Just in time for football season

At one of the football games last year, my sister-in-law spotted a table where the Rams Club was giving out these tiny patches and between the two of us we managed to snag about 10. I worked on the bears throughout the summer. My mom even helped sew the patches on some of the tiny bears - that part was NOT fun.



I included the photo below because it shows more of the tar heel detail on the ribbon. Thanks for the ribbon Maria!



I still haven't decided if both a patch and pom poms is overkill, so I left several bears without the latter. What do you think?

Patriot bears make the news

Not really. But my mom forwarded the Downtown Arts District of Winston-Salem's e-letter to me last night, which featured a picture of my little patriot bears.

So cheesy, but so cute: "Hand-crafted items are food for the soul! and we're glad you're still finding that special something with us! (See how happy we look - we can bearly stand it!)"


My mom is a member of Fiber Company. Her work can be viewed on the Carolina Designer Craftsmen web site.

Remember these? Want one?

I'd like to find some UNC buttons or some other suitable embellishments to add to these bears. The buttons would have to be pretty tiny - preferably no bigger than 1" wide by 3/4" tall, but I could probably forgive a centimeter here or there.

A quick search of the internet (including Johnny T-shirt) gave me no cost-effective ideas. While I'm sure it will be viewed as a paltry reward, I will make and send one to anyone who provides me with a cute solution to my embellishment dilemma. Please advise!

Embellishment advice?

I was lucky to find buttons to embellish my Valentines Day bears, St. Patrick's Day bears and Patriot bears - but when I started looking WAY forward to Halloween I found myself out of luck. I couldn't believe it. No cute Halloween buttons - really?

I'm sharing my first improvisation on this post - the knitted piece of candy corn. What do you think?

Any other ideas? Please bear in mind that I am seriously NOT a talented knitter. I can only produce VERY easy items. Even though this candy corn was made by my own "pattern," we're talking about an unpatterned pattern anyway. Keyword: GUESSWORK.

The knitted candy corn pieces are approximately 1/2" wide by 1" long. Anything larger won't work well.

Suggestions are very welcome!

Latest Knittings

So I lied when I said the Valentine's bears were the last to be posted on this blog. Behold: shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day and patriots for Memorial Day and July 4th. My niece has already had her mother ask me when her Easter bunnies will arrive!

Hearts Day Bears

I promise - or I think I promise - that this will be the last post dedicated to any variety of tiny bears, bunnies or other animals. These are some of the Valentine's Day bears I made. I'm putting a few in the mail to my niece today - I really hope she likes them!

UNC Bear - Accessorized

I preface this post by admitting that my life is boring - but you know what? I LOVE my boring life!

I give you UNC bear with pom poms. I find her rather cute. Thoughts?

Tar Heel Bunny

Here's the first UNC Tar Heel bunny. Since Easter is in April, I used ribbon around the neck rather than a scarf. I've got several others in the works, some white, some brown like the one pictured here. Some might sport scarves, some might have no neckwear, I never really decide on that stuff until I'm actually finishing off each bunny/bear.

Some of you have asked about variations on the pattern (boy bunnies, different animals, etc). As I am not a master of knitting, I'm pretty much limited to the items I've shared so far.

While it would probably be fun to experiment with different ideas, I honestly just don't have the patience for that. If I happen upon established patterns that could be adapted to the bunny/bear design, I will certainly try them out, but I'm not going to make myself crazy trying to come up with endlessly varying patterns!

It would be cool if I could somehow knit "UNC" or a Tar Heel on the front of the bunny sweater, but again, my lack of patience and knitting mastery prevents that possibility, too. Wonder if I could fashion a makeshift pom-pom out of ribbon?

I'm sure there will be Tar Heel bears made, too. If any of my fellow Tar Heel fans would like a bunny or bear of their own just let me know! GO HEELS!

Pirate Bunny

I lovingly named the bunny pictured left "my ECU bunny." I didn't really grasp the school color affiliation until the little chica was completed, at which time it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Although I never attended East Carolina University, I spent a fair amount of time visiting the campus during my first semester of college.

No ill will by any means, but I'd have to say I think I'd have been better off staying away from the Pirates.

Who knew a tiny bunny ornament could bring back so many undesired memories! Purple. Yellow. Black. Not fond.

I say "not fond," but then I think that some of those mistakes taught me a great deal and allowed me to become the person I am and I like her.

Perhaps I should keep my little ECU bunny as a reminder of the person I left behind and also the person I am happy to be now!

Final note: Guess I should put more thought into my bunny/bear color combinations before the project is underway...

More tiny ornaments

I distributed tiny bear ornaments to my co-workers on Monday - almost solely to my female peers as I assumed the guys wouldn't appreciate them - and they were a hit! While definitely more impressed than they should've been, my colleagues inspired me to go ahead and try out the rabbit pattern. The only real difference is the size of the ears, but I just love my first bunny ornament. I guess the Spring colors qualify as a difference, too, as I would make the bunnies to match Easter colors.

The bears I gave as gifts were far more neatly designed than my "beta bear." After a bit of practice I got the hang of it and even added some cute embellishments to several of them. I hope my friends will hang them on their trees for years to come!

But I am looking for suggestions for the bunnies. For the Christmas bears I mostly crocheted scarves to go around their necks, and on some I sewed tiny heart-shaped buttons to the front of the "dress." But for the bunnies a scarf doesn't really work - at least if we're thinking Spring - so if anyone has a suggestion for an embellishment, I'm all ears!

On a very unrelated and completely FLASHBACK note (as I loudly announce my age), an episode of Cold Case recently aired on TNT cast me to iTunes looking for songs by Asia and Kenny Loggins. Wow.

Tiny bear ornaments

I fell in love with these tiny teddy bear ornaments created by a woman named Julie at Little Cotton Rabbits. Her work is of course much better than mine, but I made my first tiny teddy bear ornament last night (pictured left).

I thought of making them while I was brainstorming for my Operation Christmas Child boxes, so if I decide to include this little "beta" bear I hope the recipient likes it!

I wanted to make a test bear before investing in materials, so I used green and cream yarn I already owned and made my bear a polar bear.

There are two versions of the pattern - one that makes a dress (the one I used) and one that includes legs as well as arms. For my "beta" bear, I thought less limbs was best.

I didn't have the correct size of double-pointed needles (I sold all of mine on ebay, save one pair, when I gave up knitting in the round) so I used a set of US size 5 double-pointed needles for my bear. Yarn used was cheap-o left over from my knitting practice days. My finished bear (minus ribbon loop) is approximately 3.75" tall.

What do you think? Suggestions?

Closet Office Complete

I finished the closet office on Saturday, after hanging my homemade bulletin board (blue-framed item in the center of the photos). I still need to hire an electrician so that I don't have wires and cables tangled every which way, but otherwise I'm loving my new little office space (ignore the glimpses of my blue dresser on the right).

Unexpected perk and simultaneous downer: While cleaning up for the office project I found my Chris Reuther memory ribbon, which I thought I'd lost. I was so happy to have found it, but finding it also made me break down into a long fit of tears. Chris' ribbon is the green and blue ribbon pinned to the central bulletin board.

In order to not end this post on a severely solemn note, I'll just say that Chris' ribbon will now remain safe in my new closet office for as long as I live in my current residence.

While I don't need a ribbon to remember Chris, I'm proud to keep a reminder of him close to me.

Project in progress

The closet office is almost complete (thanks a TON to Jim, my fabulous guardian angel who does so much for me).

Only waiting on a few adornments - I am so pleased with my results. My life feels more organized already!

However, I'm not looking forward to hiring an electrician to provide convenient power with minimal extension cords, and sadly I feel certain that additional complications will arise. Anybody out there have an electrician on speed dial in the Durham area whom they really trust?

I've become torn about home ownership. I love the tax benefits, but I hate the fact that the health of my yard and weed population has been made a top priority. THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE.

SERIOUSLY - MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE.
I have neighbors who are complete NAZIS about dog poop - even when it's in MY yard. In my dreams, I punch those people, repeatedly in the face, especially since I poop scoop 4-6 times a week, and it is MY yard.

I really hate coming across as such a bitter hateful person, but what I hate more are the people who make me this way.

I have a new conviction - I will be a better person no matter what.

Home Improvement task #1 complete

While some touch-up painting to the trim, etc. is likely in order, I consider task #1 completed. The threshold support under my front door is now far more structurally sound, effective and attractive.

I must admit that I find it extremely irritating that ALL of my other doors are constructed with similar supports that haven't deteriorated. So, was it just some slacker jackass that took care of my front door or is there some other random explanation? I'm sure I'll never know, so I'll just have to let it go and be proud of my ability to remedy the situation.

Should there be any interest in how I did this, I've included rough instructions following the photos. The whole job only cost me about $42. Many people probably already own some of the items I had to purchase, so the task is likely a bit less expensive for most. I've included the items needed below with the instructions.

If you eliminate the necessary shopping and the drying time for certain steps in the process, this project only took about 2 1/2 hours to complete.




Items needed:

• 2x4 piece of treated lumber, cut to the size you need

• Sandpaper, 120 and 220. I was lucky enough to have an electric sander. 220 to sand the bare wood, 120 to sand between coats of paint and/or to sand over filled screw holes

• wood filler or spackle

• a decent drill and the following drill bits: 3/16" regular bit; 5/32" x 4 1/2" carbide tipped concrete drill bit (if you're on a slab like me); 1/4" titanium countersink bit

• Concrete anchors, I used (4) 3/16" x 2 3/4" Tapcon brand (not sure what you'd need if not on a slab, but I recommend some kind of anchor in addition to liquid nails if that's what you use)

• Interior/exterior primer; oil or latex base

• Exterior latex paint (I used Valspar premium semi-gloss from Lowes)

• 9" Caulking gun

• DAP Concrete & Mortar Filler & Sealant (not necessary if your foundation is without cracks)

• Liquid Nails Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive

• GE Premium Waterproof Silicone Caulk for window/door/attic/basement, Clear, 10 oz


1. After forcefully ripping off the previous support, I took that piece of wood to Lowes to have a new piece of treated lumber cut. I then sanded, primed and painted all sides of the wood. (While many people, including the guy who cut my wood say that painting all sides is unnecessary, I couldn't help but think that by priming and painting all sides, the wood would more likely be thoroughly sealed from the elements).

2. Remove any materials/residue from the original support base. I used my hair dryer to heat the leftover liquid nails residue and an industrial scraper. I used a standard caulk remover tool to remove any extraneous old caulk.

3. I found the previous attachment method asinine. Whoever attached the original support used a tiny amount of liquid nails and then actual nails to attach the support to concrete. The nails were placed only towards the middle of the support board and the liquid nails were applied in much the same way. No wonder the wood separated at the ends! Therefore, I decided to use both concrete anchors (screws) and liquid nails. I drilled holes through my wood piece, evenly placed across the entire support, then lined it up where it was to be placed and drilled through with the concrete bit to make corresponding holes in the concrete. I used the countersink bit to make impressions in the front side of the wood where the anchors would rest.

4. I coated the backside of the piece of wood with generous strips of liquid nails and positioned the wood in place. I then immediately screwed in the anchors, working from side to side to keep the wood even while the liquid nails dried.

5. Once all the anchors were screwed in, I used spackling to cover over the screws. After allowing that to dry, I sanded the entire area and then painted over the entire face of the wood with another coat of exterior latex paint.

6. Following a suitable period of drying time for the paint, I applied clear silicone caulk, using a caulk gun, to seal all gaps. I then used a standard caulk finishing tool to neaten up the edges.

Reborn chair

The chair pictured right is the chair I listed in my September 9th post, but looking much better now.

I painted the frame to match my dresser - an antique that my parents bought when they were in their 20s. I inherited the dresser and two matching bedside tables when I moved back to North Carolina from Michigan in 2003. I stripped the furniture, painted it and replaced the outdated pulls with cool modern silver knobs.

The paint from 2003 was completely solidified, but I was pleased to find that Lowe's still had paint chips for the same colors. I used spray paint primer (Kilz odorless interior oil-base) and Olympic Premium Interior/Exterior High Gloss Latex paint.

I also wanted to soften up the seat just a touch, so I stretched some natural cotton batting (1/8" thickness) over the foam from the original chair before adding the fabric.

My mom found the most perfect fabric. I'd sent her paint chips of the colors of my bedroom walls and furniture and she hit the jackpot. All of the colors in the chair cushion fabric are either on my walls, my furniture or my duvet cover. I am quite pleased with my results!

Home Improvement

Don't let the title of this post fool you. I am no fan of Tim Allen. In fact, I don't know why, but I HATE the show "Home Improvement," even though I know for certain I've never watched more than 5 minutes of any episode. : waves hand in dismissive fashion :

The following are a few of my home improvement projects that have come to the forefront. Any advice regarding materials suppliers, installers, etc. would be greatly appreciated. I would particularly appreciate any local advice regarding upholstering - particularly as to acquiring upholstery fabric to be applied by myself. I have had NO luck finding a local, quality fabric vendor.

Task #1: Repairing the front door "trim" (I'm still not sure that's what it is called)

As you can see below, whatever that piece of wood is, it needs to be replaced. If anyone has experience with this, please share!



By the way, I plan to eventually replace the front door, too. After all, what dim whit decided that it was a good idea to put a door on the front of a house that is half glass along with a single-key deadbolt entry? Jeez! All a burglar has to do is break or cut the window and then easily unlock the front door for themselves via a simple knob twist. I still can't believe that it is illegal to put a double-key deadbolt on a door. Fire hazard my ass. I think if the occurrence of house fire were compared to home intrusion/break-in/theft, the irony of the "double-key ban" would be very clear. I'm not afraid to break that home insurance policy by-law.

Task #2: Replacing broken kitchen window (double-hung vinyl)



This freakin' window has been broken for about three years. Only the outer pane is broken, or I couldn't have avoided it for this long. When I asked Mr. Lowes about window installation services, he told me I'm far better off hiring an outside contractor to install the window because supposedly Lowe's charges an arm and a leg. Calling for window replacement advice!

Task #3: A little perk project

I've had this little "school house" chair for years. My mom gave it to me, along with its little dookie brown leather padded seat. I've been meaning to reupholster it for years, but have just now gotten around to being serious about it. Unfortunately, I have had NO luck finding any quality fabric vendors in the Durham area. HELP!