Bella Dia

Ear Flap Hat

I made a hat! I'm so happy with the way it came out and I wouldn't be embarrassed to wear it :) I have to say I was a little intimidated but I thought just do it one stitch at a time and if it doesn't work I can always pull it out. It's all single crochet using Wool Ease Thick and Quick from Lion Brand in pumpkin. I followed a pattern that I got from their site also. I wanted a pattern using that same yarn so I wouldn't have to worry about the gauge too much. My daughter is modeling the hat but it fits me too. The pattern also has a size for children. Best of all, it only took a few hours to make!

Music Meme

I haven't done any meme's yet but I always like to read everyone else's. Leslie at Rubber-Sol tagged me with this music one so here it goes :)

1. Total amount of music files on your computer:
I have 4077 songs which is a little over 13 GB

2. The last CD you bought was:
I bought the soundtrack for the movie In Good Company through the iTunes Music Store as I wasn’t able to find it in the stores yet.

3. What is the song you last listened to before reading this message?
I’ve been listening to the above cd a lot and the song I keep repeating is Glass, Concrete & Stone by David Byrne

4. Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you:
I like the Gymnopedies by Eric Satie; it’s rather melancholy music but strangely comforting.

I love anything by Norah Jones but especially her Come Away With Me cd. I could listen to her forever and never tire of her voice.

It sounds kind of corny but I love the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I have a file in iTunes of renditions by different artists. One of my favorites is by an Hawaiian singer named Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.

I am a new fan of Jack Johnson and especially like the songs Cocoon and Times Like These from his On and On cd.

My life can be pretty chaotic so most of the music I listen to is for relaxation and quiet time but if I need to get motivated to do something (like cleaning) then I usually listen to the Texas Tornadoes or the Shrek soundtrack.

Let's see, I'm supposed to tag three others...what about our American in Paris at croque-choux, Kim at Something to Say, and Laura at Rick Rack Ruby. Have fun!

Easily Pleased

As you have probably seen, I'm
a fabricaholic and had to indulge myself on a shopping trip yesterday. I don't feel too bad though because they are all from Wal-Mart and very inexpensive. It's always fun for me to see what treasures I can find there ;)

Aren't these cute?! They're needleholders!
I love little storage containers and find them hard to resist.

Now you know I must be pretty easy
to please because finding these cupcake liners made my day! I get so tired of those sickly yellow, pink, and teal ones from the grocery store so I'm always looking for fancier ones. It's amazing how little things can make you so happy!

And a little more crochet...a new flower
which looked so complicated in the book but wasn't very hard at all. I think I'm finally getting the knack for reading the patterns. I don't know about knitting patterns but the ones for crochet are like mental tongue twisters.

I thought I might do a blanket out of
these pineapple pattern squares and then attach a variety of flowers randomly across it. It'll take me forever though because I'm not too good at completing big projects.

Winter Blooms

I've been busy crocheting flowers :) This is the hardest time of the year for me when I am anxiously awaiting spring but know that it will be at least 3 or 4 months before it's really here so I guess that is what my inspiration has been. I started with this pattern at On My Mind and started playing around with them from there.

I like them pinned on
the scarf and drawstring bag I made too.

Here's a site that has links to
a large collection of crocheted flower patterns if you're interested.

Be sure to check out StitchGuide and
take a look at their QuickTime videos for crochet stitches. They are really helpful if it's easier for you to learn by watching someone else do it rather than looking at photos or illustrations.