Crochet Hot Cocoa Ornament

I didn't intend to end the last day of August with thoughts of a certain holiday still several months away...it just sort of happened! Haha. I'm already excited about the holiday season so I decided to add another crochet cup ornament to my shop on Etsy! This one has a little extra spirit with an embroidered Christmas tree on the front. It reminds me of a few mugs we have in the back of our cupboard right now, just waiting for the first batch of steaming cocoa (with extra marshmallows, of course). 

Have you done any holiday crafting yet? I always seem to skip over Halloween and speed right on ahead to Christmas crafts. I hope I'm not alone in my rush for the holidays and cooler weather. Please share what you are working on too!

I hope you all have a great, long weekend! I'm getting ready to bake something because, honestly, what is a holiday weekend without baked goods? :)

Happy Friday!

Weekend Escape - Bits, Bobs, & Bikes

I went back to McKinney, my new favorite place of escape, on Saturday for some wandering, meandering, browsing, and a few other "-ings". ;) The regular ol' days of the week are rarely filled with such lovely, photogenic moments, so it's nice to find a place of inspiration and escape from the day-to-day stresses of life. I'm juggling lots of emotions at the moment. Most of them are very exciting while others are causing my current headache right between the eyes. Like I said before, I have a a few things going on that are un-blogable at the moment. (Blogable? Let's just pretend that is a real word for a minute.) Even though they are un-blogable and a bit stressful, they are good and exciting! I need to focus on the positive parts right now and just be patient.

So, these little weekend trips might not reflect my daily life but they do reflect a lot of inspiration and moments of happiness that I want to remember. A beautiful bike filled with fragrant flowers that I wanted to ride away on, a giant crochet blanket hung from the wall, a jar of vintage pin cushions that bring back memories of my grandma, and ballet slippers hanging on the wall of a furniture shop, reminding me of my short-lived days of dance in elementary school. On the surface they are just snapshots of a small weekend adventure but they are also snapshots of a life in transition. A life learning new things and appreciating the changes of the future. I keep telling myself everything will work out in the end and I know, eventually, it will.

I can't rush my life away so I might as well appreciate the beautiful moments of life in front of me and patiently wait for the ones beyond.

I'm sure most of us are dealing with some form of stress right now. I hope it all works out for you soon, too. :)

Have a great day!

Journal Page Embroidery - "Adventure is Out There!"

Who wants to float away in a colorful, flying balloon house with me? Only for a few days, of course.

I released my inner child this weekend and watched Pixar's "Up", one of my favorite animated movies. Have you seen it? Aside from the incredibly depressing first ten minutes, this movie always lifts my spirits. I love the idea of chasing your dreams at any age while simultaneously learning to let go of the past. I can definitely relate to that message right now. It makes me want to jump up and start filling in the pages of my own "adventure book". ;)

During the movie, I started stitching this page in my journal and couldn't be happier with the result. My  favorite scene is when Carl releases all of the balloons for the first time and the screen is flooded with color. I tried to capture some of that color with my own stitched balloons. Whenever I turn to this page in my journal I will always be reminded that...

"Adventure is out there!"

The pages of my notebook are becoming increasingly filled with bits of thread and I love it.

Do you have a favorite animated movie too?

Have a great day!

The Blush List - Cozy Sunday

Knitting // My yarn needs a new cozy home like this knit basket.

Crochet // Here is another beautiful example of the Dottie Angel inspired crochet blanket that I've been itching to make. I mean, look at it. This blanket has to be made. I love the cozy colors Coco Rose Textiles used for the flowers. I need to decide when I actually have time to start such a time consuming project. I guess that's the nice thing about granny square blankets, you just take it one square at a time. 

Etsy // Earlier this week I had a little twitter chat about my obsession with notebooks...and post-its...and paper products in general. I was happy to see so many of you share this obsession. I try to stay away from cute notebooks nowadays because I don't want to mess up the cuteness with my scribbles. However, these notebooks from Mossery make me want to break my rule...

Style // The House of Maryann lookbook is filled with fall fashions I would love to wear as I sip a cup of tea. ;)

Art // I love this colorful coffee cup print by Sandra Juto.

Food // Mmm. A nice slice of strawberry banana bread on a Sunday afternoon sounds perfect.


It is a cozy Sunday afternoon with grey skies and light rain drops hitting the ground outside my window. I am always a bit happier when the clouds cover the sky. Is that weird? Rainy days, especially rainy Sundays, are just so calming before a busy week ahead.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I worked on some projects, ventured out to McKinney again (I can't get enough of the downtown area!) and enjoyed a little relaxing.

I think tomorrow would be my first day of classes if I was still in school. Crazy. Things are changing...for the better, I hope. :)

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Weekend Plans 8/24 - 8/26

Happy Friday! I woke up feeling a bit under the weather this morning so I am definitely excited about the weekend. I still have a few projects to finish, but other than that I'm ready to enjoy some crafty free time at home. Oh, and a Netflix movie too. Maybe bake something? Another crazy weekend, just the way I like it! Haha.

1. I'm going to attempt to make my way through the 916 page monster that is the September issue of Vogue. I'm pretty excited about it, actually. Who cares if 900 of the pages are advertisements...haha.

2. A few relatives came by today and brought some of my grandmother's photo albums that she kept in the 1940s. She had so many cute pictures taken of her and my great aunt! I'm excited to look through them and smile at their adorable clothes. I've already spotted several awesome collars and brooches. I guess it runs in the family. ;)

3. I have a few doodles in my diary just waiting to be embroidered. I am seriously addicted to embroidering on paper! It's a little nerve wracking, pulling a thread through the delicate page, but I love how it looks.

I hope you all have a great weekend! What are you up to? Do you have anything fun planned for the last weekend of summer?

A Berry Granola Morning (On Film)

Granola is such a satisfying thing to make. I spotted this recipe online and decided to give it a try yesterday morning since I had most of the ingredients in the house. I snapped some pictures with my Pentax to continue practicing with my new favorite hobby. Once again I love how these pictures turned out. Yes, they are a little bit fuzzy and rough around the edges but they have something that lacks in my digital photos. They feel like real, tangible memories that I can hold onto, put in a photo album, and look back on when I reach a new phase of life.

Right now this phase of life is a little bit up in the air. I'm sure my fellow recent graduates can relate. I can't be certain what lies ahead in the next few months. All I can do is wait patiently, continue working hard, and take a few necessary creative breaks from the stress. Life isn't always filled with yarn and homemade granola. If it was I wouldn't be so thankful for the moments of creativity that I get to share on this blog. I often think if I couldn't make something, knit something, bake something, or write something I'm not sure what I would do with myself! Right now I am very thankful to be working on some amazing (and unfortunately secret...) projects right now that are keeping me motivated and excited about the future!

So, long story short...I made some granola, snapped a few pictures, took a breath and stepped back. Who knew a batch of granola could do so much? A little creativity always clears my mind. :)

Sponsor One Sheepish Girl in September!

September! What? Say it isn't so! I know, I know, I'm so typical with my shock over the next month approaching ever so quickly. However, this year is truly whooshing by at a speed that is making me a little uncomfortable. Anyone else feeling the speed a bit more this year? Nonetheless, I am ready for the slightly, slightly, cooler temperatures and exciting crafty adventures that lie ahead.

If you would like to sponsor my blog next month please visit the sponsor page here for all of the information! I have a lot of spaces available so don't hesitate to send me an email! Your support truly blows my mind. Thank you for pushing me forward each and every day!

Today I made a batch of homemade granola and now I am working on some projects that I can't share just yet. It is pretty tough (dare I say some form of blogger torture?) not being able to blog about it right now. I guess I will just have to be patient! ;)

Enjoy the rest of your day!

My Favorite Tools as a Self-Taught Knitter

This post has been a long time coming! I have received so many emails about my favorite books and tools that I used when I taught myself how to knit and crochet! I certainly haven't tried all of the knitting needles or delved into half of the knitting books out there, but these are the tried and true tools that rest on my shelf and I still use to this day. Hopefully you find this post helpful if you have been itching to give yarn crafting a try. 

First of all, when I decided to teach myself to knit, I only used YouTube videos for the longest time. I simply typed in "how to knit" or "how to cast-on" and a wide variety of videos popped up. These were extremely helpful for getting started. When I was ready to learn more, I turned to these knitting books. 

1. Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Vol. 1 - This book is the first in a six volume "stitchionary" series. Each book is filled with hundreds of stitch patterns. I love searching through the pages and experimenting with something new. This book covers the basics (and advanced stitches) of knit and purl. 

2. Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Vol. 5 - This volume delves into lace knitting. It has tons of great diagrams if you want to give a more delicate stitch a try!

3. Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Vol. 2 - Cables were one of my favorite stitches to learn when I was ready to try more advanced techniques. This book is a great resource! 

4. The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques - This book is getting into the really advanced level of knitting, but thankfully it is so well illustrated and clearly written that I was able to pick up techniques like intarsia and stranding in no time. This book was really helpful when I knit the Union Jack teacosy last year. 

My favorite knitting tools are usually the ones I can find in the yarn aisle at Michaels. In regards to knitting needles, I started with the Clover Takumi bamboo needles and eventually switched to the plastic Lion Brand needles. I tried the metal needles but I'm not a fan of the scraping sound they make when I knit. I like these colorful needles because they are smooth, sturdy, and quiet. 

I also taught myself how to crochet using YouTube. When I was ready to move on I found these two books to be extremely helpful! 

1. Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Vol. 4 - Another stitchionary? Yes! I guess I liked the first one so much that I knew the following volumes had to be good. This one did not disappoint! Like all of the stitchionary volumes, I still have so many different techniques to learn and test. Isn't that the best part of this craft? There is always something new to learn! :)

2. Beyond the Square - Crochet Motifs - This book was helpful when I was itching to give granny squares a try. I love the variety of shapes included in this book. A big blanket made of all different granny squares has always been on my project bucket list. 

I've used Susan Bates crochet hooks from the beginning and they have yet to disappoint! It's funny how I like plastic knitting needles and metal crochet hooks...if you find my craft obsession funny. Hehe.

We all have our own preferences when it comes to yarn craft tools and I'm sure mine will change over time. This post is not sponsored or anything like that, these are simply my favorite tools from when I was getting started. Local craft shops, Barnes & Noble, and YouTube were my main resources when it came to teaching myself to knit.

I hope this post helps you a little if you are thinking about learning to knit or crochet. If any other yarn crafters out there have a favorite book or knitting needle, please let me know!


Have a great day!

The Blush List - Summer Fades

Knitting // I've had my eye on this scarf pattern for awhile now. It looks a little like giant knit stitches at the top!

Crochet // This stripey cowl pattern looks simple with room for color experimentation!

Wish List // I can't get enough of the colors in this illustrated pillow case! 

Style // I rarely get giddy over shoes, but these pricey red beauties stopped me in my tracks. I have never loved a shoe as much as I love these. Why is beauty so expensive? ;)

Art // Oana Befort's artwork is just so dreamy. I love her attention to detail. 

Food // This peanut butter and honey granola recipe is definitely going on my to-make list! It sounds like the perfect after school snack. Yikes. No more after school snacks for me. Ok...this sounds like the perfect regular person, non-student snack. Haha. ;)


It's crazy how quickly this summer has come and gone! The school supply commercials are making me a little nervous. I didn't think it would be so weird not going back to school for the first time in my life, but after 16 years of routine, I guess this weird feeling isn't so abnormal. This autumn is going to be very different from the previous seasons in my life. As long as I keep working hard, hopefully a new routine will come around the corner.

Thank you so much for all of the birthday wishes this weekend! I had a great time celebrating with friends and family. Most of the weekend was spent celebrating my dear friend on her wedding day! My friends and I were part of her house party and helped out with all sorts of tasks throughout the day. I was so busy running around that I didn't get a chance to take a single picture! Thankfully the day was so beautiful that I think the warm memories will be enough. :)

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! What did you do?

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

A Crochet Birthday Cake Just For Me!

I had a burst of sugary, crochet inspiration when I got home last night and decided to "bake" myself a mini birthday cake. I felt a little weird making myself a birthday present...but why shouldn't I? It's my birthday, right? This cake is just so cute I could eat it! But I won't...because that would be gross. And fuzzy. It looks pretty cute with the tea towel I made a few months ago though. Hopefully I  can score a piece of real birthday cake today too. ;)

Thanks in advance for the birthday wishes! Today is going to be a wonderful day.

I hope you have a great weekend!