The Zoo is growing!

A zoo.... you ponder? Well yes, a zoo indeed! Of course, you may realize that I don't actually mean a zoo with wandering wild animals, but a zoo of stuffed animals instead. I have been busy knitting away, creating birthday gifts for family and friends, and each time I finish a different project, I like to add them to my virtual BusyBeeBets Pet Zoo! You might remember the blue elephant that Matt and I gave to Ava, our niece, which I think was a hit.

Well, today's new member to the BBB Zoo is a Pink Hippo! Knitted in a pink/white cotton blend, she's very soft and very plump. Doesn't she look happy in her little herb garden, pictured above? Well, she won't be spending all her time there, as this was a gift for my girlfriend's daughter who turned one on the weekend. Chloe happens to be a big fan of the Backyardigans (her dad is partial to them, too...), so I thought this hippo would fit in nicely and make friends with her other stuffed toys. Shannon assured me she would love the texture - she loves knitted things! I'm not too worried.

In honour of Chloe's first birthday, I volunteered to make some cupcakes for her to enjoy. Cupcakes are a great treat at birthdays - no plates required, and you can mox and match flavours and icing colours. Since the theme of the day was Backyardigans, I opted for purple, green, and pink, and baked the cupcakes in two different sizes, so people had options. Shannon served a purple one with a candle to Chloe, and, like many kids on their birthday, she mainly enjoyed smearing the icing on her face. As an added twist, she also found that using a Dorito helped get more icing into her mouth! Not sure I would have thought to try that flavour combination, but some people enjoy salty/cheesy with their sweet. In any case, she liked them.

I am already working away on new animals for the zoo, and these will be posted later. I'm finding so much enjoyment in mixing up the colours, and personalizing the gift to the person I'm giving it to. One challenge I am having right now is being able to take some really great photos that show off the finished animal - I just don't seem to have the right touch yet in creating photos like the pros do, but I certainly am learning a lot trying. I don't claim to be a photographer, so I hope you'll bear with me.

Hmm... maybe the zoo needs a bear.... =)