Lately...

Hi there!

It has been awhile since I posted about life in general and the problem with me doing that is that when I actually come back to post I have so much to share that I feel overwhelmed and end up just running away... Anyhow, let me stop with my rambling and go for it.

Every Spring and Summer my sweet girl and I make flower crowns from fresh cut flowers, but this year we opted for a colorful crocheted one and we love it! It was a simple project, I used cotton yarn (Scheepjes Catona and Lion Brand Bon Bon) and made little rosettes and leaves.

Also using the same type of cotton yarn, I crocheted some rock cozies. Here where I live, in the Pacific Northwest, we have a group of people that hides painted rocks with uplifting messages or just lovely pictures for others to find, so I hid these little gems to add to the fun!

Another project recently finished was the face lift of this old play set. I pressured washed it and then painted it with a coffee colored stain and added some colorful touches to make it more fun and whimsical.

*playground before*

*playground after*

And speaking of fun and whimsical, here are some pieces I had built in a pottery class I took this Spring:

Time has gone by super fast, at least it feels like it! My boy just bridged to his last stage as a Cub Scout (Webelo 2) and my girl finished has last year as a Daisy Scout, next Fall she will be a Brownie!  I must admit, I shed a tear or two... mostly because I am so proud of them, but also because they are growing up so fast that I just want things to slow down, it's so bittersweet.

Now I promise I will try not to stay away from too long, I still have a lot of pictures to share. We recently moved and I have been doing a lot of fun stuff around the house, so I will come back soon to share more about that.

Cheers!

C2C Succulent Blanket

I am excited to be participating in the 2019 Celebrate Mom Blog Hop hosted by Pattern Paradise! Each day a different crochet designer will be featured and share a new free pattern with you. There are lots of fun prizes too, so come join the fun!

For the list of all the designers and all the details, go to this post ↠ 2019 Celebrate Mom Blog Hop  and Giveaway.

Are you new to C2C? Don't worry, there are some videos that will teach you all you need to know to start your C2C project. Here are my video recommendations: 

- C2C by Marly Bird

- C2C by OneDogWoof (this post will teach you how to start, manage yarn, change colors, etc)

Supplies:

- Red Heart Super Saver (Worsted Weight)
- Crochet hook US size I-9/5.5mm
- Tapestry Needle to weave the ends

Finished measurements: 52" by 35.5"

Notes:

- The blanket consists of three white panels of 21x21 C2C and three panels of graphs (below)
- Sc around each panel to facilitate the joining process
- Each square of the graph is made out of 3dc

Graph 1
Colors used: White and Paddy Green

Graph 2
Colors used: White, Carrot, Blue, Spring Green and Paddy Green

Graph 3
Colors used: White, Tea Leaf, Petal Pink and Bright Yellow.

I added a little yellow flower to the top of this succulent. Make an adjustable ring, *ch 2, dc 3, ch 2, sl st* 4 times. Fasten off and attach the flower with a yarn needle.

Border:

I made used the three different shades of green I had used for the succulents to create the border to create a frame and give the blanket a bold and finished look.

Sc for two rounds with each color. 

For the corners to stay flat, make 2sc in the 3 stitches that make the corner of the blanket. (repeat in each of the 4 corners)

Fasten off and use the tapestry needle to weave in the loose ends.

Happy Crocheting!

Painted Sky Cowl

Back in July of last year, I was able to attend the Crochet Guild of America conference in Portland, Oregon. While the traveling itself is super fun, because well, you get to visit new places and eat awesome food, the best part for me is to meet mind-like people. 

I was invited to go to dinner with Susan (from Felted Button), Sara (editor of Simply Crochet Magazine) and Anita (from Scheepjes Yarn) and that dinner is the sweetest memory I have from that trip!

My point is that after getting to know Anita a little bit, I felt really excited to design something using Scheejes Yarn, so this cowl was made using the Namaste line, which has really lovely rich colors and it's very soft, which makes it a wonderful yarn to make something to wear around your neck.

The pattern is now available in my all my shops.

Ravelry | Etsy | BluPrint | Website | LoveKnitting

Happy Crocheting!

November

November was a magical and busy for the Just Be Happy family!
Our sweet pea turned 7 and chose a mermaid theme for her birthday this year, so my husband got busy making fondant and I got busy making the cake and decorating it. The party happened at a local high school's pool, which fit the mermaid theme just perfectly.
A few days after the party, my husband and I got to put a check mark on one of his childhood's dream, a trip to Fiji!
Fiji was absolutely amazing, the weather was warm, the water was gorgeous, delicious food and unbelievably friendly people. We stayed at an adult only resort called Likuliku and got to visit even the island where Tom Hanks recorded the movie Castaway, it was so neat!
Once we were back, we got right into cooking and having family over for Thanksgiving, it was pure madness, but lots of fun at the same time.
It's the end of December already, the rush of Christmas has passed and I am so glad I am able to sit down with my crochet to unwind and be creative. It feels so good to just be able to be home and enjoy the quiet, too.
Cheers!

Colorful Scarf or Cowl

I was looking through my wardrobe the other day and I realized how much black, gray and cream, which is pretty funny since I love colors! 

So, I decided to crochet something colorful to add a pop. What do you think?

The pattern is now available in all my shops. Ravelry | Website | Etsy

Happy Crocheting!

Gradient Scarf

A couple of years ago I went to the CGOA (Crochet Guild of America) conference in Charleston, SC and I bought this beautiful yarn. I had no idea what I was going to make with it, I just knew it was calling my name.

It took me quite awhile for me to figure out what to do with it, as I don't usually use this weight for my designs.  Well, I am pleased with the way it turned out, this is a great accessory to add a pop of color to a neutral outfit!

The linked stitches make a solid fabric, it doesn't have holes like a regular double crochet or half double crochet fabric does and the simply edging gives it a nice polished look.

The pattern is available in all my shops. | Ravelry | Website | Etsy

Happy Crocheting!

Home Sweet Home

Our veggie garden that we planted late in July is now blooming! 

Beautiful arugula, lettuce, cucumbers, peas, radishes and beans.

Look at the amazing sunflower my son planted from a seed at school!

Our little corner of the world.

Upon my request, my lovely husband built a couple of "bee hotels" to help provide missing nesting habitat to solitary bees. Isn't it awesome? 

As the end of Summer approaches, I feel more and more appreciation for the sunny days, warm weather, plentiful variety of fresh veggies and the colorful flowers that are lovely cared for by my husband.
Summer is my favorite season, but Fall is my second, so I am looking forward to the crisp air in the mornings, the soup dinners and the beautiful color changing trees. Life is good.

Cheers!