April: Monthly Update

I guess I really wasn't around the blog much last month. Here's what I was up to in the month of April.

Crochet:
This little piece is destined to become a bookmark - once I sew some elastic to the ends. This pattern is from a Japanese crochet book I picked up at Uwajimaya a year or so ago.

I made a whale for Elijah just because. I used this pattern, but didn't add the flippers. Note: It's a Japanese pattern, but it's pretty easy to figure out what to do if you can read crochet charts.

Here is a pattern swatch I made using this pattern. I believe the pattern is also called Apache Tears. I love the way it looks, and am currently deciding what would be the best way to frame it so I can hang it on the wall.

I decided to try making some African Flower Hexagons. I've seen all the cute animals made from them, and thought the pattern was pretty. I made 7 and sewed them together. I'm now trying to decide if I should make it into a cushion, or frame it for my creative space.

 A little cozy for my work in progress bowl. Okay - honestly, it started out as a hat, but the crown looked funny (too flat, and a little too wide) . It just so happened to fit the bowl that I use for my work in progress.

Sewing:
Elijah has been waking up at the crack of dawn, and we thought it was his new lighter curtains. So I  upcycled his old dark curtain to make a black out shade. I cut it to about the size of his window, folded the top down and sewed it - creating a casing - and put it on a tension rod. It did not help. :)

Reading:
I read probably 15 books this month. I've read all the books on my list available in my county's library system, and the next county's library system. I have one more at the city library to pick up, and I've ordered one from Amazon (it was a penny). I just have the most current releases to get now, and I'm trying to get them through Inter Library Loan. Either way, I only have 9 books left to read before the end of the year - and it's only May! I'd say I've got this goal mostly in the bag :)

New things:
We spend a weekend up in Birch Bay with some friends at the beginning of the month. We went to Canada and visited a Thomas the Train store in Burnaby and Stanley Park - both new places!

We also went to dinner at a new restaurant called Crockett's with some friends after church one night. It had been featured on Dinners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. We had some delicious food - and butterscotch bourbon pudding for dessert. Yum!

Here are a couple of things I picked up for myself this month that make me happy:
Check out this print - sea turtles, florals, and turquoise - could it get much more me? Only if it had sparkles! This is the print of a new Cynthia Rowley cooler basket I picked up at TJMaxx the other day. I don't need a cooler basket, but I couldn't resist the print. I'm going to try to use it as a new crochet basket.

I also found this journal. I love the saying on the front Live Everyday with Intention. I want to be more intentional with the way I spend my time, and how I express gratitude. (The picture makes it look a little funny - it's really just white with gold lettering.)

In other news:
My 30th birthday is in 3 days. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it. Am I embracing 30? Or am I having a second annual 29th birthday? Mostly, I think I'm embracing it, but I'll let you know next week :)