Snowed In!

This weekend, here in southeast Pennsylvania, we are in the midst of a blizzard! We are right on the line between 12-18" and 18-24", and I am so ready for whatever is to come! We never really got any good snow last winter, so we are definitely due. ;)

So, since well be stuck in the house for a few days.. (state of emergency! :o ) Ive gotten myself fully prepared! Ive got a nice big stack of wood, just outside the back door, to keep the fire going so we will stay cozy and warm! And ive got myself a few projects lined up to keep myself occupied!

I think Ive mentioned on here before that I am working on making myself a blanket for my bed. Ive been working on it for a few months, but had to put it on the back burner to work on some christmas presents, so Im not as far along as I really should be.. :/ but Im totally fine with that because Ive got plenty to work on this weekend now! :)

I also headed over to our local Aldi and picked up this adorable little animal crochet kit I saw in this weeks ad. I just had to have it! The kit was only $10 and it comes with a little book that shows you how to make 12 different animals, and all of the supplies to make 2 of them. :) mine makes a bunny and an adorable little koala that I am so excited to make! (It also has instructions for an alpaca and a sheep, which are soo stinking cute I cant even contain myself)

We are fully stocked up on dough, crescent rolls and cheese, to make a delicious pizza twists and wreaths. And a brand new deck of cards against humanity, which with my family will be a dangerous night! I wouldnt be surprised if we all die of laughter. Oh, and Ive got a few episodes of Younger to catch up on..not to mention an huge list of Netflix shows..and GOT..that I also need to catch up on..so Ive got plenty to watch too!

You know..snow is one of those things that so many people hate and want nothing to do with. But I actually really love it. Its so magical and beautiful. Just the way it makes me feel as I watch it fall and glisten..it just warms me up from the inside. I think more people need to stop and just take in the beauty that is all around us. 

Ive been seeing a lot of hate and bitterness around lately, and Ive really been trying so hard to spread love and kindness. To help those people see that life isnt fun with hatred in your heart. Sometimes you need to just let it go and let it be filled with love and light. Yesterday I saw Tim McGraws new video for his song Humble And Kind, and Ive been singing it constantly. Those are truly the greatest words to live by.

So heres to love, happiness, winter storms, hot cocoa, and crocheted alpacas! Enjoy your weekend no matter where you are. Be safe. Be happy. And always stay humble and kind. <3

My Strange Addiction.

Hi. My name is Lara, and I am an addict.

Okay, so this addiction may not be as dramatic or unhealthy as you would typically associate with the word, but I still recognize it as such. I am addicted to crocheting.

You heard (read) me right. I am addicted to crocheting. I had my first taste of the sweet drug when I was rather young. My mom taught me to crochet when she was on her kick when I was in middle school. But, as you can expect, my middle school self wasnt quite into the whole crochet thing. But now that Im older I have come to appreciate and embrace my inner old lady.

I've been on the search for the perfect throw blanket to go with my bed. (light blue sheets, white down comforter, and light grey-blue throw pillows.) And without luck..I cant seem to find one in the color that I want that isnt that really fuzzy material. So i figured, hey why not just make one myself. And thus my addiction began.

My cousin has been into crocheting for a few years, so I went over her place a few weeks ago and had her re-teach me. I picked it up really quick and remembered a lot of the things I had learned at a young age. I pretty much immediately became super excited with the whole thing. Right away I started practicing stitches non-stop. I practiced and practiced until I was sure I was ready and comfortable to start a project.

My first project, I decided, was going to be a scarf. This super easy one skein scarf. I got myself a beautiful ombre yard and got started right away and couldnt put the thing down. I had the whole thing finished in just 2-2.5 days.

As soon as I finished, I was ready for my next project..my blanket! I looked and looked for days trying to find a pattern I liked that would be easy enough for a beginner, but looked really good! I could not find such a pattern. :( Then I went and hung out with my cousin and saw the beautiful stitch she was doing on a lap blanket she was making and decided that was it! The perfect stitch for my blanket :D I decided on a shell stitch, which is really pretty and looks great for an afghan.

So now Ive gotten the first two rows done, and Im going over my cousins tomorrow to check with her to make sure Im doing it right. (I want to double check before I get ten rows in and realize its completely wrong!) But I cant seem to put it down! I just wanna crochet forever. I can see this quickly becoming a problem. Im on the fast track to become a yarn hoarder like my cousin! :D

The yarn I decided on is by Lion Brand. It is their Wool-Ease yarn in the color Seaspray. I matched it up with my throw pillows and it is almost perfect. The stitch is soo so easy and goes so quickly, which is why I am skeptical that Im doing something wrong! The only downside is I will be using a lot of yarn. I will be spending at least twice as much making this blanket then I would buying a blanket in the store. But lets face it, nothing compares to a beautiful handmade blanket..

Im not sure if I will be sharing my patterns and such on here or if thats even something anyone would be interested in..so if you are please let me know! I will definitely be doing some progress posts as I go though. I would also love to hear about any of your "strange" addictions.