{crafts} Owl Halloween Costume - Part 1

My 20 month old son loves this adorable Twinkle Twinkle Little Star video on youtube.

He watches it over and over and sings along. It has a cute little owl singing to a star. The owl is his favorite character, so I decided he should dress up as him for Halloween.

To start the project I am crocheting an owl hat. I figured this would work best because he would never wear any kind of mask, but he may keep a hat on. This project will be posted in

steps, the base of the hat will be the first step.

I found this very clear tutorial and was able to make the base of the hat in just a few hours:

Art of Crochet by Teresa - Baby Crochet Cap with Earflap Option -

After creating the base, I then added the ear flaps, colored trim and the tassels. I am using this video by Brooke Till for the details, but I found the previous video to be a little bit easier to follow when it came to the basic hat.

Here is my basic hat, ready for the facial details:

Be sure to check back throughout the month as I complete the rest of the costume.

{a thought for Thursday} Sing

"I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance." -- E. E. cummings

{wordless wednesday} Rehobeth Beach Tower

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

{read: debut psychological thriller} Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

What would you do if each day when you woke up, you remembered nothing? A man in bed with you, in a room you don't recognize, tells you he is your husband, Ben. Another man, Dr. Nash, calls you on a cell phone and tells you that you've been seeing him to treat your memory problems and you should read the journal that you've hidden in your closet. This journal, where you write down everything that you learn each day, acts as your memory. But things aren't making sense.

The protagonist, Christine, begins to slowly piece together what she thinks are the missing 20 years of her life. But when she begins to wonder if people are conspiring against her, she's not sure whether to trust her instincts or if this paranoia is part of her neurological condition. The ending to this book is chilling. Although I had guessed where it was going slightly before Christine figured it out, there were still some twists and turns I hadn't anticipated. This is the best thriller I've read this year.

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson (Harper, 2011)
My rating: 4 stars

{crafts} Lino Block Cut

I have been gathering my supplies to create a Lino Block Print. This should be a fun project. I have not created one in some time, but I was able to dig up my blades. I purchased the linoleum at a local craft shop. Other than that, there is not too much you need to create this project. Check out this introductory instructional video by Ari Moore.

{a thought for Thursday} Raise Cain!

"There is always the temptation in life to diddle around making itsy-bitsy friends and meals and journeys for years on end. It is all so self conscience, so apparently moral. ... But I won't have it. The world is wilder than that in all directions, more dangerous ... more extravagant and bright. We are ... raising tomatoes when we should be raising Cain, or Lazarus." — Annie Dillard

{wordless wednesday} Goats!

Happy Wordless Wednesday!