April GG ~ Plodding Along

Hiya!  I've kind of had a continuation of a sparse month.  No sickness, no real busy-ness, just a sort of lethargy as we start throwing ourselves into spring.  I did the first mowing of the season last week and am amazed at just how many dandelions are in our yard!  Where did they all come from?!  I won't spray them though... they're the first thing bees tend to go for and bees are having a hard enough time in the USA as it is.  As for the weather, well... typical for a Midwest spring, it was in the 80s (26C+) and now it's snowing.  Let's not ponder the mysteries of the atmosphere just now and dive into Gifted Gorgeousness, where we parade our gifts given, being made, being used, being received, being shoehorned in.

click for more info!

a picture grows

For my sad little addition to the crafting world, a bit of knitting.  This will be a large potholder for a friend but I won't say any details until it's finished and received as I'm not sure if said friend spies on my blog!  I don't think they do but one can never tell.  It's done in double-knitting which is a way of knitting both sides of a design at the same time but with the image colors/design reversed.  This is a new-to-me technique and I have found it to be sooo slooow to progress.  It's neat watching the pattern emerge though.  If there's any technique out there that's taught me how to read my stitches, it's this one, whew!

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one day my yard will look like this

total bliss

My husband took me and our bikes to a local nature reserve where there are thousands and thousands of daffodils.  This is probably one of my favorite places on earth to see in spring time.  The weather was amazing to be out in and I wound up with a serious case of Post-Winter Bicycle Butt ahaha.  Some of the hills had to be walked up!

his

hers

You guys seemed to enjoy the last milkshakes we had so why not some more?  This time it is a  S'mores shake (with a gigantic marshmallow covered in chocolate and graham cracker dust) and a Gooey shake (topped and mixed with gooey butter cake).  These were perfect after our daffodil bike excursion!  Since the weather was so beautiful, the line at the shop stretched out onto the sidewalk.  It moved along quickly so we didn't perish from hunger or anticipation.

A side note on the Gooey Butter Cake -- if you've never had nor heard of this amazing delicacy, you might owe it to your stomachs to try it once.  It is very, Very, VERY sweet and rich (look at the amount of butter involved)!  A small piece goes a long way.  Here is a recipe if you're just dying to try it.  Many of the recipes online start with a box of yellow cake mix but it's really better from scratch... though it does take quite a while to make (it has a yeast crust that needs time to rise).  The cake mix versions don't taste or feel authentic.

...I promise, we're generally healthy individuals.

EDIT: I tried to direct link the recipe for ease of printing...  That didn't work out so well so the main page is linked and if you scroll enough, you eventually get to the recipe!

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Victoria Sampler ~ Thoughts of You

Lastly, another Gifted Gorgeous Giveaway in a rather dark photo!  This is for a discontinued Victoria Sampler set of patterns by Thea Dueck that contain options for the sampler/needle-roll, scissor case, and chatelaine.  The teeny tiny name tag pictured on the front is actually an additional, matching pattern that can be found for free here!  It's a totally clean pattern featuring cute little pansies which are done in ribbon embroidery.  This giveaway is just the chart, not the fancy pack of materials that you used to be able to order.  You'll get to make your own rainbow pansies!

Gifted Gorgeousness Giveaway Guidelines

1. Be a minion follower (upper right corner of my blog)!  Feedly, bloglovin', etc. do not count as there is no way to show it!  I am sorry; blame blogger for this one.
2. Comment and tell me you would like to be included in the drawing!
3. Open worldwide! 
4. No winning twice in a row (example: the winner of June's drawing would not be eligible for July's).
5. Closing date: April 29th, 2019 23:59 CST.

That's all, folks!  I'll see you soon enough for Jo's Easter Blog Hop!  \:D/