Wedding Weekend, Day 1

This weekend was back-to-back weddings, with nephew Keith in San Diego-adjacent Friday evening, and son Matt in Oak View Saturday afternoon. 
  
Thursday morning we picked up Addy and her parents at LAX and headed south. We stopped for lunch in Irvine, giving the little girls time to stretch their legs and play a little hide-and-seek.
  
Then on to Temecula and the hotel swimming pool both girls had been eagerly awaiting. 
  
Friday morning we hit the beach in Oceanside, at Addy's special request. 
 
Every time she comes out from Colorado, we try to make time for her to dip her toes in the ocean. 
 
This time, both girls dipped most of themselves in the water, 
 
coming back to the car soaked, sandy and very happy. 
 
Grandma decided her princesses needed new dresses, to which neither girl objected, so back in the van we went for another short drive south. (We got a pink princess dress for Leanne.)
 
A quick lunch, a carousel ride, 
 
and it was time to head for wedding #1.

Done!

Mary's wedding shawl is done! 
 
And not a minute too soon, since Saturday is the big day. 
 
Beading the fringe, 
 
then trimming each strand and adding a dot of insurance with fray block, took for-freaking-ever.
 
But it was definitely worth it. In my opinion, anyway.   
Can't wait to see the party shots on Saturday!

The Alex Rule

If we need the little girls to stand by the car for a minute - while we unlock the doors, or adjust the car seat, or whatever - the rule is that they have to keep one hand on Alex* at all times.
 
Hubby obviously had Leanne do just that today. And since she doesn't have 5 fingers or 2 thumbs on that hand, I'm guessing she was petting Alex while she waited.


*Alex is the car. Doesn't everyone name their transportation??

Highpoint of Their Day

The little girls were thrilled that they got to help me clean today. 
Leannne washed doors and moldings (the same job her mother did as a little girl),
 
while Leia worked on her second set of air conditioner vents. 
 
Her little fingers do a great job getting into all those little crevices, and she loves any excuse to put don PopPop's blue disposable gloves. 
 
Leanne helped because she wants to do what Leia is doing (always). And Leia worked so she could earn a new download for the Ipad. Shhhh, don't tell her the game she picked was a free one . . .

Bead Time

Beading, beading, beading my time away.
 
Each bead takes about a minute to attach and knot. 530 beads total means 9 HOURS of beading in my future. And that doesn't count trimming and dotting each end with glue to make sure it doesn't come apart.
 
Hubby's idea of beading only half the strands is starting to sound better all the time.

Getting There . . .

Only 12 days until the wedding and the bride's shawl is growing . . .
 
growing . . . .
 
growing.
 
Only two rows to go, and then I can start adding fringe and the beads that Mary picked out yesterday. Planning to have this done by the weekend. Crossing fingers . . . .  

And . . . found my wedding ensemble today - at the first store I went to, on sale, and with an extra 40% off. I love the outfit and I love the price even more!

Another Sweater

Remember my new favorite sweater?
 
I decided to make another that was more like the original pattern. 
Cropped, with the back medallion I like so much,
  
but with short sleeves 
 
and a different border.
 
Once I'm done with this as a class sample, it will go live with Mary. Hope she enjoys hers as much as I'm loving mine.

Dances With Hippos

Finished the second, yet-to-be-named, hippo last night. 
 
Leia gets naming honors, since this one will belong to her once I teach my class. We're calling her "Happy" for now, but I'm pretty sure that will change.
 
I'd left Happy sitting on the couch while I made the kindergarten run, and wondered how long it would take for Leia to spot her once we were home. 
 
Answer: not long! Leia grabbed her up and started kissing Happy while dancing with her around the room. Can't ask for a better reaction than that!
 
Leanne had shown absolutely no interest in the hippos . . . until she saw Leia's reaction. Guess who has now latched onto Hannah? 
 
Since Hannah is mine, Leanne will be in line for the next one (then Addy and Rachel and Travis and . . . . ) And Leanne's will have embroidered eyes, since she was fascinated by pulling poor Hannah's eyes out of their sockets . 
  
Happy is significantly bigger than Hannah, the result of using worsted-weight (Encore) vs sock yarn. She was easier to make - bigger hook = less fiddly - but IMHO she's not as cuddly and cute, even with her sweet little tail. 
  
Since I need to make at least 6 more of these, sooner or later I'll find the perfect combo of yarn-size and cuddle-factor. 
 
And I'll be able to label them all as "Leia Approved".
 

Excuses, Excuses

(Guess what?!? Rachel blogged! New Addy pics are here. Hooray!)

Want to see the primary reasons Happy Hippo #2 isn't finished yet? Reason #1 - 
 
somebody wanted Grandma to play with her, or watch Simon's Cat with her, 
 
or sing songs, or do anything that didn't involve Grandma holding a crochet hook. Leanne's favorite tactic-of-the-day was taking Hippo out of my hands and putting it on her head. How can you argue with something that cute?
 
Reason #2 -
 
somebody else believes my lap is her private domain, for her petting pleasure, and not to be shared with hippo carcases or other hookly pastimes. 
My goal for the long weekend was to finish Happy #2, the last 50% of a sweater and a Tunisian scarf; all samples for my Fall classes. Yeah, right. Didn't touch the sweater; got 3/4 done with the scarf; and maybe, maybe Happy will be finished tomorrow, since Leanne won't be here. 
Provided I lock the d*mn cat out of my craft room. (I have to tie the doors shut since AJ learned how to open them a long time ago. D*mn cat.)