Bella Dia

Purse Organizer

I made a purse organizer to help me keep my purse organized ;) I used two lightweight cotton fabrics and some very heavyweight interfacing.

Here's all the stuff I have to go into the organizer. I sized the pockets according to what I carry: germ killer, cell phone, 2 lipsticks/gloss, iPod, pen & pencil, notepad, and Motrin.

And here's all of it tucked into the pockets.

Roll it up and put it in the purse. I was really surprised that it fit into my little furry purse because it's a pretty small bag.

Here it is in my bag with my wallet in the center! This is going to be so great when I change purses, just grab the organizer and my wallet and pop it into my new purse.

This is another one I made. I love this bright cheery fabric.

Crochet Handbags & Felt Flowers

Well, now I've started crocheting
these little handbags. They're done in single and double crochet, I just made my own pattern, nothing fancy. They seem like a nice transitional bag from winter to early spring. This green one is done with Lion Brand Thick & Quick, which I love. It is soft and sturdy.

I especially like this little cream
colored tote. I used one strand of yarn so it's lighter in weight. The flower pin is removable and made from craft felt.

I used two strands, one blue and
one tan, together for this little bag so it has a bit more heft. This pin is also removable and made from blue and brown craft felt.

My hands, especially my left, have
been really sore from crocheting ;) I need to give them a break and do a little sewing but I haven't decided what to make yet.

I'd really like to sell my stuff
in some way so if anyone has any ideas,
tips, or advice please let me know.

Just for Fun

I'm curious to see where
this new technology will turn up next. First it's breath freshener, now it's hair gel...Aveda Control Tape. Add a little water and you have hair gel to touch up your hairstyle anytime, anywhere.

These little houses from Tumbleweed Houses just make my imagination run wild! So many possibilities...

Dieting fun? Well, this site makes
it a lot more palatable...Hungry Girl

Lots of beautiful homemade soaps at Amare Luna. I love this quartz-like looking soap :)

Her last words as she
sat down in her white leather
C-Station from Bluebroc,
"I have died and gone to heaven....".

This 'n' That

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day!
The kids and I had a little party with my sister and her kids. We made bath salts and candy necklaces, ate cupcakes, and played a game where they had to pop balloons with candy in them using only their bum :)

Here's another pair of turkish slippers
that I made, this time putting in a contrasting trim. I really love these but I still need to make them a little smaller so they stay on better. Luckily, these are easy to size.

I started a new book,
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life,
by Alison Krause Rosenthal and love it already just after the first few pages. Check out the excerpts at Amazon - if you like reading blogs, I'll bet you'll like reading this book.

Friday Five (on Saturday)

I thought I would take a shot
at the Friday Five this week...

1) Would you rather live in a world with or without technology such as computers, cars, airplanes, bombs?

Well, if it has to be one or the other
I'd choose a technology world, but I'm pretty happy with just my computer :)

2) If you had to live without either
heating in your house or air conditioning, which one would you keep?

Absolutely heating, we'd
freeze to death without it!

3) If you had to own five dogs,
what kind would you get?

Shiba Anu, mini Australian Shepherd, Cattle Dog, Border Collie, and a Pomeranian

4) If the world had a
front porch, what would you do on it?

I'd sit in a porch swing and read
or watch the people walking by.

5) Would you rather live in a neighborhood where you know all of your neighbors by name, or where everyone sticks to their own business?

I'd rather be in a friendly neighborhood
where we all know each other by name. It's a much better environment to raise your kids in and I'd feel safer, and besides, I love block parties :)

How To Enjoy Ourselves

"If we would enjoy ourselves, we must take the world as it is; mix up a thousand spots of sunshine, - a cloud here and there, -a bright sky, -a storm today, calm to-morrow, -the chill-piercing winds of autumn, and the bland, reviving air of summer."
-The Old Farmer's Almanac, 1854

This is a picture of my kids skating with their cousins here in town. The fire department covers a local park with water at the beginning of winter and then it gets maintained as an ice rink through the winter.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Maybe crochet can be cool after all...

When I first saw the cover of Simple Crochet by Erika Knight I knew that I wanted some of these turkish slippers but I had my doubts as to whether I'd ever be able to make them or not. Well, I did it and I couldn't be more pleased! It seems so typical of all the crochet projects, but most of them are a whole lot simpler than they appear. These are made from Lion Brand Jiffy Mohair Look Yarn in denim. They're really comfortable and flattering on your feet.

I made another hat too. I used Dot's UBW pattern and just made it longer so I could roll it up. I used Lion Brand Homespun yarn in antique. Homespun seems like a popular yarn but I don't really like working with it because it is so hard to see your stitches.

Now that my crochet is improving, I've gotten a few requests for hats and slippers so I *had* to go get more yarn :)

Another Ear Flap Hat

I can't believe how quickly these hats work up!  I think it really helps if you use fat yarn and a big hook :) I timed myself and this one took two hours and fifteen minutes.  I used the pattern for Dot's UBW (Ugly But Warm) hat on her blog, By the Hook.  I decided to add ear flaps because they really do help keep my ears warm.  I added the same flaps from the Lion Brand pattern.  I used some inexpensive Red Heart Light and Lofty that I got at the dime store, unfortunately there's not a good yarn store in my area.  It may not be the most flattering hat, but it sure keeps you warm.