Two special gifts

Hello my darlings!

I hope everyone has had a great weekend! It is a beautiful Sunday afternoon here in California. No rain, only sunshine bliss. I am so sorry for the lack of posts this week. What can I say, school has started! Plus I was starting to feel guilty that I might not have had a project to show you. But after a couple of nights worth of hooking, I have two special gifts for a few people very dear to me. Remember that beautiful Chroma yarn that I had bought from Knitpicks? If not you can find it here. Well I have been going crazy thinking about what I want to make with such beautiful yarn. So I starting blog surfing, and I found this blog post with free pattern. Started right away, and I was even more happy when I realized I had enough yarn to make a second one! So of course, I asked Kevin's sister if she would like the other beanie. Of course she said yes!


I love the way both of them turned out. They are so soft, warm, adorable, and fun! The pattern is very easy to make, and I highly encourage you to try it out :D I didn't have to do any modifications to my head from the pattern, but some may have to because the pattern is made for a child, not an adult. I just have a small head and my yarn stretches well. Can you see the butterfly?

On another note, this Tuesday, I am going to be conducting a classroom observation and I am so excited! And to thank the teacher who so graciously said that she would let me come and observe any time I wanted, and Kevin's mom, who is an aid for special needs children and was so awesome to ask the teacher permission for me, I made a girls water bottle holder with a little V charm. I have yet to finish the teacher's water bottle holder (I am going to use red and blue for school colors with her own charm) but I am very happy to start another, and maybe even one for myself! Would you like to see how it turned out? I bet you do!


I love how beautiful it came out! I am sure it would look better with a water bottle in it though :) This holder is great for when you are on the go and need to carry around a water bottle, or even exercising! The yarn that is used is Sugar 'n Cream cotton yarn, which has a very distinct texture. This yarn makes great washcloths! :D

Well, I guess I should go and attend to my paper that needs writing. It is due tomorrow of course, so I should probably stop procrastinating. I figure if I finish quickly, I might make a quick trip to the craft store and grab some more Sugar 'n Cream yarn for my own water bottle holder! :)

Have a great start of the week everyone!

Nikkole
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Little things here and there

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a marvelous Monday! I know I have. Yesterday was President's day here in the US, so I had one class canceled and another one that I decided not to go to :) oooppppsss!!!! Instead I decided to go shopping for some new clothes for loosing 5 pounds :) That's right! I am so stoked that I have lost 5 pounds in almost 3 weeks! I know it might not seem like much, but I am not trying to lose weight super fast. That isn't very healthy. I just want to lose the dreaded freshman 15, sophomore 5, and junior 5 that I have gained over the years. I want to be fit and in the best shape of my life! P90x is helping me do that. I am on day 20 today. I just can not believe that I am already on day 20. I knew that the days would go fast, but not nearly as fast as they have been. In the next 10 days I will be taking my 30day pictures! I can not wait to see the changes my body will have made since day 1. I can tell that I am getting stronger every day, and when day 90 comes I know that my journey will not end. But I seriously can not wait to have a cup of Dr. Pepper when this is all over. The temptation is everywhere! But I have been a good girl and only drinking water or milk, and eating super healthy. I know that everything will be worth it in the summer when I can be proud of my body and the work I have done :)

Oh and speaking of summer, I have a new project that I am itching to start! I just need to go shopping for the materials! (Yay!). Have you heard of Irish Crochet? I just learned what it is today, and I immediately started thinking of things I could make! I am sure I will be looking for materials soon for this project, I can just feel it!

I wish I had something neat and nifty to show you that I have made over the last couple of days. But all I have been able to muster up is a small flower motif. sigh. School is keeping me pretty preoccupied lately. But I have a great picture of me swing dancing! Yes I swing dance! I love to Lindy hop and Charleston.


Check it out if you have never tried! You never know, you may just fall in love with the dance :)

Have a great next couple of days!

Nikkole
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The beginning of a new obsession???

Hello my lovelies!

How is everyone doing? I hope everyone is doing well. I know I am! :) It has been a nice dreary day today, as was yesterday. After a long period of time with no rain, it has made a comeback for the last two days. I love being able to sit at home in my chair by the window listening to the rain and working away on little projects. It is just so relaxing and therapeutic. I managed to get a couple of pictures of right outside of where I live and how beautiful it looks.

It is almost as if the world is being cleansed and revived. I have always been partial to the rain, ever since I was a little girl. It just calms me down and relaxes me in ways that many other things can not. The rain is beautiful :)

The only thing that the rain does do is that would be a bit sad is being limited to staying indoors unless if you want to get wet. I don't mind getting wet, but because it is winter and cold outside, I think venturing outside is not an option :) So instead I am sitting at home under my electric blanket and working away. Yesterday I made a beanie for Kevin! I found the pattern from Suzie's stuff. I had to do a little bit of modifying, because I did not have the right yarn on hand nor the correct hook size. But nonetheless it came out amazing! It fits him perfectly and he wore it right away. I was so happy to see him so excited for a beanie "made by the NikNak".

So as soon as I was able to get up this morning, I started right away on a new project that I have been waiting to start. My Friday night was then devoted to a couple of new things. I bought a book of 101 crochet squares by Jean Leinhauser, and I made number 65. It is a very large square, but I love how easy it was to make and how great it turned out! I changed the colors that were asked for in this square, and I love the way it turned out.

However, since completing the square, I started up learning more about knitting. I have a pair of knitting needles, but I have not taken the time to properly learn how to knit. So I did tonight! It is very different from what I have become accustom to with crochet, but I am already addicted. This is how far I have gotten in learning:

I don't have any plans for this little work, just learning. After I feel comfortable with stitches and I can stop dropping stitches, I will begin a project. So stay tuned!

Have a great evening/morning/afternoon :)

Nikkole
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Motif's and things :)

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's day yesterday! It was quite uneventful for me yesterday. I woke up, worked out, went to school, and battled my computer in order to view power points again. I did not prevail. However, Kevin did come home from work with a lovely bouquet of roses in a beautiful orange yellow color :) I just adore them! His sister also brought me flowers the night before! She brought me pink, white, and magenta colored carnations with a balloon that says "I love you". It was so sweet :) Would you like to see?? They are just so pretty in the morning! Please excuse my horrible camera work... I have to find my charger and charge my fancy camera that I haven't used in forever. Then I must find a way to get those pictures from the camera to the computer without a USB cord or a proper fitting chip. Oh well.
Anyways, I felt so blessed that I received such wonderful presents, that I needed to make Kevin's sister something. So I went ahead and whipped up a two part rosette motif. Luckily my Cousin Crystal messaged me on facebook and gave me a wonderful idea! She said to glue an alligator clip to the back of the motif and wear it as a hair piece or to switch the rosettes on headbands! I loved the idea! So I crazy glued an alligator clip to the back of it and added a gift card to Starbucks! She loved it!!!!!!!
Meanwhile I am so excited because I received my package that I have been waiting for today! It is new knit picks yarn! Yay! I bought some yummy Chroma Worsted Galapagos yarn, and Capra Cashmere DK yarn in the color Harbor. I love them! I just can't wait to hook up a new item for NikNak!

Well it is time for me to hop into the shower and get ready to go to the mall, then continue my adventures in the land of homework and study guides. Wish me luck, I have a test on Thursday in Genetic Analysis...we shall see how THAT goes ^.^

Have a great rest of the day/night!

Nikkole
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Long time no talk

Hello everyone!

I am so sorry for not being able to post anything over the last couple of days. I have been super busy with school. I am already swamped with huge communications projects and exams starting next week. Today is going to be a very busy day for sure. I am going down to my parents house to celebrate my mom's birthday that was on Wednesday. It will be a great day! I just hope that I can figure out what to make her. Her present that I got her a month ago for her birthday has still not come in. So I am hoping that if I can pull something together quick that she will love. But I have no idea what to make her. any ideas? It is so difficult to know what to make her, just because she doesn't wear scarfs or slippers or anything. I hope that I can figure it out. Anyways, I am so excited at how well P90x is working out! I have already lost 2 pounds! Yay! Well I better be off now. Sorry for the short post. I will post something soon I promise!

Nikkole
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"Divine" yarn therapy

Hello my lovely darlings!

I am so pleased to show you my newest creation! Do you remember how I mentioned a beanie I found that I was interested in making? Well I did it!!!!!



I made this beautiful beanie from a free patten by rheatheylia.com and it was quite an adventure. See I had yet to learn how to fpdc and bpdc, so this was a new journey for me. But after 3 hours of hard work, then realizing I completely miss understood the pattern, then frogging the work, to start a second 3 hour marathon of hooking, I am done! I love the way it turned out and it was completely worth the effort :) I am so excited to wear this out and about!


Although walking may be difficult, in that I am soooooooooooooo sore from doing P90x. Plyometrics has literally turned my body into a painful wreck. It hurts to do anything. It even hurts to sit for too long. But I still got off my lazy sore butt to work out today. Today was shoulders, back, and biceps as well as ab ripper x. I was able to complete the workout and I did so much better on ab ripper x. Tomorrow is Yoga x!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay! I can not wait! It is an incredibly difficult routine, but I am excited non the less to stretch my sore body :)

Well I better be off to bed, it is 12:46am here in California. Plus I all this hooking is making my eyes hurt. A 6 hour marathon of non stop crocheting might just do that too you ;)

Have a great Superbowl Sunday everyone! (Eat lots and LOTS of good food for me!)

Nikkole
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Change starts now!

Hello my darlings!

I hope everyone is doing well :) I have been crazy busy with school starting this week. I am not used to sitting and reading a hundred pages in an effort to be prepared for classes. I am so used to sitting at home and doing nothing, and now I have a crazy amount of homework waiting impatiently to be completed. However, I think I am going to let my Friday night be a night of recovery. I started P90x yesterday with Kevin. Oh my goodness am I sore and exhausted. Today was plyometrics, the hardest workout of them all. My body is completely worn out, and I am only on day 2! What have I gotten myself into?! I also have to follow a strict diet now, so that means no more late night snacks or going out to dinner and getting my favorite foods. I know that it will pay off, but man do I want to stop the onslaught of soreness on my body and eat one of my favorite unhealthy foods and drink some Dr. Pepper. Oh well. Such is life.

Do you like the picture I put up today? I took this image a year ago at a really beautiful coast line here in Pescadero California. I find it so relaxing.Here is another side of the coast that is much more comfortable for relaxing :)


I am hoping to return there again this summer, and hopefully this time with some yarn! :D Speaking of yarn...I think I am going to make myself something in reward for surviving today :) But I do not know what I would like to make. I am thinking another headband for myself. But I also found a pretty cool beanie that looks fun to make! I found it on Erica's Crochet by Day, where she showed how beautiful her Chroma yarn from knit picks turned out when using this pattern: Divine hat. I love how beautiful this turned out! I think I may try this pattern out soon :)

I will let you know how this goes!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Speak soon,
Nikkole
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Productive Feburary

Hello my loves!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful first day of February! I am very excited to start making so many lovely things for the up coming love holiday. Hopefully this means that I can create a gift to me for Valentines :D Now I just need to pick something I would like to make for me, aside from a headband that everyone is clamoring over. Any fun ideas that you can think of?

I also have something else to be looking forward to over the next 90 days.... I am starting P90x next week! Have you heard of this program? It is an intense workout program that has excellent results. It is time for me to get into a workout program. I also received all of my yoga supplies so I am all set to sweat! :D I am ready to BRING IT!!!!!!!! I will update regularly how this is going :)

In the meantime, I have homework to worry about. Other than that fantastic bit of news, I have had a pretty productive day! I was able to wake up early for my genetic analysis course, get my oil changed, come home with new yarn (yay!) and printer paper, make three headbands, watch all of my TV shows, and eat dinner. The only thing left is the dreaded reading that I must do for tomorrow. So I must be off.

I hope everyone has a great day/night/morning :)

Nikkole
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