Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Day

BLOG MOVING

2006-03-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

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My blog is moving to greener pastures. This one is getting cluttered and it is time for a change. Come visit me at my new location:

MY NEW BLOG CLICK HERE

MOOving Along

2006-03-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

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Just giving an update on our progress with the house and moving to the country. We have decided to back out of the house that we put an offer down on. We met with a contractor to discuss remodeling and fixing up the old house that was on the property. It was turning out to be a major project. We decided to keep looking to find something more move in ready. Sometimes you need to write out a list of all the good things and all the bad things and if the list of bad things is much longer than it is time to move on.

Knitting Update

Here is my progress on the table runner. This is a very addictive pattern. I have neglected my other projects on the needles and keep picking this one up to work on. I just started my second skein and think I’m about at the half way mark.

Skirt News
Thanks everyone for all the positive comments on the skirt that went wrong. I think I am going to try putting in elastic to see if I can make it smaller. If not I might try the darts. It can’t hurt to try.

Blog News
I am currently working on setting up a new blog. Once it is presentable I will put the link for you guys to go see it.

Cosmo's Birthday

2006-03-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Cosmo turns 3 years old today.
He is celebrating with some yummy treats and a can of Fancy Feast’s Gourmet seafood dinner. That boy can not get enough seafood.

Cosmo is so precious to me. I would like to dedicate the song “How Sweet It Is” on his birthday. This is a great song and it has been sung by many artists. A few of my favorite versions have been sung by: Michael McDonald, Marvin Gaye, James Taylor, & Michael Buble’.

I will write the lyrics accompanied with some photos I took of Cosmo yesterday to mark his 3rd birthday.

How sweet it is to be loved by you
How sweet it is to be loved by you
I needed the shelter of someone's arms
And there you were
With sweet love and devotion
Gently touching my emotion

I want to stop - to thank you baby
How sweet it is to be loved by you
How sweet it is to be loved by you

Open my eyes at night
I wonder what I would be without you in my life
Everything was just a bore
All the things I've done
You know I've done them before
But you brightened up all of my days
With your love so sweet and in so may ways

I want to stop - to thank you baby
How sweet it is to be loved by you
How sweet it is to be loved by you
Sweeter than the honey from the bees, baby

Skirt Gone Wrong

2006-03-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Well I sewed up the pieces of the skirt. I did not have enough fabric for the last tier of the skirt. It was Ok and it turned out long enough. Even sewing the zipper went very well. Unfortunately after putting the zipper in I tried on the skirt, and it was way too big. In the picture above the skirt is folded on the sides to fit into the hanger clips. Also it is very see through and I would need to sew a lining inside. It was a great learning experience and I think I will attempt to make the skirt again with the white summery fabric I purchased just make it in a smaller size. While sewing the skirt this weekend darling Hubby asked if I was making a costume. I sarcastically remarked “Yes! It is for mardi gras”. He said “really”. Gotta love’em, or do I? I am over this skirt and I have thrown it in the fabric stash pile.

Plants and Gardening

This is my favorite plant pot in my house. I have other plants in my house that I like more but this is my absolute favorite pot. I got it from the Disney website last year when it was on clearance and out of season. It is a large teacup with a saucer. It has an illustration of Alice in wonderland with the Rabbit. It makes me smile every time I look at it.

Many of the outdoor plants are coming out of dormancy. Here are a couple of my Irises getting ready to bloom

Here are some Daffodils popping out of the ground.

I have my fingers crossed that we do not have a late frost.

Diet Crunch Time

"Stretch Kelley" by Lowell Herrero

Unfortunately for the month of February I did not loose any weight. I did keep off the 5 pounds lost in January but no progress since. It is officially Go Time. We are going on a family cruise to Hawaii in May with my in-laws. That gives me two months to get into shape for a bathing suite. I am horrified at the thought of trying on bathing suites at my current body state. I definitely want to enjoy my vacation and not worry about how I look while on it. So with that motivation I plan to stick to the diet and plan to exercise regularly.

Home Sweet Sunshine

2006-02-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

We are back from the Alpaca seminar. It was a long weekend. It is tiring to fly out for the weekend and be back to work on Monday. We almost did not make it due to flight delays. Every single flight we took this weekend was delayed. But get this the last flight although we were also delayed leaving we arrived 12 minutes early.

The seminar was very long and very educational. It started Friday night at 5:30. We got out at 9:00. Saturday it was from 8:00am to 9:00pm. Then we were there Sunday morning till 1pm before running to airport to catch the plane. The seminar was mostly about the business of alpacas and how to make a business out of owning them. This is smart because if you plan to quit your day job you need to have a plan as to how to provide for your self with out that income. We learned so much and also learned that some of the information we had already got from farms we visited were incorrect.

Chris and I are still very interested in alpacas and now we know where to start & what to do next. We plan to buy some soon. I was disappointed that they did not have any yarn for sale. The farm the seminar was at sells all their fleece to a buyer in California. The farm had 2 to 300 alpacas.

Blue Skies

While visiting the Northwest Chris and I could not get use to the grey skies. You can not tell what time of day it is. All day the same grey sky, so depressing. On Monday back home in New Mexico the sun came up and the blue sky was there. Even Chris said on Monday he was working on a patient and looked up and out the window and saw the blue sky, he could have cried seeing that blue sky and how happy it made him.

New Mexico gets over 300 days of sunshine, and I love every single one of them. Above is a picture of my sky this morning at 8:30am.

Heading to the Northwest

2006-02-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

Thought I would give a last minute update before leaving for the seminar. The seminar is in Oregon. I will need to say good bye to the sun for a couple of days. Maybe we will bring it with us.

Felted Rose purse

This is turning out great. I would probably be much further along but I have been working on other things.

Surf & Turf Table Runner

I decided to make a table runner out of the TLC yarn. I am using a pattern out of my little box of scarves. It is the Chevron and Feather scarf pattern. I am just making it wider. I think it shows off the color nicely. I think this is the project I will take with me this weekend. I originally was going to bring my cashmere scarf to work on but I just can’t bring that wonderful cashmere onto such a contaminated airplane. If the ball of yarn were to fall and roll across the floor I might have a heart attack. 8)

Skirt Bad News

I ran into the fabric store to grab some more of the multi green fabric that I had run out of. Of course it was all gone. CRAP! My legs are short so I might see what it looks like with out the bottom tier.

I did find this fabric as an alternative just in case. This was on sale 40% off, can’t beat the price. I might make another one in this if the green one does not work out.

Have a great weekend.

Pointy Kitty

2006-02-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

I thought I would warm up my sewing skills by making the Pointy Kitty. Hillary over at Wee Wonderfuls has made this wonderful pattern and has it free on her website. She makes the coolest things and I was so happy that she has offered us one of her patterns to try and make something ourselves. It took me a couple hours Sunday to make this Pointy Kitty. The hardest part I think is turning it inside out after it is sewn. I used a pencil eraser and also a knitting needle. I am pleased with my results.

Sew I Knit progress

After finishing the kitty, I tackled my skirt that I am making for the along. I am really challenging myself with this one. By choosing the multi colored stripe fabric it is making it much harder to cut out the pattern. I have managed to cut out all the pieces except for the last tier of the skirt. I ran out of the dark green stripe. I will need to go buy more fabric. I could start sewing the top but I think I will let it rest a bit. My brain is fried at the moment with sewing.

Surf & Turf Acrylic

I picked up this TLC 100% acrylic yarn in color Surf & Turf at the craft store when I was looking for felt to put on the pointy kitty. I am not taking the blame for this one.
I blame Amy over at Good to be a Girl. I don’t care for acrylic but I saw her Feb 17th post were she is making the bag from Holiday knits using this yarn. I love the color way and when I passed it at the craft store it was cheaply priced. Fortunately it is a very soft acrylic yarn. I thought it would make a great hand purse. But then I thought I was turning into a regular bag lady and have a ton of bags on my list and have made many. So I think I might make a table runner instead. Since it is acrylic, it will be easy to wash if it gets dirty.

Life Update

Since I let the cat out of the bag about Chris and me wanting to move to the country and live a more rewarding lifestyle, everyone has been so supportive. I want to thank everyone for their kind comments and e-mails. It means a lot to me. To tell you the truth I was nervous after I wrote the post. It is kind of like turning yourself inside out and letting everyone take a look.

We have been looking at houses the last couple of weekends and think we have found the perfect one. It is up in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico. It is only a 40 minute drive down to our dental office which will be a better commute than what we are making now to the office. It is an old Victorian Farm House on 5.5 acres of land. The property backs up to the Lincoln National Forest. The house was originally built in 1905. It has since been remodeled in the 80’s. Unfortunately the people that remodeled the home had horrible taste. The house will need to be gutted and remodeled adding central air & heat. The price is low enough to be able to remodel, thank goodness. Right now we are in the process of getting financing and getting the house inspected. If all goes well we might be looking at a closing at the end of March.

Weekend Seminar

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Chris and I are heading to the Northwest this weekend for an Alpaca seminar. We have visited a couple of the alpaca ranches around here and think they might be great for our new lifestyle. So we signed up for a seminar to learn more about how to care for them and to provide a good home for them. The alpacas were actually Chris’s idea. He came home from work one day and he said one of his patients had just gotten a couple of alpacas. Of course I was completely interested, (tumbles of alpaca fiber dancing around in my head. Lets out a giggle while rubbing hands together MINE ALL MINE, Pulling self together as to not alarm darling husband of true nature and love of fiber). We are excited to check out the seminar and I will let you know how it goes.

Which Road do YOU Take?

2006-02-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

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I look at my life as an endless learning adventure. The further I get in my life story it seems the more I learn about myself and who I am. I recently learned something about myself that I guess I never realized completely. Things I already knew are that I am a planner and a goal setter. It turns out every goal that I have made for myself I have accomplished. I set a goal and plan it out, then take the steps necessary to meet that goal.

I have always thought that reaching the goal was the prize where you sit back and enjoy what you accomplished. Turns out for me reaching the goal is where I hit the fork in the road and decide which path to take for my next adventure. If I look back on my life and touch on every fifth year since birth it reveals that you can not predict what my life was going to be like in the next five years. For me it is all about the journey, not the destination.

My Next Path

With all that said Hubby and I have reached a fork in the road. As some of you know we have a dental office and have worked very hard to make it all it could be. Turns out we have been very successful and could sit back and let this be our lives forever more and live very well. Of course I am not content with this and am bored with the thought of it. I think it is like that feeling that some men get with the whole ball and chain idea. I am fortunate enough to have married the right man and he is ready to try something else. Everyone grows and changes through the years you can only hope that your partner grows and changes in the same direction.

Hubby and I have decided to change our lifestyle. We decided to take the path that heads to a more rural setting. That’s right we are thinking of more a Farmer & the Dell kind of scenario. We are currently skipping down our new chosen path and are very excited about the journey we are about to take.

If there is any advice I could give to anyone it is to take that first step. If there is something that you have always wanted to do and have not done, what are you waiting for? You only live once. What is the worst thing that could happen? If you never try, you will never know.

Live with no regrets.

Joined a New Along

2006-02-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

It is the Sew? I Knit along. Through out the year we will sew different objects. The first one is a skirt. The time frame for making the skirt is Feb 15th through March 20th. I have not sewn anything from a pattern in about 12 years. I sew things around the house but I just make it up as I go.

I chose this Simplicity Pattern #0593

Here is the fabric I chose to make the skirt out of.

It is the same fabric type as the orange skirt on the model in the picture. They had that color orange and also hot pink. I decided to go with the cooler colors of the multicolored greens. Hopefully it won’t be to tricky working with three colors instead of one. Can’t wait to get started and see everyone’s progress in the group.

Progress on the Felted Rose Purse

I am almost through the first row of rose’s motif. I am liking how the red and green really pop out against the contrast of the black.

Quiz

I have seen this quiz on a couple of different blogs. I thought it was cool and morbid.

You will sink in a mire. You like to think you're

normal, but deep down you really just want to

strip off your clothes and roll around in

chicken fat.

What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?
brought to you by Quizilla

My results made me laugh out load. What is normal anyway? Sinking into a marsh is a good story and not a boring way to go.

360 Days of Oscar

2006-02-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

My Fair Lady

What’s on TV this month you ask? Turner Classic Movies channel is doing a 360 days of Oscar month. All month long they will air Oscar nominees and winners back to back. They are all linked like the Kevin Bacon thing. The first movie starting on Feb 1st will link to the next one they air by an actor or something and so on then the very last movie they air on March 3rd will link back to the very first movie.

Gone with the Wind

Dude I am so excited about this. No more sitting down and flipping the channels to find something to watch. A sure bet there will be something good on TCM. So take a look ahead at the schedule and see when your favorites will be airing so you don’t miss them. Great Idea TCM!

Casablanca

All photos found at Reel Classics website.

Diet Update

I started my diet in January like everyone else. I actually stuck with it and lost a total of 5 pounds. It does not seem that much until you do a search for 5 lbs and come up with a 5lb bowling ball.

It is a start and I am going to give this diet a good couple of months. Basically I am eating smaller portions and cut back on alcohol and sweets. Seems to be working. I did work out a little at the beginning of the month but it dwindled to nothing. I plan to start the work outs again this month.

The truth is I am not sure why we say we LOST 5 pounds. It makes it sound like I woke up and it was gone and I could not find them anywhere. I will tell you from experience it is not easy to lose weight you really need to make an effort and consistency is the key. I will be a trooper and continue on and take it one day at a time.

New WIPs

2006-01-30T12:07:00.000-07:00

Dalegarn - Felted Rose Purse
This is one of my next projects. This felted Rose Purse Pattern is in Book Number 130 of Dalegarn (Dale Of Norway). It is an accessory pattern book. You can look at the patterns in the book HERE.

The second version of the felted Rose Purse
I plan to do the first version with a ribbon strap.

I bought this Heilo yarn for this project last year and it has been sitting in my stash for awhile. Three black 0090, one wine 4246, & one tartan green 7562. It is 100% Pure New Norwegian Wool. It should felt nicely. I just need to pick up a circular needle this week in the correct length and I can get started. I have a zillion needles does it not figure I have the right size just the wrong length.

#2 WIP

Dewdrops scarf
This pattern is from the book Exquisite Little Knits.

I bought 1 skein of Makula Cashmere in color Enchanted.
Here is a look of the other colors available in this 100% cashmere yarn.

I bought the yarn at Knit N Tyme

I cast on and this is as far as I got. This yarn is so soft and lovely. I think it is the perfect yarn to wrap close to the skin. I almost wish I did not like the cashmere because it is so pricey. Thank goodness pattern only calls for one skein.

#3 WIP

Bridget – Jo Sharp Book Number Two
This is my next big project knit.
Here is another picture in a different color

I had this Donegal Tweed Homespun in color 880 in my stash. It has been there for at least 8 months. I originally bought it for a pattern in one of my Vogue issues. I decided I would rather make Bridget with this yarn. Lesson learned: Don’t go crazy and buy a ton of yarn that is going to sit in your stash so long you decide you no longer want to make the pattern it was originally bought for. This yarn will have a happy ending but looking at my stash, I definitely am cutting back on my yarn purchases. In fact I plan to knit mostly from my stash this entire year. Of course there will be exceptions. 8)

I am in love with this sweater. I think it should be a good challenge for me I made a swatch and checked my gauge. It looks like I am right on target. I believe this yarn will do nicely for the pattern.

Thank You
I wanted to thank every one for the e-mails and the comments on the Rowan Air Cardi.
You guys are the best.
- Next post DIET update.

Completed Rowan "Air"

2006-01-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

I have completed my Rowan “Air” Cardi
Please disregard the fact I did not put any make-up on or that I am wearing sweats. That is the downfall of taking your own photo you do not have that other person to give you feed back.

It took 8 balls of Rowan calmer in color Drift 460
Pattern from Rowan Calmer Collection.
Cast on for “Air” in March of 05 completed January of 06 (sad I know)

This was a fun knit. The only problems I had with the pattern were when I read it incorrectly. Calmer is a beautiful soft yarn and a joy to knit with. It is very light weight and if you want more structure I would go with a heavier yarn.

This Cardi is very soft and comfortable. It is not heavy enough to get you through a snow storm but perfect for the cool summer night to slip over a summer dress or tank top.

Overall a great experience to knit this beautiful pattern. Although I think next time I do a sweater I will pick a pattern that has more coverage and warmth. Since it took me so long to knit this I think my next sweater knit should be something I feel I will get a lot of wear out of.

I am very happy to have completed the last of my 05 wips and am proud to say I have nothing on the needles. So what am I doing writing this post. I must immediately run to my stash and get something started. Ah the joy of new projects. GOTTA GO!

Working on Air

2006-01-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was able to get a lot done on the Rowan “Air Cardi. I have completed one back, 2 sleeves and 2 sides. I have cast on for the collar. While working the Left front I realized I completed the Right front incompletely. So I had to rip it out to the beginning of the neck shaping and redo it. I must have got in to big a hurry when I did it the first time. I just have the collar & two pockets to knit. Then I need to block pieces and sew it all together.

Here is the buttons I bought to go on the Cardi.

They are Dale of Norway pewter buttons. This one is called “Baby Fana”. I found them at Bea Ellis Knitwear. They have a great selection of buttons and clasps.

Movie Reviews

Million Dollar Baby
Hubby and I caught this movie on HBO the other night. We both had not seen it yet. I will first say I will never watch this movie again. I cried through the whole last hour of the movie. Then I cried for a good while after the movie was over.

The movie topic did not appeal to me and that is why I probably had not seen it yet. But since it was an Oscar winner, and had such a great cast I watched it. Obviously it was good otherwise it would not have affected me so. For starters I am an optimist and the movie gave me no way out. The whole last hour I was thinking this will turn out OK. It did not. Also I think it was hard for me because what happened to her would be the worst that could happen to someone.

The Shipping News
I rented this from Netflix. This movie is an adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by E. Annie Proulx. This movie came out in 2001, where was I. This book is on my list of books to read but just have not got to it yet.

The description is “Distraught after the disappearance of his estranged wife, Quoyle's (Kevin Spacey) long-lost aunt (Judi Dench) convinces him to move with his daughter to their ancestral home in Newfoundland. Here, where life is rough and secrets are many, Quoyle lands a job as a reporter for the local paper. Now, a past is emerging, a mystery is unfolding and life is awakening.”

I liked it and wished I had read the book. I still might. Very interesting movie, I love stories when people make a new start and evolve into a better existence that makes them happy.

Doctor Zhivago 2002
This was made as a British miniseries created for television. It is the remake of the classic 1965 film that was based on the novel by Boris Pasternak. I never saw the original. I like the long two disk movies, One can get a lot of knitting done while watching these epic movies.

This story takes place during the Russian revolution. It is about a Russian physician-poet whose life is changed by the revolution. What a great juicy story. I think I might rent the original movie it has great reviews also.

What is Mine is Mine, What is yours is Mine Too

Haley is the sibling that hordes all the toys and won’t let others play. Haley will be playing with a toy. Brandy will go over to the toy box and pick something out to play with, and Haley will immediately run over and want to play with it too. Eventually Haley steals it from Brandy. It is rough living with siblings there is always something about them that annoys you.

Anyone Else On a Diet?

2006-01-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

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Yea I’m Cranky what about it. For those of you looking for an uplifting post I would skip this post all together. I just need to bitch a little or maybe a lot.

Diet
Ok I joined the millions of people and started a diet for the new year. I worked out twice this week and have eaten healthy smaller portions. Hubby is kind of on a diet too, but he had a piece of chocolate yesterday. DON’T GET ME STARTED! Anyway I just need to deal with myself. Ok where was I, Geez I can not even think straight. I feel horrible. Maybe I should have thought about how hard this was going to be when I was piling on the turkey plate with all the trimmings 4 days in a row with a piece of pie to boot. All the while thinking I better get it all in because starting next year I am starting healthier habits.

Anyway I do not want to spend too much time talking about dieting, frankly it is depressing and not many people like to read about it. So I plan to maybe do a monthly update just to keep myself on track and accountable.

Tax Hell
Anyone else in tax hell? January turns out is my worst month for the business. I am in the middle of filing my December stuff, My 4th Quarter stuff and my end of year crap. On top of it I am getting all the expenses and receipts etc ready to file my business federal taxes. My goal is to get it all done by the third week of January. Perhaps the added stress will help me loose weight?

Maxine cartoon

My only Sanity
Of course is knitting. It always relaxes me and helps me to not focus on the million things going on in my life. I sat down last night after dinner and a very long day and worked on the Rowan Air Cardi. My headache went away and I was able to go to sleep last night with a clear head. I even got excited thinking about what big project I would cast on for after finishing the Cardi.

So if January is turning out to be a challenge to your psyche, hang in there February will be here soon enough. It will be all Roses and pink hearts RIGHT!

Finished Lace Scarf

2006-01-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

Finally I have finished the lace scarf. I used Brown Sheep Co in color Putty. The pattern is Fiber Trends called Lacy Accents. The pattern has three different lace scarf variations. I did the simple elegance pattern. The scarf after blocking is 56 inches long and looks good with just about anything, including my furniture. Both the pattern and yarn I received from Heather over at Pixiestikz. She was my secret pal back with the 4th edition.

This was my first lace project and I think I got the whole yarn over thing down pat. The scarf was a great way to practice lace. I will definitely not steer away from a project now that has yarn overs in it.

Last of the Wips from 05
My goal is to complete the Rowan Air Cardi this month. I am trying to finish all wips on the needles so I may start new ones with a clear conscious. If I do not finish this Cardi this month, I am sewing what I have into a bag, and moving on. That should keep me motivated. This Cardi definitely has opened my eyes as to a realistic timeline and how many actual sweaters I can knit in a year.

New Dawn New Day

2005-12-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

The sunsets this time of year are breath taking. Today the sun will set and rise to a new year. I am practically jumping out of my skin with anticipation for things to come.

I am so fortunate for the good things that are in my life. My cup is overflowing with love for family and friends.

I will be spending the New Year with my true love. We will be home in our pajamas, with food ordered to go from our favorite restaurant. We will have a bottle of Champaign that will probably be opened early to enjoy over the evening.

I toast to you
“May you live today & everyday that follows in the NOW, I wish for you to live in the moment, enjoy what is happening now, feel life completely whether it be good or bad revel in it and know that you are truly alive.”

Video

I thought it would be nice to share a video in this post. I found this site for video codes.

Watch Video:

YOU AND ME (Lifehouse)

Video Code provided by VideoCodeZone.Com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas Loot

2005-12-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

I made out like a bandit this year. Check out the loot.

This is Exquisite Little Knits by Iris Schreier &Laurie Kimmelstiel. This book was a pleasant surprise. My best friend gifted this to me along with the knit pattern a day calendar. I did not have this book and I am not sure why. I really like this book. It is chuck full of patterns using luxurious yarns. The best part is the patterns only require 1 to 2 skeins of the yarn. This is a great way to be able to knit with high end yarn and not have to break the bank to do it.

I have already picked out my first project I would like to make from the book

This is the Dewdrops Scarf and is knit with one skein of Knit’n Tyme’s Makalu Cashmere 4-ply DK Handpainted, 100% Cashmere. I love the color way shown in this photo. The best part is you only need to splurge on one skein of 100% Cashmere yarn.

Knittin Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
What can I say I love Nancy’s books. This book was gifted to me from my Mom. She found it on my Amazon wish list. The thing that is great about this book is in the beginning it shows in detail all the different types toes & heals, and how to knit them. So basically it is very helpful if you want to get better at knitting the perfect socks. Of course there is a ton of beautiful sock patterns in the book.

Hubby outdid himself this year.

Professional Waffle Maker. Now before you think what kind of guy gives his wife something that slaves her to the kitchen for a gift. I have wanted one of these, but it is not something one buys for them self. I have already used this thing twice and it is amazing. The waffles come out perfect every time. It beeps when the waffles are ready. You just pour the batter in, rotate it 90 degrees, once it beeps rotate it back 90 degrees and open to beautiful waffles. Last batch I made I added chocolate chips to the batter. YUMMY! I love stuff that help me look like a professional chief with little effort on my part. Plus it makes it fun to cook.

Drum roll please. I also found this under the tree for me from my Hubby.

The new video ipod. Mine is the black one.
This is an awesome gadget. I am not much into the music part but the best stuff it can do is you can download photos directly from your digital camera. This will be perfect for travel so I will not need to lug around that heavy dinosaur of a lap top I usually bring. Also you can play video on the ipod. Like TV shows and music videos, these are great for travel. Another cool thing you can put on this is audio books.

There is also something called a podcast that you can subscribe too. Most are free there is a zillion different ones to choose from. I currently have subscribed to three different ones. One is a Hollywood entertainment one that gives you the latest buzz on Celebes and such it is put on by wireimage.

The second one is a Vermont life Video

It shows a 2 minute video of places in Vermont with back ground music. (When I was younger I always thought I would live in Vermont).

The third is educational it is the French podclass. This one is about 20 minutes long and and plays French music and teaches you how to say words in French. I like listening to it. The podcasts will update weekly or daily or monthly and give you a new one to download to your ipod. I am still learning how to use mine but I love it so far.

I think someone should do a knitting podcast and do a small weekly video of how to do certain stitches or tricks of the trade, or just go from yarn shop to yarn shop and show us a little 2 minute video. I am just throwing the idea out there hopefully someone will run with it.

Finished Objects to Come
I have been working on old wip’s that have been on the needles forever. My plan is to get all of them done so I can start new projects with a clear conscience. Plus I am anxious to start up some new bags for the Tote-along I joined.

Christmas Eve

2005-12-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

Here is Cosmo waiting patiently for Santa to bring him some new toys & treats. I tried to have a little talk with him about naughty and nice and how actually sitting in the tree waiting for Santa would be classified as NAUGHTY!

The first time he got into the tree he was real careful getting out but now he just leaps out like a flying squirrel. So far not one ornament has fallen off the tree even with all of Cosmos acrobats.

Joined a new Along

Found the tote-along and joined up to make some bags starting next year. I have a request from my sister-n-law for a booga bag & also I have a bunch of fabric in my stash to make some bags.

Merry Christmas

Everyone have a wonderful Holiday.

Winter Solstice

2005-12-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

Webshots Photo

Today is the first day of winter. To me that means from here on out the day light will be getting longer. Only a couple more days until Christmas so I added a how to last minute gift idea to this post if anyone is still scrambling.

Finished My Christmas Stocking

It is made from the pattern in Holiday Knits titled Striped Christmas Stocking. I used Frog Tree’s 100% alpaca Wool in color #26, #31 & #000. I enjoyed knitting with the Frog Tree yarn and will definitely use it again. Here is a look at the stocking inside out. I just ran the three colors up the inside as I went around. In the end it made for less ends to weave in.

This heal was the easiest I have ever done. The heal is made exactly like the toe. Too bad it probably would not work for a sock you would wear.

Scented Gift

This is a great last minute gift idea. I usually make a couple of these every year. It is also a good gift to make a couple of extra in case some one drops by the house you had not planned for, you can hand them one of these.

These are called Pomander Bowls. I first spotted them in one of my holiday craft books Martha Stewart’s “Handmade Christmas”. The photos were taken from the book to help you see what I am talking about.

What you need:
an Orange
Whole cloves
Decorative bowl
Raffia or Shredded paper
Ribbon to match bowl

Put the whole cloves in a bowl and get comfy on the sofa and start poking the cloves into the orange. You can use a toothpick to first make the hole but I did not find it necessary. The cloves go right into the orange skin. Completely cover orange and let it sit overnight to dry.

Then put some raffia in your decorative bowl set the cloved orange in it. Wrap decorative ribbon around bowl and add a trinket or something if you like to the top. These gifts smell wonderful. Plus they last a long time. I have one in my kitchen that is over a year old. The orange dries just like dried flowers. You do not need to buy a bowl and ribbon that is in holiday colors because people can keep it out all year round.

Knit Inspiration

Here are a couple of bags from The Gap.

I might try to make one of these it is so cute and I enjoy doing little projects with cables.

This fair isle bag is great. After making a fair isle bag myself I know how much time and money it took for me to make it. I really like the way they did the handles. I might do a version of these handles next time I make a Booga Bag.

I am so looking forward to the weekend. Just a few more days!

Holiday Shuffle

2005-12-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like the Holidays are closing in on you. Of course you have. That is what I have been feeling this week. Sometimes you need to break away from the hectic holidays and make a little something for yourself. Let me introduce you to my:

Christmas Sock Monkey.

Yep I took some time out from baking and shopping and crafting to make this super cute sock monkey. I have been wanting to make a sock monkey for awhile. While I was out shopping at target. I spotted these Holiday stockings.

My first thought should have been those are a little over the top. But my reaction was SOCK MONKEY! I think they were $3.99.

Here is the pattern to make your own sock monkey. I used polyfill to stuff him with. He is super soft and cuddly.

Baking up Presents

This year I decided to bake up some treats for my employees. Little did I know how time consuming this would be. Everything turned out great and I got them done on time. I chose five different baked goods for the baskets. I baked everything up in two days and divided them up into these foil pans.

The baked goods are: Walnut Fudge, Lime Snowball cookies, Chocolate candy cane cookies, Lemon Poppy seed Muffins, & Butterscotch Blondies.

I bought cellophane wrap and wrapped them all up like baskets and put tags on them listing what type of goodies were inside.

Helpful Elves

They got the right idea. Wouldn’t it be nice to just lounge around and then have all the fun when the holidays get here.

Fa La La La La

2005-12-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

I started up the lovely stocking.

I am knitting it with a #3 – 12” circular. It is coming out real nice and much easier since I need to switch out the colors for the striping. I am running all three colors along inside and just pull forward the color I need.

I discovered a good use for this beverage carrier from Starbucks. It works great for holding the three balls of yarn, especially when riding in the car and trying to knit a few rows on the go. Have you tried starbucks Holiday Peppermint Mocha. Yummy!

Other Holiday Crafts

I quilted this holiday stocking for my Office Manager. She is a big Tigger fan. I did not have a pattern I just kind of made it up as I went. Some of it was tricky and both my husband and I had a good laugh. There was even a moment where I was going to chuck it in the trash. But some how I did not give up and kept working on it and ripping it out until I was happy with the result.

Christmas Stuff on the Internet

Wow, check out this scooter. Dude if I had gotten this scooter when I was a little girl my life would probably be totally different. That is one sweet ride all pink with a zebra print seat cover and a matching back pack. Take a good look at the little girl in the photo you might see her in 20 years and she might be running the world, or at least the neighborhood for the next year with all her little friends.

The holidays always bring back memories of Christmas’s past. Well this scooter brings back memories of one in particular. The year my brother, sister and I came down the stairs to see what Santa had left under the tree. My brother got a brand new shiny red bicycle and my sister and I each got a sweater. As if that was not bad enough, my sweater had a big rainbow heart in the center and the sleeves were all rainbow colored.

Anyway we know that is not what the holidays are all about. Even still I am compelled to send my brother a lump of coal and address it from Santa, maybe knit a little rainbow sweater for the lump of coal.

Phone Chums

I also found these great cell phone chums on the Horchow website. I saved the photo on my computer to possibly use them as inspiration the next time I want to knit a cover for my phone. So Cute.

Holiday Knit-Along

2005-11-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

I was looking around and spotted a Stocking-Along. I immediately decided to join because I had already planned to make a Christmas stocking this year.

I found a great pattern in this book

Holiday Knits by Sara Lucas & Allison Isaacs

Here is a photo from the book of the Striped Christmas Stocking

The pattern calls for Plymouth Yarns Baby Alpaca. I could not find a good price or the colors I wanted so instead chose to use Frog Tree’s 100% alpaca wool in colors #31, #26 & #000. Here they are.

I Can not wait to get started.

Here is Brandy on Thanksgiving. Too much Turkey! Must Sleep!

Happy Halloween

2005-10-27T10:31:00.000-06:00

The girls are dressing up this year.

I think Witcheepoo turned someone into a pumpkin head.

Hurry up Mom with the photos lets get to the TREATS!

Halloween Knitting

As soon as I saw the Skull scarf on Knitty I had to make one for myself. I used Lion Brand Yarn “Lion Wool” in color winter white. I did not have time to order the recommended yarn so I just went down to my local hobby shop and found the Wool Lion brand. It works great for felting. If I had more time I wanted to make another scarf in black and do an intarsia orange pumpkin at the end. Maybe next year.

You can find the pattern for the scarf here.

Cosmo was creative with his costume. He is going as laundry.

Late to the Booga Bag Party

2005-09-20T08:08:00.000-06:00

After finishing the Fair Isle bag I wanted to do a quick and easy knit. I also have had company in and out for the last couple of weeks and needed something to work on that there was not much thought involved. So I went into my stash and pulled out some Noro Kureyon to finally make a Booga Bag.

This bag is fun and easy to make and knits up very quickly. It is a great project if you want to make several of them for gifts you can whip them out in a couple of days.

I used 3 skeins of Noro Kureyon in color #148

This is what it looks like all knitted up and ready to felt.

It took about 45 minutes on the wash cycle in hot water with a pair of old jeans. I found the perfect size box to block it on. I just covered the box with a plastic bag first. The bag has a square bottom so needs to be blocked to sit up on its own when dry.

I am very pleased with the bag, and plan to make another one in a different color way.
If you would like to make one for yourself you can find the pattern here.

Haley

Haley misses all the company we have had in the last couple of weeks. She was spoiled rotten with affection and table scraps. She keeps looking for them to come back.

Finished Moira Bag

2005-09-01T08:13:00.000-06:00

I finally finished the Moira Bag.
Pattern from Rowan book #27
Cast on at the end of June
Finished at the end of August
I used circular needles and did the whole thing at once.
Yarn: Rowan Cotton Glace
Colors: Ecru, Sky, Hyacinth, Shoot, & Glee

I enjoyed making this bag and will definitely do more knitting using Fair Isle method. I did change up the pattern a little. In my mind I kept picturing it as a round tote. So I decided to make it round. I found some great sued like fabric and used one of my pot covers as a round template and then just sewed the round piece of fabric onto the bottom of the bag. I also lined the bag with fabric. It makes it more user friendly.

Here is a picture of the bag showing the back side and all the ends I needed to weave in

Here is the lining fabric and the bottom fabric.

Here is a picture of the lining sewn into the bag.

This bag is way cute and I am very proud of how it turned out. I have even got a couple of compliments from people. The best part is when they ask where you got it and I say “I made it.”

RAOKed
I have been Raoked. It is so exciting to get a package in the mail unexpectedly. Especially an awesome package like this

This package was from Danielle over at Sassy Gina-D. It included a silver tin, hand moisturizer, hand sanitizer, emery boards, cuticle boards, soap, small sharpie & a little massage ball shaped like a flying saucer. Oh and of course the cutest dog card. Thank you so much for this thoughtful package. I love everything and will use all of it.

September Is Here
Wow, it is already September. I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Here is a picture of my precious baby boy all cuddled up and cozy.

One Year Blogging Anniversary

2005-08-16T13:38:00.000-06:00

I am taking a moment to post on my one year blogging anniversary. I started this blog a year ago today. I actually posted everyday back then. Total dork I know.

I can’t remember where I found this picture.
The artist is Paul Kaye and it is titled “Puppy eats Knitting”.

Just a little bit longer and I will be working from home and able to start posting regularly again. I am still working on the Rowan Fair-Isle bag and also the Rowan Air Cardi. I will post pictures soon.

Take Care!

Break for the Summer

2005-07-25T08:15:00.000-06:00

webshots photo

It is time for me to take a break from blogging. I have a lot going on with our business. I am currently working on getting set up to do my part of the business from home. I am hoping to be finished by Fall.

Also when I first started this blog in August of 04 it was a challenge and it was exciting and new. I enjoy learning new things and trying new things. At this point I am a little bored with it and not very inspired as I once was. I think that maybe after this break I might try one of the other servers like Typepad. Many of the blogs I enjoy reading use Typepad as their server.

What will I be up to during my blogging break?
I plan to do lots of living. I plan to work real hard and play just as hard, with lots of knitting on the side. I am starting to feel a quilting bug coming on. Perhaps I will design and start a new quilt this year.

I want to thank all of you for reading and commenting on my blog. It means a lot to me that I put myself out there and I got a response. I wish you all lots of Love and Happiness.

Stash Buster

2005-07-15T08:22:00.000-06:00

Looking for a quick way to clean out your stash of yarn, look no further I have an answer for you.

OK I said I had an answer not THE answer.
I found this chair at EuropeByNet.com It actually retails at $4,293.
It is the Vermelha chair designed by F. and H. Campana.

I think Cosmo would love this chair actually it might drive him crazy. I think it would give me nightmares. I would start dreaming about all my nice neat balls of yarn coming unraveled and making a large impossible knot. The HORROR!

On to the Knitting Update

Here is the lovely Rowan “Air” cardi.

Finished the back & Left front. I started one sleeve and am about half way done. I am not really on Sleeve Island; I like to think I am on the sleeve peninsula. It needs some serious blocking. Also the lighting is not that great to really show the details of the stitches.

Here is the awesome Rowan “Moira” bag

I have finished the first of the pattern repeat. I believe I need to do these 31 rows another 2 ½ more times to finish the bag. This is my first real Fair Isle knitting project and I have to tell you I really like it. I enjoy it so much more than intarsia. I will definitely do more Fair Isle patterns.

Poetry

2005-07-10T08:22:00.000-06:00

My first love of writing started with poetry. As a kid I would often write poems to express what I was feeling or going through at the time. I was always on the look out for good poetry that had a way with words that touched me or made me feel something. I recently came across a poet that is worth mentioning if you have not heard of her and am a closet poet. Take a look at some of her work.

Her name is Kim Addonizio. She has published a handful of poetry books and just recently published a novel.

Here is one of the poems I like by Kim Addonizio. It is from her poetry book titled Tell Me.

“What do You Want?” by Kim Addonizo

I want a red dress.
I want it flimsy and cheap.
I want it tight. I want to wear it
until someone tears it off me.
I want it sleeveless and backless,
this dress, so no one has to guess
what’s underneath. I want to walk down
the street past Thrifty’s and the hardware store
with all those keys glittering in the window,
past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old
donuts in their cafe, past the Guerra brothers
slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly,
hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders.
I want to walk like I’m the only
Woman on earth and I can have my pick.
I want that red dress bad.
I want it to confirm
your worst fears about me,
To show you how little I care about you
or anything except what
I want. When I find it, I’ll pull that garment
from its hanger like I’m choosing a body
to carry me into this world, through
the birth-cries and the love-cries too,
and I’ll wear it like bones, like skin,
it’ll be the goddamned
dress they bury me in.

For more info on Kim Addonizio and her books check out her website here.
Have a great week.

Birthdays & Anniversaries

2005-07-08T08:27:00.000-06:00

July 7th was my 6 year wedding anniversary. Hubby and I have actually been together 12 years and married 6 of them. We moved in together about three months after we started dating and have been together ever since.

We were married in Jamaica. I decided I would rather spend the money that we got for the wedding on the honeymoon so we did the destination wedding thing. We booked a week at an all inclusive resort in Jamaica and they provided the wedding for free. This worked out great at the time because we were both in college and short of funds.

I bought my dress used and had it altered the way I wanted it. My main criteria for the dress was it had to have a huge puffy skirt like Cinderella. I wanted it so puffy that if I started to twirl I could lift off the ground. I love the dress and would not have preferred any other. I wore platform tennis shoes with blue socks that had cats on them. That was my something blue. My husband is over a foot taller than me so I needed height but there was no way I could do the 6 inch heels. The tennis shoes were more my speed. For my something borrowed my MIL let me where a set of pearls she had.

My MIL and my Step Mom were witnesses to the wedding. We told all family members they were welcome to come to the wedding the only thing was that no one was aloud to stay at the same resort as us. I walked myself down the aisle and that is the way I had it planned from day one. I felt that I alone had gotten to this place in my life and no man not even my Father had any right to give me away. It was a private moment for me that most were not aware of but it felt real good to walk alone to meet my husband at the end of the row.

Our wedding was wonderful and perfect for the type of people we are. We preferred to have a small short wedding and a nice long honeymoon. We left our honeymoon and came home as husband and wife well rested and with no debt from the wedding.

I think that the reason why hubby and I are still together is because we have an appreciation for one another and do not take each other for granted. Of course there is the love but you really need more than that to be together for 12 years.

My Gift
This year is definitely one of the best anniversary gifts I have ever gotten. Of course the best gifts are the ones from my five year plan. I made an arrangement with my husband back when we got married that every five years we have been married on that anniversary I will receive some kind of jewelry. I thought this was a brilliant plan and think more women should have this arrangement. Anyway lets get to this year.

This year hubby bought me this beautiful Mexican Hutch.
I Love this Thing. Guess what I am putting in it? My STASH of course. It is my new knitting cabinet. I will put all my books, notions, and yarn all in one place. I just love all the drawers and storage space. The glass doors on the top are a plus so I can keep the dust off and still be able to see my books and stuff. I went out and bought a couple of baskets at Pier 1 Imports (conveniently they were having a 40% off sale on most of their wicker baskets) to organize the cabinet. This is one of those pieces of furniture I think I will have forever. Hubby gets a gold star for this present.

Haley’s Birthday

Haley’s birthday was on the 1st of July. She is now three years old. She is a cutie potootie. Her day was pretty much the same as any day accept for the fact I kept getting her revved up telling her it was her birthday. This weekend I am thinking of taking her to the new Petsmart that just opened in our town so she can pick out something for her birthday.

Scorching Heat

2005-07-01T17:15:00.000-06:00

I can not be held accountable for anything I write in this post because I am melting as we speak. Unfortunately I am not the Wicked Witch of the East and do not deserve it.

Here is the temperature reading outside in the shade. Yes it says around 105 degrees. The forecast for today was lots of sun and a high of 106. The forecast for the rest of the holiday weekend is much of the same scorching heat with little to no rain to ever come in the future.

I thought I would try to fry an egg out front on the asphalt. It was really starting to cook and then all of a sudden it just evaporated into thin air. Just kidding it was taking a long time so I thought I would write this post and then by the time I was done it would be ready to flip over.

I hope everyone stays cool this weekend and has a wonderful time doing whatever it is you enjoy. I plan to go to the movies this weekend and see War of the Worlds. I also plan to do lots of knitting of course. Maybe I will get a kiddy pool to put my feet in while I knit and sip on an ice cold margarita. Now that is a vacation baby!

Summer Knitting

2005-06-26T09:42:00.000-06:00

A Thoughtful Unexpected Present

Hubby went out shopping for computer stuff and was there before the store opened so he stopped at the book store to kill some time. When he got home he had a big grin on his face and told me he got me something. He brought the bag over and handed me this book.

The look on his face I could tell he was proud of himself. I tried to keep my expression in a non readable one. At first glance I thought to myself, am I that bad of a knitter. Maybe I have let too many four letter words slip from my lips while knitting in the presents of my husband. But then one more look at Hubby’s excited face I new it was a gift from the heart. It does say on the cover for new knitters and THOSE THAT WANT TO LEARN MORE. Maybe there would be some stuff in there that would teach me an easier way to do something. Also hubby was thinking of me while he was out and about and thought it was something I would like. More and more I was so pleased with him for taking the time to bring me home something to do with the hobby that I have grown to love. I thanked him several times.

Later that day I was sitting in front of the computer and was thinking about him and the gift he bought. Then I started to LOL picturing him buying the book titled Knitting for Dummies which he purchased with a car magazine. I wonder what the cashier was thinking. I wonder how that conversation went. I still giggle thinking about it. I am so lucky to have such a great guy that thinks of me and brings me home a present out of the blue.

Finished Object

I found this free pattern titled Yvonne’s Double Flower Cloth. It is knit on double pointed needles. In the pattern she prefers using 5 needles. I used 4 because it is easier for me to control them when they are in a triangle. Either way it works out fine. It knit up quickly. There are only 35 rows. In the pattern it shows the flower cloth in a white worsted weight cotton. I had a ball of Tahki Shannon in color 14 in my stash and decided to use it for the flower cloth. I thought the flower kind of looked like a poinsettia. So I thought I would use it as a doily around the Holidays. It might be cute as a wash cloth done in chenille. Here is a photo of the flower cloth on a window to show the detail.

You can find the pattern here.

New on the Needles

I cast on for the Moira Bag from Rowan Book 27

It does not look like much but I did start it twice. The pattern calls to make two sides, one for the back and one for the front. I originally cast on with regular needles for the front and got through about 7 rows of the pattern, when I realized after I finished one side it would take a lot for me to make another one. So I decide to do the whole thing at once using circular needles. Now I can do the front and the back at the same time. In case you missed it in my earlier post here is what it should look like when I am done.

I hope to finish this one in time for a little vacation I am taking at the end of August with my best friend, my Mom and her friend. I am sure I will need to line this bag due to the Fair Isle design and having so many running strands of yarn on the inside. This is going to be a labor of love. I love the look of this bag although it is going to be time consuming and I will need to be careful to follow the Fair Isle pattern.

Update on the Air Cardi

I am still moving along on the right front. Every time I pick this back up after not working on it for awhile I am always amazed at how much I love working this pattern and can’t believe I put it down for several days. Me and this Cardi go together like peas and carrots. Well I don’t like veggies so I will say we go together like cookies and milk. I love the “calmer” yarn. I definitely will use this yarn again.

That is about where I am at for my summer knitting. I am still also working on the lace scarf. I like having a couple of projects on the needles. I never understood before when I would read other people whom had several projects going on. I like to be able to knit as to how I am feeling at the time. Some times you just want to do mindless knitting and other times you might have the time and the patients to work on something more intricate and detailed.

A Look into my Garden

As you know I live in the desert. It surprises me that anything can bloom at this time of year with temperature around 100 everyday.

This is one of my crepe myrtles. The blooms kind of remind me of lilacs.

Here is one of my Rose of Sharon. It is starting to bloom. I think they are also known as Hibiscus.

This is a Lantana. This plant always attracts lots of bees to pollinate my flowers and also attracts humming birds.

This is an Ivy Geranium. It has come back 3 years now. I leave it outside all year round. It gets morning sun and afternoon shade.

Hope everyone has a good week. Can’t wait for the long 4th of July weekend coming up.

The Summer of Good Movies

2005-06-24T10:15:00.000-06:00

I have been looking forward to this summer for awhile. Finally there are plenty of good movies to look forward to. Of course it was an early start with Star Wars Episode III. Last weekend I went and saw Batman Begins.

I loved it. It was done so well I can not wait for the sequel. They did an excellent job bringing the Batman Franchise BACK! My favorite actor whom has played Batman was Michael Keaton. He was in the 1992 Bateman Returns movie directed by Tim Burton. I love Tim Burton’s work so no wonder this was my favorite Batman. In this new one “Batman Begins” has an excellent cast including Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, & Liam Neeson. The story line was so rich one could not help but get involved in the movie.

Memorabilia
I save all of my movie tickets. Here are my tickets for 1994.

This was a great year for movies. Here is a list of the movies I went to in 1994.
Mrs. Doubtfire
City Slickers
Forest Gump
Schindlers List
Lion King
Flintstones
Star Trek VII
True Lies
Mask
Nell
Miracle On 34th St (remake)
Adams Family Values
Love Affair
Road to Wellville
Speed
Twister

So many great movies came out that year. This summer I think is going to be the year for Movies. This weekend they are releasing

Bewitched & Herbie Fully Loaded

Here is a list of the Movies still to come this summer that I am looking forward to.

July
War of the Worlds
Fantastic Four
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

August
Dukes of Hazards

September
Corpse Bride
Flightplan

You are probably least familiar with the last two. Corpse Bride is an animated movie done by Tim Burton.

The animation is going to be like one of my favorite movies Nightmare before Christmas. Being a fan of Tim Burton, it is a must see for me.

The very last movie on the list is Flightplan. You probably have heard nothing about this movie. I am excited because it stars one of my favorite actors, Jodi Foster. She is number one in my book. Unfortunately she does not do many movies anymore. She does do some producing but I prefer her in the movie instead of behind the scenes. The last movie she was in was Panic Room which came out in 2002.

Flightplan looks like it is going to be good. The tagline for the movie is: “If Someone Took Everything You Live For…How Far Would You Go To Get It Back?

Here is the Plot Summary: (found on the internet movie data base)

“Flying at 40,000 feet from Berlin to New York, Kyle Pratt faces every mother's worst nightmare when her young daughter Julia vanishes mid-flight. Already emotionally devastated by the unexpected death of her husband, Kyle desperately struggles to prove her sanity to the disbelieving flight crew and passengers, while facing the very real possibility that she may be losing her mind. Though neither Captain Rich, nor Air Marshal Gene Carson want to doubt the bereaved widow, all evidence indicates that her daughter was never on board, resulting in paranoia and doubt among the passengers and crew of the plane. Desperately alone, Kyle can only rely on her own wits to solve the mystery and save her daughter.”

One of the good things about the Movie Summer line up is that there is a variety of movies to watch. So there should be at least one you want to see. Or if you are like me you have your summer planned out as to what movie you are going to next.

Next Post Knitting update I promise!

Father's Day

2005-06-19T09:23:00.000-06:00

photo by Rachael Hale

For many years of my life I have had mixed emotions about Father’s Day. So many years I have gone to the hallmark store to find a card for my Dad and left with out one due to the fact none of them fit the relationship I had with him. In the end always taking the easiest way out and getting a card with humor to avoid any of the drippy sappy stuff that just did not apply.

My Dad was awarded custody of me at age 2 and I was raised by my Father until I was 17 and moved out on my own. While taking many psych classes in college I definitely learned a lot about myself and my Dad. In away it was therapy. A couple of years ago my Dad had a heart attack. For the first time in forever my Dad reached out to me and me to him. We began to talk and mend our relationship. I am happy to say he is in better health. Our relationship is in a good place. We can talk on the phone for hours about anything and every thing. We do not talk very often due to both having busy lives and live several states away from each other, but when we do talk we pick up where we left off.

I called him today and we had a good Father, Daughter talk. I ended the call with a smile and an I Love You Dad.

History of Father’s Day

Webshots photo

Found at marvelcreations.com
“Father’s Day, 3rd Sunday in June. The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father’s Day while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courages, selfless, and loving man. Sonora’s father was born on the 19th of June.

In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Roses are the Father’s Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.”

New Mascot

2005-06-17T10:01:00.000-06:00

I found a new mascot at the Disney Store.

It is Briar Rabbit.
Originally from Disney’s “Song of the South” movie adapted from “Uncle Remus folk tales” by Joe Harris. Later to be depicted in a ride called Splash Mountain at the Disney Theme Parks.

Trivia
Brer definition – Brer is an alternate version of "Br'er", which is an abbreviation for "Brother". Brother and Sister are Christian terms of kinship especially prevalent in the South.

On July 20, 1879 the Atlanta Constitution published a copy of Joe Harris’s “Story of Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Fox as told by Uncle Remus.” The first Uncle Remus book was published in November of 1880.

Of Course we can not forget Disney’s Splash Mountain. A wonderful ride that brings you through the Briar Patch and depicts Briar Rabbit, Briar Bear, Briar Fox and the whole gang with their crazy antics.

Laughing Place
It is all about finding your LAUGHING PLACE. My blog to me is a special place where I can be me and a sort of journal for what is going on in my life. Of course my title of my blog comes from the song “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah”. I love this song. I am a true optimist and always look for the sunshine.

I will leave you with the lyrics so kick up your heels and have a Wonderful Day!

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay

My, oh my what a wonderful day!

Plenty of sunshine heading my way

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay

Mister Bluebird on my shoulder

It's the truth, it's actch'll

Ev'rything is satisfactch'll

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay

Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!

Albuquerque - A Day and a Half

2005-06-12T07:30:00.000-06:00

webshots photo

I was dragged kicking and screaming to Albuquerque for a boring Dental conference. Hubby did not want to go alone and forced me to go with him. We sent our dental assistants, hygienists & office manger also to get some continued education credits.

Last time I went to Albuquerque I had a bad experience. We stayed at the Double Tree right next to the conference center. When I was in the shower the first night I had soap in my eyes and I turned to rinse off the soap and knocked my temple smack on a porcelain soap holder that was right at my head level. WTF! At first I thought I was going to pass out, then I thought I might be sick. Chris must have heard the bang of my head hitting the hard surface because he came into the bathroom and said “Are you alright?” I started to sob and said please bring me 4 Advil. I finished the scary shower and then lay down. I promised myself I would never come back to Albuquerque and I sure as hell would never stay at another Double Tree Hotel.

Ok back to the present time. I had to go back to Albuquerque. We stayed at the Residence Inn. It was on the East side about 4 miles to the conference center. We arrived in Albuquerque Wednesday night after working a full day at the dental practice. We took the employees out to dinner the first night to P. F. Chang’s. I think I have already mentioned this restaurant before. It is a great place and everyone enjoyed it.

The next day I dropped hubby off at the conference and then went back to the room to knit for two hours until the stores started to open. I brought the lace scarf to work on that my secret pal had given me. I know this scarf is taking me forever but I am still new to lace work. It does not look like much but I have been keeping track and I have done 73 repeats of the pattern which makes a total of 292 rows. I am almost finished with the first skein of yarn.

Finally 10am rolled around and I ran out the door heading for Village Wools, the LYS in Albuquerque. I had heard from other bloggers that this was a good shop. I was prepared I had called ahead of time to see what kind of yarns they carried and had a list of future projects I was planning on making with the yarn requirements. This shop was unbelievable. It was Wednesday around 10:15am and the place was buzzing. Several shoppers and many employees wondering around. The even had a dog, that was walking around looking to be pet and have her belly rubbed. I was blown away at the selection they had. It was four times as big as my LYS and they carried all the name brand yarns. I spent at least two hours that morning wondering around with a wicker basket tossing in yarns and pattern books. I also even went back the next morning for an hour looking through their pattern books. Here is what I got:

Rowan Cashsoft Dk in color Bella Donna 502

For “Hudson” from the Rowan classic Café book

Rowan Cashsoft DK in colors lime 509 & crush 506

For “Jersey” from Rowan classic Café book

Rowan Cotton Glace in colors: Ecru 725, Sky 749, Hyacinth 787, shoot 814, & Glee 799

For one of these “Moira Bags” from Rowan book 27

Jaggerspun Zephyr Wool Silk (6 ounces)

For this “Flirty Ruffles Shawl” It is a Fiddlesticks Knitting Pattern
I found the pattern at the shop. This is very ambitious. Don’t plan on ever seeing me finish this one. The ruffle alone will probably take me two years. I just really love the pattern and new that if I did not buy it I would be searching for one like it for years to come. I will give myself at least 5 years to make this one.

3 Noro skeins in color 147 & 2 Lorna’s Laces in shepherd sock weight in color Desert Flower. These will probably be a felted Booga Bag & a pair of socks.

I also picked up two Dale of Norway pattern books #132 & #138.
The book in the middle is Westminster Patchwork and Quilting Book #3. This one is a hard one to find. These Patchwork books are wonderful pattern books for making quilts.

If you do not know Kaffe Fassett, Let me tell you he is one of my favorite artistic quilt makers. He is definitely an artist he quilts, paints, knits, does needlepoint & mosaics. I especially love his quilting books. So talented, check out his website here.

As you can see I broke the bank and will need to skip a few meals after the amount of money I spent at Village Wools. I could lose some weight anyway. 8)

I would say the yarn shop was the best thing about Albuquerque. Other than that it was uneventful. Chris and I did find a great Cajun seafood restaurant called Pappadeux. If you like good Cajun crawdads and like fried gator, a good gumbo, and frog legs. Get in line behind me because this restaurant was the BOMB! So good. Here is there website.

Well I am back home again and this summer sure is turning out to be a busy one.

Little Bunny Foo Foo

2005-06-11T07:59:00.000-06:00

First a warning this post is not for the weak stomached person whom is casually dropping by for a cheery post.

It all started last weekend. I found a baby bunny in my living room. It was not alive. No one was talking.

It was sad. On occasion we have found dead birds that Haley must have caught and placed inside our house. But a dead bunny is very sad. Life went on as usual until I went out Sunday morning to grab some coffee and some pumpkin scones at Starbucks. I came home and the dogs were locked up in the laundry room. Hubby said he found another bunny and it was still barely alive. It was on the counter wrapped in a towel. He said there must be a nest and we would need to find it before the dogs got the rest of them. My heart was racing at this point. We grabbed a card board box and put a towel in it and put some gloves on. While outside we found another dead baby bunny. The horror. I was truly sick to my stomach. We went from bush to bush looking for a nest. Finally Chris spotted a baby bunny. I quickly scooped him up and placed him in the box and covered him with some of the leaves from under the bush. Then we found where the nest was but there was not anymore bunnies in it. What happened was when we were gone to Las Vegas the Mother bunny laid her babies in our back yard. The dogs were not home so she probably thought it was a safe place.

So I went to the front yard and dug a hole behind one of the bushes and placed the baby bunny in it. Then I covered him with some leaves from the bunny nest. I went back to check on him several hours later and here is what I saw.

He was up and feeling frisky. He even made a hop towards me. I was happy to see him so vibrant and alive. I have left him alone since and I keep track of him through my windows. He pretty much stays in the corner of my front court yard. He hops from bush to bush. I have seen him nibble on one of my bushes so I am glad he is eating. He also has dug himself a new rabbit hole. I hope he makes it. He is so cute. It is very hard not to buy a cage and keep him all to myself. I have to keep reminding myself that he is a wild animal and should be left wild to live out his life as he was born to do. I am sad about the loss of his litter mates but so glad that we were able to save at least one.

Next post - A short trip to Albuquerque.
We took our employees up to Albuquerque for the dental conference. I found my way to the local yarn shop and spent hours there wondering through the maze of yarn and pattern books.

Three Nights in Vegas

2005-06-04T10:23:00.000-06:00

What a weekend. Sure glad to be home. We had a wonderful time in Vegas but three nights is about all we can handle. We stayed at the Bellagio. You know the one with the musical fountains out front. Here are some postcards of the hotel. Way better than any photo I can take.

This is the front of the hotel

This is a picture of the ceiling in the lobby

This is one of the pools

Here are a couple of photos I took in the hotel

Our view from our window in the room. We had a great view of Paris across the street. Also we could see the fountains from our room. At night it was weird because when the fountains went off our tub would drip water.

Here are two of the flower arrangements. There were hundreds of different ones all over the hotel. Simply Gorgeous.

Here is a photo of the tallest chocolate fountain. I know why it is behind glass. The temptation to stick your finger into the chocolate is very great.

The Bellagio also has it’s own botanical garden. Here is a picture of a giant eagle nest. It is replicated to the actual size of one that was found. Inside the nest they put two animatronic baby eagles. They screeched and made noises. Very Cool.

The first morning we ate breakfast in an outside café near the pool. Here is my Eggs Benedict. Tasty.

Entertainment

Hubby and I walked to MGM to see Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. Here are some photos.

Me & Siegfried & Roy.

Chia Cat

We also went to Star Trek the Experience at the Hilton.

This was pretty cool. It was a museum with two rides, a restaurant, and gift shop. I would have taken more photos but hubby took me on the Klingon Encounter ride first. This is one of those motion movement rides that make you want to puke your guts out. I was a little green after the ride. The other ride Borg Invasion was just a 3-D show that was pretty cool. Although while waiting in line to get into our seats some dude was dressed like one of the Borg and was scaring the hell out of all of us grown ups. Overall it was worth the ride on the shuttle all the way to the Hilton.

The Shows

Zumanity

We went to two shows while we were in Vegas. The first one we went to was hubby’s pick “Zumanity”. It is one of the Cirque du Soleil shows. It is a bit riska. There is nudity. Also it was mainly about sexuality and had sexual content. The show was very artisticly done. This is the second cirque show I have seen and there is just no words to describe the experience. AMAZING! I bought a program and was trying to find a photo to scan in to show you but their was not one I thought I would not get comments about. Here is a postcard that one of the cast handed to me. He was playing a character that was a player. He handed it to me and mouthed the words. “Call Me”. It was very funny. He was doing it to all the ladies.

Also if you are going to the show and planning to get a drink. I recommend the Zumanitini. It is a whopper of a drink. 8)

Momma Mia

The second choice was mine. I had heard such great things about Momma Mia and I am a big fan of ABBA’s music. I know I am a dork.

This show was Soooooo much FUN. It is a great show to bring a couple of your girlfriends, or a couple of your gay male friends. My husband even enjoyed it and he does not know most of the songs. I loved this show. I would see it again.

The Bar

We went to The Nine Fine Irishmen Pub in New York-New York before one of the shows. It is a great little Irish Pub. It is a two story bar with two bars and also dinning space. We sat at the bar several hours enjoying a few appetizers and several drinks. This is when the bartender and I invented my new favorite martini. He made one with Mandarin Vodka & Midori. It tastes like sweet tarts. It was delicious. When we were leaving around 9:30pm the bar was just getting warmed up and several gentleman were starting to sing songs down stairs. I am sure it would have been fun to stay and watch everyone get smashed. (just a side note if you are going to sit at the bar for several hours be sure to tip according to the time you sat in the seat) This was great bar, I recommend it.

The Art

Of course I could not go to Las Vegas without going to an art Gallery. I was so lucky that The Bellagio was featuring “Monet” in their Fine Art Gallery. I have not seen Monet paintings before in person. This gallery gave you one of those ear recorder things as you went in and all the paintings were numbered. When you were in front of one of the paintings you would hit the number of the painting on the recorder number pad and a voice would tell you about the painting and some back ground on Monet as well. I was in there probably over a half hour. There were around 21 paintings dated from 1864 to 1900. It was a very moving experience. I almost cried but was afraid to bother the other people around me. Here is two of the painting I saw at the Gallery.

This one is titled “Fisherman’s Cottage on the Cliffs at Varengeville” 1882 oil on canvas.

This one is titled “Grainstack (Sunset)” 1891 oil on canvas.

I love his work not only because most of it is with flowers and gardens but because of how he use’s the light to capture the moment.

There was a giftshop outside the Gallery. I picked up the book on the work shown in the Bellagio Gallery and also found this amazing book.

Japanese Prints by Gabriele Fahr-Becker
I am so in love with this style of prints. I love the muted colors, and yet so much detail. I could stare at these prints for long periods of time and still find something that I did not notice before. One day I plan to make a quilt using fabric to depict a print like some of the Japanese artwork I have seen. Maybe in 20 years when I become older and wiser I will be able to master such a thing.

The Shopping

Finally the shopping. Here is a photo I got off the Casers website of the Forum Shops.

Casers shops was right next door to the Bellagio. Lucky Lucky Girl! When hubby took a nap during the day I ran over to the shops. I had been saving money for this trip for several months just to go shopping. I am getting excited just thinking about it.
Anyway here are some of my great finds.
Of course the first place I ran to was Anthropologie. My favorite store.

I found this great crocheted necklace/belt. I found this in the clearance room for only $14. I know what you are thinking I probably could have made something like this. But not for that price if I had to buy all the different colored yarn plus there is little jeweled beads glued into the center of each flower. Also I have not crocheted in years.

I found these earrings. I love the colors. They are kind of heavy but they look awesome on.

I also picked up two skirts. One in the clearance room and one off the rack. I could not find a picture of them on the website.

I went into the Coach store and treated myself to an overpriced wallet.

I really like this line they have come out with for the season. I am saving up for a bag to match. I am hoping it will be at the outlets by the end of summer for a price break.

Great Weekend

Well overall it was a wonderful weekend. The only thing I would change is probably to book the shows earlier. Both shows were after 10pm and we are both morning people. It was kind of late for us. You might be wondering if I gambled at all. I didn’t. Hubby did a couple of times and as fast as his money went away I was not in any hurry to throw my shopping funds away. I love Las Vegas for the Restaurants and the Shows. It is like NY for me but with warmer weather.

When we got home we noticed that one of the wild rabbits got very comfy in our back yard. Here he is a couple feet from the back door.

Here is Cosmo a little perturbed and looking at the bunny in his back yard. Cosmo being house bound was unable to handle the situation himself. He did however grin and whisper to the bunny “wait till my sisters Brandy & Haley come home and run you off the property”

I can report that is exactly what happened. The moment we brought the girls home. They spent most of their first day home sniffing the back yard trying to find another bunny to chase.

Was this post long enough or What? Hope you enjoyed it.

Memorial Day Weekend Trip

2005-05-25T09:35:00.000-06:00

Hubby and I are heading to Vegas Baby!

Webshots Photo of Las Vegas Strip

We are not big gamblers; we like to go to Vegas for the shows and the great restaurants. Plus it is such an exciting place to be compared to the small town we live in. I plan to bring the lace scarf I am knitting to work on when I can. It is a good size project to bring it does not take up to much room and it is a simple pattern that does not require too much thinking.

I also picked up this book to bring on the trip

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

I first learned about the Author Gregory Maguire about 4 years ago. I picked up his book “Wicked-The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”. I was in Iowa at the time for some training. It was a great and interesting read. What he does is he takes a fairy tale and turns it around looking at it from a different perspective. His work I would say is very imaginative. A warning to anyone thinking of reading one of his books, they are dark and sinister. If you go back and read the original fairy tales as they were written, you will find that the stories are very different than the ones we have grown to know through Disney and other fluffy happy venues. I do love the fluffy happy stuff, but sometimes I enjoy a little bit of wickedness and like to see the dark side. It should be a fun read for my trip to Vegas.

Knitting Update

Here is my Rowan “Air” Cardi. I finished the back and started the left front. It is working up easy. I still love this pattern it is a lot of fun, and it keeps me interested. Of course I have not hit the sleeves yet. I plan to do a sleeve after this left front. Then do the Right Front and end with a sleeve. Reading other knitter’s blogs it sounds like that is the best way to do it.

I also managed to get all of those hanks into balls. It was definitely a work out for my arms. Only one of the hanks had a knot in it where the yarn had pulled apart. I usually just end the ball there and cut the knot out and start a new ball with the remainder. I have found that if I knit with the knot there it always feels like a lump in my knitting. I am so pleased with the color of both of these hand-dyed yarns. I think both will be great for summer.

Toot-Sweet, I will catch you all when I get back from Vegas.
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Stash Enhancement

2005-05-21T09:30:00.000-06:00

Step Away from the computer and no one gets hurt. It use to be that one would need to leave the house to spend money. Now with the convenience of online shopping one can get in a lot of trouble. Take a look at some of the trouble I have been into.

Andean Folk Knits by Marcia Lewandowski: this book I had preordered awhile back. Kerstin- At My Knits End has started the Coca Bag pattern from the book. Go check it out here. The book has some great little bag patterns.

As you can probably tell by the next two books I am on a lace kick, or shall we say obsessed. The books are: Lavish Lace by Carol Rasmussen Noble, Cheryl Potter & A gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen. I think I already mentioned in an earlier post about this book. Anyway to compare them both. Lavish Lace has 13 designs most are small and all projects were done using cherry tree hill yarns. Only a couple of the patterns appealed to me. The Gathering of Lace book has about 46 patterns and a very wide assortment of things to knit.

Onto the Yarn
I was looking through eBay looking at all the beautiful hand dyed yarns and fell for a couple of their lace weight yarns. I had bought things on eBay before but had always just gone for the buy now. This was the first time I actually bid on two items and won. Here is what I got

They are both kettle dyed Pure wool lace yarns. One in a lavender/blue color & the other in pinkish hues. The colors are a little off in these pictures. I won three skeins of each color. Each skein is 850 yds. I got them both at Serendipity in South America –eBay store. Now the next step is to get these skeins rolled into balls. I will be doing it the old fashion way. Putting the skein around my feet and rolling it by hand. I think after I finish with all 6 skeins I will be adding a yarn swift and ball winder to my Christmas list.

A Look into my Garden

Dwarf red flowering Oleander

Daylily named “Little Business”

This is a Jasmine. I am not sure what variety it is. It was here when we bought the house several years ago. I was afraid that I had lost this plant. I had planned to replace it. I moved it last year closer to my back porch so I could enjoy the beautiful scent in the late summer evenings. I am so glad it came back.

Let's Go Outside

2005-05-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

Webshots photo

My Dogs were giving me the look. You know the one that makes you feel guilty about not spending enough time with them. So hubby and I packed them in the car and went to the park.

They both get a little psycho happy at the park. The weather here is turning into summer fast. Girls had a great time at the park. Now that is out of their system they are able to relax the rest of the weekend.

Knitting Update

Rowan “Air” Cardi

I have about 3 more cm to go then I start the shoulder shaping on the back.

Lace Scarf

I am enjoying this pattern. It is addictive. Thanks again secret pal for the yarn and pattern.

Today
I plan to take my knitting outside with a tall glass of ice tea. Only going inside to refresh my glass and switch the laundry.

Please don’t let Monday come. I would be happy with a forever day of Sunday.
May your happy moments last a life time.

Cool Tater

2005-05-13T08:28:00.000-06:00

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith comes out May 19th.

Has anyone else made a trip to Burger King to pick up some toys for their husband? These are the only three they had at my local BK.

I have my heart set on getting one of these:

A Mr. Potato Head – Darth Tater. I checked around I think he is cheapest at Target at around $6.99.

I found some cool wallpaper for my computer at Starwars.com
Here is one of them from that site.

Finished Objects

I finished my knitting bag. I decided to go with wide straps because it made it easier to carry and more balanced. It came out great.

I also finished the cover for my lawn chair cushion. I used about two and a half of the beach towels I had bought for the project. This is awesome, and it was not that hard to make. It is like a large pillow case. I love how it will be easy to just toss in the washer when it gets dirty.

Haley wanted to say Hi to Hannah
Thanks Hannah for the last comment you posted. It is comments like that that keep me blogging.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Books & Gardens

2005-05-08T07:50:00.000-06:00

Webshots Photo

Currently Reading

I am currently reading “The Solitary Summer” by Elizabeth Von Arnim. The idea of this book is so enticing for me. It is about spending an entire summer away from people and just spending it with ones self. The main character retreats to her garden for the summer.
Here is the first paragraph from the book:

May 2nd. – Last night after dinner, when we were in the garden, I said “I want to be alone for a whole summer, and get to the very dregs of life. I want to be as idle as I can, so that my soul may have time to grow. Nobody shall be invited to stay with me, and if any one calls they will be told that I am out, or away, or sick. I shall spend the months in the garden, and on the plain, and in the forests. I shall watch the things that happen in the garden, and see where I have made mistakes. On wet days I will go into the thickest parts of the forests, where the pine needles are everlastingly dry, and when the sun shines I’ll lie on the heath and see how the broom flares against the clouds. I shall be perpetually happy, because there will be no one to worry me. Out there on the plain there is silence, and where there is silence I have discovered there is peace.”

This book is a short read at only 131 pages. If you like artsy poetic descriptive books than this is a must read. Although the book is only 131 pages it is hard not to go back and reread entire pages not because you missed what was going on but because the reading was so deliciously written you have to read it again. One of my favorite quotes from chapter one is: “I might long ago have discovered, that the less a person knows, the more certain he is that he is right, and that no weapons yet invented are of any use in a struggle with stupidity.” 8)

I personally have added the idea of spending one summer alone to my list of things I want to do in my life time. What a wonderful idea, perhaps one summer after I have retired and maybe rent a summer cottage someplace in a warm climate and spend my days gardening, reading, knitting & most importantly spend my days with my thoughts. If you get a chance to read “The Solitary Summer” let me know what you think of it.

Featured Garden

As you know if you read my blog, my husband and I are big Disney Fans. I thought it would be a good idea for me to mention that Disney’s Epcot Center has an annual Garden Festival. The event lasts about 7 weeks. This year it is from April 15th through June 5th. All the Disney World Parks are always beautifully landscaped but during this festival they go above and beyond. They really take out the big guns and do up there gardens to spectacular results. Here are a couple of pictures I found off their website of this years gardens.

This is Lady and the Tramp with the infamous spaghetti noodle they are sharing.

This puts all chia pets to shame. There is Mickey on the very top.

Here is the lovely Snow White facing the Large ball at the entrance of Epcot Center.

If you are in the Orlando, Florida Area from now until June 5th you might want to spend a day at Epcot looking over the lovely gardens. Of course there is a ton more things to do at Epcot but it is a wonderful bonus of the theme park.

Scary Honey Bees

2005-05-07T08:48:00.000-06:00

Wednesday I looked out my window and saw that some honey bees had set up camp on my back porch. They did it over night I guess. Here is what they looked like when I first saw the hive on Wednesday.

I was petrified. But then my next thought was I need to get a picture of this for my blog. I think blogging could be a sickness. Or maybe I should look at it as helping me get over my fears. Granted I am way more afraid of spiders than bees. Usually when a bee is around me I just play statue and try not to bother it and it will just fly away. But looking out my window at an entire hive was very scary. Plus it was only several feet from my back door. As if that was not scary enough, here is what it looked like only 24 hours later.

The thing was growing exponentially. Damn Bees. I know they are beneficial to my garden but geez couldn’t they have picked somewhere else to make their home. We looked through the phone book and found an exterminator that also handled bees. Made an appointment for Friday between 5 & 6 pm.

The Bee Man showed up at 5:45pm. I took him around back to show him the hive. He said yep those are bees. He said they were just Honey bees and not the killer bees that are said to be in this area of the US. He then said he would get his bee gear on and take care of it for us. I went inside to watch from a safe distance. Here he is the Bee Man taking care of the situation.

Sorry the pictures are not that great I had the camera on the wrong setting for taking pictures through the window. There was just a few straggler bees left over. Probably the ones that were out working and then came home to find all there relatives dead and there house disintegrated. Buzzing away at the area once called home and saying things like “What the hell happened!” “I work my tail off all day and now this!” I kind of felt bad for the stragglers. I could not imagine if we had been away for a week when they started to make their hive. It would have been huge by the time we found it. This morning there were no bees.

Secret Pal 4 Reveal

As you know from some of the other blogs that Secret Pal 4 has completed and everyone has revealed themselves. My secret pal “the one that was sending me such awesome gifts" was Heather over at Pixiestikz. She has been so great. I absolutely love every thing she has sent to me. After reading her blog I am surprised that I had not read it before. We had some common blogs that we both regularly read. Also her picture has been on Lauren’s Blog LollyKnitting Around so I must have seen her a couple of times.

I revealed myself to the secret pal I was sending gifts to. It was Amy over at Amy Knits Texas. I Love her blog. I have to admit I check it daily. She lives in Texas and works in the English department at a major University. She loves to knit, and from what I have seen of her knitting she is great at it. Also she has a loving husband and an adorable daughter. If you get a chance go check her out at Amy Knits Texas.

If you are interested Secret Pal 5 is know starting up and excepting new members until May 29th.

Rowan “Air” Cardi

I am currently working the arm shaping on the back of the “Air” Cardi. I truly love this pattern. The top is working in a moss stitch and I am starting to get good at it. I think it really helps that I knit continental style.

April Ends

2005-05-01T18:12:00.000-06:00

Wow, that month went fast. Here is a couple of photos from the garden.

Here is one of my roses in bloom. This was taken right before I buried my nose in the petals. They smell so good.

This is one of our peach trees. It is starting to load up with fruit.

Lace Knitting

I started working on a scarf using the pattern and yarn from my secret pal. I am so excited. Yes those are my first official yarn overs. I can’t believe it the holes actually line up and look like the pattern.

Sewing Progress

I started making a knitting bag. I still need to sew up some handles and attach them. Here is what the inside liner looks like.

I like how it looks so far.

Gossip and Celebrities

I just heard this weekend that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are dating.

I think I caught the story on E weekend show. Apparently Tom’s people called Katie’s people and arranged the whole date and they have been together since. Both of them seem like real nice people. Good for them.

The best part about the whole thing is that Katie and Chris Klein are no longer engaged.

Take a look at this stud muffin. Most of his movies are not much for intellectual stimulation. He is one of those actors that I can sit and watch the same dumb movie over and over again and just stare at him. Sigh, and now he is free.
Maybe my people can get in touch with his people. 8)

Finally Friday

2005-04-29T09:35:00.000-06:00

This is Mattie.
Mattie is technically my Husband’s sister, but Brandy & Haley just think of her as a cousin.

Here she is with her big sister Deja.
How cute are these two ladies, sitting so good for the photo.

Mattie just celebrated her first birthday on the 23rd. Here she is enjoying her special birthday cake shaped like a dog bone.

My Secret Pal

My secret pal is a mind reader. First let me show you what I received yesterday in the mail.

WOW! Take a look at my LOOT! I can not tell you how excited I was to pull this out of the mail box. I knew last week that my Secret Pal had sent a package, so all this week I have been anticipating it and every time I have gone to the mail box and nothing was there. I would just say maybe tomorrow. So when I opened my mailbox and there was a key for one of the larger mailboxes to open I was excited. I was grinning ear to ear by the time I got back into the car with my husband and my package. Hubby said there was a guy also getting his mail and he was laughing at me at how happy I was to get my package. Enough with the small talk drive BOY! Our house is about a half mile from the mailbox.

I opened my box to find 2 skeins of Cotton Fleece in color putty, 2 skeins of Lace Weight Mohair, A fiber Trends Pattern for three different patterned lace scarfs, a cute little oriental print zipper bag chuck full of little Hershey bars, & a perfect little blue handbag.
I absolutely love everything. I am totally intrigued with the two little Lace Weight Mohair skeins. I have never seen anything like them. There is actually 500 yds on each of these little puppies. I LOVE the little blue hand bag. I was walking around the house with it last night. Hubby asked me what I was doing. I replied “NOTHING”. He would not understand if I explained it to him. You know how it is when you get a new bag you walk around with it testing how it feels and looks while you’re carrying it. Or maybe I am alone on that.

Anyway back to the fact that my secret pal is a mind reader. I also received another package yesterday. From my new addiction shopping place. Amazon.com.

This is titled A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen. The book finally came out in a paperback version and more economically priced. I am a little intimidated by lace knitting. I love how it looks. I thought by getting a book just on lace knitting it would help me to learn how to do it correctly. The book looks good. I flipped through it last night. It has about 41 different patterns that included lots of shawls, shrugs, vests, sweaters, socks, hats, handbag, & a couple of other things. Some of the things look impossible to make, they just look so intricate. The way the book reads it makes me feel like I can make every thing in the book. The book starts with a simple beginner triangle shawl. All the patterns are rated to let you know what level of knitting the pattern is done. I am pleased with the book.

I am so excited to get started learning how to knit lace. Thanks to my secret pal I can get started right away.

I can not wait for the big reveal at the end of the month and find out who my secret pal is. This has been so much fun. I am sad that it is almost over.

Progress on Rowan “Air” Cardi

Here is where I am at on my Rowan Air Cardi. This is the back. It is working up nicely. I need to make it to 33cm then I can start shaping the arm holes. I am at about 22cm now.

I was RAOKed

I received a card from Cindy this week She send me some lovely stitch markers. Great colors. I love how they are all different size loops at the top to fit different size needles. Thank You so much Cindy. You can check out her blog over at Sauvageblue.

Weekend Plans
This weekend I plan to do a lot of sewing & knitting. Also I need to go shopping to find something for my mom for Mothers Day. Today we are taking our employees out to lunch. This week was administrative professionals’ day, so we thought we would show our appreciation for them by taking them all out for lunch. Should be interesting. This will be the first time my husband and I will be spending time outside of the work environment with our employees. I have my fingers crossed that it goes well.

Playing Catch-Up

2005-04-24T07:55:00.000-06:00

Warning this is a long Post. I think I am behind in my posting due to the computer problems and my birthday. So hopefully I will be able to catch up with this post.

What is Up with the Computer

The whole computer glitch started when Hubby decided to upgrade his computer. His birthday was on the 17th and since besides watching movies his only hobby is playing on his computer he decided it was time to upgrade. He usually just buys the stuff and installs them himself. The cool thing about when he upgrades is that I get all the stuff that he takes out of his computer which is an upgrade for me.

So he gets all the new stuff into his computer and starts it up and it works like a dream. Then he takes mine apart and takes out the stuff and replaces them with his things, gets it all put back together and plugs it in. Nothing. The darn thing never started up. So he takes it apart and moves things around and puts it back together. This goes on several more times and still nothing.

Here he is with my computer guts laid out on the table performing surgery trying to bring it back to life. Finally he realized the Pentium processor chip had come unattached and he did not know it because it was under the fan. So he puts everything back together and plugs it in and finally it reboots. The only problem at this point is I can’t get onto the internet. I share my husband’s internet connection using a router and a cordless device that attaches to my computer.

As you can see by Cosmo’s expression after assessing the computer situation he believes there is no way this is ever going to work. Hubby gives up trying and decides to order two new Ethernet bridges one for each of our computers to connect us to the router. So I had to wait for those to come in the mail. Finally they arrived and they were very simple just plug the bridge into the wall outlet and then attach the cable from the plug to my computer. The second bridge goes into an outlet with attached cable from the router to the bridge. I started getting the internet but it was not consistent. It would disconnect frequently and had no rhyme or reason. I ran a Norton scan to check for viruses and had none. My hard drive had some kind of glitch. With a last ditch effort I decided to reformat my Hard drive. That sucks, because everything you have stored on it will be wiped out. So I spent some time burning some cd’s saving all my photos and documents that I did not want to loose.

My computer is working great now. After all of that I am still glad for the upgrade. The graphics card is way better than the one I had and also I have more memory now and my computer is a lot faster.

Onto My Birthday

Thank you so much for all your birthday wishes. You guys are the BEST!

The restaurant
I chose P.F. Chang’s for my birthday meal. The restaurant is located in Texas about 45 miles away. It is a real cool Chinese restaurant.

Here is a picture of the giant horse statue out front of the restaurant.

We ordered the crab wontons served with a spicy plum sauce for an appetizer. I ordered some organic green tea.

It came in a little tea pot that was set on the table with two small cups.
For the meal we shared an order of Shrimp with Lobster sauce, Moo Goo Gai Pan, & some Mango Chicken. Both ordered white rice. All dishes were tasty. Then for the grand finally we ordered dessert.

This is called The Great Wall of Chocolate. So GOOD! I am actually still eating this piece of cake. It was made with six layers of chocolate cake, and served with a raspberry sauce. Then I opened my fortune cookie and my fortune read: “Pleasure awaits your Company”. I thought that was an odd fortune. Considering I just had a pleasurable time eating the chocolate cake. Too broad I need more specifics.

The Cards
I love cards especially the ones with great artwork or photos on them. Here are two of my favorites I received for my birthday.

This one was from my MIL & Step Mom. Inside it says “Wishing you a pawsitively fabulous Birthday”. Our Bassett hound Brandy often sits up like this on her two back feet. It just cracks me up.

This card I received from one of my employees. I love the soft tones and the expression on the sharpei’s face. “Laugh Lines” So Cute.

The Gifts

Tinker Bell Garden Clogs.
These are perfect I was in need of some new ones. My old ones both feet have holes in the bottom from where I put my foot on the shovel to push it into the ground. I will be styling in my new clogs.

Mickey Mouse Terry Hooded Cover-Up.
This will be great for wearing over a bathing suite or bumming around the house this summer.

Rowan International Subscription
Hubby got me this subscription to Rowan Knitting Magazine. I already received the welcome package. It included mag # 37, a pattern for a poncho with 4 skeins of Rowan Cork in a black color. The membership is pretty cool. On their website they have free patterns monthly and you have access to their archives for the past patterns. Overall I am pleased with the subscription. It is kind of spendy but it makes it easier when it is a gift. I think I might make a scarf with the four skeins of Rowan Cork, I don't think I will make the Poncho pattern.

I also have some books on order that are not released until the beginning of May. I am excited about their arrival.

Secret Pal 4

Hi Secret Pal. It is OK you did not reveal yourself in your comment. I know now your name is Heather but when I click on your name it takes me to a page that says Profile not Available. So I still do not know who you are. Still a secret. I am looking forward to the package you sent. I can not wait for the big reveal at the end of the month. This has been an awesome experience and mostly because of how great my secret pal is.

Up Coming Crafts

A week ago I lugged my sewing machine out to hem some pants and I was over come with thoughts of sewing projects. I had the itch to start up some sewing. I thought I might make a cover for my lawn chair cushion.

Here is what it looks like now. I do not even know how old it is. I originally bought it at an estate sale for $15. It is pretty faded now and I thought if I make a cover then I could toss it in the wash when it gets dirty. As you can see the dogs enjoy laying on it also.

I ended up buying these three large beach towels from target and also this throw pillow. I thought it would be cheaper yardage wise to just buy towels. Plus the terry fabric usually does not have many color choices at the fabric store. I don’t have a pattern I am just going to wing it.

I also took a trip to Jo Ann’s fabric store and found some great pattern combinations

Here they are:

I thought I might make a knitting needle roll up case with the Sheep fabric and maybe a couple of Hand bags to hold knitting projects with the other two patterns.

New Knitting Group

I joined a new Knitting Group called Knit’n Fit. This group was started up by Cara over at
Earth Mother. It is a support group for knitters that want to stay fit. I think this is a great idea. I am hoping it will keep me motivated to get back on track with a healthier lifestyle. Go check it out here.

OK I better stop. I am not sure anyone made it to the end of this post.
Have a Great Week!

My Birthday

2005-04-22T23:11:00.000-06:00

Yep today is my Birthday. I was born April 22, 1972. I thought I would dig out some of my child hood photos and go down memory lane.

Here is me as a baby. To say I was a happy baby was an understatement. I have heard from family members that I was bald and rolly polly.

This picture was taken Christmas of 1974. I am the one on the right. My sister whom is two years older is the one driving the tractor. Most pictures of me as a child are with my sister. Also we usually are wearing matching outfits but in different colors. These outfits are a real gem. On the back of the picture it says the outfits are from my grandparents. If you can not make it out in the photo I will let you know those are Hee Haw overalls and yes we are on a tractor. Yes we were a little bit country. As I got older I would learn not to ride anything my sister was driving.

This picture was taken Winter of 1979. Oh baby, we were looking good. Did I mention we were children of the 70’s. I am the one on the right, with the plaid pants. Holy Crap. What is up with the sun glasses?

This picture was taken Summer of 1983. Again I am on the right and my sister is driving a lawnmower or tractor thing. Notice I am not on the vehicle. This is a great black mail picture of my sister, due to the fact she is making a stupid face. Ha Ha. I am eating a slice of watermelon. I love watermelon. Did I mention we were country kids?

This picture was taken when I was in the 5th grade. We went to some kind of zoo or something. Here I am holding a white rabbit. I have always had a love for animals and a need to be around them. You might think from this picture I would have grown up to be tall with long legs. No such luck. My legs actually only got as long as they were in this picture. I topped out at a height of 5’1. My sister is about a quarter inch shorter than I am.

That was fun. So much has happened since my child hood. I can’t wait to see what the future brings. More details of my birthday to come. Also my computer is now working and I had to reformat my hard drive so bare with me while I get it set up and back to normal.

Technical Difficulties

2005-04-16T12:33:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately I am having computer problems. I am sneaking on my husband’s computer to write this post. He is mowing the lawn. I will need to make it quick. I will tell you more about my computer once it is up and running. It is currently in a sad state in pieces on the kitchen table. Once it is back together I still need to wait for a piece that is on order that should arrive next week, hopefully before the weekend.

I will leave you with some photos of some of my irises that are in bloom right now.

This is the verbena that I bought last weekend. I planted it in one of my favorite pots. The pot is a wood carved rabbit I found a couple of years ago at one of the local shops.

Brandy is currently hiding under a blanket due to the fact I am not a happy camper about my computer. The rest of the family better be hiding under a blanket if my computer is not up and running by next weekend. 8)

Where Does the Time Go

2005-04-10T15:10:00.000-06:00

I finally finished up my gardening this morning. It was a two day adventure. It was sunny both days but it was windy. No need for me to exfoliate for awhile due to the wind blowing the sand around my exposed skin. I think the worst part had to be digging up the dead plants. Since I live in the desert the root systems I swear go all the way to China. Here are the plants I bought to replace a couple of dead plants. I also grabbed a couple of pretty flowering plants for my front courtyard area.

List of plants: Dwarf Dark Pink India Hawthorn, Dwarf Burford Holly, Cannas, Dark Purple African Daisies, Iceland Poppy Mix, Lemon Sugar Marguerite, Worm Wood, & Lanal Blue Verbena.

I am most excited about the Cannas. I bought the “Tropicanna”variety . Last year I remember seeing them in some of the garden catalogs. I was so happy to be able to find that variety at Lowes. The leaves are multi hued and the flower is brilliant tangerine orange. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when they start blooming.

“Lemon Sugar” Marguerite
This plant was so cheery and the name is so yummy I had to bring it home with me. I planted it in one of my old terracotta pots and put it near the front door.

The Verbena I was also pleased to find. I grew a bunch of it when I lived in Oregon. I love the deep purple clusters of tiny flowers. Plus the name always makes me think of Little House on the Prairie. On the show Laura’s teacher Miss Beadle wore the scent Lemon Verbena. A Little trip down memory lane.

All the plants I bought I found at Lowes or Home Depot.

Cardi Craziness

I got pretty far on my cardi.

Unfortunately I had to rip back down to the moss stitch border. This picture is just to show the progress I had made before the ripping. There was a section where I had to make one and I did the method where you pick up the yarn in-between the next stitch and the one you just did. Then place it turned onto the left needle and then knit into it. Well the further I went along the more it irritated me how it did not look right. Also the more I checked my work I discovered a purl where there should have been a knit. That was the last straw. I knew I should have ripped back at that point instead of continuing on. It was not that noticeable but I kept looking for it and seeing if it was noticeable. Then I knew it did not matter, I NOTICED IT, and it was driving me crazy. So I ripped it back. I did not have to rip all the way to the border but I could not figure out where I was in the pattern it is a 12 row pattern with the cable running on both sides. It was just easier to start from the beginning of the 12 row sequence.

I actually feel great about ripping it back and I am also enjoying knitting the pattern. I am knitting into the front and then the back of the same loop for my make 1 and it looks much better. Of course I love the yarn.

Short review on the Movies I watched this weekend
As you know I rented Sideways & Spanglish. “Sideways” I have no idea what to say about that movie. Weird movie. I was thinking it was going to be funny, two guys take off for a week and check out wineries. This movie had some funny moments, but overall it is about two losers. It was kind of depressing.

“Spanglish” was pretty good. Although not as good as I thought it was going to be. I like Adam Sandler and also like Tea Leoni. One of my favorite movies is “The Family Man” which stars Tea Leoni & Nicolas Cage. I thought Spanglish was going to be that good. I pretty much cried through the entire ending.

One last review. Hubby and I watched “Van Helsing” last night. It was on Starz. It is that vampire movie starring Hugh Jackman & Kate Beckinsale. I was not looking forward to watching this one but hubby was looking forward to it. I have a thing about vampires. I am freeked out by them. My neck is very sensitive and I can barely watch anything vampire related with out getting skidish and squeamish. Some people can not watch when people give blood and a needle is poked into the skin. Well for me it is someone’s teeth going into the neck flesh. Hubby enjoys teasing me about it. He tries to torcher me.

With that said “Van Helsing” was probably the least scary of all the vampire movies I have seen. There was two parts were there was a sudden jump out scene with noise. You know that cheap trick they do in scary movies. Other than that, not too scary. There was a ton of bad jokes told through out the movie. The jokes seemed out of place. The movie also had Frankenstein and a couple of werewolves. Overall a good movie to knit by.

Time to Wind Down

Brandy has passed out and is lying under my desk by my feet. She helped me outside while I was gardening. Tasting my flowers, grabbing a glove and running around the back yard, & lets not forget the time she helped me by taking a crap right next to where I was working thinking I might need some fertilizer. 8) Gotta Love Em

I plan to rest these last couple hours before having to get up tomorrow and go back to the grind. Have a great week.

Weekend Plans

2005-04-08T16:33:00.000-06:00

RAOKed
First and for most I was RAOKED. It happened at the end of March. I know this has taken me too long to post about. I apologize. I received a handful of recipe cards from
Alison over at Just Another Day.

The reason it took me so long to post about it is because I brought the cards to work and kept forgetting to bring them home. Many of my employees were making copies of the recipes. They all look very tasty. Alison is so very thoughtful. Thank you so much. Also her blog is great go check it out. I am hooked on it already.

Weekend Plans

Yes I broke down and rented some movies. I have not been to the movies in forever and have not rented any in such a long time. The reason is because last year we switched to satellite TV and we have several of the movie channels. So we try to wait until they come on the movie channels to get our moneys worth. I am going crazy. I am such a movie buff. I can hardly call myself a movie buff if I am the absolute last person to see the movies. Geez. Anyway I broke down and rented these two. Both I have been wanting to see since they came out. Plus they will give me some good knitting time while I watch them.

I got an updated photo of one of the neighborhood bunnies. Now that our grass has come out of dormancy he has been coming by to graze. So cute.

Brandy spotted him in the back yard while she was wondering around. He took off running for the safety of the front. Brandy followed in a slow run. Bassett hounds with their short legs are not fast runners a good thing for the rabbit. Anyway Brandy has been obsessed ever since she spotted him. You know from earlier posts she loves her bunny. Now Brandy spends hours out back with her nose to the ground dragging her ears in pursuit of rabbit tracks. I think she has found some rabbit pellets but that is all.

This weekend I plan to do some gardening. I lost a few plants this past winter due to several freezing nights. I will need to replace them. I should probably buy some Ben Gay this weekend also because I have not worked out in such a long time. I am so out of shape I know I will be sore after gardening this weekend.

So with the gardening the movies and working on knitting my cardi it should be a fun filled weekend. Bring it on I am ready! Just get me the Heck out of the office! 8)

New Knitting Patterns from Rowan

I received two new pattern books from Rowan last week. They are so good I have to mention them.

Classic Café

Classic Garden

These two books are awesome. Their goal was to come up with contemporary designs that would with stand the test of time. This is a great idea. For me if I spend several months making a sweater I hope that it would not be out of fashion in a short period of time. I want the items I knit to last a long time and stay in fashion.

If I had to choose only one of the two it would be Classic Café. There is at least six patterns I would like to make and two I definitely will make. Here is the two I just love.

This one is called HUDSON and is from the Rowan Classic Café. I love this sweater. I plan to possibly knit this one next winter. I love it with the hat. So SHEEK baby.

This one is called JERSEY and is also from Rowan Classic Café. What a great sweater. This is a great light sweater for spring or fall. I like the combo color it is shown in. I also looked up the yarn colors in the specified yarn and think I might want to do it in a pink & green combo. Maybe I might make two.

So many things to knit So little Time.

Response to Comments

Laura had a great tip that she left me in my comments about using dpns. She said:
“Have you tried this with your dpn...?Each time you finish knitting onto a needle, knit one stitch from the *next* needle onto it, then continue on as you normally would (you'll want to mark the start of your round, as the location of the garment shifts on the needles). Does that make sense? It's worked well for me.”
Thank you so much that is a great tip. I will definitely do it that way the next time I use dpns. Laura you are so great. I always felt we had a connection. You will have to let me know if you ever start up a blog again. So glad to hear from you. Take care.

Meredith enjoyed my write up of the art exhibit by Gregory Colbert in NY City. She asked where it was showing.
Meredith it is currently at the historic pier 54 in Manhattan’s West Side. It will be there from March 5th through June 6th. I am sorry you missed it on your recent trip to NY. I am not sure where it will be after NY. Hopefully somewhere else in the states. So more of us can experience his work.

Spring Forward

2005-04-03T09:38:00.000-06:00

webshots photo

I do not care for loosing an hour. I do like it when it is light out late into the evening. Always makes me think about sitting outside on those long summer nights sipping margaritas and enjoying the company of others.

Calmer “Air” Cardi

Cast on for the arm. I thought I had a brilliant idea and proceeded on dpns. It was looking nicely but I am not happy with the inconsistency around where the needles join. I plan to rip out the arm and do it on regular needles. I thought with the dpns I could cut back on sewing time but I would rather have it look perfect than skimp on time. Then I cast on for the back. The border is a moss stitch. I like the way the creamy color shows the stitches. I know I am going to love this process. So far so good.

If I Were in NY

I Love NY. Although I have not been to NY in such a long time, I still love it. NY has so much to offer in the way of art. If you are planning a trip in the near future to NY you must go and see Ashes & Snow. Gregory Colbert is doing an exhibition of his work titled Ashes & Snow. Colbert is a Canadian born artist known for his documentary films. I think I read that he has been working on this group of photographs for the last 13 years. He photographs animals.

Colbert Quote:
“In exploring the shared language and poetic sensibilities of all animals, I am working towards rediscovering the common ground that once existed when people lived in harmony with animals,” says Colbert. “The images depict a world that is without beginning or end, here or there, past or present. I hope the overall effect is an experience of wonder and contemplation, serenity and hope.”

Take a look at some of his work from Ashes and Snow

I can not even describe how I feel when I look at his work. I feel a connection, some kind of yearning, and an overwhelming feeling of calmness. If I were in NY right now I would be at this exhibit. Spending countless hours absorbing and feeling the moment of these images.

Here is the official website for Ashes & Snow

Shwing did an article on the exhibit here

Orion also did an article here

Routine Sunbath

Cosmo and Haley catch some rays

Bunny's Story

2005-03-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

I finished my bunny for the bunny along. I used the pattern from Last –Minute Knitted Gifts. I used Nature Spun sport weight yarn in color Aran for the body, Nature Spun in color Nordic blue for the eyes, & Patons Divine in color Chantilly Rose for the inner ear and nose. I just used polyfill for the stuffing. This pattern was lots of fun to knit. It was cool how it all came together.

After I was finished my husband was curious as to what I was doing with the bunny all over the house. I told him Bunny was doing his photo shoot. He gave me a strange look and then said “That’s nice dear”.

Bunny’s Story

Bunny joined our family in March of 05. He quickly made himself at home. He enjoys spending time in the back yard and has been known to climb a tree here and there.

Rumor has it that bunny has joined a frog band as lead vocalist and might be planning on touring this summer with his new band mates.

Bunny is desperately afraid of Cosmo and his sharp teeth. Bunny tries to stay very still when Cosmo comes near.

Bunny prefers tea over coffee. He says there is nothing that warms him better than a nice hot cup of tea.

Bunny’s best friend is Brandy. They enjoy spending time together and sharing secrets.

We are glad Bunny has joined our family.

Happy Easter

2005-03-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Webshots photo

I love the bunnies and the baby chicks that are always pictured around this time of year. If you remember back to my Aug 22 of 04 post I mentioned the bunny that would hang out in my yard. Here is a picture of him.

At the time I thought he was a loner and was concerned for his safety. Little did I know how true the saying multiplied like rabbits was? There has got to be at least 50 of these cotton tails running around the neighborhood. I see them all the time. Just this morning I left the house at 6:30am and was heading out to grab some breakfast scones and coffee. I spotted two cotton tails in the neighbor’s front yard. I made sure to keep my eye on them and to drive slowly. I smiled to myself and thought about how it was Easter morning and they were doing some last minute hiding of the eggs. Then when I arrived back home with breakfast goodies I spotted another one in my front yard. They are so cute. I planted some ornamental cabbage last fall hoping they might need some food this winter. They did not touch the stuff. Maybe I will plant some real lettuce or carrots this year for them. I can see the headlines now. Farmer Tami invites Peter Rabbit to come eat in her garden.

Orchid for Easter
Hubby picked me up an orchid last time he went to Sam’s Club

I Love It. This Orchid is a Phalaenopsis.
Here is a close-up of the flower.

So cool. I am glad the flowers last a couple of months because I never seem to get them to re-bloom.

Easter Morning
The girls enjoyed playing outback this morning. Looks like it is going to be a gorgeous day. Here is a picture of Brandy scratching her back. She likes to roll onto her back and wiggles her back end in snake like fashion to scratch the back from top to bottom. I usually call her my little piggy when she does things like this. With that spotted big belly and short legs she reminds me of pigs on the farm.

Haley and Brandy had a good old time chasing each other and wrestling in the grass. Here are some action shots.

Bunny A-long

I was hoping to be done by now with my bunny. As you can see he is still in pieces. I tweaked the pattern a bit on the main body section. The pattern called to use two circular needles at the same time. One for the front and one for the back. They would be attached because of how the legs were connected but it would leave a separate front and back piece that you would later need to seem up both sides. I thought this method was a waste of time and decided to move it onto dpns. I still have an opening down between the legs to stuff him with. I think it will be a little more durable with out all the seems. Plus less time involved when I put him all together. That fluffy ball of yarn is Patons “Divine” in color Chantilly Rose. I am using that for the inner ear and the nose. They should have named it cotton candy. It reminds me of those little alien things called Trbbles that were on Star Trek

The Episode was called “The trouble with Tribbles” Tribbles also multiplied like rabbits. 8)

Easter Links

Easter It's Roots & Symbols - very interesting read

Treasures of the World - About Faberge' Eggs

Worlds Largest Egg - Its Big

Egg Trivia - All you need to know about eggs

The Holiday Spot - Something for the kiddies and the whole family

Joined the Land of the Living

2005-03-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Thank You so much for all the comments and e-mails wishing me to ditch the plague that struck our family. It worked and we are all in better health and looking forward to enjoying this weekend.

While I was sick last weekend even though I did have my yarn for the bunny-along and the cardi, somewhere in my sickened state I decided to make something for someone else. Secretly I think I was trying to give myself some good carma or good mojo or something. So since Haley was not feeling well I decided to knit her a sweater.

I used the pattern from Stitch-n-bitch Nation titled Casey’s Coat. I used Cheapy Red Heart Worsted weight yarn in colors Light Sage & Rose Pink. I could not believe how large the balls of yarn were, compared to most of the higher end yarns. This was a fun pattern to knit. I just carried the color yarn I was not using along the side and then picked it up when it was time to change the color stripe. This made it easier in the end having less ends to work in. Haley likes her new sweater and feels pretty in it. What girl doesn’t like a new sweater?

Cardi Progress

I swatched for my Rowan Air Cardi using Rowan Calmer in color “Drift”. I was a little tight at the beginning and loosened up as I went on. I came out right on target and will not need to go up or down on needle size. Also I have to say I am in LOOOOOVVVE with this yarn. It is dreamy. So soft and knits up beautifully. This is definitely my favorite yarn at the moment and plan to make more things in it.

Bunny A-Long

I started my bunny last night. I finished two paws and am working on the first leg. I am using the pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. It should come out to look like this.

Since Easter is this Sunday I am going to focus on this little guy and hopefully he will be celebrating with me.

Time to Drool

Ok I was casually surfing the web when I came across a dream knitting vacation. It is a Vogue Knitting Tour of England.

The itinerary is to die for. It is a 12 day tour that runs from October 4-15 of this year. The price of course is high. But it is not that bad considering it includes hotels, dinners, breakfasts, and two lunches. All land travel by private motorcoach, all tour activities, all workshops and presentations with world class designers, all workshop materials, and much more.

There is no way I would be able to go on this vacation any time soon but I am definitely adding it to things I hope to do in my life time. Time to add one of those jars to the counter and label it Money for Dream Knitting Vacation.

Here is the website to find out more about the trip travelingtogether.net

Sock Accomplishment

2005-03-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yippee, I finally figured out the heel turn and made my first sock. It is more of a sport ankle sock because I did not want to spend to much time on the leg part and wanted to get right to the hard stuff. Here it is.

I used one of those self stripping yarns. That stuff is great. Maybe some day they will have self intarsia yarn. When you knit the pattern the motif will magically appear before your eyes.

Mail Call

I finally received the yarn for my bunny.

I also received the yarn for the cardi

Feeling Under the Weather

We have a house full of sickies this weekend. First Hubby started feeling miserable. Then Haley was dropped off yesterday to get her teeth cleaned. She is feeling miserable and her mouth is sore. Now I am starting to feel yucky. So this weekend there will be lots of blankets all over the house and lots of consumption of juice and liquids. Plus we will be watching lots of bad television shows while each of us moans and groans saying things like I AM GOING TO DIE!

More to post once I start feeling better.
Take Care

Cosmo's Birthday

2005-03-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

gift bag from birthdaydirect

Cosmo just turned 2 years old on the 8th of March. He is my pride and joy. I thought I would share some of my favorite photos of Cosmo.

8 weeks old in his tower climber

8 weeks old showing a little Catitude

Playing with big sister Brandy

Hiding in Dad’s shorts

Taking a cat nap

Cosmo spent his birthday over indulging as most of us do on our birthdays.

This I found at Pet Barn. All the writing on the packaging I think is German. They are dried little fish. He can not get enough of them. It is pretty gross. Anything for my special baby boy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE JUNIOR MINT.

Dedicated to the Ones I Love

2005-03-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

I glanced at my calendar and realized I almost forgot a very special day. For two people that mean a lot to myself and my husband. On this day last year this special couple vowed to spend the rest of their lives together. On this special day I would like to share my absolute favorite poem. You both mean so much to me and I hope that you will enjoy this poem as much as I do. Hugs & Kisses.

"The Invitation"
By Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare

to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know

if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams,

for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.

I want to know if you have touched the center of your own

sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have

become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,

without moving to hide or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine your own:

if you can dance with the wildness and let the ecstasy

fill you to the finger and toes without cautioning us

to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations

of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true.

I want to know if you can disappoint others to be true to

yourself: if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and

not betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can be faithful

and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see the beauty even when it

is not pretty every day, and if you can source your life

from Its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure,

yours and mine, and still stand on the edge

of the lake and shout to the silver

of the full moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live,

or how much money you have. I want to know

if you can get up after the night of grief and

despair, weary and bruised to the bone,

and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are,

or how you came to be here,

I want to know if you will stand in

the center of the fire with me and not

shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or

what or with whom you have studied. I want to know

what sustains you from the inside when

all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like the company you keep

in the empty moments.

Patiently Waiting

2005-03-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

I am still waiting for my yarn I ordered for the bunny-along. It has been over a week and I have not heard anything. Hopefully I will hear something this week.

I did receive my mags I ordered from The Knitting Garden.

I ordered some older ones because none of the new ones really caught my eye. I got Rowan #33, Rowan the Calmer collection, Rowan the Cork collection, and Vogue Knitting spring/summer of 04.

I have looked through these at least 100 times and have finally decided on my next big project. I chose this Cardi.

This Cardi pattern is called Air and it is in The Rowan Calmer collection. I like almost every pattern in the collection. Plus from what I have heard the yarn is wonderful to work with. I went ahead and ordered the yarn for the project. I ordered the same color as the photo, yarn in color “Drift”. I tend to wear a lot of pastels or bright colors in the Spring and Summer so I figured that color would go good over tanks and tees.

So I am patiently waiting for yarn to arrive so I can get started on the bunny & the cardigan. In the mean time I could not help myself (MUST KNIT, MUST KNIT). I cast on for another pair of socks. I found a simple pattern off the internet I am working on. Don’t want to show anything until I actually feel confident that it is going to turn into a sock. If it doesn’t this will be the last you hear of that attempt. I can not believe this sock thing is kicking my butt. I won’t give up. Failure is not an option. 8)

Took Kids to the Park

Today we took the kids to the park. Of course I forgot the camera. It is hard to make sure you have everything once the dogs have seen their leashes it is a frantic mess until all dogs are accounted for and loaded in the car. This is the first time we took them to this park. It is pretty nice it has grass and trees, and also a mote that has water in it. It looks like a little lake. This water was a first for Haley. Living in the dessert she does not encounter water on the ground ever. She was pretty funny she walked right into it. If hubby did not have the leash she probably would have kept going and started swimming. Hopefully one day we will be able to take her to the ocean, she has never seen it. I think she would have a blast running around on the beach. They had a great time at the park reading all the doggie messages left behind on all the trees and benches. They each left a couple of messages themselves. We are good pet owners and always bring several bags to clean up after them.

Here are some pictures of the girls relaxing at home after a fun time at the park.

Hump Day Hooky

2005-03-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

Webshots Photo

Yes, today I am staying home from work playing a little hooky. Nothing brings me more zest for life then staying home on a work day. This is my first day staying home since we opened the new office last December.

This morning I told Hubby to take a good look around because the house will be spotless when he comes home tonight and he might not recognize it.

Unfortunately I have a lot to do today at home and it won’t be all fun and knitting. But I am hoping to get a move on it and maybe if I work fast I can get everything done early enough to still have a little time of leisure before DH gets home. I also plan to make a real meal tonight. How nice will that be to have a home cooked meal for dinner on a week night. You would have thought I won the lottery or something I am so excited about my day. Instead I won a day of cleaning & cooking. Domestic Bliss.

SP4
My Secret Pal Rocks! Monday when I got home from work I found a package from my Secret Pal in the mail box.

I got a cute little zipper bag w/endless possibilities to use it for. I also got a cute little note with a sheep stamped on the envelope. The gift also came with a quick fix kit which has 12 adorable little emery boards to-go. They are wrapped like a book of matches. Perfect size for your purse or for travel. Also included was a yummy packet of Vanilla Chai. On the package it says “Drink Chai, Embrace Life…” You bet your sweet knitting needles I am embracing it. Finally (drum roll please) two hanks of classic Elite “Believe” it is a cotton/rayon blend. It is gorgeous. Perfect color and my secret Pal must be reading my mind because I am really into the cotton blends at the moment. It must be a wish for summer or something, but cotton is my bag baby!

I plan to stitch up a swatch to play with it a little and decide what to make out of it. Thank you so much Secret Pal. You done good girl, I love everything.

Posts to come:
Cosmo’s Birthday
The Knitting Garden delivery

Bunny A Long

2005-03-05T15:56:00.000-07:00

I could not resist. I signed up for the Bunny A Long. My yarn has been ordered and should be on its way. I plan to make the pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. I ordered the yarn from Patternworks. I also found this cool pattern book.

A year in Mittens. I first saw one of these mittens knitted on the blog Knitting in Color. Nanette posted last November her Turkey mittens that she had made a year ago using this pattern book. At that time I had checked for the pattern book but it was not in stock. So when I spotted it was in stock now I snapped it up along with some yarn for my knitted bunny.

Easter Finds

Both of these I found at The Baker's Catalogue. They always have cool and fun things for the holidays if you want to get creative in the kitchen.

How About a Little Sun

2005-03-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

Haley enjoys a sun bath with brother Cosmo.
Haley prefers full sun and no sun screen. Cosmo likes a little sun with available shade.

Mitten Progress

Finished my first mitten and now starting it’s clone. When I cast on for the second mitten I started to have thoughts of myself as an old lady. I think that when I am an old lady I plan to just make one of any pattern of mittens and socks, therefore I will be the crazy old lady down the street whom only wears unmatched socks and mittens. I look forward to that future of course the thoughts continued and I added in a pair of old dogs and a handful of cats. What crazy old lady does not have lots of pets?

Bunny a Long

I spotted a new knit-along. It is the Bunny-a-long. Just in time for Easter. You can make anything rabbit related before Easter. I am tempted to join, although I am scared of the deadline. There are plenty of free bunny patterns listed on the site and also a few to purchase. I found this one in my book “Last Minute Knitted Gifts” by Joelle Hoverson.

You can find out more about the bunny along here.

Easter Time

Around this time of year I get excited about one thing. That is

Cadbury Crème Eggs

Oh Yea baby! I don’t care which came first the chicken or the egg. All I care is that the egg keeps coming back every year. 8)

If you would like to learn more about the Cadbury egg go here.
If you would like to go straight to The Land of Cadbury , first a warning there is sound linked to this site. There are a couple of cute stories and some games and crafts for the kids.
The Land of Cadbury.

A Look into My Garden

My Irises are starting to pop up through out my yard. I picked up several different kinds a couple of years ago at an Iris Society showing in the local mall. Each one was priced around a dollar or two. Every one of them has bloomed for me and they keep coming back. If you are interested in a certain plant it is always a good idea to check to see if there is a local society for that specific plant and attend one of their functions or meetings. All of the different ones I have been to always had plants for sale at very low prices.

My dwarf peach trees are starting to bloom. One of my favorite parts of fruit trees is the beautiful blooms they put out in the spring.

Smitten with a Mitten

2005-02-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

Well I swatched for these mittens

Using this yarn.

Houston we have a problem!
Could not get the gauge right I would have to use needles so large that the fabric would come out with holes. I don’t know about you but, I was wanting warm cozy mittens. So I stopped at my local yarn shop and found this

Yukon Print Plymouth Yarn. It is a Mohair / wool blend. It is working out great. Here is what the mitten looks like so far.

Of course I could not leave the yarn shop with just two balls of yarn. I also bought these.

6 balls of Filatura Di Crosa, Dolce Amore in color # 4. The color did not come out very well in the photo. It is a light pastel green color. I think I am in the mood for Spring. The yarn is a 2 ply lace weight. I am thinking of maybe a summer shawl.

Spiderman on the OC

Adam Brody from the OC

Anyone else watch the OC last week. I taped it and finally got to watch it yesterday. When Seth Cohan fell off the roof and was hanging by that rope upside down with his spiderman mask on. I busted out laughing. I thought NO they are not going to do that. Summer the love of his teenage life left the airport and her current boyfriend and was running back to him. She finds him hanging there. Of course it is raining. She tells him she came back for him and then pulls back the spiderman mask just far enough to expose his lips and plants one on him. 8) Only the writers on the OC would have the guts to use such a trademark kiss such as this. I Loved it. I am so glad they are back together. Of course Seth is my favorite. I have always liked the tall geeky guys. His Dad Sandy Cohen is not that bad either. Ok that’s all for my soap opera moment.

Oscar Night
Who do you want to win?

Morgan Freeman is up for Actor in a supporting Role. I hope he gets it. He was in Million Dollar Baby. I did not see the Movie but I think Morgan Freeman is one of the best actors of our time. He is awesome.

I did not see most of the movies that are nominated in the different categories. I did see Finding Neverland and any awards they receive they earned them. The movie was great. The movies that are nominated that I want to see are. The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby, Sideways, & Lemony Snicket’s a series of unfortunate events. I am hoping these will also pick up a couple of Oscars. Time will tell.

Homemade Stitch Markers

2005-02-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here are my stitch markers that I made.

I used the shrinky dink method from Knit Powers to Peace. The photos are all pictures from my favorite animal photographer Rachael Hale. I love them all. The ones that came out the best were the ones that were lighter in color. I did lighten each photo using my photo editor I have on my computer. It still did not help the ones that were all dark colors. Here are two of the photos that did not come out due to being too dark.

This is Mochacino photograph by Rachael Hale

This is Henry photograph by Rachael Hale

Making these stitch markers was a ton of fun. The shrinky dink part only took me 10 minutes in the oven at 300 degree. The part that took the longest was the wire and beads. The photos I made each one the longest side only 2 inches. In the instructions it said 2 to 3 inches. I liked the smaller size. I think that this could become very addictive for me, especially the shrinky dink part.

If you would like to find the stitch marker instructions to make some of your own, go here.

Sock Problems

I was doing great with my first sock. I hit a few small snags, like when the pattern said something about tbl & wyf. I did not have my abbreviations with me so I had no idea what that was. When I got to work I looked them up and of course it was tbl=through back loop & wyf=with yarn in front. Silly me, I should have figured them out. Yea RIGHT!

Now for the worst part. First I must say I love this sock. Even though as I kept going the sock was turning out big enough for the jolly green giant. Still I went on and told myself these will be my large comfy house socks. One should always swatch before knitting an item one plans to wear. Yes I know , but I was too excited to get started. All this aside I still was planning on continuing with my large sock until. (horror music plays now) The turn Heel. I am trying to do the turn heel and I am transformed into Spok and the darn thing is too illogical for my brain to make it happen. I even tried to follow the pattern blindly and not to think about it to much. Still it is not turning out.

I think my problem is that I should have started with an easier sock pattern. Once completing an easier sock I will know how it is suppose to go and would be able to make harder socks and my brain will have some data to refer to. So as I wipe my tears I am ripping out the sock and looking for a simple sock pattern for beginners. I am still excited about socks and still plan to make many of them in my future.

Knitting Plans
This weekend I hope to cast on for a couple of small items. Also I would like to figure out what my next large item will be. I am very tempted to buy the Colinette Absolutely Fabulous throw kit. Siow Chin over at Little Purl of the Orient finished hers in the French Vanilla Color Way. It is gorgeous. Go check it out here. The kit is a little pricey. Does any one know of a blanket or throw kit that is a little easier on the wallet?

Lunatics

2005-02-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

I was watching our Sunday morning News show when this story came on.

The WB channel is revamping the original Looney Tunes characters and making a kids action hero cartoon named the Lunatics.
Here is the New Buzz Bunny modeled after the original Bugs Bunny.

As I sat there on my couch with a nice calm cup of tea the thought WHAT THE #$%*! Came to mind, as my jaw dropped to the floor. No! not Bugs.
They were doing the voice of Buzz Bunny and it sounded real creepy, and raspy. Here is a picture of the new characters.

All pictures are Warner Bros animation
The show is due to come out next fall. My first reaction is shock. I truly love Looney Tunes and have so many favorite characters. The original characters have such great personalities. I am not sure why they did not just make brand new characters instead of messing with the old ones. Who knows maybe given some time to let it soak in I might really like the new make over. For now I am sticking with the original.

Looney Toones has a website that you can find cool things for your computer, like screensavers, Icons, & wallpapers. WARNING, if you are at work turn the sound off because the sight makes noise. Your co-workers might be wondering what you are up to. Here is a wallpaper I got off the sight I am using now.

The site is here.

Secret Pal 4

My Amazon order arrived. I used my gift card from my cool Secret Pal. Of course I did not stick to the amount allotted. What is it about gift cards that make me think that means I can spend twice as much? I could not stop myself. I ventured off my original Amazon wish list and continued to find more things I wanted.
Here is my Loot.

Easy Knitted Accessories by Jeanette Trotman
Folk Mittens by Lewandowski
Folk Knitting in Estonia by Nancy Bush
World of Knitted Toys by Kath Dalmeny
Teddy Bears by Debbie Bliss

Books, Books, Glorious Books. THANK YOU SECRET PAL!

I am hooked on the Folk Knitting books. They are very cool how they go into the history of folk knitting before they get to the super cool patterns. The toys and the teddy bear book should be lots of fun. Plus I think there is a Teddy Bear along I might join. The knitted accessories book is OK. It has a couple of cute things in it.

Crafty Project
Today I plan to make some stitch markers. I have been using a different color yarn tied in a circle as my stitch marker. After seeing other bloggers and their cool homemade Stitch markers, I just have to make some for myself. I will post them when they are finished.

Dancing Blue Footed Boobies

2005-02-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

This photo was one of the photos of the day on the Webshots home page. I think the picture explains how I feel this moment due to the fact it is FRIDAY! Feel free to dance along with me and these cute guys.

Sock Progress

First I want to thank all of you that posted comments. Thank you so much for your encouragement and helpful tips. You are the BEST!

I am really loving this sock. I absolutely love that mulberry color. This sock is the one thing that has gotten me out of bed this week to go to work. Knowing that I could work on this sock on the drive to work each morning literally was the only thing that helped me out of bed when the alarm went off. Anyone else start their knitting at 6:30am?

I have gotten the hang of the dpns. I am even starting to like them. I also made an accomplishment this week. I have done a SSK. Yes! I can officially add the slip, slip, Knit, stitch to my knitting knowledge. I went on and on to my husband about it as we were driving to work. Telling him all about how this will open a whole new world of more complicated patterns for me. He replied “that is nice dear”. I don’t think he fully comprehended what I was telling him so I had to switch to something he could relate to. I told him the more different stitches I learn the closer I will get to become a Jedi knitter. I am only a Padawan at the level I am knitting at right now. OOooooo! Now he gets it. 8)

I Have Been Tagged

I was tagged by the lovely and talented General Ginger for the music questionnaire. Her blog is one of my favorites. Go see the giant spider she made. It is one of the coolest things I have seen.

Music Questions:

1. Total amount of music files on your computer?

I was afraid of being tagged specifically because of this question. I am embarrassed to say I have less than 20 music files. Although if I ever get a cool IPod I am sure I would have lots.
I am one of those people that still like to buy the CD. I am also in the group of the dorky people that buy the CD hoping that the artist included the words to the songs in the CD jacket. Yes I am not ashamed to say I will whip out the words and sing along with the songs.

2. The CD you last bought is:

The last CDs I bought were at Bestbuy. Hubby went in for some new technology and I tagged along. I usually head right for the music. I bought Tina Turners two discs “All the Best Tina” & Celine Dion’s “Celine All the Way..A decade of songs”. Tina Rocks. Yes I have been listening to Tina since the 80’s with her hit songs “Better be good to Me” & “What’s Love got to do with it”. I think I was about 12years old using my curling iron as a fake microphone and belting out Tina Turner lyrics. Those were the days.

3. What is the song you last listened to before reading this message?
I am still hooked on that Rachael Yamagata CD and I have it playing right now the song “Worn Me Down”. LOVE THAT SONG!

4. Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.

“Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones. This song always reminds me of my lost cat Pusskins. We were very close and one day he never came home. The lyrics are very fitting.

“Just a Girl” by No Doubt. This is one of my favorite work out songs. It is fast paced and I love the lyrics. It always pushes me harder. I feel the song is very empowering to all us girls out there.

“I’m Free” by The Soup Dragons. This is pretty much my theme song. Any time I quit a job I did not like or finished a term in college. The first thing I did after walking out the door was start singing this song. This song Rocks!

“Pocket Full of Rainbows” by Elvis. I love Elvis at least the young Elvis. I also love Oldies. The songs were simple short and sweet. This song is me. I always know I will be OK, because I have got a pocket full of rainbows.

“In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. It would be very easy for me to list a ton of favorite songs by Phil Collins or the group he use to be in named Genesis. This song in particular brings me back to my youth. The lyrics don’t mean much to me but I love the way the song sounds. How many times have we faked playing the drums through the drum sequence in this song? Too many times to count. Plus Phil Collins wrote songs for Movies. That is always a plus in my book. Lets not forget “Against All Odds” When that song plays at the end of that movie. Talk about feeling the moment. Gotta Love Phil!

5. Who are you going to pass this to? (3 persons) and why?
I am going to leave this up for grabs. Anyone not been tagged that would like to give it a go, TAG YOUR TURN. Let me know if you take me up on it so I can read yours also.

Secret Pal News
I recently spent my amazon giftcard from my Secret Pal. I will post about it when I get my delivery. I am tracking my package. It is in Texas right now. Should be here soon.

Happy Valentines Day

2005-02-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

The door bell rang. Chris yells “Honey can you answer the door”. Grumble, Grumble, OK! I opened the door to this:

For Me? Ahwww, Shucks Honey you shouldn’t have, but I am sure glad you did.
Every time I walk by them I burry my nose in a bloom and take it all in. They smell wonderful.

New WIP
I cast on for a new project. I decided to try socks. This is the pattern I am using from the book Folk Socks.

Double pointed needles are scary. The first row was nearly impossible to get it working right. I felt like I was working with some kind of alien contraption. The more I did the better it got. Here is my progress so far.

I hope you have a real SWEET WEEK!

Hello Kitty Handbag

2005-02-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

I have finished my Hello Kitty Handbag.

I really like how it came out. Love the cable running along the edges. I embroidered the flower using variegated yarn I had in my stash.

Here is the bag inside out to show the Hello Kitty fabric lining I used. It is real silky. I found the fabric at Joann’s fabric. My husband commented the lining looks so good I could use the bag inside out also.

Cool Hello Kitty stuff for the Home

I found this stuff at Dream Kitty

HK Toaster

HK Lunch Bag

HK Rice Bowl

They had over 40 pages of HK merchandise to decorate your home. I thought some of the stuff was pretty cool. I was scared of the HK toilet seat cover. That might be a little to much. 8)
You can see all these things and more at the Dream Kitty website.

Lastly a Hello Kitty Quiz

I'm Hello Kitty Flower Fairy!

Three Things....

2005-02-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

Winding the Skein by Lord Frederic Leighton

Three things...
I found this on some of the blogs I read and thought it would be fun.

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Tami
2. Terminator (nickname in grade school)
3. Honey, Sweety, Babe, Hey You

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. Zippy
2. Crafty Merryweather
3. Catsaway

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. Positive outlook
2. Stopping to smell the flowers
3. Problem Solver

THREE THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. short legs
2. Hobbit Feet
3. I don’t floss as much as I should

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. German
2. Polish
3. Farmers

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. Fear of choking
2. Dying before I have done everything I wanted to do
3. Big ugly spiders

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. moisturizer
2. warm beverage (coffee, tea, or cocoa)
3. deodorant

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. slippers
2. jogging pants (I call them house pants)
3. sweatshirt

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTISTS (at the moment):
1. Maroon 5
2. Rahael Yamagata
3. Yo Yo Ma

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS (at the moment):
1. Pocket Full of Rainbows by Elvis
2. Worn Me Down by Rachael Yamagata
3. Since You Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson

THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS:
1. Yarn Overs & SSK
2. Spinning yarn with a drop spindle
3. Dying yarn

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:
1. Kindness
2. Understanding
3. Laughter

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE:
1. It bothers me when my magazines come in the mail wrinkled
2. I like to watch plants grow
3. My house is Clean

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX (or same) THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. A smile
2. beautiful eyes
3. Height (I like them tall)

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN’T DO:
1. Eat anything gross like on Fear factor
2. Paint
3. live with out pets

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. Knitting
2. watching movies
3. gardening

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. Go see what the animals are into
2. check to see if anyone posted a comment on my blog
3. Make some hot tea

THREE CAREERS YOU’RE CONSIDERING:
1. Psychologist
2. Novelist
3. Homemaker

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Italy
2. Hawaii
3. Alaska

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. Learn how to Tap Dance
2. Learn how to play the Cello
3. Learn to speak Italian

THREE WAYS I AM STEREOTYPICALLY A BOY:
1. I can kick ass (if provoked)
2. I like to get my hands dirty
3. I have a dirty mind

THREE WAYS I AM STEREOTYPICALLY A CHICK:
1. I love the color pink
2. I like to wear skirts and dresses and get all dolled up
3. I like romantic movies

Chinese New Year

2005-02-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

The Year of the Rooster

The Chinese New Year begins February 9, 2005. It is the beginning of The Year of the Rooster. If you were born in 1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, or 1993 your Chinese Zodiac sign is the Rooster. My husband Chris is a Rooster.

image found at sinopaperart

Here is a description of the Rooster I found at Newsguy.com

The Rooster, or Chicken as he is called, is the Don Quixote of the Chinese cycle. The dauntless hero who must look to the earth to survive, he is the most misunderstood and eccentric of all the signs. outwardly, he is the epitome of self-assurance and aggression, but at heart he could be conservative and old-fashioned.

The Rooster-born, especially the men, will be attractive, even dashingly handsome. The princely fowl is radiant and proud of his fine feathers and has an impressive carriage. You don't find any roosters slouching; they strut about with dignity. Even the shyest member of the Rooster family will cut a neat, trim figure and maintain a special bearing wherever he goes.

There are two distinct type of Roosters. The rapid-firing, extremely talkative ones and the deadly solemn observer types with the X-ray vision. both are equally hard to deal with. The Rooster has many outstanding qualities to crow about. He is sharp, neat, precise, organized, decisive, upright, alert, and most direct. He can also be critical to the point of brutality. Don't ever ask him his frank, candid opinion--you may never recover from his comments.

He loves to argue and debate, showing how knowledgeable and smart he is, some- times with little regard of the feelings of others. But when his feathers are ruffled in return, he is insufferable. He isn't cut out to be a diplomat. Situations regarding tact, delicacy and discretion will cramp his style. His way is to go about trying to convert everyone to his way of thinking with a missionary zeal.

That’s him all right. The funniest part of this is that my Chinese Zodiac Sign is the Rat.

picture of a Rat named Spanky from getpetsonline

My worst case scenario to be partnered with is the Rooster or the Horse. Well that figures.

Here is what it says about our marriage combination on member.newsguy.com

Rooster Husband and Rat Wife
He is analytical and a perfectionist; she is stimulating, practical and quite brainy in her own right. He is bossy and dogmatic and prone to giving lectures. She is balky about criticism and can be sharp and petty when offended. He lacks the sensitivity and warmth she seeks in mate. Her resourcefulness and competence make her unwilling to follow his orders blindly. Not a promising match for either party. They tend to agitate each other unnecessarily.

Chris and I will have been together 12 years this coming Spring. It has not been smooth sailing all the way but I would not change a thing. I will keep my Rooster.
To read all about people that are rats like me go here. I would say the profile fits me and the life I have lead pretty accurate.

To find what Chinese zodiac sign you are go here.

Of course there are so many more things to know about the Chinese New Year. So much more to learn about including traditions, crafts, foods, & celebrations.

You can find out more about the Chinese New Year at this educational site.
You can find fun stuff at theholidayspot.
Also there is some crafts and activities for the celebration at enchantedlearnings.

Home Fits Me Like a Glove

2005-02-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

Or shall I say a comfortable sandal

This picture is so cute. I just had to share it. I received it in an e-mail with a bunch of other adorable animal photos

Secret Pal Glee

First I received this awesome e-card from my Secret Pal.

OOHH LA LA

Then while checking my e-mail today I found this cute guy.

Attached was an Amazon gift card in the amount of $20. Followed by me and the dogs dancing around the floor doing some of our famous dance moves. Well maybe not famous due to the fact the moves only take place behind closed doors. But let me tell you if it ever got video taped and released to the media. Look out because me and the four legged girls would have our names in LIGHTS. The great thing about the dogs is they don’t care what all the happiness is for they are just glad to participate. 8)

Thank You so MUCH Secret Pal. YOU ROCK!

Hello Kitty Update

Finished the front and back, just need to add the flower next to Hello Kitties left ear. I am still working on the cabled strip. I plan to use it to attach the sides together. It is going to be one big loop. It will give me a wider hand bag then the original pattern. I have about 11 more repeats of the cable until it is long enough. I think I should be able to finish it by next weekend. Including sewing a lining in the bag.

Stash Enhancement

Yesterday I went to my local yarn shop. That place is really picking up business. There seating area for KIP was filled. Not one seat left. There was also some kind of contest going on. People were walking around judging some of the knitted items displayed around the room. I had my print out of what I was looking for and tried to stay focused. Also I planned on picking up a couple of goodies for my Secret Pal.

Here is what I picked up for my Secret Pal

Webshots photo

Of course I can not show you silly, it is a secret.

I can show you what I got for myself

I got two skeins of Plymouth Encore DK in color 146

I thought I could use these for this pattern

Arm Warmers from Rebecca #28

I also picked up these

2 skeins of Tahiki Shannon 100% wool in color 14

I thought I could use these for this pattern

Mittens from the book Weekend Knitting

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

I also picked up a skein of Mountain Colors in color “Wild Raspberry”
I picked this up and put it down several times while I was walking around the shop. I of course have no pattern or plan for it. But I just love the colors. I new I could not leave the store with out it.

Some people stock up on emergency supplies in case of a disaster. I on the other hand have stocked up on stash. I feel safe now that I have plenty of stash and patterns lined up just incase there is a disaster and I am stuck in my house for several months.

OK got to go pick my spot in the living room to do some knitting and watch the SUPER BOWL!
I don’t have a favorite at this point. I usually wait till after first quarter to decide which team I like best. I am most likely to root for the underdogs.

Frosty Paws

2005-02-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

We picked up a new treat for the dogs last time we were shopping at Wal-Mart. It is called Frosty Paws. It is marketed as Ice-cream for dogs. After taking the girls to the vet to get there badly needed nails clipped, we decided to treat them with a little ice-cream snack.

It was pretty funny to watch. They kept licking the frozen ice-cream like two little girls with ice-cream cones. They both enjoyed their new treat.

Save the Drama for your Momma

Here is a picture of Brandy that depicts how I feel this weekend. I just want to crawl under the blankets and forget about this past week.

You would not believe the drama that is going on in the majority of my employee’s home lives. We had a pretty good work week it is just the personal stuff going on that was overwhelming. Some of the things that these people are going through are:
Court date during the week, death in the family, eviction, & pregnancy out of wedlock.

I am hoping next week will be a little less drama. I am afraid now of any employee that comes to my office and mutters the words “I need to talk to you about something.” I told Chris the other day as we were driving home that I wanted to find that sign that reads “Save the Drama for Your Momma” and hang it up in my office. He laughed.

Treating Myself to Some Stash Enhancement

Today I plan to stop by my local yarn shop. This time I have written up a project list on the computer. I listed all the patterns I would like to make and their yarn requirements. I also wrote up a list of all the needle sizes I have, that way if there is a size I need for an upcoming project I can get one.

I am making good progress on the Hello Kitty handbag. I will post photos in my next post. I decided that I would add the flower in Hello Kitty’s hair after I finished the knitting. Maybe embroider one on with ribbon. I have not decided yet. I thought it would look nice to add it afterward to make it more dimensional and pop out more.

Split Pea Soup with Sausage and Potato

2005-02-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

This is a real simple recipe I got from Epicurious.com News letter.

Ingredients
5 sausage Links (I used Kielbasa)
1 12-ounce russet potato, peeled, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 ¼ cups green split peas, rinsed
4 cups chicken broth

Directions
Saute’ sausages in heavy large pot over medium-high heat about 4 mins. Add Potato, onion, and rosemary. Saute’ until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in split peas, then broth. Bring Soup to simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until peas are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 ½ hours. Ladle into bowls.

I topped the bowls of soup with garlic & herb crumbled feta cheese, and served the soup with bread & butter

The soup turned out great. I will probably make this again.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

2005-02-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

I know this is a little early but this is something I am looking forward to. Disney is currently in production making the movie “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”. It is due to release Christmas of 2005.

wallpaper by bluegeckoarts

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in a series called “The Chronicles of Narnia” by author C.S. Lewis.

C.S. Lewis wrote The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and it was first published back in 1950. Although it is the second book in the series of 7. It is the first one he wrote. After writing the 2nd 3rd, 4th , 5th and 6th, C.S. Lewis went back and wrote the first of the series titled “ The Magicians Nephew”. Then he went on to write the last book in the series titled “ The Last Battle”. Most people start the series with “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”. It is the most popular of the seven.

I purchased the paper back box set of the entire series last year. I found mine at a local used book store. I had to be put on a waiting list because the series is so popular. I got a call back about two months later and a box set came in and I was next on the list. The set was a paperback set that looked brand new, and the books had not been read you could tell no one had opened them. I bought it for $7.50. Here is a picture of one of the illustrations on my box set.

My paperback box set was published by Harper Collins Publishers in 1994. Illustrations on the covers of all seven books were done by Leo and Diane Dillon and the art work is copyrighted in 1994. There are so many different published versions of the books. Since 1950 the books keep coming back. Now with the Movie due out in December of 2005, It looks like new publication is due out in May of 2005 and I am sure another one will be due out the time of the movie with the movie artwork on the book jackets.

I am going to start reading the series now, starting with “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”. I plan to read them in the order they were written.

Artwork released to media advertising the movie

Here are a couple of cool links to find out more about the Movie and the Books

The One Ring Net Visits Narnia

Welcome to Narnia

Narnia Fans

Narnia Web

Virtual Narnia

Momma's Got a New Bag

2005-01-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

That is RIGHT, or shall I say a new Bagless. The hubby and I turned in our credit card points to purchase a high end vacuum. Who needs airline miles to Italy when you can buy an over priced sucker like this beauty.

Say Hello to my little friend (In my best Al Pacino impression)

This is the “Animal” made by Dyson
Let me tell you with two dogs and a cat the hair in this cave is overwhelming. This vacuum is awesome. We brought it home yesterday and both Chris and I have been fighting over using it. Let me tell you my house is now completely vacuumed from corner to corner.

Cosmo is not one to pass up a new box.

A Look at the Garden

Today is such a gorgeous day outside, I could not help but venture out and see how the garden is doing in my absence.

Looks like my Daffodil bulbs are starting to come up. I hope there will not be a late frost. I enjoy planting bulbs. They usually are the first things in my garden to indicate Spring is not to far away.

This is the little Holly bush I planted last Fall. See the little berries. I am looking forward to having lots of berries in a couple of years. I have big plans to use them for decorating around Christmas. It is the little things that excite me.

Haley could not help enjoying the great weather by bringing outside her Christmas toy given to her from her grandma’s. No holes yet to report.

Not Much Knitting
This weekend I have been on the computer playing around, and looking at all the blogs listed on the SP4. So many great reads to add to my list of regulars.

I did pick up a new CD this weekend

Rachael Yamagata “Happenstance”
I love this CD. It is a great mellow listen. I have had it on all weekend. I am sure Hubby is sick of it by now. Her songs come from an emotional base. You can tell some one wronged her along the way. I would classify this CD along side my Norah Jones “Come Away with Me”. You can listen to samples of the songs on Rachael Yamagata “Happenstance” at Amazon Right Here.

Secret Pal 4 Questions

2005-01-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

Are You a Yarn Snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
I prefer natural fibers or natural fiber blends. I do use the cheap stuff for crafts and fun projects.

Do you have any allergies? Nope

What is your favorite scent? Right now I am hooked on Ylang-Ylang. They have a line of this scent at Bath and Body Works. I also love Gardenia, Lavender, Vanilla, Coconut, and anything tropical.

Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes, love candy and chocolate

What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I also sew, and like working with fabrics. I like fabrics with oriental prints. I also garden and like to bake.

What kind of music do you like? Depending on my mood, I listen to all types of music including top 20, oldies, jazz, classical, blues & big band. No rap.

What is your favorite color? Or do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? I like pinks, reds, purples, blues, & pastels. I love color. I shy away from non-colors like black, brown, grey, and white.

What is your family situation? I am married and have two dogs & a cat.

What are your life dreams? To retire at a young age and travel the world.

What are your favorite yarns to knit with? I like Debbie Bliss, Jo Sharp, Rowan, Jaeger, Tahki, Filatura di Crosa, Lamb's Pride & GGH. Pretty much anything wool, alpaca, mohair, angora or cotton.

What fiber do you absolutely not like? 100% acrylic.

What is your current knitting obsession? I am hooked on small projects at the moment. Socks, mittens, hats.

What is your favorite item to knit? I really like making cables.

What are you knitting right now? A Hello Kitty handbag & the Irish Hiking Scarf

What do you think about ponchos? I am over them. (Poncho Over load)

Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I like both.

How did you learn to knit? I taught myself using the Stitch and Bitch handbook

How old is your oldest UFO? 5 months

What is the next thing you want to learn? Fair Isle knitting & more complicated pattern stitches

Rate yourself on a girly / fruh fruh factor from 1-10: I am a 9 ½

If you could have any “super power” which would it be? To breathe under water like Aqua Man.

Is there anything not covered above that you would like your SP to know about you? I like tea, coffee, and cocoa. I like anything Oriental or Eastern. I Like Disney stuff; my favorite characters at the moment are Tinkerbelle & Tigger. I also like Hello Kitty& French Kitty. I love Knitting and pretty much anything knitted related.

Six Bags Full

2005-01-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hello Kitty Progress

I have started the front of the Hello Kitty hand bag. Can you tell those are little kitty feet and the bottom of a heart starting to appear. I decided I am going to change the pattern a little and I plan to make a cable handle for the bag. Also I am thinking of changing the motif design just a little. In the pattern Hello Kitty has a bow in her hair. I am thinking of changing it to a flower instead. Individuality is the spice of life my friends. I have got to be me. (My husband rolls his eyes).

Six Bags Full
This week I interviewed a couple of candidates for a position at our dental practice. One interview I had must have been the most enjoyable interview I have ever had, and that is both ways whether I was the interviewee or the one being interviewed. The lady tells me she has a little sheep farm. I immediately asked her if she knits. She said no. We got to talking about her sheep and then she says “I have six bags full of wool and I can’t figure out how to get rid of it.” That just sounded like crazy talk to me. I told her there is a ton of knitters out there and some of them like to spin their own yarn. I also told her about a website that I have seen were you can adopt a sheep for a year and then you get the wool at the end of that time period once the sheep is shaved. I also told her eBay might be a good idea also. Crazy talk, don’t know what to do with the wool. Gees, can you imagine?

Anyway we had a great talk. Unfortunately there was not much talk about the actual position I was hiring for. I also decided it would be selfish of me to hire her and should hire the best person for the job. I feel like sending her a letter saying I am sorry you are not the right person for the job but I was wondering can I come over to your house and visit with your sheep. 8)

Sheep Art

I think that if I am ever able to have a room in my house devoted to my crafts, I plan to put up a painting of sheep. Kind of a salute to knitting.

Here are some I have found.

Holidays in Switzerland by Donald Brun
How cute is that. That little guy is having way too much fun. When I look at this one I feel like playing hooky from work.

Lean on Me by Dan Campanelli
This one makes me feel like jumping in the middle and taking a nap. The colors are very calming.

The Sledding Party by Robert Duncan
Look at those fat biddies. They look so plump and warm. When I look at this picture I can almost hear the sheep talking to each other. “I want to ride first” “No I am going first, you went first last time.”

Shortening Winter Days by Joseph Farquharson
This is my favorite out of the four. The lighting and the shadows are just perfect. I love the details of the trees covered in snow.

Finished my Cabled Hat

2005-01-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Brandy helped me out by modeling it for the picture.

I really like the way it came out.

Hello Kitty

I started the Hello Kitty handbag.

The fabric in the background I picked up to line the inside of the bag. I like the pastel pink yarn. It knits up real quick. I started the back of the bag first so I would have the front & intarsia to look forward to.

Knitting Art

I found this painting named “Kitty Knit” by Ken Brown

Sweet Tooth

2005-01-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

I have a sweet tooth. Or shall I say many sweet teeth, or how about go ahead and shovel the sugar my way please. Luckily I married a man whom shares my joy of candy and sweets. Both of us have memories as kids spending our allowance at the local corner store on candy. Lots of candy. It seemed like there was more candy back then. Or maybe now that I am bigger the candy aisle just looks smaller.

Anyway hubby and I went to lunch at the Crackle Barrel last weekend. They have an old time store there that has many candy choices you might remember as a kid. Here is what we got

Chris chose the Valomilk cups, peanut block & sky bar. I chose the Watermelon candy drops, and two candy sticks in flavors passion fruit, and strawberry.

I love chocolate but when I pick out special candy I tend to always go for the hard candy. A little piece of hard candy lasts a long time. One piece will due just fine to sweeten your day. Usually chocolate no matter how big or small only lasts me a couple of seconds and I always wish I had more. But hard candy lasts a long time and is very satisfying.

Next up on the Knitting Agenda

Once I finished my Weasley sweater I was so excited about starting a new knitted project. So many options, so many things I plan to make this year. I decided that I would work on a couple of smaller things that do not take so long to finish. The sweater took me over four months. I think I will wait a little while before starting another time consuming project like a knitted sweater.

I dove into my stash and decided to try my hand at knitting a hat.

I started the Coronet pattern from Knitty.

You can find the pattern here.

I am using Lambs Pride 85% wool/15% Mohair in color M-29 Jack’s Plum

Here is my progress so far.

I finished the cabled strip and attached it end to end. Now I need to pick up the stitches around the edge. I really love working with this yarn. It feels weird to switch form a lighter yarn to a more heavy yarn. It knits up so much easier. Plus I can clearly see the stitches. Also while making the cable strip one came out a little long and it was so easy ripping it down a couple of rows and putting the stitches back on the needles. I will definitely use this cable pattern again. I might use it for the handle on my Hello Kitty bag I have not started yet.

Good Deed

2005-01-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Webshots photo of a maltese

While I was out running errands for the business I did my good deed for the week. I was leaving the post office and was about to get back into my car when I spotted a run away dog. He was a white Maltese, and he was running full speed down the road. I noticed he was dragging his leash. I had a moment where I was not sure if I should chase after him, but then I knew I had to because if I did not I would have worried about what happened to him the rest of the day. So I got in my car and quickly went down the road after him. I pulled over and jumped out but by the time I got out of the car he had already run another two blocks. So I jumped back in the car and sped up closer to him and he turned down a street. I jumped out of my car again and tried calling to him. Finally he turned around and came up to me.

Unfortunately he had no tag. There was a man standing outside his home. I asked if he had seen this dog before he said no. I looked at the little pooch and I said looks like your coming with me. I told the dog you better go potty before I let you into my car. The dog instantly lifted his leg and went tinkle. Smart Dog. The dog got into my car and made himself at home, like he had been doing it for years.

I was a little worried about taking the dog back to the office, but I had no choice my house was 70 miles away. I brought him in my office and Chris was sitting in there. I told him we have a situation. I found a dog. Chris being a dentist he immediately spotted the dog had a little bit of blood near its mouth. He checked him out and the dog appeared OK. There was a small cut on his leg. The dog made himself at home in my office. Such a cutie. Mentally I had already decided I was going to keep him. In a short period of time I had fallen in love with this lump of fur with a bit of mud smudge on his face.

I decided to take him to a vet to get checked out and possibly get a bath. I am not that familiar with the area so I asked some of the employees where a good vet was. So me and my new love went for a ride to the vet. I pulled up to the vet and took him inside. I walked up to the lady that was on the phone and said I found this dog and he has a cut on his leg. The lady behind the desk said “you are not going to believe this but I have the owner of the dog on the phone right now.” WHAT! Can you imagine? The owner was an elderly lady and the dog had jumped out of the car window. I am sure the owner was broken hearted for loosing such a great dog. The owner was calling around to all the vets to tell them she lost her dog. So I had to say good buy to my little buddy and leave him at the vet for his owner to come and get him. I am happy for them both I know if I had lost one of my babies I would hope someone would pick them up and do the right thing.

I sadly went back to the office. It all worked out for the best I really don’t need the added stress of bringing home a new dog. My good deed is done.

Yarn Info
I received some e-mails requesting info on the yarn I used for the Harry Potter Sweater.

I used Sisik Tweed in color Aubergine. The letter H was done in color camel. The pattern was a Rown pattern named “the Harry Potter Sweater”. I don’t believe they sell it anymore. I tried to look for it again and can’t seem to find it.

Finished the Weasley

2005-01-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

TA DA! I finally finished my Harry Potter Sweater started after joining the Weasley knit along.

The bonus is it fits and it is comfortable. Yippee!

Please disregard the headless woman in the photo trying to take a picture of her-self. Focus your attention on the fine craftsmanship of the sweater. Now while wearing the sweater I will amuse myself by continually saying Harry Potter in my best British accent. If only I could whip up a spell or two making the weekend a couple days longer.

To all of you wizards out there, Have a magical week!

Hello Kitty and Thoughts of Home

2005-01-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

I am making the Hello Kitty Handbag in the HK Knit-along. I picked up the yarn I will use for the pattern. Bernat Softee baby in colors white & pink. Also Red Heart Soft Baby in color Pinkie.

Here is the intarsia motif for the bag

It will be a real cute fun summer handbag. After all I still am a girly girl when you get down to it. I am not afraid of pinks, flowers, lace or frills. Men are afraid of these things, or at least curious at a distance. They do not call it girl power for nothing. 8)

Thank You
I wanted to give a shout out to my MIL & Step Mom. I know they read my blog. Thank you so much for the Anthropologie gift certificate I got for Christmas. I finally narrowed down my list on the site and spent my gift card. I received the package this week.

Here is what I got

Elena a-line skirt
I LOVE this skirt. It fits great. It is super special; the picture does not do it justice.

Sequin sash
This sash was a must have. I found it in the sale bin. I plan to use it as a belt. SWEEET!

Thoughts of Home

Lately I have been trying to get use to spending lots of time away from my home. Now that we are running our own business, I think this is the hardest thing for me to get use to. My home means so much to me. I am not talking about the actual building or the rooms inside. I am talking about the feeling of home. You know that feeling you get when you have had a long day at the office and you pull up to your drive way. Once you walk inside your home and that feeling that wraps around you like a warm blanket. Sigh of relief followed by “I am Home”.

I thought I would share some art that portray Homes

Rural Country sides III by John Zacceo
This feels to me like a fantasy. The house is nestled in a perfect out of reach environment. I am drawn to the warmth inside the house. The lights are so bright flowing out of the windows it looks almost to be on fire. The water at night time appeals to me. I often have dreams of swimming at night time. If I lived in this house I would take many a midnight dips in the water under the moon light.

Cottages by the Sea by Albert Swayhoover
This feels to me like a retirement home. Or at least what type of home I hope to have when I retire. I long to have a home on water front property. Preferably a lake to the ocean but I will take whatever I end up with. These houses make me think about sitting inside them looking out the windows. The view one has looking out their windows can shape your life. People whom have views of the ocean or mountains I feel have thoughts of endless life possibilities.

Late Snow at Riverwood by Bob Timberlake
This feels to me like a memory straight out of my childhood home. I was born in Upstate NY. When I look at this painting I am instantly transported back to the age of 5. Back then how one entertained themselves was to go outside and play. This was my toy box. My feeling of home encompassed a large area. I could spend hours walking around exploring nature. The quietness is so calming and very comforting. As a child I was a tree climber. Always on the look out for large trees with big branches to perch my self on to watch the world with a birds eye view. The key to a good tree is to have several large branches and a few smaller branches low to the ground making it easier to get up into the tree.

Back to Knitting
Now to get off the computer and get back to my knitting. I will be blocking the Weasley pieces and sewing the seams. I will post progress in my next post.

Weasly Update

2005-01-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of my progress on the Weasley Sweater. I am very excited. I only have about 6 cm left on the sleeves. Then I can block the pieces. After that I can seam it together and knit the collar. Hopefully if I can keep at it I will be wearing my sweater next week. 8)

Patterns
I had some requests for where the sock pattern came from in my earlier post.

It is from the book Folk Socks by Nancy Bush

This book is great. I actually like every one of the patterns in this book and hopefully over time I will be able to make each of the socks in it.

I found an awesome pattern over at one of my favorite knit blogs.

You can find the pattern over at savannahchik, where she has graciously given us her pattern for Women’s Gauntlets. There are two variations. You can either do mitts or partial fingers. I am adding this to my 2005 things to knit list.

LYS & Movie

2005-01-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

I made a little date with myself and treated to a movie and checked out the new LYS.

The Movie

Finding Neverland

The movie was based on the story of J.M. Barrie’s friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan. Cast included Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, & Dustin Hoffman. This was a great movie. It is wonderful to witness someone’s imagination as it unfolds into a creation of a story.

The movie was a big tear jerker. I tried very hard to hold back the tears, knowing I had plans to go to the new yarn shop after the movie. I failed and was amongst the masses at the end blowing my nose and trying to pull my self together. I went into the bathroom to excess the situation. My skin was all blotchy and topped off with a red nose and eyes. Normally I would wait until the movie came out on video and watch it in the comfort of my home. Especially if it is going to have some sad parts, that way I can fully sob out load and get the full affect of the moment. But this movie is rumored to be up for best picture of the year and also best actor and actress. I hate that when I have not seen at least one of the movies nominated for best picture. Being such a movie lover, I would feel like a fraud. This movie was wonderful and it evoked lots of thoughts on time and how big a role it plays in our lives. It gets a big thumbs up from me.

LYS

The new yarn shop was located in the old down town area. It was not easy to locate because some of the stores are on top of each other and kind of wind around instead of in a straight row. I finally found the entrance. I walked inside and had a deer in head lights moment.

It was a large room with tons of YUMMY YARN. I am talking Real yarn. The lady was very nice and came up to me several times asking if I needed any help. I was lost, and overwhelmed. I walked around and probably touched each type of yarn at least twice. Next time I definitely need to go in with a list of what I need for future projects. I can see how people can get carried away and buy tons of pretty yarn and not have a plan on what to use it for.

In the shop there was also a seating area for some knitting in public. Also the sales lady gave me a class schedule. There were many different types of crochet and knitting classes listed. Some of the classes listed were Fair Isle Knitting Technique, sock workshop, Bead Knitting, Rainbow dye class, & also a spinning class.

Here are my additions to my stash I brought home with such glee.

Lambs Pride 100% wool in colors Alabaster & Romantic Ruby

I plan to use these for this pattern

Lambs Pride 85% wool/15% Mohair in color M-29 Jack’s Plum

I plan to use this for this pattern

Coronet from Knitty

Chenille in colors Dusty Blue, Purple, grey, & Antique White

I plan to use these for this pattern

I also picked up a skacel addi turbo circular needle in size US#8/16”

Also this book

Knitting On the Road by Nancy Bush

I am so glad to have found this shop and feel I will be spending lots of time there. Hopefully more time hanging out and knitting then emptying my wallet.

Not all fun and Knitting

I wish my weekend was all about fun and knitting. Unfortunately I live in the real world, and that world can get pretty dirty when left unattended. This weekend we also cleaned the house which I lovingly refer to as the CAVE. The amount of dust is unbelievable. Now it is clean and I can relax and work on my Weasley Sweater.

Cosmo’s favorite part of cleaning day is removing the sheets from the bed. He likes to play Hidden Tiger Crouching Kitten in the bundle of sheets.

I don’t see him, do you? You must watch out for the trade mark Cosmo move that involves stealth stillness followed by a wiggle of the back end followed in turn with a leap into the air with a lethal pounce on his victim.

TGIF

2005-01-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

Oh Yea! Living for the weekend’s baby!

Take Cosmo’s advice and give your self time for a couple of cat naps and lots of R&R this weekend.

I am on a mission to finish my Weasley Sweater as soon as possible. I am also just like Lisa stuck out in Sleeve Island.

I too am doing both sleeves at the same time. I have been working on them non stop every spare moment I have. It is taking forever. Although Lisa feels her island is like the cold tundra, I on the other hand feel I am stuck out in the desert. Dry sand all around with just an occasional tumble weed that blows by my feet. I feel I am in an old western and the only weapons I have are my knitting needles tucked safely in my gun holsters. It is a cliffhanger, Will I ever finish these sleeves and reach my oasis? I will show a picture of my progress in the next post.

Weblog Awards

They are having their fifth annual weblog awards if you have not voted for your favorites yet, go on over to The 2005 Bloggies. You have from now until 10:00 PM Eastern Time on Monday, January 10, 2005 to nominate your favorite weblogs in the different categories. On Thursday January 20th the finalists will be announced and voting will be open again to choose the winner. I have my fingers crossed that some of my favorite weblogs make the cut. I am also excited to maybe find some new weblogs.

Best Photographs of 2004

My grandparents sent me an e-mail that had the best photographs of 2004. Here are a couple of my favorites.

China Photo Via Reuters

Christian Carisus-Reuters

David McNew-Getty Images

Julie Lewis-Oneonta Daily Star

Richard Hertzler-Lancaster New Era

Sam Yeh-AFP-Getty Images

I love photography. I always wished I could paint pictures of my visions and feelings of beautiful things. Unfortunately I am no painter. Photography is like the next best thing. It is a way for artists to capture a moment and share it with others. Moments pass one right after another. They are all yours and everyone experiences them differently. With a photograph you can interpret that moment and let others see what you see in that moment.

New Commercial

Last night while knitting and watching the OC, I witnessed a great new commercial. To give you a little back ground on myself, when I was in High school I hung out with a guy that planned to get into advertising. We spent many long conversations on different slogans, jingles and visual advertising and its effects on people. Basically we would rate different advertising and give our input on how bad they were or how they really worked. Every since high school I have always looked at advertising from a different angle not as a consumer but I think about the person that thought up the idea and whether he was right on the money or a looser and needs to quit his job. My thoughts on commercials are that the majority of them are horrible, But every once in awhile one will stick out and I will say that was great the guy that thought that up is amazing and deserves a promotion. I prefer commercials that do not have a lot of talking but you clearly can tell what product the commercial is advertising.

Last night I witnessed the new DR PEPPER commercial. It was very entertaining and made me laugh out load. It starts out and there is a young man at a grocery store and he has a box of tampons in his hand and in the back ground that song “Anything for Love” by Meatloaf is blaring in the back ground. He goes up to the register and of course there is a price check on the tampons. Still the music is blaring “I would do anything for love” The guy coolly drinks his Dr. Pepper. Through out the commercial the guy continues to do things for his girlfriend while drinking his DR.PEPPER. They never talk it is always just the Meatloaf song in the background. Towards the end. The guy and the girl are cuddled up on the couch watching a movie, he is drinking a DR. PEPPER. She reaches for his DR.PEPPER and the song gets to the part that says, “ I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that, NO I won’t do that”. The guy grabs his DR.PEPPER and runs out of the house and down the street. Blaring in the background “NO I WON’T DO THAT”.

Brilliant, I Loved it. The guy or gal that thought of that one my hat is off to you. Thank You. I am not a big soda drinker but you can bet I will be buying a six pack of DR.PEPPER to show my appreciation of the fine advertisement that entertained me and did not make me want to throw the remote through the TV after drudging through the sea of horrid commercials we are incarcerated to watch.

The Best News I heard all Year

Last Sunday I was at the book store buying some magazines for the dental practice, when I got into a conversation with the checkout lady. Somehow we got talking about knitting. She asked me if I had been to the new local yarn shop. I nearly fainted. NOOOOOO! I had not. All of a sudden I felt like Elaine from Seinfeld and felt the urge to push her down with both hands and say SHUT UP! The counter between us prevented me from fulfilling my Elaine moment. Anyway she said it was really great and they even had hand dyed yarns and a great selection of yarns to choose from. I left the book store with butterflies in my stomach from a new found excitement and anticipation. Of course it was Sunday and of course it was a holiday weekend.

I went home and tried to find some info on the new shop via internet. I found the phone number and called them up. They were closed until Tuesday. So I would have to wait till the weekend to check them out. All week I have been so excited to check out our new Local Yarn Store. This will be our only local yarn store. I am starting to be hopeful that I might not need to move to a new state to experience a real yarn store, and the community of yarn people. I have my fingers crossed and have high hopes that this will open the door to meeting people in the area that share my love of knitting. I will tell you all about what I find in my next post.

Cup of Hot Chocolate

2005-01-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

Cup of Hot Chocolate, extra marshmallows please.

I make my hot chocolate with 2 cups of Hot milk. I use a measuring cup and heat the milk in the microwave. While milk is heating choose a large mug that makes you smile. Put 2 tablespoons of non sweetened baking cocoa in mug. Then add 4 tablespoons of splenda (sugar substitute). Mix cocoa and sugar till blended. Pour hot milk into mug. Just enough to cover powder. Mix with spoon. Then pour remainder of milk in mug and stir till blended. Add 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract. Toss in lots of marshmallows. Enjoy

Weasley Progress

I decided to make both the sleeves at the same time on circular needles. It is working out great. This way I know they are both the same length.

My 2005 Knitting Goals

I am still a new knitter and there are so many things I have not yet tried to knit. So this year I plan to knit:

Pair of Socks
A hat
Pair of Mittens & possibly try gloves

These objects I plan to mix in with my regular knitting plans.

2005 Knit-along

It is only the first week in January and I have already joined a new knit-along.

I joined the Hello Kitty Knitalong. There will be a sweater, hat, mittens, legwarmers, and a handbag pattern. There is even a bonus pattern if you complete all the items. The official start date is January 16th.

Oslofia is the creator of the knit-along and also the designer of the patterns. Here is a link to her blog.

Here is a link to the Hello Kitty Knitalong.

You can find cool Hello Kitty downloads at Hellokittyworld. They have wallpaper, screensavers, desk top themes and a bunch more.

Finish Up old WIPs

The Weasley Sweater and the Irish Hiking scarf are top on my list to finish in January so I can start some new projects. The butter bear sweater I plan to just use to experiment on. Maybe use my new Knitting on the Edge book to dress the sweater up a little.

Knitted Objects on my list for 2005

#10 from Rebecca number 28

#16 from Rebecca number 28

#9 from Filatura Di Crosa Fall/Winter 2004

Flower Washcloths from Weekend Knitting

Beaded knit table runner from Hand Knits for the Home

Also knitting in 2005

I hope to do a little Christmas knitting through out the year. I plan not to leave it all for the end of the year because before you know it there is not enough time left. I hope to possibly make some decorations & some Christmas stockings.

Well there is my list for 2005. There is only 12 months and I am sure as the year goes by there will be more things added that I would like to make.

I am very excited for this year. I believe it will bring lots of life changes and exciting new adventures. So buckle up and enjoy the ride.

3-2-1 HAPPY NEW YEAR

2004-12-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

It is New Years Eve. I wish all of you a happy and safe New Year. Chris and I plan to stay home tonight. We will probably be asleep before midnight. I know we are pretty exciting.

My Christmas

My in-laws came to stay with us to celebrate the holiday. It was wonderful having them around. Brandy, Haley, and Cosmo especially enjoyed all the extra loving they got.

Here is some pictures of my little holiday helpers

Here are some pictures of the helpers enjoying presents from the grandma’s

Cosmo Also got some Catnip, which is his drug of choice.

Christmas Eve

My MIL made home made Clam Chowder & a loaf of beer bread Christmas Eve. Yummy, that stuff is so good. We watched the new DVD Lord of the Rings Return of the King extended version. We watched it straight through with no breaks. That is how good it is. You don’t even notice how long it is, you are to into the story.

Christmas Dinner

I cheated. Yes, when the cook is beyond busy during the holidays, what does she do? She orders already made Christmas meal and reheats the containers for Christmas dinner. Here is my wonderful spread, in all of its silver throw-away pans glory.

We had turkey breast, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, Caesar salad, & Orange cranberry sauce. For desert we had Cranberry Apple pie w/French vanilla ice cream.

Did someone ask Santa for knitting stuff this year?

Boy did he deliver. I am so proud of my husband he actually went into the book store and asked the man behind the counter for the knitting books I had mentioned wanting. It could not have been easy for him to say Stitch ‘N Bitch Nation let alone ask another guy where he could find it. To Chris’s surprise the guy new exactly where it was and asked if he needed to buy the first book also. Chris new the answer and said no she already has that one.

Here is the knitting loot.

Stitch ‘N Bitch Nation by Debbie Stoller. I felt like I owed it to Debbie to buy this book after all her first book was how I learned to knit and how I started this whole knitting obsession. The book has some real cute patterns in it, that look like a lot of fun to make. There is even a dog sweater and some mouse cat toy patterns. This makes it fun for the whole family. 8)

Knitting on the Edge by Nicky Epstein. This is a great book. It has 350 decorative border patterns that you can add to your knitted objects. I have been thinking of making an afghan square by square and thought I could use this book and it’s patterns to make a different pattern for each square of the afghan. It will be like a swatch afghan and will give me practice learning new stitches.

Rebecca Home. This has got some great patterns for the home. You can find this pattern book at Noble knits. If you want to view all the pattern go to Rebecca-online.

Tahki Yarns Fall/Winter 2004 collection. Here are some cool patterns in this collection

#18 Ghost

Vest #20 Panda

Filatura Di Crosa Fall/Winter 2004 Collection. I think I am most excited about this collection. Here are a couple of patterns I am thinking about making.

#9

#11

#14

Both the Tahiki and the Filatura Di Crosa you can find at Yarnware. If you want to see the other patterns in the collections you can view the entire pattern collection at Thakistacycharles.

Coming Soon
An update on my Weasley. Also knitting goals for the New Year.

Holiday Cheer
Of course my holiday did not go by with out a little cheer. Here is mine and my MIL Christmas Champaign Cocktails.

Very festive especially with the light up ice cubes in either red or green.

My toast tonight will be “ Here is to all my new found blogging friends and to a new year of expressive creativity. May all your days this new year be filled with love, laughter, and the joy of living each day to the fullest” Clink Clink

Tis the Season

2004-12-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

Yippeee! We made it through our first week of being open to the public. Thanks to all the finger and toe crossing it went well. Next week will be a short work week due to we are closing up early for the holidays. I can not wait for that break.

Mrs. Grinch
This year I thought I would play the role of Mrs. Grinch. I am not decorating for the holidays. That's right no tree, ornaments, wreaths, lights, stockings, tinsel or garland. I just did not have the time to do it this year. Since my husband usually only has the task of putting the lights on the tree and I do all the rest. We decided not to decorate due to lack of time. We usually get a real Christmas tree, and I was afraid that if we had got one and left the dogs & cat with the tree all day while we were at work we would come home to a scary site. I will try not to embarrass them to much, but lets just say every day I have come home they have gotten into something they should not have. One night it was so bad we were tempted to leave Brandy and Haley outside all night with out eating their dinner. Of course Chris caved in. Talk about a bunch of daddies girls.

The Grinch Song Lyrics:
You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch You really are a heel,
You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch,
You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel!

You're a monster, Mr. Grinch,
Your heart's an empty hole, Your brain is full of spiders,
you have garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch,
I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch,
You have termites in your smile, You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile,
Mr. Grinch, Given a choice between the two of you I'd take the seasick crocodile!

You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch, You're the king of sinful sots,
Your heart's a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots, Mr. Grinch,
You're a three decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!
You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch, With a nauseous super "naus"!,
You're a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss, Mr. Grinch,

Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of rubbish imaginable mangled up in tangled up knots!

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch, You're a nasty wasty skunk,
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch,
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote,
"Stink, stank, stunk"!

OK OK I might not be that bad. I did have a pimple last week the size of Mt Everest sticking off of my chin. That was pretty gross. Thank Goodness that finally cleared up. The thing was so big I could have hung Christmas ornaments off of it. 8)

Although I am not decorating for the holidays I did find a house in one of the local neighborhoods that was decorated a little extra to cover all the houses of the people that are not able to this year. Here is a look at it during the day.

Here it is all lit up at night.

First time I saw it I thought it was a little confusing having so many santas on the roof. Then my psychological training kicked in and I started wondering about the people that live there. Maybe last year they did not decorate at all and they are making up for it this year. Or maybe the husband is mad at the wife and is doing it to tick her off. Or maybe it was a bet to see how much decorations they can fit on and around their house. Or maybe they hate their neighbors and purposely put up a ton of lights to flash into the neighbors windows at night. The possibilities are endless. Of course I could always go up to the door and ask them why they decorated so much, but what's the fun in that. Ones imagination is always more interesting then the truth. 8)

Enough of the chit chat
It is time to get down to business. I have got family coming in on Wednesday from Oregon to stay with us through the holidays. I have got to get this house cleaned from top to bottom. Since my usual cleaning schedule has been turned into I will get to it when I get to it, It will be a huge endeavor to get this place shining again. Since one of the family members that is coming to visit is my mother-n-law the place needs to be extra sparkly. You know how it is I have to show I am taking care of her boy. 8) I joke my mother -n-law is the coolest.

Holiday Shows
One of my favorite Christmas Movies is National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

This movie cracks me up every time I watch it. I love it. It is always a must see around the holidays for me. It will be on NBC Friday night if you want to catch it.

One of my favorite holiday movies to watch although I have not seen it in awhile is Emmett Otter's Jug-band Christmas.

This movie came out in 1977 and is a Jim Henson puppet movie. It is awesome. It is funny and sad and a great family movie to watch around the holidays. You know it has got to be good if Kermit the frog is in it.

Holiday Music
I picked up the CD "Sleigh Full of Songs" at Starbucks and have not been able to stop playing it over and over.

It has all the greats featured like Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong and much more. It is fabulous and upbeat.

I love most Holiday songs. One of my very favorites is Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley. I remember listening to it when I was a kid. Of course you can not beat Elvis's deep smooth voice then you have got the back up singers in their high pitched voices. My girlfriends and I always took on the roll of the back up singers belting out WHOOwhooooowhoowhooo. Yes again I have revealed my true dorkiness.

Favorite Part

My favorite part of the holidays is of course opening presents and sitting around all day in my Jammies playing with the new things I got. I know I should say my favorite part is spending time with family and sharing and learning and experiencing the true meaning of the holidays. But to be honest the best part is playing with your toys.

Tis the Season
Tis the season to re-format my hard drive. Falalala la la la la la.
Yes it has come down to this. I can not take it any longer it is time to go back to the basics and start all over again. Over the holidays I am reformatting my hard drive because my Norton & spyware and pop up blockers have not been able to get rid of the pesky adware that has accumulated on my system. Since the adware and virus people are a step ahead of the anti-virus people it has to be done. A person can only take so much. This is a dreadful task that turns your computer into a baby and you have to start all over and download back on all the stuff you want and remember all your passwords to your frequented sites & search around to find all the great sites that use to be bookmarked on your favorites.

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season

Drink lots of Egg-Nog & stand frequently under the mistle-toe
I will be back in January after the holidays.
Don't forget in January there will be a new Secret Pals 4 for all you knitters out there.
Warmest Wishes to you and to yours.

How Low Can You Go

2004-12-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

Webshots Photo

This past week has got to be the lowest week for me. You know when things are really bad and you think this is the lowest point and there is no where else to go but UP! At this point that is how I feel after making it through this week it should be smooth sailing and the skies the limit. If this week was my lowest I would say that Monday night about 8:30 was my lowest hour. I had a wee bit of a break down. That day I had gotten up at 5am and Chris and I were out the door at 6:30am for our hour drive to our new dental practice. The day was much like the days of the past two weeks. So much to do and not enough time to do it in. That day for lunch we grabbed a quickie meal at Pizza Hut buffet. I am not use to eating so badly but fast food and junk food were starting to become the norm, having no time to prepare a healthy meal. That whole day was atrocious. Some of the equipment was not working properly. Some of the computers were not linked together, The building had not yet passed all of it’s inspections. Employees were coming in this week for training. Everything had to be done and ready for next Monday when we open for business and already had a full day of patients scheduled.

Well finally everyone left the building around 8pm and we were able to close up and make that hour drive home. About half way home I started to feel queasy. A couple blocks from our house I felt I could not make it home with out being sick and forced Chris to pull over to the side of the road. I jumped out and prepared my self for a moment I had not experienced since I was a kid feeling motion sickness riding on the school bus. The bus driver kindly pulled the bus over so I could get out for some fresh air. I did not get sick that day as a kid and I did not get sick Monday night as I was hunched over beside a bush. The cold air whipped at me and shocked me back to an ounce of relief. I quickly jumped back into the car and said I think I can make it home.

Chris drove carefully and dropped me off in the driveway while he went to go check the mail. Lets just say I made it to my bathroom just in time. I relieved my self of that quickie lunch and until the day I die I will probably never eat at Pizza Hut again. The part about being sick was not even the worse part. The worse part was that I started crying and could not stop. The tears kept rolling down my cheeks and onto the floor. Chris put me to bed immediately after making me drink some 7UP. I think that I have been so stressed and over whelmed with the responsibility of the new business that my body finally broke down and had to release all of that built up stress.

The rest of the week was not as horrifying. More and more things got accomplished and checked off the list. Our employees came in for their training and we feel they are an amazing group and will be just fine in their new positions with us.

On a More Positive Note

I was ROAKED this week. There was a little package in the mail for me from Wendy from catknits.

Included in the package was a note wishing me a great holiday. Wendy must have ESP. because of all the times to send such a random act of kindness this would have to be the BEST time. There was a little metal gingerbread ornament (too cute for words), a bluewick desk candle in coconut pineapple (when lit I can imagine my self at a tropical island sipping a pina-colada), garmet gift tags (I can use these when I knit something for someone), & a note pad that says little miracles happen every day. The number one thing in this package is a lantern moon sheep measuring tape. I LOVE THIS! It was actually on my Christmas list. I have wanted one of these since I saw it in one of the knitting mags.
No words can say how much this little package means to me. I will be forever grateful to Wendy for her random act of kindness sent to me in my lowest week. THANK YOU!

Where is all the Knitting

Here is my progress on the Weasley. I know I know a pathetic report of progress but it is progress none the less.

I am thinking of maybe when I start the sleeves to do them on a circular needle that way I can do them both at the same time. Has anyone else done this? That is if I can ever get to the store to buy a size 5 circular. I am thinking about getting one of those bumper stickers that read “I would rather be knitting” and stick it on my back. Maybe I will be able to get some of my employees to learn how to knit.

Opening Day

Monday we open to the public. I can hear Beethovan’s bump a bum bum in a deep roar in my head. I am sure every thing will be fine. My fingers and toes are crossed.

Busy Bees

2004-12-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

O my goodness to say I have been busy this past week has got to be the understatement of the year. Holy Moley Kajoley, fraholy, OK if I am incoherent in this post please just write it off to lack of sleep.

All right, I have about 15 minutes to make this post I am cutting out personal hygiene today in order to do it. I will put on a little extra perfume and swish some mouth wash. That hopefully will cover it for one day.

Yarn of the Month

When I reached into the mailbox Saturday Night and pulled out my yarn of the month package, I could have cried. I had such a long dreadful day it was just what I needed. I have had no time for my knitting and this just helped me bring that smile back on my face and dream of the possibilities of projects I could make with the yarn samples given.

The pattern was of a Holiday Cowl. Not something I will make. The yarn was all Christmas red or white. 1) Alpaca Boucle by Plymouth 90% Alpaca, 10% Nylon, 2)Lurex Shimmer by Rowan 80% Viscose, 20% Polyester, 3) Shimmer by Crystal Palace 86% Acrylic 14% Nylon, & 4) Silkroad Tweed by Jo Sharp 85% Wool, 10% silk 5% cashmere. I liked all 4 yarns.

The flyer that came with the package talked about knitting for charity. It listed Stitches from the heart, Project Linus, & Special knitting forces as three charities for knitters to get involved in.

Poor Haley

What kind of lampshade do you wear? Haley prefers see through plastic. Poor Haley has a rash on her belly and will not stop itching it. For her own good the vet prescribed a bunch of medicine and to wear this collar when we are not able to watch her. Since Haley started the medicine we can already see the rash is clearing up.

I feel like such a bad Mommy this week. We have left in the morning and have not been able to get home until late in the evening. I feel like I have abandoned my animals. We get home and feed them and they just go to bed. There is no play time or cuddle time left in the day. Today is the only day I have been home. Of course, I had a million things to do today.

Christmas Cards

Today I sat down and filled out Christmas cards to get in the mail on Monday. Does anyone else do this dreaded task. I don’t mind sending the ones to immediate family, but the ones to family you hardly talk to except giving them the yearly update in the Christmas Card it is time consuming. The part I like the best is picking out what Christmas Cards to send out this year. I chose this card.

This card jumped out at me. I have not been home very much lately and this picture feels like home to me. I wish I could jump into that picture and open that door. Grab some hot cocoa and sit down by the fire with yellow dog at my feet. I thought I would send this card to share that feeling of home with my family.

It is printed by Palm Press. You can check out their website here. They have many good cards. I know it might be a little late to get some for this year but there is always next year.

Office Decorating

This week I have put together 5 office chairs and 1 and a half desks. The chairs were not so bad. The desks come in two boxes each and are in a million pieces. It took me two and a half days to finish one desk. I feel like I got a work out. My muscles are all sore. The reason why I have not finished the second desk is that we were missing a piece. I called the manufacturer and it should arrive next week. You are probably wondering why I did not order them put together. They were charging $300 for each desk to be assembled. I am cheap and now I am suffering. Oh well, what does not kill you makes you stronger.

My favorite part of this whole starting a new dental practice has been picking out artwork to decorate the rooms.

Here is a print I chose for my office.

This print is named Loki’s kitten photographed by Rachael Hale
I have been a huge fan of Rachael Hale's work for a couple of years now. She photographs animals. All of her pictures are gorgeous and done in soft colors. I usually buy one of her calendars every year. You can view her gallery here.

My time is up. I need to go make a quickie dinner.
Thank you every one for your well wishes on our new business.
Have a great week.

The Day after a Crafters Long Weekend

2004-11-29T05:05:00.000-07:00

Sadly, the holiday weekend ended. I had a wonderful time working on my WIPs. Even starting a new one. Imagine that.

First up The Weasley

This sweater is coming out nicely. I cannot wait to finish the front so I can start the sleeves. I still have hope that I will finish this one by Christmas. Here is an updated picture of my progress. Cosmo is checking out my fine workmanship.

Second up The Memory Quilt

I know I have not worked on this in a long time. For you new comers you can read up about the quilt over in my Work in Progress list to the right, there is a link you can click on. Cosmo has been so helpful this weekend. Here he is sitting on top of my sewing box so I cannot get into it.

I finally started quilting the front and back together. I am using my sewing machine to do the quilting. I use a walking foot so I am able to quilt with such thickness of two layers of fabric that sandwich the batting. The walking foot allows the thickness to be pulled from the top and the bottom allowing the quilt to smoothly move backward allowing the needle to do the sewing. With out the special walking foot the thickness of the fabric would only be pulled from the bottom creating a mess.

I am using clear nylon thread to do the quilting. I have never used nylon thread before. It is slippery and hard to see. I am starting to get the hang of it. I started in the center of the quilt and quilted around the center square. Following this method I continued outward and have outlined each of the 25 squares. Now I am starting back in the center and will outline the details of each of the squares. Here is a picture of what is going on.

It is turning out nicely. This being my first quilt I am very proud of the way it is turning out.

Lastly A New WIP
I know I know, Why am I starting a new project when I have so many unfinished projects on my plate. I call it the curse of the Knitter. There are so many cool things I would like to make it is hard not to try and start a new one. I still consider myself a new knitter because there is so many things I have not tried or made yet. One of the things I was afraid of but really wanted to learn was Cables.

There is a bag I would like to make, the pattern is in the latest Rebecca book. Of course it has cables in it. I thought I should try to learn cables on an easier project first. That is when I found The Irish Hiking Scarf along. The pattern seemed like an easy way to try and learn cables. I bought some wool-ease worsted weight yarn in color denim and some cable needles. I printed out the pattern and placed all items in my stash to start after the new year, when some of my other projects have been completed. Well Thanksgiving morning came around and I started watching the parades. I had the whole day ahead of me full of happy knitting and quilting. I thought to myself maybe I could just start the cabled scarf. Then I was overwhelmed with excitement of learning something new. I busted out the stash and began to learn cables.

Here is a picture of the birth of my very first cables. Oooo! How cute maybe I should name them?

Cables are easy. I cannot believe I was scared. They are almost fun. This pattern is an excellent one to learn cables. Therefore, if you are like I was and am afraid of cables. I am telling you, You can do it. I promise. Give it a shot. Here is the final picture of my progress on the Irish Cable Scarf.

Goodbye to Free Time
One thing that weighed heavily on me this weekend was the fact that this was going to be the last long weekend of free time for a while, due to our upcoming business opening. Starting today, Chris and I will be very busy doing last minute setting up. We start computer training for the employees on the 6th of December. Then Open our doors for patients on the 13th. At this point, I have a pit in my stomach of my up coming responsibility and overwhelming workload.

Unfortunately, for the next month I will not be able to post as much as I would like. Any spare time I have, I am sure I will be preparing for the holidays & working to finish some of my WIP’s before Christmas. I will post my progress on my crafts when I get a chance. I am hoping by the start of the New Year life will get back to a normal speed for me.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week of turkey left overs. 8)

Happy Thanksgiving

2004-11-24T05:04:00.000-07:00

Webshots Photo

Family Staying too Long
Here is a funny article I found in Readers Digest about Holiday guests overstaying their welcome.

When Holiday Guests Won’t Leave
By Andrew Boorstyn

The holidays are here, and there will be lots of comings and goings – and perhaps a bit too much of staying. Sometimes friends and family are having such a good time at your celebration that they forget to go home. Of course, all good things must come to an end – and hosts need their sleep. Here’s a lighthearted look at handling party stragglers and houseguests who won’t leave.

Know How to Say Good-Bye If guests won't leave after a party, it's perfectly acceptable to suggest politely that it's time to go. Practice these phrases from expert socialites.Abigail van Buren (Dear Abby): "Oh, dear, just look at the time! I didn't realize it was so late. I'm going to let you nice people go home, so you can retire."Judith Martin (Miss Manners): "It's been wonderful having you. We really enjoyed it. I'll get you the train schedule. Will you be needing a ride to the station?"Walter Sickert (British Impressionist painter): "Do come back when you've a little less time to spare."Outwit the Long-Term LodgerIf you don't want to play host for a few days, tell aspiring guests that it will be impossible for them to stay with you, saying, perhaps, "It's just not a good time for me." If you don't mind having someone stay over, be very clear about how long the person is invited to stay: "Make yourself at home, but only through Friday night -- I'm having the living room painted this weekend." Then make arrangements to have the living room painted. Here are some other ideas you might want to try (but probably shouldn't!).

Avoid buying a sofa bed.
Offer guests the floor.
Put a rock under the guest mattress. Or a typewriter.
Make sure the refrigerator is empty, or full of dairy products and turned off.
Tell them your key is hard to use, then change the locks

Shopping
The best time to shop for Holiday stuff is right before the holiday and after, when it is on sale and they are trying to get rid of it.

This set of four salad plates are from Pottery Barn and are all ready discounted. I thought they were kind of cute.

You have to really know who you are if you are going to pull off this look.

This hat is for sale at Hats in the Belfry.

Thanksgiving Day Television Line Up

For me the Thanksgiving always starts with the parades.
NBC is airing the 78th annual Macy’s Day Parade after that there is the Sun bowl parade

I will probably keep the TV on NBC most of the day. They are also airing:
The National Dog Show & Miracle on 34th st

In the evening, you have many good choices.

On ABC, you have Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving

Also on ABC is How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Other choices for the evening are:
FOX is showing Spiderman
NBC is showing a special titled The Seinfeld Story hosted by Jerry Seinfeld

My Thanksgiving
This year it is just Chris and I celebrating Thanksgiving. My family is in Florida and his family is in Oregon. I am sure we will do the round of phone calls to all family members. We decided not to do the hassle of making a whole Thanksgiving spread so we made reservations at one of the restaurants doing a Holiday Dinner. I really like it this way, especially the no clean up part. This also frees up a lot of time to just bum around all day. I am thinking about working on my quilt I started ages ago, it would be nice to finish that so I can use it this winter. On the other hand, maybe I will just do a knitting marathon and see how close to finishing I get on the Weasley Sweater.

I am wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving, and hope yours is filled with laughter and cherished new memories.

Looking for Some Feedback

2004-11-22T05:04:00.000-07:00

Weasley

I worked on the Weasley this weekend. I am 1/4th through the intarsia H. First I started doing the H the Fair Isle way with just one ball of the main color and one ball of the H color. I just weaved the color I was not using through the whole row and pulled it forward when I needed it. After four rows into the chart, I thought it was looking a little too loose in the back so I tried to tighten it loop by loop. That resulted in a mess I could not fix. Therefore, I ripped out those four rows and started over another way. I just started a new ball of yarn each time I changed colors the first row. Making sure, I wrap the old strand around the new color for the first stitch every time I start the next color. Does that make any sense? Anyway, it is working out nicely and I just need to make sure to untangle the five balls of yarn I am using at the end of each row.

Am I the only One?
Does anyone else walk around and suddenly you start changing the words to a song adding knitting in the mix. Like:

If you’re Happy and you know it, knit a sweater
If you’re Happy and you know it, knit a sweater
If you’re happy and you know it, then your knitting will Shirley show it
If you’re happy and you know it, knit a sweater

Or

A knitting we will go, A knitting we will go, Hi Ho the merry O a knitting we will go.

What is wrong with me? I do not even have any kids and these songs pop in my head.

Thanksgiving Decorations

My favorite symbol for Thanksgiving is the Cornucopia. Otherwise known as The Horn of Plenty. The Columbia Encyclopedia states the Cornucopia, in Greek mythology, magnificent horn that filled itself with whatever meat or drink its owner requested. Some legends designate it as a horn of the river god Achelous, others as a horn of the goat Amalthaea. It is often represented as filled with fruits and flowers and has become the symbol of plenty.

For me the Cornucopia means an abundance of good fortune and an abundance of things to be grateful for. It also represents so many things to me. Like the fact that you fill it so full of stuff that it spills out the top and around the sides. It in away breaks all the rules. Like how you are taught to color inside the lines. Keep things neat and tidy. The cornucopia is beautiful in its abundant disarray.

I think it is a perfect centerpiece for the Thanksgiving Holidays.

Here are some ideas

Cornucopia made out of bread

This one is from DIYnetwork and the instructions are here

This one is from Pastrywiz and the instructions are here

My favorite idea is probably this one

It is a fresh flower Cornucopia designed by David Booth. He gave a workshop on how to make these and you can find out more here.
I think I would scale it down small enough to fit in the center of the table. I also would lay it on its side the traditional way. I would also choose fresh flowers in autumn colors.

The thing that is so great about the Cornucopia is you can get creative. There is no standard for which material must be used. Pretty much anything goes. It can be made out of whatever you wish and filled with whatever you desire.

Thank You

I would like to give a shout out to some wonderful Blogs that have a link to my Blog. I am very proud to be listed on each of these and am a frequent reader to all of them.

Hubby, Daddy, Coder, Gamer

Knittikins

Little Purl of the Orient

Lollyknitting Around

Pieces of Life

Princess Papaya Knits

Richardson Zoo

Tangled Threads and Seaweed

Ttbookjunkie knits

Whatever!

I would also like to thank my frequent commentors. Yes, I am talking to you Lisa from knittikins, Lauren from Lollyknitting Around, & Laura from Pieces of Life. I look forward to your comments. THANK YOU

I Would Like some Feedback
I know from my site meter there are many people out there reading my blog, or at least taking a peek. If you could take a minute to give me some feedback on what you think, I would appreciate it. You can always use anonymous to leave a comment if you are shy. It is OK with me.

What do you like about my Blog? What do you dislike?
What things would you like to see more of? What would you rather see less of?
Am I too much or not enough?
I already know I cannot spell so do not bring that one up. 8)

Please feel free to drop me a comment. I read all the comments and appreciate the time you took to write them. THANK YOU!

Last but not Least

2004-11-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

Friday in Vegas

I decided to walk to Caesars today and check out their shopping place. On my way there, I found Sephora.

This is a beauty supply shop I thought was only on the internet. My girlfriend loves shopping on the net in this store. This place was huge. The good part is all the makeup you can try on while you are shopping. I am one of those people that stick with the same make-up that I have used for years and only change when they discontinue the color. Most of what I wear can be found at the drug store. I had fun walking around trying different shades of colors on. I did end up buying a lip-gloss. I also bought this.

Philosophy Holiday Rescue
It has a Double rich hot cocoa 3-in-1 shampoo and a Melting Marshmallow cream body Soufflé’. I must have been hungry at the time I bought it. While others are making someres by the fireside, I will be making them in the bathtub. 8)

Here is a picture of the Mirage. I passed it several times since I have been in Vegas.

It has a whole jungle area that you walk by with waterfalls and such. There is a recording of a wild bird that calls out periodically. They do not turn the recording when it gets dark and it sounds a little odd to hear a bird at night in the trees.

Shopping at Caesars was an experience. You know all the brands advertised in the fashion magazines, well every one of them are at Caesars in their own little store. Here is a list of some of the shops they had: Louis Vuitton, Gianni Versace, Harry Winston, D&G, Dolce & Gabbana, Emporio Armani, Tommy Bahama, Burberry, Christian Dior, Coach, Fendi, Gucci, Kate Spade, Valentino, Tadashi, & Cache’. This place is a husbands worse nightmare. I was way out of my league. I did have fun walking in each of the shops and touching the merchandise. A person could have a heart attack looking at some of the price tags. Later on, I bought a Vogue magazine just to point out all the shops I personal was in.

I did find the perfect shop for me and is now my favorite shop. It is Anthropologie. I loved everything in the shop. It was so me. It had half the store with stuff for the home and the other half was clothing. The clothing was gorgeous. I would wear almost anything from this store. Also I would decorate my entire house with stuff from this store. Awsome! Awesome! Awesome!

I ended up buying two books from Anthropologie.

This one is titled “More from Magnolia Recipes from the World Famous Bakery” by Allysa Torey.
The first line in this cookbook says “a cupcake can change your life”. That sold me. It has great recipes and I love to bake.

The second book is titled “Sweet Serendipity” by Stephen Bruce. This book has dessert recipes from the restaurant Serendipity in NY city. Did you ever see the movie Serendipity starring John Cusack & Kate Beckinsdale. In the movie the two main characters go to this place Serendipity and have dessert.

It is a cute movie. Of course, I have seen it. I love John Cusack. It is not just that. I love the word Serendipity. It means the phenomenon of making fortunate discoveries by accident. In the movie, the two meet by chance and he has love at first sight. She on the other hand believes in fate & destiny. She feels if they truly should be together, they will meet again someday. He does not even know her name.

The dessert restaurant is world famous and if I am ever in NY, I will definitely be stopping there. Until then I can make the recipes at home.

Eventually I was shopped out and walked back to the room to meet Chris. Once we met back up again we still had some time to kill before getting all dressed up for our dinner and show. We went down to the casino to do some more gambling. They had this big sports car lifted above some slot machines where one could play to win the car. We were trying to pick the best one to play when we realized someone had one the car a couple of minutes ago. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! The couple was just sitting there while the people with the casino were giving them the paperwork to sign and telling them where to go pick up there car. That could have been us. Oh Well. We sat down and plugged some money in thinking we might still have a chance to win one too. We did pretty well. Chris one $20 in one spin. We got bored with gambling and went back to the room to change for dinner.

The Reservation

We made reservations at the Empress Court

It was beautifully decorated. Chris ordered a bottle of Merlot for us and I ordered a Peach Martini. Here is a picture of my glasses on the white tablecloth with two dipping sauces the server placed before us.

The Chinese server warned me about mixing my liquor. I told him I was Ok if I drank the Martini first then had the wine with dinner. The servers were great. There was a couple for each table. We ordered the meal thing for two people. This is when all the courses are picked out for you and you both get the same thing but you get to try a bunch of different things. Here was what we had:

Crispy Crab Claws
Minced Squab in Crystal wrap
Seafood wonton soup
Sautéed prawns, walnuts, fresh fruits, with Mayo
Stir-Fried Sirloin, Chicken with Oyster Sauce
Four Seasons Seafood Fried Rice
Mango Ice cream

Afterward Chris and I just sat, talked, and enjoyed the ambience of the room. Here is a picture we took of our selves just holding the camera at arms length.

When we left the restaurant, we had some time to kill before the show. We sat down in the Terrazza Lounge.

I could not believe how sweet the Jazz was in this lounge. Whatever they were, being paid it was probably not enough. I strongly recommend this lounge if you enjoy jazz music.

The Show

My husband bought tickets for us to go and see Celine Dion’s show at the new Caesars Coliseum. The Show is called “A New Day”. We had great seats. The show was amazing. I sat by my husband and on my other side was someone else’s husband whom was dragged to this show. Ha Ha Ha. There was only a couple of awkward moments where I was feeling the music and the two men were not. I did not sing out load though I was curtious in that way so as not to ruin the music with the sound of my voice. I just was not very still in my seat. 8)

Here are two pictures from the show.

Even if there was no music it would have been beautiful to see. The show seemed to end so quickly. It was very good and well worth the price of the tickets. After the show everyone gravitated to the store outside called Celine. It was like when you get done with a concert everyone goes and buys a t-shirt and a CD. Well this was ten times worse. All ages cramed in a tiny store and were lining up to by all things Celine. I managed to grab this CD.

It is her new Christmas cd Titled “These are Special Times”

All good things must end.

That will wrap up my adventures in Las Vegas. Not much else happened after that. We flew home the next day.

This is a picture of Cosmo on my lap while I am on the computer. He has been hanging pretty close since I have been back. He is such a sweetie pie. The girls had a great report card from the ranch. They slept for several days when they got home. They played their little hearts out.

Luck Be a Lady

2004-11-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Now where was I?

Oh Yes! Thursday

I am not sure why I laid down to sleep Wednesday night although I was very tired I did not get much sleep. The bed was soft and all but the pillow was just too squishy. All night I kept checking the clock it is only 2am, it is only 3am, will this night never end. Also saying to my self I hate this bed and loath this pillow. Oh, well what can you do? Finally, Chris got out of bed at 5:45am and went to look out the curtain. I quickly turned on the lights and asked if we could get up now. I told him I did not get any sleep and he suggested the next night to wrap a towel inside the pillowcase with the pillow to make it firmer and bigger. That is my man always coming up with good ideas. Now why did I not think of that last night?

We showered and got ready for the day. Chris had to be at the seminar at 7am to check in. I planned to walk around the canal shops before lunch. I took my time and left the room about 7:30 to go find some breakfast. I planned to go to a tea place I saw last night. They supposedly had over 40 different teas and different drinks. When I got to the place I could not figure out the menu. I was the only one there so I took my time looking. I could not find a list of the teas; I just saw different coffees listed kind of like starbucks. All of a sudden, a group of people came and apparently, there was a place for a line and I was not in it. Ever have one of those moments where everyone else knows what is going on and you do not? Instead of getting inline behind the 8 people that just came in after me I opted to find a different place for breakfast.

I hit a magazine shop and grabbed a Vanity Fair with Leonardo Dicaprio on the cover. I do not think I have ever read this magazine before. When I am on vacation I like to read ones that are different from my usual reading mags just to see if I am missing something. I found a food court and ordered a bagel and a mocha. Sat down and ate and read the magazine. I tried to take my time because I thought it was a little early to start shopping. Once I was done I walked through the canal shops. The shops were closed. Bummer! I asked one of the guards what time they opened and he said 10am. I still had over an hour before 10. I decided to check out the casino. I walked around and finally found some slot machines that were 5 cents. I put a $20 in and spun the wheel twice. I did not like that machine so I cashed out. About 5 nickels fell then the buzzer started to ring and the light was flashing, the machine did not have enough coins to cash me out. HOW IMBARRASSING! I had to sit and wait for the tendent to come and put coins in the machine to pay out my measly amount of change. I apologized and she said it was OK. Now I had my bucked of nickels and moved on to other machines no such luck. But I did manage to stretch the play time out until it was time to go shopping.

Here is a card I picked up at one of the shops

I collect cards. Many I buy for myself because I like the artwork or the picture. Sometimes I put them in frames and put them out as decoration. I liked this one because it portrays Brandy’s personality. Most people think Bassett Hounds just lay around all the time, but they don’t. She is a nut and this picture looks like her when she is having a good time. Some dogs live to please their masters, but not Brandy she lives to please herself.

There were many shops at the Venetian. Some of the shops were Banana Republic, bebe, Burberry, Cache, Kenneth Cole, Lior, Brighton, & Dooney & Bourke. There were many more. I did walk into Jimmy Choo. Just to look at the prices. Unbelievable. I thought about trying on a pair just to take a picture. But I chickened out. I thought it might be tacky since I was wearing socks and I would need to take them off and what if I had sock lint. Trying on $800 sandals with sock lint did not appeal to me. I think secretly I did not want to try them on because I would hate it if I actually liked them.

I did find some things in Ann Taylor. I gravitated towards the sale rack. I bought two shirts like this one.

A white one with mauve pin stripping, & a solid burgundy one. Both were a great price and fit well.

I met Chris for lunch around 12pm. We met at the food court. We each got a slice of pizza. He talked about the seminar and how he was learning a lot about pediatric dentistry. He also talked with another dentist whom has a practice in the Grand Cayman Islands. Wow how cool is that. In order to have a dental practice in the islands you need to be sponsored by another dentist currently living on the island. Basically once a dentist retires he will sponsor a new dentist to buy and take over his practice. I told Chris to give the guy our number. 8) Hey you never know. What would you do if you got a call in 10 to 15 years asking if you want to live and work in the Grand Caymans for awhile. You would say my bags are packed and I am ready to go. A girl can dream. Chris is a little on the shy side so I do not think he took my advice and give the guy our phone number.

After lunch, Chris went back to the seminar and I went to the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum. The current showing was called The pursuit of Pleasure. The paintings and images explored leisure in Western art from the sixteenth century to the early twentieth century. They were showing original paintings from many artists some famous names are Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Vincent van Gogh, & Pablo Picasso.

Here are the two paintings I liked the best out of what they were showing at the museum.

This one is named “A Game of Billiards” and is by the artist Louis Leopold Boilly. It is Oil on Canvas painted in 1807. I like how casual and comfortable it looks. I like how the dogs are around just like they would be at our house. In addition, I like the fact that the women are playing pool along with the men. The mood is comfortable and not stuffy.

This one is named “Winter Landscape” and is painted by Hendrick Avercamp. It is Oil on Canvas painted in 1605. I like how the trees are portrayed in this painting. Although it is winter and they have no leaves, the trees still look fat and jolly. I also like the subtle colors of the painting. I normally am drawn to vibrant colors but the subtleness of these colors makes me feel comforted and gives a homey feel.

After the museum, I was feeling rather, tired so I went back to the room to relax. I lay out on the couch in the suite and realized that it was much more comfortable than the bed. In addition, it had great throw pillows. I thought I might use one tonight to sleep on. Chris was not due out of the seminar for a while so I watched some TV. First, I watched Dr. Phil. What a group of loosers on that show. There was a man that had an affair with a coworker and got her pregnant. He currently wanted to keep both women. Do not get me started. If I were his wife, I would have kicked him to the curb the minute I found out about the affair. After that, I watched Oprah. Big mistake, her show was on tragic stories. I was crying my eyes out. Chris met me in the room after his seminar let out. He took one look at me crying and asked what happened to YOU? I told him Oprah was very sad today.

Chris and I decided to go to the Paris resort to check out their French Buffet for dinner. We had heard good things about it and thought it would be a nice walk to go check it out. I told Chris I should have brought more comfortable shoes because all the walking was making my feet hurt. We decided to go down to the shops and look for a more comfortable pair of shoes for me. We went into a store called footworks. I found this pair of Josef Seibel Mary Janes.

I had never worn or tried this brand before. When I tried it on it felt like a slipper it was so comfortable. My feet were smiling. I love these shoes, and pretty much have worn them every day since I have been back home from Vegas. If you are on your feet a lot I would recommend getting a pair, your feet will thank you.

Once my feet were happy we started to walk the strip towards Paris. This is what it looks like from the outside

We went inside and found Le Village Buffet. It was real cool looking. It reminded Chris and I of Disney World. We were inside and yet it looked like we were outside due to the way they made the walls look like they were outdoor shops. That probably does not make since. Here are some pictures I took while sitting inside at our table at Le Village Buffet.

This was the best buffet I have ever been to. Here is a picture of one of my plate full of food.

I say it is the best because I never made it to all the counters because of the abundance of tasty choices. Everything I tried was great. I started with the Lobster Bisque, it was so good I had to eat the whole bowl. I filled my plate a couple times and was about to bust and knew I would not be able to go for more and ended with a chocolate mousse.

After dinner, Chris and I waddled out of the restaurant and looked around Paris. There was a shop that was all Queen Stuff (the rock band). It said on the outside WE WILL ROCK YOU! Inside I found a t-shirt that I thought was cool. It said NO TIME FOR LOOSERS. You know like the song. If the shirt did not look like a teeny bopper top I might of bought it. Here is a picture of the bathroom sign in Paris. Does anyone else take pictures of cool bathroom signs?

Here is a pictures in the Lobby of Paris.

Fancy Smanshy

We left Paris and started to walk back to our hotel. We walked by the Bellagio hotel and decided to wait for the water fountain show they put on every 15 minutes. While we were waiting a woman started a conversation with us. She asked us if we would like her to take our picture. I set the camera up and told her to push the button. She took about 4 pictures and none of them came out. 3 were blurry blobs and the fourth I was cut out and it was a blurry blob of Chris. Why would someone offer to take a picture out of the blue and do not even know how to take a picture. Why tease us like that. I did take pictures of the water show. Here is one of them.

They played Con Te Partiro (Time to Say Goodbye) by artist Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman, Composer F. Sartori, L Quarantotto Year 1996 length 4:04
It was very moving. Andrea Bocelli is one of those opera singers that can move me to tears. The man is very gifted.

Well I had better rap this up and I will finish my experiences in Vegas in my next post. Still to come more shopping, a fine dinning experience and the Show we went to see.

Home Sweet Home

2004-11-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

Well we made it back from Vegas and lived to tell about it. We were only there a couple of days but one can cram a lot into a couple of days in Vegas.

What Happened in Vegas

We stayed at the Venetian due to the discount we got with the Dental Seminar. This resort is gorgeous. I wish I had taken more photos. Unfortunately, so much was going on at once I kind of lost myself in the moment and forgot to take pictures when I should have. Some times, it is best to just live in the now to soak it all up to get the full affect. I think that people that sit through a show with one eye in a video camera taping the whole event never really experiences the show completely. They have the video to watch over and over but the experience of the live show is lost forever. Anyway moving on.

Wednesday

We got to the hotel a little after 3pm. The suite was awesome. We did not have a view of the strip. We did have a view of a golf course. It was nice to see some green. I changed out of my comfy travel close and into something a little nicer. We headed down to the casino to check it out. My husband brought a book on gambling and read up on playing craps. Once he finally got up the nerve to join a table he gave the dealer $100 for some chips to play. As he handed the bill to the dealer it was like slow motion in my mind as all the beautiful things I could buy with that $100 dollars flashed before my eyes.

Craps was complicated and I still have no idea what was going on and why one would be paid and one would loose their money. A guy rolls the dice and people would groan or clap and cheer and I followed suite. Chris was playing and seemed to know what he was doing. He one a large pay out where the dealer paid him $50 in chips. I quickly grabbed the $50 in chips and stuck them in my pocket. I told Chris that that way if we lost it all we still had half in my pocket. Secretly I planned to grab another big win and put it in my pocket so we would have the whole amount back. Unfortunately we only had small wins until eventually it was gone. That was the last time Chris played Craps.

We moved onto dinner and looked at all the restaurant menus throughout the hotel. We decided to have dinner at the Grand Lux Café.

It was more reasonably priced and the menu had a wide selection. Later I found out that the Grand Lux Café is owned by The Cheesecake Factory line of restaurants. I ordered a peach Martini and the oriental chicken salad. The salad was so good. After eating we walked around exploring the resort. Inside the canal shops there is one of those fake sky ceilings lit up in blue with fluffy clouds. It makes it seem like it is still day time. We were not fooled the first night. We headed back to the room to relax and were in bed by 10pm.

More to Come
Lots more of eating, shopping, walking, the dinner reservation, The Show, & much more.
I am pooped and have a ton of laundry to do. I Will post more soon.

Viva Las Vegas

2004-11-10T04:53:00.000-07:00

Webshots photo of Vegas Strip

Today hubby and I are catching a plane to Las Vegas. I dropped the dogs off at the ranch and they were happy to go play with their friends. I am all packed and ready to go. I checked the temperature and forecast for Las Vegas and it will be around 60 degrees. Even though we are going for a seminar, both Chris and I are looking at this as a little vacation. When we get back, we will have a ton of last minute things to do before opening the dental practice.

I am bringing the book titled The Good Earth by Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck. The story is a graphic view of a China when the last emperor reigned and the vast political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings for the ordinary people. It is about a farmer named Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-lan. I have already started reading the first few chapters. This book reads so smoothly. From the moment I started the first paragraph it was hard for me to put the book down. You just want to know what will happen next. The critic Bookman says, “To read this story of Wang Lung is to be slowly and deeply purified; and when the last page is finished it is as if some significant part of one's own days were over.”

The Yard

Here is a glimpse of my yard this November.

This is my dwarf peach tree with the leaves turning orange and starting to fall off.

This is a bush that came with the house and I moved it to a better location. When it blooms it has these cool red fluffy blooms. I am not sure what the plant is called but I really like it when it starts to bloom. It looks somewhat tropical.

Here is one of my rose bushes still reluctant to stop blooming.

Television
About 90% of the time there is nothing good on television to watch. There are a couple of shows that I do watch. I am a fan of survivor, although I have not been able to get into it this season. I do not like it when they start with all girl and all boy teams. I think it messes up the dynamics of the game. I am a fan of the Amazing Race. I believe the new season will be starting soon.

Another show I like is The OC. I know I am a dork but I look forward to this show every week. I guess it fulfills my need for a soap opera. The people are all beautiful and the majority of the characters are rich, what else could you want in a nighttime soap. There is so much more. The writers on this show are top notch. The dialect between the characters is very witty. If you would like to find out more about the show check out the official website here.

While I am gone

If you need to read something while I am gone. Check out Nathania’s blog Purls Beyond Price. She is currently in the real Italy for two weeks and is posting while she is there. Oh I soo want to go to Italy. Now I can live through her with her trip to Italy.

I plan to be back posting on Monday and tell you all about my trip.

Finished Back onto the front of Weasley

2004-11-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

The Weasley

When I was finishing the back, I had some problems. I do not recommend knitting under the influence of muscle relaxers. I purled a whole row that I should have knitted and did not realize I was doing it until I was 3 stitches to the end of the row. This scares the heck out of me. I am not that skilled with ripping out and getting my needle back on with all the stitches facing the right way. The stitches are small and hard to see with the dark tweed yarn I am using. On the other hand, maybe it is my lighting; I could use better lighting to work under. Anyway I finally ripped it out and got the needle back on then I knitted a couple of rows and realized that I must have dropped a couple of stitches or something and had to rip out a couple of inches. How frustrating. I had one of those moments were I thought to myself It is not that noticeable and it is on the back maybe I should just leave it. But then I thought it must be done right besides I will always know if it is done wrong. I ripped it out and got the needle back on and finally finished the back correctly. Now I am working on the front. I need to get up to 30 cm then I can start the Intarsia H.

Library Book
I checked some knitting books out at the library. One of them is Hand Knits for the Home by Caroline Birkett

I have picked this up over a dozen times this weekend and looked through it. It is a great book. I think I would even recommend it for beginners to learn how to knit because it has great photos and how to sections for each of the stitches used in the patterns. There are only about 3 things I would not make in this book. All the other patterns I would love to make. There is great full-page photos of all the projects and easy to read patterns. I am definitely putting this on my list of must haves. Since I am such a book nut, I have developed certain criteria for buying knitting books. I must want to make several of the items in the book. I have bought books in the past that I did not really look though completely before buying. Once I got it home realized that it was not a great book and I probably would not get much use out of it. This Book Hand Knits for the Home is worth keeping and I am fortunate that I found it at the library and could live with it awhile to know that I want to have one of my own.

Yarn of the Month Club

My November Yarn of the Month package came this weekend. I think the yarn samples are little bigger this time. In addition, I like three out of the four. The package came with a write up about wool & shearing your flock. The pattern this month is a Braided Scarf. The yarn samples are

1.Aurora Bulky by Karabella 100% Extrafine Merino Wool in color #27 ( this is my favorite of the four)
2. Misti Alpaca Worsted 100% Baby Alpaca in color 7238
3. Venezia by Lang 50% Mohair, 50% acrylic in color #011
4. Aura by Trendsetter 100% Nylon in color 8271 (My least favorite of the four)

The Renaissance Craft Fair

We had a great time at the fair. Lots of people dressed up for the time period. Here are some pictures of some of the people.

There were many artisans selling their wares. I picked up this hand soap dispenser from a pottery artisan.

We also found this cool 3-D art to hang on the wall. It is of a Dentist office. How cute is that?

We just sat in the grass under a large tree and ate our lunch. This is the first time trying deep fried Oreos. It sounds strange but they were good. They were also selling rat on a stick. There was a note that said it was really chicken. There were no booths set up with knitting or yarn, but I did see two booths that did weaving. In addition, several that did quilting. I even saw work by someone that does landscape quilting. You can find out more about the Renaissance Craft Fair on the official website right here.

Classical Music

When I think of the Renaissance period I think of the beautiful gowns the woman wore. I also think about the awesome architecture. Lastly, I think of classical music. I must mention my absolute favorite classical piece. First, I will give you a little background. I played the French horn in grade school and the trumpet. I preferred the sound of the brass to the wood instruments. I preferred playing the French horn to the trumpet but it was not easier lugging the big thing on the school bus to bring home to practice. When I was in college I took a music appreciation class. This was a hard class. The exams were a blank sheet of paper and the professor would play a very small excerpt from a piece of music and we had to write down the title and the artist of what she played. Most of it was all classical so you would need to listen hard for what type of instruments were playing and she never played the most memorable part of the song. I really learned a lot about classical music and what I like and do not like.

My absolute favorite classical piece is by Vivaldi named the Four Seasons.

It is actually four pieces. It consists of Spring Summer, Autumn and Winter. Vivaldi is actually from the Baroque era (1600-1750) The Baroque Era was just after the Renaissance Period (1450-1600).If anyone says classical music is boring they have never heard Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. When you listen you will feel it radiating through to your core. It makes you want to glide across the room in a ball gown, or leap across a meadow as the autumn leaves gentle tumble down kissing your cheek. Even now writing about it, the memory of it plays in my head and my heart races in pure excitement. Now that is music.
You can learn more about Vivaldi here at his home page.

Banana Bread and a little R&R

2004-11-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

Banana Nut Bread

I love to bake breads in the fall and winter. Nothing screams banana bread like over ripe bananas. Sometimes I purposely leave to bananas to turn brown just so I have an excuse to make banana bread. Here is a recipe from Gourmet magazine.

2/3 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 very ripe medium bananas
3 oz walnuts, chopped (1 cup)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan.

Mix together milk and lemon juice and let stand until milk curdles, about 1 minute.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined, then beat in bananas until combined. (Mixture will look curdled.)
Add flour mixture to banana mixture alternately with milk, mixing at low speed just until batter is smooth. Stir in walnuts.

Pour into loaf pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of bread comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Cool bread in pan on a rack 20 minutes, then invert bread onto rack. Remove paper and turn bread right side up on rack to cool completely.

Venice Italy photo from Webshots

Up Coming Events

Next Wednesday we are heading to Las Vegas for a couple of days. We are going to a dental seminar. We get to stay at the Venitian on the strip. They are giving the people signed up for the seminar, discounted suites at the Venetian. This will probably be the only time we can afford to stay at this awesome hotel. I hope one day I will be able to go to the real Italy but I think this is going to be the closest I get to it for a long time. I am not much of a gambler. I will probably spend about $20 on the nickel slots and be happy with that. I would rather spend my money shopping then throw it away gambling.

Update on the New Dental Office
We have interviewed and have hired all the staff. We have hired seven employees. They are all very nice and experienced. We are excited that we are so lucky to have found the best bunch of people to work for us. They will report to work after the Thanksgiving Holiday. I cannot wait to get to know them better and to find out if any of them like to knit. :)

We are currently looking at different office furniture. We found some desks we like. They have the option of assembling it for us, but looking at the cost it is much cheaper for us to do it our selves. Since we are just starting out and trying to watch our cost. We will be assembling our selves. Oh Joy, :(

This Weekend
I pulled a muscle in my back this week. I am not sure how I did this or when it happened. All I know is I woke up with feeling of a large rock in my upper back somewhere between my spinal cord and my shoulder blade. I thought it would go away but it did not. I went to the doctors and they gave me two shots in my buttocks and sent me home with some muscle relaxers. They told me to take it easy for a couple of days.

My husband has been great. He actually cleaned the house yesterday. I don’t think he has cleaned the house in at least 2 years. I was very impressed. He even went outside after cleaning the house and mowed the lawn and then fertilized the grass. He did this all on his own initiative. Wow, I am so impressed and grateful for him. When I thanked him and was wondering why he did it. He said it kept his mind off of the stress of the new practice. What ever his motivation was fine with me.

This weekend I plan to get lots of rest and relaxation and of course that means to me lots of TV watching while I knit. In addition, this weekend is the annual Renaissance Festival. This is probably my favorite festival of the year. Everyone gets all dressed up in beautiful gowns and they do plays and have musical entertainment of the time period. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and enjoys the beautiful fall weather because winter is not far away.