Posted in Gaming, Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley – Villager Info & Tips for Beginners

Hey Dearies, so since I mentioned that I play Stardew Valley, I wanted to give some helpful tips for those that are just starting out. I wish I had done more research before playing, but sometimes you just have to learn as you go. 


One of the big things you would need to do in the game is to make friends with the villagers. This was something that I didn’t do and then realized that in order to unlock more recipes & different scenes, you needed to befriend the villagers.


You also have to keep up with the friendships too as well, otherwise, you lose all your progress. Especially, if you are trying to date one of the villagers, it takes time and patience. 


Anyway, I wanted to make this post because I wanted to give some tips on how to help you increase your friendship with the villagers, as well as get some information on them as well. Plus I will also include some of their favorite items and when the best day is to give them the presents. 


I also wanted to note that in order to build a friendship, you need to give them gifts, but you can only give them gifts twice a week. You can tell what level of “friendship” you are at with a villager by the amount of hearts that they have. 


Once they reach to 10 hearts, you don’t have to worry as much about their hearts going down. Anyway, we are going to start with the villagers you can date, then we will work our way down the rest of the list. 


Villagers You Can Date

Alex (Summer 13) – Favorite things he loves: Complete Breakfast, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Salmon Dinner.


Elliot (Fall 5) – Favorite things he loves: Crab Cakes, Duck Feathers, Golden Pumpkin, Lobster, Pomegranate, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Tom Kha Soup.



Harvey (Winter 14) – Favorite things he loves: Coffee, Golden Pumpkin, Pickles, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Super Meal, Truffle Oil, & Wine.



Sam (Summer 17) – Favorite things he loves: Catus Fruit, Golden Pumpkin, Maple Bar, Pizza, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Tigerseye.



Abigail (Fall 13) – Favorite things she loves: Amethyst, Blackberry Cobbler, Chocolate Cake, Gold Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Pufferfish, Pumpkin, Rabbit’s Foot, & Spicy Eel.



Emily (Spring 27) – Favorite things she loves: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Cloth, Emerald Golden Pumpkin, Jade, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Ruby, Survival Burger, Topaz, & Wool.



Haley (Spring 14) – Favorite things she loves: Coconut, Fruit Salad, Golden Pumpkin, Pink Cake, Rabbit’s Foot, & Sunflower.



Leah (Winter 23) – Favorite things she loves: Goat Cheese, Golden Pumpkin, Poppyseed Muffin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Salad, Stir Fry, Truffle, Vegetable Medley, & Wine.



Maru (Summer 10) – Favorite things she loves: Battery Pack, Cheese Cauliflower, Diamond, Gold Bar, Golden Pumpkin, Iridium Bar, Miner’s Treat, Pepper Poppers, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Rhubarb Pie, & Strawberry.



Penny (Fall 2) – Favorite things she loves: Diamond, Emerald, Golden Pumpkin, Melon, Poppy, Poppyseed Muffin, Prismatic Shard, Red Plate, Roots Platter, Sandfish, & Tom Kha Soup.



Sebastian (Winter 10) – Favorite things he loves: Frozen Tear, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Pumpkin Soup, Rabbit’s Foot, Sashimi, & Void Egg.



Shane (Spring 20) – Favorite things he loves: Beer, Golden Pumpkin, Hot Peppers, Pepper Poppers, Pizza, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.


The Rest

Caroline (Winter 7) – Favorite things she loves: Fish Taco, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbt’s Foot, & Summer Spangle.



Clint (Winter 26) – Favorite things he loves: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Artichoke Dip, Emerald, Gold Bar, Golden Pumpkin, Iridium Bar, Jade, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Ruby, & Topaz.



Demetrius (Summer 19) – Favorite things he loves: Bean Hotpot, Golden Pumpkin, Ice Cream, Prismatic shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Rice Pudding, & Strawberry.



Dwarf (Summer 22) – Favorite things he loves: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Dwarf Scroll 1-4, Emerald, Golden Pumpkin, Jade, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Ruby, & Topaz.



Evelyn (Winter 20) – Favorite things she loves: Beet, Chocolate Cake, Diamond, Fairy Rose, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foots, Stuffing, & Tulip.



George (Fall 24) – Favorite things he loves: Fried Mushroom, Golden Pumpkin, Leek, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.



Gus (Summer 8) – Favorite things he loves: Diamond, Escargot, Fish Taco, Golden Pumpkin, Orange, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.



Jas (Summer 4) – Favorite things she loves: Fairy Rose, Golden Pumpkin, Pink Cake, Plum Pudding, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.



Jodi (Fall 11) – Favorite things she loves: Chocolate Cake, Crispy Bass, Diamond, Eggplant Parmesan, Fried Eel, Golden Pumpkin, Pancakes, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, Rhubarb Pie, & Vegetable Medley.



Kent (Spring 4) – Favorite things he loves: Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Roasted Hazelnuts.



Krobus (Winter 1) – Favorite things he loves: Diamond, Golden Pumpkin, Iridium Bar, Prismatic Shard, Pumpkin, Rabbit’s Foot, Void Egg, Void Mayonnaise, & Wild Horseradish.



Lewis (Spring 7) – Favorite things he loves: Autumn’s Bounty, Glazed Yams, Golden Pumpkin, Hot Pepper, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Vegetable Medley.



Linus (Winter 3) – Favorite things he loves: Blueberry Tart, Cactus Fruit, Coconut, Dish o The Sea, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Yam.



Marnie (Fall 18) – Favorite things she loves: Diamond, Farmers Lunch, Golden Pumpkin, Pink Cake, Prismatic Shard, Pumpkin Pie, & Rabbit’s Foot.



Pam (Spring 18) – Favorite things she loves: Beer, Cactus Fruit, Glazed Yams, Golden Pumpkin, Mead, Pale Ale, Parsnip, Parsnip Soup, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.



Pierre (Spring 26) – Favorite things he loves: Fried Calamari, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.



Robin (Fall 21) – Favorite things she loves: Goat Cheese, Golden Pumpkin, Peach, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Spaghetti.



Sandy (Fall 15) – Favorite things she loves: Crocus, Daffodil, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Rabbit’s Foot, & Sweet Pea.



Vincent (Spring 10) – Favorite things he loves: Cranberry Candy, Golden Pumpkin, Grape, Pink Cake, Prismatic Shard, & Rabbit’s Foot.



Willy (Summer 24) – Favorite things he loves: Diamond, Golden Pumpkin, Iridium Bar, Mead, Prismatic Shard, Pumpkin, Rabbit’s Foot, & Sea Cucumber.



Wizard (Winter 17) – Favorite things he loves: Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Purple Mushroom, Rabbit’s Foot, Solar Essence, Super Cucumber, & Void Essence.


And that’s all the villagers from Stardew Valley!

I have only gotten a few to have a few hearts, but when you keep up on it and remember, you can unlock more of the game and the scenes as well! For the villagers you can date, I have only dated and married two out of them all.

The first one I did was Shane, I gave him a bunch of beer, and in less than a year, I got him with enough hearts to get him. The other one I did was Elliot and he was a little bit more challenging to get because the stuff he liked, you needed to be further in the game to get some of his favorite items, but I got him eventually.

Which of the villagers is your favorite character? Which love interest do you usually go for in the game?

Posted in Beginner Patterns, Crochet, Free Crochet Patterns

Crafty Sassy: Free Crochet Valentine’s Day Mug Cozy Pattern (Beginner)

Hey Dearies! So, I know it has been a long time since I’ve posted a pattern of my own and I finally wanted to make more mug cozy designs! I know that we are past Valentine’s Day, but I really wanted to create a simple mug cozy that you can make that is both simple and easy to mass produce.

This is also a Beginner pattern and is super easy to do! Also, this mug cozy is what I like to call ‘flat crochet’, which means that it’s crocheted back and forth, not in a circle. So, some assembly is required, but patterns like this give you more practice in making fun items that don’t seem hard to do.


What You Wil Need:

  • 4.00mm crochet hook
  • 3 different colored worsted weight yarn (Dark Red, Pink, & White)
    • Size 4
    • I’m not sure what brands I used, this is actually out of the smaller balls of yarn that I just had in my scrap bag of yarn.
  • Sewing Needle
  • Scissors

First, chain 41 in the dark red color.

Row 1: *Single crochet in the second chain from the hook. Then double crochet into the next chain.* Repeat * until you have reached the last chain. Your last chain stitch will be a double crochet.

Row 2: Chain 1 and turn. *Single crochet in the first stitch, then double crochet in the stitch after that.* Repeat * until you have reached the last chain.

Rows 3-6: Repeat Row 2.

Switch to the pink color.

Rows 7-9: Repeat Row 2. At the end of Row 9, leave a long tail to sew together and fasten off.

That is the base part of the pattern. If you want to add the heart like I did, here is the pattern for that.


Heart:

Make a magic circle with the white color.

Chain 2.

3 treble crochets, 3 double crochets, chain 1, 1 treble crochet, chain 1, 3 double crochets, 3 treble crochets, chain 2, slip stitch in the middle of the magic circle.

Leave a tail for attaching it to the mug cozy and fasten off.


There you have it! A simple pattern and easy to make! This is also something you can make a few of for craft fairs as well. Don’t worry, I’m going to have a few different mug cozy ideas for you guys, especially for each of the holidays, and a few surprises as well!

Posted in Crochet, Yearly Crochet Blankets

Crafty Sassy: Crochet Yearly Project Ideas

Hey Dearies! So, I am currently working on a yearly project for 2023, but I wanted to suggest if anyone was thinking about doing a yearly blanket or temperature blacket. I think they are very fun to do, but the temperature blanket can be a pain because you are crocheting a square or a line every day.

The one that I am working on currently is actually from a Youtube that I am subscribed to. Plus, she does have some other yearly blankets that she has done too and I am going to leave links to her videos too if you are interested in trying them out.

If you are going to be making a yearly blanket, you need to do a little bit of research to find out how much yarn you are going to need & how much time you would need to complete it. I have done a temperature blanket before and the one thing I didn’t think of was how much yarn I was going to need and to make sure to stick to that brand as well.

I ended up in a pickle and used a color from a different brand that sort of worked, but it’s okay because it’s just a simple trial and error. So, the next time I decide to do a temperature blanket, I am going to pre-stock some skeins of colors so that I don’t run into the same problem.

I do want to try again doing a temperature blanket, but I’m thinking I want to do one next year since I wanted to make the current yearly blanket that I’m working on. I was going to also give an update on the first square that I made, but I wanted to wait to show you guys every 2 months.

So, with that being said in mind, that update will be posted the last week of February, and last Tuesday I will show you guys how it is looking. I will also update my Instagram every month, as well. Now, here are a few other yearly blankets, if you are trying to figure out what to do for the 2023 year.


Calendar Square Blanket

This is the current yearly blanket that I will be doing. This creation is from Jayda in Stitches and she does have a series of videos to make each square. I didn’t want to show the rest of the months since I do want it to be a surprise!

Plus I really like the idea of each square representing each of the months. It is also a better option if you don’t have time to crochet a square or row a day. I really can’t wait to see how this blanket turns out. I will also include a link for the videos:

The link that I included is a link to the full playlist of all the videos for each of the months. Just in case you decide to want to make this blanket for this year too!


Temperature Blanket (Granny Square Verison)

This is the temperature blanket that I made back in 2019. The one big problem that I had with this blanket was that I ended up making the squares too big and using more yarn than I expected. With the result of making the squares bigger, ended up making the blanket huge, which I didn’t mind, but trying to fold it was a pain for sure.

Now, the type of granny square that I did was the solid granny square, but I’ve seen people due either. You could even do different crocheted stitches as squares for each of the days or use two colors, one of the morning temperature and the afternoon temperature.


Themed Blankets

These blankets are pretty cool to make, but they can take a lot of patience and practice. They also may not have a crochet along, but there are a few out that do. You don’t really need a crochet along for yearly blankets, but you can always have one of those theme blankets that you can work on throughout the year.

If you do have any favorite TV Shows, such as Friends or the Office or Big Bang Theory, they do have blanket patterns out there that you can make. I saw someone had created a themed Friends blanket, I got so excited that I ended up looking to see what others had done.

You would be surprised how many other TV Show themed crochet blankets there are out there. The only reason why I haven’t made them yet, was because I didn’t want to make multiple themed blankets and then have no room to put them.


Those were just a few items that you can start with if you are interested in making a yearly blanket or temperature blanket. Let me know in the comments if you are working on a yearly blanket or a temperature blanket for this year. I can’t wait to see how mine comes out!

Posted in Mom Talk

Mom Talk: Snow Activities To Do With Your Kids

Hey dearies! Since I live in Maine, we have been getting slammed with snow! As a kid, i used to love it when it snowed, especially if they canceled school.

For me, on a Snow Day, growing up, we used to go to my grandmother’s house. She had a nice yard to play in, build snow forts and she lived next to a nice hill for sledding. Which was probably the main reason we loved to visit her house during the winter.

Anyway, since I’ve become an adult, I only love snow when it’s around Christmas or New Years, after that I’m over it.

I also live in Maine, so the weather is literally crazy. One day, it’s just 50 degrees, and the next day, there’s a blizzard outside. Don’t get me wrong, I love Maine because we all have 4 seasons, but sometimes mother nature can’t make up her mind.

So, what are the best things to do on a Snow Day for your kids? Check out below!


Indoor Activities

Depending on where you live and how bad the weather is, figuring out what to do with the kids inside can be a little bit harder. Especially if you don’t want them to be glued to the TV all day.

Here’s a few ideas indoor activities:

  • Baking – This is an awesome idea because then your house is going to smell good too!
  • Playing Board Games – Depending how old your kiddos are, playing Hungry Hungry Hippos or Candy Land is always a fun time!
  • Painting – Whether it’s following a Bob Ross painting or just doing a simple freelance painting, painting is always something fun to do on a Snow Day!
  • Jigsaw Puzzles – This is one of my favorite activities my grandmother and I would do on a Snow Day. We usually picked a 1000 piece puzzle, which kept us busy all day!
  • Coloring – Whether your kids want to color or your inter child in you wants to color, go for it! My daughter and I love to color with gel pens and you can get a simple 60 pack of gel pens on Amazon for less than 20 bucks!
  • Reading a book together – My daughter and I loved doing this while she was a baby, but we haven’t done it as much as of recently. On a day where you can’t go anywhere, have you kiddo pick out their favorite books and read to them. My daughter current loves Click Click Moo.
  • Watching a movie or TV show – Usually, I’ll tell my daughter to pick a movie that we either haven’t seen in a long time or something my daughter hasn’t seen at all. Of course, watching TV all day isn’t something we want our kiddos to do on a Snow Day, but switching inbetween activities and saving a movie for the morning or the afternoon is always a good idea.
  • Cleaning – I know this isn’t a fun thing for the kiddos to do on a Snow Day, but getting them into the habit of doing chores is always a plus! Not to mention you can reward them with some screen time, too!

Outside Activities

Of course, every kid wants to be outside and play in the snow. Us adults would love to do that, but we get stuck with the shoveling duty, but there are lots of stuff to do outside in the snow!

  • Build a Snowman – One of the most classic activities that you can do outside in the snow and nowadays you can actually buy kits that have everything you need to make a snowman!
  • Make Snow Angels – This was one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid!
  • Build a Snow Fort – My cousin and I would build these all the time, especially when our grandparents driveway was plowed, we would build little holes and pretend to live it them.
  • Go Sledding/Tubing/Skiing/Snowboarding – One of the best things to do on a Snow Day! I don’t Snowboard or Skiing, but I love sledding and tubing!
  • Go Ice Skating – I’ve been ice skating and let’s just say I would rather roller blade instead, but it can be lots of fun to do!
  • Snowball Fight – My cousin and I loved to do these! Not to mention, our grandmother got us snowball makers, which made it so much faster to make them.

Those are just a few ideas on what to do indoors and outdoors. I’m sure there are a few that I missed, but let me know down in the comments what you do with your kiddos on a Snow Day!

Posted in Gaming

My Favorite Games I Love to Play

Hey dearies! Since it’s been a busy week so far, I wanted to talk about the games that I love to play in my spare time.

For me, I mainly play on my PC, but I used to love playing on PS4. I figured since it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything for gaming, I should talk about the main games that I love to play.

Minecraft

I love playing Minecraft, I actually remember playing the first version of Minecraft. It’s a love hate that I have for the game. It’s fun to play, but there are some things that piss me off with the game.

Survival World is my favorite version to play because I like the Survival component. Creative Mode is fun, but its not something I want to play all the time.

Plus, they do add little things that make the game better, more challenges to try and do. I would love to try the mods that they have out there for it, but I have to upgrade my computer in order for that to happen.

Stardew Valley

I think Stardew Valley is such an amazing game. It’s got a little bit of everything and you don’t have to make money by just farming, you can fish or mine in order to make money.

Plus you can make friends to unlock different things, especially the Town Hall. Once you finish the bundles, you unlock the mine carts so your not running everywhere.

You can also get married and have kids, but the downfall is that you can’t use them to have them help you on the farm. Basically, they are useless, just there to complete your “farm life”.

It really gives me the creativity to make a farm that I really like and plus I even started making my own book to kinda help me out when finding out how much money I can get from different crops or fish or gems.

I also found a recipe book for Stardew Valley, that I just ordered and can’t wait for it to get here, so I can recreate some of these recipes that I’ve made in the game.

The Sims Saga

I’m a huge fan of Sims and I’m really only a big fan of the Sims 2 and 3. The reason why I love two are the graphics and the different activities you can do.

The reason why I love Sims 3 because it’s an open world and you don’t have to deal with any loading screen. Not to mention, I love that there’s more decorative options you can do.

I also love adding mods are so much fun to add to the game that and I also love adding different jobs or finding out if a Sim is pregnant. I just wish my computer ran faster because the graphics aren’t working for my computer.

My favorite thing I love about Sims are the challenges that you can do. Plus I have a few that I want to play and blog about as well!


Those are just the main 3 that I play on my PC. I am hoping that once I upgrade my PC, my game library will open a little bit more.

I also want to talk about my favorite games for each of the gaming systems I grew up with, such as gameboy, DS, Wii. PS1, 2, & 3, etc. Let me know if you have a favorite game or game system you love playing on.

Posted in Uncategorized

Katie’s Blog Update 2023

Hey Dearies, it has indeed been a long time since I have posted anything on my blog. A lot of things have changed since last year, so I figured I would give you a life update and tell you what I have planned for this year.

I, of course, wanted to start the year off on a good start, posting at the beginning of January, but of course, life happened and I wasn’t able to do that. Things have been busy since I last posted anything, but mainly, my depression has been an off-and-on battle that I have been dealing with.

Anyway, in the last 2 year, I switched jobs, got my license & a car, took a pause on going back to school, learned how to self-heal, & found someone new to hopefully stays in my daughter and my life that will keep us both happy. With that being said in mind, the past 2 years have been crazy busy trying to get my life back on track to where I want it to be.

This is still a working process, but I want to get back on track and focus more on my blog, since I have sort of left it alone for a long time, I’m ready to get back to it. I also have some new ideas and plans that I want to start doing, so if you have been following me since the beginning, thank you for sticking with me. If you are someone new, welcome, my life may look like an entire mess, but it’s a working process.

So, in the next few months or’llwill be changing and updating my blog here and there. If you have noticed any changes, I am moving things around, deleting old blog posts that I want to redo and or fix. I also wanted to give you all a schedule of when stuff is going to be uploaded on my blog & I am going to give a summary of each of the topics to give an update on them. See below for the new schedule:

Katie’s Blog 2023 Schedule

TopicPosting Day
Mom TalkSundays
Other Ideas/TopicsMondays
Crafty Sassy Tuesdays
Gaming StuffFridays
Book ReviewsOnce a Month (Last Saturday of the month)
Writing WorksRandom (I currently don’t have a set date for when I will post for this yet)
* These can be subject to change, but I will post my updates on my Instagram if there are any delays or no postings.

Mom Talk (Sundays)

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I have been doing Mom Talk since I first started my blog and I have been off and on with it too. This year, I want to start doing more with it, such as adding more topics to cover under it. From when my daughter was first born to opening up when my son passed to talking about my new adventure of being a single mom. It has been a crazy journey with a lot of ups and downs.

I don’t want to spoil too much on what I will add to Mom Talk, but I am going to talk about a little bit of everything. From me raising my daughter, to planning the best activities to do when it’s rainy or for the holidays. Mom Talk is going to be my way to express how hard, difficult, tiring, loving, and amazing being a mom is, while still making time to do the other things in my life.

Here are a few sorts of topics that I am going to explore for Mom Talk. I’m not giving out my entire list of what I will be working on, but here are a few topic ideas that I want to get into:

  • Indoor/Outdoor Activities (For all age groups)
  • Mommy & Me Days
  • Birthday Party Ideas (For all age groups)
  • Best Family-Friendly Movie Ideas
  • Books to Read to your Kids
  • First Day Of School Stuff
  • Etc

Other Topic/Ideas (Mondays)

Usually, I would put this topic as one of the last topics that I would give a summary about, but I wanted to follow it by the order according to what day I would post the topics & ideas. So, for this one, it is going to be a mix of things that I haven’t decided whether to make part of my blog or not, but I will keep you guys posted on it.

Anything that doesn’t have a place on my blog yet, will most likely be under this topic. Here are a few topics that I have in mind for it:

  • True Crime
  • Unsolved Murders
  • Missing People Cases (Solved and Unsolved)
  • Celebrity Murders
  • Living in Different Decades
  • Mediation
  • Yoga
  • Places I Want To Visit
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Monthly Challenges
  • Etc

These are just a few ideas, but I think over time, I might add different things to it as we go, but those are just some ideas.


Crafty Sassy (Tuesdays)

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This was another topic that I have been doing since the beginning and I really can’t wait to open the topic to different creative topics of things that I want to try and of course show you all my progress of my crocheting.

This topic name, may or may not change, I haven’t decided, but I have been thinking of a new name for it. If you have any suggestions, comment below, I would love to know what your guys thoughts are for that.

Anyway, I’ve got a list of things that I want to explore more and try for Crafty Sassy:

  • Crochet Blanket of 2023
  • Scrap Blanket Ideas
  • Knitting Machine
  • Candle Making
  • Soap Making
  • Chapstick Making
  • Crochet TV Show Blankets
  • List of Crochet Stuff I Want to Make
  • Etc

I do plan on doing a yearly blanket this year, but it will be different. The last Tuesday of the month, I will post an update on it. This year, I am only crocheting a square a month, so each square is going to represent the month overall. I am going to be going by Jaya in Stitches monthly blanket, I will include a link to her channel when I post the first update of it.


Gaming (Fridays)

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I am going to be doing something differenty for gaming this year, I am going to be focusing on 3 main games that I always play. That, I am going to also talk about my favorite games that I grew up playing, which will vary from different systems and possibly board games will be under this topic too.

Here are the main 3 I’ll be focusing on:

  • Minecraft (PC Only)
  • Sims (Sims 2 & 3 on PC)
  • Stardew Valley (PC Only)

With those 3, I’m going to space them out between the weeks so that I don’t get burn out from it. It is going to be a mix of different things, such as:

  • Minecraft
    • Survival/Creative Builds
    • Storage Ideas
    • Villagers
    • Farms You Need
  • Sims
    • Sims Challenges (Both for Sims 2 & Sims 3)
    • Challenges I Have Created
    • Building A Town
  • Stardew Valley
    • First Time Playing
    • How to Make Friends
    • Best Money Making (Fishing, Mines, Farming, etc)

Those were just a few of the topics that I was going to start out on, but should see more as we go. I’m still debating on whether to make videos on these, but I was going to wait until my computer has been upgrated first.


Book Reviews (Last Saturday of the Month)

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My goal this year is to read more. If you know me, you would know that I have a closet full of books that I have bought, but I have not read them. So, I have promised myself to not buy any more books until I have read what I currently have.

With that being said in mind, I figured if I have it set for the end of the month, it will give me the time I need to not only read the book, but give me enough time to write a review about it too. It also depends on how busy my life is, but I’m going to try and make time to read.

Just to give you a heads up, I will not only be doing book reviews on adult books, but I want to reread books that I grew up with, to my daughter and see how she likes them or not. I also want to read books in different times that they were published and books that I read in high school too.

Here are a list of topics I want to cover for these reviews:

  • House of Night Saga
  • The Princess Diaries
  • Shakespeare
  • The Vampire Diaries
  • Harry Potter Saga
  • My Favorite Childhood Books
  • Books Written by Celebrities
  • Etc

My plan for this is to cover different themes of boths, whether they are a horror or historial, I want to try news things. I’m usually one of those people that reads mainly romance novels or fantasy.


Writing Works (Random Postings)

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Last, but not least, Writing Works. Overtime, if you have been following me since the beginning, you will know that I first started posting my works on here. Well, if you haven’t seen yet, I have removed them. The reason for this is that I need to go through and fix them because they are a working progress, but there are a lot of errors too.

For the time being, I will not have any of my books on my blog until further notice. I will keep the short stories, they too need to be edited, but at the moment, they are staying up. I’m going to try and post a short story here and there, but I don’t want to over do it like I did the last time.

You see, last time I did this, I burned myself out of ideas and just didn’t have the motivation because I was trying to post them every week. This time, I am not setting a day or time for it, I’m going to post whenever I feel creative.

It won’t just be stories, it could be about different things, such as:

  • How to Journal
  • Best Writing Prompts for (Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Horror, Adventure, etc)
  • How to Create a Character
  • Best Prompts for Short Stories
  • Best Short Story Ideas
  • Reviewing My Work (Both Short Stories & Books)
  • Bes Prompts for Self Healing
  • Etc

In other words, its not going to be just my writing works, it is gonna be a list of different topics and ideas on writing in general.

If you also noticed, under the Writing Works, there is a tab for My Sim Stories. This is going to be something new that I want to try. I attempted to do a video verison of Sims Series and I sort of rushed it. Then never went back to it, so I want to try something different with that as well.


I know this post is long and way overdue, but I wanted to give you all a heads up of what is about to come and I’m going to do my best to stay on top of it because I missed doing this, I really have.

Also, this week will be the first week of the schedule, so just keep an eye out for it!

Posted in Mom Talk

Mom Talk: Self Healing

Hey Dearies, I know it has been off and on blog posts lately and with everything that has happened in my personal life, I’ve been very lost and overwhelmed. It’s especially hard when this year marks 5 years that my son has been gone.

Which is why I wanted to take a moment to let you all know what I have been doing or trying to do to get myself in a better place where I need to be.

First thing first, I wanted to give everyone a thought to keep in mind because it can be difficult to actually accept it, trust me, it took me a while to realize that in order to be happy, you have to take the time to not only love yourself, but taking the extra time to spend time with yourself.

A lot of people, when they leave a relationship, most of them are quick to jump into another one because they think that having someone is what makes you happy, which if you believe that, all power to you.

I believe that happiness comes from within and it isn’t something you find in a person. Yes, you can be happy with someone, but that person can’t be the only reason that makes you happy. Being happy in a relationship and being happy as yourself are two different things.

So, since I left my daughter’s father, I’ve been trying my best to work on things, such as trying to figure out what in my life that I wanted to change and fix. One of the things that I wanted to start doing was to learn how to love myself.

How to truly love yourself?

Loving yourself can be a lot harder said than done because we are all human and we like to point out the flaws in ourselves so that we can fix them. The one thing that a lot of people have trouble with learning to love about themselves is there appearance.

I for one have had a very difficult time learning to love myself. Even growing up, I was very unhappy with my body. I would tell myself I was too fat. I would look at the smaller girls and wish to be that size so that I would be confident in myself more.

Now, as an adult, I still struggle because I’ve always been “fat” and even though I have started to lose some of the weight that I have been trying to get rid of, I still look at myself in the mirror and see myself as fat.

So, what is something I have been doing to change this?

Well, I’ll be honest, the one thing that I think has been helping me with the weight lost, is that I have been drinking more water, watching how much I eat and what I eat, and trying to do some type of exercise, whether it is yoga or walking.

I didn’t realize how small I was until about a week ago when my co-workers noticed how much weight I have lost since I first started working there. When I did, I felt proud of myself. I felt comfortable, well almost, in my own skin. I even felt confident enough to take a picture of myself in just my undergarments because I actually felt confident.

After having kids, you tend to pack on or keep some of the weight and it can be difficult to get rid of. Now that I’ve seen the change, I have motivation to do more, exercise and working out because I want to stay healthy, but I want to actually stay that size.

Do I truly love myself? I would say almost, well for me. Like I’ve said before, change isn’t something that will happen overnight.

Hobbies: Making extra “me” time

As you all know, I love to crochet and don’t get me wrong, it is one of my favorite hobbies, but depending on what projects I have going on, it’s not something I can do all the time. I also have to be in the mood to crochet as well.

Crocheting isn’t just my only hobby, but it is my go to for sure. My other hobbies that I do from time to time are knitting, writing, painting, and reading. Sometimes I have time for them, other’s I have to make the time.

It’s okay to have more than one hobby too. I even have hobbies that I want to try, but haven’t had the time to start, such as resin molds. I watch a lot of those videos and it looks like fun to try, same with candle and soap making! Trying new things is good thing and it can open doors to meet others with the same passion.

Daily Habits: What to try?

I wanted to bring up daily habits because I have been struggling to attempt to do them. One of the daily habits that I really need to get back into is mediation. I found that doing mediation after work or even early in the morning, kind of refreshes my brain and clears my head of all the thoughts running around.

I want to start doing in once in the morning and once at night, but being a mom, it can be tricky to figure out the best schedule to do so.

Another habit that I have been trying to stay on top of, is journaling more. I love writing and I have found that journaling, whether it is typing or handwriting, putting my emotions and thoughts down, can make it easier for you to figure out the best way to handle it or at least make you not so worried.

They say that if you do something for more that 30-60 days, the habit will be like second nature for you. Which is why I’ve been looking for apps to help me out with staying on task, but I haven’t found one that I like, yet.

Get out of the house more!

Another thing that I’m trying to work on, is being more out of the house. Whether it is to go to work, hang out with friend, or even go to the store. Getting out of the house, is a good thing. Yes, I am one of those that would rather stay home than go somewhere, but I’m learning to be more open about going out and spending time with friends or myself.

I don’t have very many friends, so I’m working on making some and going out more with them because everyone needs to have a social life. Yeah, we all have social media, but it’s more fun to spend time with people in person.

Even if you have a date, get dressed up and make yourself feel pretty and just enjoy life! Life is short and realizing that I haven’t done much since my son passed away, I want to learn to enjoy life more.

Currently, I’m iffy about the whole “dating scene”. Which is okay. A lot of people have asked me, “are you going to start dating again?” and to be honest, I really don’t know. I don’t think I’m ready. I even pushed myself to get on a dating app and I ended up deleting it an hour later.

Don’t rush into anything, if you aren’t ready.

In the future, if I feel comfortable and ready, then yes, I might start dating again, but I think I want a chance to be single and enjoy putting myself first. I will admit, I do miss the comfort of having someone to talk to and cuddle with, but love will come to be when I don’t expect it to.


There is nothing wrong with putting yourself first and making sure that you are happy, both mentally and physically. As parents, we put our kids first and forget about our well being and making sure we are okay.

Take the time to put yourself first because in the end, we are all human and we just need to take it day by day.

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 10 Free Crochet Phone Case Patterns

Hey Dearies! I figured I would should you fun new ways to decorate your phone or store your phone in! Since having a smartphone is something that we all have, I figured I would find some patterns to have some fun with it!

Note: None of these patterns are my, all rights go to the original creators. I will leave a link to the pattern as well.

Let’s check out some of the cute cases that you could decorate your phone with!


1.Blue Agrave Phone Pouch

I really love the colors for this case and the design, it looks like shells. Not to mention, it is also like a purse or hang bag, but instead it only holds the phone. The best part about this type of pattern, you can always add a small pouch behind it to give it extra room.

Link to the pattern: https://www.mooglyblog.com/blue-agave-phone-pouch-wristlet-cozy-free-pattern/


2.Big Bow Cell Phone Case

I think this pattern is super cute, it also in closes your phone completely, so there is no risk of it falling out. It doesn’t replace an actual case, but it gives your phone more style. Also, I love the aqua color and the fact that these types of patterns are open to trying out different color combos.

Link to the pattern: https://missnissdesigns.weebly.com/blog/free-pattern-big-bow-cell-phone-case


3.Mixin It Up With DaPerfectMix Cell Phone Case

This is a more simple phone case, that you may have to adjust because this was meant for a smaller phone. This would be perfect for my old BlackBerry, that I used to have, but his is opened for newer colors, as well. I suggest using a button, but you can try out the Velcro.

Link to the pattern: https://daperfectmix.blogspot.com/2011/01/cell-phone-case-pattern.html


4.Easy Cell Phone Case

Naztazia is one of my favorite crochet tutorial channels to look up. Not only are her patterns simply amazing, but the colors she chooses are amazing as well. She is also always has her free pattern and a video to show you how to make it. I highly recommend checking her channel out!

Link to the pattern: https://naztazia.com/easy-cell-phone-case/


5.Mobile Phone Cozy

A simple yet easy phone case to make, but there is a different style on the top part, which I love! I also like the chain loop that you can make for it, to keep the phone in place. Plus the color combos you could do for this pattern is endless!

Link to the pattern: https://crochetdreamz.com/2013/07/mobile-phone-cozy-or-case-crochet.html#.UebSs421EWc


6.Owl Cell Phone Cozy

I really like how much detail this creator put into this design, although, it might not fit the phone we have today, it’s possible to adjust it to fit whatever phone size. Not to mention, I love how the owl’s nose is the button that not only holds the phone in place, but it’s a clever idea to use that type of button.

Link to the pattern: https://woolpatterns.com/owl-cell-phone-cozy-free-crochet-pattern/


7.Stripped Mobile Phone Cozy

This is another standard phone case, but with a twist and I just love the pinkish color they used for the phone case. Not to mention, the button is super cute. I love the stripe in the middle of both of the cases.

Link to the pattern: https://crochetdreamz.com/2016/10/mobile-device-cozy-or-case-crochet.html


8.Secret Pearl Phone Cozy

This design has lots of different colors that work really well together, not to mention I really like the middle design they chose as well! This also tests your skills by using a smaller hook and finer yarn, which is always fun to try out!

Link to the pattern: https://www.lillabjorncrochet.com/2016/06/secret-pearl-phone-cozy-free-pattern.html


9.Summertime Fishy Phone Case

When I saw this one, it literally blew my mind! look at all the work that was put in to this case! not to mention, there is a hook at the end to connect it to your purse or backpack. I love how beautiful the colors are and the mix color that they used for the body of the fish!

Link to the pattern: https://coolcreativity.com/crochet/summertime-fishy-phone-case-free-crochet-pattern/


10.Toaster Pastry Mini Cell Phone Cozy

I’m a big pop tart fan and when I saw that, I am adding this on my list of stuff to make for myself for sure! Can you imagine if you had a purse that was a toaster? Now that would be an amazing idea! Anyway, I also loved how they gave one on them a little face and added the extra sprinkles as well!

Link to the pattern: http://burlapandlacecrochet.blogspot.com/2016/05/toaster-pastry-mini-tabletcell-phone.html?m=1


There you have it! New ideas for your phone! Which one of the designs do you like? Let me know down in the comments!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 5 Free Crochet Freeze Pop Cozies

Hey Dearies! Since it is summer time, the best thing to have on a hot day is ice cream! Well, if there isn’t any ice cream, freeze pops work as a amazing treat instead! Especially for the kiddos as well!

I remember picking the colors blue and pink, but now, I don’t mind having any of them! Although, the one thing that I wished I had was something to hold my freeze pop because sometimes they were too cold or sweaty.

Instead of having these cozies, we ended up using paper towels or wash clothes, which helped for a bit, but it didn’t do much, not to mention it wasn’t fun to have a plain old paper towel.

So, let’s look at some of the freeze pop cozies that I found that are not only cute, but the patterns are free for you to try!

Note: None of these patterns are mine, all rights go out to the original creators. I’ll be leaving links to the patterns for each one.


  1. Shark Fun Pop Cozy

This freeze pop cozy is something I’ve actually made and I love this pattern! It was very easy to understand and not to mention, I love how this shark looks! The eyes might the be most difficult to do, but if you have any black puffy paint around, you can use that instead!

Link to the pattern: https://mermaidhooked.com/2018/07/21/hungry-shark-freeze-pop-cozy/


2. Monster Ice Pop Holders

These lil monsters aren’t as scary as they seem, but they are so adorable! I also love the touch of using googly eyes! Not to mention, I love the bright colors that they used for these pop cozies and the finishing touches for the mouth is amazing!

Link to the pattern: https://blackstone-designs.com/monster-ice-pop-holders/


3. Unicorn Freeze Pop Cozy

This one is especially cute for all the little ones that love unicorns! I haven’t made this one yet, but I just love how cute this is! Not to mention, this pattern actually uses puffy paint for the lashes. Plus, you can try out different colors for the horn and hair as well!

Link to the pattern: https://mermaidhooked.com/2018/08/31/unicorn-freeze-pop-cozy/


4. Light Saber Freeze Pop Holder

This one is for the inner child in us, or for those big Star Wars fans. I remember using a light saber, the plastic ones they sold that you could change the light different colors, but the next best thing was freeze pops! Even they are smaller than the normal light saber, I can finally change the colors!

Link to the pattern: http://greenfoxfarms.blogspot.com/2017/05/light-saber-freeze-pop-holder-tutorial.html


5. Mermaid Fun Pop Holder

Another cozy that I made, and it was fun to make! Although I did add a different color yarn that was around the beginning of the tail. Not to mention, this is something that is very easy to make and explore with different colors and yarns!

Link to the pattern: https://mermaidhooked.com/2018/06/23/mermazing-funpop-holder-free-pattern/


There you have it! A few freeze pop cozies that are fun for all ages during these hot months of summer months!

Once we are able to do craft fairs again, these are something that are supper easy and quick to make and sell! Not to mention, how cute it would be to have these for the kids, too?

Also, what was your favorite treat to have during the summer months? If I’m honest, it was s’mores, but if we are talking about a cold treat, I would go with a mint-chocolate chip ice cream in a sugar cone.

Let me know what yours were in the comments down below!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 10 Free Beach/Summer Crochet Patterns

Hi Dearies! I’m back! I’ve had a lot on my plate and have been crocheting constantly lately! So, since we are finally in the summer season, I figure this would be the perfect time to find some patterns that are perfect for the beach or for summer in general!

Since I LOVE going to the beach, I figured this would be the best time to look for some patterns that would be perfect for going! Some of the patterns that I’ve found are not just for us adults, but for kids as well! 

Note: These patterns are not mine and all credit goes out to their original creators. I have left links for each of the patterns. 


1. Beach Cover-up Shorts

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That’s right! Crocheted shorts do exist! I was shocked when I was a beginner and saw this! These aren’t for your normal closet, but if you are headed to the beach, these are perfect, especially if you don’t have a sundress or want to wear jeans to cover your bathing suit bottoms. Also, the yarn is very breathable, which is a plus!

Link to the pattern: https://furlscrochet.com/blogs/crochet-tutorials/crochet-shorts-beach-cover-up


2. Stuffed Beach Ball

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Don’t have your own beach ball to play with? Or have a beach theme going on in your house, then this is a very fun project to make! This stuffie is also perfect for the little ones and the best part is, you don’t have to worry about blowing it up or any holes that those plastic ones usually get. Not to mention, you can mix around the colors and make something similar to this one or get creative and make it into a rainbow theme!

Link to the pattern: https://persialou.com/crochet-beach-ball-pattern/


3. Beach Hat

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Can’t go wrong with a beach hat, that’s for sure! The good thing about this is that it’s very simple to make, not to mention very breathable, although you might have to work with a different type of yarn, it’s worth the try! I also love the ribbon that they placed around it for the finishing touch!

Link to the pattern: https://www.craftpassion.com/beach-hat-crochet-pattern/


4. Sun-Kissed Crop Top

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These are cover-ups that don’t necessarily have to be for your bikini, but you can use for tank tops or dresses, like in the picture. I also want to say that this person, who created the pattern, I actually follow her and her blog, she has a lot of free patterns, so check it out when you can!

Link to the pattern: https://yarnutopia.com/2016/06/18/sun-kissed-crop-top/


5. Sea Shells By The Shore Market Bag

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I love how this bag looks! Especially how they look like little shells that were embedded into the bag itself. Not to mention the colors they chose were amazing and what really caught my eyes. Now, market bags aren’t just for the market, but these bags are perfect for the beach just because there are lots of open spaces for sand to fall out!

Link to the pattern: https://undergroundcrafter.com/2019/06/05/crochet-market-bag-tutorial-pattern-sea-shells-by-shore-market-bag-by-nanas-crafty-home/


6. Beach Ball Hat

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This pattern is for the kiddos, but so cute and for both boys and girls! This pattern is also a fun one to switch out the colors with, especially if you are making this for someone who is having a baby around the summertime! I love how creative this pattern!

Link to the pattern: https://traversebaycrochet.com/2019/06/04/beach-ball-crochet-sunhat/


7. Beach Day Louge Towel

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I’ll be looking into making one of these for myself for sure! Now, this isn’t a towel you dry yourself with, you could, but this makes for a wonderful towel-blanket to use to tan or sit in the sand, without the sand sticking to your legs. Not to mention, I love the colors they chose! Simply amazing!

Link to the pattern: https://snappy-tots.com/pattern-beach-day-lounge-towel/


8. Sand Dollar Beach Bag

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Are you one of those that just loves to go on the hunt to find sand dollars? Then this bag is perfect for that, not to mention, it small enough to carry around and soft enough to prevent the sand dollars or shells from breaking! Perfect to make for the kiddos, when they go out to search for them! Or it could be used for picking up rocks, like my 2 1/2 year old does!

Link to the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sand-dollar-beach-bag


9. Breezy Swim Cover

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Cover-ups aren’t something I’ve worn or felt comfortable enough to wear in public, but the design for this cover-up is simply beautiful! I think I might actually add this to my list of stuff to make for myself! I also love the soft pink shade that they used, very pretty!

Link to the pattern: https://megmadewithlove.com/blog-2/2018/5/19/free-crochet-pattern-for-the-easy-breezy-swim-cover


10. Sandy Shore Cover Up

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I had to look for another cover-up because you never know what people’s tastes might me, but this one is super cute and very simple to make. Not to mention, there is a hood attached to it, which is perfect for keeping your hair being blown everywhere on a windy beach day! This type of style isn’t something I would wear, but the color really caught my eye for sure!

Link to the pattern: https://www.croydencrochet.com/sandy-shore-crochet-cover-up/


There you have it! Some ideas for you to make for the summer! Not to mention, you got to know that there is more stuff, such as clothes, to make for us adults! Let me know in the comments down below if you have attempted to make any of these or are you thinking about making one of these, I’ve got a few that I’ve added onto my list!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Beginner Patterns, Crochet

Crafty Sassy – Single Crochet Square (Beginner)

Hey Dearies! Here is another pattern that is perfect for beginners! Single crochet is one of the most basic stitches20200526_085325.jpg that is commonly used in most, if not all patterns, especially for beginners.

 

What I like most about the single crochet is that is it very simple and easy to do, although I don’t really recommend using the stitch to create a blanket with unless you are using double strands.

We are only working with one strand, so don’t get too nervous!

Single crochet is the stitch that makes your work look ‘tighter’ just like the half double crochet, but we will talk about that one later!

So, what do you need to make the single crochet square? The answer is the same for the solid granny square and regular granny square, any yarn or hook size you want to use or need to use for a project or just to practice it with different yarn sizes and hook sizes.

Let’s start!


What I used:

  • 5.0 mm
    • For most beginner projects, a 5.0 mm hook is the ‘normal’ hook size, especially when it comes to crocheting for the first time!
  • Medium Size yarn
    • This is the normal size yarn that you will use for most projects.
    • Today, I am using Mainstays Basic Yarn in the color Soft Gray Heather
  • Sewing needle
    • You’ll always need this, there is no if and or buts about it, you need to sew in your ends!

Note: For single crochet, you can chain however long you would like to like, but once you have reached your desired length, chain 1 extra, this extra chain isn’t going to be crocheted in. 

Make a slip knot and chain 26. (As I said before, you can chain whatever size you want, but make sure to have 1 extra chain. Example: I want 25 stitches, but I added an extra chain, making it 26 chains I do.)

Row 1: Single crochet into the second chain from your hook. (Not counting what is already around your hook.) Single crochet in the next stitches across. (25)

Row 2: Chain 1. Single crochet in the next stitch and across. (25)

Repeat Row 2 until you reach your desired length or however long you want to practice it.

I kept going till about 30 rows, you can stop whenever, but once you are done, it makes a great washcloth, if you are using cotton. The more rows you do, it’s more practice for you!

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Now, if you noticed, it will tend to roll or fold on you, when you try to flatten it out, with is normal. Most people will block them, which is when you get your project wet and peg it to a block for it to dry, and they usually don’t fold after that!

But this project is so simple and fun to do, that you could easily make a bunch of these squares into a blanket or make a bunch of them into washcloths, towels, and even blankets! The possibilities are endless!

 

 

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 10 Free Crochet Shawl Patterns

Hey Dearies! So, here is another top 10 list, but for shawls! Since spring/summer is the perfect time to wear these, and since most of us are stuck at home with nothing to do, these are something you want to make.

Shawls can be used for fashion or something that can keep you warm, especially if you decide to go to the ocean or coast and don’t necessarily need or want to put on a sweatshirt.

One of the best things that I just love about these shawls is that they are perfect for using yarn cakes, which are a type of yarn that is in a ‘cake’ shape that is in different colors. Which turn out beautiful!

Note: These are not my patterns, all rights go out to their original creators. I will leave links to the patterns. 


1. In The Garden Shawl

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This shawl is perfect for enjoying your garden views or taking a hike in the forest. The design is open but very beautiful. This shawl isn’t using a ‘cake’ yarn, but if you have extra yarn laying around, I would use it to make one of these.

Link to the pattern: https://knotions.com/in-the-garden-shawl-2/


2. Triangle Shawl

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I just love the ‘cake’ yarn that they used for this shawl, especially when the greens slowly turn into pink. In this showing, of a shawl, it shows that you don’t have to wear it as a wrap, but you can wear it as a sort of scarf.

Link to the pattern: https://www.anniedesigncrochet.com/2019/09/23/crochet-triangle-shawl-with-shells-free-pattern-fragrant-shawl/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=838450652_35449804_530964


3. The Earth Shawl

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One of the thicker looking shawls, however, more simple to create, perfect for a starter shawl. I also just love the colors, although when I saw that this shawl was called an ‘Earth’ shawl, I was surprised to see that they didn’t choose more of the green colors.

Link to the pattern: https://merrymarystories.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-to-crochet-earth-shawl.html


4. Cara Shawl

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A more inclosed shawl, perfect for those chilly nights to hang around the campfire. This is more of a solid color, which is perfect if you are looking to make a simple shawl. It would also make a wonderful gift to grandmothers, as well.

Link to the pattern: https://trulycrochet.com/cara-shawl-free-crochet-pattern/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=932303504_41169220_351291


5. Mahogany Shawl

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This flower shawl is amazing! I just love the pattern and the color that they choose. Plus, the deep purple that they used, makes seeing the flowers easier and in more detail. Making this to go with a simple white dress, would look perfect together.

Link to the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/tearaleaf/south-bay-shawlette


6. Amore Wrap

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Another ‘cake’ yarn pattern, but this one is the blues turning into pinks, which is beautiful, not only does it look like the perfect yarn to make a baby blanket with, but shawls look amazing in it.

Link to the pattern: https://noowul.com/amore-wrap-free-crochet-pattern/


7. Fairy Tale Shawl

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I am one of those people that just love a good fairy tale and this shawl is perfect for whenever you think of the word ‘fairy tale’. The design is simply amazing, I just love the boarder, plus this shawl is longer, kinda like a cape.

Link to the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fairy-tail-2


8. Bella Vita Shawl

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Looking for a shawl to make that isn’t too open or flashy? This one is perfect for those who work in an office setting, this shawl is simple yet elegant. The ‘cake’ yarn that they used is amazing, perfect for making a lap blanket.

Link to the pattern: https://wilmade.com/bella-vita-shawl/


9. Primrose and Proper Triangle Shawl

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Another thicker shawl that would be perfect for those chilly days that we get in between spring and summer. I also love the tassel idea, but if you have cat, watch out because they will think you made the shawl not just for yourself, but for them as well. This is also another design that is simple and perfect for beginners when it comes to making shawls.

Link to the pattern: https://kirstenhollowaydesigns.com/2019/12/primrose-and-proper-easy-triangle-shawl-crochet-pattern.html?crlt.pid=camp.1QzozM5GPMil


10. Bottom Up Shawl

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Last, but not least, this shawl is one of my favorites, when it comes to the pattern and the ‘cake’ yarn that they chose for this project. Not only is the pattern look simple, but it looks like if you cut the solid granny square in half. You can also use this shawl to make it into a scarf, as well.

Link to the pattern: https://trulycrochet.com/bottom-up-shawl-free-crochet-pattern/


What do you think of these shawls? Is this something you would want to make or wear? Let me know in the comments.

Also, I will no longer have my Facebook page, so my updates will be posting on Instagram in my news feed or ‘story’, make sure to follow that as well.

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy – Top 10 Free Crochet Flowers Patterns

Hey Dearies! With it getting warmer outside, I figure it was time to go on the lookout for some crocheted flowers! Now, crochet flowers can be used for quite a bit of things, from accessories to pins and to add-ons for other projects that you might have.

Note: These patterns are not my own creation, all rights go to their original creators. There are links for each creation. 


1. Sunflower

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Sunflowers are always the perfect accessories for dresses, headbands, and even bags! Not to mention, you can always make them as hair clips or pins to add a touch of spring to your outfit. Some people have gotten creative and created a bouquet of them.

Link for pattern: https://www.skiptomylou.org/crochet-sunflower/


2. Cherry Blossom

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Cherry blossoms are beautiful when they are in full bloom, not to mention, they are my sister’s favorite flower, so I had to add them onto this list. Even though they are small flowers, they can still be perfect add-ons to any project.

Link for pattern: https://www.goldenlucycrafts.com/cherry-blossoms-crochet-pattern/


3. Lilly

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As you can see, people do crochet flowers as centerpieces or add them to vases, as if they were real. I was glad an added lilies to this list, it took forever for me to find, but I did! I’ve seen a few people crochet flower bouquets for weddings, and they love using these lilies!

Link for pattern: https://woolpatterns.com/beautiful-crochet-flowers-free-patterns/


4. 6 Petal Puff Flower

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I love how the petals are 3D for this pattern. It spins a twist and makes these flowers more fun to create! I also love the different colors that the creator tried out for this pattern.

Link for pattern: http://mamachee.com/2010/07/26/6-petal-puff-stitch-flower/


5. Curved Edge Flower

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If you are looking for a simple flower to make to add onto a project or make it into a pocket, these are the flowers to use for that. If you wanted to make them as pockets, you can always go up a hook size for a bigger pocket.

Link for pattern: https://crochetncreate.com/curved-edge-flower/


6. 6 Petal Flower

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This flower has an amazing design, but the bead adds a perfect touch to the flower. I can see creating these as an added accessory for girls as a hair clip or for stylish headbands. The pattern might be a little challenging, but I love the added touch for each petal. Adding this one on my to-do list.

Link for pattern: https://www.crochetbeja.com/simple-crochet-flower-with-6-petals/


7. Blooming Flower With Leaves

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I love these flowers! Just because the layers make them more beautiful and the added touch of the leaves is perfect. I love it when creators add little details, such as leaves and the colors that they chose as well.

Link for pattern: https://www.anniedesigncrochet.com/2018/12/30/blooming-crochet-flowers-free-crochet-pattern/


8. Loopy Flower

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This is a more unique flower on this list, but the way the petals are created is amazing because it’s not how you would normally see petals created. Perfect add on to a hat or bag, I can even see you sewing a small button in the middle to give it some more detail.

Link for pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/loopy-flower-for-february


9. Kanzashi Flower

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When I saw this flower, all I could think of was ‘That 70s Show’. These flowers are pretty ‘groovy’, but I just love the button that they added, which makes it seem more modern. I also just love the colors that were chosen.

Link for pattern: https://naztazia.com/kanzashi-flower/


10. Summer Daisy 

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Another flower that I had to go looking for, daisies! I’ve actually tried out a pattern like this and it is very simple to create, not to mention, I’ve seen them being added to blankets. I think they would look wonderful on a sunhat, especially for the little ones!

Link for pattern: http://justpootling.blogspot.com/2016/06/summer-daisy-garland.html?m=1


There you have it! Which ones are your favorites and are you wanting to try out? Let me know in the comments down below, also make sure to follow me on Facebook for my daily updates on this blog!

Posted in Writing Works

Finally Free – Friday’s Short Stories

Finally Free

Hey Dearies! So, this one is another short story based on an idea or prompt! This one inspired me or gave me the idea from Safe Haven, but with a different twist to it. This one has mentions of abuse, so if you are triggered by that, please don’t read! 

What would freedom really be for those who are trapped?

Hailey didn’t know what freedom was until she got dropped off at the docks of Hawaii. She had finally left the pain and hurt that had been damaging her for years. She never thought that she would have to be on the run, but she figured being in Hawaii would give herself and her ex more distance between each other.

She looked around in amaze as she took a deep breath of her new surroundings. Picking up her bag pack that only held a few essentials that he grabbed in rush from leaving Kevin. She shook her head as she wandered around the street, she was amazed at the beautiful view of the ocean.

Hailey had always wanted to come to Hawaii, but after high school, her plans completely changed. They had especially changed since she met Kevin. The worse regret of her life. If she would’ve known what he would’ve been like before she had got with him, she would’ve run for her life.

Now she is running for her life.

Discouraging the thought of Kevin, something caught her eyes, as she watched him walk by. He looked familiar to her and it took her only a second to realize it was him, the real reason why she ran to Hawaii, all because of Ethan Brooks.

Her heart started to beat faster as he gazed into her eyes and stopping right in front of her.

“Hailey? Is that really you?” Her heart dropped, he still remembers her. Especially, since it’s been almost 3 years since she last saw him.

She was silent, a tear had fallen from her cheek, as she didn’t expect to cry in front of him. Instead of walking away from him, Ethan embraced her in his arms, holding her tightly. It made her feel safe and at home.

They stood there for a few minutes before Ethan pulled away from his embrace and took another look at her. Even though was in Hawaii, Hailey didn’t dress like she was comfortable. Wearing jeans and a tank top with a sweater covering her arms and zipped up to her neck.

Ethan noticed the bruise that slowly healing on her neck. Once he noticed that, he noticed other bruises of hers that were now more noticeable. “Walk with me, my beach house isn’t that far from here.” He grabbed her hand and took her bag of hers, throwing it over her shoulder, as he led to his beach house that was down the street from the boardwalk.

As soon as they got into Ethan’s beach house, Hailey was shocked at the place that she was in. She never knew that Ethan was rich, but he sure lived like it. She then took a view of the balcony that showed over the ocean, waves crashing onto the beach. It was heaven to her.

“Why didn’t you meet up with me that night?” Ethan spoke, he wasn’t going to catch up with her once he saw her bruises. Hailey beats herself up over not leaving to go with Ethan. She had met him in a nightclub, it was right after she 21, she went out with her friends to celebrate.

Hailey was talking to Kevin, but she was single when she met Ethan. When they danced, they clicked just like that and she followed him home where they had an amazing time. He told her he was leaving to go back to Hawaii and he wanted to take her with him, but before she could, she tried to explain it to Kevin, but it ended badly.

Hailey didn’t want to think about it, but she had to give Ethan an answer. “It’s harder for me to explain.” She spoke, turning to face him, tears fell from her eyes. “You don’t want to know what he did to me.”

Ethan, hugged her again, she hugged him back as she tried to maintain her crying, but it came out like waterfalls. “I’m sorry. I wanted to. I was ready to go and then he found out-”

“You don’t need to explain. You’re here with me now, aren’t you?” Ethan smiled, wiping her tears away as she gave him a smile in return. “Feel free to stay with me. I’m gonna make you something to eat, why don’t you go take a shower.”

Haily nodded as Ethan showed her the bathroom, giving her a set of sweat pants and shirt, then handing her a towel before walking out into the kitchen.

Hailey shut them down and started to strip out of her old clothes and looked at her naked self in the mirror, the black and blue bruises that were up and down on her body. She turned and looked at the deep scar that planted down her back, that hadn’t started to heal.

That scar was what gave her strength to leave Kevin.

After her shower, she got dressed in the clothes Ethan gave her and then headed into the kitchen, he was just finishing up cooking burgers. Her stomach growled, she hadn’t had anything since she left California except a cereal bar.

They ate together in silence. As Hailey was washing the dirty dishes, Ethan noticed the scar on her back, he was shocked at how bad the situation she was in. He turned her around, which scared her, she gazed into his eyes.

Ethan leaned his forehead against hers and studied her eyes, kissing her forehead. “I promise I won’t let anything bad happen to you. Stay with me.” He promised as Hailey was in shock, but it felt so right. She then nodded and then went to kiss his cheek, but Ethan turned his head, having her miss his cheek and plant a kiss onto his lips instead.

They kissed for a second, Hailey’s heart fluttered as she missed his kiss. Ethan pulled her closer and held her close, as they both had missed each other, more than they had known. In his arms, it was like wrapping yourself in a heavy blanket.

In the next few days, Ethan and Hailey caught up on what they missed in each other lives. The more time they spent together, they ended up growing closer to where they before. Hailey started to see a better version of herself in his arms, but having Ethan around made her forget all the pain and hurt that Kevin had ever put her in.

She was finally free from it all. The best part is that she was finally happier, stronger, and more empowered about her life choices. She was a bird that was finally free to fly where ever she wanted to go.


Let me know in the comments of what you thought about this short story! These will be posted every Friday and if you have a prompt or idea that you would like me to try out, let me know in the comments! 

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy – Top 10 Free Crochet Bag Patterns

Hey Dearies! Since summer is right around the corner, I figured I would show you some free bag patterns. When it comes to crocheting, there are lots of bag patterns, from purses to handbags to market bags and so much more!

It’s crazy to see so many designs and patterns that they have for these super cute bags! I’ve made a few of them myself, which I have ended up using a few of them myself, not to mention, I’ve figured out what type of yarn is the best for crocheting bags, too.

So, these patterns, you can use the yarn that is recommended, but I’m going to put in my suggestion, just in case you don’t like how the cotton or acrylic feels or looks like as a crochet bag.

I recommend using the Bernat Maker Home Dec. I’ve used this yarn to create my make-up travel bag and I love how it’s not fuzzy, but it also looks a little better. Not to mention, this yarn is perfect for creating placemats, seat covers, or even coasters. The link below is where you can find some of this yarn, but you can find this at Walmart as well.

Note: These patterns are not my own, all rights go out to the creators. I will be linking the website for each pattern. 


1. Valerie’s Market Bag

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I’ve done a few patterns from The Lavender Chair and I just love her designs! I actually made my daughter’s first Easter dress from one of her patterns. Her bags though are just so beautiful! I also love the colors that she chooses for her bags as well!

Link to pattern: https://www.thelavenderchair.com/valeries-market-tote-crochet-pattern/


2. Beginner Market Tote Bag

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This one is a simple market bag or for those of you that have little ones, this would be perfect to hold any sand toys, the best part is the gaps that would allow sand to fall out as you are leaving the beach. This is a pretty simple pattern if you are looking to learn how to crochet a market bag.

Link to pattern: https://easycrochet.com/market-tote-bag-crochet-pattern/?utm_content=buffer56f22&utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_campaign=buffer#.VcZWYCZVikp/


3. Easy Market Tote

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I love the colors that they used for this bag! Perfect for the little girls that you know, especially if they want a bag like their mommy. This is another easy bag and has the granny square build into it, which is very simple to follow in a pattern.

Link to pattern: https://loopsandlovecrochet.com/2019/07/18/easy-market-tote-free-crochet-pattern/


4. Beach Please Summer Tote

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I actually have this bag save in my ‘to-do’ list for myself! I love the design, but they are also using the same yarn that I recommend! Also, the color combination is perfect for this tote bag! I think I will actually get the yarn to recreate this!

Link to pattern: https://loopsandlovecrochet.com/2019/07/07/beach-please-summer-tote-free-crochet-pattern/


5. 1 Skein Farmer’s Market Bag

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Another simple farmer’s market bag, but this one is different from the others. Some of the bags that are on this list or others that you might find somewhere else might require to use more than just one skein, however this pattern, you’ll only need one. This is super helpful if you have a skein of yarn just hanging around and your not quite sure what to make with it, which would make this project perfect for that!

Link to pattern: https://www.sewrella.com/1-skein-crochet-farmers-market-bag/?epik=dj0yJnU9M3pTN2p3ZDBsd0VweXJqS09wZFVoN1hkR1hiNVVoeGYmbj1ZMVVyRHQwRUVVZTFQdk5IWXBEaUFnJm09MyZ0PUFBQUFBRjI1Ny1V


6. Starling Handbag

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I love this one as well, a simple, yet beautiful design. I just love how the ribbon intertwines with the bag. This bag looks a little smaller than the others, so if you are looking for a bag that is perfect for a ‘Mommy & me’, this one would be perfect! Not to mention, all you would need to do, to make a smaller bag would be to use a smaller hook size to do so.

Link to pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/starling-handbag


7. Solid Granny Square Bottom Bag

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This bag is a solid granny square, which is perfect for those beginners wanting to practice with patterns or just to challenge yourself with something new to do! I also love the colors they choose for this, going from white to pink to dark pink into grey!

Link to pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/solid-granny-square-bottom-bag-crochet-tutorial


8. Sweet Pea Tote Bag

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I would say this is the perfect bag for the beach, just because the stitch is a shell stitch! I also love the yarn they used for this. I think I might add this to my list of endless patterns to try out! However, I might more of an ocean color yarn mix or a blue color yarn mix or add some 3D crochet turtles onto the bag.

Link to pattern: https://capscrochet.webs.com/apps/blog/show/1523376-sweet-pea-tote-bag-pattern


9. Meshy Shells Market Tote

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Another shell’s bag, but instead of the shells being really close to together, they are more spaced out, which is makes this a wonderful bag to use for either the market or for the beach or ocean. I also love the handle that she chose for this pattern!

Link to pattern: https://www.thelavenderchair.com/meshy-shells-market-tote-crochet-pattern/


10. Puff Stitch Market Bag

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Another granny square stitch, but this bag is a little bigger than the other one, which would be perfect for the beach, not to mention the colors that they chose for the bag, I just love it! I also like how this bag is taller, which is perfect for holding quite a bit of stuff.

Link to pattern: https://crochetbag.einsnummer.com/puff-stitch-market-bag-pattern-free-easy-crochet/


Which patterns were your favorites? Any of them that have caught your eye or get you interested in recreating one of these? Let me know in the comments below!

Make sure to follow me on Facebook for daily updates and if you want to see any of my projects that I’m currently working on!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Beginner Patterns, Crochet

Crafty Sassy – Crochet Solid Granny Square (Beginner)

Hey Dearies! I’ve been quite busy with college since my finals are almost here, I figured I would post another free pattern for you! Now, since I’ve shown you how to do a regular granny square, I figured it was time to show you what a solid square looks like and how to make it.

So, when I first started crocheting, I didn’t like the granny square and how there were spaces in between it all, but now, I don’t mind it for some projects. Which lead me to create my temperature blanket squares with solid granny squares instead of regular granny squares.

Not only is this square is something you can play with the colors with, but it is really simple to make for those who are looking to try something new to do!

Let’s talk about what you will need for this project:

  • 5.0 mm hook
  • Medium Size Yarn (Size 4)
  • Sewing needle

Note: You don’t need to use a 5.0 mm hook or size 4 yarn, you can use whatever hook or yarn you would like, but if you are a beginner, I recommend using my suggestions.

Let’s Begin!

First, make a magic circle, however, if you don’t know how to make a magic circle, you can always chain 4 and slip stitch into the first chain to create a circle that we will be working into.

Tip: Using a magic circle will make it so that the hole will be closed tighter, however, it can be undone if you don’t leave a long tail. Chaining 4 will keep it more together. 

Round 1: Chain 3. (This counts as 1 double crochet). Working in the circle, make 2 double crochets, chain 1, make 3 double crochet, chain 1, 3 double crochet, chain 1, 3 double crochets, chain 1. Slip stitch into the top of the chain 3.

Round 2: Chain 3. In the first corner, double crochet. *Double crochet until you reach another corner. When you get to the next corner, make 2 double crochets, chain 1, 2 double crochets.* Repeat * til you get to the last corner. 2 double crochets and chain 1. Slip stitch into the top of the chain 3.

Round 3-5: Repeat round 2 until the desired length. For my temperature blanket, I went 5 rounds but only recommend 4 rounds. Fasten off and weave in your ends!

Get creative and change up each row with a different color or use a multi-colored yarn!

There you have it! A simple solid granny square that makes an incredible blanket! Not to mention, for the beginners, this gives you something different to try out.

Make sure to follow me on Facebook, that is where I am mostly active on and I also let you know whether when a post will be out or delayed!

 

Posted in Books, Reviews

Book Review – Ever After (Laurel-Leaf Books)

Hey Dearies! Back with another book review for you all! So, this one I never thought this was really a book, but it is and you can find it on Amazon.

Ever After is a motion picture that Drew Barrymore stars in as the main character, Danielle. This movie is one of my all-time favorite version of a Cinderella story, next to Hillary Duffs more modern version in A Cinderella Story.

The ‘Cinderella’ story has been told in many different ways in, by different writers and in different genres. In my opinion, ‘Cinderella’s story is one of the easiest recreations that any writer can do, but I’m always curious to see what writers come up with and try to do.

The same goes for any other fairy tale story, but I think this version is the best because not only is it in the perfect timeline and location to do it.

The theme of where this Cinderella story is set more like how the original Cinderella story started. Danielle lives with her father, her more died in childbirth and her father raises her the best he can. Of course, when she is 8, he re-marries Baroness Rodmilla of Ghent, otherwise known as her evil stepmother, and has two daughters of her own.

However, the reason why Rodmilla marries Danielle’s father is to get further up the line, or into the castle, basically wanting to live the life of riches. So, she really doesn’t care about Danielle, anyway, makes Danielle a ‘slave’ when her father dies.

I will say, Danielle puts up with a bunch of crap as a servant, but how she meets Prince Henry is even funnier than how the other versions. She ends up meeting him and throws apples at him thinking that he is stealing their horse.

The entire book is an exact play-by-play of the movie, which made me feel like I was just reading the movie and I ended up finishing it in a day. So, instead of watching the movie, you can read it, however, depending on how fast you read, it could take a day, perfect for passing the time.

There are only a few slight things that weren’t in the movie, but even if it wasn’t, it doesn’t change the way the book is, instead, I feel like it gives more of a backstory to some of the parts that are ‘rushed’ when created into a movie, or they were parts that they didn’t put into the movie.

Overall, this is an amazing book, even though it is literally the movie script, but in a book form and since I don’t own the movie, it’s not a bad way to pass the time. Perfect for a rainy or snowy day when you can’t go anywhere and want to snuggle up to a good book.

I also think that it would be a great bedtime story or a book that you could read to your kids before bed, you won’t finish it all before bed, but you could finish a chapter a night before bed no problem.

So, since I’ve reviewed the book, later in this month, I will be reviewing the movie because you know that’s what makes sense to do, right?

What do you think about the book? Were you as shocked as I to find out that there was a book to the movie? Let me know in the comments below.

 

 

Posted in Books, Reviews

Book Review – I Hate Myselfie & It Gets Worse (Shane Dawson)

 

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Hey Dearies! Since I finally have finished both books, I figured I would do both of them in one review, just to make it easier! So, if you don’t know or haven’t been following me, I am a HUGE fan of Shane Dawson, I’ve been a fan since the first video I watched of his, which was ‘Fred is Dead’. 

After that, I followed him through his YouTube journey and to what he is currently doing now, however, I never got a chance to get his books until a year ago. Which is why this review is very overdue, but I don’t care because Shane is amazing!

So, when I finally got his books, I got more of an understanding of not just his past, but some of the challenges he had to face when he was younger and up now. As you look at him now, he does struggle with some of those challenges today, but I see him as more confident now, than he was before.

You see, when you watch YouTubers videos, you see what they want you to see, you don’t see the depression, anxiety, or any of their struggles outside of the YouTube community. Sadly, if anyone does bring light to what’s going on in the background, but Shane did in his book and just like how Brittani Lousie Taylor did in her book.

I don’t want to spoil the books for anyone that hasn’t had a chance to read it, so I just want to say that the first book was amazing and it gave me the insight to sort of how his childhood and teen years were like for him.

Also, he did a short film of the Prom chapter, which I will leave a link for here, if you would like to see them, they are hilarious!

Part 2

Also, I want to note that one of the reasons why I follow and another Shane is because we have the same problem that we share together, whether he knows it or not. We both have been struggling with our weight.

As like him, I’ve been struggling with it for as long as he has and it sucks. In high school, I got picked on and judged because I had the extra weight. I used to wear a sweatshirt on all the time because I didn’t want anyone to see how fat I am.

Even after having kids, I’m still struggling with it, but if there is one thing Shane has taught me, it is to love yourself and to not listen to those who judge you based on your weight. In other words, live your best life however you want to live it.

After his first book launched, then he had a second one, which was around the time of when he came out as bisexual, so one of the chapters talks about how he struggled as a kid on what type of gender he was attracted to.

I don’t know much about that because I’ve never had to deal with something like that, all I know, that it is a very hard thing to do, for those who struggle with who they are.

That essay made me understand that he wasn’t just struggling with his sexuality for a few months or years, but almost his entire life.

The very last chapter was a chapter that his mom wrote and I loved that he let her do that because if you grew up watching Shane, you grew up watching his mom and they would do skits and videos together.

Not to mention, he loved to surprise her and when he bought her to see Kathy Griffin, it was amazing for him to do that for her. I love the closeness that they had together as Mother and Son, which I hope I will have the same closeness to my daughter as they had.

Here is another short film that he made for the second book!

Overall, I loved both the books, there was a love of things that I didn’t know about Shane, or what he didn’t want our fans to see and I’m glad I know. It makes me love Shane and want to support him more and more!

One more thing, I just want to add, this has nothing to do with the books, but the friendship that he has with Jeffree Star I think is amazing and I wish I had a friendship like that!


Are any of you Shane Dawson fans? Or have you read his books? Let me know in the comments down below!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 10 Crochet Bookmarks (Free Patterns)

Hey Dearies! Since most of us are stuck home, some of us, like me, are taking the time to get some reading done. Or you are a bookworm, like me, then these patterns are perfect for you!

Not only are these bookmarks super cute and fun to make, but they are also free patterns! Now, I had to do some real digging to find these! These are perfect for a beginner project and these gifts can be perfect for those kiddos that are trying to learn how to read!

These projects are also very quick to make and don’t require a lot of yarn either, which is perfect for another item to sell at a craft fair or online to your friends!

Note: These aren’t my patterns, all rights go to those creators. The link for each of these patterns will be provided.


1. Bow Bookmark

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Theses bows are not only super cute, but you can crochet these very quickly! Not to mention, if you are a teacher, these are perfect to make for your students to have! These would also make a perfect addition to a craft fair or a gift!

Link for the pattern: https://justbcrafty.com/2014/06/mini-bow-bookmark-free-crochet-pattern_25.html


2. Leaf Bookmark

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Since spring is just around the corner, I had to include these cute leaf bookmarks! These are perfect for those bookworms who also have a love for gardening! Not to mention, these are also perfect for the classroom or giving them away as gifts! If you wanted to be a little more creative, you can always add a flower with the leaves as well!

Link for the pattern: https://www.tyinganend.com/budding-leaf-bookmark/


3. Daisy Bookmark

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Another spring theme bookmark, I just love these! I love this pattern because you can get creative with what kind of button to use for the center of the flower. Not to mention, you can always use just the flower part as a pin, or adding design for any hats or clothes!

Link for the pattern: https://daisycottagedesigns.net/free-crochet-pattern-dainty-daisy/


4. Cat Bookmark

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For those of you, who love cats just as much as I do, these bookmarks are perfect for you! This pattern is another simple easy one to create and would make an amazing addition to any book fair or craft fair.

Link for the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/city-cat-bookmarker


5. Overlapping Hearts Bookmark

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This pattern has more of a longer tale, which I don’t mind and if you are like me, you don’t want your bookmarks getting too thick, especially for those of us that have lots of paperbacks, this are perfect for those!

Link for the pattern: https://forum.crochetville.com/topic/88245-overlapping-hearts-bookmark-pattern/#entry1494542


6. Little Angel Bookmark

Angel Bookmark

I know this one is more of a ‘Christmas’ theme, but if you are looking to try something different, here is another pattern you can try! You can also start crocheting these for Christmas presents now! It’s never too early for that!

Link for the pattern: https://suzies-yarnie-stuff.blogspot.com/2009/12/suzies-little-angel-bookmark.html


7. Little Boxes Bookmark

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This bookmark is more of a traditional one, but has a lot of detail that’s put into it, which I love! Also, as you can see in the background, this bookmark is being used for a recipe book, which works! I just can’t get over the detail!

Link for the pattern: https://crochetncreate.com/little-boxes-crochet-bookmark/


8. Webster the Elephant

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As you know, I LOVE to find anything with elephants in it and when I saw this pattern, I just had to share it! I also LOVE Heart Hook Home, she does an amazing job with her patterns and I was so excited to find out she made a bookmark! These are perfect for the kiddos that are learning how to read! Not to mention, this is more of a 3D bookmark, which is always fun!

Link for the pattern: https://hearthookhome.com/webster-the-elephant-bookmark-amigurumi-crochet-pattern/


9. Easter Chick Bookmark

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Here is another 3D bookmark pattern and this one is a little bit more towards the spring or Easter theme! Especially if you can’t see those family on Easter, you can always send them a bookmark for Easter! Not to mention, you can always not add the bow on the top and take a ribbon and tie it to the neck for the boys!

Link for the pattern: https://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=4552&cid=17


10. Rainbow Bookmark

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Rainbows are another favorite for the kids and these are fun to make as well! Not to mention, the cheeks have a little bit of blush, under their eyes, which makes this pattern even more perfect! Details, as such, are what make these projects just so amazing to make!

Link for the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rainbow-bookmark-2


What do you think about these patterns? Any of them look super cute enough for you to want to make them for yourself or others? Which one was your favorite? Let me know down in the comments!

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Posted in Products, Reviews

Product Review: Puzzle RollUp Mat

Hey Dearies! I am back with another product review! So, if you don’t know, I LOVE to do jigsaw puzzles in my free time and especially during this time, they help not only pass the time but it also keeps your eyes from staring at a smartphone all day either.

Not to mention, my 2-year-old daughter loves to watch and help me with them, so we have a few puzzles that are perfect for her to do. This product is more for those who are like me and LOVE doing the bigger puzzles, such as a 1000 piece puzzle. They are lots of fun but can take a lot of time and patience to complete.

This is when this product comes into need! Especially if you can just leave the puzzle where it is because it’s either in the way, or you have little ones that will try and ‘help’ to get it done.

This roll-up mat can not only keep your unfinished puzzle intact, but you can roll it up an store it for another day or when you are ready to finish it.

I got mine a few years back and have only used it a few times. My big problem with these is if you have a puzzle that you have done multiple times, meaning the pieces are a little wore down, they don’t like to stay on the mat together very well.

Not to mention that the mat is felt, so it’s hard to move pieces. If you were doing a newer puzzle, it wouldn’t be so difficult, but you do have to push some of the pieces back together, when you roll it out, again.

However, I do not recommend leaving the pieces, that aren’t connected, by itself on this mat. I’ve had a few times where they have fallen out and I lost the pieces to those puzzles, which is never fun to go closet search for puzzle pieces when your closet is full of open boxes.

Leaving the extra pieces in the box would be a better idea, or try putting them in a sandwich baggie and attach the baggie to the storage roll or inside of it.

Overall, if you live in a small place or just can’t leave the puzzle out by itself, then this would be ideal for you. I also want to note that there are mats that are bigger or smaller for whatever size puzzle you plan on doing, so be sure to make sure you check out the size of your puzzle before buying one of these roll-up mats.

The ideal is to have a puzzle table, but those can run from $90-$150 bucks, but if you don’t have the room or have kids or pets that like to be ‘helpful’, then these mats are perfect and only run from $15-$30 bucks, depending on the size that you want, I would always go the biggest, if you can, just because you never know when you are in the mood to do a big puzzle.

What do you think about the Puzzle RollUp Mat? Have you used one, or are you thinking about getting one? Let me know in the comments down below!

 

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 10 Easter Free Crochet Patterns

Hey Dearies! Easter is right around the corner and if you are at a loss of what to make for this year or want to make gifts isn’t just buying chocolate for the kids, then look no further! I have found 10 FREE patterns for you to check out!

There is a mix of patterns that aren’t just for kids, but for babies as well, especially if this is their first Easter!

Note: These are NOT my patterns, I will leave a link to where I found the original pattern. All rights go to the original creators. The only pattern that is mine is the last one. 


1. Chocolate Easter Bunny

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This little guy is perfect for the kids, especially for the younger ones that aren’t ready to have chocolate, but they don’t have to be left out in not getting a ‘chocolate’ bunny, except this one, they can cuddle with.

Link to pattern: https://crochet-news.com/crochet-easter-bunny-pattern/#_a5y_p=6626917


2. Marshmallow Bunny Baby Booties

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This one is for the babies! Especially, if you are unsure what to get them, these booties are super cute and perfect for Easter! The best part about these is that they aren’t just for the bunnies, but they come in 3 different styles.

Link to pattern: https://www.passionatecrafter.com/marshmallow-baby-boots/


3. Easter Bunny Mug Cozy

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Of course, knowing me I would have to have a mug cozy on here, this one really fits for the Easter season! This pattern is also super easy to create, not to mention, look at his little fluffy butt! I can’t get over this pattern, it’s just too cute! These look like they would be killer sellers for any craft fair!

Link to pattern: https://haakmaarraak.nl/free-crochet-pattern-easter-bunny-mug-cozy/


4. Belle The Bunny

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I had to have another stuffie on this list, but the funniest part about this little guy, is that it has the same name as my daughter, Bella, but instead of an ‘a’ at the end, its an ‘e’. This one is perfect for those younger kiddos to have for a gift!

Link to pattern: https://yarnsociety.com/patterns/belle-the-bunny/


5. Carrot Treat Pouch

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These aren’t just for the bigger kids, but for the younger ones too, just instead of jelly beans, you can fill these up with the Gerber puffs or yogurt melts! You can even make these for the older kids to have a little ‘jiggle’ from Easter.

Link to pattern: https://pattern-paradise.com/2019/03/18/free-crochet-pattern-carrot-treat-pouches/


6. Easter Wreath

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Another item that I just had to find, but I just had to! Plus you just have to have a wreath for every season. This one might take some time to do, especially when it comes to making the bunny, but once it’s complete, it would look so cute on your door. However, like I’ve said before, I would keep these wreaths away from rain or snowy, just because it can ruin them.

Link to pattern: https://www.dailycrochet.com/fabulous-crochet-easter-wreath-pattern-to-make-now/


7. Bunny Ears Headband

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I think this one is for those little girls that actually keep headbands in their hair. The best part about this pattern is that you can try out different colors for the roses to either match what they are wearing for Easter or have them pick out the colors and just have fun with it!

Link to pattern: https://www.graceandyarn.com/2018/03/crochet-bunny-headband-free-pattern.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=586785218_20891078_493480


8. Marshmallow Bunny Peeps

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Okay, so ‘Peeps’ are a hit or miss type of item that comes out EVERY Easter, whether you are a fan or not, these ones are too cute to make for the babies. I’m not a big fan of the actually marshmallow ‘Peeps’, but I LOVE the shapes that they have for the chicks and bunnies, which in the end, makes it more fun to create these little guys instead of eatting them.

Link to pattern: http://whiskersandwool.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-marshmallow-bunnies-free-pattern.html


9. Mini Easter Basket

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I have to include a type of basket, especially when the you need one for holding the eggs that the Easter bunny left behind for the kiddos. However, this one is more for decoration to hold those mini chocolate eggs or jellybeans for anyone one to take. Or you can get a little creative and put in ‘nips’ for the adults.

Link to pattern: https://www.skiptomylou.org/crochet-basket-pattern/


10. Stuffed Easter Egg

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This pattern is the one I posted last year, that went with the actual baskets I was selling for Easter. However, I still think these are an awesome idea to make for the babies to have for Easter. Not to mention, they would look super cute in a photoshoot for Easter!

Link to pattern: https://katiesblog96971617.com/2019/02/26/crafty-sassy-crochet-stuffed-easter-egg-easy/


Which ones are your favorites? Any of them catch your eye for you to want to make this year for Easter? Let me know in the comments down below!

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Posted in Arts and Crafts, Beginner Patterns, Crochet

Crafty Sassy: Crochet Granny Square (Beginners)

Hey Dearies! I know it’s been a while, but I’ve been trying to figure out my plans for my online college classes and with everything that is going on in the world, I’ve been trying to keep busy and not panic.

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When thinking about getting into crocheting, one of the first patterns that I’ve ever attempted to do was a granny square. There are LOTS of versions to create a granny square, but the best granny square tutorial that I’ve found super easy was the Nervous Knitter.

Below is a link to her video. She slows down the steps and makes it very easy for you to follow along with her.

However, this is not the version of the granny square pattern that I’m going to share for you. The only that I’m introducing to you is a simple, but very easy to create, especially for any beginners that are looking to pick up the crocheting hobby!

Now, granny squares can be used to make anything you can think of, the most common, and one that I have made is the blanket. But there are so many other items I’ve seen the granny square being used for, such as hats, bonnets, towel toppers, placemats, cardigans, coasters, etc.

The list goes on and on for what ideas you can use to make with these granny squares! Not to mention, you can also get created and switch out colors every other row and see what you get! Without further due, let’s get started!

Things You Will Need:

  • Medium size yarn
    • You can used any size yarn, but just make sure you adjust your hook to go with the size of yarn you are planning to use.
    • I’m using a medium size yarn, but I’m not sure what brand it is from, this was given to me as a gift, so it didn’t come with a label, but the color is a type of aqua.
  • 5.0 mm hook
  • Sewing needle

Let’s crochet!

Make a slip knot on your hook and chain 6. Then slip stitch into the first chain. We will be working into this circle.

Round 1: Chain 3 (This counts as double crochet!) Work 2 double crochets into the center of the ring. Chain 3. *Work 3 double crochets into the center and chain 3.* Repeat 2 more times. You should have 4 sets of 3 double crochets in the center. Slip stitch into the top of the first chain 3.

Round 2: Chain 3. In that space, work 2 double crochets. Chain 1. Into the next space or the chain 3 space, *work 3 double crochets, chain 3, 3 double crochets. Chain 1.* Repeat 2 more times. Once you are at the last corner, make 3 double crochets and chain 3. Then slip stitch into the top of your chain 3.

Round 3: Chain 3. In that space, work 2 double crochets. Chain 1. Into the next space, crochet 3 double crochets. Repeat this for the sides. When you reach a corner, make 3 double crochets, chain 3, and 3 double crochets. Repeat this process for the remainder of the round. Making sure to slip stitch into the top of the chain 3 for each round.

After that, the process is still the same, so, you can stop right here or keep on going! One of my very first actual projects was a granny square rasta blanket that I made for my fiance.

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One of my very first attempts at a granny square blanket and also one of my first successful projects for crocheting!

Personally, the granny square isn’t something that I will also run to for my projects, just because it, in my option, I don’t like how ‘open’ it is, especially when it comes to blankets, but for a beginner, this was something quick and easy to start out with!

Have you ever crocheted a granny square? Was it what go you into crocheting? Let me know in the comments!

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Posted in Writing Works

The Monster’s Of Weddings (Friday Short Stories)

The Monster’s Of Weddings

Hey Dearies! Here is another little short story about when two mother’s end up butting heads over their daughter or soon to be daughter in law, about the plans for the wedding. Basically, this gives you an idea of how I would think Bridzella is awoken from her slumber when you are a bride.

Weddings are stressful. They’re especially tricky when one family is magical and the other hates spells, and both mothers want to control the celebration.

“I don’t know what I’m really getting into,” Tiffany said as she was being held in her fiances’ arms. She was dealing with a lot when it came to the wedding. As soon as she accepted his proposal, both her mother and Gail’s mother have been at each other’s throats, trying to make the wedding as there.

“I’m sorry, love. I know my mother can be a little wicked, but don’t worry. Once this wedding is over, everything will be perfect.” Gail explained as he gave her a light kiss on her cheek. “I’ll be back before the wedding, I’m going to get your wedding present, until then, try to get everyone to get along.”

Tiffany nodded as she gave her fiance one more hug, and then planted a kiss on his lips. She watched as he got on her horse and rode off the dirt path.

“Tiffany! Dear, I need to ask you what you want to do with the place settings for the reception?” She heard Gail’s mother calling out to her. Tiffany took a deep breath and turned around, giving her a small smile as she watched her mother-in-law, Selma, get closer to her.

Selma handed her a picture of lily’s, but before she could answer, her mother, Judy, can out and handed her a flower vase with sunflowers. “Tif, love. I think you would rather go with these, they will bright out the room for sure!”

Judy watched as Selma rolled her eyes, “I’m sorry, but you must be mistaken, lilies bring out her wedding dress better than those silly little sunflowers would ever do.” Selma snapped as Judy frowned, then they turned back to Tiffany.

“I honestly don’t know which one I like best, but perhaps I see the other choices for flowers and then I can make my decision?” Tiffany spoke sweetly to both her mother and mother-in-law.

Tiffany had a fear that something like this would happen. Selma and her family were gifted with magic and they weren’t, which made it harder for Judy to really expect Gail to be apart of their family.

Sadly, Selma has been planning for the day her son would get married and she was excited to finally meet Tiffany, the one who had ‘stolen’ her son’s heart, but will also steal the one thing that she’s been loving and caring for since after Gail’s father had passed.

Both of the mothers looked back at each other, giving them a dirty look to each. Selma looked back at Tiffany and frowned. “I guess my choice wasn’t good enough, eh?” Selma snapped at Tiffany, which shocked Tiffany because she has always been nice to her, but this must of been the last straw for Selma. “Wait till my son hears about this!”

Selma went back into the cottage, that they all were staying at until the wedding. “Selma, Gail just left, he went into town to get my wedding present. He’s gone until tomorrow night.” Tiffany explained as calmly as she could.
Selma threw the photos of the lilies on the ground and stormed off into the cottage.

Tiffany and her mother went back inside.
“Child, I know this is a difficult choice you have to make, but that old hag should know that everything that I’ve chosen for your wedding is already perfect!” Judy spoke, as

Tiffany had put some water into a teapot. Tiffany had a fire of anger, burning inside her. She had hoped that her mother and Gail’s mother would’ve gotten along. She also didn’t understand why the choices that she was given to choose from, was making it so she would favor one mother over the other.

She just wanted to plan the wedding with what she wanted, she wanted her day to be the happiest, most magical day of her life. Dealing with her mother and soon to be mother-in-law’s bickering back and forth, Tiffany was dreading planning this wedding.

Tiffany slammed the teapot on the floor and turned to her mother, she noticed that Selma had run out of her room to see what was going on.

“Just stop, mother! Please!” Tiffany looked over at Selma and Judy together. “Both of you are making this entire process of planning a wedding dreadful! I know both of you are trying to help me, but it seems like it’s about you both! This is Gail and I’s wedding day, we want it to be the most magical and wonderful day of our lives, but you aren’t allowing me to choose what I want for my special day!”

Tiffany turned to her mother, who was shocked at the outburst that was currently happening. “Mother, I love you, but you need to be okay with Gail and his family. Once we are married, we are all going to be one.”

She then turned to Selma, who too had a surprised look on her face at Tiffany’s outburst. “Selma, I know you want this to be perfect, but you have to be okay with me disagreeing with the choices you have already chosen for me.”

Tiffany then took a deep breath and slowly picked up the broken teapot that laid on the floor. “I just wanted you to both get along.” She spoke softly, but loud enough for them to hear it, as she picked up the broken pieces and laid them out onto the table.

Tiffany then ran off into her room. Selma and Judy stared at each other in silence.
“I better go check on her.” Judy sat, but before she could heat out, she was stopped by Selma.

“Your daughter is right, we should learn to get along with each other,” Selma spoke, letting go of Judy’s wrist. “I’m sorry for my behavior. It just hasn’t been easy since Gail’s father passed away a few weeks ago. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

Judy then placed her hand on top of Selma’s and looked up into her eyes. “I’m sorry, too. I didn’t know Gail’s father, but I know how you feel.” Judy pulled out a napkin and handed it to Selma. “I lost my husband before Tiffany was born.”

Selma looked us, as then were red, from her crying, “Oh, Judy, I’m so very sorry, I shouldn’t-”

Judy gave her a warming smile. “Don’t worry about it. We both judged each other before we even got a chance to finally know each other. Let’s just put it all in the past or at least for the kid’s sake.”

Selma smiled as she wiped her tears. Then walking over to the teapot that Tiffany had dropped, she whisked her hands around and the teapot was fixed, brand new, just as it was before it was broken.

Both of them headed over to Tiffany’s door, where they could hear her sobbing on the other side of the door. Judy approached the nob, but before knocking on the door.

“Tiffany, can we come in, dear?”

Tiffany wiped her eyes and cleared her voice. “Yes, mother.”

Judy carefully opened the door and watched in shock of how her mother-in-law and mother were acting to each other. Normally, they would be staring at each other, giving dirty looks, but this time, they were only focusing on Tiffany.

“Hun, we just wanted to come in here and apologize. I’m sorry that we were so picking about your wedding. Especially how we treated each other. From now on, you choose whatever you for your wedding, anything at all.” Selma explained as Tiffany stood up to her bed, smiling.

Tiffany grabbed onto both of their hands and smiled. “Thank you.”

Finally, the big day approached, Tiffany was more than excited for her big day, but she got rather sad before she was about to walk down the aisle. She had always dreamed of her father walking her down the aisle, giving herself away, but this reality was, she would be walking alone.

Just as she grabbed her flowers, she took a deep breath and noticed her mother and mother-in-law, wrapping around each of her arms.
“I know this is something your father would’ve done, but Selma and I decided that we don’t want you to do to this alone.” Judy smiled, as they both gave Tiffany a boost of confidence.
Tiffany looked down the aisle and smiled when her eyes gazed upon Gail. Walking down the aisle never seemed so easy, once she approached Gail, both her mother and Selma gave her a kiss on the cheek and held her hand out to Gail.

He smiled as he saw his beautiful bride be. Leaning into Tiffany’s ear, he whispered. “I’m surprised things are going quite well with you three. What’s your secret?”

Tiffany giggled and leaned into his ear. “Just a little bit of bridezilla seemed to do the trick.” As they turned to face the preacher to start the beginning of their lives together.


Let me know what you think about this week’s short story! Comment down below if you have a song in mind for what I should do next for next Friday’s!

Posted in Products, Reviews

Product Review: Make-up Brush Cleaner

Hey Dearies! So, this month’s product review is actually gonna be for make-up. Now don’t worry, I’m not reviewing any make-up palettes or lipsticks, we are going to be focusing on a product that is supposed to make it easier to clean your brushes.

So, where did I see this product?

As you know, if you have been following me on Instagram, you have probably noticed I’ve been wearing make-up more or testing products out, lately. So, I’ve been using my brushes quite a bit, to the point where I didn’t even know that you had to clean them on daily.

Which, I was told, that you don’t have to clean them every day, but at least once a week, if not more, depending on how often you use them. Which is also what lead me to purchase this make-up brush cleaner.

Now, since I didn’t have any knowledge of how to clean make-up brushes, I figured I would look on Amazon for an easier way to do so. Originally, I wanted to get this product as a gift, for a few people, but me being curious, I wanted to know if it really worked.

All you do is load up your brush, you can choose any of the different options for each different type of brush. Then a drop of dish soap, or make-up brush cleaning solution, to the mixing bowl and slowly dip the brush in and out of the solution, while it’s spinning. Then let it dry spin for a few and it should be dry or barely wet.

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The max it should take, for each brush, is about 10 to 30 seconds. Which to a lot of make-up people is AMAZING timing! I like the fact that it’s that quick that it dries.

  • How’s the quality? 

Because I’m not a great make-up artist and almost have no idea what I’m doing, the quality of how clean these brushes get is not bad, but it’s not great either. Setting it up is a pain in the butt, but I feel that it doesn’t clean enough.

  • Does it work for me?

In all honestly, yes, this product does work, but for someone who isn’t a HUGE make-up guru’s. I recommend getting this for someone who is or does use their make-up brushes all the time. Although it doesn’t clean the brushes well, it does make it quicker for them to get dry quickly.

  • Is it worth the money?

At the time, I paid about $17.00, for it on Amazon. I’ve seen them range from $9.99 – $25.00, if not more depending on the brand. It is worth the money, but if you don’t use it all the time, this product is more of a waste of space.

  • Overall, is it something I would use or buy again?

I wouldn’t buy this again since I already own it, but I do see myself using this again, just because it drys the brushes so quickly! I do however, see this as a great gift to those who are make-up lovers.


What do you think about this product? Is it something that you would use or have used? Let me know what you think about it in the comments!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 10 Crochet St. Patrick’s Day Free Patterns

Hey Dearies! I know this post is a little late, but since my midterms are literally around the corner, it’s been hard to push out these blog posts, but once the madness of midterms is over, I should be back on track, or that’s the plan.

Anyway, because St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, I figure I would share some of the free patterns that are available to give you some ideas. I know St. Patrick’s Day isn’t a very celebrated holiday, but if you are me and love to theme your house with those decorations, even if it’s for a short time.

Note: All these patterns are NOT my own, all rights go out to the creators. I will be leaving a link for each of the patterns.

So, let’s get started!


1. St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Gonk

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This cute guy, ‘Gonk’, is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. The perfect decoration for the holiday! Not to mention, he’s a perfect gift for those kiddos who were born in the month of March.

Link for the pattern: https://hookedonpatterns.com/a-gonks-journey/gonk-free-crochet-patterns/st-patricks-day-leprechaun


2. Pot-Of-Gold Hat

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This is a very decorated hat, that is perfect for the kids who love to get excited for each holiday, not to mention, they are perfect to still wear for the month of March if you are like me and it’s still chilly out, you might need a hat still!

Also, when you click on the link for the pattern, the hat pattern is on another link, so make sure you check out that link, it will be in green saying ‘Link Here’, that’s for the hat.

Link for the pattern: https://pattern-paradise.com/2014/03/02/free-crochet-pattern-pot-o-gold/


3. St. Patrick’s Day Scarf

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Scarfs are always my favorite to create and like I said with the hats, it’s still a little chilly in March, so we can still wear scarves. These ones can be a little tricky, just because of the detail, when it comes to crocheting the shamrock. I think it would definitely be fun to make.

Link for the pattern: https://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2016/02/crochet-shamrock-scarf.html


4. Classy Leprechaun Boot Cuffs

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I love boot cuffs and when I saw these, I got excited! This pattern is not only perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, but it is more simple and can work with your outfit easily. It doesn’t have those really bright greens, but more of the settled greens that make this boot cuff more desirable to make.

Link for the pattern: https://www.mamainastitch.com/st-pattys-easy-crochet-boot-cuffs-with-poms/


5. Shamrock and 4 Leaf Clover

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You can’t have St. Patrick’s Day without seeing or creating a few of these shamrocks and 4-leaf clovers. These are perfect for adding them to blankets, hats, scarves, or anything else you can think of. The cutest part about these is that they are shaped in tiny hearts.

Link for the pattern: https://www.goldenlucycrafts.com/2017/02/22/crochet-st-patricks-day-shamrock/


6. St. Patrick’s Day Wreath

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You probably knew I was going to have more than just one type of decoration and the St. Patrick’s Day Wreath is perfect! I love how much detail the creator put into this and it makes me want to create one for myself to hang on my door, although, it would have to be on the back of the door since these aren’t water proof.

Link for the pattern: https://www.highlandhickorydesigns.com/st-patricks-day-wreath/


7. Leprechaun Hat Beer Cozy

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If you have been following my blog for a while, I asked on a poll to make one of these life and since this didn’t get picked, I decided to make sure I at least have a free link for making these super cool beer cozies! These are perfect for the men in your life, or for yourself!

Link for the pattern: https://www.youshouldcraft.com/leprechaun-hat-beer-cozy/2/


8. St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Hat

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I had to find a leprechaun hat, not only is it super cute for St. Patrick’s Day, but if anyone in your family wants to dress up as Lucky, from Lucky Charms Cereal, this hat is perfect for that!

Link for the pattern: https://spotconnie.blogspot.com/2017/02/free-crochet-st-patricks-day-hat.html


9. St. Patrick’s Day Mickey Mouse 

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Here is a tribute to all of those Disney fans out there, but more importantly, those Mickey Mouse lovers. My daughter is in that stage where Mickey Mouse is her favorite stuffy to sleep with, so I figured I had to find something “Mickey” related, not to mention my mom is a HUGE fan of it too!

These can be used for decorations, I’ve seen a few people add pin clips to the back of these to wear as a pin or attaching them to a headband. You could even add these to a blanket, the possibilities are endless!

Link for the pattern: https://www.olyat.com/st-patricks-day-mickey-head-crochet-pattern/


10. St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Baby Booties

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Now, last, but not least, are some super adorable baby booties. So, if you know someone who just had a baby or is due in March, these are a perfect gift to create for them!

Link for the pattern: http://www.hopefulhoney.com/2016/02/st-patricks-day-shamrock-baby-booties.html


There we have it! I hope this gave you all some ideas on what to make for St. Patrick’s Day! There are a few that I have on my list and I really can’t wait to make a few of these.

Make sure you follow me on Facebook, for upcoming stuff and updates!

Posted in Random, Reviews

Random Review: Crochet/Knit Electronic Finger Counter

Hey Dearies! So, this month, we had an extra Saturday and instead of doing nothing on that Saturday, I figured I would do something a little bit different. The random reviews are a review that are based off of anything, could be from arts and crafts supplies to kitchen or office stuff.

This week, I wanted to talk about these super cool finger counters and if they are really worth it or if they are helpful.

So, when I first got into crocheting, I was counting rows on paper and pen, which does make it easier to follow rows because I write out the rows on paper and cross them out when I’ve completed that row.

Plus if I have to go back or figure out exactly what row I’m on, I can look down onto that sheet of paper and find out where exactly I left off. However, there are a lot of downfalls to using pen and paper, especially if you have younger kids that LOVE to get into anything.

Which is when I next looked into other ways to count my rows, without dragging the paper and pen around. I wanted something that was portable and easier to keep tract of counting, which is when I found the electric row counters for your fingers.

First, let me start off by saying that I got really excited to use these, which I ended up getting myself a pack of 2, just in case, which there is really no harm in doing so.

I honestly loved them!

However, as much as I loved them, I did have a few minor complaints.

Having this on your finger, to me, was a pain in the butt. Then again I have really long and thick fingers, which doesn’t help the fact that the adjustable band doesn’t fit ‘perfect’ on my finger.

To me, it’s a little too loose for my liking. Other than that, it worked great!

One of the best features of these little counters is that after a few minutes of not counting your rows, it would shut off, but keep track of what row you were on when you turned it back on.

Another great feature it has is that it’s not just in one boring color, but can come in many different colors, currently, I have a green and pink ones since those are my two favorite colors!

Not to mention, it does a better counting, I feel than any other app that is out there. (Which I will review that in the future.)

What do you think about this little gadget? Do you have one or wasn’t sure about getting one? Leave a comment down below and let me know what you think about them!

Posted in Writing Works

Ain’t Your Mama (Friday’s Short Stories)

Ain’t Your Mama

Hey Dearies, so this week is another song that I’ve turned into a short story. I’m a big fan of JLo and ‘Ain’t Your Mama’ is one of my favorite songs that she has done. The song is about how women shouldn’t be treated to be someone’s slave. What I have gathered from it is that women shouldn’t be the only one to do everything, but 50/50 and sharing the responsibility in a partnership because we ‘AINT NO ONE’S MAMA!’ The only mother we want to be is our children’s mama.

Jackie watched as she slaved over the stove, making another meal for her boyfriend, Will. She was already over this life she was doing, ever since she moved in with him. Before that, their life was great.

They would go out for dates at least once a week, they would make time for each other and they were so in love, but that all changed when she agreed to move in with him.

She never thought that she would be cleaning up after him every day and night. She never thought she would have to come home from work and make sure he had a hot meal to eat every night.

Jackie felt more like a zombie, repeating the same things every day. Wake up, clean, cook, go to work, and repeat.

She craved the love that they used to have together, the nights that they would cuddle on the couch together and spent time playing games or watching movies. She missed those times, but now, all Will seemed to want to do was be on his phone or play video games without her.

As she was stirring the boiling pasta, it hit her. She was doing everything that his mother would be doing for him.

For weeks and weeks, she had asked him to help her or split up the chores, like they did with bills, but she would get the same old saying:

“I’ll do it later.”

Which was Will’s code for ‘I ain’t doing it at all.’ Jackie was over it all, she was tired of the same old stuff that she didn’t think she was signing up for when she moved in. She thought that he would do his part, too.

Jackie knew how much she loved Will, but the pattern had to stop, she couldn’t keep living like this, she wanted to respect and help, not because she asked, but because that’s what was needed.

The thought of marriage and having children with Will scared Jackie to think that it would be even worse than it already was now.

As she turned off the stove, drain the pasta, as she heard Will screaming through the headset. She placed the pasta in with the sauce and mixed it, then took the bowl to the kitchen table, where she had hoped they could’ve eaten together since she had gotten everything ready for the kitchen table and not for their TV food trays.

Will finally came into the room, smiling at her and then grabbing what he wanted for food and then walking back in the living room.

Jackie has had enough, she wasn’t going to spend another night sitting at the table alone, she wasn’t going to spend another day catering to his needs while hers are put on the back burner, and she wasn’t going to spend another day waiting for Will to change his ways.

She grabbed the bowl of salad, that she had just made and walked into the living room, dumping the salad all over him.

“I’m so sick of this, Will! I’m done!” She said, dropping the bowl onto the floor as Will didn’t know what to react.

“What the hell? Your gonna clean this up, aren’t you?” He snapped back at her, which made Jackie’s blood boil more.

“I’m going to clean this up? What do you think I am, your maid?” She yelled, crossing her arms across her chest. Will stood up, as the salad pieces fell to the ground. “If you want someone to clean up after you then you might as well go move back in with mommy.”

Jackie then left the living room and went into the bedroom, packing her stuff and leaving Will. As hard as it was to do that, she couldn’t help but cry. Deep down, she knew she couldn’t change him, unless he was willing to change for himself.

As she drove off to her sister’s house, she cursed how lazy he had become and how his mother pampered him so much that he wasn’t able to do anything for himself, but it was one less thing she was worried about.

She was more focused on herself and if love did happen to knock on her doorstep, she would make very clear that she wouldn’t end up being someone bitch ever again.


Let me know what you think about this week’s short story! Comment down below if you have a song in mind for what I should do next for next Friday’s!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 6 Crocheted Hanging Towels

Hey Dearies! So, when I was looking for patterns for last week’s post, I ended up finding a few that I didn’t want to put on that list, just because these deserve a list of their own.

As a beginner, theses towel toppers are simple and really easy to make, but not only are they simple, but they are also hanging towels or have the crochet towel toppers, but instead of crocheting on top of a towel, for these projects, we are crocheting the entire thing!

I find these so amazing and super cute! Although, I’m not sure whether theses would be considered to be a ‘decoration’ or for ‘actual’ use? It might depend on the type of yarn you use or if you would rather use an actual kitchen towel or one that’s been crocheted.

Note: These are NOT my patterns, all rights go to the original creators themselves. I will be leaving a link for each of the patterns. 


  1. Chevron Kitchen Towel

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This crochet kitchen towel is perfect for learning to switch colors, not to mention, this is perfect for kitchens that don’t really have a set theme. These are very simple to make, but also really fun to mix and match different colors for different holidays.

Link for the pattern: https://crochetdreamz.com/2016/03/chevron-kitchen-towel-free-crochet.html#.VuBmh_krLIU


2. Farmhouse Striped Kitchen Towel

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If you are looking for a simple, yet plain crochet towel, this one is perfect for just that! Not only is it a hanging towel, but a very simple one at that, especially for those that don’t really know what they have for a ‘kitchen theme’. Not to mention, I see these as a great seller item for craft fairs.

Link for the pattern: https://www.acrochetedsimplicity.com/farmhouse-striped-kitchen-towel-free-crochet-towel-pattern/


3. Citrus Kitchen Towels

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If you are looking for a more abstract towel for your kitchen, these are perfect for your liking! Not only can you play with the different colors, but the design is something you don’t normally see. This design also looks like it would be really fun to try out, not to mention the border that goes around it completely, adds a nice touch!

Link for the pattern: https://www.willowyarns.com/product/citrus+towels+free+download.do


4. Cup Cake Kitchen Towels

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Love sweets and treats? Or know something that’s a big fan of baking, these towels would make a wonderful gift! It also something different that you don’t normally see every day, but the design itself is amazing to look and makes me want to try it out and make a few of these.

Link for the pattern: https://crochetdreamz.com/2017/04/cup-cake-kitchen-towel-crochet-pattern.html


5. Happy Hanging Towel

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Another simple and towel, but the difference between this one and the others, is that this towel doesn’t need buttons! So, if you want to make a towel topper, but don’t have buttons, then this towel is perfect! These seem more like a bathroom towel, but depending on picky you are with your designs, they seem very universal.

Link for the pattern: https://snappy-tots.com/free-pattern-happy-hanging-towel/


6. Ocean Waves Towel

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Last, but not least, the reason why this one is last is because of this towel having not one, but two buttons to hold this up. Not only that, but the design itself, I’m a big fan into the ocean and waves, just looking at this towel makes me wish summer would hurry up!

Link for the pattern: https://www.highlandhickorydesigns.com/ocean-waves-towel/


There we have it! Actually crocheted towels with towel toppers. What do you think about these? Are they more of a decoration or would you personally be able to use them? Let me know down below!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet

Crafty Sassy: What Types Of Different Crochet Towel Toppers Are There?

Hey Dearies! So, ever since I’ve started crocheting, my goal was to learn how to make my great-grandmother’s famous towel toppers. If you have been following me since day one, you will know that I’ve posted 2 kinds of towel toppers patterns.

The first one was my ‘trial and error’, but because I was new to crocheting, there was a lot of frogging and trying new things. Also, I want to know that I was going off of an already crocheted towel topper that my great-grandmother made, which did help me a lot!

Then when I perfected it, I wanted to rewrite the first one, but with a more straight forward pattern. At this time, I also found out that my great grandmother didn’t just make all her towels the same, but each of them had a different pattern.

So, to keep from repeating the same old pattern 50 times, she came up with different ones whenever she felt like it, which kept the towel topper making not as boring. Which is why I loved how unique and talented she was.

Because of this, and that I’ve been looking back at her old towel toppers, it got me thinking to how many different types of toppers could you do?

The possibilities are, of course, endless, but I wanted to find some patterns that are different from what you normally see, but just as unique, as my great grandmother has done in the past.

Note: These are not any of my patterns! All rights go to the creators themselves, I will be including the link to these patterns. 


-Pineapple Towel Topper

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When I first was looking into the towel toppers, this pattern has popped up on my search many times and I just love how much detail is into it. Although I’m not a fan of where the button is placed, this would be a design to definitively try out for sure! I see this being an awesome item to sell at craft fairs since this pattern is very eye-popping.

Link for the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pineapple-towel-topper


-Hanging Kitchen Towel Topper

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So, if you are looking to make your towel toppers, without having to cut the towel in half, Naztazia does an amazing job with this tutorial, not to mention, these are sewed on first, and then you crochet, which can be tricky to do, but can make it so much easier, especially if you are just starting out in crocheting. I have actually made a few of these, but if you are looking to cut your towels in half, the mattress stitch, I’ve found, didn’t really work for me when I tried it out.

Link for the pattern: https://naztazia.com/hanging-kitchen-towel/


-Dress Towel Topper

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When I found this pattern, I was jumping for joy because of the fact that this was a type of design that my great-grandmother had free-handed it many times before. This changes up the towel topper game to a new level because not only are these different from normal towel toppers, but they are perfect for balancing the colors with the towel, instead of using one solid color. This one would be another eye-popping item at a craft fair that would really catch the eyes of buyers!

Link for the pattern: https://thewhoot.com/crochet/crochet-dress-towel-topper-pattern-video


-Dish Towel Toppers

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As I said before, with the previous towel topper, helping to balance the colors among each other, can be difficult to do when you are working with just a solid color, but this pattern takes it to the next step. Not only does this pattern aloud for more colors, but the finished border really gives its complete finish. Also, this has nothing to do with the towel toppers, but those buttons are super cute and now on my shopping list to get!

Link for the pattern: https://poshpoochdesignsdogclothes.blogspot.com/2018/09/dish-towel-toppers-crochet-pattern-posh.html


-Bounding Towel Topper

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This one is another eye-popping towel topper because there aren’t many out there that have a lot of open space, especially because more people like their towel toppers to be more ‘filled in’ or ‘not as open’ as other patterns do. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful pattern, but for my liking, I would’ve altered between a solid row and the opened space.

Link for the pattern: https://stitch11.com/bounding-towel-topper-free-crochet-pattern/


-Summer Sundress Towel Topper

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So this one is like the dress towel topper, but more for the summer vibes. However, this pattern is more for those who are skilled with a hook, but this would be perfect for summer for sure! I also want to say that the little accessories that they added are too cute and would make amazing mini magnets for the fridge!

Link for the pattern: https://www.crochetmemories.com/blog/summer-sundress-towel-topper-set-cal/#more-5153


-Chicken Towel Topper

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The last type of towel toppers, that I find so adorable, are the character ones, such as this chicken one. There are LOTS of these ones, I’ve seen from hearts to Santa’s, for towel toppers. This one steals the cake for sure because if you got a rooster theme going on, this is the perfect item to complete your theme or a wonderful present for that friend who is like in love with chickens!

Link for the pattern: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/beautiful-skills-crochet-knitting-quilting-18832375/chicken-towel-topper-free-pattern-6905101995


There we have it! So, out of all the designs, which ones were your favorites? Or are you like me and keep your towel toppers sweet and simple? Let me know in the comments down below!

Make sure to also follow my Facebook page, there is a link on my main page, I post all my updates on there, especially if it has anything to do with the blog or if a blog post is going to be out late.

Posted in Writing Works

Kerosene – Friday’s Short Stories

Kerosene

Hey Dearies! Sorry that this one is a little late, but I decided to mix it up by taking a song and turn it into a short story! So, I went with the song Kerosene by Miranda Lambert. 

Well I’m giving up on love ’cause love’s given up on me

The sun was setting on a long hot day and Sasha Kendel had just lit a cigarette, sitting outside her shitty trailer. She never liked the taste of cigarettes, but there was nothing else for her to do.

She never thought her life would be exactly like her father’s, living in a small crappy town where everyone knows your business and what you do. That was one of the reasons why her mother left, but Sasha got suckered into coming back to Fairfield, Georgia.

All her plans to leave went down the drain when she met Frankie Londe. He had walked into her life and at the time, made it worth wild. She was also in love with the idea of being in love that she forgets all of her original plans.

But that went all down the drain after Sasha found him with her.

It was a late night, she had taken the late shift at the only dinner they had in Fairfield. It had been a long day that she just wanted to go home and relax. She hoped that Frankie would be at their trailer, waiting for her when she got home.

As she walked to her car, she caught a glimpse of the bar, that was just across the street, she saw drunk people dancing and having a good time, but what stopped her in her tracks as she noticed someone.

Frankie was in the middle of the dance floor locking his lips with some blond that she had never met. At that moment, her heart dropped. She never thought in a million years that the love of her life would betray her.

As Sasha took another drag of her cigarette, then tossing the butt into the grown. She was so angry, she didn’t know what to do. She knew that Frankie was inside, making love to that blond that he was with last night. She never gave a notice that she was home, yet.

She got up from the porch and walked over to the kerosene that had caught her eye and grabbed it. Opening the container and pouring it all over her shitty trailer, dumping it all over the front door, around the trailer and back over to his black Ford truck.

She threw the container in the middle of the field and got into her car, taking out another cigarette and taking a match to lite it, then tossing it to the kerosene path that leads up to her trailer.

The flame took quickly, as it rapidly burned the path of kerosene, leading up to the front door and blazing the entire trailer in flames. Sasha took another drag and drove up the path and onto the highway.

She took one look in her rearview mirror and watched as her old life had burnt away, watching two naked people jumping from the window, half-naked and running away as the trailer blew up.

Sasha smiled and then placed her eyes back on the road. “Cheaters never prosper.” She said, driving down the highway and heading towards her new fresh start.


Let me know in the comments of what you thought about this short story! These will be posted every Friday and if you have a prompt or idea that you would like me to try out, let me know in the comments! 

Posted in Writing Works

Off The Record (Friday’s Short Stories)

Off The Record

Hey Dearies! This one is another romatic short story, but more about rich people, got the idea from one of the many books I read on Wattpad, but with this one, I almost wanted to make it into a book! Who knows, I might, but enjoy!

She’s working her way to the top the only way a woman can in this business: by being absolutely ruthless, heartless, and six times as tough as the men. But when one of those men, an underling, begins to soften her heart, she panics. Will she take their relationship off the books? Or take the “safe” path and send him away?

Allie Jaques never expected to fall in love, especially with someone that she had been partners with for years. She had been running her father’s business since he had passed, 3 years ago. Even though she was never close with him, she bravely took on his entire corporation.

After her mother had been out of the picture, as soon as she turned 16, she had been completely on her own and was doing just fine, that was until her father’s personal assistant, Carol Briggs came to her and told her about her father. She didn’t know what to say or how to feel but took the position.

She’s had her heart broken before, as she had dappled in mixing business with pleasure, but when he wanted to start a family, things ended on bad terms as Allie wanted to focus on building up that small little store. In other words, when the opportunity came around with the position, she gladly took it to get away from her ex.

“Alright gentleman, that will be all.” She spoke as she ended the meeting, gathering her paperwork as the others left the room, all, but Mr. Devin Wells. He was another parter that his father had sign on before he passed, but to Allie, it was nice to know someone who didn’t know her father quite as well as the other partners.

She felt his eyes on him, as she always has. Watching her every move, she loved it when the attention was on her, but Mr. Wells makes her want to do unspeakable things to her. She had been dreaming about it and thinking about it for months, how his touch would feel, how he would please her.

It made her blush just thinking about it, but she couldn’t have history repeat itself. She didn’t want to mix her business with his pleasure, but she couldn’t stop herself. As she kept gathering the papers, she was relieved to see her assistant come in. “Ms. Jaques? You have a call on the line, they say it’s about the meeting for tonight.” Helen said as she walked in.

“I’ll be right there, can you take these and schedule another meeting for next week?” She asked as Helen nodded, taking the paperwork from her hands and leaving the room.

As she was about to head out the door, Mr. Wells stopped her in her tracks. Placing his arm in front of her and turning his head to face her.

“Is there something you need, Mr. Wells?” Allie asked her heart started to beat faster when his eyes looked at hers.

“I’d like to talk to you, over dinner.” He said, smiling, as Allie couldn’t believe what he was finally asking. Allie wanted to jump to say yes, but her mind reminded her about what happened with her ex.

“Sorry, I don’t do dinner dates.” She smirked as she rejected him. He smirked back, but placed his arm down, letting her walk out and she headed towards her office.

Once she got in, she sat at her desk and dropped the papers all over her desk, putting her hands on her forehead. She had to say strong, she didn’t want her heart to control her life, as it once did.

She also didn’t want her needs to get in the middle of the business’s needs. It was hard enough that she had rejected men before, but there was something different about this one. She couldn’t put her finger on why she wanted to catch his attention.

Allie ended up staying up until she was about to head to the dinner meeting she had with two of the biggest clients. She needed her focus to be on making sure they wanted to sign again for the next 5 years on being partners with the company.

Helen had knocked and entered her office, holding her dry cleaning and placed it on her mini couch. “The limo will be here in 10 minutes, Ms. Jaques. Is there anything else you need for me to do?” She smiled, holding her hands perfectly together.

She had been with the company as long as my father had and she had been nothing, but sweet to Allie. Always making sure she had everything she needed, even staying longer to make sure things were completed before going home to her family.

I returned the smile as I got up from my desk. “Thank you, Helen. I can handle the rest, go home and see your family. Say him to Thomas for me.” Helen smiled and nodded.

“Thank you, I will. Have a good night, Ms. Jaques.” She said as she left the office.

Allie quickly got dressed and did some of her makeup, making sure it wasn’t too much. She then took the pins from her hair and let it fall to hang on her shoulders. Her hair was naturally curly, which made it easier for her.

Quickly grabbing her purse and heading down to the limo that was waiting for her. As the limo arrived at Romana Restaurant, she got a text message from Helen.

‘Mr. Klans canceled, but the other partner will be there, Mr. Wells.’

Allie’s face flushed as she entered the restaurant to see Mr. Wells, standing at the front of the restaurant, waiting to get seated at a table. Her first reaction was to turn away, she then remembers that she did have plans with Mr. Wells and Mr. Klans tonight.

She’s couldn’t cancel, she needed Mr. Wells to be convinced to stay for another few more years. She needed this partnership just as Mr. Wells needed it. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and headed towards Mr. Wells.

“Ms. Jaques, a pleasure to see you again.” Mr. Wells said as a waitress was ready to seat us. He held out his hand, as she shook it. She watched as he eyed her up and down. She pulled away from his grasp and looked at him.

“Same with you.” Allie quickly said as they followed the waitress to a closed area for meetings. As they sat down, they ordered some drinks and looked over the menus. It was silent after the waitress left, but Allie was so hungry, she didn’t bother will a casual conversation like she normally did.

“It’s nice to finally get you alone to me.” Mr. Wells spoke as the waitress came back with their drinks, she quickly took a sip of wine and ordered their food. Once the waitress took their menu’s and left, Allie thought of what to say to him.

“This is just business, Mr. Wells. Nothing more.” She stated, but he chuckled at the response she had, places his elbows on the table, holding his hands together.

“Or so you think.” He then took a sip of his drink. “Why don’t we just call each other by our first names, Allison.”

When he said her full name, she had chills running up her back just thinking about it. She shook her head, telling herself to focus on the task at hand, making sure he’s still a partnership.

“Stop messing around, Devin. Let me get to the point, are you going to stay as a partner or no?” She snapped as he started to laugh again. She took a sip of her wine and waited for an answer.

“Let’s put business aspect aside for once, Allie. That’s all we ever talk about.” Devin spoke as our food came to us and placed it in front of us.

“Because that is all we will ever talk about is business,” Allie spoke with a straight face, hoping that Devin wouldn’t keep on this much longer.

“Is that you ever think about is work?” He asked as she finished her glass of wine. She was about done with this meeting. She got the waitresses attention and had her box her food. When she came back, she grabbed her food and got up from the table.

“Thank you for your time, but if you aren’t going to take this seriously, I’ll be on my way,” Allie said, but before she could leave the room, Devin had pushed her up against the wall, holding her hands above her head. “What are you doing?” She asked.

“Something we have been wanting to do for a long time.” He said as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

It was so exciting for her, she hadn’t been kissed in a long time, but with Devin, she didn’t want it to stop. He dropped her hands, as they fell onto his chest, making them wander all over his body. He held his hands at her waist as they kept kissing passionately.

He pulled away, leaning his forehead on Allie’s and smirked. “Why did you stop?” Allie asked as they both stopped to catch their breath.

“If I kept going, I don’t think I would be able to stop.” He said as Allie adjected herself.

She couldn’t believe that just happened, instead of dealing with the awkwardness of the situation, she got up and left. Caught a cab and went home.

Allie decided to get ready for bed, when she got to her penthouse apartment, changing in a simple tank top and shorts. She then looked everywhere for her phone, until she realized that she had left it there at the restaurant, along with her purse and food.

All of a sudden, after she made herself a quick cup of tea, there was a knock at the door. It was 10 o’clock at night and she wasn’t expecting anyone. As she opened the door, Devin Wells was standing there when her phone, purse, and food in his hands.

“You left and forgot these. I figured you would need them.” He said, handing her stuff, as she placed them on her kitchen counter.

“Thank you, I was about to call the restaurant-,” Before she finished her sentence, he had caught her off guard by kissing her once again. She threw her hands in his hair, as he lifted her on her counter. She pulled away from his lips. “We can’t do this.” She whispered to him.

“But we can.” He said, kissing her lips once more, and then placing kisses up and down her neck. “What’s the harm?”

“What the hell,” Allie kissed him back as he embraced her in his arms.

After that night, they kept their contact but making sure that their business wasn’t in the mix of their pleasure. The agreement they had made sure that they were nothing more than just friends with benefits, but after a few months, Allie could help, but start to have feelings for him.

She didn’t want to tell him, knowing how their agreement was, she didn’t want to change it, but the longer they were together, the more she wanted to make it permanent.

Allie had just gotten out of work and headed straight home, she was expecting Devin to come over, but canceled plans with him. She was on her period and didn’t want to deal with him. As she got home, Devin was in her penthouse, cooking dinner. He had a key, but that was whenever she wanted a late-night booty call.

She never expected this. “What are you doing here?” She asked as he smiled. Devin never really came over when it was her time of the month and it surprised her that he was even here, although, the last time she was on her period, he ended up buying her chocolates.

The food smelled too good, as she watched him prepare a simple stuffed shells recipe. “I was in the mood to cook and didn’t want to eat alone, so I figured I’ve cooked for us.” He said as he poured me a glass of wine.

“This seems extra than just friends with benefits, Devin,” Allie spoke, as she took a sip of her wine.

“Is that a problem?” He asked. She didn’t know how to answer, but she didn’t want to overstay her welcome of their agreement. She loved the fact that he was spoiling her like such, but didn’t want this to be too good to be true and ruin it all.

“I don’t know, is it for you?” She asked as he shook his head no.

“Not at all, but there is something I need to ask you.” He said as he placed the food into the oven and throwing a towel over his shoulder. “Didn’t know if you wanted to come with me to a charity event, it’s sort of like a ball and I don’t want to hire a date, like I did last time.”

“Oh,” She said, as she wasn’t sure if she would want to go to a ball, but it was exciting to be asked. “Wouldn’t that be weird if I went? It would kinda make us a couple in the public eye, you know.”

He walked over to her and smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist, looking down into her eyes. “What if we were?” He asked. Allie’s heart raised, she didn’t know what to say. “Look, I know we had an agreement about us just sleeping together, but I want more with us. I don’t just want to be the person you lay with, I want to be the person you want to grow old with.”

The words he was saying were too good to be true, but then that voice in her head reminded her that he was still her business partner and didn’t know what would happen if they had become a couple. Would her father’s hard work be gone? Would the business crumble? Or would the partners drop her father’s company?

She had so many questions of what if’s that she was more worried about how other’s would think, instead of how she would think if they became something more. She was afraid of history repeating itself but more afraid to take that chance.

Allie and Devin ate in silent and as soon as they were both done, he left, not even giving her a kiss goodbye, like he normally does. All she told him as she wasn’t sure, which turned into another argument.

It was the night of the charity ball, Allie was debating ongoing, but since she was formally invited and it was for a children’s charity for orphans, she didn’t want to miss it. She hadn’t talked to Devin for months, and the only times that they did was when they had their weekly meetings.

As she was looking in her closet, she was trying to decide what to wear when Helen walked into the room, standing in the doorway wearing a black fine mermaid gown.

“The limo is here, Ms. Jaques. And I just want to say, thank you again for inviting me and my husband.”

I smiled. “No problem at all, I figured that a night out from the kids would be good for you too.”

Helen walked over and gave her a hug. Then she turned to the closet to pull out a sliver diamond dress that was tight-fitting at the top til the waist and then it was looser towards more of the bottom. “I think this one would look good on you,” Helen said and Allie agreed.

Without question about the dress Helen chose, Allie quickly got dressed and braided the sides of her hair, still having her long naturally curly hair fall to her sides.

Once they got to the charity event, Allie made sure to pledge her donation and then grabbed a glass of champagne, taking a sip and looking around the ballroom, her eyes were looking to catch Devin, but she couldn’t seem to find them.

But Helen and her husband, caught her eye, they were dancing together, Allie smiled as she saw how happy they were. Allie wished she would have that one day, but after what happened with Devin, she never thought she would find someone like him again.

As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she really missed him. She missed not talking to him, missed spending time with him, and mostly just missed his presence.

“Enjoying the view,” Devin spoke, as he stood next to her, holding a glass of champagne as well.

“I thought you weren’t talking to me.” Allie snapped, as she didn’t know why he was talking to her. She thought that he was still upset with her.

“I’ve talked to you,” Devin said, taking a sip of his champagne. “How about a dance?” He asked as he took both of their champagnes and placed them on the table.

Devin and Allie danced, moving around the ballroom floor with the others. “Why haven’t you returned my calls?” Devin whispered in her ear.

“I didn’t think you wanted to talk to me,” Allie said, looking up at him. He pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear.

“I always want to talk to you, Allison. Why can’t we be together?” He asked as she smiled. She wanted to be with him, but all she could think about was the business.

“I just don’t know. I worry about the business. I don’t want our public relationship to interfere with the business.” Allie explained, but Devin just smiled.

“If anything, it will grow.” He said as he twirled her around. “So, what do you say?”

She only took a minute to think about it before placing a kiss on his lips. She was ready for her happiness to start and she didn’t care about how everyone would feel about it, she was ready to start the next chapter.

After they came out to the public about their relationship, Devin was right, the business grows and they ended up combining both of their businesses into one giant one. After all that, Allie finally had the happy ending she deserved.


Let me know in the comments of what you thought about this short story! These will be posted every Friday and if you have a prompt or idea that you would like me to try out, let me know in the comments! 

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy – Top 10 Crochet Valentine’s Day Projects

Hey Dearies! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I figured I would find some free patterns for this lovely holiday! Even if you don’t do anything, these ideas are perfect to make for the kiddos of your family!

Note: These aren’t my patterns, but free patterns that I have found and will have the website link for that pattern. All rights go to the creators of these patterns!

1. Valentine’s Day Cat

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If you are a cat lover, then you should definitely add this to your do-to list! The cutest thing about this cat is that it’s shaped in a heart! Not to mention, you don’t have to sew on the whiskers, another option would use some puffy paint, but it can be challenging to do.

Valentine’s Day Cat crochet pattern


2. Valentine Heart Flap Hat

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Super cute hat and since February can still be a little nippy out, these are a perfect gift to gift the kiddos for Valentine’s Day! The best part about these is that you can wear them for all the winter season.

https://classycrochet.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/free-pattern-crochet-valentine-heart-earflap-hat/


3. Crochet Rose Wreath

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I’ve actually made a wreath, something like this, but it was so difficult to do and if you have been following me for a while, you’ll know that wreath, such as these, take a very long time to do, but once they are finished they are so worth all the hard work!

Crochet Rose Pattern: Learn How to Crochet a Rose Wreath!


4. C2C Heart Table Runner

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As you know, I love to include kitchen sets, especially when it comes to holiday stuff like this! These are a super cute idea to have for the month of February! This also gives you more on practicing the C2C stitch and how to change colors.

Crochet C2C Valentine’s Heart Table Runner


5. Valentine’s Day Bag

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This is another cute idea to make for the kiddos, especially perfect for putting in some chocolate kisses! This type of pattern is something that you can also use to practice changing colors, as well as switching colors!

https://www.littledoolally.com/2014/02/valentines-day-gift-bag.html


6. Valentine’s Day Mini Gift Bags

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When I saw these, all I could think of was what a great idea these would be for teachers! These are small but super easy to make and to make many of these! I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and if  I prepared myself, I would have these for my students!

Valentine’s Day Mini Treat Bags


7. Heart Butterfly

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These are more for decoration when it comes to placemats, blankets, clothing, and even bibs. However, they are also perfect for making them into magnets! Not to mention, these are perfect practice for those that learning to sew pieces of their projects together!

Crochet Butterfly Applique


8. Valentine Bear

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I know, this bear is too cute! The best part about this pattern is that there is a FREE PDF print out! Which makes them perfect to add to your binder of patterns! These bears are super soft and perfect for those babies that were born or will be born around Valentine’s Day!

https://www.yarnspirations.com/bernat-velvet-valentine-crochet-bear/BRC0334-012696M.html?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2019_02_Curated_Valentines&utm_content=BernatVelvetValentineCrochetBear


9. Light Heart Valentine Dishcloth

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From one of my favorite crochet YouTubers, Naztazia has created this amazing pattern that is perfect for Valentine’s Day or for people who have a theme of Hearts for their kitchen! The best part, there is a video to show you how to create this amazing dishcloth!

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/893330


10. Heart-Shaped Bookmark

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Doesn’t this one look familiar? It should because this was the first pattern that I have EVER created and posted on my website! If you have been following me since day one, this was when I was first starting out or getting into crocheting! This is perfect for beginners!

https://katiesblog96971617.com/2018/08/21/crafty-sassy-how-to-make-a-heart-shape-bookmark-for-beginners/


Which ones were your favorites? Which one would you love to create for yourself? Let me know in the comments!

Make sure you like my Facebook page! I post updates on my blog, Youtube channel, and anything else on there!

https://www.facebook.com/katiesblog96971617/

Posted in Products, Reviews

Product Review: Color Street Nails

Hey Dearies! So, our first product review of the year will be from Color Street. Now, if you haven’t heard about this product before, they are an ‘MLM’ business that sells an easier way to applying nail polish in less time than it takes you to actually take the time to get your nails painted.

This company also offers the same opportunity to those who would like to be apart of this brand and sell it themselves, kinda like Avon or Paparazzi.

Now, this product, not only does it make it easier to apply nail polish, but there are tons of different designs and colors to try from.

If you are a mom like me, it can be difficult to actually take the time to paint your nails, not to mention having enough time to let them dry as well. So an easier way to not only apply nail polish but also not having to deal with having to air out your room or house because of the smell sounds like a plus to me!

Here’s what they look like:

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By the way, if this hasn’t already caught your eye, noticed how photoshopped the nail polish are to the fingers? Not kidding, this is how they show you what it looks like on their website!

I know what you are thinking, ‘Sounds good, but are they really worth it?’.

Well, let’s talk about it some more. So, when I am doing these types of reviews, I like to ask myself a few questions about the product before coming to a final conclusion. Because this is part of an MLM, I’ll be asking myself some other questions, such as these:

  • How’s the quality? 
  • How long does it last?
  • Does it work for me?
  • Is it worth the money?
  • Would it be worth signing up?
  • Overall, is it something I would use or buy again?

-How’s the quality?

I would say the quality looks pretty good in person versus online or in pictures. If this product isn’t shown on actual fingers and not ‘photoshopped’ on the same hands over and over, I think it would catch the eyes of customers better.

As you see in the photo above, if I didn’t mention the photo was clearly photoshopped, were you able to notice?

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-How long does it last?

These last about a week, depending on how active you are with your hands, it can last longer, but the real problem is that you can’t keep them on for long periods of time. My mom kept her Christmas ones on for little over 3 weeks and they turned her nails yellow.

Not to mention that once they start chipping off, they become pretty easy to peel off and once you start, you’ll keep going until they are completely off.

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-Does it work for me?

Yes, it does. Even though the process can be a pain in the ass, they are definitely worth trying at least once. I hate to paint my nails and especially during the wintertime when you can’t or don’t want to open a window to air out the fumes of actual nail polish, they are very easy to put on either during the kiddos nap time or after they go to bed.

-Is it worth the money?

As of February 2020, they are priced at $13.00. You 2 full sets of nail strips to do both of your hands twice. They also have them in different sizes, so they should fit for all sizes if not, they can stretch a little bit to make them fit.

In one of the full strips, they only recommend you to use one of the full strips for each hand, but if your nails aren’t as long, you can definitely get to wear these or try them out 2 times and see if you like them or not to purchase again or give to a friend to have them try it out.

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Another downfall with these as well is that once they are opened from that plastic seal they tend to get hard if they are left out for too long. I recommend putting your extra strips in a plastic baggie and making sure there isn’t any air for them to get dried up.

Overall, if you want a quicker way to do your nails, they are worth it, but because they have so many options, it’s hard to want to try out only a few.

-Would it be worth signing up?

The big question that everyone asks or should ask before joining an MLM company, is it truly worth it? Remember, if you aren’t passionate about the product or products you are selling, DON’T waste your money over it!

As always, before joining one of these groups, you have to have the extra money to purchase a ‘kit’ that is needed in order to start selling.

In my honest opinion, as much as I love doing my nails, I wouldn’t sign up. To me, I wouldn’t want to spend $125 dollars on a kit when I can use that money towards something else. Even though its a one time purchase, even after that, you still got to buy more products and get more people to join in order to make money.

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This is something that you would have to look into and DO RESEARCH on BEFORE joining. Also, talking to current members and ex-members is very helpful, they can tell you if it’s worth it or not.

-Overall, is it something I would use or buy again?

Sure, it’s an easier way to put nail polish on, but I don’t think this would be something I would buy all the time. I do love the options they have on different colors, designs and glitters to choose from, but with it being $13 dollars for about 2 tries, it might be cheaper for me to get my favorite plastic stick-on nails that it would be to buy these.

I think these are perfect for holiday gifts and even if you want to have salon nails for the holidays. It’s hard to not want to try them all, but the fact that they have to photoshop their nail design, instead of placing them on actual nails, really bothers me.


What do you think about Color Street Nails? Have you tried them or have seen your friends selling them? What do you think about them? Let me know in the comments below!

Posted in Writing Works

Rewriting My Story (Friday’s Short Stories)

Rewriting My Story

Hey Dearies! So, this one is about heartbreak and how it is to start all over after a relationship ends. Hope you all like it! Let me know in the comments!

A woman who is deeply in love is crushed when her fiancé breaks up with her. “In life, every ending is just a new beginning,” says Dakota Fanning’s character in Uptown Girls.

Natalia never thought she would have to start all over again, but after being crushed by the love of her life, she didn’t know what to do or where to start. It was so unexpected, but she still didn’t understand why.

Collin Mather was someone she never expected to fall in love with, but she did. Having met him freshman year of high school, he was apart of the baseball team and hockey, always busy with sports that she was surprised that he had time with her.

They met at one of the home games of his, Natalia was a reporter for the school newspaper and since no one else that day wanted to go to the baseball game, she ended up going. Natalia never minded sitting by and watching the sports games, as long as she got the score and a little bit of the action, she would be set.

She watched as Collin stepped up to the plate, getting ready to swing his bat, it was the end of the game, as Natalia watched intently as he glared at the pitcher. They needed this win to be in the school finals, they were tied with the other team and just needed a home run.

Natalia sat on the edge of her seat as she wanted Collin to hit the home run, she needed this article to be on the front paper before school. The writing was always her passion, but she wanted to be more than just a side-stage reporter, she wanted to be apart of something huge, and her school winning to go to the finals was what she was waiting for.

The pitcher threw the ball and Collin’s bat hit the ball, as he threw it to the ground and ran as fast as he could to first base. The ball was way out in the field, too far for the outfielders to catch it as he hit first base and ran to second.

Before they even managed to get the ball, Collin They needed this win to be in the school finals, they were tied with the other team and just needed a home run.\nNatalia sat on the edge of her seat as she wanted Collin to hit the home run, she needed this article to be on the front paper before school. The writing was always her passion, but she wanted to be more than just a side-stage reporter, she wanted to be apart of something huge, and her school winning to go to the finals was what she was waiting for.\nThe pitcher threw the ball and Collin\’s bat hit the ball, as he threw it to the ground and ran as fast as he could to first base. The ball was way out in the field, too far for the outfielders to catch it as he hit first base and ran to second.\nBefore they even managed to get the ball, Collin had already hit the third base and was working on getting the home run they needed. Quickly the opposite team grabbed the ball and threw it to third, Collin threw himself to slide into home base, just in time before the ball was thrown to home base\nThey had won the game and made it on the finals. Natalia couldn\’t believe it, but when she looked at Collins\’s face, as the team collapsed around him, she could tell that this was something that he was waiting to happen. He was only a sophomore, but he was the first to take the school to the finals.\nAfter they won, Natalia went to the team and started to interview the captain of the team, Jerry, Collin\’s older brother. As she was taking some notes down, she noticed from the corner of her eye, Collin was watching her.\nThe next school day, they managed to print out the paper early that morning and lots of people were paying to read the main article, her article. Natalia was smiling as she handed out the papers.\n\”I can\’t believe you managed to pull this off!\” Joyce said as she handed out another paper, Natalia smiled at her best friend.\n\”I know, but the best part was, I think I have a crush on Collin,\” Natalia whispered as Joyce giggled, but then turned back to the front of the stand were Collin was standing right there.\n\”Speaking of crushes, I\’m going to go out back and get more copies.\” Joyce winked to Natalia as she didn\’t want her to leave her by herself with her crush.\nCollin smiled as Natalia felt her cheeks get warmed, she had never had a crush before. \”Natalia, isn\’t it?\” Collin asked as she nodded.\nJoyce came back with the extra copies of the paper as Natalia handed one of them to Collin, as she returned the smile. \”I\’ll see you around,\” Collin said, as he started heading down the hall.\n\”Wait till he reads the article, he\’ll be head over heels in love with you,\” Joyce smirked as Natalia covered her eyes.\nLater that day as Natalia was leaving her newspaper club meeting, she was shocked to find Collin waiting outside the room for her. She slowly walked by him, gripping her books tightly around her chest.\nShe feared the worse, thinking that he might have not liked the article and wanted to confront her about what she wrote. \”Natalia, wait a second,\” Collin said, catching up next to her.\nNatalia turned to face him as he looked like he was about to speak, but she stopped him from doing so. \”I\’m sorry if you didn\’t like the article that I wrote. Did I say something wrong? Or was I wasn\’t supposed to put your nickname that your teammates call you. I\’m really sorry, I can go back and see about getting it change-,\”\nCollin had put a finger on her lips to shush her. \”Nothing is wrong with your article. I loved it.\”\nNatalia\’s face started to warm up, she was so thankful that he didn\’t like the article, but what else did he want with her? \”T-Thank you.\” She managed to speak after his finger away.\n\”No problem. Finals are next weekend, are you going?\” He asked as she nodded. \”Alright, how about if we win again, I get to take you out on a date?\”\nYou can probably guess what happened next, Collin won the game and Natalia went on her first date with him. After that, they started dating and stayed together after high school. Natalia never thought that she would be alone, after 6 years together, he finally popped the question.\nNever did she think that two weeks before the wedding was planned to happen, he would call it off. She was heartbroken, but he wanted to focus on his career, while she wanted to start a family. Not to mention, she had found out that there was someone else he wanted to be with instead, too.\nWhen that was all said and done, she felt empty, didn\’t understand why she wasn\’t good enough for him or what she did wrong to make him not love her anymore, but it gave her a new meaning of life. A fresh start.\nShe always wanted to be a writer and decided to write about her relationship, changing the names and town, she wrote her heart out about it all. The first date, first kiss, first time together, and so much more.\nAfter she had finished, she sent it to her publisher and once it was published, it became the next bestseller, it sold out more than Twilight and Hunger Games combined. She got her dream and after finishing the book, she came to understand and realized why he left her and that it\’s always okay to be alone because sometimes that\’s the best.had already hit the third base and was working on getting the home run they needed. Quickly the opposite team grabbed the ball and threw it to third, Collin threw himself to slide into home base, just in time before the ball was thrown to home base

They had won the game and made it on the finals. Natalia couldn’t believe it, but when she looked at Collins’s face, as the team collapsed around him, she could tell that this was something that he was waiting to happen. He was only a sophomore, but he was the first to take the school to the finals.

After they won, Natalia went to the team and started to interview the captain of the team, Jerry, Collin’s older brother. As she was taking some notes down, she noticed from the corner of her eye, Collin was watching her.

The next school day, they managed to print out the paper early that morning and lots of people were paying to read the main article, her article. Natalia was smiling as she handed out the papers.

“I can’t believe you managed to pull this off!” Joyce said as she handed out another paper, Natalia smiled at her best friend.

“I know, but the best part was, I think I have a crush on Collin,” Natalia whispered as Joyce giggled, but then turned back to the front of the stand were Collin was standing right there.

“Speaking of crushes, I’m going to go out back and get more copies.” Joyce winked to Natalia as she didn’t want her to leave her by herself with her crush.

Collin smiled as Natalia felt her cheeks get warmed, she had never had a crush before. “Natalia, isn’t it?” Collin asked as she nodded.

Joyce came back with the extra copies of the paper as Natalia handed one of them to Collin, as she returned the smile. “I’ll see you around,” Collin said, as he started heading down the hall.

“Wait till he reads the article, he’ll be head over heels in love with you,” Joyce smirked as Natalia covered her eyes.

Later that day as Natalia was leaving her newspaper club meeting, she was shocked to find Collin waiting outside the room for her. She slowly walked by him, gripping her books tightly around her chest.

She feared the worse, thinking that he might have not liked the article and wanted to confront her about what she wrote. “Natalia, wait a second,” Collin said, catching up next to her.

Natalia turned to face him as he looked like he was about to speak, but she stopped him from doing so. “I’m sorry if you didn’t like the article that I wrote. Did I say something wrong? Or was I wasn’t supposed to put your nickname that your teammates call you. I’m really sorry, I can go back and see about getting it change-,”

Collin had put a finger on her lips to shush her. “Nothing is wrong with your article. I loved it.”

Natalia’s face started to warm up, she was so thankful that he didn’t like the article, but what else did he want with her? “T-Thank you.” She managed to speak after his finger away.

“No problem. Finals are next weekend, are you going?” He asked as she nodded. “Alright, how about if we win again, I get to take you out on a date?”

You can probably guess what happened next, Collin won the game and Natalia went on her first date with him. After that, they started dating and stayed together after high school. Natalia never thought that she would be alone, after 6 years together, he finally popped the question.

Never did she think that two weeks before the wedding was planned to happen, he would call it off. She was heartbroken, but he wanted to focus on his career, while she wanted to start a family. Not to mention, she had found out that there was someone else he wanted to be with instead, too.

When that was all said and done, she felt empty, didn’t understand why she wasn’t good enough for him or what she did wrong to make him not love her anymore, but it gave her a new meaning of life. A fresh start.

She always wanted to be a writer and decided to write about her relationship, changing the names and town, she wrote her heart out about it all. The first date, first kiss, first time together, and so much more.

After she had finished, she sent it to her publisher and once it was published, it became the next bestseller, it sold out more than Twilight and Hunger Games combined. She got her dream and after finishing the book, she came to understand and realized why he left her and that it’s always okay to be alone because sometimes that’s the best.


Let me know in the comments of what you thought about this short story! These will be posted every Friday and if you have a prompt or idea that you would like me to try out, let me know in the comments!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Beginner Patterns, Crochet

Crafty Sassy – Crochet C2C Baby Doll Sleeping Bag (Beginner)

Hey Dearies! I know this is a day late, but here is it! So, this idea was also based on my daughter and her love of baby dolls, this project is a sleeping bag or pouch to put her babies in.

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This again is another C2C design, which is also great practice if you are wanting to get better at the stitch!

Another note I wanted to add that I did not add a pillow to attach to it, but here is my pattern from last week if you want to add a pillow to this project. Here is the link for that pillow:

https://katiesblog96971617.com/2020/01/21/crafty-sassy-crochet-c2c-baby-doll-pillow-beginner/

Let’s talk about what you will need!

  • Medium Size Yarn
    • I am using a Red Heart Yarn Pink.
  • 4.5mm hook
    • If you want to make the pouch bigger or small, all you have to do is adjust your hook.
    • This size is more like a small/medium size for a baby doll
  • Sewing

Now, if you aren’t familiar with the ‘C2C’ stitch, here is a wonderful video that Heart Hook Home has, that not only helped me understand how to do the stitch but also shows how to increase and decrease. Here is the video:


This pattern is great for learning and getting familiar with the ‘c2c stitch before moving on to bigger and more complicated projects.

The sleeping bag size is 25×41 squares, you can, of course, add or decrease squares to fit a small or large size baby doll.

Let’s Begin!

Sleeping Bag

Chain 5.

Row 1: Double crochet into the 3 chains from the hook and in the next 2 stitches.

Row 2: Chain 5. Repeat from row one. (This is how we increase.) Then flip your ‘square’, like you are going connect it. Slip stitch in the chain three, from the last square. Chain 2. Make 3 double crochets in that same space.

Repeat until you have 25 squares across. Once you do, after making your last square, slip stitch on the top of the square. (This is how you decrease). Chain 2 and make 3 double crochets in that chain 3 space.

Keep going until the other side has reached 41 squares and on that finally square, slip stitch on the top of the square. Chain 2 and make 3 double crochets in the chain 3 space. As you continue to go back and forth, you’ll notice the rows start to get smaller.

Chain 1 and single crochet about the piece and fasten off.

In the next part, you can either hand sew together or single crochet the two sides together.

Assembly:

Fold your project, the long way, or the ‘hotdog fold’. Taking your crochet hook (or needle) crochet or sew one of the longer sides. Once you reach the shorter side, fasten off. Then repeat on the other side.

Then you are done! Fasten off and weave in any loose ends.


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There it is! A very simple sleeping bag for the baby dolls! Remember, you can always add a pillow as well! I just didn’t have time to do so.

Make sure you like my Facebook page and follow me on Instagram. I’m more active on my Facebook page than I am on Instagram.

Posted in Writing Works

The Downfall of Luck (Friday’s Short Stories)

The Downfall of Luck 

Hey Dearies! Here is another one for you all! This one is about having really good luck and it turning out from better to worse!

A poor young boy or girl comes into an unexpected fortune. Not all fortunes are good. Sometimes discovering a fortune will destroy your life.

James never had any good luck in his life. He was broke, poor, and lived a stole car. He had to struggle his entire life, his parents worked hard, but his father left when he was two. His mother, on the other hand, kept working hard to provide for James, but ended up going down a dark path and ended her life when he was 12.

He’s been in and out of children’s homes that when he turned 15, he fled to be on his own. After that, he has been living on the streets ever since. He’s tried getting jobs or getting back on his feet, but no one wanted to hold out their hand to help. James was tired of being on the streets, but that’s all he had.

At the age of 27, he got what he was asking for. It was more than just luck, but hopefulness of his future.
James was doing his normal routine, looking for a job by asking around, gathering what he could for food to help feed himself, and hoping that some stranger would give him enough money to find a place to take a shower.

As he was walking in the streets of L.A., a tall blond businessman dropped his wallet, as he was leaving the coffee shop. He seemed too busy to notice what he dropped since he was on his phone.

James picked up the wallet and thought for a second. His luck was changing, but would it be worth it to use this man’s money? He then decided to follow that man, trying to catch up to him in the crowd, but once the man stopped, he finally tapped him on the shoulder.

“Sir, you dropped this?” James spoke as the man turned to face him. James held out the wallet to him.

“I’ll call you back, Charlie.” The man said as he placed his phone back in his pocket. “Thank you.”

“No problem. Have a nice day.” James said as the man took the wallet, but before James could leave, the man called back out to James.

“Wait, here.” The man said, handing James a hundred dollar bill. “Not many people would return a wallet back to its owner. Take it.”

James was shocked as to how many dollars were in his wallet, he was more shocked that this man was handing a homeless man a hundred dollar bill. James took the bill and smiled at the man.

“Thank you, sir.” He said as the man nodded and then turned away down the street. The first thing James thought of was taking a much-needed shower and getting some new clothes for himself.

Once he did that, he looked good as new. He had about 60 bucks left and wanted to make it last, but how. He started to question where he could make some more money or at least get a little bit more.

Then it hit him, as he looked up as to where he was, a casino. He smiled at the idea and walked inside. The lights were bright and the machines were loud, getting the attention of everyone who held chips in their cups, he didn’t know where to start.

He walked by a few machines and cashed in a few bucks to start, but there was one machine that caught his eye. The Wheel of Cash. James watched as people sprung the wheel, watching the click tick down to the number of prize money that was labeled onto the wheel. There were 4 jackpots, 4 losers, and the rest was random amounts of money under $2500 dollars.

It was $10 to play, but the chances he’d win were slim to none. Maybe this was my lucky day? James asked himself as he stood in line for the Wheel of Cash. There was only one person in front of him, a woman, who he had recognized quite well. She was one of those that would dress up for men wanting a good time.

Her name was Candy, she had asked him a few times if he wanted to spend some alone time with her, but both times he was completely broke. He watched her spin the wheel, checking out how she was dressed.

It wasn’t her normal entire, she usually had on short skirts and crop tops with her 5-inch heels that were always bright pink, but tonight she was dressed a little more class. Her blond hair was curled and pinned up, she didn’t have a lot of makeup on, and she was wearing a blue glittery dress.

As the wheel finally came to a stop, landing on $350 dollars, she gathered her cash and walked into James. “I’m so sorry.” She spoke, as James held out his hand to her.

“James, funny seeing you here.” She smirked as he pulled her to her feet.

“Same with you. I thought you were still on the street?” He asked. She shook her head no.

“I got out of that game a long time ago. I ended up falling in love and he saved me from what I was doing.” Candy said smiling at James, but she turned her head in another direction, her smiled changed. “Good to see you, I must be going.”

James watched as she walked away, but then realized he was next for the spin. Looking up at the Wheel of Cash, he saw the jackpot was for 1 million. Taking a deep breath and putting in his money and sprung the wheel.

His nerves were everywhere, he was so afraid of where it was gonna land. As the wheel started to slow down, he watched as it passed a jackpot, but it was still slowing down as it ticked to another Jackpot, stopping dead in its tracks.

The machine went off, letting the entire casino know that there was a jackpot winner.

After that, he was handed a million dollars in cash and was offered a suite room at the hotel as there a free treat for winning the jackpot.

This was it, he had finally had good luck, but didn’t know what to do with it. He had never had as much as maybe $500 dollars to his name, but now he had a million.

Instead of saving it and using some of the money to get him back on his feet, he decided to stay at the casino hotel for longer than he offered. He got himself a whole new wardrobe and took care of himself, making himself look like a million bucks.

He ate as much as he wanted, he slept with as many women as he wanted, and he lived life like he was born a royal. When the money started to get lower, he tried the Wheel again, hitting another jackpot.

One day, before he was heading down to the casino’s bar, there was a knock on the door. As he opened the door, he was surprised to see Candy standing before him. They didn’t speak a word, but she rushed up to him, pressing her lips against his.

Night after night, Candy would be over in his suite. He kept winning jackpots, to the point that the order of the casino was wondering if he was cheating or rigging his machines.

The casino’s owner, Logan Morin, was ready to make a deal with this man and find out what he was doing with his casino, but as he approached his door, the man was shocked to see his wife coming out of his hotel room, placing a kiss on his lips. It made his blood boil.

Logan called up his men and busted the door down. “That’s why you keep winning!” He shouted, pulling a guy from the back of his pants. “You are getting my money and my wife!”

James was shocked, he never thought Candy was married nor did she mention it. He put his hands up as he was about to explain, but before he could, the sound of a gun went off as he felt his entire body go into shock.

James looked down at his stomach as saw blood pouring out as he collapsed onto the floor. This was it, his luck had turned on him. Candy was the one making him win the jackpots. He said there and thought his last thought, what he would’ve done differently.


Let me know in the comments of what you thought about this short story! These will be posted every Friday and if you have a prompt or idea that you would like me to try out, let me know in the comments! 

Posted in Writing Works

The Art of Love (Friday’s Short Stories)

The Art of Love

Hey Dearies! I know this one is a little late, but I wanted to make sure I took a little extra time on this one. It’s not exactly like the prompt, but I did add in a little twist of it. 

Two dirt-poor art students survive by sharing a nasty little apartment above a bodega. They struggle through four years, barely making ends meet, comforting one another through tragedies and triumph, but never openly admit how they feel about each other…until they graduate, and one of them gets a job in another city. Is it too late to confess their love?

Living in New York City wasn’t easy, let alone being a paint. Jackie Brown wanted to see her name on every billboard, street store, and all over New York. Since she was 3, that was always her dream.

Her father was a famous painter himself, as so as her mother. Once they had her, Jackie’s mother felt that her child was holding her back from becoming famous and so let Jackie and her husband to New York.

Last time Jackie saw her mother, was 10 years ago. Now, she was 23, fresh from college and off to make her hobby into her dream, however, New York was expensive. Jackie’s father wanted to come with her, to make sure her dreams really did come true, but Jackie didn’t want her father to help her on that journey.

She wanted this one by herself.

After being in New York for a few days, she managed to find a place for her to stay in. Kenny Hunt was her only available option, especially with money being so tight, she didn’t want to be left on the streets.

Climbing up to the 3rd floor, onto an old book store, she knocked onto the door, with the faded ‘3C’ that sat on an old wooden door. After a minute or two, the door finally opened with Kenny behind it.

“Jackie, right?” He asked.

“Yes.” She nodded, giving him a soft smile as he opened the door more for her to come in. “Thank you again for this.”

She turned to face him, looking at his dirty blond hair and bright blue eyes. As she gazed into his eyes, he looked like he was hurt inside, like someone has ripped his heart out from his body and stuffed it in a trash can.

Kenny turned away, walking back to his canvas, ignoring her. As she looked around, she notices this was a very old room, it was a room that didn’t look like it was used for sleeping at all. The wide-open space had faded, cracked dark wooden floors. The paint used for the walls was faded and looked like there once were mirrors that inclosed the place.

As she turned to her left, there was a mini hall, looked like there were a few other rooms and hopefully a bathroom. Behind her was a stove, sink, and fridge that looked out of place from this room, but more than an old dance studio was out of place for any of this.

She didn’t see any mattresses or beds for her, in the opened space. Instead, the opened spaces were covered with canvases, paint, and brushes. It was like heaven to Jackie, making this choice the best one she had made for herself.

“Where can I put my stuff?” She asked, as his blue eyes looked up from the canvas.

“Down the hall to the right. Just don’t go into my room.” Kenny snapped as he went back to painting. Jackie was curious to know what he was painted but instead went to put her stuff away.

After being there for a few weeks, Jackie got herself comfortable, but Kenny seemed to rather ignore her. She had tried to work up the courage to place an empty canvas on one of the many empty easels, but hadn’t.

Brushstroke after brushstroke, she watched him from afar, not wanting her to see her eyes on him, she watched him move the brush back and forth like it was a dance he knew how to dance. Not to mention she couldn’t help but notice his arms had a few tattoos, but the one that caught her eye the most was the tree tattoo inside his left arm.

She wanted to ask him about it, it was the only one that she had noticed that was fairly new to his body, as the other tattoos he had were more faded. It took her a minute to realize that the tattoo was the tree from Lord of the Rings.

She got up and walked out of her room and slowly approached Kenny. He looked up for a second but turned away back to his piece. As she got closer, she noticed that his painting wasn’t of any object or item, that she thought it was, it was simply a mess of different colors of blacks and greys.

It was different from what her parents have painted before, but they were more into landscapes, such as mountains, hills, forests, and lakes. This was solid, but it spoke to her that something in his past had made him paint this way.

“What?” Kenny snapped, jumping Jackie, as she was zoned into his piece, rather than him.

“I-I was wondering if could use that spare easel?” She spoke nervously, she wanted to ask about his tree tattoo, but she had forgotten it, getting lost in his eyes.

Kenny changed his emotion, looked rather more confused like he didn’t think she would ask something from him so bold. “You paint too?” He asked as she nodded.

“I do, my parents do, too.” She said as he looked at her.

“Go for it.” He said, going back to his easel. Jackie was so enlightened that she ran to grab her supplies and set them up next to the easel.

Over the next couple of months, the started to bond over their love of painting and art. As much as they wanted to spend all of their time painting, Kenny had a part-time job down at the book store and Jackie had just gotten a job as a florist, that was also down the street.

Jackie had just finished her latest creation, it was of a couple, standing in the middle of the rain, sharing a deep kiss, with the background having rainfall underneath them all, not giving a care in the world as to what would happen.

It reminded her of her last love, that were that couple she painted. He had her heart, but she didn’t want it. She had gotten pregnant, but ended up losing the baby, which changed their relationship although. He wanted to settle down and build a giant family, as Jackie just wanted to paint and when she was ready, start a family.

That was their last kiss goodbye. They didn’t want to hold each other back and wanted to have one last kiss before they moved onto different lifestyles. Hence, why she wanted to leave New York.

Kenny came over, as she signed off of her painting. “Incredible, really.” He touched her shoulder as she watched him look into every detail she put into the painting. “What are going to call it?”

Jackie took a minute to think about it, coming up with the titles of her paintings was harder than it was for her parents. “Not sure yet.” Still admiring her work.

She glanced at Kenny’s easel, he had just a blank canvas, naked, as Jackie liked to call it. Ever since she started to paint in the same room as him, his painting has changed from dark and depression, to more artistic and creative, making them more appealing to the eye.

Her heart fluttered each time he would come up to her and watched her paint, as she would do the same. She had tried to open him and get him to talk to her, but he was a locked door, not letting anyone in.

That all changed. Jackie was working at her job when she got a phone call from the office from her mother. She wanted to let her know she was dying from cancer. That was the real reason why she left in the first place, she didn’t want Jackie to see her.

Jackie’s heart dropped as she got off the phone, it all made sense, she wondered why her father was always upset and depressed, but she thought it was because her mother had left, choosing her work over the family when really she was getting treatment for her breast cancer.

After work, when she got home, she didn’t say anything to Kenny, as he watched as she sadly went into her bedroom. She wasn’t in the mood to talk, didn’t even feel like painting, which was a first for her because she had always loved to paint.

“Jackie?” Kenny called out, but there was no reply from her, he didn’t want to intrude. It made him worry about her. Her happy self was what was keeping him inspired to paint masterpieces ever since his little sister had passed away.

Instead of answering Kenny, she curled herself up in a ball on her mattress and started to cry. There was nothing she could do, but felt like she needed to do something. She wanted to go to her happy place, but painting sounded so foreign to her.

She felt Kenny’s eyes on her like he was drilling a laser into her head. As much as she wanted Kenny’s attention, there was something more that she wanted. A distraction.

Siting up from her bed, she looked over at Kenny, as he sat on the bed beside her, gazing at his blue eyes, but her eyes wandered to his lips. “Is everything okay?” He asked, but instead of answering him, she leaned into his faces and pressed her lips against his.

Kenny froze for a second, not realizing that her lips were upon his, he didn’t know how to react, but before he could embrace the kiss, she had pulled away. Kenny’s mind was questioning if he should kiss her back or leave the room awkwardly.

Jackie looked back at him, waiting for his response, but his face looked confused. Did she kiss him wrong? She thought, but maybe it was too sudden for him, she thought again.

Until he caught her off guard and very slowly placed his lips together with hers.

She was lost into the moment, embracing Kenny’s warmth that she so craved, however, instead of taking their clothes off to get further lost into each other’s arms, they both laid down on her bed, and had him embrace her, snuggling up close together and making her feel something that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Safe.

As he brushed a strand of hair from her face, she finally spoke, telling him about her mother and her condiction.

“Go to her, you should spend your last moments together,” Kenny spoke, as much as it killed him to see her go, not knowing how long she would be gone for or if she would ever come back, he didn’t want to miss out on those final moments that he did with his sister.

“I can’t, I don’t have the money,” Jackie said as he understood her situation, he was in the same boat, being an inspiring artist wasn’t easy. He had been doing odd jobs, just to save up for an apartment, but it was never enough.

 

The next morning, Jackie was left alone in her bed, Kenny had stayed with her all night long, just to make sure she was okay, but he wasn’t next to her. She got up and started getting ready for the day, when she saw a note on the fridge, with enough money to get her to see her mother and possibly come back.

‘Don’t miss another moment away from your mother. You’ll regret it in the end.’ – Kenny

She smiled, as he was right. Quickly, she packed a few things and took the train to the other side of town, trying to make sure she was able to get to the hospital in time. Once she arrived, she was greeted by her father.

He hugged her tightly in his arms. “I missed you, buttercup.” He said, calling her by her childhood nickname. He started calling her that when she picked out some flowers from their garden and they happened to be buttercups.

Jackie didn’t want to let go from her father’s embrace, but slowly turned to look into the small hospital room, she could see her mother, looking pain and cold.

Her eyes started to water as he came closer to her mother’s bed, she was still alive but looked like she was barely holding on. “Mommy?” She spoke, making her mother awake and open her eyes to see her daughter.

Jackie came closer to her mother and hugged her tightly as she could, she was so weak, but was glad her daughter was sitting next to her. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Her mother spoke, as she held onto Jackie’s hand.

“Don’t worry about it, what matters is that I’m here for you,” Jackie said, kissing her mother’s hand and wiping her tears.

Jackie shared everything that was going on in her life, now. She even talked about Kenny, to her surprise, her mother said that he would be perfect for her. They played a few games, up until her mother was too weak to do so.

She died 2 months later after their last game of Uno. The last thing Jackie told her was to never give on chasing your dreams. Jackie knew she would never forget, but it made her think about Kenny. He was her new dream now, she needed to share her life with someone and he was perfect for her.

After the funeral, she said her last goodbyes to her father and headed back on the train, even though her mother had passed, she was wanting to get back to Kenny and to tell him how she felt about him.

Going up to their apartment, she was worried that he wouldn’t want to talk to her, after taking the money he gave to her to see her dying mother, but maybe he would. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, watching Kenny stand in the middle of the studio, painting, he almost dropped his paintbrush when he saw her.

Jackie dropped her bag, and ran to him, embracing into his arms, not caring if he was covered in paint or not. She looked into his eyes and the waterworks just came down. He understood her pain as to lose something, but kept her in his arms.

“I missed you so much, Jackie. You have no idea.” He said, looking into Jackies eyes, wiping away the tears from her face, as he turned to face her to all the work he had done when she was gone. It was all pictures of her.

One of them was when she was puzzled on painting and ended up getting paint on her face. Another was of her dancing. The more she kept looking at the paintings, she realized that he returned the feelings for her, but there was one painting that caught her eye.

It was a painting of them, laying on her bed together, after their first kiss and how she told him about her mother. She didn’t know how he did it, but it was perfect. “I love this one,” Jackie said as Kenny came closer.

“Not as much as I love you,” Kenny spoke as Jackie stared at him in amazement. “I understand if you don’t return the feelings, but I do love you and I just needed to tell you.”

Jackie then pressed her lips against his, embracing his presence and telling him that she accepted his feelings for her. She pulled away, leaning their foreheads together as she smiled. “I love you too.”


Let me know in the comments of what you thought about this short story! These will be posted every Friday and if you have a prompt or idea that you would like me to try out, let me know in the comments! 

Posted in Beginner Patterns, Crochet

Crafty Sassy – Crochet C2C Baby Doll Blanket (Beginner)

Hey Dearies! So, for our first pattern of the year, I decided to create something that’s a little different. For Christmas, my daughter got quite a bit of baby dolls. It got me thinking and searching on Pinterest, what ideas they had for baby dolls.

What really got me to create this idea is when my 2-year-old came up to me and said, “Mommy, baby is cold.” I could’ve given her one of her old receiving blankets that I still had, but what fun would that be? While she was napping, I crocheted her baby doll a blanket.

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Let’s talk about what you’ll need for this project:

  • Medium Yarn
    • I used I Love This Yarn in the color Green, Turquoise & Red Print.
    • You’ll need only 1 skein.
  • 4.0 mm hook
  • Sewing needle.

Now, if you aren’t familiar with the ‘C2C’ stitch, here is a wonderful video that Heart Hook Home has, that not only helped me understand how to do the stitch but also shows how to increase and decrease. Here is the video:

This pattern is great for learning and getting familiar with the ‘c2c stitch before moving on to bigger and more complicated projects.

The blanket size is a 22×25 square project, you can, of course, add or decrease squares to fit a small or large size baby doll.

Let’s Begin!

Chain 5.

Row 1: Double crochet into the 3 chains from the hook and in the next 2 stitches.

Row 2: Chain 5. Repeat from row one. (This is how we increase.) Then flip your ‘square’, like you are going connect it. Slip stitch in the chain three, from the last square. Chain 2. Make 3 double crochets in that same space.

Repeat until you have 22 squares across. Once you do, after making your last square, slip stitch on the top of the square. (This is how you decrease). Chain 2 and make 3 double crochets in that chain 3 space.

Keep going until the other side has reached 25 squares and on that finally square, slip stitch on the top of the square. Chain 2 and make 3 double crochets in the chain 3 space. As you continue to go back and forth, you’ll notice the rows start to get smaller.

Once you are at your final stitch, slip stitch the top of that last square and fasten off.

Sew in any loose ends and you’re done!

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There you have it! A perfect mini blanket for those baby dolls! Make sure you check back in next Tuesday, I’ll have a crocheted pillow that goes with this baby doll blanket set!

Make sure you like my Facebook page and follow me on Instagram. I’m more active on my Facebook page than I am on Instagram.

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy – Top 10 Snowman Crochet Projects

Hey Dearies! Since it has been snowing quite a bit in Maine, I figured I would share some patterns for snowmen! Now, snowmen aren’t just for the Christmas season, since you can make them whenever it snows!

Note: These are NOT my own work, as I will be providing the link that goes with each free pattern. All rights go to the creators.

 1. Snowman Potholder

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This snowman is so cute! Even though it says it’s for a potholder, but you can definitely make a few of these to add onto a snowflake or even Christmas blanket!

Click here for the free pattern: https://melodys-makings.com/snowman-pot-holder/


2. Snowman Coffee Cup Cozy

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Again, as you know, I LOVE coffee cup cozies and this one is too cute not to make one for yourself or others! Most of the ones I’ve found didn’t have the cute little hat, but this one did!

Click here for the free pattern: http://hamburke.blogspot.com/2013/12/another-easy-crochet-pattern-share.html


3. Snowman Wall Hanger

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Wall hangings are something I usually don’t have, but when I saw this pattern, I thought about making one for my house! As long as you keep this little guy inside, he will stay nice and neat, these are also perfect for those new homeowners!

Click here for the free pattern: https://www.allfreecrochet.com/Christmas-Crochet/Snowman-Wall-Hanging


4. Snowman Hanging Dishcloth

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Dishcloths aren’t something I’ve been known to create, but this little guy is too cute! Not only could you use this as a decoration, but it would look pretty cute hanging from the oven handle!

Click here for the free pattern: https://snappy-tots.com/free-pattern-snowman-hanging-dishcloth/


5. Melted Snowman

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I’m melting for this project! This is one I have never seen, but once I did, I was even more excited to see that the pattern was FREE! This little guy is not only the perfect decoration for the holiday season but he could even work as a newborn gift idea as a snuggle! As long as the buttons aren’t added!

Click here for the free pattern: https://www.highlandhickorydesigns.com/melted-snowman/


6. C2C Snowman Scarf

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Ah, you know me and my love for C2C projects! This snowman will keep you nice and warm until Spring! As the pom-pom adds the perfect touch to make this project an amazing gift for someone, or even yourself!

Click here for the free pattern: https://www.windingroadcrochet.com/c2c-snowman-scarf-free-crochet-pattern/


7. Snowman Towel Topper

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Towel Toppers I just LOVE! This one really takes my breath away, with so much detail, I didn’t think it was free, but I had to double-check! The creator of this piece of work took such great time and detail to this project for sure, definitely going to put this on my list of stuff to make this year!

Click here for the free pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snowman-towel-topper


8. Snowman Hat

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Hats are always great to make, especially if it is still snowing outside! This pattern is not only free but comes in all sizes so that you can make your entire family snowman hats!

Click here for the free pattern: https://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2016/01/crochet-snowman-hat.html


9. Snowman Hanging Towel

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This towel hangs without a button, which is something that I have not quite tried, yet. This one has a lot of detail put into it, but this same pattern can be used to making Santa or a Gingerbread, but if you aren’t ready to start going down the Christmas train, this guy is something you’ll want to make for sure!

Click here for the free pattern: https://www.acrochetedsimplicity.com/snowman-kitchen-towel-free-crochet-towel-pattern/


10. Snowman Stuffie

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Last, but not least, one of the cutest stuffies I’ve ever seen! There are a few of stuffy snowmen and women, that you can choose to pick from, but this one looks so soft and cuddly, I just had to put him on this list!

Click here for the free pattern: https://www.amigurumiforum.com/free-snowman-amigurumi-crochet-pattern-for-chirstmas/


There you have it! Snowman ideas for the snowy season! Which one did you like the best? Or which one can’t you wait to try out next? Leave a comment down below to let me know!

Posted in Crochet Blanket 2019

Temperature Blanket Update – December 2019 (Finished)

Hey Dearies! I am finally finished with our 2019 temperature blanket! The reason it has taken me a few days to post, because I did have a gap where some more squares could’ve gone, so I crocheted some white ones to fill in the blanket.

The only thing I want to do next adds a simple single crochet border and crochet the numbers to make 2019 and add them to the blanket as well! However, I will try my best to post the update of the blanket on my Facebook Page and Instagram, so make sure you are following me on there to check it out!

December came and went as soon as it did! Lower temperature, lead to more blues and purples when it came to squares. I’m just so grateful that this project is now done and finished!

Makine a temperature blanket isn’t as easy, as I thought it was going to be, but I managed to create one! As this being my first blanket to ever work on, I’m really proud how it came out!

Here is the list of colors I used for the blanket:

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100 degrees – Fire Red (I Love This Yarn)
90 degrees – Pumpkin (Red Heart Super Saver)
80 degrees – Bright Yellow (Red Heart Super Saver)
70 degrees – Jelly Bean (I Love This Yarn)
60 degrees – Green (Main Stays Basic Yarn)
50 degrees – Turqia (Red Heart Super Saver)
40 degrees – Soft Blue (I Love This Yarn)
30 degrees – Dark Orchid (Red Heart Super Saver) *Changed to the following – Violet (Red Heart With Love)
20 degrees – Orchid (I Love This Yarn) *Changed to the following – Orchid (Red Heart Super Saver)
10 and below – Light Gray (I Love This Yarn)


How do you tell which color to use?

I, personally, go with the overall temperature. So, let’s go by today, for example:

Today in Maine, the overall temperature is 17 degrees. I would choose the light gray.

Let’s say that it was an overall temperature of 22 degrees, I would choose the Orchid color. All my temperatures, for my colored yarn, has to have the same number first number. If that makes any sense, I’m sorry if it doesn’t!

What was the highest temperature for this month?

Sadly, we didn’t get a 60-degree days, but have had quite of bit of 50 degree days, which isn’t bad, but I prefer my 60 degree days any day!

What was the lowest temperature for this month?

We did hit below 10 degrees, which isn’t fun, but now, I’ll be able to snuggle in this blanket to keep me nice and warm.

Do you post daily updates?

Yes, I do. On my Facebook page, I post a picture of the square for each day. I also tried to post every week’s worth, but it was hard to keep track of, so I’ll be posting monthly and daily instead.

If you haven’t liked my Facebook Page, here is the link below! It keeps you posted and updated on my temperature blanket and any updates for my blog and YouTube channel, as well!

https://www.facebook.com/katiesblog96971617/?ref=bookmarks

Thank you all for watching how this blanket turned out to be! I’m so glad that it’s finally done and the amount of support and motivation that I had was so helpful, so thank you to all that have watched this blanket go from just a few squares to a giant masterpiece!

Here is a slideshow of the progress of the blanket from month to month:

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Note: The month of February, I forgot to take a photo of, but other than that they are all there!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet

Crochet Temperature Blanket: Tips and Tricks for Starting One

Hey Dearies! As you all know, I’ve been working on a temperature blanket all year long! If you are a follower and like my Facebook page, you will know that I have been posting updates and squares, as I go along, but because this was my first ever temperature blanket, I’ve picked up on some tips and tricks to help out anyone who wants to create one.

Now, I want to explain that a temperature blanket isn’t a bunch of granny squares that you sew together as you go. You can choose to use any type of blanket for this, although, if you want to do a C2C blanket, you’ll have to work on a lot of planning to make one of those. Here are a few examples:

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Any blanket pattern you can think of, you can pretty much make it into a temperature blanket! If you are still confused about what a temperature blanket is, let me explain a little better:

A temperature blanket is when someone who knits or crochets the temperature of each day for a year. Using different colors to represent all of the temps.

That’s just a quick explanation of what it is. Let’s talk about what you are gonna need to do, in order to actually start this blanket. I really wished I did some more digging on what colors and how big or small I needed to make my squares.


Making a color chart

This is one of the most important things you need to think about before even starting the temperature blanket! I looked on Pinterest, just to get an idea on what others have done for their temperature blankets, but here’s mine:

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100 degrees – Fire Red (I Love This Yarn)
90 degrees – Pumpkin (Red Heart Super Saver)
80 degrees – Bright Yellow (Red Heart Super Saver)
70 degrees – Jelly Bean (I Love This Yarn)
60 degrees – Green (Main Stays Basic Yarn)
50 degrees – Turqia (Red Heart Super Saver)
40 degrees – Soft Blue (I Love This Yarn)
30 degrees – Dark Orchid (Red Heart Super Saver) *Changed to the following – Violet (Red Heart With Love)
20 degrees – Orchid (I Love This Yarn) *Changed to the following – Orchid (Red Heart Super Saver)
10 and below – Light Gray (I Love This Yarn)

See anything wrong with it? I had to scratch out the original colors, for a few of the temperatures, due to me not having enough yarn for a few of the temperatures. Not to mention, the way I planned this out, wasn’t the best idea. Let’s look at a few other peoples temperatures charts:

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I based my chart off of this person temperature chart, which isn’t a bad idea, but if you are going to do it this way, make sure you have a few skeins stocked for each color, which I did not, hence why I wouldn’t update on time because I ran out of color.

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These two examples are what I wished I went with because there are more colors for all the temperatures. When I mean by that, more colors means more yarn, but less likely of a chance of running out very quickly.

Not to mention, more colors, the more you’ll be able to have a rainbow blanket.

If you aren’t a big fan of rainbow colors, it doesn’t mean you have to do them. I’ve seen people do different shades of one color, with the added greys, browns, or whites added in.

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The best part of these, you can switch out the ‘purple’ color for any color you wish! Not only are these are a little different than the normal temperature blanket, but these would make a great gift to crochet the temperature of their baby’s first year!

With whatever you decide to do, making a chart by scratch or following someone else temperature chart, make sure you have the extra yarn for each temperature, just in case so you have back up!


-Picking out the supplies

This is another step that determines, not only how much yarn you’ll go through, but also how thick or thin your blanket will me. I used a size 5.0mm hook, which is the normal size that most projects require, I consider this to be the normal hook that most people and beginners, work with a lot.

Of course, you can change the hook to be bigger or smaller, depending on what you are going for.

Remember, the small the hook, the thinner or smaller your stitches will me.  The bigger the hook, the thicker or bigger your stitches will be.

Either way, whatever hook size you chose to use, should be decided on the type of yarn you use. Not all yarns are the same. For my temperature blanket, most of my yarn was a mix of ‘I Love This Yarn’ and ‘Red Heart Super Saver’.

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I do recommend using the SAME brand when it comes to your temperature blanket. If you want it to look good, I would use the same brand, but if you are going through your stash of yarn, that’s okay too.

If this is your first time creating a temperature blanket, using your stash or straps isn’t a bad idea, but will give you a chance to make trial and errors, when starting this project.


-How to start working at it?

Once you have the temperature color chart ready and what type of supplies you need, its time to make time for this project. Since you are crocheting a color according to the temperature, doing it every day can be a challenge or you may not have the time.

Writing the temperatures is never a bad idea, but I also found it very helpful, especially when I get behind or run out of yarn, you can always look back and have the temperature written down and ready to go when you need it so.

I want to say that I used to crochet a square a day, which wasn’t a bad idea, but sometimes I would forget to do so. That’s why I started writing down the days and what their temperatures were so that I could catch up during the weekend.

This system not only made it easier but also gave me more time to spend with the project itself. Whatever works for your schedule.


-Don’t forget to have fun!

Temperature blankets always sound fun to make in the beginning, but don’t just work on that project, have a few mini-projects to work on along with your temperature blanket. Sometimes only working on a temperature blanket can become boring, especially if you have been doing the same stitch.

If you are like me, and only thought of having one project at a time, versus working on 5 to 6 unfinished projects. I didn’t think I could be someone that got bored, but I understood that once you start a big project, it can get bored or old faster if that’s the only one you are currently working on.

I’ve learned that having a few or more projects unfinished is okay to have, but it keeps the balance of making sure that you are always doing something different versus repeating the same stitch over and over again.

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That’s all the tips and tricks I have for you this year! I’m not sure if I’m going to be making a temperature blanket for 2020, but if I do, I’ll let you all know all the details when I do.

Are you working on a temperature blanket? If so, what design are you going for? Let me know in the comments!

Make sure to follow me on my Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram, to keep up with what my final result will be when I finish my 2019’s temperature blanket. Not to mention, I’m usually active on Facebook, especially when it comes to my blog.

And also, have a Happy New Year!

Posted in Crochet

Crafty Sassy 2019 Pattern Recap

Hey Dearies! Sadly, 2019 is coming to the end and I posted my final pattern for this year, but I wanted to do a recap on all the patterns that I have shared with you for the year of 2019!

I will be doing a mini description of them and adding the link, just in case you would like to check out that post or you missed it.

Crochet Mug/Coffee Cozy w/ Pocket

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This one was super fun to make! I wanted to have a mug cozy that worked for both mugs and regular coffee cups, not to mention, having a pocket for holding sugar or a tea packet, especially if you are on the go!


Crochet Coin/Gift Card Purse

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I came up with this idea for my daughter since she was only a year old, this purse fit her size. Not to mention, I wanted to make sure it would fit the size for a gift card because I didn’t find any patterns that looked this cute!


Crochet Stuffed Easter Egg

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This one I thought about selling these with a basket that I made during Easter, but they were a pain in the butt to make, so I decided to have the pattern free for all of you! They look perfect for baby’s first Easter!


Crochet Tablet Cover 

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I made this for my kindle, since the case it came in was very broken, not to mention, I wanted to try this pattern out for it. However, I made it too small, as to why I choose to work around it with a different color. But in the end, I came out really cute!


Crochet Completely Solid Granny Square

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I wasn’t going to post this pattern, but at the time, I was working on a project and was looking everywhere for a pattern of a completely solid granny square. I figured there was someone else that was looking for the same thing. These are perfect for creating a pixel blanket, however, it will take forever to sew them together.


Crochet Adult Size Dragon Ball Z Hat

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My fiance requested this one, saw it on Pinterest and I had to make him one. Sadly, the owner of the original hat didn’t sell the pattern, but the hats themselves, so I decided to create it but looking at the picture, which is harder than it looks, but not impossible.


Crochet Ice Pop Cozy

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These were pretty simple to make and when I first got into crocheting, ice pop cozies are one of the basic projects that every beginner should make because they not only give you some practice working in rounds but are really easy and quick to make quickly for a craft fair.


Crochet Striped Washcloth

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Usually, washcloths are the first thing beginners make, when they first start to get into crocheting, but I didn’t make one until a customer asked me. Don’t get me wrong, making washcloths were on my list to make, but I wanted to do something that was a challenge for myself.


Crochet Circle Coaster 

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Coasters are another fun and cool idea to make, if you have been following for a while, you know that I love to crochet coasters! The only downfall with some of these coasters that they have out there, they don’t make them big enough for a normal size mug, I make sure to make my coasters to be as big, if not bigger, for all mug sizes.


Crochet C2C Phone Case

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Ever since I learned the C2C stitch, I love working with it! It’s just so much fun to create and so many ideas I can’t wait to make in the future with it! Once you know how to work with the C2C stitch, the ideas of making pixel designs are endless!


Crochet C2C Wrist Pocket

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Again, this year I was trying out new patterns that had to do with the C2C stitch. I figured this idea would be useful for holding cash, when out and about. Or for kids who lose their teeth. Another idea would be to use this to hold your buttons or stitch markers as you crochet or knit!


Crochet Can Cozies

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Cozies are also one of my favorite things to make, as well! Whether they are for cans, mugs, or coffee cups, I love to decorate my drinks, cold or hot! Don’t be surprised to see some more of them coming up in 2020.


Crochet Basic Square Coaster

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As I have said, I love making coasters! You’ll be most likely seeing more of them in the new year, but I want to make it more creative and festive for all the seasons and holidays.


Crochet Travel Bag

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Crocheted bags and purses are always something that I loved to see made, they aren’t always the easiest bags to make, but seeing how creative some of the bags come out is so amazing! Made this one for my niece, she loved it!


Crochet Halloween Coaster

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These coasters aren’t just for Halloween, but if you try out different colors, you can make them for any time of year! This one goes with a placemat, which I love the placemat sets that have coasters!


Crochet Halloween Placemat

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Placemats are another pattern that I hope you will see this new year! These aren’t the ones you see all the time, but placemats are something that I think brings out a kitchen or dining room nicely.


Crochet C2C Scarf

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Scarfs are a first for me to make this year and I hope to come up with more fun and bright ideas as well! This idea came from the C2C Grinch scarf but made it like a candy cane or peppermint stick.


Crochet Child Size Mittens

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Are these super cute? Yes, but they were a real pain in the butt to make, especially when it came to the thumb part of the mitten. Not to mention, I wanted to make my nieces and nephews all a set, but because of how I don’t like working in small circles, I ended up making something else instead.


Crochet Child Size Hat w/ Pom Pom

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Last, but not least, the hats! These are based on how the Dragon Ball Z hat, but sized to fit a child. When it comes to hats, go bigger than the actual size. Going bigger isn’t a bad idea because, knowing how fast kids grow, they can just grow into them.


There they are! All the patterns from 2019! I know I haven’t been as active as I wanted to, but with starting college and being a stay at home mom with a 2-year-old, it’s been really busy!

However, I am planning out how I want to be more active for 2020. If you have any ideas or have something you would like me to create or come up with, feel free to let me know!

And as always, make sure to follow me on my Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter. I’m more active on my Facebook, so make sure you are following!

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the year and we will see you all back in 2020 for new patterns, crafts, stories, and so much more!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet Blanket 2019

Temperature Blanket Update – November 2019

I know this post has been way overdue, with my college classes and the holidays being around the same time, I have put this project on due, but now that I am currently on ‘break’ for college and holidays are just about over, I can put my focus on finishing this blanket.

Now that the temperature has gone down, for November, it has been getting cold, and we even hit the 20s. Lower the temps, more chance for snow and we have gotten a few snowstorms up here in Maine.

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We only have a month left! I can’t wait for this project to be completed, not only does this take forever to make, but it was also a pain in the butt for me to do, just because of how unprepared I was, but I will make sure to create on a post on how I would change or become more prepared on creating a temperature blanket.

As always, here is the list of colors and what temperatures they represent:

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100 degrees – Fire Red (I Love This Yarn)
90 degrees – Pumpkin (Red Heart Super Saver)
80 degrees – Bright Yellow (Red Heart Super Saver)
70 degrees – Jelly Bean (I Love This Yarn)
60 degrees – Green (Main Stays Basic Yarn)
50 degrees – Turqia (Red Heart Super Saver)
40 degrees – Soft Blue (I Love This Yarn)
30 degrees – Dark Orchid (Red Heart Super Saver) *Changed to the following – Violet (Red Heart With Love)
20 degrees – Orchid (I Love This Yarn) *Changed to the following – Orchid (Red Heart Super Saver)
10 and below – Light Gray (I Love This Yarn)

How do you tell which color to use?

I, personally, go with the overall temperature. So, let’s go by today, for example:

Today in Maine, the overall temperature is 17 degrees. I would choose the light gray.

Let’s say that it was an overall temperature of 22 degrees, I would choose the Orchid color. All my temperatures, for my colored yarn, has to have the same number first number. If that makes any sense, I’m sorry if it doesn’t!

What was the highest temperature for this month?

Well, we haven’t seen anything higher than 50s degrees, which is cold, but I would prefer 60 degree days. As we get closer to the end of the year, we most likely won’t see anything warmer than 50 degrees.

What was the lowest temperature for this month?

We actually hit 20 degrees a few times this month, but nothing colder than that and we had to make sure we were bundled up. Best part about making this blanket during the winter, it definetly keeps you warm while you add the squares to the blanket.

Do you post daily updates?

Yes, I do. On my Facebook page, I post a picture of the square for each day. I also tried to post every week’s worth, but it was hard to keep track of, so I’ll be posting monthly and daily instead.

If you haven’t liked my Facebook Page, here is the link below! It keeps you posted and updated on my temperature blanket and any updates for my blog and YouTube channel, as well!

https://www.facebook.com/katiesblog96971617/?ref=bookmarks

Posted in Crochet, Easy Patterns

Crafty Sassy: Crochet Child Size Hat w/ Pom Pom (Easy)

Merry Christmas! This will be the last pattern I will be posting for 2019! This one is also another gift that I made for my nieces and nephews, this actually goes along with the mittens I posted a few days ago.

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The pattern for the mittens will be at the bottom of the post!

When it comes to crocheting hats, I’ve learned to go big versus going by the actual size the pattern is intended for, especially when it comes to babies and child sizes. For the adults, it’s easier to pick a size that fits all. Having the hat be bigger also gives them that extra growing space, so if now they don’t fit in it just right, they’ll grow into it.

Here’s what you will need:

  • Medium Size Yarn
    • I chose a light and dark pink, that matches the mittens, but you can change it whatever color or colors you prefer.
  • Size 6 mm hook
    • You can use whatever size hook, change the size to make it bigger or smaller.
  • Sewing needle

-Hat

Make a magic ring, slip stitch to lock it in place.

Round 1: Make 11 double crochets in the magic ring. Join with a slip stitch in the first double crochet. Chain 2.

Round 2: Make 2 double crochets in each stitch around. Join. Chain 2. (22 dc)

Round 3: *2 double crochets in the first stitch, double crochet in the next. * Repeat around. Join. Chain 2. (33 dc)

Round 4: *2 double crochets in the first stitch, 2 double crochet in the next. * Repeat around. Join. Chain 2. (44 dc)

Round 5: *2 double crochets in the first stitch, 10 double crochet in the next. * Repeat around. Join. Chain 2. (48 dc)

Round 6: *2 double crochets in the first stitch, 11 double crochet in the next. * Repeat around. Join. Chain 2. (52 dc)

Round 7: *2 double crochets in the first stitch, 12 double crochet in the next. * Repeat around. Join. Chain 2. (56 dc)

Round 8: *2 double crochets in the first stitch, 13 double crochet in the next. * Repeat around. Join. Chain 2. (60 dc)

Round 9: *2 double crochets in the first stitch, 14 double crochet in the next. * Repeat around. Join. Chain 2. (64 dc)

Round 10: *2 double crochets in the first stitch, 15 double crochet in the next. * Repeat around. Join. Chain 2. (68 dc)

Round 11-15: Double crochet around. Join. Chain 2.

Note: If you wish to add the stripe, as seen in hats above, switch color at Round 14, going around at Round 15. Change it back to the main color before round 16.

Round 16-17: Single crochet around. Join. Chain 1.

Fasten off and sew in loose ends.

-Pom Pom

If you don’t know how to make a pom-pom, here is a video showing you how to. You don’t have to have one, this part is optional.

 

There you have it! Last pattern of 2019!

Also, here is the link for the pattern that goes for the mittens:

https://katiesblog96971617.com/2019/12/20/crafty-sassy-crochet-child-size-mittens-easy/

Don’t forget to follow my Facebook Page! That’s where I am the most active on, I’m also on Instagram and Twitter, so don’t forget to follow me on those!

Posted in Crochet, Easy Patterns

Crafty Sassy: Crochet Child Size Mittens (Easy)

Hey Dearies! I have a few patterns that I want to get out to you guys before Christmas! I didn’t know how these would come out, but I’m hoping that they fit my niece!

If you are like me and are rushing to finish last-minute projects in time for Christmas, well, you aren’t alone! I know tons of people who are working to get their hand-made gifts done in time.

So, this is actually part of a set and I’m gonna get the hat pattern out as soon as I can.

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Here’s what you will need:

  • Medium Size Yarn
    • I am using Red Heart, you can choose one color or two!
  • 4.25mm hook
    • This is supposed to be a ‘child’ size, but if it doesn’t look big enough for a child or the size you are looking for, you can always go up a hook size or use 2 strands of yarn instead of just one.
  • Sewing Needle
  • Stitch Marker
    • This is needed! If you don’t have a stitch marker, you can always use a paper clip, safety pin, or even a bobby pin.
  • Measuring tape or ruler

Let’s begin!

Mitten

Chain 2.

Round 1: In the second chain from the hook, make 6 single crochets. DO NOT JOIN! Place your stitch marker in the last single crochet you made. You’ll be moving this stitch marker to each round and in the last stitch. 

Round 2: Make 2 single crochets in each stitch. (12 sc)

Round 3: *Single crochet in the next stitch, make 2 single crochets in the next stitch* Repeat 6 times. (18 sc)

Round 4: *Single crochet in the next 2 stitches, make 2 single crochets in the next stitch* Repeat 6 times. (24 sc)

Round 5: *Single crochet in the next 3 stitches, make 2 single crochets in the next stitch* Repeat 6 times. (30 sc)

Round 6: Single crochet in each stitch until the piece measures the length of your fingers or the length you need them at. Make sure to keep moving the stitch marker to the end of each row. Don’t fasten off!

Creating the Thumb Opening

Round 1: Single crochet in the first 15 stitches, chain 10 (this is for the thumb opening), single crochet in the last 15 single crochet.

Round 2: Single crochet in each stitch and chain around. (40 sc)

Round 3: Single crochet in each stitch around.

Round 4: *Single crochet in the next 7 stitches, skip the next single crochet* Repeat 5 times. (35 sc)

Round 5: Single crochet in each stitch around.

Round 6: *Single crochet in the next 6 stitches, skip next single crochet* Repeat 5 times. (30 sc)

Round 7: Single crochet in each stitch around.

Round 8: *Single crochet in the next 5 stitches, skip next single crochet* Repeat 5 times. (25 sc)

Round 9-11: Single crochet in each stitch around. If you want to, switch to a different color for the cuff part of the mitten. Don’t fasten off.

Cuff

Note about creating the cuff, when we are creating the cuff, we are working back and for creating the ‘ribbing’ effect. At the end of every other row, make sure to slip stitch to attach it to the mitten. 

Row 1: Slip stitch in the next stitch, chain 9, single crochet in the 2nd chain from the hook (In the back loops only) and in each of the remaining chains across, slip stitch in the next 2 stitches of the last round of the mitten. (8 sc)

Row 2: Skip the slip stitches, working in the back loops only, single crochet in each stitch across. Turn.

Row 3: Chain 1, working in the back loops only, single crochet in each stitch across, slip stitch in the next 2 stitches of the last round of the mitten.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until the ribbing has been made around the last row of the mitten. Fasten off, leaving a long end for sewing the ribbed cuff together.

Thumb

You can use the same color as your mitten is, or mix it up and do what I did and have the cuff match the thumb part of the mitten! Or try a different color to go with the mix!

Round 1: Join the yarn with a slip stitch anywhere in the thumb opening. Work 10 single crochets evenly around the thumb opening. DO NOT JOIN! Place your stitch marker at the end of every stitch and move it as you go! (11 sc)

Round 2: Single crochet in the 5 stitches, skip the next stitch, single crochet in the last 5 stitches. (10 sc)

Round 3: Single crochet in each stitch around. Repeat until you have reached your desired length from the base of the thumb to the tip of the thumb.

Remainer Round: *Single crochet in the next stitch, skip the next stitch* Repeat 5 times. (5 sc)

Fasten off, leaving a long end to sew the ends through the stitches of the last round and pull tight to close the top of the thumb.

Note about the thumb: This part might be the hardest to do, but if you are feeling brave, you can always crochet the thumb part and then sew it to the mitten, but if you are just starting out, it might be even trickier than this part. Whatever you are comfortable with! 

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There you have it! A perfect pair of mittens for anyone!

And if you want to add the long string, that is optional, I added it so that you can keep the mittens in the jacket just so you don’t lose them, but you don’t have to add them if you don’t want to.

Make sure you keep an eye out for the hat pattern that I’ll be posting sometime soon, that goes with this pair of gloves.

Don’t forget to follow my Facebook Page! That’s where I am the most active on, I’m also on Instagram and Twitter, so don’t forget to follow me on those!

 

Posted in Crochet, Easy Patterns

Crafty Sassy: Crochet C2C Scarf (Easy)

Hey Dearies! I’m officially on break from school and wanted to show you guys what I’ve been working on! As most of you know the Christmas season is here and as most of us crocheters start working on last-minute Christmas presents.

So, for the past year or so I’ve been making hand-made items, such as these, for my family, mainly my nieces and nephews. I’m always on the lookout for new things to try, but at the same time, I have to do what I know I can get done before Christmas.

I actually got the idea from the Grinch C2C crochet scarf that I found on Pinterest and alter the pattern to work out for my nephew.

Here’s what you will need:

  • Medium Yarn (Size 4)
    • I’m using, as always, Red Heart Brand.
    • You don’t have to use just two colors, you can switch it up and use as many or just one color, whatever you like!
  • 5.0 mm hook
  • Sewing needle

If you don’t know how to do the C2C and find it easier to see what it looks like, here is a video from Heart Hook Home that I found very useful. Not to mention, if you like your C2C stitches to look nice and neat, her way works amazing and it’s the same way that I’ll be using for this pattern.

Let’s Begin!

Chain 5.

Row 1: Double crochet into the 3 chains from the hook and in the next 2 stitches.

Row 2: Chain 5. Repeat from row one. (This is how we increase.) Then flip your ‘square’, like you are going connect it. Slip stitch in the chain three, from the last square. Chain 2. Make 3 double crochets in that same space.

Repeat until you have 9 squares across. Once you do, after making your last square, slip stitch on the top of the square. (This is how you decrease). Chain 2 and make 3 double crochets in that chain 3 space.

Keep repeating until you have 140 squares. (In order to make it longer, add more squares if needed.) Then end it, as you did for the other side and then fasten off.

Tips for changing color: 

  • I worked with the same color for 5 squares, and then switched to another color.
  • Try out different colors, have fun with it!

 

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There you have it! A simple scarf that is quick and easy to make, especially if you don’t know what to make for anyone!

Make sure you like my Facebook page and follow me on Instagram. I’m more active on my Facebook page than I am on Instagram.

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 5 Free Crochet Wine Bottle Cozy Patterns

Hey Dearies! Happy Thanksgiving! I figured since we are getting closer to Christmas, as crazy as it seems that its almost here! I would find some wine bottle patterns that would be perfect to make for those of you who have wine lovers in the family!

Not only are they simple to make, but they make a great way to bring a bottle of wine over for dinner. These are also reusable and I’ve added a pattern or two that is simple, no holiday theme, just in case you want to give a neutral wine cozy!

Before I begin, I just want to note that these aren’t my patterns, so all credit goes to the original owners! I will be adding the link to their websites so that you are able to create these amazing creations!

  1. Football Wine Cozy

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These are perfect for the football fans that also love to drink wine! You could also change the wine bottle for a 24oz of beer, as an idea. Never a bad idea to drink wine and watch the famous football games they always have on Thanksgiving!

Football Wine Cozy


2. Striped Wine Cozy

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Here is one of those simple patterns that you can create if you don’t want it to have a holiday theme. This also has a different type of stitch that you are working with as well, then it just being plain double crochet all around. You can also just use one main color as well!

Free Crochet Pattern Wine Bottle Cozy


3. Pumpkin Wine Cozy

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I know what you are probably thinking, Halloween is over, but pumpkins tie into Thanksgiving. Especially if you want some pumpkin pie with a glass of wine! You could even switch the orange color for red and make an apple wine cozy instead.

Pumpkin Wine Cozy


4. Poinsettia Wine Cozy

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This one is perfect for Christmas time, especially with the famous flower you see during the holiday season! The flower can be a challenge to create, but it is definitely worth a try! Also, if you don’t like the green that they used, you can always switch it out for a darker green or white, as well!

Poinsettia Wine Cozy


5. Snowman Wine Cozy

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I had to save this one for last! This little guy is too cute! Plus he has a lot of detail put into him, which is simply incredible! If you were making a few of these, I can see you switching out the red for green, blue, purple, or any other color you can think of.

Crochet Snowman Wine Cozy


 

There you have it! Some new ideas for what to give out for Christmas!

With that being said, I wanted to let you know that I have new pattern ideas coming soon, but with Christmas around the corner, this is the time that I am working on towel toppers and gifts for my family before the big day.

I’ll be trying my best to be active and I’m going to be making another post on what we are going to be doing next year for the blog, and how I’m going to try my best to be as active as I can!

Happy Thanksgiving! Make sure you eat some turkey and crochet!

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 10 Free Thanksgiving Crochet Patterns

Hey Dearies! So, to start out this wonderful month out, I figured I could do some searching to find some super cute and amazing decorations for Thanksgiving since it’s almost here!

Note: I don’t own any of these patterns, all rights go to their original creators. I will be proving the link to the original patterns. Make sure that if you create any of these, please don’t claim the patterns as your own, these creators work hard to create these patterns!

I wanted to get a variety of Thanksgiving stuff, so it won’t just be placemats or potholders. Its a little bit of everything. Without further ado, here are some free patterns just in time for Thanksgiving!

1.Pumpkin Pie Pot Holder

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This pie looks so good enough to eat! Just kidding, but it makes a very festive potholder for Thanksgiving Dinner or for those who just LOVE the famous pumpkin pie!

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pumpkin-pie-pot-holder

2.Fall Maple Leaves

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These are perfect for adding more of a ‘3D’ effect to blankets, hats, or anything! Of course, you could use them as coasters, if you make them big enough!

Fall Maple Leaves Free Crochet Pattern

3. Thanksgiving Wreath

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Ain’t this the most cutest thing ever?! If you are looking for something to hang on your door for Thanksgiving, this would be perfect! Not to mention, you could even hang this on your wall, as well.

Thanksgiving Wreath

4. Autumn Placemat

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Now, if you are looking for a simple, yet festive for a placemat, these are for you! Very simple to make, but also are perfect for the big turkey day! Not to mention the color pattern that they chose for the yarn is beautiful!

Crochet Autumn Placemats

5. Pumpkin Pie Cuddler

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If you are a big pumpkin pie fan, then you definitely need to make this cuddler for yourself! Not to mention, these creators have a lot to offer, especially when it comes to free patterns, but this pie is too cute!

Pumpkin Pie Kawaii Cuddler™ – Free Crochet Pattern

6. Falling Leaves Afghan

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Now that it’s getting colder, time to make some blankets! This one is perfect for the fall, especially if you love to cuddle up in a blanket on the colder days!

https://www.favecrafts.com/Crochet-Afghans/Falling-Leaves-Afghan-Crochet-Pattern-from-Red-Heart

7. Turkey Coasters

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These turkey coasters are by far the cutest I’ve ever seen! The creator put a lot of detail into these and I think they are just too cute! These can be perfect for coasters for the kids for Thanksgiving!

Turkey Coasters Crochet Pattern

8. Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffie

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Looking for something cute to make for a shelf for Thanksgiving, this little guy is just too adorable to not want to make! I love how his feathers came out!

Thanksgiving Turkey Crochet Pattern

9. Chestnut Leaf Table Runner & Placemat

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I just LOVE this design! Even if it isn’t for Thanksgiving, having these places mats up during the fall would be too cute to have! Not to mention, you crochet three of the placemats to get the runner!

https://www.abc-knitting-patterns.com/1329.html

10. Pumpkin Placemat Set

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Are you one of those people who just LOVES pumpkins? Then you need to make yourself a table set of these! Even if you don’t like the pumpkins, this would make a wonderful placemat come Thanksgiving time or just in general for your everyday use!

https://www.momsloveofcrochet.com/PumpkinSet.html


There you have it! New free patterns for you to try out, even if it isn’t Thanksgiving, these are still a fun idea to try out in time for the holidays. They would also make great gifts for new newlyweds or new homeowners as well!

Which ones were your favorites? Which one would you love to create for yourself? Let me know in the comments!

Make sure you like my Facebook page! I post updates on my blog, Youtube channel, and anything else on there!

https://www.facebook.com/katiesblog96971617/

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 10 Free Crochet Halloween Stuffies

Hey Dearies! Since we are in the last week of October and Halloween is just days away, I figured I would share some of these super cute stuffies that you can make for this spooky holiday!

Note: I don’t own any of these patterns, all rights go to their original creators. I will be proving the link to the original patterns. Make sure that if you create any of these, please don’t claim the patterns as your own, these creators work hard to create these patterns!

Now, some of these patterns might be a little hard for beginners, but we love to challenge our skills! These are also perfect gifts to that person who are big fans of the Halloween season.

1. Cute Baby Ghost
https://www.windingroadcrochet.com/pretty-little-ghost-free-crochet-pattern/

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This is super cute! I also love the little spider that they added on the side for the ghost! If you are wondering how their cheeks get pink, any lite blush or eyeshadow can create that effect.

2. Little Bat
https://coolcreativity.com/crochet/amigurumi-little-bat-free-crochet-pattern/

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This is another adorable pattern, I just love these cute baby bats!

3. Little Pumpkins
https://stringydingding.com/pumpkin-amigurumi-free-crochet-pattern/

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Last year, I made a bigger version of these mini pumpkins, although, I didn’t have enough time to make it more adorable. I’m tempted to make a mini one!

4. Sharlotte The Spider
https://woolpatterns.com/cute-halloween-amigurumi-free-crochet-patterns/

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If you don’t like real spiders, I think you’ll be on board with Sharlotte! This reminds me of Charlotte’s Web book I read back in elementary school.

5. Frankenstein
https://spinayarncrochet.com/frankensteins-monster-free-crochet-pattern/

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This little guy is freaking cute! These are perfect for the little ones to cuddle with at night. This creator has a few of these little guys and the next one is on this list!

6. Classic Vampire
https://spinayarncrochet.com/vampire-amigurumi-free-crochet-pattern/

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I’m a big vampire fan and the reason why I said this was a ‘classic vampire’, because, well, it is. That and it doesn’t sparkle in the sunlight, that’s for sure. However, putting a little bit of highlight on it could make this little monster shine in the daylight.

7. Candy Corn Cuddler
https://3amgracedesigns.com/candy-corn-kawaii-cuddler/

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This is something I would definitely create and put on my couch, however, my two-year-old would most likely take it whenever I wanted to cuddle with it. I can’t blame her either, that cuddler is too cute!

8. Zombie Bear
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/zombie-bear-2

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This bear is cute and spooky, just look at him. Now, this stuffy is one of those fun one that you can use your scrap yarn for. If you are a big Halloween fan, this might be something that you want to make for your spooky collection.

9. Oogie Boogie
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/oogie-boogie

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If you already know who this guy is, then you must either have seen The Nightmare Before Christmas or are a HUGE fan of the movie. I couldn’t forget this guy, that’s for sure, but the best part, he’s a free pattern. And if you check out the creator, you’ll also find that they have created Zero and Jack, as well.

10. Hocus Pocus Witches
http://thecrochetqueendesigns.com/free-pattern-red-haired-witch/

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Well, I had to save the best for last! Hocus Pocus is one of those movies that you have to see every year for Halloween and when I saw this on Pinterest, I was so excited! More excited that the pattern was free!

Which ones were your favorites? Which one would you love to create for yourself? Let me know in the comments!

Make sure you like my Facebook page! I post updates on my blog, Youtube channel, and anything else on there!

https://www.facebook.com/katiesblog96971617/

 

Posted in Arts and Crafts, Crochet, Top Projects for Crochet/Knitting

Crafty Sassy: Top 10 Free Crochet Costumes for Newborns

Hey Dearies! So, I wanted to make this post last year, but I changed my mind. Even tho my daughter will be turning two at the end of this month, I wanted to share some links to some super amazing patterns for newborns!

I didn’t get into crocheting until after my daughter was born and really missed out on making her one of these costumes to do a photoshoot for her. However, just because I missed out, I still want to keep in mind, just in case I ever get asked to make them in the future.

When it comes to looking for free patterns, for this type of project, it is a little bit of slim picking, but if you don’t mind paying for the pattern itself, you can find more Disney characters. (Which I will be making a post with links to those very soon!)

Even if you don’t know how to make them, always see if your friendly crocheters wouldn’t mind creating them for you. I love to getting sent a project to do, such as this, it gives me a challenge and something new to try out!

Disclaimer: None of the patterns shown are mine, all rights go out to their creators. I have left links to where the free patterns come from. Make sure that if you chose to make these, or have them made, that you give credit where credit is due to the original creator.

  • Baby Turtle

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Here is the link for this free pattern: https://coolcreativity.com/crochet/crochet-turtle-newborn-photo-prop-with-free-pattern/

  • Baby Cinderella

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Here is the link for this free pattern: https://lovableloops.com/patterns/free-cinderella-dress-crochet-pattern/

  • Baby Chick

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Here is the link for this free pattern: https://www.leftinknots.com/home/baby-chick-infant-hat-and-cocoon-free-crochet-pattern

  • Baby Dino

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Here is the link for this free pattern: https://letscrochet.org/crochet/free-patterns/babys-dino-hat-cape-crochet-free-pattern/

  • Hello Kitty

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Here is the link for this free pattern: http://dearestdebi.com/crochet-newborn-hello-kitty

  • The Hungry Caterpillar

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Here is the link for this free pattern: https://letscrochet.org/clothing/baby-caterpillar-cocoon-crochet-free-pattern/

  • Baby Santa