Giveaway Winner

Thank you so much for entering my first giveaway! I loved reading through all of the comments about what you're grateful for, it really was a whole week of Thanksgiving.

My husband wrote a nifty Excel program to randomly choose the winner, and...




Congratulations FluffityPuff! She chose the Sweet Pea keychain which is one of my favorites. :) I will be contacting you through email for your contact information so I can get it to you soon.

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& after much thought, I've decided to open an Etsy shop all of my own! It's a humble shop but I'm putting myself out there to share what I enjoyed creating and maybe (hopefully) someone might want to own it.

I would appreciate any visits & support there, thank you!

Crochet Week: For the Sister

This week I'll be sharing the different crochet projects I worked on last month. The gifts have met their owners so I'm free to share!







Today is my baby shower! My sister and her sweet friend planned it for us so as thank you gifts, I crocheted a set of mittens for each of them + other goodies.
I followed this pattern and used Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Linen and Black and Baby's First in some shade of blue (I can't seem to find it online!). I asked them what colors they liked and my sister chose a sort of khaki and turquoise and her friend chose black. If you can't see clearly, I cross stitched hearts on the mittens.

The pattern was extremely easy to follow considering I had never made mittens before. The other patterns I had come across in the past few years were very confusing for some reason when it gets to the thumb hole but this one led me through fine. I tested the pattern first just in case and ended up with these:



I loved that they were so fast to work up and the fact that they have the cuffs at the end so they look a little more like true mittens and not oven mitts.

Some things I didn't like about the pattern:
-they do kinda look like oven mitts in the end if you don't embellish them because of the single crochet (but that's an easy fix as you can see)
-the pattern sizes were not consistent for me and the test mittens were made in older kids size (after seeing women's size was for some really gigantic man hands) and the other ones were made in toddler size because another pair turned out to be more of a man hands size when following the older kids size again --not sure what's going on but I would stick with toddler size if you're using regular worsted weight yarn and have average lady hands because they will fit perfectly and you can work more rounds up for longer fingers (try on as you work)
-I ended up with a hole where the thumb and body of the mitten meet every time I made this... not sure if that's a mistake on my part or the pattern but I just sewed it up as I was weaving in ends
-I'd always heard about the sock problem --you make one and then you don't feel like making the other right away-- well, I felt a little bit of that as I was working on these. But you need two to make a pair!

These gifts were again received with love and smiles so I feel really great about the time spent making them. It's worth the time and sometimes frustrations that you feel when working on handmade gifts when the recipient knows it's one-of-a-kind and is excited about it! And like I mentioned before, the anticipation of giving the gift is a high for me.

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Also, today is the last day left to enter the giveaway going on right now! Can't wait to pick the winner!

tokki watch: 25w

~8.8 in.

Either I'm eating way too much or my baby is doing some good growing because my bump grew 1.25 inches in just over a week!
I'm having trouble bending down to grab things or pull on my boots now, I can't really imagine getting any bigger and then not being able to see my feet. But I hear that's what happens...

Hope everyone had a blessed, wonderful, warm Thanksgiving!

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Also, there's only one day left to enter the giveaway going on right now!

Crochet Week: For Grandma

This week I'll be sharing the different crochet projects I worked on last month. The gifts have met their owners so I'm free to share!




Isn't this necktie/scarflet the cutest?? It looks even cuter on my grandma who is a very petite person. It was made following Lion Brand's free tutorial using Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Purple.
The tutorial is surprisingly easy to follow--I had expected to have some trouble working the ends but the directions are very clear! (The green neckwarmer from yesterday was started using this tutorial too if you'd wanted a similar pattern.) The only thing I didn't like were the many ends I had to weave in which is my least favorite part of any crochet project, but I have to say it was worth it!

It's hard to pick out gifts from stores for some people but I always know a handmade gift will be well received. I'm glad I could make something pretty and warm for my grandma for this winter season.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Also, there's a giveaway going on right now! Please enter, I am really enjoying reading your comments about what you're grateful for!

Crochet Week: For Mom

This week I'll be sharing the different crochet projects I worked on last month. The gifts have met their owners so I'm free to share!



This neckwarmer is another example of something bad gone right. I was following another tutorial (the one I'll be posting tomorrow!) and unfortunately I was running out of yarn... that's what happens when you try to use stuff from your stash. In the end, I loved that it looks simple and elegant because of the design and color and I loved the buttons because they match perfectly! The yarn I used is Caron Simply Soft in Dark Sage which is a medium weight acrylic yarn. It is really soft and the stitches are front post half double crochet so there are actually more rows than it appears to have and quite thick.

The style and color look beautiful on my mom and I made it thinking it would! Sometimes a gift seems to belong to a specific person before it's even given, don't you agree?

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Also, there's a giveaway going on right now! Please enter, I am really enjoying reading your comments about what you're grateful for!

Crochet Week: For the Cousin

This week I'll be sharing the different crochet projects I worked on last month. The gifts have met their owners so I'm free to share!







This twisted cowl was made following this tutorial. My cousin had mentioned in passing that she wanted a cowl in either cream or red and I decided to make her one! I love red for accessories and I love crocheting with chunky yarn because it works up so fast, so I went with Lion Brand's Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Cranberry. The pattern was very easy to follow because it's basically just a rectangle that is slip stitched up the sides after you twist it. I think it's a genius idea for an easy project that makes for a very interesting design. It's very cozy and warm and chunky and wintery. I definitely recommend this pattern for crochet beginners!

My cousin loved it and she's been wearing it every day. It looks great on her too! I love when people genuinely love their gifts, it makes me feel warm tinglies inside and moves me to want to give more.

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Also, there's a giveaway going on right now! Please enter, I am really enjoying reading your comments about what you're grateful for!

Crochet Week: For Myself

This week I'll be sharing the different crochet projects I worked on last month. The gifts have met their owners so I'm free to share!







This neck warmer started out as a totally different project following a tutorial by Little Thingies for her Martha Cowl Scarf. (I would link but it appears her website has disappeared...) I guess I wasn't following the pattern correctly because it was supposed to be a big circle but somehow mine had developed a point on one end. With yarn running out, I decided to lower the round count and make a thinner tube. I followed her pattern for the flower motif and attached it to the point and it made a lovely, lightweight neck warmer.

Unfortunately I don't remember which kind of yarn I used due to a bad habit of throwing away the product band right away when I start with new yarn but it is probably sport weight (category 2 or 3) wool or wool/acrylic blend. The drape is beautiful and it feels really soft against my neck which is great because I'm sensitive to tags and some sweater materials. I love that it is a little lighter because it will hold up against the slight chilly breeze where I live just perfectly without getting too hot or being too chunky.

I hadn't been planning on making something for myself but I fell in love with it as I was making it and had to hold onto it! Does that ever happen to anyone else?

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I'm so glad & grateful to have arrived safely on Saturday night and to spend time with family and friends all week.
I hope your Monday is delightful and a great start to your Thanksgiving week!

Also, there's a giveaway going on right now! Please enter, I am really enjoying reading your comments about what you're grateful for!

My first giveaway!

I've been in that special crafting zone for the past few weeks and I've made too many pretty things. Usually that's not a problem, but one only has so many keys!



I'm giving away one keychain to one lucky reader, winner's choice. Each one is made from eco felt, stuffed with a lil bit of polyfil, and hand-sewn with love. (Initials can be customized on Lace, Piggie, and Sweet Pea.)

To enter,
Leave a comment on this post about one thing you're grateful for at this moment & which one you would choose if you won. Oh, include your email please!

For additional entries (please leave a comment for each action),
* Follow this blog with Google Friend Connect.
* Follow @hanamik on Twitter.
* Tweet about this giveaway (please be sure to include @hanamik in your tweet), blog about it, or share on facebook, & post the link here.

This giveaway is open to U.S. readers only and closes on Saturday, November 27th at 7PM PST.  The winner will be announced in the next day or two.

tokki watch: 24w

~8.4 in.

Right now we're on our way to Colorado! We'll be stopping in Utah for a night but it is still such a long drive.
Please pray for us as we travel the long distance. :)

Also, please note there will be a giveaway here tomorrow! I'm excited because it's my first so I hope you visit and enter!

20 Questions

   1. Sweet or Savoury?
   2. Dresses or Jeans?
   3. House or Apartment?
   4. Shop Online or Offline?
   5. DVDs or Downloads?
   6. Cocktails or Juice?
   7. Chocolate or Strawberry?
   8. Laptop or PC?
   9. Magazines or Newspapers?
  10. Facebook or Twitter?
  11. CDs or MP3s?
  12. Kids or Pets?
  13. Macaron or Cupcakes?
  14. Walk or Run?
  15. Breakfast in Bed or Breakfast Out?
  16. Market or Supermarket?
  17. Sourdough or Grainy?
  18. Heels or Flats?
  19. Late nights or Not?
  20. Coffee or Tea?

20 questions from Meet Me At Mike's (seen at Hazelnuts).

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1. Sweet please! I've been craving sweets recently so I indulge in rich hot chocolate, Drumstick ice cream, pullaway bread, shikhye, white chocolate mocha, and Dole peach cups. I need to curb my sugar intake.
2. Dresses because they're not restricting and they're an all-in-one outfit. I want more!
3. House for sure! I love having my own home and having a permanent address. The only thing better at an apartment is the community swimming pool... maybe we'll add one in a few years in our backyard!
4. I love shopping online! So much more variety and availability online.
5. We don't even have regular TV anymore because we get everything we enjoy watching by downloading. I own zero DVDs because I rarely re-watch things.
6. I've been drinking grape juice the past couple of months like a habit. It's my favorite!
7. I would prefer fresh strawberries to chocolate but if it's a milkshake, I prefer chocolate.
8. Laptop for me ever since college. Tare and I each have our own laptops which I love because it's portable and personalized. But I'm thinking our next purchase after a laptop dies is going to be a desktop!
9. Magazines but I rarely read either.
10. I like tweeting. I would feel too exposed posting the random stuff I tweet on facebook.
11. MP3s although I grew up with CDs because it's just less stuff = less clutter.
12. I'll have both!
13. French macarons pretty please <3
14. Walk. I don't even remember what it's like to run.
15. Breakfast in bed when it's not my own bed, like a hotel. I love ordering in!
16. Does this mean farmers' market vs. supermarket? If I lived near a huge farmers' market like the one in LA, I would go there instead of a supermarket but I don't so I enjoy shopping at Vons.
17. Sourdough is delicious. I love bread.
18. Flats all the way! I can't handle heels although I would love to wear them more often.
19. Not, unless I'm staying up to finish reading a book. Then I really can't help myself.
20. I love me some decaf white chocolate mocha but pregnancy tea is yummy too. I can't choose! As long as it's decaf...
 21. I'm having my first giveaway this Saturday, just so you know... ;)

Our Baby's Nursery

Parts of our nursery are coming together! So just a peek at it...







The sun decal is my favorite part of the room. Can't wait to add more loving touches!

Etsy Earring Collection

{1. knockknockstudio; 2. Isette; 3. Joannarutter; 4. Joannarutter; 5. shlomitofir; 6. shlomitofir}

I'm not much of an accessories person--I rarely wear necklaces, bracelets, or rings (except my wedding bands). I do, however, enjoy wearing earrings that are simple yet detailed in design. I prefer post earrings because I usually wear my hair down and the dangle ones always get caught.

These are some of my favorites from Etsy! The mustache & fox earrings are so cute and the rest are interesting shapes that caught my eye and I know I would be everyday wear earrings. I plan on owning some of these in the very near future. ;)

North Lake

After an almost four hour drive, we arrived at Erick Schat's Bakery which is famous for its original sheepherders bread since 1938. The yelp reviews sang praises for the various breads and goodies so we had to stop by! We had an early lunch of dark meat roasted turkey sandwich with cran-mayo (so amazing) and everything on it and some clam chowder.  (Sorry no picture, they're not allowed inside the bakery.)



We got donuts, pullaway bread (should have bought so many bags of this in all of the different flavors!), sheepherders bread, and chili cheeze bread (mmm, it tastes as good as it sounds).





Oh yeah, and this pig cookie with the best tasting sugar-rainbow ever.



After lunch we went on our way to North Lake to see some fall leaves.

{Staticky Aji who is the Houdini of shih tzu dogs}

The only problem was... we were a little too late to see them...


So we got a glimpse of winter instead.





The only golden leaves I saw were old neighborhood trees.



I was disappointed because the weather was beautiful and it was a long drive but I guess there's always next year. And, the pullaway bread 110% makes up for it. :)

tokki watch: 23w

~8 in.

I'm excited to head up to North Lake in Bishop this weekend. It'll be a longer drive overall than the time we'll spend there but we're hoping the beautiful autumn leaves and view make it worth it. We'll also be stopping by Eric Schat's Bakery which seems to be very popular.

Happy weekend!

Thursday Quote

A peek at what I've been crafting in the past week.

We learn by doing. ~Aristotle

Those people blessed with the most talent don’t necessarily outperform everyone else. It’s the people with follow-through who excel. ~Mary Kay Ash

the cutest little sewing project

I got my sewing machine out today to do two things. One, hem my jeans. Two, make the cutest little newborn baby pants following Made By Rae's tutorial.



It's the first thing I've sewn for little tokki! There is a bit of a mistake... but these pants are so cute and tiny, I don't think it matters! I mean, a "z" looks the same upside down right? :D
The pattern is so easy to follow, I could make hundreds of these!

I'm in a crafting groove these days, feels quite delightful.

creativity clutter

This is only some of the mess I made last night. I was in a crafting frenzy! Feels amazing to have this done though...



Ooh the anticipation! Is it just me or does anyone else feel a high when preparing gifts?
I love the planning, preparation, making, and finally giving the gifts away. You should be seeing imaginary bits of my heart on each of those bows & tags. :)

In a little over a week I can finally share what I've made! I've been itching to share... it tests me daily. It's nothing mind-blowingly-amazingly-awesome-superior-crafting (I wish) but something I found I love making and want to share the joy with you. ♥

Wishing you a bright and lovely Monday to start off the new week!

tokki watch: 22w

~7.5 in.

I now know the pain of heartburn for the first time in my life. I have to avoid overly spicy foods now which makes me a little sad.
tokki's kicks are getting stronger now and I love watching my belly jump. It's my favorite pastime. ;)

Thursday Quote

Half the pleasure of solitude comes from having with us some friend to whom we can say how sweet solitude is. ~William Jay

Standing Small

Black and white seems to suit her better when she has a shorter cut.