Hi, There!

Hi, there!

Bet you thought I forgot about you, huh?  Nope.  Just been super duper busy lately.  We moved in July, and my life has been a whirlwind ever since!

We moved, celebrated a birthday, hosted out of town guests two weekends in a row, school started on Monday, and we inherited a kitten.

Isn't she adorable?!

Not to mention my day job, which is to clean up and rent out the other unit if the duplex we bought!

I don't think I even have time to sleep!  I've missed blogging and being creative, but I'm slowly getting back into it. 

Hubby brought my yarn storage shelving out of storage, and I quickly found out that I have more yarn than storage!  I guess I need to get going on some projects!  Maybe I'll have some hats ready for the fall so I can open up the shop again!  Fingers crossed!

Well, it's snack and homework time, so I'm going to get going. 

See ya!

Amanda

Life/Shop Update:

The past year has been all about change for myself and my little family.  I'll keep it short, I won't give all the details yet, but...

We moved!! 

As a result of that and dwindling craft time, I've decided to close both of my Etsy shops (Beach Bird Yarnworks and Beach Bird Weavings) to focus on getting settled.  Don't worry, they'll reopen as soon as I'm settled in the new house and the new job and all. 

If you would like to place an order, or see any of our inventory, feel free to email me or contact me through Instagram (@littlebeachbird or @beachbirdyarnworks).

I'll also set up an inventory tab on the blog so you can check it out.

I'll let you know when I get settled enough to stock the stores and get rolling again! 

I'll also be posting more of our upcoming adventures, so watch this blog for more fun stuff!  It's been kind of a crappy year, so I'm ready for some fun!!

See ya,
Amanda

Summer Fun

We found a beautiful little
waterfall while exploring
a local park

Summer break is finally upon us!  Now the hard part begins.  How to keep the kids from saying the dreaded "B" word - BORED! 

I have spent years wracking my brain to figure out how to keep them entertained and not spend a fortune, so I'd like to share a couple of my ideas.

■  The pool.  A lot of neighborhoods have them, the YMCA is a good place to go, but if you don't have access to either of those, a simple backyard inflatable will do the trick.  (Of course there are safety procedures that should be followed if you get your own, so please be aware!)  This idea does have some cost, but I think it more than pays for itself!

■  Rainy day fort making.  The classic blanket/pillow fort is always a hit with my kids!

■  Geocaching.  This is a relatively new activity for my family, but it's so fun!  It's like a scavenger hunt, and the kids love it.  There are apps that will help you locate the caches, some are free, but all have a "premium" feature that you have to pay for.  We use the free apps, and have a ton of fun with it.  There's a ton of information about it online, if you're interested!

■  Rainy day movies.  My kids and I like to spread a blanket on the floor and watch movies.  We pop some popcorn and make some hot chocolate  (yes, even when it's scorching hot outside we enjoy hot chocolate) and binge watch movies.

■  Make juice or Kool-aid popsicles.  These can be done in a variety of low cost ways.  We have used ice cube trays and toothpicks, small plastic cups and popsicle sticks, and the store bought molds.  The method is up to you. 

■  Free parks.  Of course there's always the free local parks.  There are some in my area that have waterworks for the kids to play.

■  Field trips.  The kids can stay busy and learn about the area in which they live.  There's a field trip app that works off of your GPS location, and will bring up all kinds of facts and places to visit.  It's called 'Field Trip'.

How do you beat back the boredom during the summer? 

V-Stitch Drawstring Bag

Hi!!

A few weeks ago, I promised a couple of patterns for the little gift bags that I made as gifts for the boys' teachers.

Well, here's the first one, it doesn't have a fancy name, I just call it the V-Stitch Drawstring Bag.

V-Stitch Drawstring Bag

It can be made with any yarn, any size hook, and in any size you want.  It works up quickly, so I've even been able to make it in an evening for an event the next day!

I hope you enjoy this little project!  Please let me know what you think!!

♡P.S.  If you would rather order one, please feel free to email me (or through IG @littlebeachbird ).  The price is $13 shipped (for the bag only, contents not included).♡

**Disclaimer:  I'm not a professional pattern-writer-upper (yep, technical term), so it may not be a perfect pattern.  If you find a mistake, or have a question, please let me know in the comments.  I appreciate all feedback!!**

Feelin' Kinda Christmas-y

I know, I know, it's only April, but I am feeling mighty Christmas-y right now. 

You see that little candle in the photo above?  It's one from my mom's collection of all things scented, and it smells exactly like a Christmas tree!

I have had the pleasure of sitting next to it all morning, smelling it's rich fragrance (it's not even lit, and I can smell it!).  It's put me in a kind of Christmas spirit, ready to bake cookies and decorate the tree.

It has given me an idea, though, to get to work on some handmade Christmas gifts.

Up until I got married, I would have Christmas gifts bought way on back in October.  I'm not one who really enjoys the Christmas rush.  I like the idea of going out and shopping for loved ones, surrounded by throngs of others doing the same.  I like the brisk, chilly walk into the stores, hearing Christmas music playing over the speakers, and smelling the scents of the season.  

But that's it.  I like the idea.

What I really want to do is have a completely handmade Christmas (well, for extended family, that is, my kids may not enjoy a pair of handmade mittens or socks).  I always wait until the last minute now, so handmade is often out of the question.

I have the time now, so I think I'll get on it!

Just a Wednesday Update

Random photo of a tree
and the moon

Hi!!!

Don't worry!!  I haven't forgotten about you!

I have to be honest...  I've been trying to figure out how to embed a pdf into a blog post so I can share the patterns for the bags! 

It hasn't gone well.  I need my computer, but it decided it needed to update.  Not only did it update, but the battery died, and then it took all day to update!

I'm going to figure this out (or have another tutorial) by the end of the week, so Sunday you should have something!

Thanks for sticking with me!!  See ya Sunday!

Gardening In My Future

Is this not the cutest little strawberry you've ever seen?

I love gardening!  It's too bad that I'm so terrible at it.  I have the hardest time keeping plants alive and having them produce anything. 

One thing that I've had great luck with is my roses.  They were my pets for so long.  Every March 10, I would go out and cut them down.  When they grew back they looked stunning!  When the blooms died I would cut them off and more would bloom!  Awesome!

I am going to spend 2015 studying container gardening so that I can have a successful gardening haul.  I have a spot in my little yard already picked out.  I can't wait to get started!!

Do you have any recommendations or tips for me?  I welcome any advice you can give!