Inspiration comes in many forms for me!

Originally I had stumbled upon Amigurumi...a japanese doll that is made by crocheting or knitting yarn. I was peaked with interest but when you google the word only some small, not very interesting animals or figures came up. That's when I found "Boo"!
This is the inspiration doll that got me started on my hunt to make a doll of my own -----> http://stitch.hellooperator.net/free-patterns/amigurumi-doll/

Then I was inspired by Gourmet Crochet's Beth Doherty to make a doll that had a little personality and had fabulous eyes and details.

This is the 2nd inpiration doll: She is called "Cleo". http://www.gourmetamigurumi.com/

So now to my first creation...I am pleased to announce "Ula" has arrived. I am still working on some more details like giving her a necklace and some shoes.

My Baby Shower from my best friends -Feb 1, 2009

Place/Time: Crumpets at 11:30am
Hosts: Traci, Cindy & Meredith
Attendees: Mom, MaryLou, Linda, Meredith, Marley, Traci, Lainey, Sharlin, Heather, Cindy, Cheslie

We had a wonderful brunch at Crumpets. Thank you to all for the wonderful gifts!!

From My baby shower

Heather's Baby Shower -Jan 31, 2009

Saturday I drove to Corpus to attend Heather and Misty Mae's Baby Shower at her house. What a cool baby shower this was! With her family and friends in attendance there were lots of food, games, cake and presents.

Heather's Baby Shower

Ticker :)

Tablecloth for Nanny

Ok, so it took me 1 year to finish the darn thing but it made for handy work to finish when we finally have Brennan's name :)

This was supposed to be Nanny's Christmas gift of 2007 :/

Austin's New Year Clock at Auditorium Shores 08

New Years Clock in Austin 2008

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Clock tower will burn for First Night Austin
Last Update: 12/31/2008 6:48 pm

This clock tower will burn New Year's Eve night. Austin is ready to ring in 2009 with the giant First Night Austin outdoor celebration. The New Year’s Eve party is expected to attract more than 100,000 people to the downtown area from 3 p.m. until midnight. The free, family-friendly event includes 60 art exhibits, workshops, a parade, fireworks and other interactive events. The centerpiece of the New Year’s Eve celebration is the Resolution Clock Tower. The three-story, 34 foot tall, dual faced functioning wooden clock is the creation of Community Art Makers. From until 6 p.m., First Night attendees can write their New Year's resolutions on the structure. Then at 8 p.m. the clock will be set ablaze. Austin artists Dave Umlas and Marrilee Ratcliffe are the creative minds behind the intricate sculpture. "So often 'art' is the tangible thing produced, something placed on a wall and revered or reviled," said Ratcliffe. "We're trying to turn this perception on its head a little. What we build is large and meant to create an impact upon introduction, destruction and disappearance." "Our pieces are intentionally massive and intricate. It takes a dedicated team to build them. Upon their destruction, what is left is the skills we have garnered and the relationships we've built, the community we have created and that is the real art. We burn it so that we can restore and build it again," Umlas said.First Night Austin will wrap up the street party with fireworks from 11:45 p.m. until midnight. The fireworks will be ignited on Lady Bird Lake just west of the South 1st Bridge.
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A few burns reported during First Night Austin New Year's celebration
CBS 42 Reporter: Ryan Loyd
Last Update: 1/01 11:23 am

Resolution Clock Burns For New Year's Eve

Spectators at Auditorium Shores watched the Resolution Clock go up in flames to kick off the New Year. New Year's Eve was off to a big bang in Austin. The 35-foot wooden structure at Auditorium Shores, known as the Resolution Clock, was set ablaze shortly before 8:30 p.m. and took nearly half an hour to burn.
Firefighters were on hand to supervise the burn. But as burning embers fell from the sky, wind carried the ashes east, some people complained of being burned on their skin. Others said they walked away with burnt holes in their clothing.
Pat Wheaton is an artist who helped construct the tower. He says he was not aware of anyone sustaining serious injury.
“If someone had short sleeves on, there were embers coming down so they might have gotten hit with those, like a bug bite," he said. "That’s the only thing that I saw," Wheaton added.
Hundreds of thousands of people attended the burning of the Resolution Clock on the grounds of Auditorium Shores. Many lined the First Street Bridge to watch the clock come down.
Some people standing on the grounds were in direct line with the falling embers.
"The embers didn’t carry that much and most it wasn’t embers anymore, it was just ash," Wheaton said.
For the most part, those involved in the burn said the event was a huge success. The tower was constructed by local artists, who dreamt up the idea nearly a year ago.

Night out with Friends after Christmas.

We joined Dana, Adam, Niki, Donnie and a few others out in downtown Austin to hangout. :)

Downtown after Christmas 2008

Roan Christmas in Nacogdoches 2008

Justin and I travelled (along with Brodie) to Nacogdoches for our annual Christmas with his mom, dad and Aunt Pat! What fun!!!
It was filled with yummy turkey and of course the fixin's and long leisure days of rest. We always have a great time when we are there.

Christmas at Roans 2008

Jupe Christmas 2008 at our house

Christmas was delightful and full of love and happiness. David came in a few days early from New York and then Robert, Leanne, Chris (Annie's boyfriend) and Aunt Linda followed on Friday. We spent the days leading up to our Christmas shopping, running errands and baking/cooking. Lots of fun!
Saturday was our family Christmas and everyone was in attendance except Vanessa and Justin S. They were snowed in back at their home in New York...but made it at 2am Saturday morning. There was lots of movement from kitchen to dining room to living room, smokers in the backyard underneath the almost leafless Pecan tree, and hanging out with merriment drinks in the living room. We had a royal feast on China and antique placeware as well as eggnog and all the fixin's. Later on in the night the family crammed into our small living room and partook in the White Elephant gift exchange where my Martha Stewart pottery mixing bowls were a hit and made it around the room multiple times before the best hubby of mine grabbed them last :)
Here are the photos from the days leading up to Christmas:

Christmas 2008

And Christmas Day (ok..Saturday the 20th but who cares as long as family is together);

Christmas Day 2008 (Dec 20)