School House Treat Jar

So, I made another one of these guys. (You can find the instructions here.) This one was for one of my BFF's that runs her own in-home day care, hence the school house theme. My thought was it could be a special treat jar for her kids as a reward for when they have good behavior or do something kind, but of course she's welcome to use it however she sees fit! :o)

This is a left over from my pay it forward post from 2012. ("Pay it forward 2012. I promise to make something hand made to the first 5 people that comment. Then post this to your status and do the same... It can be as simple as a coffee, hand written note, or something more. Just has to be done in 2012.") The beauty of being a procrastinator is that the people that were promised these things have likely long forgotten that they've had it coming. So when it does finally come, they aren't expecting it and it becomes a random act of kindness that hopefully puts a smile on their face. 

She likes the "Live, Laugh, Love" saying so I threw in those cards to go with it. I think she was pleasantly surprised since this is the Facebook post that followed after she got it:

Coffee On Me

I completed my first Random Act of Kindness in 2014!

It was nothing big, but perfect for getting the ball rolling.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." ~ Aesop Fabulist

Cable Stitch Ear Warmer

Last year, I posted this to Facebook, "Pay it forward 2012. I promise to make something hand made to the first 5 people that comment. Then post this to your status and do the same... It can be as simple as a coffee, hand written note, or something more. Just has to be done in 2012."

I failed. 

The last week in December, I was wracking my brain to remember who the five people were. I told myself I was going to get them something before the end of the year, even if it was just a handmade card. 

I failed again. 

So I told myself, better late than never and I promised myself to get them something ASAP in 2013 and if I am feeling inspired to keep going, I will repost that post for 2013 and procrastinate till next year again.

Well, with this project, I have one less failure. 1 down, 4 to go. (If you're one of the four left, yours is coming, I promise!)

It's called "Cable Stitch 'Jenna' Headband" from Sadie's Basket.
(Which made it really hard to not want to give this to my good friend Jenna over at Bows and Leopard.)

I think it is more than a headband - it's also an ear warmer so I thought it was the perfect gift for my friend that lives in cold-ass Colorado.

Supplies:

• Crochet hook ‘I’
• Simply Soft Yarn
• 1 or 2 buttons for closure
• Sewing needle

Abbreviations Used:

• ch: chain
• sts: stitches
• sc: single crochet
• hdc: half double crochet
• fptr: front post triple crochet
• bptr: back post triple crochet

Headband:

-chain 13 (or any number that leaves 4 cable stitches in the middle and an even number of stitches on both sides- So here I wanted 4,4,4 so the ch 13 will make 12 sts)

Row 1: sc in 2^nd chain and each remaining chain, turn

Row 2: ch 2 (counts as first hdc here and throughout), hdc in each of the remaining 11 sts, turn (12 sts total)

Row 3: ch 2, hdc in next 3 sts, fptr in post of each of the next 4 hdc, hdc in each of 4 remaining st, turn

Row 4: ch 2, hdc in next 3 sts, bptr in post of each of the 4 fptr, hdc in 4 remaining st, turn

Row 5: ch 2, hdc in next 3 sts, skip the next 2 stitches (sts 1 & 2) and fptr in post of 3^rd bptr and 4^th bptr, then go back to the 2 skipped sts and fptr in the post of the 1^st bptr and 2^nd bptr (in that order every time- 3, 4, 1, 2), hdc in remaining 4 sts, turn 
(*make sure when you do the fptr in the 1st bptr and 2nd bptr, you are doing these over top (or in front of) the 3rd and 4th stitches. This is what gives it the cross-over look*)

Row 6: repeat row 4

Row 7: repeat row 5

Row 8: repeat row 4

Row 9: repeat row 5

-Continue this pattern until the headband measures about 19”-20" long, finishing with row 4. (about 20 cross-overs)

-Row ? (however long your headband is): repeat row 3

-Hdc 2 rows as the ending edge. Tie off.

Sew in ends and attach button between the 2 hdc rows at the end. When buttoning the headband, I just slip the button through the middle of the 4 cable stitches- there should be a big enough gap.

 

I struggled a bit with the end. I am pretty sure that was the first time I have ever sewed a button in my life. Hopefully it doesn't fall apart after the first time she uses and. If I lived somewhere colder, I would definitely make one for myself! 

Introducing - CONE KID!!

"Slow for the Cone Zone"

Yep. That's me inside there!

Today was National Bring Your Kid to Work Day. My boss approached me about a month ago and asked if I would represent Caltrans as Cone Kid. I reluctantly agreed. (But was also secretly a little excited. LOL)

The events leading up to me becoming Cone Kid were nearly tragic, comical, and overall fun.

Yesterday, we were checking out the costume and being sure the pants and shirt fit before the big day. I took a look at Cone Kid himself and thought, "Oy. I hope I don't get claustrophobic in there." (I am not really sure why we didn't test out the whole outfit right then, but we didn't.)

So, today is the big day. I suit up five minutes before the event is to start. My boss slides Cone Kid over my head and..... INSTANT PANIC!!!! :o(

Oh, no! Am I going to be able to do this? I mean, come on! How irrational am I being? What could really happen to me in that suit? 

Well, let me tell you what could happen.

• What if I fall over? 
• What if there is an earthquake and I have to run and I cant get out? 
• What if I get nauseous and throw up inside Cone Kid? 
• What if my stomach hates me and I have to run to the bathroom? 
• What if I freak out inside that thing and scare the kids?
• What if I pass out?
• What if some kid bullies me?!

The catastrophic scenarios were racing through my head. Not only would I not be able to run, but I wouldn't going to be able to get that cone off my head without the help of someone else. What? I have to rely on someone else? This is NOT a comfortable feeling for me.

Thankfully, my boss found a great solution. Instead of being in the costume for the entire welcome session (about 30-45 minutes) she suggested I wait in a closet and at the end of her presentation, she would come get me. We'd have the kids just take pictures with Cone Kid and I would only have to be inside the cone body for about 10 minutes. I could do 10 minutes. Couldn't I?

I sat in that closet for about 20 minutes running all the scenarios through my head again. Then laughing at myself, I returned to my original rational thought: Really? What was the likelihood that any of those things would happen in 10 minutes? Sure. It could happen in some freak scenario, but the odds were pretty low. Plus... I LOVE kids. And the kids are going to LOVE Cone Kid. I wouldn't want to take Cone Kid away from them! So... I was able to sit in the closet, talk myself off the ledge, then (for not the first time in my life) I came out of the closet with a bang!

The kids ooh'd and aah'd and cheered and smiled. It was great. They each got their picture taken... even the big kids got their pictures with Cone Kid:

High Five!

He was so stoked! I guess some of us never fully lose our innocence!

I thought it was a little bizarre at the time, but when I saw these pictures I thought it was HILARIOUS! He's totally wearing the hats and safety jackets we gave out to the kids. I am pretty sure he was more excited to be getting high fives and pictures with Cone Kid than the actual kids were. He even had someone video tape it! LOL! I'm not even 100% sure this guy works with us!

Also hilarious about this day... instinctively, at every click of the camera, I would catch myself smiling from ear to ear inside Cone Kid as if my face was going to be in the picture! Every now and again, I would catch myself and chuckle wondering why the heck I was smiling. Never the less, the next click of the camera, there I was from inside of Cone Kid smiling and thinking, "Cheeeeeese".

So, it was nearly tragic in that I almost couldn't be Cone Kid. But thankfully, I was able to talk myself off the ledge. Find it comical. Laugh at myself. Get over my irrational fears and end up having a great time.

I might even consider doing it again next year.