I learned this the hard way.

Last week, I set on a venture to knit a cute little baby hat.

I surprised myself by being done really quickly!  I knew it was too good to be true.  Because it ended up looking like this:

Yep, that is what I knit.  It looks like a yarmulke.  You know, a jewish head covering?  Not the little baby hat I was going for.

After cursing the pattern (because it’s obviously not my error, right?!), I went back and found that I overlooked a teeny tiny detail that instructed me to knit up to a certain point, and then make it gradually smaller.

Apparently I just knit the very top of the hat.

My bad.

But here’s the finished project!  Super cute, right?

Lesson learned.

I know, I know.  Date coupons are totally cliché.

But I like cliché, so bear with me.

As you may have read, I recently completed a self-inflicted challenge that I dubbed 31 days of Birthdays, for my man’s 31st Birthday.  It was fun to come up with little gifts each day, but experiences together are worth so much more.  (Yes, I am aware that statement was totally cliché as well.  Please see above.)  I still wanted something to give him, so, enter: the coupon.

I found a generic ticket template via Google images, and tweaked it in Photoshop.  And, viola!  Date coupons for my man.

If this is your thing, feel free to print ‘em off (formatted to print on a 3.5×5 photo size) or tweak ‘em yourself!

Linking up to Making it with Allie, Every Crafty Endevour and It’s a HodgePodge Life.

I’ve had headboard envy for a little while now.   Mostly because we don’t have one.

When we got married, we were gifted a Queen sized bed, but have never purchased a bed frame for it.  For the last year and a half, we have been sleeping on the box spring and mattress… which is functional, but not that pretty.   We want to hold off buying a bed frame, as we are pretty intent on buying a King Sized bed in the near future.  (I’m a total bed hog.  It will be necessary for the sake of our marriage.)

In the meantime, I’d like to find a solution that looks pretty, but doesn’t break the bank. Here are some of my faves:

…this glorious West Elm upholstered headboard

…this beautiful DIY headboard by Centsational Girl

… this simple Victoria Natural Fabric Headboard

…and of course, the fabulous stenciled headboard by Infarrantly Creative

I don’t think I could do a crazy stenciled fabric, or even anything more than a rectangle (because I don’t know how to use/am afraid of using a saw), but I do think I could something more simple.  There are so many DIY tutorials online, that I’m sure I could make something without screwing it up too bad.  (Famous last words…)

Whaddya think?  Have you made something similar?  Any tips?

Anyone else a big birthday person?  I know I am.  My family always made a huge deal about birthdays, celebrations and miscellanous occasions.  Every trip we went on (even short weekend trips) was followed by souvenir gifts for the whole family.  Any reason to celebrate – I’m in!

Now Michael, on the other had, has insisted that he doesn’t care too much about birthdays, trip souvenirs, etc.  His family never made a big deal out of these kinds of events, so I shouldn’t feel the need to make a big deal for him.  So, when he turned 30 last year, I didn’t make a big do of it.  (I know, I know – bad wife!)  It was the day after Christmas, we were traveling that day, et cetera, et cetera, and we spent the night with his parents at their place and turned in early.

For all of last year, I did not hear the end of it.  (Lesson learned:  when the husband says he doesn’t care, he really does.)

So for Michaels’ 31st birthday, I wanted to do something special.  Enter,

31 Days of Birthdays!  

Starting on November 26th, each day Michael woke up to a card and small gift.  Each gift had its own special significance and he  was like a little kid each morning.  It was very cute.

I have definitely learned that no matter what he says, this man loves birthday celebrations.  I mean, who doesn’t love the chance to feel special and get presents??  I should have known, and I won’t make that mistake again!

I’ll add this to “lessons learned in the first year of marriage.” :)

Linking up at C.R.A.F.T and Craft-O-Maniac

I present you with a month’s worth of knitting (read: TV watching).

The Sunny Baby Blanket.

I love it.  Mostly because it’s so pretty, and that I can say I knit it myself!  Really, though, this one really taught me a lot about knitting.  I made a lot of mistakes, but through going back and fixing them (thanks to Suzie for teaching me how to undo stitches – I ripped out a lot of rows), I learned how to prevent mistakes or fix them as I go.

So thank you, blanket, for what you taught me this month.  I feel like a better knitter because of you.

(Merry Christmas to my future niece/nephew!)