…you realize you didn’t take a picture of your latest crochet project before giving it away, but the recipient has it with her at knitting group so you can grab a quick pic of it.
spring in the heartland
random things
found on the kitchen table:
book about a dragon slaying mouse, book about a female jedi in training, fairy wings
thank you orchids
These flowers are on their way to school today. They’re so pretty, it’s hard to part with them. I may have to buy some for myself.
Summer vacation starts in one hour!
crochet gift card sleeve update
I loved how the sock yarn sleeve turned out. For my second try, I picked a yarn with lots of thick and thin weights. Not sure if I’m liking it as much. I’m going to try one more in worsted weight and then post the formula.
I wish I had taken a picture of the completed sleeve with my real camera. The yarn is so beautiful in real life. Alas, I’ve already gifted it. Plus, I promised myself not to stress over perfection. Moving on and trying to stay in the flow.
no soccer knitting today
Any diehards out there who can knit while holding an umbrella? I gave up when the rain started. At least the girls will stay cool.
I’m almost finished my Honey Cowl — just in time for summer vacation.
playing around with crochet gift card sleeves
Last year I sewed a bunch of sleeves and wallets to give with gift cards. Since my sewing machine is still collecting dust, I decided this year to work on a crochet version.
I found a lot of cute patterns on Ravelry, both crochet and knit, but the ones I liked were written for a specific yarn weight. I want to use up little bits of leftovers for this project and don’t feel like dealing with gauge math for every single one.
So, I’m working on a formula, which I will share once I’ve got it figured out.
What are your favorite ways to give gift cards?
getting ready for summer
There are only five days left of school. I can’t believe it. The snow earlier this month has really thrown me off. After keeping my little plants inside for over a week because of freezing temps, all the sudden it’s in the 90s and they need to go in the ground! Well, sort of. I’m trying something new this year.
Since our veggies need to be portable, I’ve decided to use bucket planters. The tomatoes have already breathed a sigh of relief: Room! to grow! and stretch our branches! All that’s left is wrapping them in fabric to hide the ugly white plastic. I’m thinking burlap.
I’ve also hung plants where the topsy turvys used to be. I’ve always loved ferns and they’ve already made our outside space happier. They need a little bit of trimming, though. They’re all crazy right now, kind of like when I wake up after going to bed with wet hair. Ha!
The big project, which I have been dreading, is cleaning up an entire winter’s worth of dust and pollen. It’s everywhere: the furniture, the deck, the walls. But the sooner I get to it, the sooner we can start enjoying the beautiful weather. I can’t wait!
some thoughts on being brave
Update since I began writing this: yesterday Disney quietly pulled Merchandise Merida from its website, replacing her with the original Movie Merida. Do I dare have hope that Disney can be brave?
. . . . . .
Last Saturday, Disney crowned Merida its 11th official princess. She received quite the makeover for this special event. I’m not particularly happy with the changes they made to my daughter’s heroine and neither is she: “Did they take away her sword, too?”
Movie Merida, as we are now calling her, taught my daughter being brave is…
…courageous
…loyal
…adventurous
…truth
…standing tall
…facing fears
…love
…friendship
…admitting mistakes
…defiant
…shooting for the bullseye
…strong
…righting wrongs
…daring
…confident
…standing up to evil
…independent
…fighting for what’s right
…creative
…stubborn
…bold
…steadfast
The new Merida, on the other hand, has taught us a lot about corporate greed. Disney had a princess that was making millions, probably even billions, just the way she was. Why did Disney have to mess with her? Why did it have to bend and twist her into the same old stereotypical princess?
The real money is in the merchandising.
Disney turned a plucky teenager into a sexy adult. It gave her eyeliner and took away her freckles. It gave her bigger breasts and took from her waist. It added sparkles to her dress and took away her bow and quiver (and sword!).
However, there is one thing that Disney can’t take away. It’s what Movie Merida has already taught my girl, and millions of others, about being brave. In fact, it’s precisely because of Movie Merida that Merchandise Merida can teach us the most important lesson of all:
Disney is not brave.
recommend reading: There are so many thoughtful articles written about the new Merida, I can’t possibly link to them all. Here are just a few:
— ‘Brave’ creator blasts Disney for ‘blatant sexism’ in princess makeover.
— Seriously, Disney, I’m Trying to Take a Little Break Here – MUST YOU?
— Disney faces backlash over new “sexy” Merida; pulls new image from web site as a result.
just another beautiful sunset
I captured this moment on the way home from Omaha yesterday. I love how the landscape is so wide and open as you travel that stretch of I-80. Trees and buildings silhouetted by a setting sun just make it even more beautiful.