Today March 25 is the National Medal of Honor Day, a day dedicated to honor our American heros who has given much to our country. Since many people I know are not aware of this day and are not familar with the meaning of Medal of Honor, I am dedicating this post to these brave heros who deserve much more recognization and respect for keeping our country safe.


What is Medal of Honor?


It is a small 5 pointed star that hangs from a ribbon, and it represents a moment when the recipient ignored fear and danger to perform "a deed of personal bravery or self-secrifice above and beyond the call of duty while a member of the armed forces in actual combat with an enemy of the nation." This award is the nation's highest military award for battlefield heroism. On March 25, 1863, the first Medals of Honor were presented to 6 members of the Andrew's Raiders. Since its creation 3448 medals have been awarded.


Some interesting facts:

• Theodore Roosevelt is the only President to receive the Medal of Honor.


• The last award of the Medal of Honor was made June 05, 2008 to Private First Class ROSS A. McGINNIS.


• There are nineteen double recipients of the Medal of Honor.

What can you do to commemorate this day?

• Fly your American Flag


• Remember our heros and read more about them


• Tell your friends and family about this day


• Donate to the Congressional Metal of Honor Society to help keep the tradition alive.

Please take a moment to remember our American heros, and pray for the soldiers who are continuing this fight to keep our country safe.

It's been one year since HomemadeZen opened in Etsy! Thanks to your support, HomemadeZen has made 270 sales and 1012 Hearts in the first year! It's been an amazing success and I am very happy to hear that many of you enjoy my amigurumi toys and patterns!

To celebrate, my store will be offering a BOGO sale (buy one get one free) on my crochet patterns from March 8 to March 13! (free pattern must be the same or lesser value) Just specify which free pattern you want on "Notes to seller" during check out. Thanks for the support again and check back often for new crochet patterns and cuties!

-Celia

Due to recent travel commitments, all amigurumi softies in my shop will not be for sale until March 8, 2009. I will still be selling my amigurumi patterns in my etsy shop. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

This is my first blooming plant in my flower garden in Syracuse, in the middle of February!


After snowing non-stop for the past month, recently Syracuse has warmed up a bit and the snow is slowly melting in my yard. Underneath the snow, my Winter Heath is starting to bloom! I just had to take some pictures of these beauties. Even though they are very small flowers, it's good to be reminded that spring is just around the corner!

In this president inauguration , we are blessed to live in a country where the transition of power is peaceful and orderly. Although there are issues that I disagree with President Obama, like all patriotic Americans, I wish him and his family well. I pray that he will be blessed and he will lead our country well in the following years.

As for President Bush, in my judgment, most of his decisions -- and especially the big ones -- will be vindicated by history. I believe that he did what he thought best for the country, and he kept us safe. God bless him and his family, and thank you.

Valentines day is coming up and I've started to create some cute crochet things for the Holiday, and here's an early sneak peek before I release it in my etsy shop:


When I think of my loved one on Valentine's day, I thought of the song "You're the Apple of My Eye" written by Otis Blackwell. So I decided to do a spin on the song and crocheted apples with eyes on them. They look a little weird and cute at the same time:

I've also designed a cute valentine hearts coin purses. The pattern for the coin purses can also be crocheted as a coaster instead of a purse, which is pretty cool! I've put in a smiley faces on this one, but I think embroidered words (eg: "Be Mine" "Luv U") would be cute too.

Do you prefer smily faces or valentine phrases in the Hearts coin purse? What valentine phrases do you like? Drop a comment and let me know!

It's the end of 2008 and the start of a brand new year! In the upcoming year, I wish you a peaceful and wonderful one! In the upcoming year, HomemadeZen will continue to make new cute amigurumi crochet patterns and toys, as well as other cute crochet things like wristlets for everyone who likes cute crochet things :-) Here's a sneak peak on a new amigurmi pattern for a new year: squirrel! I hope you enjoy it!