Oceanside Girl

New Logo

2010-08-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

How do you like my new logo!!! I've been trying to find time for months to learn CS3 and finally just did it. I know not really that hard to do something so simple, but I'm still trying to figure out some things that will tweak it a little bit. Anyway, I love it! It's a picture of our beach house right after we bought it in the 60's.

Candles, lotion bars, hand, foot and lip scrub

2009-12-31T16:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of the spa stuff I made this year. Someone came and loved them enough to ask that I put them in her store. I'm so excited. I especially love the lotion bar.

The Lotion Bar is in the front in the tin. I'm looking forward to adding a couple of new things to the line. It's all great fun!

The Cottage Door

2009-11-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

Kathy and I are having a boutique this November and December. (and two or three more times this year). It will be open Thursday's, Friday's and Saturday's. There are other vendors as well. We have antiques and other furniture, as well as things we have made. I have a whole line of Bath salts, lotions and candles, as well as other handmade items. Here are some pictures of the store.

Kathy spent hours putting the store together while we were in Wyoming. She is so good at it, doesn't it look great! We still have lots more to put in, but ran out of time to make things. (we only had 3 weeks and one of them I was gone) I still have jewelry that will be added, reindeer, Christmas trees, and other sewn stuff.

Now I need some ideas. I have my jewelry under Oceanside Designs. However, I need a better name for my candles, bath salts, lip buffer and lotion. Does any one have a good idea? It will go with the Oceanside... theme. If I use your idea, I will send you your choice of product, either a candle of your choice, a bath salt, lotion, lip buffer or lotion bar. So, bring me your ideas and get something in return. Sound fun? I've thought of the obvious: Oceanside Candles, Oceanside Bath Salts, etc., let's get creative and have fun!

Some candles in tins and jars, in the foreground, the lip buffer.

Below are the Bath salts.

Eden's quilt

2009-11-08T17:16:00.000-08:00

This is the quilt I made for Eden. It is so bright and cute, though simple. I love it,

Eden's Blanket

2009-09-22T15:12:00.001-07:00

Eden's Blanket:

Now finished. Now I have to decide when to give it to her. I am also making her a little flannel baby quilt, so I might wait until she is older and can love it. But it has her name on it!!! :)

Finally pictures

2009-08-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally have taken some pictures of my jewelry that I have been asked to sell in a local store. The last pictures were all blurry, so, here are some better ones. This is kind of far away, but if I get closer, they get blurry. I really need a good camera with a telephoto lens!

here they are a little closer...
A couple of my glass pendants. I love this shape the most.

and then I am making our new grand-baby a blanket. This is soft and luscious.

here is a close up of it:

So, enjoy the great August weather. I hope ours gets a little better so we can continue on with our outdoor movies. Our weather has been so foggy and bad this summer, it hasn't made it possible. So goes living on the coast! We usually get a good Indian Summer, so at least we will be able to do them into September and probably the first part of October if all goes well.

Andrea's birthday socks

2009-08-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

I finished Andrea's socks in time for her birthday. They have been out of town so I haven't heard if she likes them or not. I know I did and loved the yarn. I think, if I'm remembering right it was Lorna's Lace Sock yarn. I'll definitely use this again. Anyway, here is a picture of them.
and another:
I also gave her a necklace that I made, but this is a terrible picture. I've been asked to sell these at a local shop. I hope she liked her gifts. I sure had fun making them for her. I have some pictures of others I have made, but they turned out blurry, so I'll take them again and post those later.

Favorite Felted Purse

2009-06-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is by far my most favorite purse that I have made so far. I love the colors, the shape, everything about it. I don't have the pattern anymore, or I would share it. Lost it. I know, dumb me! It was in a book my friend was giving to her daughter so, if you really want it I should be able to find out what book it is in for you. (she told me once before but I lost that too:) Anyway, just thought I would share a picture of it. Andrea owns it. I think she likes it too.

Isn't it cute!

Andrea's Spiral Cowl and Marabou Beret

2009-06-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post another picture of Andrea's hat, especially to show the back. I love this hat. It's called Marabou Beret. You can find the pattern here. I need to make one for me too.

Did you notice the cowl scarf? I had posted one in another color, but I made one to match the hat. I love the purple colors. I think it looks good on her, don't you? Here's another picture of the cowl.

Let me see if I can get a link to the spiral scarf, in case I didn't post it before. Here it is on Ravelry, but you will have to join, it's free, and lots of fun: find it here. If you make it let me see it. As always, happy knitting!

Firm Fingerless Gloves

2009-03-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

The pattern for these are Mac and Me Firm Fingerless Gloves. I love the color, which is a different green than they called for, I love the fit, which is a little snug and I love the way they are low on my fingers. I can type in them when my fingers are feeling frozen. Just really like them. The pattern is a keeper. I'll make more of them. Oh, and they knit up so fast. I love that!

Oh, and here is a link for Mac & Me patterns for anyone that is interested. They have some great patterns. In fact, in hooking up this link I found another one I just HAVE to order. :)http://macandme.net/

Sprial scarf

2009-03-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

This is a "spiral scarf" I just finished for myself. I made one for Andrea for Christmas and loved it, so started this one for me. Forgot to take a picture of that one before I gave it to her. I'll have to see if I can get a picture of it from her. I really love it and since I already have a black hat I wear thought this would go great. I love this yarn, it is Manos del Uruguay's Silk Blend. It is amazing to knit with. I got the pattern from Knitty.com, I think. It is listed on Ravelry if you want to be sure, or comment and I will try to find a link, if you can't find it there. Very easy to knit. You only have to follow the pattern for a row or two until you just follow the pattern itself, so it would be a good one for a beginner.

Christmas

2008-12-30T16:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas was so different for us this year. Since we went to visit my Dad during the first part of the month it threw me completely off. When we returned we started getting horrible weather throughout Oregon, like every where else in the country. Bill started working 12-15 hour days and I started trying to catch up with things I hadn't been home to do. Consequently, no baking got done until about 2 days before Christmas. I don't recommend that. Christmas felt, well, just felt different. I love most of Christmas. I don't love the "Hallmark" part of it. The stress that it brings. I do love giving of gifts, especially when you really hit it on the mark. Do you know what I mean? It doesn't happen often, but I love it when it does.

This year was different in that none of our kids were home. David, Amanda and Milan stayed safe in Wyoming. I can't tell you how much we missed being with them. Way to much to even try to describe. Chip and Andrea were with her parents who are moving to Scotland the first part of February, and sister and her husband who came down from Seattle (I think Andrea said it took them 12 hours because the roads were so bad, normally I think it takes about 7). Chip and Andrea came over the day following Christmas to eat some goodies and pie. Zach was in Corvallis, so on Christmas Eve we drove over there and all went out to dinner. We had a great time. This was his first time away for Christmas and it felt so different. What did we do with the kids away? I was up at 5 am since I had to work, then off to the kitchen to make 2 more apple pies, a veggie dish and then off to the Bartlett's for Christmas dinner. It was busy, but it is always nice to share Christmas with Dick and Sue. The only thing that could have been better is to have all the whole family there with us. But it was a good day. For those of you who were asking about a picture of Chip. Here is one of Chip and Andrea together. It's a self portrait, so a little close, but again, he had the camera and kept playing with it. Funny kid! They are so fun to be around!

We had a great Christmas program at Church on Sunday. The music was beautiful. One song I particularly had a hard time each time we even practiced it was "Shepherd Leave Thy Sheep". It's a simple song, but the words were wonderful to me. Of course it's about how we are constantly watched over, that the Lord, knowing that the Shepherds would worry about their flocks if they left them to go see the Baby, tells them that angels will watch over them and keep them safe while they go to see the newborn King. It brings tears just thinking about it even now. I love knowing that I have a Heavenly Father who even thinks about how we will worry about those who are in our care as we leave them to serve those around us. I think this is probably my favorite Christmas song, well, one of them at least. I have never heard anyone sing it on a CD? Have you?

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We would have loved to have spent it in a huge family gathering with every one of our family and friends in attendance. What a great Christmas that would be. Know that we love you (in spite of not getting any cards out again this year) and would love to have you all come visit us here on the Oregon Coast!

Project Blog/Chip's socks

2008-12-30T16:12:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start this blog for the things that I make. Currently I have mostly been knitting, making jewelry, but this next year I have set some goals to try something new and perfect it. I want to learn fine embroidery. There is a blog I follow that is an inspiration to me. I don't know where she finds the time to do all she does, but WOW! I'm impressed, both with what she does and the beauty of if. I also have friends that are amazing in their talents that you have just got to see. This is "My Oceanside Life" because when we first moved here I had a small yarn store, a very, very small yarn store, actually a corner of a craft shop, that I called Oceanside Yarn. When I started selling jewelry it became Oceanside Designs. That covers anything that I make and share or sell. I do have hopes of doing more, but for now I'll try to be content and use my time wisely on the more important things in my life.

Here are some socks I made for one of my son's, Chip. They were the second pair I did, these I did cuff down, the first ones were toe up. I think he liked them. He was even wearing them when they came over to celebrate Christmas this year. It was fun, though a little frustrating. I got all but 1" done and had to rip them out because I was sure (and had been all along) that they were going to be too big, which they were. These seem to fit perfectly. Yeah!

Here he is modeling them. See, they fit perfectly.

Next up, some for Andrea, Chip's wife. I'll have to find some fun colors for her.