Shawl, Crocheted, Given Away or Sold

I think I may be safe in saying that many knitters and crocheters, including me, have a favorite thing to make. Me? I love making shawls. The idea of a handmade item hugging your shoulders and adding a bit of warmth or covering sun kissed skin on a cool summer evening is exactly what being cozy means to me. 

The first one of the pictures here is of a shawl I made and gave away. The last 3 are of shawls I have sold on Etsy. The light blue and the white one were sold to the same person in March. It felt so good to send them to a new home and I hope they are being used often.

Not many buyers leave reviews and I get that. For many online purchases I don't leave reviews however, on Etsy I always leave one. I know how it feels for a small business on Etsy to get some kind words sent your way.

For the dark blue fringed shawl above my buyer left this 5 star review-

"Gorgeous and comfy! Quick shipping too! Awesome seller!"

I have more shawls coming. Some will be cute sparkly accessories and some will be cozy, squishy, warming  shoulder blankets. (That is what a granddaughter called them when she was very young and didn't know the word shawl.)

PS If any reader is an online seller, in the comments share your most heartwarming review you have received. Would love to hear from you.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Coming Soon in CozyAtoZ Shop on Etsy

Coming as soon as I weave in some ends on these. That bit of crocheting you see below is market bags hot off the hook. They will join others already in the shop CozyAtoZ on Etsy. To see those use this (link). 

I have more thread too. In the future I will be listing green, pink and lavender bags. I love making these and they are useful in so many ways. During the pandemic I kept one of these bags on a hook by the front door. I used it to hold clean masks and little hand sanitizer bottles. These  bags have an amazing amount of stretch. My son and daughter in law use them lake side when camping. They are great for carrying your sunscreen and towel to the beach. You could use these bags to bring home goodies from the local farmer's market or to carry your books to and from the library. 

Also new around here are the plant in the backyard. All of them that Jim planted are doing well so far. The foxglove attracted my eyes this morning. Aren't they lovely?

What is new from your hands or garden? Would love to hear from you in the comments.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

April is Lawn and Garden Month

Oh April, don't you just love it? Winter is over and spring is truly here. There is a reason that April is both National Garden Month and National Lawn and Garden Month. It it time to get outside in the dirt and freshen things up in the yard and garden. Don't know why we need both but I don't make the holiday list I just like to look it up.

We have been sprucing up our outdoor spaces around here while taking advantage of spring's cooler temperatures. Jim has been planting new things in our backyard flower beds. We have added lots of flowers and colors that hummingbirds like because it is some much fun to watch them exploring the yard for nectar. We are also going to try growing citrus for the first time. We have added a lemon and a lime tree to our backyard.

To make this kind of work easier and therefore more enjoyable you need good tools. The enjoyable part is very important for my retired husband. If he can't find joy and satisfaction in the job he's not going to do it and lord knows he needs something to keep him busy. But back to the tools, we now own a small tiller among other things. 

Working on those flower beds garden watering tools were a big part of the job. Jim believes in using high quality garden tools built to last a long time and make jobs easier. Plus the guy seems to like playing with the hose to care for new tender transplanted flowers or cleaning off the patio. A set up shown below would work great for those jobs. These are from Eley Hose Reels. This comes with 2 nozzles, one for cleaning and one for watering. I really like the idea of a swivel connection, solid brass with no lead, and easy water flow control and this durable watering tool has all those features.  

And finally just a peek at what I see in my front yard right now. My Palo Verde tree is blooming. Bright yellow flowers that the bees love all over it.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

(This post contains a sponsored link.)

Easter Cuteness From Zazzle

Easter
by CozyAtoZ

I have a Easter themed collection on Zazzle. The links above and will take you right to it. Clicking and then purchasing will get me a small commission at no cost to you. If you are looking for Easter cards to send to family and friends you may find something there. 

This cute turtle below is one of my favorites. If you check out this collection let me know in the comments what you found that you like. Would love to hear from you!

Easter turtle card
by littlemunchkins

Back with more again soon. 

Take care and stay cozy!

(Affiliate links in this post can earn me a commission if you make a purchase at no cost to you.)

Season 10 Call the Midwife

A new season of one of my favorite shows is now on Netflix. Call the Midwife Season 10 is now on and I have watched the first 2 episodes. I watch during my morning time on the treadmill.

As usual the stories in each episode can make me smile, cry and think. What I really like is that this show does not shy away from exposing the issues of the time the stories take place. We are up to the middle 60's now and it is a time I am vaguely aware of since I was born in 1955. 

These ladies and the nuns as well are heroes to me. I think, with 2 nurses in my family, that is is a calling to serve that brings a person to a nursing career. 

Today's nurses are heroes to me as well. As an American I am so proud of how the nurses in this country held up under unbelievable pressures during the height of the pandemic. 

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Infusing Water, So Easy

It's spring and that's a good thing. Days are getting warmer but not yet too warm and that's a good thing. I stay away from sugar and carbonated drinks and that's a good thing. I avoid caffeine too and that's a good thing. 

However sometimes I want a treat to drink instead of my typical decaf coffee or tea or a plain glass of water. I have found that infused water can feel like a treat to me. It is such a simple idea that can have some tasty and refreshing results. Slices or chunks but not too big of fruits or veggies that you like will work. Think about blends that you see on the fancy bottled drinks in stores and make your own version. 

For my first warm weather batch when I decided I need something new to drink, I put sliced tangerine, cucumber and ginger in a pitcher and then filled it with some filtered water and stuck it in the fridge. In a few hours I will have a refreshing cool drink to have with my dinner and beyond. You can refill the pitcher a couple times before the fruits and veggies you put in quit providing more flavor in my experience. 

The picture above is not one of the prettiest pictures I've ever taken but you can see all the slices in the pitcher with the water just floating there working on giving me a lovely treat for later.

You know if you ever do infused water let me know what you like to put in yours. I am always looking for new ideas to try and comments on a blog make a blogger soooooo happy.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Life Plans or After Life Plans

Getting ducks in a row sucks. Planning and thinking and sensitive conversations over a couple weeks and meeting with a lawyer a few times. Actually meeting with a lawyer was a pleasant part of this process. Ours was a nice young man. In the end we now have this giant notebook with all the needed documents and information in it. The conversations at home to nail down our wishes were exhausting though. 

When it is time for the kids to deal with our eventual deaths, I think we have done a good job of smoothing the way for them. 

Check that off the list. 

Hope the plans are not necessary for at least 20 years or even more. In the meantime we may be able to start going on cruises again soon. Now to figure out where to go.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!