Spring Links
I was working on a list of interested craft projects to share with my local Girl Scout community and thought that I might as well share my favorites here too. Most of my comments might be Girl Scout related, but most of these I might try to do with my daughters in the next few weeks.
Recycled Magazine coasters – great idea to go with the energy/recycling them of the It’s Your Planet! Journey for Junior Girl Scouts. It’s also a great way to get rid of the piles and piles and PILES of magazines in my house without just dumping them in the recycling bin.
If you want to take the coasters a step further, try the Recycled Magazine baskets . I’m thinking about making some of these to use for my smaller crochet projects that I have spread around the house. I always have at least 3 or 4 in progress in various rooms for those times when I actually sit down and relax.
Use this “momtastic” memo box for inspiration to make a container of goodies for Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Day, end of year gifts for dance teachers, etc.
Make a Magic Leprechaun Mirror (might be a great Daisy or Brownie project)
Crazy cheap way to make cute crayons and maybe more for a personal project for you and your kids. I’ve seen many different versions of these but never thought of getting the mold cheap at the dollar store.
Printable paper dolls . You’ll be out the cost of ink to print a few sheets of these out for the girls in your troop, but these would make a good craft to have the girls work on as they arrive to the troop meetings.
Crafting with kids windchime – there’s a downloadable PDF of all instructions at the bottom. I think this would make a great project for a troop in any age range.
Enjoy!
Two Brownies

twobrownies
Originally uploaded by txroots
I love making my Brownie hat pattern. The girls love it too. I can make one hat in around an hour, give or take extra time due to distractions. I’ve made them in thicker worsted weight yarn, like Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice, and in a DK weight Noro, like my hat in the photo.
We wore our matching hats the other day on yet another cold rainy winter day in North Texas. They’re perfect for the weather!
Sewing pretty
My mother-in-law very generously gifted our household with a new sewing machine over the Christmas holidays. It’s a beautiful Janome Magnolia and I love it dearly. I made a quick cover for our newest addition as my first project of the New Year. First, I have to show off Maggie. What do you think?

I started with a charm pack of 5 1/2″ squares, sewing the pieces together in a 3 x 5 pattern.

I chose a coordinating fabric for the border and the back.

After sewing the front and back pieces together, I attached a decorative ribbon on the side to tie the pieces together and provide a little extra touch.


Merry Christmas
My lovely daughter performed at her music school’s winter recital last weekend. Here’s a video of her playing Jingle Bells along with her instructor.
I have been crafty, just working with a broken camera has been frustrating. I hope to start fresh with posts and such soon, so don’t give up on me yet!
Twin Grims
Before I start, I have a special message for a few of you. If you’re expecting sweeper cardis by Labor Day, it’s best just not to read this post. Seriously. Avert your eyes for a few paragraphs.
In my adventures to hot glue eyes to Grim Reapers, I have discovered that somewhere between high and close and low and wide lies the correct placement for Grim eyes. (pattern courtesy Creepy Cute Crochet)

Grimildee and Grimildum
With the completion of my Grim (one is for a friend for a friend’s birthday), it’s time to start making a few more creepy cute creatures for fall. I need zombies, an amazon or two, and definitely a legless and armless knight, as soon as I find my almondish colored yarn.
Okay. For the two (or three… four?? What was I thinking??) of you out there expecting sweeper thingamabobs (my new favorite name for them, courtesy of my aunt who calls me to demand ask nicely for more usually within hours of cleaning her floors), welcome back! With cotton yarn ready, your sweeper cardis are in progress… I promise!!
Feeling Frugal
Laura and I have decided tonight that we need to make these gorgeous little tealights as seen on Dollar Store Crafts.. We have the LED Tealights, fabric stiffener, plenty of cardboard rolls and plastic wrap. Bring on the thread, baby!
I love Craft Leftovers. I love how she comes up with amazing ideas involving sewing, knitting, and crochet. It has been so hot lately that all I want to do craftwise is anything that lets me sit under the ceiling fan set to high. If I can get someone to hold open and flip the pages in whichever Stephanie Plum novel I’m reading (I’ve started over at the beginning of the series, just because.) while I make several of the Tribble Trivets, life would be good.
We have registered for school. My hand is well and cramped by the time I start the second child’s paperwork. My signature looks like I think I’m famous. Three weeks to go until the first day of school, but I think the girls are ready. I know I am ready to re-enter the world of being a substitute teacher. I did have one interview for a position early in the summer, but did not get an offer. It was disappointing, but not nearly as much as not having anything since. I know there is a teaching position for me, but it is not to be this school year.
101 things I may have done (or thought about doing) today instead of getting stuff prepared for Wednesday’s donation pick-up:
- Watch all of Soylent Green just for the last line.
- Watch Jeffster open the Chuck ComicCon panel.
- As seen on CakeSpy’s Baker’s Dozen post, contemplate making DIY Frappucinos for dinner instead of jambalaya as planned.
- Browse www.chuckmeout.com and find out that I could have my very own Jeffster t-shirt.
- Find out that Chuck does not return until March 2010. Grumble.
- Move on from grumbling to focus on Psych returning August 7th.
- Decide that I should at the very least unload the dishwasher before dinner.
- Celebrate in finally finding a table runner idea that I love and cannot wait to sew.
- Buy new storage cubes for daughter’s room to replace gigantic wood entertainment center instead of focusing emptying room of old clothes and toys.
- Color my hair back to a nice dark brown, getting rid of the red.
- And finally, pick out cotton yarn to make my aunt sweeper covers as promised a year ago.

Sweeper cardi
Why Skinned Knees?
What kind of name is Skinned Knees??
I was trying to think of a cute blog title that involved my name, Tiffany. I thought of Tiffaknee, which after a few seconds was pronounced (by myself) as just rather silly. My youngest daughter, Maddie, ran up to me around that time asking for yet another band aid for a scratch on her knee. I have seriously considered buying stock in Band Aid and all other first aid companies since having children. You see, this child of mine, while she looks awfully cute and girlie, you can tell by this pose that there’s more to her than meets the eye.

Not so girlie girl
Not long after, Maddie’s sister, Laura, asked for a band aid for a similar reason. She is just as awfully cute and amazingly funny, but with more of a studious side than her sister.

Smiling as she counts the time to being taller than her mom.
Band aids were suddenly on the brain and somehow the next logical blog name following the not-so-hot Tiffaknee was Skinned Knees. I see a lot of them in my house because I believe that girls should grow up to feel comfortable being girlie, a complete tomboy, a geek, an intellectual, a goof, or anything and everything in between.
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Originally uploaded by with a hook
Julie and her chicken potholders make me not want to make anything EXCEPT chicken potholders. Evil Julie.