Doing the slouchy jeans ~ Outfit Thirty Six

Out take:  Oops!  Caught adjusting my glasses, but I do like how it turned out despite the funny expression on my face, so I added it in.  ^ u ^

My director looks after the lens cap and minds the tripod for me.      > ω <  ~ ♥

Accessories ~  Hair bow {Esprite}   Earrings  {Equip}  Bracelet  {gift from my Mom}  
Watch  {Thrifted}     Jacket  ~  JayJays     Baby Doll Top  ~  Tightrope     Jeans  ~  Stall Vendor {Florence, Italy}    Shoes  ~  Tightrope

~ * ♥ * ~

I wore this outfit last week to our postnatal appointment at the hospital.  I am so happy to be wearing something different for a change, although I am still missing my waist, so skirts are still under the bust or not at all.   And I am also missing being able to wear dresses.  : /

I do not have any shirtwaist dresses like I was planning to get specifically for wearing whilst breastfeeding.  I just did not find any in my price range/that I liked, although I was searching.  I do want to make some to wear as I am planning to be breastfeeding exclusively for at least a year if I can, and I cannot survive being deprived of wearing dresses for that long!!  I love them too much. 

But other than those little hiccups ~ yay for Theodore arriving!  I can mix my outfits up again.  I am very excited.  And doesn’t he make the cutest director ever?

Oh, and if you do see any vintage {repo or vintage styled} shirtwaist dresses around, let me know.  I am now getting quite desperate to lay my grubby mitts on some!

xox,

bonita

About Bonita ~ A to Z regarding me!

Hi everyone!  I am back.  ^ U ^   Yays!!   I have had a lovely break, but the writer’s itch is striking me again and I am keen to delve back in the wonderful world of writing and blogging.   {Which are two different things if you ask me, but that’s a bit of a side track!  > o < } 

I found this tag/meme on You've Got Nail and I liked it so much that I thought I would do my own version.  It’s an A to Z list of different facts about me.  I hope you find it interesting ~ I certainly had fun doing it.  : )

~ * ♥ * ~

A. Age:   I have a “Ladies never reveal their age” policy…  Am I goose for this?  Maybe.  Call it what you will, but this is a secret.  ; P

B. Bed size:   Queen with a timber frame.  I love my comfy mattress!

C. Chore you hate:   Dishes.  Without a doubt.  This is my most despised chore and although I am getting better at doing them when they need to be done, it is also quite likely that they will sit for two to three days until the bench is dripping with dirty dishes.  Because I hate doing them that much!

 

 

 

 

D. Day:    Erm. It’s Satuday?  Daylight?  Sunshine?  Actually I am a night owl, so my answer to day is “sleep”.

 E. Essential start to your day:    Floradix.  It’s a herbal liquid iron supplement and if I don’t take it regularly {ie. ~ at least once a day; but twice is better} I get cranky and completely exhausted. 

F. Favourite colour:  Hmm.  I go through stages.  At the moment, I would say white. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

G. Gold or Silver:   Silver.  I don’t wear much gold because I have a blue~based skin tone, so silver {or white gold} is the best metal for me. 

H. Height:   5’ 7” give or take. 

I. Instruments:   None sadly ~ although I do sing.  I love singing for choir, although I do not belong to a permanent one.   I can also play the recorder, but not well enough to count it as being able to play it properly.

J. Job title:   Stay at home housewife and proud to be!

 

 

 

 

 

 

K. Kids:   One ~ my gorgeous little boy Theodore.  He is two week and one day old now, and he makes me smile everyday.   ♥ ♥ ♥

L. Live:   NSW, Australia. 

M. Mum’s name:    Barb or Mumbly if I am in a silly mood!  : P

N. Nicknames:   Boni.   Oh, and my Dad sometimes called me Biggles, that is, Boni + Giggles = Biggles.  =^ . ^=

O. Overnight hospital stays:   Two ~ one long stay of three weeks.  I was in for undiagnosable stomach pain which may or may not have been caused by large cysts on my ovaries, which may or may not have irritated my appendix.  Either way the appendix was removed!  The second stay was actually when Theodore was born.  We had to have an emergency caesarean and we were kept in Postnatal for the next four days.

P. Pet peeve:   People who don’t drive properly, but my definition of properly might be vastly different from the normal definition.   > <

Q. Quote from a movie:  “Kaboom?” 

“Yes, Ricco ~ Kaboom!” 
~ The Penguins, Madagascar.   

I love it!   Kabooooooom!!!

 

R. Right or left handed:   Right

S. Siblings:   Three younger sisters whom I love and adore.  We are the best of friends and it’s awesome!

T. Time you wake up:   Wake up?  Yuck.  Erm, from choice probably around 8:30am.  At the moment ~ any time Theodore stirs and wants to eat. 

U. Underwear:   Unmentionables!

V. Vegetables you dislike:   I like/love most vegetables but I am not fond of brussel sprouts.  After all, who is!?

W. What makes you run late:   Distractions.  Like my computer ~ but mostly my blog feed readers!  Google and Bloglovin’ are always there to tempt me. 

X. X-Rays you’ve had:   Not many ~ maybe one? 

Y. Yummy food you make:    Pasta and bacon pesto.  I also do a mean stir fry.  And a not bad roast dinner!  I am only just learning my way around the kitchen, but I am starting to quite enjoy it.

Z. Zoo:   Yes, sometimes I feel like I live in a zoo.  My sisters and I are the otters incidentally.   ^ w ^

 

 

 

 

~ * ♥ * ~

So that’s about it, but I am tagging anyone who is interested.  Link your own A to Z in a comment because I would so love to learn random facts about you.  ^ U ^

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ Women keep your virtue…

Much lolz….

Okay, this video is seriously funny….   I will let it speak for itself.  

Watch it!  Watch it now I tell you!   > w <

xox,

bonita

Update at one week ~ one week?! Really??!!

So at 1:35am this morning my baby turned one week old…  Gah.  They say it goes fast, but when the days are blurring together due hectic sleep patterns; it goes SUPER fast. 

My little man has already grown too big to fit on my lap properly, and his feet are huge!  While he was growing this is how I spent my week ~

~ * ♥ * ~    Yes, he already smiles at me!!   > U <    ~ * ♥ * ~ 

Actually it was incredible because when I saw him for the second time he was fast asleep but when he heard my voice he smiled…  I will remember that precious moment forever.    It was so amazing. 

Anyway, this is not really a Mommy blog, so I’ll keep the baby gush to a minimum and sign off with the obligatory cute baby photo.   This is a picture of his first tummy time. 

Is he not just the most beautiful baby ever?  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  {Yes, I am biased.  > u < } 

xox,

bonita

Ssssh! The baby is sleeping….

After ten months of waiting and waiting and waiting and ~ well, you get the picture….   Theodore Kenneth James* is finally here! 

Our little boy arrived Friday, 3rd of June at 1:35am.   He was 54cm long and 8.77 pounds {or 3.8 kgs}. His name means “Gift of God” and his middle names are in honour of Husband & Grandpa’s middle name and Granda’s middle name. 

I will be away from Depict This! for a while as Husband and I get to know the newest addition to our family, but I hope to see you all soon.  ^  u  ^   Now I have to go; I think I hear Theodore stirring.

xox,

bonita

*These are his first and two middle names, I have excluded our surname for privacy.  : )

Quick Share ~ Your natural detox system

I found this post on Miss May’s blog Walking in May and thought that it was very interesting.  I am all for trying to detox and be as healthy as I possibly can {That being said I am still addicted to my french fries and cannot resist them no matter how hard I try!}, so learning about a natural detox process was something I found helpful.

Mind you, I do not know how accurate the information is, but I certainly don’t think that there is any harm in trying this little system. 

Our natural detox system!

Now I am no expert on the matter but I can share what has worked for me and what I have learned....so here goes!

Ever wondered why you have reoccurring dark eye circles or puffiness? Or ever felt really heated around the throat area, as though you can feel a gush of hot air rising and have bad breath too? This could be caused by your natural detox system being interrupted…

xox,

bonita

Figuring out your style ~ Charm School Part 2

I think the hardest challenge I ever face when I think about my personal fashion tastes is simply “What is my style?”

Do I say vintage?  But it’s not solely vintage, like Solanah from Vixen Vintage, or Fleur from Diary of a Vintage Girl…  Sometimes it’s more of a china doll come princess trend ~ sort of like Violet’s Hime Gyaru look from Tales of an Ingénue, but again, not really!

I find it hard to describe exactly what my style is, but I do know what types of clothes and trends fit into my wardrobe.   This in itself is not always an easy thing to determine so I thought I jot down a few simple guidelines that might help you determine what your style is and what clothes fit into that. 

~ * ~  What pieces of clothing do you get complimented on?   

Is it that fab leopard print jacket that you bought on a whim?  Your 1950s tea length party dress? Or perhaps your understated, yet versatile black skinny jeans.   Either way, pieces of clothing that compliment your style, taste and figure will be noticed.  For instance, I was complimented on a pair of jeans I own by a random stranger in my computer lab.  I always thought that they suited me, but ever since then I know I will never throw that pair of jeans out!

~ * ~  What fashion pictures do you keep?

I do not know about you, but I have a folder marked “Fashion Inspiration” sitting in my hard drive and that thing is chokers with photos!  From the pictures I’ve collected I have been able to establish that the 1940s is my favourite vintage era, and that if it is feminine, frilly and pretty I will pretty much always like it. 

~ * ~  What type of fashion bloggers do you NEVER skip in your feed reader?

There are some fashion blogs that I follow that I only bother to look at when I have the time.  But if my feed reader is alarmingly full {how DO I get over 200+ posts to look at??} I will skip a lot of them and mark them as read.  The one that I always read however, are the bloggers that resonate with me, but also have a style that is either similar to mine, or one that I want to emulate.  If I see a piece of clothing similar to what I loved when I saw it on their blogs, it has to be mine.  I have never had an “Oops, why did I buy that again” moment from doing that.  At the moment I am collecting white, ruffly, girly, sweet blouses and loving them. 

~ * ~  What type of outfits do you love on the street?

I love people watching and again, it is the same as before ~ if you see something you love on someone else, chances are that if you find something similar in ready to wear, or out thrifting, you will never regret it if you take it home with you!

~ * ~  What kind of item is an instant purchase? 

This is a big one.  Occasionally you will find a piece of clothing that just screams at you “Take me home!” but that only happens once in a while and more often it is harder to find anything that appeals to you when you go shopping.   But what you can do to combat the “Oh golly, I cannot find anything at all” shopping blues is to take notes on the elements of your Must Have pieces. 

For instance, I happen to know that I love bows.   So pretty much anything with a bow I am going to check out.  Sometimes I will buy it, sometimes I won’t.  But I do know that it is worth looking at at least!  It is the same with anything that is vintage flavoured, girly, sweet, lacy, ruffly, pretty, etc.   I know what the major elements of my style are and therefore it is much easier to shop for things that I will actually wear.

So after all that ~ the big question…  

What is my style?     Well, I define my style as romantic & vintage.   Classic, girly, sweet and feminine.    How about you ~

What is your style?  

I hope these guidelines may have helped you to have a closer idea of what your style might be and how best to look out for pieces that suit your taste.   ^ U ^

xox,

bonita

P.S.  ~  I do not know where the picture of the girl with the bicycle is from; if anyone knows who I should credit please tell me and I can update the post with the correct link.  Thank you!

Stripe me in the blue ~ Outfit Thirty Five

Accessories  ~  Earrings  {Diva}   Pearl Necklace  {Equip}   Gloves  {Ladybird} 
Top  ~  Thrifted     Skirt   ~  Thrifted    Shoes  ~  BigW

~ * ♥ * ~

I do not think you can see it very well in these photos, but my top is actually has navy stripes.  >  <     It’s the only really ‘nautical’ inspired piece I own; although I would love to get a sailor dress and a sailor romper!  I think it’s all due to Casey from Elegant Musings.   She seriously looks so cute in her sailor clothes that I want to try a sailor look too! 

I wore this outfit on Saturday ~ I didn’t even really do much except drink a few cups of tea and hang out with my friend at home.  Oh, we did go out and have lunch with my sister at her work…  But I have worn a variation of this outfit before; I wore the top and skirt to my baby shower last month.

I just love how comfy this skirt is.  It’s totally been my go~to piece while pregnant.  It’s also my go~to piece when I am not pregnant!   It just works and it’s easy to throw on and style.  I would not say that it is that versatile because it’s a pretty unique style and you cannot change the look of the actual skirt that much, but you can pair it with any top and any pair of shoes from flats, to heels, to flip flops and that is why I love it so much! 

My only complaint is that the elastic is gone in the waist so it just hangs off my hips {when I do not have a massive bump to hold it up  ; ) !}, so I will have to do something to fix that one of these days, but other than that ~ this skirt rocks!!

xox,

bonita

30 Days of Creativity ~ My Challenge!!

I saw the 30 Days of Creativity meme on Tiffany’s A Reason to be Fabulous and while my first thought was “Ooo ~ goody!  This looks like fun!” my logical side kicked in pretty quickly and put the brakes on the whole idea. 

Galloping on the heels of the initial “Yeh, I could do this ~ it looks like something I would like to try” was a very big “Are you crazy?!!? You have a BABY coming ~ as in newborn, never-had-one-of-these-before BABY and you want to start a challenge to be creative for 30 days in a row???”   ………

*sigh*

So here’s my dilemma.  Do I give this challenge a go and hope for the best or do I not bother?  See, I am the kind of person that likes to do things right or just not do them at all.  And I do not have any idea if I will be able to start this project on June 1st, let alone keep it up for a whole month!  

But I do really want to try!  I love crafting and being creative and really ~ it’s such a huge genre.  You could origami your toilet paper.  That’s creative.   Or you could ice a cake.  Or decorate your nails.  Or crochet amigurumi.  Or make a card.  Or draw a picture ~ anything goes really!

I think the only “rule” is that you have to start and finish the project in the day.  So for example, I am knitting a blanket for my baby, and although I could work on that and be creative, I am no where close to finished, so it sort of doesn’t count.  At least, I do not know if it does or it doesn’t but I think that it shouldn’t!

So I guess the long and the short of it is that I will take up this challenge to the best of my abilities.

I pledge to start and finish one creative project a day starting on June the 1st, 2011.

If I can manage to do it, then hooray!  If it gets too much to handle then so be it.  I suppose that even if I get one creative thing done out of the thirty days then it will be worth it.  

Wish me luck!

xox,

bonita

P.S.  ~ Let me know if any of you take up the challenge; I’ll follow your board on Pinterest!  Oh, and if you want an invite to Pinterest, just let me know and I’ll send you one. 

^ ω ^  ~ ♥ 

Quick Share ~ An ode to you & all of your passions

I feel like Michelle from Wicked Whimsy jumped inside my head and addressed a personality trait of mine that has long been my boogieman. 

For years I have battled with my perfectionism and the idea that unless I concentrate on one specific passion of mine I will never be any good at it.  But someone once remarked to me that if Michelangelo can be a fantastic painter and sculptor so can I.   And what about Leonardo Da Vinci?  One of the most celebrated minds in history and no one can accuse him of having one sole interest; scientist and painter that he was!  

Of course, specialists have their own place in society and I greatly admire the single minded dedication that they display in their chosen fields but I have learned to accept that I am not, and never will be a specialist.  I am a multitasking, multi~potential, multi~passionate artist.  That’s just who I am and I am beginning to accept this part of me more and more.

Reading posts like this one really help me to understand that, so if you can identify, please read on!

An ode to you & all of your passions

I know you. I know how annoyed you get, trying to nail yourself into a box every time, only to find that no, this isn’t the right box either. Nothing fits. Everything stifles. You end up frustrated, feeling pulled in every direction, because everyone expects you to choose one thing and focus on that – and to you, choosing only one thing to do or love or think about is like choosing only one finger to use, for the rest of your life.

Whether you identify as a Scanner or a polymath or a Renaissance soul or multipassionate…  I know you, and I don’t think you need to change a thing about yourself or how your brain works.

Because what others will call a weakness, I know is actually a strength…

xox,

bonita

P.S. ~  And did you know that the original phrase is “Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one”!  

P.S. 2  ~ Yes, I  finally switched off the baby stuff…  >  <  I hope you weren’t too sick of it!

Us Two + You = New Love

Baby, you are our precious gift from God and we cannot wait to meet you!

xox,

bonita

Where we are at

La,de,dum,de,da…..  I know I do not do a lot of really personal posts on Depict This! but I just have to get this off my chest.  I hope you do not mind.  If you do, well, you can always come back later when we are back to normal if you like!  The topic is pretty predictable anyway. 

It’s all about Baby at the moment. 

Baby was due Friday, 20th of May 2011.  But Baby has decided that it is too predictable to be born on his/her due date so at the moment we are essentially over baking! 

It’s funny because my midwife thought from very early on that we’d never make it to our due date.  There were a lot of signs that we wouldn’t!  Practise contractions were happening regularly from 24 weeks onwards {I would have five days without them, and then five nights in a row with them}.   The baby dropped into my pelvis at 34 weeks which is early for a first time baby.  And then of course there’s been all the fluid scares. 

Four incidents  ~ three visits to the hospital {one while we were in Perth!!  0 . 0 } to check that everything is alright.   My midwife thinks that my hind waters have been leaking.  It’s a good thing that it isn’t the main waters, or the baby might have been too early/induced.   But the last time was last week and well, it would have been great if it had of been the real deal.  At 39 weeks we were so ready for it be!

I think poor Husband and I are getting worse sleep at the moment than we would be if the baby was actually  here.  The reason for that being that most of the false alarms are occurring in the wee hours of the early morning and lasting for up to three hours or more.  Add that to the fact that they are occurring every two or so days and it just equals tiredness.  Oh, and healthy dose of “meh”.

Example:  Saturday night was another false alarm with fluid leaking, but I didn’t bother to tell my midwife because a).  it was much less than the last two times and b). it was 3:00am in the morning.  She would only tell me to try and get some sleep.  So that’s what I did.  Although I had to be in the bath for a few hours before I could get said sleep!  Husband kept me company {amazing, darling man that he is} and we had a late night chemistry lesson. 

~ * ♥   Chemistry for Bonita….  Ka~BOOM!  ♥ * ~

I learnt that chlorine in solid form is salt, and in it’s natural state is gas.  I also learnt that rust and tarnish is always caused by oxidisation, and that hydro fluoric acid is so dangerous that if you get any on your hand or something the safety procedure for dealing with that is to chop your arm off…. 

Mmm.  Fun times.  

So that is where we are at at the moment.  Playing the waiting game.  Of course, I am ever so glad that Baby is healthy and happy and really, I would put up with all of this and a thousand times worse to keep it that way.  But it does mean that my mind is sort of AWOL; hence the random blog post.  

In the mean time, I will go eat a pineapple.  I hear that’s supposed to bring on labour!  

xox,

bonita

P.S.  ~  Here’s a random picture of Spongebob Squarepants.  Because I can.  

…. And because it made me smile.   ^ u ^ 

How to ~ An Amigurumi Cat Key Chain Fob Pattern

Key Chain Fob Bear/Cat

Materials List

1.  Crochet Hook size of 2.5 mm  {I used a 1.75 mm hook with 2 ply cotton thread}
2.  Acrylic Yarn 4 ply - 1 skein
3.  1 pair of black beads as for eyes
4.  Fibrefill or polyester to stuff the head
5.  Black thread for embroidering the mouth
6.  Jump ring and chain to hang the bear/cat off

Finished Size

Approximately 2 inches wide

Gauge

Recommended: Crochet hook size 2.5 mm. with 4 ply yarn

Abbreviations

ch - chain
sc - single crochet
hdc – half double crochet
dc – double crochet
tr – treble crochet
dec - decrease
sl st - slip stitch
sts - stiches

~ * ♥ * ~

The Pattern

HEAD – Make one

ROW 1: Ch 2, 6 sc in second chain from hook (Magic Ring) (6 sts)

ROW 2: 2 sc, in each sc around (12 sts)

ROW 3: 1 sc, 2 sc in next sc , repeat 6 times (18 sts)

ROW 4: 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc, repeat 6 times (24 sts)

ROW 5: 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc, repeat 6 times (30 sts)

ROW 6: 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc, repeat 6 times (36 sts)

ROW 7-11: (sc 36 sts)

ROW 12: 10 sc, dec 1 , repeat 3 times (33 sts)

ROW 13: 9 sc, dec 1 , repeat 3 times (30 sts)

ROW 14: sc (30 sts)

ROW 15: 3 sc, dec 1, repeat 6 times (24 sts)

ROW 16: sc (24 sts)

ROW 17: 2 sc, dec 1 , repeat 6 times (18 sts)

ROW 18: 1 sc, dec1 , repeat 8 times, (10 sts) sl st in next sc

Weave in loose end of yarn, stuff head with stuffing, pull yarn tight to close hole, bind off and tuck in the remaining tail

~ * ♥ * ~

BEAR EARS – Make two

ROW 1: Ch 2, 6 sc in second chain from hook (6 sts)

ROW 2: 2 sc, in each sc around (12 sts)

ROW 3-4: sc (12 sts), sl st in next sc, bind off and leaving long tail for sewing with body.

~ * ♥ * ~

CAT EARS - Make two

ROW 1: Ch4

ROW 2: sc in first sc, hdc, dc, tr in next sc, dc, hdc in next sc

ROW 3: 2 sc into next sc, repeat 3 times (6 sts) 2 hdc, 2 dc, tr, 2 dc, 2 hdc, 1 sc, sl st into next sc, bind off, leaving a long tail for sewing to the head.

 ~ * ♥ * ~

Instructions for Finishing Off

Step 1:  Sew ears to the top of the head

Step 2:  Embroider mouth on ~ you can use embroidery thread or yarn.  I used some 2 ply cotton thread in black

Step 3:  Sew or glue eyes in place

Step 4:  Using the tail left from where you start crocheting the head sew the jump ring to the top of the head and attach chain

Step 5:   Enjoy your new key critter!!

~ * ♥ * ~

Credit for this pattern and the inspiration I drew from it to create a variation goes to Nikii who posted her pattern on http://crochetme.com.  Original bear pattern HERE.

I have a bunch of helpful crochet tutorials here if you would like to know about some of the stitches.  I also have a very handy abbreviations guide and stitch instruction guide in my Beginner’s Tutorial for Amigurumi & Crochet if you would like to print it out.

I hope you enjoy making your own bear or kitty to keep your keys company, and as always I’d love to see them if you make one!  Send me a picture at bonita@bdotdepictions.com and I’ll post it on my blog. 

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ The most pointless designer accessories

I had a good giggle when I read this post on Boheme Noir ~ I thought it was hilarious!  Plus, the comments are funny too.  : D

Go on; have a laugh and check out the ridiculous things that people with too much money can spend too much money on. 

The 20 most pointless & ridiculous designer accessories ever

1. Fendi 12 IPod Carrying Case by Karl Lagerfeld

Damit, Karl! Get a laptop! It will hold all your MP3 when you travel... 

xox,

bonita

Keeping Well Dressed ~ Charm School Part 1

Video curtesy of Glamour Daze

I have been greatly inspired by Lottie of Lottie Loves and her Finishing School posts.  Her tips on grooming, posture and more, help to polish your appearance and conduct into a ladylike manner, as well as giving you self~confidence.

But Lottie is not alone in her quest for greater finish in every day life.  Across the wide web there are lots of vintage ladies addressing modern day casualness with flair all of their own and answering the questions I find myself pondering.

What classifies as well dressed lady these days?   Is elegance something to be striven for only if you are walking a red carpet or can we infuse it in to everyday living? 

When I look back on the past and at all the vintage fashions that I adore, things like darling hats and gloves with stockings and a neat purse add such chic to the outfits they wear.

Now a days we don’t wear gloves or stockings all the time, but sometimes we will pop a hat on top.  Most of the time when I think well dressed, I think brand names.  So Chanel, or Jimmy Choos and therefore, not necessarily the appearance of the clothes, but rather how close to designer fashion they are.

Still, I think that there are lessons we can learn from from the ladies of the past, so that no matter the brand or style of the clothes we choose to wear day to day, we can still look classy and elegant ~ in essence, well put together.  It does not take much money, but it does take thought, time and effort.  Do we always have the time to do this?

I know I don’t.  But I try every day and I think in the end that’s what others will see.  Hopefully you will also be inspired to try to be well dressed.  After all, the idea of polish is more than simply fashion and the clothes you wear, it is an attitude.  

I think it is an attitude of care and confidence knowing that you did your best to look your best.  No one can give more than their best, but when they do, it always works.  And I think that this attitude is found in those that are always well dressed, no matter the occasion.  What do you think?

xox,

bonita

Video curtsey of Glamour Daze.

Take me back lass ~ Outfit Thirty Four

 

Accessories  ~  Earrings  {Equip}   Crochet Collar {bdotdepictions} 
Owl Double Finger Ring  {Diva}    Top  {Tightrope}   Plaid Skirt  {Thrifted}   Tights {Italy}   Socks  {New Look, UK}    Boots  {New Look, UK ~ ordered online}

~ * ♥ * ~

I thought I would do my little blurbs at the bottom of my photos rather than mixed in between them…  I do not know if that is better?  Maybe you can tell me!   Do you like the photos broken up with text, or just prefer to look at the photos then read the text?  Please let me know. 

Anyway, I wore this outfit last Friday.   We {being Husband and two of my sisters, and my in~laws} went to the Banff Film Festival at the National Film and Sound Archives of Australia.
If you do not know what the Banff Film festival is ~ that’s ok; neither did I until last year!  It’s this awesome festival that happens every year in the Banff National Park, Canada.    The films are incredible; featuring high powered outdoors sports and recreation activities.   They pick the best of these films and send them around the world, so that’s why we could see some of them.

The films are about things like a solo walk across China, or the fastest speed alpinist{mountain climber!} Ueli Steck; who climbed Eiger’s north face {a Himalayan mountain} in less than three hours.  Three hours!! 
That’s how long it takes to:

1. Roast a 16 lb. turkey
2. Watch most of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
3. Drive to Sydney

and this dude climbed a mountain in that time…..  O ___ O   Mind you, he did train for an entire year before he did the climb, so that says something about how difficult it really is to do….  
If you are into any sort of outdoor sports and you hear of the Banff Film Festival near you, I can highly recommend you go.  It’s really inspiring!

xox,

bonita

P.S.  ~  I am so ready for this baby to come out!  There really isn’t much room left for him.   > <
I keep telling him that he will have way more room to wiggle and move about outside, but he doesn’t seem to believe me!! 

Only four more days until he’s due…  My bets are that he’ll be two weeks overdue; just to freak me out and confound my midwife!

How to ~ A Beginner’s Tutorial for Amigurumi & Crochet

Hi everyone,

I thought that as I had a few tutorials already on crochet stitches, and also a crochet project coming up that I want to share with you, that I would put together a guide of the resources that I used to start doing crochet and amigurumi. 

If you have been following my blog for a long time, you might find that some of this information is a repeat of what you have already read, so I apologise if this post is slightly boring!   I still hope that you find it useful though, and maybe you will be inspired to take up crochet and make amigurumi or something else with your new skill.  ^ U ^

What are amigurumi? ~ A helpful description from Holly of Berrysprite

Amigurumi  ~  (pronounced ah-me-goo-roo-me) is a craft from Japan that makes an excellent hobby or passion; you should be forewarned that making amigurumi is very addicting. Luckily, it is a relatively inexpensive craft that does not take much time to complete. In recent years, amigurumi have become increasingly popular and trendy, due to the handmade revolution.  {…}

Amigurumi utilizes crocheting in-the-round, meaning stitches are worked in a circle/spiral (and not joined) to build shapes. The result of crocheting in the round is sculptural yarn pieces that can then be stuffed, joined and embellished to form dolls. Most amigurumi utilize only a few basic concepts of crochet, and most use only the single crochet stitch (sc): increasing, decreasing, and slip stitch, are also vital things to know how to do before starting to crochet.

Although there are many different styles (usually influenced by the individual preferences of the crafter), amigurumi are usually characterized by their large heads and small limbs in proportion to their bodies. These seemingly bizarre proportions often give amigurumi a kawaii (“cute” in Japanese) appearance, and are a distinctive feature that is common to Japanese illustrations and amigurumi designs. Although there are so many inspirations for amigurumi, the most common themes that appear are animals/creatures, people, and food…

~* ♥ * ~   Read More   ~* ♥ *~

Crochet ~ A guide to the abbreviations & Tutorials on the basic stitches.

I have complied a pdf guide on the different crochet abbreviations and a how~to on the stitches to carry around with my crochet.  I find this guide very helpful if I come across a new term I don’t understand, or if I forget how to do a stitch and want to check that I get it right {this happens a lot…  > . >; }.

Download Crochet Abbreviations and Stitches:

If you someone who prefers to watch something rather than read about it, here are a few basic stitch tutorials that you can use.   Bear in mind that amigurumi doesn’t use most of the crochet stitches so it is a really easy beginner project! 

How to do a Magic Circle

The magic circle is an easy, alternative way to starting an amigurumi project.  It is the alternative to crocheting a chain of stitches and joining them together by crocheting back into the end of the chain.

If the amigurumi pattern calls for a chain of 6 stitches to start with, you would do 6 stitches on your magic circle and visa versa if you wanted to start with the chain and not a magic circle.

How to do a crochet chain

If you do not want to do a magic circle, you use a chain instead, as explained above.  You also use chains for other things in amigurumi, so it is a good idea to know how to do a crochet chain.

The basic crochet stitch ~ single crochet

The single crochet stitch is the most basic crochet stitch.   All other crochet stitches are a variation of this stitch and are also relatively easy to learn.

Most amigurumi patterns only use the single crochet stitch, so if it is amigurumi you want to do, you don’t need to learn any other stitch!

Increasing your crochet

Because amigurumi is worked in “rounds” ~ i.e., you crochet in a circular manner, each row building on the last, that means that to make a shape you need to increase or decrease the number of stitches in a row.  

Decreasing your crochet

So to make a ball shape, you start increasing your stitches until you have the diameter you desire, and then you decrease back down again.   Once the crochet is stuffed, you will then have the ball.

This ball can be a head, or a body; it all depends on the pattern.  You can also do more complicated shapes simply by increasing and decreasing, like a cone or a pear shape.  The pattern will tell you what to do to achieve the right shape.

How to slip stitch ~ another basic crochet stitch

 

To finish off your amigurumi, there is often a slip stitch to end the pattern, so you will need to used this stitch as well.   Now you are ready to crochet your own amigurumi!

Your First Amigurumi Project  ~ A Strawberry!

Pattern curtsey of Leanne Fairweather; lyra1 ~ posted on Crochet Me

 

Materials List:

• 4 ply Red Yarn
• 4 or 3 ply yarn in green
• 4.0mm/US G6 hook
• beads for eyes (optional)
• black thread (optional)
• sewing or tapestry needle (optional)
• tiny amount black wool(optional)
• polyester fiberfill or stuffing of choice - smelly stuff, catnip, beans, natural fibers etc.

Finished Size:

Approximately  5cm / 2" without stalk, about 6cm/ 2.5" with stalk straight up

Notes:

The body is worked in continuous rounds, so place a marker in the first stitch of each row throughout to help you keep track of what round you are up to.

Abbreviations:

Ch  = chain
Rnd  = Round; sometime called Row
sc  = single crochet
sl st  = slip stitch
st  =  stitch
*  =  repeat until you have the right number of stitches

The Pattern:

Body (in Red):

Rnd 1:   Ch 2, work 6 sc in ring (6) or make a magic circle with 6 sts

Rnd 2:   2 sc in next sc, * (12)

Rnd 3:   *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc* throughout (18)

Rnd 4-6:   1 sc in each st around (18)

Rnd 7:   *sc 2tog, 1 sc in each of next 2 sc* throughout (13)

Rnd 8:   sc in each st around (13)

You may want to start stuffing here. 

Bonita’s Note:  You can leave the stuffing until the body is finished,  just don’t forget to stuff before you sew the top up.

Rnd 9:  same as Rnd 7, continue to do this until you have only 6 sc left, ending with the last sc, 2 together (so once you sc 2 together and there is 6 stitches left total).

Continue stuffing.

Next Rnd:  work 1 sc, sc 2 together, fasten off leaving a tail for sewing.

Make sure you have desired amount of stuffing, flatten edges of remaining stitches at the top and sew together. Weave in end.

Leaves and stalk (green):

Ch 4, sl st in 2nd 3rd and 4th ch from hook.

Rnd 1:  In same 4th ch, work 6 sc, join with a sl st to 1st sc.

Rnd 2:  *Ch 3, sc in 2nd and 3rd ch from hook, sl st in next sc of 6-sc ring* around, making six leaves, join with sl st to beginning leaf. Fasten off with long tail for sewing onto body.

Stick your crochet hook through the middle ring and pull the stalk through if you would like it to be right side facing up (strawberries in picture are).

Finishing:

Step 1:  Sew or glue eyes onto body (can be beads like my berries shown or knots in wool etc) , create mouth with either thread or yarn.

Step 2:  Sew leaves and stalk onto the top of the strawberry, varying angles will create different personalities.

Step 3:  You’re done!  You can attach a keychain, ribbon, magnet, string, anything.  One of my friends even suggested filling it with smelly stuff instead of polyester and using it as a car air freshener!

And if you don’t want to do a strawberry ~ how about an acorn in its cup instead?  These cuties are another super easy beginner's pattern to do.   Find the pattern HERE.

 

Free Amigurumi Pattern Websites

Berrysprite  ~  Cute and easy amigurumi tutorials; I did the takochu tutorial for my very first amigurumi ever.  And I enjoyed it so much I made four more and now have a family of takochu sitting on my desk!

Crochet Me  ~  A huge resource of crochet patterns contributed by

Crochet Pattern Central  ~  An amazing resource of crochet patterns ~ some are amigurumi; some are not; but I am sure you will find something cute to make on this site!

Free Amigurumi Patterns  ~  I love this blog; there are so many cute patterns just waiting to be made up! 

Squidoo  ~  Some of these patterns in this link are knitted and some are not technically amigurumi {so they are not worked in rounds} but there are a bunch of patterns for you to browse through and decided if you want to make them up.

Wolfdreamer  ~  These patterns are harder to do and require more than your basic single crochet stitch.  There are some easy ones to try though, so they are worth looking out for.  Otherwise, you might want to save these patterns for later.  Any Mario and Pokémon fans will love this site!

~ * ♥ * ~

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you do make anything please show me!  I would love to see your finished pieces.   > ω < 

xox,

bonita