Flip flops and vacationing In North Carolina; Ocracoke Island

These boutique style flip flops were custom made especially for a very special little happy customer. They are decorated with handmade crocheted flowers created from thread.

These will be perfect for a special vacation.

Speaking of vacation, I thought I would share a few of our photos. There are lots of beautiful places to visit when choosing a vacation spot. We usually try to visit lots of different places so that we have a variety of experiences ranging from serene and beautiful beaches or quiet, mountainous areas to places a bit more commercialized. No matter where we go, we try to make the very best of it and learn something about the area that might render it unique.  We never pass up the opportunity to take some time away, whether it be for vacation or a getaway. Any opportunity to spend time together as a family is always time well spent, no matter how short or long the time away is. These are a few pictures of Ocracoke Island. It is part of the outer banks in North Carolina. One accesses the island by Ferry, which believe it or not, is FREE. (Yes! There really is still something free these days!) There are a couple pay ferry's too, but the main ferry is free. (The pay ferry's require a reservation but the cost is only about $15 and is well worth the non-hurried ride.) The free ferry is about a 45 minute ride, one way. Nice trip, pretty scenery. (Tip: take a little snack if you are traveling with children, as you may have to wait for the ferry.) We love the outer banks for the quiet, relaxing atmosphere....although, surprisingly, there is a lot more going on around the outer bank islands than one might imagine. There is always something to do. Duck is a favorite of ours, but we found Ocracoke is equally beautiful.

Lighthouses are one of our passions, hence one of the reasons to visit Ocracoke. We are looking at retirement living in N.C, so what better thing to do than to take some time and make a vacation out of it. Well worth it!

This was the ferry sign on the ferry itself.

This is it folks.....the Ocracoke Ferry...which is THE ride to the island.

Very enjoyable!

The ferry is loaded here. I know this isn't a cruise ship or anything, but I

 just think there is something pretty about this boat.

I love the coloring of the sky here.

It was from the trip back.

A view of the top of the ferry!

I like this one because you can see the boat but also, if you look

beyond the boat, you can see some of the island housing structures.

Pretty.

Here, you can see some of the houses on the island.

I love the look of them. (These are typical of the many rental houses on the island. Some are multi units while most are single units.)

I love the porch. The house is perfect!

Although it is said to be very unusual to see seals in the area, no one bothered to tell this seal, who was sunning himself quite contentedly.  He really seemed to be enjoying himself!

I love this view...

and this one.....foggy beach....

and, in my opinion, one of the prettiest things: the top of the lighthouse!

Simply breathtaking to me!

Did you ever see the movie Pete's Dragon? Doesn't the top of this lighthouse kind of remind you of the one in the movie?

This lighthouse is very old. It was actually built in 1823. If you go to Ocracoke, it is definitely a must see attraction. It is the oldest lighthouse in North Carolina that is still in operation!! This wasn't the first lighthouse in Ocracoke. The first one was built on the Ocracoke inlet. It isn't there any longer, as it burned down after being struck by lightning. The lighthouse that is currently on Ocracoke was then built.

If you are headed to Ocracoke, if you get off the Cedar Island Ferry and are hungry, I would recommend The Back Porch restaurant.

The food ----excellent!  The atmosphere--- nice! (Try the sashimi tuna appetizer...a taste of wasabi with a hint of cilantro, excellent! Dessert: Try the sticky toffee bread pudding, also excellent. ) Keep in mind, you will be eating on the back porch, so don't expect air conditioned dining. Still, it is screened so you can dine sans bugs. There are not that many places to eat on the island and the atmosphere here is a bit rustic, though nice.

I have lots more pictures, but here is just a sampling of some that I thought were pretty.

Have a fun Friday!

Happy Father's Day!

I wish a Happy Father's Day to father's everywhere . I especially wish my precious Dad and Husband a Happy Father's Day. There simply aren't words to express how much I love them. I thank God for them both!

I Love You Dad! K

What Makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete,

And so,

He called it ... Dad

~~Author Unknown.~~

A Little Girl Needs Daddy

A little girl needs Daddy

For many, many things:

Like holding her high off the ground

Where the sunlight sings!

Like being the deep music

That tells her all is right

When she awakens frantic with
The terrors of the night.

Like being the great mountain

That rises in her heart

And shows her how she might get home

When all else falls apart.

Like giving her the love

That is her sea and air,

So diving deep or soaring high

She'll always find him there.

~~Author Unknown.~~

Thanks for visiting today.

Flowers, flowers, everywhere! Crochet socks with flower cuffs and growing flowers from seeds at home with children.

When customers want flowers, you give them flowers! Here is a pair of custom crochet boutique socks with a flower adornment on the cuff. This pair is made with fine crochet thread and little pearl beads. These beaded socks were made to match a special outfit.

My daughter has been studying about seed germination, the water cycle, and photosynthesis in her science class. Planting flowers was a good opportunity to "see first hand" what she has been learning about in books. We planted some flowers seeds in loose, coarse dirt according to package directions. We misted them with water and covered them with saran wrap and placed them in a sunny location.

Now for the waiting!

We checked the soil daily and misted with water when needed.

Before long and to my daughter's delight, the seeds began to show

signs of life through the soil.

Again, we checked the soil daily and continued to mist with

water when necessary.

When the seedlings get a little bigger, we will move them outside.

In addition to the flowers, my daughter has a few vegetables she is growing to include tomato, pepper, squash, cucumber and watermelon. Here are a couple pictures

of a few of her vegetables.

The first is a picture of one of her tomato plants.

Second is a picture of a pepper plant.

Not only has this been a great "hands on" lesson to go along with my daughter's science book lesson, but it has also been a fun family activity.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

NO outfit is complete without first dressing the feet!

In the mood for some patriotic style? How about some patriotic style socks?
When choosing the perfect outfit, no outfit is complete without first dressing the feet!

These custom crochet trim socks can be done in any style and size, customers choice of trim.  (beaded socks or thread trim)  Match your favorite outfit or give them as a gift. I sell these to people of all ages and they are a big hit! You can find them listed in my eBay store and also in my Etsy store by clicking HERE or visiting my etsy store. Feel free to contact me about a custom order made jusdr for you.

Thanks for stopping by today!

It is pageant time again! Frilly socks made in any size

It is pageant time again which usually means custom orders for crochet socks and dainty accessories. Little girls love frilly socks to match their pageant dresses. I wanted to share a few pictures of some custom crochet beaded socks I made for some of my clients.

A perfect match equals happy customers!
(By the way, all of my socks can be made in any size.)

Thanks for visiting today,

About the current contest giveaway: (It was announced on 6/1/2010) Still time to enter! All you have to do is purchase something from either my Ebay store, my Etsy store or place a custom order between June 1, 2010 and July 25, 2010. Your name gets entered again with each purchase. Add your name today.