Here is a tip for you when working stripes of multiple colors.

I finally finished this old project that I started last spring. It actually makes a very cute cover up for a swim suit. It has been finished for quite some time but I just needed to finish some seams and weave in all of the ends. Here is a tip for you when working stripes of multiple colors and you don't or cant carry the ends up the sides which is what I usually try to do most of the time. I made the mistake on this by waiting until I was done crocheting the sweater to weave in the ends. I should have weaved them in as I went along but I didn't and with all of the color changes becuase of the stripes it took forever. So of course anytime I get tired of something I will throw it in the closet and forget about it. Well I actually recruited my daughter's help this week since she was on spring break and she finished weavin in the ends. The pattern if from "Cool Crochet" by Melissa Leapman who is my favorite desginger. It is listed on my Etsy Site as well http://msbaum67.etsy.com/ Here is the finished project on my handy new inflatable mannequin,

Heart Walk

In June I will be walking to raise funds for the American Heart Association. I work with the Cardiovascular Department at the Hospital and every year we start our fundraising efforts for the walk in June.

It is very fun and usually at work we have a friendly competition between teams to see who can raise the most money. This year the theme of our competition is going to emulate the popular TV game show "Deal or No Deal". At certain intervals the team who is leading in donations will get to play the game with our CEO as the banker. The hospital will be awarding the team some fun prizes.

Just some statistics for you incase you didn't already know. Coronary Heart Disease is still the number one cause of death of people in America and Stroke is the 3rd cause of death. It is also the number one killer of Women in America and actually causes twice as many deaths than all types of cancer combined.

Here are some ways I think you can help to decrease you or your loved ones risks of Heart Attacks or Strokes.

1. Know your #'s - knowing your risk factors such as cholesterol and triglyceride levels are important in helping you determine what you can do to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. The numbers are different for men and women so be sure you keep these numbers in the target range for you. This is a good time right now because many cities will be having their annual health fairs where you can get your cholesterol levels checked at a very small cost. For more information about what your numbers should be click on this link. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4500

2. Learn and become CPR certified - 75 to 80 percent of heart attacks and stroke happen at home. CPR administered immediately after cardiac arrest can double the victims chances of survival. If more people knew CPR more would survive. Be prepared to save a life by logging onto the American Heart Association's Web site and finding out where you can take courses to get certified. Here is the link. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3011764

3. Don't Smoke - Smoking doesn't only cause lung cancer. Smoking is a major cause of heart disease and stroke. As a matter of fact 400,000 people die every year due to illnesses caused by smoking and out of those deaths 45 percent are cardiovascular related. If you need to stop smoking here are a couple of resources you can try. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3048036 Or Click Here

3. Donate to the American Heart and Stroke Association. - Everyone knows that more research, education and awareness is what it takes to cure diseases. The American Heart Association is dedicated to all three. Be Aware and do what you can to take care of yourself and those you love.

I have included a link that will monitor what my Team is doing at the Hospital. And I will continue to post it on my blog until the day of the walk. If you feel so inclined and would like to donate to my team you can click on the link below to make a contribution.

Take Care of Your Heart !!! Click Here to Donate

Mannequin

I am very excited about my most recent investment. I found a place to purchase inflatable mannequins to display my work on. The prices are extremely affordable. I got this mannequin with arms and the stand for about 42 dollars total after shipping charges. No more horrible pictures of me trying to model my stuff. Besides my daughter hates taking my pictures and she won't model for me either. She actually would make a great model though because she is so thin and cute. But now I can be more creative with my photos. This will help when I get my pattern book put together. Anyway here are some pics of what I have done with it today with the silver cardigan that I designed for my pattern book. This one is sitting on the table without the stand. This is on the stand. Now I can't wait to get my next design finished. This is really fun. It is kind of like playing with Barbies.