Ruffled Scarf Tutorials

So the last few weeks I've been crocheting up a storm. Last night I finished a ruffled scarf and I wanted to share it with you.

It's just a quick thing to crochet.

I made a long chain with chainless double crochet foundation stitch. See the video tutorial here that I used to figure it out last year when making these skirts for the girls.


I then did 2 more rows of double crochet.


Finally I did a ruffle stitch around the scarf. You double crochet in the stitch, chain one and then another double crochet in the same stitch, chain one. Repeat in all the stitches around the scarf. (You can read better instructions in the pattern linked above for the skirts).


Like I said not hard but it looks cute.

 And theses are the skirts I made for the girls.

Ania

What I Wore Wednesday - Colour

So this is the coloured addition. There is much more colour this time around and it's not just my accessories (although a lot still is).   I was also blessed this last week with new clothes. I had a gift certificate for Penningtons that I used to buy some new tops, skirt and leggings. And then we went to Buffalo for our anniversary and I was able to pick up a few things as well.  I've also tried to be more playful with my pictures as well.

 

As the previous weeks I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy, and Momma Go Round.

 

Flower in the hair - made by me

top - new from Penningtons

belt - Penningtons

jeans- MXM

 

 

 Fun picture of me to shake things up

headband - made by me

dress - Target

cowl- made by me

flower pin on cowl - made by me

jeans - MXM

shoes - Walmart

purse - made by me

 

flower in the hair (not seen) - made by me

dress - Fashion Bug

 shoes - Payless

 

headband - made by me

top- new from Penningtons

 skirt - new from Penningtons

 knee high socks - new from Target

shoes - new from Payless

 

 headband - made by me

tank top - new from Target

boyfriend sweater - new from Target

belt - scarf from Lane Bryant

jeans - MXM

 running shoes - Running Room

 I guess I can be playful with my kids around too.

headband - made by me

top - new from Dress Barn

jeans - MXM

shoes - Payless

 

 

headband - made by me

 scarf - Lane Bryant

t-shirt - not sure

skirt - Penningtons

 tights - new from Target

shoes- Payless

I was told yesterday that I looked like a little girl in this outfit.  Apparently I'm too old for the blue tights. Little did they know that coloured tights are hot for fall. I think I look cute and it's a good thing I dress for myself and not others.

 close up of the new shoes

Hope you enjoyed my outfits.  Let me know what you I think, I love to read your comments. 

Ania

Make-up = Life lessons?

I know a post about makeup from someone who's pictures almost always show her without it.  I love makeup, I love playing with the different colours, trying new techniques but staying with the easy standbys.  But yet since I've had kids I don't really  wear it much. And it's not because of a time constraint (although some days this would be my excuse). The reason you see me without make-up is a conscious decision.

I had a rocky start with make-up. I wasn't a cool kid, my parents would let me wear make-up or play around with it. They wouldn't let me shave my legs in grade 7 because it was unnecessary. I got teased a lot.  The odd time when I was allowed to wear make-up my mother would apply it in an over applied 80's style (which clearly didn't cut it in the minimalist 90's).

I was in grade 7 or 8 and the cool girls offered to give me a makeover at recess. Being naive I was excited that the cool girls were talking to me and offering to make me pretty.  Pretty was not what I got, the over applied the make-up made me look cheap and trampy. They did this to get a laugh at my expense.

So after that I began to learn how to apply it and collected a pretty impressive collection.  I would wear makeup all the time. Fast forward to college where I was doing my first placement at a group home for trouble teens (I was studying to become a child and youth worker, but that never worked out but that's a whole other story), and I was asked not to wear makeup.

What do you mean? It's my face I can do what I want. I was a cocky 19 year old. It makes me look pretty.  Then they explained to me, the girls in the home have low self -esteem, and one of the things they are trying to do is build their self-esteem. They want to show them that beauty doesn't depend on what you wear, the make-up you have on. That it comes from within.  At the time I fluffed it off and did what they said because my marks counted on them.  I truly didn't understand what they meant and what they were trying to achieve until I had a daughter. And it wasn't right when she was born, it was actually a few years later.

Before you have kids, you hear about how children mimic you, they watch you and copy what you do.  Until something happens you don't really think too much about it.  I use to wear makeup just about every day because I liked it. Then one day when Monkey was about 2 1/2, she found my makeup stash in the bathroom and proceeded to cover herself with copper eye shadow so she could be pretty like mommy.  She was doing what she saw me doing. I tried to explain to her that she is pretty and she doesn't need the makeup, but she told me that I wear makeup and she wants to be pretty like me.

How do I teach her that she is pretty just as she is without makeup? I gave up my makeup habit. I still do wear makeup on special occasions. I'm not banning makeup, and when the girls do ask to wear it I will let them within reason.   Right now when I'm putting on makeup for a party or an event, you bet the girls are in the bathroom with me, watching me, mimicking me.  I do put on a light pink eye shadow for them and some lip gloss. But i am showing them that they don't' need to wear makeup to be pretty on a regular basis. We are all pretty just the way we are.

That said I can't wait until the day that they are older and I can start wearing make-up again on a regular basis because it does add something to you. I don't know if it's the makeup itself, or the way it makes you feel but I do get more compliments the days I do wear makeup. 

For now, I will continue to teach my girls these life lessons through example.

Ania

Who do I think I am?

 

Past

Present

I've been fighting a battle with myself for a number of years.  I have yet to forgive myself for giving up  all those years ago when I got injured when swimming and I was told that if it got worse I would need to have my shoulder operated on.  I though rationally about it and thought, I'm not a world class athlete so it's better to stop and have full function then to continue and risk a major injury.


 You'd think when I made this rational decision all those years ago, I would be ok with it. Sadly I am not, I abused my body for years, smoking, eating and not exercising.  I still am beating myself up over it.


When I decided to try the triathlon relay this month it brought up these emotions and now my race partner is trying to get me to try the try it triathlon next year.  And here I am thinking I can do it. If I couldn't make it as an athlete when I was young and in shape what makes me think I can do it now?  I mean I am out of shape and much older now. Who am I kidding?


However my friend, being the great friend that she is, won't give up on me and works on me every day to do the race with her. This morning I went to the YMCA and tried to bike 10 km that I would have to do in the race.  I managed to finish it in 28.15 minutes, and then thinking I should recreate the race environment I went on the track to do some laps. I did 6 laps (5 laps = 1 km) and one of those was jogging. My asthma acted up during that jog but I did it (even if my legs felt like jello). I still have a lot more work to do but I'm starting.


Today at work I was talking to my co-workers who are also personal trainers and while they agreed with my friend that I don't need to complete the distance on the first day of training they also said some things that are leading me closer to forgiving myself. That and some comments on my facebook wall.   These 2 guys who work out for a living said that what I was doing was hardcore and they couldn't do it, especially since I do have injuries and am trying. 


Maybe I don't need to beat myself up, maybe just the act of training is enough, it is getting me to my goal of being healthier. So what if I don't finish first (even though I really want to), at least I'm getting off my butt and trying and that is more then most people can say. 


I'm not saying I have forgiven myself yet but I am well on my way. I'm also on my way of becoming on of those healthy people you hear about. 


Thanks for stopping by,


Ania

Niagara Falls - the 10th Anniversary Edition

Early in the morning on our anniversary we headed out to Niagara Falls.   It didn't take very long to drive there so when we arrived shortly after 8am our room wasn't anywhere near ready. We left our bags with the bellboy and headed out in search of breakfast.  We ended up at IHOP.

Rock waiting for our food to arrive.

Me looking tired.

After breakfast we still had time to kill and walked around.  First stop was the casino, we very quickly lost $40 in the slot machines.

By the foutain

And a photo of Rock and I. 

An employee asked if we wanted our picture taken together and at first Rock said no. I mean really it's our anniversary and pictures of us together are few and far between. But then he smartened up.

After the casino, we walked down to the falls.  We ended up near the American Falls and took a bunch of pictures there.

me by the American falls

Rock by the American falls

The Canadian Falls

Me being cute

In front of the Guinness World Record Museum.

Inside the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum

Rock on a big chair

Me on a big chair and trying to be cute

He was a bad, bad man

There must have been a mistake, (as soon as I got into the stocks the power went out)

We found this nice man sitting on a bench outside while we waited for the power to come back on

See very nice

Power back on and we found a mirror to take a picture in

In the electric chair

And again being cute

The next few pictures where the view from our room. We were on the 41st floor (there was 42 floors).

The next few pictures show the rainbows we saw

Me just before we went out for dinner

Yes me being cute again (gee I seem to be more playful when the kids aren't around)

The view from the room at night

Good morning world. It's like 6:30am. 

I didn't sleep good without my Tutu, I kept waking up looking for him

and apparently he didn't sleep good either missing me.

And the sun rising over the falls

After this we headed down for a buffet breakfast and headed out across the border to Buffalo to do some cross border shopping. I was disappointed in the prices, they are the same as at home and the selection wasn't that great.  Target however didn't disapoint, I did pick up most of the stuff for the kids and myself there.  I even picked up Christmas presents for the kids. Getting a head start. 

Overall it was an excellent 2 days with my hubby. It was nice to spend some time alone together, have together and explore the town together. I missed the kids like crazy but it was nice to reconnect. 

Thank you so much for visitng my little corner of the world, I'd love to hear what you think by leaving me a comment.

Ania