoddess)

****UPDATE****

Just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the lovely comments thus far! Wow! You guys are super! The color green seems to be a very popular one, with myself included. :) I'm going to leave this giveaway open until tonight 8:00pm Central time (9:00pm Eastern, 7:00pm Mountain, 6:00pm Pacific) just so those who haven't had time to leave a comment because of work commitments, etc., will have a little more time. I will be using a random generator program to pick the winner. As a reminder....the slippers shown in the photo above are not the ones in the giveaway. I will be making the winner a custom pair with their color of preference. International entries are okay as well! With that said, I'm off to work! Thanks so much for visiting!!! :)

Hello and welcome to my blog!

2011-12-12T01:09:00.000-06:00

I'm a bit new to this blogging thing so please bear with me. First of all, I'd like to welcome you to my blog! This has been in the works for awhile now, but it's finally here! Yay! Secondly, I'd love to tell you what this blog is all about. This is primarily a place to share crafty ideas and tutorials, make some new friends,and learn a few things, but it's also a place for me to share some of what's going on in my life.

A little about me (beyond the "About Me" section): I'm a Professional Registered Nurse working full-time as an RN Case Manager for a Hospice company. My job is never dull and is highly rewarding. Unfortunately, I cannot honestly say that I enjoy being a nurse, but I do love taking care of my patients. I know that probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense so I'll explain what I mean. I love taking care of my patients, but I very much dislike all the red tape and paperwork that goes along with it. I also dislike the current job instability (yes, even nurses are having a hard time finding jobs). That being said, the other reason I don't particularly enjoy being a nurse is because I have Systemic Lupus and Fibromyalgia. If you know anything about either condition, you know that fatigue and pain play a big role here. It can get frustrating at times, but eh, it's life!

Now on to the fun stuff! Crafting is my FAVORITE thing to do and what I do when I'm not at work. I spin, knit, crochet, weave, embroider, sew, make handmade soaps and am trying to learn quilting. I could do this 24/7, I kid you not! I'm so excited to get this blog going and hopefully soon, will get some fab tutorials up! If you happen to be wondering what the whole "Fred's in the Head" thing is about?? We have two Boston Terrier rescues who I ADORE! Our little Koko is the doggie on the left and Bodie is the doggie on the right. Female and male. As mischievous and rambunctious as they come! I don't know when I started calling them, "Fred's in the head," but it fits them perfectly. They inspire a great deal of my creativity and snuggle really nice too...

This is going to be an exciting week! SewMamaSew is doing their Giveaway Day and I'm going to be participating for the first time! I'll be posting more about it tomorrow so check back and see what I'm going to be offering for the Giveaway! This will be going on all week starting December 12, 2011 through December 16, 2011 and there will be many, MANY crafty blogs giving great stuff away. :) More later!

xoxox,
Susan (a.k.a. StitchGoddess)