Mitten Advent Calendar - Knitting DIY

So thrilled with the results of my DIY Advent Calendar.  My goal was to create an heirloom advent calendar that can be cherished for years to come.  I knitted 24 little mittens and then my dad cut a branch into little coins for the numbers.  I used a wood burner for all the numbers and tied them onto the mittens with bakers twine.

Still to come...I'm going to paint a little clothespin gold and will glue a gold star to it.  Each day the star will move along the advent calendar.  I'll have that finished for next year. ;)



For the mittens:  Mitten Pattern
For the star garland: Star Garland

Quandary Peak Mittens - Fun Knitting Project

I'm ready for a Colorado winter!  These 100% wool mittens will keep my hands super warm! I picked the pattern up at Fancy Tiger in Denver along with the wool yarn.  However, if you download from Ravelry you'll save a buck.   These were quick to knit up even with the fair isle design. 

Have fun!!

The Best of... Handmade Colorado

If there's a handmade market in the Denver area, chances are I will be there.  I love checking out the things that others are passionate about making.  I've purchased things along the way that I really love and would like to share them with you.  All of the vendors have an online presence if you're not in the Denver area.  These would make fantastic presents for Christmas, birthdays, housewarming etc. 

If you are in the Denver area, I highly recommend these three handmade markets:
1) Fancy Tiger's Holiday Handmade
2) Highland's Horseshoe Flea Market
3) Boulder's Firefly Market

For Farmer's Markets, I highly suggest Aspen, Steamboat Springs and Vail.


Food
Modern Gingham Preserves
Organic jams with interesting flavors.  Try the strawberry basil or Pluot, Cloves and Cinnamon...the latter is a perfect jam for fall!  
$10 per jam or 3 for $9.

Where to find: Boulder Firefly Market









Cider Fixins

The strawberry jam from Cider Fixins is outstanding.  Love spreading it on warm toast or mixing in with plain yogurt. 

Where to find: Steamboat Springs Farmer's Market


MM Local
"Eat local, all year long".  MM Local preserves our summer fruits and veggies so they can be eaten year round.  They also offer a Harvest Share program. 

Where to find: S Pearl St Farmer's market; (I think they have a presence at the majority of farmers markets in Denver).



Kids
Viola Studio
The capes are stunning.  Each is made with wool felt and appliqued with a cute and whimsy design.  The price tag is high, but they are fun to admire.  She has other designs besides the capes such as dolls and pillows. I purchased an owl pillow that comes with a knit baby owl. My daughter loves it!

Where to find: Vail and Aspen Farmer's Markets







Baby Grey Clementine
Cute headbands and barrettes for the precious little girl in your life. Great selection to choose from. 

Where to find: Horseshoe Flea Market in Denver 







Penni Olive
Adorable appliqued aprons for toddlers, tweens and some adult sizes. 

Where to buy: Denver Holiday Handmade and Boulder's Firefly Market.












Soap
The Naked Goat Company
Variety of items...jams, body butters, lip balms, soaps.  Their body soaps are so pretty they can be displayed or used! I purchased the lavender soap for $6.

Where to buy: Boulder Firefly Market







Other

C+M designs

Husband and wife team out of Boulder creates some stunning pieces.  I purchased a set of their laser cut coasters with four different designs.  

DIY A-frame Tent

My favorite craft project of the summer- an A-Frame tent! We spent many afternoons napping, reading, and playing in this tent.  I may love it more than my daughter does. :D  

Ta da!

Pillows in corresponding fabric.

The little lanterns were purchased from Pottery Barn and I added flameless tea lights so my daughter can play with it.

DIY Hair Bows

Little girls and hair bows go together like cake and ice-cream. Since these are so cute and easy to make, why not try with all sorts of colors so your little one will have a bow for every outfit! 

Supplies
18.5 in of main color ribbon  (1.5in wide)
few inches of contrasting ribbon for center knot  (5/8in or 7/8 in.  I like the 7/8in a little better)
few inches of wire
wire cutters
hot glue gun
hair clips or barretts


Cut an 18.5in strip of your main color. I used 100% polyester so that it was a little stiff and won't wrinkle too badly. 

Step 1 - Fold like so.
Make the bow as big or little as you'd like.

Step 2 - pinch the center together

and secure with wire.  

Moving on to the center knot...

Step 3 - fold like so.

Step 4 - Bring the cut end up
and through the opening.  

Step 5 - Make a pretty knot.  Don't pull too tightly.
A loose knot is best.  
Cut the ribbon about where my thumb is hitting. 

Wrap the center knot around the main bow and secure with hot glue.  Next, cut a narrow piece of your leftover main fabric and place inside the hair clip.  This will prevent the glue from gluing the barrett closed.  Glue the bottom of the clip fabric on top of the center knot seam. 

Finally...the finishing touch.  Cut the ends of the bow to the length of your desire and apply a small amount of "Fray Check" so the ribbon won't fray.  Place in your daughter's hair, and admire your handy work. 

"Hey Dottie" collection

AND REPEAT all of the above in all different colors!!!

Have fun crafting!!

Need a way to showcase the new collection of bows?  Why not try a kit bow hanger?!  Check out Ruffles and Stuff for step by step instructions on how to make this easy wire hanger kite. 

My thoughts on: Steam Espresso Bar and Trompeau Bakery

Looking for authentic French pastries and bread in Denver?  Well look no further than Trompeau Bakery on S. Broadway in Englewood.  As you take your first bite into a beautiful croissant, your mind will race back to Paris.  After a quick mental comparison, you will agree that this is the real deal.

They make beautiful croissants and also make filled varieties such as cinnamon and apple, lemon and blueberry, raspberry, walnut and on and on.

Trompeau is closed on Sundays and lines on Saturday morning will have you waiting anxiously for a glimpse of what's in store for you.   Our Saturday ritual became taking a short drive to Trompeau to pick up our goodies and return home for a beautiful breakfast.

As luck would have it though, a coffee shop called Steam Espresso Bar opened on S Pearl in Platte Park in May and they carry Trompeau bakery items.   So instead of a short drive, now these delights are within walking distance!!

Steam Espresso Bar is a well-designed establishment.  They are happy to see you and actually thanked me for coming in.  Apparently, I've become so accustomed to poor customer service and grumpy baristas (looking at you Stella's) that I was taken aback.  It's so amazing what a smile and a thank you does these days.

What Trompeau lacks in latte skills (sorry, but flaming hot milk is not acceptable), Steam completely excels.  I haven't tried their pour-over coffee but their lattes are just delish.

So if you're in the mood for a terrific latte, fantastic atmosphere, happy baristas, and delicious croissants, look no further than Steam Espresso Bar in Platte Park.

Brioche..soft and delicious

Steam's espresso...so good!

Two Steam lattes and a Trompeau croissant...la belle vie.

Delicious Lemon Cake by Barefoot Contessa

Ina Garten rocks.  Ina's lemon cake rocks.  I'm very picky about what goes into my recipe book but this one passed my test. 

Barefoot Contessa's recipe - click here

My tweaks:
I omit the glaze on the top.  I found it to be too tart.  I still add the lemon juice/sugar mixture after its finished baking.  A cake soaked with sugar and lemon?..yes, please.

Who doesn't love a blueberry and lemon combo?  I measured out a cup of blueberries, gave them a good rinse and dusted them with flour.  I added the blueberries to only one loaf pan.  I left the other loaf pan plain ole lemon.

Lemon Cake at High Altitude:
Living at 5,280 feet has some challenges.  Add 1/4 c more flour (3 1/4 c) and decrease the baking soda by a tad.  I scooped out 1/2 tsp and then sprinkled about an 1/8 to 1/4 back of it back in the box.  How's that for science?  I typically bake at a higher oven temp but these loaves turned out great at 350.

Homemade Popsicles

Nothing says summer like homemade popsicles made from the freshest fruit of the season.  I used Martha Stewart's recipe for strawberry, blueberry and yogurt "Firecracker" ice pops.  They were mighty tasty and my daughter loved the treat!

Find the recipe here.

DIY Autumn Burlap Wreath

My love of burlap continues...right to my front door!  I created a new rustic wreath for fall and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I made burlap rosettes out of two different colors of burlap - natural and cream.  For the finishing touch I added a floral pearl pin to the center to give it a touch of femininity.  I hot glued the rosettes to an 18in twig wreath and used twine to hang it on my door.  This was a quick project that I really liked making!

Northern Lights Cape - COMPLETE!

One year later...I FINALLY finished the Northern Lights Cape!!  Yeah for me!   I'm praying that this fits Edie this winter.  If not, I will absolutely cry. :)   I almost gave up a few times but I'm so glad I continued.  The 100% alpaca wool by Knit Picks is so soft and beautiful, and is worth the expense in my opinion.  

This was my first steeking experience, and it wasn't as bad as I thought.   :)  I had the good fortune of going to Fancy Tiger's knitting help night and got 1:1 help.  Without that, I don't know if I would have figured out how to do everything because the instructions were a little difficult to follow. 

So alas, I can finally enjoy this beautiful piece while my daughter wears it for a few more days until warmer weather hits AND I will keep my fingers crossed that she doesn't outgrow it for this upcoming winter. 

Would I recommend this pattern?  Only if you're a patient person.

Hippity Hoppity Easter is on its Way!

Happy Easter!
I hosted a brunch for my friends yesterday and I'm sad because I didn't take any pictures of my table or the brunch dishes. :(  Oh well.   It was a BEAUTIFUL day out - couldn't have asked for better Easter weather.  Hope you enjoyed your day with friends and family!

Easter Brunch Menu
Asparagus Gruyere Tart (app)
Potato, Sausage and Spinach Casserole
Fruit Salad
Raspberry Streusel coffee cake (from a friend)
Bell Pepper Quiche (see recipe below)
Daisy Ann Cake
Mimosa's! (of course)

Easy Quiche Recipe
1 C combination of whatever ingredients you want. I chose: yellow onion, red bell pepper and green bell pepper. Coarsely chopped.
4 eggs
1/2 c - 1 c of milk
salt & pepper
1 c of shredded cheese (I chose mild cheddar)
1 9in pie crust (I used Pillsbury pie crust).

Bake in a 350 degree oven for ~40 minutes.

Needle felting project.  Cute little chicks.

Purchased this vase from Home Goods for $12!  Thought it was cute!

A bunny PDF file I found on Pinterest. Print and frame!
I can't find the link to share - sorry!  

My grandma painted a wooden egg for all the grand kids for many years.  Since we're all grown up now, she paints them for the great-grand kids. It's a beautiful tradition.

My new obsession.  The Easter bunny brought a Maileg mini bunny. I think I like it more than my daughter.

Kept the flowers simple.  Three different vases with pink tulips.  Set against a white table cloth and white dishes- it looked great!

Tissue Paper flower and bunnies cut out of paint samples from Home Depot.  I took all different shades of blue, cut out a bunny and glued on a pom pom for the tail. 

Bunny Burlap Banner.  Love.

The Perfect Chair

I found another gem in the alley again!  I drove past this toddler chair that was discarded by a neighbor, so I snatched it right up!  It was a little beat up but nothing that my father-in-law couldn't fix.  It was missing a rung and one leg was shorter than the other.  After a couple of hours with it, he had it in tip top shape!  

For the paint color, I was trying to match the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Provence and came across Behr Gulf Winds Semi Gloss paint.  I love it!  I wasn't sure how Annie Sloan's paint would hold up to a toddler and didn't want to chance it since it's so expensive. I needed two coats with the Behr paint and it went on easily.

For the cushion, I purchased laminated cotton from Etsy. This is exactly what I was envisioning for material and I was so glad I found it.  I did make one mistake with my cushion though, I used laminate on both sides and should have only used it on the top.  It sticks to the chair and every time my daughter moves, it makes noise. I wasn't in the mood to start over, so I'll live with it!  I sewed two loops into the cushion which I used to thread the ribbon.  I'm not 100% sold on the ribbon but this was the best I could find at Jo-Ann fabrics.  I'll keep looking for the perfect ribbon.  In the meantime, this will do just fine. :)

I think this is a perfect chair for a sweet little girl!

Bunny Banner

I'm getting in the spring spirit and bunnies are on the top of my list!

Banners are my go-to decorating solution because they're quick to whip up, cheap to make and add a lot of decorating punch to a home!

I cut the banner pieces out of burlap and ironed on the bunnies using transfer paper. I glued white pom-poms to the tail and threaded the pieces together using twine.  Finishing touch was the little pink ribbons tied between each banner piece.  I thought it turned out pretty cute!

Needle Felted Chicks

My needle-felted chicks add a nice springtime touch to my house decor.  Create some of your own using Martha Stewart's instructions!

Valentine's Day DIY Outfit

Happy Valentine's Day!

Is there anything better than sparkly sequin barrettes?  :)  I cut a heart out of felt and then hand sewed red sequin onto the felt.  Final touch, I glued barrettes for the girls and pins for the boys. A heart pin is way better than candy! :) 

I made a little white skirt with an elastic band and once again cut big hearts out of felt and sewed them onto the skirt.  With her little red/white stockings and a heart barrette in her hair, her Valentine's day outfit was a success!