Deb's Boring Life

The Perfect Shirt??

2012-01-29T20:22:00.002-05:00

What do you do when you know exactly what you want but can't find it? Make it!

I decided I want to wear the skirt I made at the end of December for a work thing this week, but, I didn't own a shirt to match. I've really been loving the color mustard lately and the skirt had it in the design. So, I decided to try to find something at the mall today. All I could find was this shirt.

They only had it in a 3X but it was on clearance for $4. In other words, it was singing the "Refashion Me" song.

I took the size down quite a bit. The I took the scraps from my alterations and added some pleated ruffles to the top.

Viola!

Here's a close up of the top. I love it and can't wait to wear it with my skirt and mustard colored tights.

Detox continued

2012-01-16T10:17:00.000-05:00

Here I am on Day THREE. Yesterday was a struggle but I made it through. Today is a repeat of Days 1 and 2 but, I am on the eve of Day 4 where my snacks change from the Ginger Carrot Soup (which I'm still digging) to fruit. Three snacks per day consisting of either 1 cup or 1 piece of fruit. I bought Pineapple, Gala Apples, Oranges and a Grapefruit. So, I'm looking forward to part two of this detox. The fruit will make it a lot easier to go back to work on Wednesday and Thursday. I'll only need to prepare my lunch smoothie when I make my breakfast smoothie and take a couple pieces of fruit. That's doable.

I am still only going to the bathroom twice a day, just after the morning and evening Cleansing Rituals. They're normal and I have no gas or stomach pain. I have noticed an increase in the frequency of my peeing (the infamous number 1) though. You'd think it would be due to an increase in drinking, but I am drinking just about the same amount of water and tea as I was pre-detox. Maybe it's from the smoothies or maybe it's just due to the detox process. This is probably why Robert stresses the importance of drinking a lot of water.

I took another Detox bath last night. It was heavenly. There is something to be said about soaking in hot water on a cold winter night. I'm also happy to report that there was no reaction at all with the ingredients, so the night before must have just been my reaction to the intense smell of the ginger. It was very enjoyable last night....almost as comforting as a glass of ginger ale when I have an upset tummy.

As a result of my efforts, I have lost FOUR pounds so far in 2 days. I hope this means I will meet my 10 pound goal by the end. Fingers crossed.

Here it goes...

2012-01-15T16:03:00.000-05:00

And now the cravings start....LOL

I've been living Diet Free for months and find it very easy and never have a problem with wanting to eat more than I should. But after a day and a half of nothing but smoothies, I am craving anything and everything. I just want to chew. I'm doing my best to stay busy so I can't think about it. I'm not hungry at all. I think I just want to eat something savory. The smoothies are like fruit flavored ice cram so craving sweet things is not my problem.

Anyway, onto the experience....

The smoothie recipes that Robert has provided in the booklet are all very yummy. I also really like the Ginger Carrot Soup from Trader Joe's. Added bonus, I found something else I really like and will probably continue eating this after the detox/cleanse is done.

The actual "Cleansing Ritual" isn't as bad as I first thought it was. The very first one I did I used only the 100% Cranberry Juice and was awful. As soon as you swallow, it tastes bad. I love sour stuff, but this isn't sour. I can't put my finger on it, but it's not sour. So, I am mixing it 50/50 with 100% Apple Juice (all from Trader Joe's) and it's now tolerable. I just hope I have enough Apple to continue mixing it for all 6 days. I bought mostly the Cranberry because I have loved absolutely every Cranberry item I have ever tasted.

So now down to the Dirty Details.....after the cleansing ritual....

I thought that I would need to stay close to home because I would be in the bathroom all day, but I am finding that I am only "using the bathroom" twice a day, about an hour and a half after I do the ritual. Maybe the rest of the week will be different but this is what I am finding to be true for the first two days.

Last night I also did a detox bath. It was so relaxing. I figured it would help me detox as much as possible if I took them along with the Detox Drop. I checked with Robert who said it would be safe to do. Everything in the bath is all natural and they have so many extra benefits.

Detox Bath

2 C Epsom salt
2 C Sea Salt
2 C Aluminum Free Baking Soda
5 TB Ground Ginger
1 C Vinegar

Combine all dry ingredients and store in an airtight container. At bath time, add 1 cup of dry ingredients and 1 cup vinegar to hot running water. Soak for 20-40 minutes.

I bought my ingredients at http://www.bulkfoods.com/ and have linked each ingredient above in the recipe. I bought my epsom salt and vinegar in my grocery store. It can be found anywhere and is very inexpensive.

Benefits:

Epsom Salt draws toxins out your body and it's also great for relieving aches and pains. I have been using Epsom Salt in my baths for a few years after my masseuse recommended it to loosen my muscles after working out. It draws out built up lactic acid.

Sea Salt soothes and heals blemishes and open wounds.

Baking Soda balances out an over acidic system, leaving you refreshed and energized. It also softens the skin.

Ground Ginger increases circulations, and aids in the elimination of toxins.

Vinegar soothes and softens dry, itchy skin while balancing the body's pH.

There was a slight reaction of the ingredients when I poured them into the tub, so be sure to leave the door open or turn on a fan. It wasn't noxious but it sure helped clear up my lungs. LOL

Taking Control of my Health

2012-01-14T10:05:00.001-05:00

If you're following my blog for the refashioning ideas or knitting, I apologize ahead of time. Please indulge me for a few days. I am going to blog my way through a Detox/Cleanse with brutal honesty since I can't seem to find anywhere online where others have and I think you need to be informed if you are going to do one.

Today I am beginning Robert Ferguson's Diet Free Life, Detox Drop (click on the pic to go to his online store if you're interested).

Robert suggests that you do a Detox as often as once per Season or Quarter. I am excited to feel the results of this since this is my first one ever. I expect to lose between 5-10 pounds and rid my body of toxins that have built up over 40 years of living in a polluted world. There is an excellent article located here that I suggest you take the time to read if you have not considered the health benefits of a Detox before now.

If you don't know me personally, you may not know that I have been struggling with digestive problems for years. I was diagnosed with IBS back in the mid 90's and had a bad bout with my Gall Bladder during Christmas 2009 that landed me in the hospital for 9 days over the holidays. It got really bad because I ignored it for months on end because I simply thought the symptoms were due to the fact I was not living a healthy lifestyle. Then I had a mystery illness that lasted 6 weeks during March and April 2011. I had stomach bug symptoms once a week for 6 weeks. Each time I got sick, it felt as if the food I had just eaten was just sitting at the top of my stomach and that my system was backing up. Eventually I started taking a pro-biotic which helped the process of digesting work correctly and I haven't been sick since. But, I still feel as if my body is not working the way it should and I always feel yucky.

So, here I am about to start a Detox/Cleanse that will reboot my system and help cleanse my liver which I know isn't healthy (I was also diagnosed with fatty liver when I went through my gallbladder ordeal in 2009). The bottom line is I feel like I imagine the participants of "The Biggest Loser" feel after they have been seen by the show doctor who tells them how sick they are. I need to take control of my health and the time is NOW.

Along with the Detox Drop products, Robert includes a booklet with instructions, a shopping list and recipes for protein smoothies/meals you can enjoy during the 3 or 6 day Detox. Just about everything you need can be found at Trader Joe's. If you do not have one nearby, the items can probably be found in your local supermarket or online. The list consists mostly of 100% organic juices with no additives, protein powder, frozen/fresh fruit and either Ginger Carrot soup from Trader Joe's or ingredients to make the one Robert shares a recipe for in the booklet (If you follow the one with the meal program, you'll need additional foods).

I am doing the 6 day Detox to get the full benefits of the program and will give a recap here of the previous day along with how I felt and what I experienced.

China Shirt Refashion

2012-01-02T13:12:00.000-05:00

I bought this shirt/tunic/mumuu/whatever-the-heck-it-is in Beijing when I went to China in April. The colors grabbed me, but once I got home and tried to wear it, I looked ridiculous. I tried tucking it in and that worked ok, except there as sooo much excess fabric that it made it a pain in the butt when I needed to use the bathroom and needed to tuck it back in several times a day. Plus, it looked like a huge shirt would look when it was tucked in.....unflattering.

So, it hid in my closet for months until I finally tossed it into my Refashion pile and tackled it today.

A web search turned up this pretty Butterfly Shirt from etsy (link to shop under pic). It is also a refashion, and fit the vision I had for this shirt from the moment I bought it.

Butterfly Shirt

First I took in the sides a little bit and trimmed off a few inches from the bottom. Then I cut off the sleeve area turning it into more of a tank top. I hemmed all of the new edges and the sleeves. Then I sewed a couple of gathering stitches. I ruffled the sleeves as I pinned them onto the shoulder area. Finally, I shirred the bottom using elastic thread.

Let me know what you think!

Skirt Refashion

2012-01-02T00:10:00.000-05:00

Once again, I forgot to take a before picture. Ugh!

Imagine a very ugly black skirt that fell somewhere between the ankle and the knee with back pockets. It wasn't very flattering so I never wore it. But for some reason, I held onto it.

My refashions up until now have been on clothes I found at Thrift stores or eBay. So, it was time to refashion something out of my own closet.

I love it now! I cut it just above the knee and added the ruffle so it will fall just at or below my knees. It looks exactly how I planned it.

I took the excess fabric I removed and cut it in two. I then sewed it together so it was twice the old circumference. I hemmed both sides before sewing a gathering stitch and pulling it into a ruffle. Once it was back to the original size it was easily reattached to the bottom of the skirt. Such an easy update.

Satiny Blouse Refashion

2012-01-01T23:52:00.000-05:00

I had a different plan for this shirt when I bought it on eBay. I found another idea on Pinterest after I got it in the mail.

I keep forgetting to take a before pic on my refashions. As you can see, I remembered it on this one just after I began cutting.

I followed the tutorial on the Viola & Pearl blog. Excellent instructions. My shirt came out fabulous.

I flipped the shirt around so it would button up the back and removed the sleeves. I made the ruffles from the sleeves. Rather than serging my edges, I hemmed them.

The pictures are a bit deceiving. It's not as shiny as it looks. It's a satiny material so the flash was reflected back at me.

Dress to Skirt and shirt - Refashion

2011-12-31T18:05:00.001-05:00

I saw this cute dress in Savers and immediately saw it's potential. The bottom of it was screaming SKIRT to me and it was wide enough to make one to fit me where the dress would have been way too small.

I laid the dress out and cut the bottom off leaving just enough to sew a gathering stitch where I could adjust the width to fit my waist and attach it to some wide elastic.

This was so simple to do, I don't think I am even need to explain it. Now I can't wait until spring so I can wear it!

So as to not waste anything, I hemmed the bottom of the top portion and turned it into a cute summer top for my daughter. It fits her perfectly. (bad photo, the color is all wrong)

Denim Tie-Neck - Refashion

2011-12-31T17:53:00.000-05:00

While searching the web for a black and white polka dot tie-neck blouse, I came across this picture of a denim version and fell in love. But, it cost $67 and I refuse to pay that much for a shirt.

So...what do I do? I make my own! I knew I had a couple of very old man-shaped denim shirts in my closet left-over from sadder fashion days.

I didn't take any photos of the shirt before, but I'm sure you get the idea. They were loose and boxy and not very fashionable. They were also a very light chambray color and I wanted my shirt to be darker like my inspiration photo.

I bought some RIT dye in Denim and dyed them before I started cutting. I'm not in love with the color that came out but it's livable.

First, with my hand dandy seam ripper, I removed the collar from the shirt I would use as the base. The only other alterations I made to that shirt was to give it a more feminine shape.

From the second shirt, I cut what would become my bow. I took off the front pockets and sewed all around them and the ties with Coats Dual Duty Denim Thread which is the gold color we're all familiar with from our favorite Levi's.

I then attached them to the shirt and was done.

Can you say OMG??? Boot Refashion

2011-12-28T22:53:00.000-05:00

I am loving this! Who knew refashioning could be so fun? I am building the cheapest, unique, and most awesomest wardrobe in the world!

While we were shopping at Saver's the other day, I was looking for pumps that I could glitterfy (see earlier post). My search was very narrow, so I thank GOD my oldest daughter was with me and pointed out these boots. Once I came out of my high-heel-fog, my mind started spinning with possibilities. They had so much potential.

When I got home, I dug through my fabric stash for something with enough yardage to cover the boots and enough personality to deliver on my vision.

I settled on this pink, orange and white polka dotted fabric without even realizing it would match my cardigan refashion I started the same night.

I started out by adding pieces of newsprint to the boots in order to make a pattern to cut out the fabric. I sectioned it out so that I would have separate pieces of fabric for each side and another for the top/front of the boot. I taped pieces of paper together to get the best coverage and used a razor knife to trim it to the right size and shape.

After the boot was covered with the paper, I carefully removed it and transformed it into a flat shape which I pinned to my fabric. Both sides of each boot were the same, so I only used one template and cut both pieces from the fabric at the same time with wrong sides together (giving me mirror images). See below for what it looked like before I cut.

I then used Modge Podge to adhere the fabric to the boots and used my handy dandy razor knife to trim it to fit perfectly. If you try this, work fast so that the modge podge remains wet while you pull and slide the fabric into place. My fabric also stretched a bit as it absorbed the modge podge and made it easier to form fit. I cut slits on the front piece so that I could layer it and mold it into a rounded shape over the toe.

After the fabric was on, I painted more modge podge over the entire surface to "seal" it and painted the back strip and areas near the laces with Martha Stewart orange glitter paint which allowed the black to show through and gave it a refreshed and professional look. I then allowed the boots to dry completely overnight (at least 24 hours) and then sprayed them with Plaid Royal Coat Spray Finish which made them shiny and gave them further protection from the elements.

drumroll please..........

Can you say $9.99 Doc Marten/John Fluevog knock offs? I knew you could.

See below for some more boot porn.

Faaaaaaaabulous! Shoe Refashion

2011-12-28T22:18:00.001-05:00

Here are a pair of booooooring tan pumps I bought at Savers for $6.99.

They went from this....

To this....

All it took was some Modge Podge and some glitter. You'll definitely want to seal them to keep the glitter from falling off with every step. I used Plaid Royal Coat High Gloss Finish Spray which I found at Michel's in the glue section. Be sure to buy a high gloss sealer so the glitter isn't dulled.

Aren't they FABULOUS??

Cardigan Refashion

2011-12-27T22:20:00.001-05:00

When I went to Saver's yesterday, I bought this pink cardigan for $5.99 and also bought an orange table runner.

I removed the lace from the table runner and added it to the sweater along with a ruffle I made out of the main piece. I am LOVING it!

Christmas Refashion

2011-12-25T21:54:00.001-05:00

Last week, I decided to take a stab at recreating the Corporate Zip Top from the Brassy Apple Blog but I wanted mine to be a Christmas shirt. So, I dug out this great, red plaid, men's, button down shirt I picked up at the Salvation Army.

Here is a picture of the sleeves after I cut them to the length I wanted and then gathered them and sewed a band on to neaten them up. I can't even begin to try to explain how I did it because I just winged it. But, basically, I put the shirt on and cut them to a length about 2 inches shorter than I wanted them to be. I cut two strips about 4 inches wide, and long enough to circle my biceps and sewed each of them into a ring. I then folded it in half so use as a 2 inch cuff and pinned the gathered edge of the sleeve inside of the doubled edge being sure to keep all of the raw edges inside to make it nice and neat. Then I just sewed around the circumference of each sleeve. I can try to draw a diagram of what I did and upload it if anyone needs help recreating it.

I don't know why I thought a shirred bodice would look good on my body, but somehow I made myself believe it and went through all of the trouble to make it only to resign myself to the fact that I will have to wait until next Christmas when I WILL BE at least 20-30 pounds lighter (you heard it here first) to wear it.

If you decide to make this shirt, be sure to buy 2 - 20 inch zippers for the ruffles and 1 30-40 inch zipper for the collar. The instructions just say 60 inches. It doesn't say how it will be divided up. Each ruffle is about 10 inches long before it is gathered and there are 4 ruffles.

Living Room project

2011-12-23T22:26:00.001-05:00

I've been working on my living room on and off for the past several months. I bought the roman shades I had always wanted and a TV stand at IKEA.

I decided that I had dusted enough so I took everything off of the walls and started painting design instead. Now I have a living room like no one else.

This is hand drawn and painted. Quite a lot cheaper than those wall decals.

Indian Sari Refashion

2011-12-21T17:16:00.002-05:00

Last year I was browsing through my local thrift store, Savers, and found the most beautiful Indian Sari. I knew I would never wear a Sari nor was I a size 2, but I was drawn to the fabric and just couldn't leave it behind. It had a really cool design on the edge that made me think of a tunic I had seen somewhere before so I decided to buy it with plans to transform it into a tunic.

I searched the web for a tunic pattern and finally found The Schoolhouse Tunic.

Recently, I caught the sewing bug again (thanks to my china raincoat project) and have been scouring the web for ideas to upcycle or refashion items in my closet or items I find at thrift stores. Finally jumping into this project felt intimidating but I really wanted to make something unique that no one else would have (which is most of my style).

I ripped the seams out of the tunic and laid it out on my dining room floor. No matter how I moved the pattern pieces around, I could not get it to all fit on so I decided to make it a size smaller. Still, it seemed hopeless getting the pieces laid out. I said a small prayer, shuffled them around again and voila! The only way to make the puzzle pieces fit, lined up the neckline of the tunic right on the edge pattern that had inspired me to do a tunic in the first place.

Here is a picture of my adorable youngest daughter modeling it for me (since it is now my new weight loss goal so I can fit into it myself).

I had to do seams in the middle of the back pieces because the fabric wasn't wide enough, but I think it looks like it was supposed to be made that way. I LOVE it!

Amy Butler Rainy Days Hooded Raincoat

2011-12-20T20:13:00.000-05:00

I made this raincoat back in April to bring with me to China when I couldn't find a raincoat that suited my personality. It was my first time sewing with laminated fabric. I'm in love with the finished product but I have to say, it messed up my machine. I had to have it serviced/cleaned before I could use it again and of course it stopped working before I was done so I had to use a friend's machine to finish it in time for the trip.

If you decide to make one, I suggest googling "tips for working with laminated fabric" before starting.

Work in progress

2011-12-05T21:42:00.001-05:00

Can't afford those pricey wall decals? Paint your own!

I'll post updated pics when it's done.

WOW! I can't believe I never blogged about China. Sorry!

2011-11-28T19:50:00.000-05:00

I'll start with Beijing where we began our journey and spent the first three days. The city was very dirty and the smells were hard to get used to, but the history there is overwhelming and we enjoyed it very much.

The food was amazing. We had heard that it was nothing like here in the States, and they weren't kidding. I'd go back just to have the food again. We ate everything with chopsticks and had no problem adjusting. They did have forks, but we wanted to enjoy the whole experience.

The highlight of the trip was our day at the Great Wall of China. It was a bit overwhelming and the gravity of the "situation" didn't hit us until we were back on US soil. We had the Holt Sh!t moment, WE WERE STANDING ON THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA!

I think the reason it didn't hit us when we were there is because it seemed so touristy which detracted from the experience a bit. We even went to one of the lesser visited parts. If I never hear, "Lady, Lady $1. For you, lady lady $1", again I will be all set. LOL (the walk up and back was lined with vendors selling their wares).

The second day in Beijing we went to the Forbidden City. There were so many people there. It was awesome but wasn't what I was expecting. No one is allowed inside the buildings and it was hard to see in through the windows and doorways due to the amount of people there. But, still, knowing that I was standing in the same spot and many former Emperors or Empresses was cool.

Later in the day we took a tour through a Hutong which is a small neighborhood comprised of alleyways and courtyard homes. They are a slowly disappearing due to the fact the goverment is working hard to modernizing Beijing.

The food was amazing, but we still had to venture into McDonald's to see what was up. There weren't too many surprises other than the fact they put an egg on their chicken sandwich and they have dark meat chicken rather than the white meat Americans demand.

After the Hutong tour, Abby got an impromtu Chinese Calligraphy lesson. It was one of the highlights of the trip.

Below is what the Chinese know as Snake Wine. The (venomous) snake is alive when it goes in and yes they DO drink it. It is attributed to their health and longevity.

One of the last places we visited was the Olympic Site.

We also visited Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven.

And finally, no trip to Beijing is complete without Peking Duck. We ate at Dadong Roast Duck and it was AMAZING (it's hard to describe anything related to this trip without using the word Amazing!!)

Xi'an and the Soft Sleeper fiasco

2011-11-28T19:49:00.001-05:00

Whoever said three cities in 9 days was doable is insane...oh wait, that was me. LOL

Seriously, if I was a well seasoned traveler or was traveling with a group (including someone else to help with the responsibilities of getting us where we needed to be) it could be ok. But, I was NOT expecting the stress of handling all of this myself and have decided it was the stress of planning the trip that caused all of my sickness during the months preceding the trip.

How do I know this? BECAUSE I GOT SICK ON THE TRIP TOO and didn't get sick again after we were back home. When did I get sick? Oh, just the worst possible time...on the overnight train to Xi'an. I thanked God for opening the doors that caused me to book a private room with a bathroom, although it was much more expensive. I was so sick all night. I don't know what I would have done in a room with strangers and a bathroom down the hall.

The room was cool. The beds were hard as a rock, but I wish I could have enjoyed the experience more. There was no time for enjoyment. I just wanted it to be over. TWELVE HOURS, with a bad stomach on a train is not what I would recommend to anyone.

But, here is the cool room and the scene of the crime.....

Poor Abby was exhausted after just three very busy days and didn't get much sleep on the train with me being sick. She sure was a trooper though!

We stayed in a beautiful hotel in Xi'an but missed a whole day of our planned itinerary. I stayed in bed and Abby watched movies on HBO (only channel with English) and ate room service all day. I never heard a complaint. LOL

Unfortunately, the part we missed included the Dumpling Banquet and the show. We could have gone on Day 2 after we crammed in everything else, but I still wasn't feeling great and the thought of stuffing myself with Dumplings was not appealing at all and Abby wasn't hard to convince (she was overwhelmed and exhausted).

Here are a few of the room service meals Abby enjoyed (to a total of $100 for the day! and all I got was some toast and a sprite)

And yes, I am posting this on the world wide web. This is what planning and executing a trip to China by yourself with the most precious cargo looks like...there was no room for a mistake.

Here is the part of the bathroom I wish I got to enjoy....

Here is the part of the bathroom, I actually got to "enjoy".....

On the second day in Xi'an, we went to the Shaanxi Museum and the Terracotta Warriors which made up for the whole horrible ordeal on day one.

As for the Terracotta Soldiers, there is nothing more I can say other than WOW.

This last picture shows that although they have excavated thousands of soldiers, there are still thousands more to uncover....

I recommend doing some online research about these if you don't know the story. It's simply amazing and unbelievable how old they are and why there are there.

I'm not much of a museum person, but the real reason we went to China was so Abby could learn about the culture. There is no better way to learn about a people then to see their history and this is found in Museums. She thoroughly enjoyed this part of the trip and it made me happy to give that to her.

Yes, these are REAL gold pieces....

Before we headed back to the hotel, we went to the Dyan Pagoda (or Big Wild Goose Pagoda).

This was built to store ancient Buddhist manuscripts that were brought back to China from India via the Silk Road.

It is still used today.

If I have the chance to go back to China, I will definitely make sure I get back to Xi'an. We missed so many things that we wanted to see (ancient wall, bell tower, Tang Dyansty show and Dumpling Banquet).

Last stop, Shanghai....

Shanghai.....my favorite city in the world!

2011-11-28T19:48:00.000-05:00

I say it is my favorite city and that is comparing it to London, NYC and Chicago. The energy was awesome. I couldn't get enough of it.

There isn't much history to find in Shanghai since the city is modern in comparison to the other cities we visited. We did visit the Jade Buddha Temple though.

Outside of the temple was the most beautiful pond filled with Koi.

All of my complaints about touristy things in Beijing were out the door in Shanghai. I just had to go on the Tourist Tunnel. It was this single train car that you stood up in that travels underneath the river from the old side of Shanghai to the new side. The tunnel is lined with lights and they strobe so that it feels like you are in some sci-fi movie. Tacky but fun.

One on the other side, we walked around and looked at the buildings. There isn't much to do over there, but we wanted to go over just to walk around. Below is the TV tower.

On the old side of the river, some parts of the city seem to be stuck in a time warp.

Laundry day?

The homes must be small. This kitchen is outside. I can just imagine how expensive it is to live within the city, though.

The best part for me, though, was the way the city lit up at night.

Even the elevated highway was lit underneath with neon lights.

Even with all of the modern elements, we still found some beauty. This garden was so gorgeous. One thing the Chinese get right, for sure, is their gardens. sigh

Outside of these gardens is this tea house (Huxington Tea House). It sits in the middle of a pond and the only way to get to it is on a zig-zag bridge which was built that way because the undead (zombies) can only walk in a straight line and they wanted to keep them out. No tea for you!

Once again, I have food pictures. We had the most amazing meals in Shanghai.

Here are some shrimp dumplings that were so delicate and so tasty. Above is fried pork which was one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted.

Below are dry-fry string beans. Yep, they're smothered in pork, just how I love my string beans. LOL

Below is bread and butter which sounds normal, but this is China people. I don't do anything normal. I don't know why, but this was extra yummy too!

The best meal experience we had the whole trip was when we went to eat Xialongbao (show long bow - short o on show and bow)

Xiaolongbao are dumplings that contain broth. You have to nibble them and drink the broth before eating or you will scald your mouth. They are very flavorful and I would love to find somewhere in the US where they make authentic ones.

The sauce they give you to dip stuff in is not soy sauce as most people think. It is some sort or vinegar and it is really good. I wish I knew what kind it was so I could buy some to use at home.

When walking to get lunch we happened upon this fully functional clear plastic car. Isn't it cool?

This is our guide in Shanghai. She was so sweet and we felt so comfortable with her. It was so hard to say good bye. Hopefully we'll see each other again.

This is the view I had for most of our visit in Shanghai. In China, friends loop arms and walk together. It's just the normal way to bond and spend time together. Nice custom.

I have millions more pictures but can't post them all. I hope you enjoyed the update. Sorry it took so long to post.

Plain ole Mittens

2011-11-19T09:33:00.000-05:00

I knit these during the freak October Blizzard that crippled the northeast. We lost power and were without for NINE days. Since there was nothing to do that required electricity, I knit every night through the ordeal and since it was dark early, I needed to knit something simple that I could do by candlelight. I have a bunch of crappy Lion Brand yarn that I bought before I knew better and the kids couldn't find mittens to use while shoveling our way out. So, I knit these as basic utility mittens for one of them. I have some more yarn and plan to knit another pair for my other kids.

Did I forget to say that I'm going to China?

2011-03-08T19:16:00.002-05:00

Yep. I get to knock off a BUNCH of the foods and fruits on my "Bucket List". And since China was never one my bucket list, going there is BONUS!

I'll be posting info here now that we are on the last 37 days of the countdown.

Now we get to prepare for the big day!

Yarn Crawl Sweater

2011-02-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

I'm so lame, I didn't even take a picture of this complete sweater. LOL

My favorite part is the sleeves anyway. They are striped with two different Noro colors. I used Noro Silk Garden in colors 276, and 311.

I called this Yarn Crawl Sweater because I found it while on the first North Shore Yarn Crawl (MA North Shore). The owner of Yarns in the Farms yarn store designed the sweater and was wearing it the day of the Crawl.

The sweater is knit so there is no back or front so you can wear it either way. I used Dream in Color Classy for the body. One side is done in Ruby River and the other side is done in Happy Forest (which is my favorite color of all greens in the world). I'll try to remember to take a picture and come back here to add it.

My Thrify Dining Room table

2010-12-31T21:24:00.000-05:00

Who needs a new Dining Room table? Just make yours more awesome like I did. I bought broken Mexican tiles from a place in New Mexico. I paid as much for shipping as the tiles cost but I saved something from the landfill and have a unique table. Even if someone else uses my idea, their table could never be exactly the same as mine. It makes me happy! :)

Jester Hat

2010-12-15T09:18:00.000-05:00

I knit this hat in about 2 days so I had something fun to wear to our work Holiday party. The party was held at Wachusett Mountain and offered skiing, snowboarding, skating and sledding/tubing.

Since it's been eons since I last skied and I am so out of shape, I stuck to tubing. It was so lame. The distance was very short and it wasn't very steep. So it could have been better. Local sledding is more fun than that was. The ice skating was lame too. The ice area was smaller than my living room. But, it was still a fun night. We had a couple drinks, ate some good fun and laughed. What more could a girl need?

Wollmeise for CHINA!!

2010-12-07T17:26:00.004-05:00

I haven't taken the time to post much in the past year, but I have some exciting news. My daughter takes Chinese in school and in April they are going to China and she is fortunate enough to be able to go. We have been working hard to raise the money to be able to afford it and need quite a bit more before mid-January.

To help raise the remaining money we need, I've decided to have a silent auction. Up for bid are 3 separate skeins of gorgeous Wollmeise sock yarn. Your bid is for one color. If you wish to bid for more than one, please send the bids in separate emails.

The first skein is Turkis und Karneol in 80/20 Twin

Second up is Wellensittichvogelfeder, also in 80/20 Twin

and finally, Sultan in 100% Merino Superwash.

Please email your bid to debberooni at gmail dot com. Please include the color you wish to bid on so I can keep everything straight. Once I close the bidding and notify the winners, I will post here to let everyone know and will get the yarn mailed out the next day.

Thanks for helping us and good luck!!

Green and Orange Socks

2010-11-22T09:14:00.000-05:00

I saw these socks on Ravelry and loved them so much I knit them with the same colors. Green and Orange are my two favorite colors (along with the rest of the 64-pack Crayon Box!!) The sock pattern is just a basic pattern and the orange stripes are added with crochet after they are finished.

New glasses

2010-11-03T17:50:00.002-05:00

A bit much? LOL maybe with the right outfit.

These are a bit tamer. The rounded shape is something new for me though.

Pusteblume Socks (Dandelion Socks)

2010-10-25T09:01:00.000-05:00

I saw a pair of these socks on Ravelry. When I contacted the knitter to find out what pattern it was, she let me know it was her own design and would love to share it, however it was only written in German and she didn't know English well enough to translate it herself.

LIGHT BULB moment

I took German in High School and although I was fluent and didn't learn any knitting terms, I know the language enough to be able to translate it using an online translator.

I rewrote the pattern in my own style as I knit them and returned it to the designer. If you want to knit them, the English version can be found here.

Exciting News

2010-10-14T18:04:00.004-05:00

I have been accepted into Knitpicks Independent Designer Program. The first two patterns they have chosen are Crop Circle socks and my peeps socks which have been renamed as Marshmallow Bunnies. They are ready to go up for sale. I am hoping they will be up there sometime next week and I will post here when it is official.

They are also interested in Boogie Wunderland Socks and Shamrock Shenanigan Socks. I'll be knitting them up in Knitpicks yarns and sending them in for final review as soon as I can get them knit.

Below are the pictures they took for their website and/or the catalog (if they choose to spotlight them) of the first two patterns.

Marshmallow Peeps Socks aka Peeps Socks

2010-09-25T08:58:00.000-05:00

I finally finished the second sock for my Peeps Sock design. These socks are so kitschy and are my pride and joy out of all of my designs. It makes me so happy knowing they bring a smile to anyone who sees them.

Blood Orangina

2010-08-22T08:52:00.000-05:00

I knit this sweater during an uninspired time of my life. And so it was named the "Two Row a Week Sweater". I put myself on a yarn diet and did not allow myself to buy any yarn. In order to do that, I had to remove the temptation so i didn't browse any knitting sites or go to any yarn stores. My knitting took the hardest hit. All of my mojo went out the door.

I finally finished it and I have gotten my mojo back. The name of the pattern is "Orangina" so since I knit mine in red yarn, I dubbed it Blood Orangina. It's knit with Rowan RYC Cashcotton 4-Ply and it's wonderfully soft.

My Bucket List

2010-07-25T19:58:00.004-05:00

Things I want to do before I die:
Skydiving
Scuba Diving
Hawaii
Germany
Italy (especially Rome and Venice)
California, especially San Francisco and San Diego
Colorado
Texas
Oregon
Seattle
Montreal
Cape Cod
Block Island
Martha's Vineyard
Montreal
Grand Canyon
Mount Rushmore

Things I have accomplished and places I have traveled:
driven my own snowmobile (I want to do this as an adult. Haven't since I was a kid)
fishing with my Dad and Grandfather
ice fishing
ice Skating
smelting (tiny fish)
Disney World
Canada
Niagara Falls (both sides)
NYC (several times)
water skiing
snow skiing
Washington D.C
Joined the Army:
Flown in a helicopter
Shot an M16, M60, LAW, AT-4, Beretta, .38 revolver, Colt 45
Thrown a live grenade
crawled under razor wire with live rounds flying a few inches above me
Driven a Humvee down a severely steep incline and through a lake

Atlanta (1992-1995)
Stone Mountain, GA
Flown across the Atlantic (@2000)
London and Newcastle Upon Tyne in England (@2000)
Scotland (@2000)
Cancun Mexico (July 2001)
para-sailing
snorkeling
riding a wave-runner
Chicago (July 2010)
IKEA!!! (finally! July 2010)

Foods I want to try:
Mangosteen
Jicama
Yucca
Rutabaga
Alligator
Frog legs (eww right?)

Foods I have eaten:
smelts
fried seaweed
escargot
caviar
sushi
kumquats (yummmmm)
papaya (bland - not a favorite)
persimmon (pretty good)
cactus pear (eh....it was ok, watery and bland)
asian pear (label also called it a Korean Pear) - (this was very good. Crisp and VERY juicy)
ugli fruit (nice citrus fruit)
Blood orange (another nice citrus fruit)
lychee
pomegranate - YUMMMMM and so much fun to eat
mango (my all time favorite fruit!!!)
rhubarb
fried pickles

I'll update this often. Please feel free to comment or give your suggestions. If you decide to do this, please link back to me and let me know!

Friends for a reason, friends for a season or friend for life?

2010-06-28T18:31:00.004-05:00

An online friend just made me think of this poem so I thought I would share it. If I have ever called you friend, or still do, thank you for what you have given me along the way.

(dedicated to FOUR OF THE BEST FRIENDS I have ever had; Tammy and Mary Alice, because you are crazy enough to drive to Chicago with me with no plan in mind, just because I want to and Jenn and Lexi because you love me, despite my faults!!!!)

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Unknown

So, there, Jenn you BIG BABY! snort

Summer Cardigan

2010-06-13T08:46:00.000-05:00

When i saw this in a Bergère de France ad in a knitting magazine, I HAD to knit it. It was hard to get the pattern and the yarn as well as very expensive. But I LOVE it. It's so whimsical and anything that is orange is ok with me!

Beaded Curtains

2010-04-25T13:27:00.002-05:00

I finished another design, motivated by the "Socks Revived Design Contest" on Ravelry. I'm calling it Beaded Curtains because it reminds me of the Beaded Curtains that were all the rage back in the 70's.

The yarn used is Wollmeise in colorways Sabrina and Wasabi. This was the first time I have knit with my Wollmeise and I love it! Great base!!

I'd love to receive some feedback.

More Wollmeise

2010-02-20T13:17:00.004-05:00

I bought a grab bag from Wollmeise in Germany on 2/6 and it came today!

The grab bag was called kunterbunt which basically means that it is a variety of colors that don't match. I bought two bags today called Gemischt which means they will contain colors that coordinate and I also scored a Lila bag which will contain shades of purple.

The colors from left to right are Indisch Rot (Spiralen); Honigtöpfchen; Mistelzweig; Krauterbeet; Versuchskaninchen (but only has blues)

Twinkle, Twinkle Socks

2010-02-18T08:36:00.000-05:00

This pattern was a pain in the butt to knit and they sat unfinished for quite awhile. I love the finished product though. The name of the color is "Elvis has left the building". LOL

Just finished another sock design

2010-01-29T13:50:00.001-05:00

Here is a sneak peek of my new sock pattern. As soon as I can snap pictures for it, I'll be putting it up for sale. what do you think?

Lush and Lacy Cardigan

2010-01-27T08:31:00.000-05:00

I worked on this sweater for a very long time. It was one of the toughest patterns to follow and was nine pages long. It was an easy knit, but it was hard to keep track of the repeats. I think knitting this sweater should come with a Champion trophy in knitting. I applaud anyone who takes on the challenge.

Once the sweater was done, I decided I hated the color so I dyed it red. I have put it away for the day when I can fit into it since I gained quite a bit of weight after I cast on for it quite some time ago.

Amazing what you can do when you have a lot of time on your hands...

2010-01-11T18:42:00.006-05:00

I cast on for this Cardigan on January 2nd and finished knitting it last night. I finished seaming it up this morning and now just have to block it. Now I plan to go and finish up some unfinished projects. My life right now; knitting, bad daytime television and facebook. Ugh! I can't wait to feel better and get back to my life.

Estuary Socks

2010-01-04T08:23:00.000-05:00

Here is another design of mine. I've named them Estuary Socks because they have rocky cliffs on one side and wavy plains on the other with waves of water go through the middle out to the sea. (poetic right? LOL)

If you like the pattern, you can find a link to purchase it at the top right hand corner of the page.

Long time no post!

2010-01-03T16:07:00.002-05:00

Wow! I just realized how long it has been since I have posted on my blog. I'll just blame it on Facebook. It is a huge time suck!!

I am off my feet again for a little while with a lot of spare time, so I thought I would take a few minutes to update anyone who might still be following me.

I've been sick off and on over the past year and had no idea why. I just seemed to feel bad after eating quite often and missed quite a few days from work over the year because of it. I always felt like my food was stuck and was not digesting and couldn't pin point it to any one type of food. I didn't feel nauseated or anything but would make myself sick to get the food out since it seemed like it wasn't go to go the other way any time fast. (blech - sorry!). Well, these episodes started too include pain that would last for hours. I had a bad one about 3 weeks ago but the pain went away and I was able to fall asleep finally, so I still didn't tell my Doctor about it. The "episodes" were always spread pretty far apart so when I got another one a week later compiled with the fact that the pain was more intense and had lasted for over 7 hours, I called my Doc at midnight to ask her advice. I got in touch with her associate who told me to get the ER because it sounded like my gall bladder and she was concerned that it might burst. WHO KNEW!!

So, Fred brought me to the ER and they ushered me right in. They did an EKG because I guess sometimes heart attacks mask themselves as abdominal pain in women (another who knew!), they drew blood for tests and they did an ultrasound on my gall bladder. In the ultrasound they found tons of gall stones which I guess most people have without being bothered and my blood work came back showing that my gall bladder was inflamed and infected, so they admitted me.

After about 36 hours of IV antibiotics they sent me home with prescriptions for 2 antibiotics and a low fat diet and told me that we would schedule surgery to take it out in about 4-6 weeks. When I got home we had a nice low fat dinner and I went to bed. The next morning, Christmas Eve, I felt nauseated and had the dry heaves all day. At 3pm we called the surgeon's office to ask them if it was a normal side effect of one of the meds they gave me since the pain had started again, they said to get back to the ER.

At the ER, they did the exact same things they did on Monday; the blood work, the EKG and the ultrasound and once again they admitted me. I was set up on a "nothing by mouth diet". Merry Christmas to me!

Fred was torn. It was Christmas Eve. Our plans for the evening were out of the question but the kids were still home alone. He didn't want to leave me alone on Christmas Eve but we also didn't want the kids to be alone. So, I sent him home with instructions to get the three presents in my bedroom for them marked Christmas Eve and have them open them before they go to bed like they do every year. Despite not having me there, I wanted things to be semi-normal for them and it's tradition that they get Christmas pajamas to wear to bed so that they will look cute in the Christmas morning pictures. I also asked him to bring them in to see me in the morning and to bring a couple presents for each of us and our Christmas stockings, which he had to stuff for me this year.

On Christmas morning they came into my hospital room still dressed in their Christmas pajamas. They told me that when they opened them the night before, they all cried because I still followed tradition even though i couldn't be there. They wanted to make sure I got to see them in their gift. Opening gifts there surely wasn't the same as it would have been at home in front of our Christmas tree with our traditional family Christmas music playing in the background, but we were together and that was what mattered most.

After they left the surgeon came in and said that he had a feeling one of the stones passed and got stuck so they had to do an endoscopy on me. My roommate assured me that she had quite a lot of those and that I would be heavily sedated and remember nothing of it. The rest of that day they continued me on the antibiotics and "nothing by mouth.

The next day they did the endoscopy. Unfortunately, it didn't work out quite the way my roommate described it. It's cruel and unusual punishment! LOL I was awake and remember every minute of it. But, on the bright side, they did find and remove a stone and a fragment of another, and also cut through the muscle at the end of the bile duct so that if any more stones passed they wouldn't get stuck.

The rest of Saturday and all day Sunday, I was allowed a clear liquid diet and continued to watch the Law & Order Special Victims marathon they had running on one of the 6 TV stations the hospital had. Then after midnight, I was back to the "nothing by mouth" diet in anticipation of my surgery. They had given me the choice to try to go home and schedule it for later to let the rest of the inflammation go down to make the risk lower for complications, but I didn't want to chance having another stone getting stuck or having any more episodes of intense pain. So, when asked, I opted to go ahead with the surgery on Monday.

I am not a needle person, and I am a hard stick with hard to find, tiny, veins. While I was in there during both admittances, I had my IV moved three times, and had blood work every single mother loving morning. My hands got beat up the most since it's easier for them to find veins. While in surgery, they attempted to move my IV a 4th time so that it was bigger for the anesthesia. When I woke up I saw three holes on my inner wrist! My IV was still in the same place it had been, so I don't know what they ended up doing.

I woke up thinking, "Yes, it's finally out and I can start to heal". Morphine wasn't helping the pain so they had me on something 100 times stronger than morphine. I was comfortable and able to rest, and more importantly, after one clear liquid meal, I got to eat solid food for the first time in nearly a week. It was a low fat diet, but at least it was solid and could be chewed!

I was still in a lot of pain on Tuesday, so I continued to rest on the higher dose of pain meds, and waited until Wednesday to go home. Ever since then, I have been here on the couch. I've started knitting a new Cardigan with a really awesome deep red chunky yarn. It has acrylic in it, but it's still soft and nice to knit with so, I don't care! I'm hoping it will be done before I have to go back to work. The pain is manageable as long as I stay on the couch and remember to take my pain meds every 4 hours. The kids and Fred have been awesome. They continue to check on me to see if I need anything, and they help me up to bed at night with all of my pillows.

They are all back to school tomorrow and I will be on my own. Hopefully I will feel OK getting up and down off of the couch more often. Cross your fingers!

So what is everyone else up to?

Retro Wallpaper Socks

2009-12-15T09:49:00.000-05:00

Here is another one of my designs. The inspiration was my retro 1070's kitchen wallpaper. It's hard to see in pictures, but the design is basically repeating hourglasses. I knit these for hubby after being pestered about never knitting anything for him. You can find a link to purchase the pattern in the upper right hand corner of the page.

New Jewelry

2009-09-13T19:12:00.004-05:00

Here are my newest earrings

Sterling Silver Wire and glass teardrop.................. Gold filled wire, crystals annd beads wrapped

beads in two sizes/colors ...........................................with gold filled wire

gold filled wire, crystals ............................................silver shapes, dichroic glass beads

resin flowers........................................................... keishi and coin pearls

Simple shapes added onto ear wires

My newest bracelets

gold end caps, crystals and gold spacers .................olivine, aquamarine and clear crystals

my own design - glass crow beads .........................russian spiral with sterling silver end caps

silver leaves and Amazonite

Rilla Mittens

2009-06-30T09:40:00.000-05:00

I made these mittens for a swap partner. The design is pretty neat but I don't have much more than that to say. I can't remember where i got the pattern so I can't put in a link.

Silver Beaded Earrings

2009-06-28T10:59:00.002-05:00

Here are a pair of earrings I just finished making. They're a gift and the prompted hubby to ask if something like that could be sold online. LOL I can hear the wheels in his heads turning.....

I brought the kids to the airport this morning to leave for the summer with their dad. He used a different airline than he had been because the tickets were cheaper. But, when I got there they informed me that my two youngest were considered unaccompanied minors (which they weren't on the other airline) but the oldest couldn't be considered an accompanying adult so I had to pay a $100 fee for it. He'll pay me back, but it's a good thing I had money! To charge a fee like that on top of the ticket without stating so when the ticket is purchased is just bad business. His economy fares turned into not-so-economy.

So, in short, don't fly Delta/NWA. Southwest is MUCH better all around.

Jewelry and Lampwork Beads Part II

2009-06-21T17:30:00.002-05:00

Here is another bracelet I made. It is another "Under the Sea" bracelet but this one is made with Purple and Turquoise beads for Em.

Here another pair of earrings I made. They're simple, but I like them.

These are the rest of the Lampwork beads I made last weekend. You can tell that I got better as the day progressed. My favorites are the upper left hand corner (purple and lime) and the bottom right hand corner (Turquoise, Ivory and Lime - the Ivory reminds me of Toasted Marshmallows).

Dawn (Bead Shop owner) made a bracelet out of her first beads. I liked the idea, so I made a bracelet just like hers. Now I will be able to remember back anytime I wear my bracelet. The class wasn't cheap, but the bracelet ended up costing less than a Pandora bracelet with a complete set of beads. Plus mine is better because I made all of it.

Back from a long hiatus.....

2009-06-14T16:08:00.008-05:00

I lost track of blogging for awhile! I haven't been knitting much either. I think I needed a mental vacation from just about everything.

I started making jewelry again though. It's nice to have many hobbies so that you can switch back and forth between them so you won't grow tired of any of them!

I've made some jewelry with silver and gold wire and some with beads. I've been making mostly earrings and a couple of bracelets and a couple of necklaces. Today I took a class in Lampwork Bead making. So much fun and the creative possibilities are endless! Here are half of the beads I made today. These were made in the first half of the class so they are not that great. But, I still love them!

Top left - white with light blue and red dots

Top right - solid lavender encased in clear glass

Middle left - solid cobalt blue rolled in silver leaf and then encased in clear

Middle right - 2 lime green (my very first beads and not very round!) and orange, encased in transparent turquoise with white dots that were melted flatter than the ones on the top left

Bottom left - white round with orange and light blue dots

Bottom right - solid red with squiggle lines of light blue and white

It was such a great experience. The class was pricey but well worth the money. I will definitely go back for another one!

Here are the necklaces. The one on the left is browns and pinks and I kept it for myself. The one on the right was made as a Birthday gift for my friend Rox (Happy Birthday again Rox!)

I made these earrings for the same friend to go with the necklace. I LOVE them! They were an experiment and I can't wait to make a pair for myself.

These are the first earrings I made when I started taking classes. The beads were strung on wire, then that wire was coiled, then another thicker wire was put through the center and the whole thing was coiled again.

Next are all of the earrings I have made and kept for myself. The first pair below were made with gold accents and clear beads with flowers inside. I didn't realize it before, but I could make these beads now. It is just lamp work with flowers "drawn" with glass and then the whole bead was encased in clear. The second pair were made with jump rings and glass bead dangles. I have had these beads for years and love them. I am glad I finally found a good use for them.

This next pair is made with REALLY AWESOME beads. They seem like they are on fire and I had to have them when I saw them. I had no idea what i was going to make with them but bought a few of each side and came up with this design when playing around with them. The pair after those are made with one crystal, one square glass bead and a wooden bead. They are simple but I get a lot of compliments on them.

The next pair is also pretty simple. I think the focal bead is metal. The pair after those are made with another set of beads I fell in love with. I wound the wire at the base into a coil to make them more decorative.

These were pretty easy to make, but the wire bends easily so they become misshapen every time I wear them. If you hammer wire, it becomes less flexible but then it is easily snapped too, so I am afraid to try to use that as a solution.

This pair is easily my favorite pair. LOL They were stupid easy to make but I get a lot of comments on them. Most often, I hear, "Oh I get it! Chandelier Earrings", which is the direction i was going when I chose the materials.

Finally, here is the first bracelet I have made. It is called "Under the Sea" because some say it resembles a sea anemone. It was pretty time consuming, but well worth it. The beads are "sewn" onto the base and each stitch includes a 6.0mm bead an an 11.0mm bead.

So, there you have it. That's what I have been up to other than hanging out on Facebook taking stupid quizzes. LOL

I BOUGHT MY CAR!!!!

2009-04-04T20:20:00.002-05:00

This is what my new car looks like. It's Powder White Pearl. I love the way the exterior looks compared to my soon-to-be old one. I loved the front of that one but not the side or rear view. I love every view of this one.

Here is the interior of the next model up (Limited). The only difference with mine is that I have a cool silver color where the wood grain is in this picture. It has the controls for the radio on the steering wheel which I LOVE and it comes with an XM satellite radio and 6-CD changer and the lights on the dash are blue. Everything just looks rich.

A lot of people are afraid to have white cars, but every car gets dirty. It was my favorite out of all of my choices.

I pick it up on Monday after work. I can't wait!! One more round-trip commute with nearly bald tires and bad brakes.

Nutmeg Spinning Guild - April Meeting

2009-04-04T12:53:00.002-05:00

Abby Franquemont was the guest speaker. I'm totally bummed that I had pre-decided to leave at lunch and made a commitment to go to the car dealer because she did ABSOLUTELY no spinning in the first half of the meeting. I'm not sure if she will spin after lunch but i will be evilly jealous of my friends if she does. But, alas, I need a new car......
I finally learned to spin with a spindle today. I have been spinning for just over a year on a wheel. I tend to jump into things with both feet and usually put the cart before the horse. So, this backwards learning is normal for me. HAH! I bought a "beginner" spindle at Rhinebeck last year and had yet to dig it out and try. So, I packed it up this morning with some Coopworth fiber that I have an ass load of and skipped off to guild. After about 20 VERY frustrating minutes of trying to spin and draft that fiber, I gave up (I know I'm impatient!) and went back to the vendors and bought a beautiful, but inexpensive smaller spindle that would spin faster so I could try lace weight and some BFL from "The Painted Sheep" that would be easier to draft. I tried spinning with that for about 20 more VERY frustrating minutes and found that it wobbled too much. So i went back to the vendor and asked if she would consider taking the spindle back for an upgrade to a more expensive spindle that would be easier for a beginner to use but still light enough to do lace weight. I settled on a beautiful all wood spindle that I would tell you the name of except my fiber is currently wound over the top of the name. ;0) I'll get back to you on it!

But here it is.....

Sundara Yarn Collection

2009-04-01T17:14:00.001-05:00

I finally got into a Sundara Sock yarn Collection. I signed up for Summer. The description of the colors sound like they will lean toward what I like, so my fingers are crossed. These will be my first skeins of Sundara Yarn so I am excited. The sign ups are here, if you are interested. They just opened today.

New Fluevogs...

2009-03-25T18:57:00.001-05:00

I got my new shoes today. Aren't they loverly????

My Whole House is Full of crazies....

2009-03-07T21:39:00.004-05:00

...but these two are probably the craziest (and yes one of them is the dog!)

Even though she thought it was creepy, "E" couldn't get enough of my "disembodied" foot "mannequin". She thought it would be fun to model with my new Peeps Socks. Narrative by "E"

and then who can resist taking a picture of the most beautiful dog in the world???

"Wouldn't it be funny if I took a picture of myself smelling the foot???"

"Well, if it's good enough to model socks, it's good enough to rest my head on" (yes that is the foot)

This girl is seriously deranged....

"Hey! Why don't I take a picture of the dog looking at me upside down?" (isn't this the CUTEST picture ever??)

No photo shoot is complete without a wet kiss!

I love these two NUTS!

My New Pot Rack

2009-03-07T21:28:00.002-05:00

My mom and step-dad have a pot rack in their kitchen that he built himself. I loved it so much, I asked him to make me one too. I've always wanted a pot rack and thought it would be perfect for my new kitchen. I even bought my first really nice set of pans in anticipation of being able to display them. I want to add to the pan set. There aren't nearly enough saucepans. But, this is a good start. Before now, my pans were a mismatched set that I collected over the years. I feel like a "grown-up" now!

After we hung this up and got the pans on, I felt like it was a real kitchen for the first time since we moved in 8 years ago. "E" said that it felt like home now. LOL Took long enough huh? Who knew all it would take is a couple of coats of fresh paint and a pot rack??

Woolgirl 2009 Sock Club - 1st installment

2009-03-07T21:06:00.006-05:00

I got the first package of the new club year. The theme is "Queen of your Knitting - Cleopatra"

For the first time (since I have been a member) the kit included not only a sock pattern but also a scarf pattern. Jen wants us to stretch ourselves and knit something else with fingering weight besides yarn...

The yarn is a nice gold color (of course) and is Zen Yarn Garden. I love the rich color.

This is a small box shaped like a pyramid that had two chocolates enclosed. The chocolates were dusted with gold and silver powder.

Next is a note card with art by an artist who is local to Jen. It's pretty cute and right on theme. Love the sheep!

She also included an annual calendar magnet complete with all of the 2009 shipment dates. Clever girl!

Of course, she included some soak since no good sock kit comes without a sample of soak. ;0)

Her kits usually include a stitch marker and this one was made by Mama Llama. I really like the design. Snag-free!

The project bag is rich looking. It's from Lantern Moon. I love the color combo!

Hand made hand cream...

and finally, a pen that says Queen of Knitting.

Happy Easter to All My Peeps!

2009-02-28T19:18:00.004-05:00

My newest sock design...

Glenda the Good Witch Sock Kit

2009-02-28T16:00:00.005-05:00

Here is another installment in the Woolgirl Wizard of Oz Sock Kit Series and I don't know how Jen will ever top this one!

Glenda the Good Witch

So much thought and care are put into these sock kits. If you have never gotten a sock kit from Jen at www.woolgirl.com, you need to! I don't have a separate picture of it, but this kit even included a sparkly magic wand, just like Glenda's in the movie.

The pattern is called Twisted Cables The Glenda Sock and it is designed by Bethany Whitney. The sock yarn is Tosh Sock by Madelinetosh and the color is Glenda the Good Witch. I am not a huge pink person (even though my stash looks like I am) but this pink is awesome. It's really muted and dusky.

This is a picture of a pencil that was included. Look at the inscription. LOL

Jen has included a stitch marker from WeeOnes in most of her kits. This one is adorable just like the rest. Now I have a Bad Witch AND a Good Witch!

She always includes candy. I hate Black Licorice but my daughter skarfed them up with no problem!

This is some handmade soap. There was a lot of attention to detail put into this. The packaging was classy and so much a part of the overall theme of the package. I am thoroughly impressed with it!

Next is a Sugar Cookie Recipe with 2 cookie cutters; a crown and a star.

I am in love with this bag! It is completely lined and all edges and seams are invisible. When it is closed up, the bottom is a square. It's perfect for a mitten or sock project to take on the go. I just started a new mitten project and needed another bag this morning!

This is a bookmark and it says "only bad witches are ugly". (I know a few of them, trust me!) I got the Wicked Witch kit too and it had a similar book mark in it. I love to read so I can never have too many cute markers!

Finally, here is a notepad. Too cute! Jen never lets me down!! This made my day!!

That's REALLY weird

2009-02-23T20:02:00.001-05:00

Is it possible that it is just a coincidence that both Private Practice last week and House this week but have kids that are BOTH male and female and the parents had to make a choice which one to raise them as???

How IGNORANT!

2009-02-23T18:40:00.003-05:00

Check out this post.

I cannot understand why people feel the need to label activities as feminine or masculine. I think this woman needs to find herself a hobby. She sounds bitter. LOL

Estuary Socks

2009-02-20T16:09:00.003-05:00

Well, one month on the couch seems to equal four Sock designs, folks. Here is my fourth design, Estuary Socks.

These socks were inspired by the place where a river runs into the ocean. This place is called an estuary. A river will just pour out and become one with the sea and I find that fascinating. My design shows rolling hills on one side of the estuary and cliffs on the other. Try your best to imagine a beautiful woman (or man) with long flowing hair flapping in the breeze standing on the highest cliff looking out over this amazing natural wonder....(corny huh?)

Boogie Wunderland

2009-02-19T18:42:00.003-05:00

Here is my newest design. My family and I have fun trying to name them as I finish them. We wanted to name this one Creamsicle, but I explained to my kids that I could get into some hot water if I chose a name that is probably trademarked. So hubby (who is the king of fun nick names) came up with Boogie Wonderland since it is another retro design. I changed the spelling so they would not be named after the song.

The cuff is made with the Latvian Twist technique. It was surprisingly easy. My inspiration for the design was some wallpaper in a movie I watched during my recuperation this past month. I think they would look awesome with dark purple instead of the orange too. If you give it a try, send me a link to a picture when you are done.

Bella Mittens

2009-02-14T12:42:00.003-05:00

I finished these mittens in 2 days...the benefit of knitting with Chunky Yarn! I used my first month's Malabrigo Club yarn. Not my colors but my daughter loves it so they are hers. The pattern was made to resemble mittens worn in the movie Twilight and this daughter loves those books. She hasn't seen the movie yet.

I warned her of the value of the yarn and when she can and can't wear the mittens so they don't get ruined. This was my first time knitting malabrigo (believe it or not) and it's scrumptious.

Entrelac Scarf

2009-02-13T15:00:00.002-05:00

Here is my first attempt at Entrelac. I think it came out nicely. Fun to knit.

Ahhhhhh (that's a sigh of relief)

2009-02-12T19:58:00.003-05:00

I have my laptop back and ALL of my files were recovered. PHEW!! They are all backed up on my new external hard drive too.

So, I am now ready to finish up some more patterns!

YIPPEEEEE!

Woolgirl Valentine Sock Kit

2009-02-12T11:33:00.000-05:00

Another fabulous Sock kit from Woolgirl. The yarn is Tosh Sock by Madeline Tosh in the Valentine colorway. My color is dark which I LOVE! But, I see other color intensities in the card pictures. So, I'm not sure if everyone got the same color or not. There is no indication of who made the cards, but the pictures are awesome. I have a close up of them down below. The kit also included a really cool heart shaped box filled with chocolates (which is very welcome today because I am in some pain!). There is also a stitch marker made by Sunneshine on etsy. There is a picture of her business card below if you want to check out her shop.

Thanks Jen! I just love your kits!

Laptop disaster

2009-02-09T11:39:00.003-05:00

Yesterday my laptop wouldn't boot up. I ran diagnostics on it and called Dell this morning with the error codes. Turns out I have a hard drive failure. They are shipping me a new one. BUT, I just designed 8 new sock patterns that I haven't test knit yet and they are on the old HARD DRIVE. :( waaaaaa.

I have a PC guy here in the city who has done amazing things for me in the past with an old computer. I am hoping he can get everything off of the old hard drive before I replace it. If not, I think I might be sick!

Right now, I am using my old laptop that I passed down to my kids and the space bar hardly works and it is missing the e key. (took me forever and lots of editing, just to type this)

Think good thoughts for me please! I need those socks designs. They are so awesome! (all of my patterns that I bought are on there too!)

I bought an external hard drive too. From now on, all of my designs will be saved on both hard drives and as hubby suggested, I will email it to myself and store them in my yahoo account. HINDSIGHT!

Ravelry Store now open!

2009-02-04T17:17:00.005-05:00

If you have been waiting to buy my Shamrock Sock pattern, it is now up, and available for purchase on Ravelry.

The price is $5 until 2/17/09. At that time, the price will be raised to $6 to help defray unexpected costs. Please take advantage of the lower cost. I struggled with the decision to increase the price and decided that I needed to for the long term, but I really want everyone who has been waiting patiently for it to be available on Ravelry to get stuck with the higher price.

Thanks!!

Funny movie you have to see...

2009-01-31T17:21:00.002-05:00

I am NOT a Martin Lawrence or Cedric the Entertainer fan, but I just watched one of the funniest movies. It's on HBO on Demand this month. It's called "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins". It has James Earl Jones in it too, which was a pleasant surprise.

I have OFFICIALLY watched every On Demand Movie possible....one week into my recuperation. Now what? LOL

Decorative Sock Cuffs

2009-01-28T21:49:00.005-05:00

Latvian Twist Edge:
Cast on 60 stitches.
Knit 3 rows flat back and forth in garter stitch.
*k4, rotate the left hand needle under the cast-on edge and then behind and over the top of the right hand needle to where the stitches are ready to be knit again*, repeat between * to the end.

Join in the round and knit socks in your favorite way.

Picot Edge
K 6 rnds in stockinette stitch
*K2tog, yo; repeat from * to end of round.
K 6 more rounds in stockinette.

Fold facing along picot edge to inside of sock and attach as follows: Pick up the edge of the first cast on stitch and knit this together with the first stitch on the needle. Continue to end of round.

Ruffle Edge
Cast on 4 times the number of stitches that your pattern calls for.
Row 1: Knit 2 together across the row
Row 2: Purl 2 together across the row

Crochet Picot Edge:
With crochet hook size 3.5 mm/E/4, beg mid back: 1 sc, * 3 ch, 1 dc in the first ch, skip approx. 1/2", 1 sc in next st ,

repeat from * and finish with 1 sl st in first sc from beg of round.

Sock Heel Stitches

2009-01-28T21:41:00.003-05:00

If you know of any other heel stitch patterns, please let me know what they are, so I can add them here.

Heel Stitch
Begin with wrong side facing. (This would be the inside of the sock.)
Row 1: Slip 1, then purl all remaining stitches.
Row 2: *Slip 1, k1; repeat from *.
Repeat these two rows.

Eye of the Partridge Heel
Row 1: Sl 1 purlwise, *k 1, sl 1 knitwise,* repeat from * to * end.
Row 2: Sl 1 purlwise, p to last stitch, k 1.
Row 3: Sl 1 purlwise, sl 1 knitwise, *k 1, sl 1 knitwise,* repeat from * to * last 2 sts, k to end.
Row 4: Repeat Row 2Repeat these rows till heel flap is about 2 1/2 in or desired length.

New Mitten Kit

2009-01-27T14:20:00.002-05:00

I had a tulip mitten kit on my wish list from Riihivilla. But, after I saw the picture of this one that my friend Jenn posted a picture of on the blog for the 3rd round of the mitten, swap, I had to have it. With shipping from Finland, it was NOT cheap. I plan to knit through a lot of my Ravelry queue during my recovery and I want this to be at the top of the pile. Roses normally aren't my thing but I just love the red against the white.

ENTRELAC!

2009-01-26T22:22:00.004-05:00

I don't know why I have been putting it off for so long, but I finally decided to tackle entrelac tonight. I just finished my 2nd triangle (out of 23 needed for my base for the scarf I am knitting). It's pretty fun. I also decided to master backwards knitting so I don't have to turn my work and purl the even rows. It really speeds up the process! The yarn I am using is sooo soft. I found it at Webs. It's called di.ve' Autunno

Need Help finding pattern

2009-01-26T10:29:00.003-05:00

I'm looking for this Pattern Booklet and can't find it in stock anywhere. I want to make the gray/red socks in the upper right hand corner of the pic on the left. I have the yarn but need the pattern. If you know where I can get copy, please let me know. It's Kertzer SRK 403 for their "On Your Toes DK" Sock Yarn.

Thanks for your help!

No-More-Humdrum-Mittens Swap Round 4 Questionairre

2009-01-25T17:13:00.002-05:00

How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? I taught myself just over 2 years ago using www.knittinghelp.com after my kids taught me how to do the long tail cast on and the knit stitch.

Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I'd say advanced in some areas, beginner in some and Intermediate in most.

What are your favorite colors?Any you dislike? I love Lime Green, Orange, Red, Brown and Turquoise. I also like weird combos like Red, Turquoise and Orange and Brown on a white background. I just love color! I do tend to shy away from jewel tones and pastels unless they are mixed in a trendy combination with something else.

Do you like Latvian type patterns? If so, what are your favorite patterns? Yep - I like just about all that I have seen. See my queue :) I have the yarn to knit the Vinterblomster, Bird in Hand, Fiddlehead, Ladybug and Tiffany already so please don't knit those for me! (I also already have the Sea Mineral mittens from a past round). If something is in my queue, I already have the pattern. I do have some on my wishlist located at

Do you desire mittens for yourself, your "special someone else" or your child? Me please

What is the measurement from your wrist to the tip of your longest finger? 7 1/2 - 8 inches

What is the circumference of your hand at it's widest point? 7 1/2 above my thumb

What other things do you enjoy knitting? socks, sweaters and rectangular stole/shawls

What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum) I have two sets of Denise Interchangeable, 1 set of Knit Picks interchangeable in the colored wood, a full set of bamboo 10" straights, a full set of bamboo DPN's and several 40" long sock needles in sizes 0,1,2, and 3 for magic loop. In other words, unless they are a splurge such as glass needles or ebony/mahogany, I am all set in the needle category. LOL

What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make? the Hemlock Ring Blanket

What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with? Quiviut!

What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? Cook? I spin on a spinning wheel and have a drop spindle but have not used it yet. I love to sew and plan to make another quilt soon. I haven't quilted in over 10 years though. I love funky patterned materials, especially the Japanese ones and any you can find at repro depot. I want to make a Cathedral Quilt with a bunch of different funky material with an all white background. I have tried to garden in the past but just can't get into it and I hate to cook.

Besides yarn, do you collect anything? Not really

What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? I'm on weight watchers so I don't eat too many treats. but the weight watchers chocolates are good. (Russel Stovers makes them)

Anything you hate or are allergic to? Not allergic to anything but I hate white chocolate and although I have tried to become one several times, I am not a tea drinker. I love flavored coffees though, especially Southern Pecan or Coconut.

Do you have any kids? yes, 3 beautiful daughters

Pets? my first and last dog (whose adorable but way too much work and noise), and my first female cat who has cured me from ever wanting another female cat.

What is your favorite part of Winter? Watching it snow and getting to wear mittens!

What is your least favorite part of Winter? Driving in the snow and being cold down to the bones.

They're done!

2009-01-24T09:21:00.004-05:00

I'm officially a knit designer! I designed a sock pattern and I am so happy with them.

Designing my own pattern has taught me a lot. It's all trial and error and a lot of ripping out and reknitting. But really, the hardest part was finding a fun name. We can thank my husband for this one. While in recovery after my surgery last night I asked him to help me come up with funny Irish words or phrases because I had wanted to name them "Luck O' the Irish" and found that name was already used for another sock pattern out in knitdom. So, we came up with "Shamrock Shenanigans" so you can wear them while you act out all of your tomfoolery. LOL

I am in the process of getting set up as a designer on Ravelry and will be offering it for sale on there once it is done. But, if you really want the pattern and don't want to wait, you can paypal me and I will email it to you. Here is the link to the pattern on Ravelry so you can put it in your queue. My email address for paypal is debberooni at comcast dot net (just make sure you put it back into the real format. I don't wan to get spam so I am not using the correct format here).

The pattern price is $5. I you wait until it is on Ravelry, you can buy it through there and store it in your library. I am fine with either way. I also have a link to it in my etsy store in the right sidebar.

Recuperating nicely....

2009-01-24T09:12:00.002-05:00

I don't think I have blogged about having surgery...

I had some minor surgery yesterday. I am home with nothing to do but KNIT and fool around online. I know...it's a shame! LOL

I have to say that I am a very lucky woman who is married to a real gem and has 3 wonderful kids. They get it. They know how much I do for them and have no hesitation about taking care of me. So, I am being pampered very well.

I found the quotes below online recently and wanted to share them here. They all made me laugh and you probably already know, laughter is my number one passion in life. I hope they make you laugh too.

Sneak Peek

2009-01-19T20:45:00.002-05:00

I'm designing my first pattern. It's a sock pattern for Irish pride or St Patty's Day. I am so excited about how it is turning out. I had a few false starts with sizing and have learned a lot. Watch here for more updates. I am going to have it on Ravelry for anyone who is interested.

Something funny to get you through....

2009-01-15T18:10:00.002-05:00

My wife and I are watching "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, "Do you want to have sex?" "No," she answered. I then said, "Is that your final answer?" She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying "Yes." So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."

And then the fight started....

********

After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for Social Security. The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's license to verify my age. I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home. I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come back later. The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'. So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair. She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' And she processed my Social Security application. When I got home, I told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office. She said, 'You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten Disability, too'

And then the fight started.....

****

Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch, grabbed the dog, and slipped quietly into the garage. I hooked up the boat up to the truck, and proceeded to back out into a
torrential downpour. The wind was blowing 50 mph, so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad all day. I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed. I cuddled up to my wife's back, now with a different anticipation, and whispered, 'The weather out there is terrible.' My loving wife of 10 years replied, 'Can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that?'

And then the fight started....

My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table. My wife asked, 'Do you know her?'
'Yes,' I sighed, 'She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since.' 'My God!' says my wife, 'Who would think a person could go on celebrating for that long?

And then the fight started.....

****
I rear-ended a car this morning. So, there we were alongside the road and slowly the other driver got out of his car. You know how sometimes you just get so stressed and little things just seem funny? Yeah, well I couldn't believe it.... He was a DWARF!!! He stormed over to my car, looked up at me, and shouted, 'I AM NOT HAPPY!!!' So, I looked down at him and said, 'Well, then which one are you?'

And then the fight started.....

****
I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.
'I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please.' He said, 'Aren't you worried about the mad cow?'
'Nah, she can order for herself.'

And then the fight started.....

****
A woman is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, 'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.' The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's damn near perfect.'

And then the fight started.....

I bought my first pair!

2009-01-05T20:05:00.004-05:00

YAY!! I bought my first pair of John Fluevog shoes. I bought the Bowling ones first since they were "only" $79. I REALLY want the red ones but they are close to $300. I'll only get them if I get a bonus, I guess. I can't wait until they come in the mail. I finally smartened up and had them shipped to work. They ship UPS and require a signature. I'm never here when they deliver so I am always stressed out how I am going to get my package. The bonus is that they charge sales tax if they are shipped to MA and I work in CT. SCORE!!!

Say hello to my little friends.....

shoes GLORIOUS shoes

2009-01-01T14:58:00.009-05:00

Ever since the Fall issue of the Twist Collective came out, I have wanted these shoes. They were featured in the sock pattern section of that issue. The shoes speak to me. They are all so funky and I feel a connection with all of them. If any of these sell out before I can afford to buy them, I think I will be devastated. But they are NOT cheap so it will take awhile to get them. Most of them are over $200 a pair. Normally, I wouldn't even consider spending that much for a pair of shoes. But, these ones have so much character. For me, they are definitely worth the money. My birthday is in 25 days, so hopefully my WONDERFUL husband will get me a pair.

Red is such an awesome color. They say, "HEY look at me!" I must own them.

These ones are also very funky. They remind me of bowling shoes and are definitely me!

These ones are my FAVORITE out of all four styles. I just love Lime Green and Brown and to have them together in one shoe is just amazing!

These ones are quite a bit tamer, but I love the color combo. If I ended up with all four pair, these would be the last of the four. I could live without these but I definitely like them.

I think I need a Sugar Daddy! Income Tax Return time is coming, but we decided that we would use this years return to replace the roof on our house (blech! I hate pesky life necessities). I don't think we'll be getting a bonus this year at work either. The economy is in the toilet and it is affecting everything. If we do get a bonus, it won't be anywhere close to the amount I got last year. As with all companies, they're talking about layoffs. I think our division is safe since we have been pretty profitable despite everything. If our division is not safe, I feel that I am pretty safe. It would a very bitter pill to swallow to win a huge award and then a couple months later get laid off. I don't feel that is possible so I am going to "Let go and let God take care of the worry for me."

Happy 2009 Everyone!

2008-12-31T16:24:00.003-05:00

I don't really believe in Resolutions because they are most often forgotten about after the first 4 days following New Year's Day.

But, here is my list of things I will continue to do in the new year and a couple of new ones...

go back to WW meetings and eat on plan
go back to gym every day at lunch (or at least 3 times per week)
use the Wii Fit at least 3 times per week for Yoga to stretch muscles
continue to take multi-vitamin and glucosamine to stay healthy and pain free
continue to take baths with Epsom salt to reduce stress and tension
continue to get monthly massages to further reduce stress and tension
continue to pick up and finish one hibernating project before casting on for something new
finally knit my clapotis and chevron scarf
call the music school down the road and sign up for piano lessons which is a life long dream of mine
Draw and Paint again

Looking back over the past year, I feel content and happy:

We had a tough time in the beginning of the year with A's diagnosis, but that diagnosis brought me peace when I realized that she got the Tourette's from me and I finally had some answers.
We welcomed 3 new nephews into the family.
I found four wonderful friends/sisters through knitting and thank God for them everyday (actually we might have met last year at the end, but we grew very close over the course of this year)
E came home! :)
I started sprucing up the interior of the house with paint and new ceiling fans
I won a big award at work and gained a lot of recognition from it
I got down to a size 14 and although I have slipped back to a size 16, I am not discouraged and will continue on my journey to a healthier life

Leg Warmers

2008-12-30T16:00:00.002-05:00

"A'' loves leg warmers so I wanted to make some for her for Christmas. Knowing from experience that they won't stay in style for too long, I didn't want to knit anything intricate. So, I just made them up as I went along. No pattern. Plain, basic, black leg warmers.LOL

She likes them. :)

Another Mitten Chart

2008-12-30T14:49:00.005-05:00

I made this chart for a full mitten based off of a picture of some very pretty fingerless gloves on Ravelry. Please feel free to download and Knit away. If you knit them, please link back to me so I can see how they turned out. (Click on the picture for a printable version)

Traffic Cone

2008-12-30T14:27:00.008-05:00

Each Christmas in our city, they hold a huge drive-thru light display called Bright Nights. It was fun the first few years, but after living here for 7 years and battling the traffic along with the inconsiderate idiots who drive in the wrong lane and then cut you off once they get to the end of their lane, after you have waited in traffic in the correct lane for 15-20 minutes for the past 1/2 mile, it can get pretty obnoxious after awhile.

They take our normally 4 lane main road and cut it into a Bright Nights lane and then two travel lanes going in opposite directions. These are "mapped out" with miles of orange traffic cones. While driving through the mess at the beginning of this holiday season, my oldest daughter, "E" tried to get to me to stop and steal a cone for her. It became pretty funny after awhile. Every time I slowed down for traffic, she acted like she as going to open her door while looking to me for approval. Needless to say, although the urge was great, we did not succumb to the temptation and arrived at home without a traffic cone.

After the girls left for Florida last week, I decided that it was would be pretty hilarious if I crocheted the adorable little traffic cone pattern I saw on Ravelry and wrap it up for her for Christmas.

They arrived home at 10pm last night. When we got home from the airport we had "Christmas". This kid got Uggs (from her Dad) ($160), Nike AF1 sneakers ($75), a scrumptiously soft hooded bathrobe from Bath and Body Works, Skinny Jeans, Timberland Boots and a bunch of other assorted stuff (not to mention the Wii I bought for the family), yet, when she opened this gift, she proclaimed that it was her favorite present!

Folks......it's moments like these that matter most!

Tempting

2008-12-30T14:23:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I never posted the picture of this sweater. It was the first one I completed. I have bought several ribbons to lace through the top.

Pattern - Tempting by Jenna Adorno

Yarn - Dream in Color - Black Parade

White Night

2008-12-30T14:03:00.003-05:00

I think this scarf must have gotten it's name from the color the designer knit hers in. It looks totally awesome in white. I like my version too, but I prefer the white. I found the pattern when I searched for something to knit with the yarn I got with a total deal up at Webs (yay warehouse!!) This became one of Molly's Christmas Presents because she fell in love with it when it was done and it matched the hat I made with the same yarn that she also loved.

Pattern - White Night by J. Sun

Yarn - Rowan Chunky Print - maroon/yellow/white

Envy

2008-12-30T13:58:00.002-05:00

When I saw this, I knew I had to have it. I am not sure if it is the pattern or the color it was knit in, or both. All I knew is that I had to have it and I had to have it in the same color.

Pattern - Envy by John Brinegar

Yarn - Brown Sheep Burly Spun - Limeade

Finished - 11/23/08 (knit in one day - cable pattern with no cable needle)

February Lady Sweater

2008-12-30T13:53:00.005-05:00

Here's my February Lady Sweater. I finished this on 11/10/08 and forgot to post the picture here. This was a free pattern I found through Ravelry. You can do a search anywhere online and find it. The yarn I used is Dream in Color Classy. The color is Happy Forest. I have a leftover skein that I am not sure what to do with yet.

Christmas has come and gone for another year...

2008-12-27T10:41:00.005-05:00

That's what hubby said to me as we watched a movie Thursday night. It as 12:04 am when he said it.

This is true, but since my girls spent Christmas with their dad this year, I still have more Christmas left! I also have a party to "make-up" because my knitting group got snowed out last weekend and we had a little get-together planned with a Yankee Swap. I guess we'll do that in the new year when everyone is back home and settled from their holiday travel.

We had a pretty quiet Christmas. We drove down to my Aunt's house for Christmas Eve. It's my only chance to spend time with my family each year. We're all scattered with most of us in Maine. So, I got to see some cousins and my two brothers. Usually my niece is there with her kids, but this year, my sis came down from Maine to spend the holiday with her so they stayed put. It's a long drive and it's very tiring so I understand the need to stay in. On Christmas Day Fred and I opened our presents from each other. He liked everything I bought him, but after 7 years, I already figured that. I can't go wrong with Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Steelers stuff and any neat gadget or tool. He is the kind of guy who won't use a tool often but it thrills him to death to have the tool he needs when he needs it.

He got high marks from me this year on his gift selection. He got me the Fall/Winter Sock yarn sampler from Knit Picks which came with 6 patterns for cool looking socks; a wooden Umbrella Swift that I have been wanting for a couple of years and a Knit Picks Options Interchangeable Knitting Needle Set in the Harmony Wood.

Since the kids aren't home yet, I got to finish up my shopping and wrap presents after Christmas. That's what I have planned for today. It couldn't a better day for it. It's rainy and dreary outside. All of the snow from last weekend is just about gone. It poured on Christmas Eve and now it's raining again. Christmas was clear weather and there was just enough snow left to consider it a White Christmas, so it's all good.

So, now I am just waiting for the kids to come home so we can watch them open their presents. They'll be home Monday night around 10pm. By the time we get home from the airport, it will be 11:00 and I KNOW they won't go to sleep until they open everything so I will very likely be up until 2 in the morning or later (knowing what they got for Christmas, they will want to spend time with their gifts before going to sleep too!) I'll post more about that once the date has passed.

How was your Christmas? Get anything good? Any funny family stories to tell? Dish!

Snow (beautiful?) Snow

2008-12-21T18:33:00.004-05:00

We got dumped on Friday and Friday night...about 12-14 inches. Yesterday we were snowed in. Today we had to drive the girls 30 min south to the airport for their flight down to their Dad's house for Christmas. It started snowing first thing this morning and the main road out from our house wasn’t plowed yet, nor was the highway. So, I drove all the way there in low gear going about 35 mph. The kids got on the plane about 15-20 min later than scheduled. They de-iced the plane, pushed out and just sat on the tarmac for about 1.5 hours. Here it is waiting....

Then they taxied out to the runway where they sat for another hour. "E" called me after awhile to tell me that they de-iced the plane again. It finally took off, 2.5 hours late, which isn’t so bad considering the weather. Now my heart will stay in my throat until I get my "we're here safe and sound mom" call at 7:45.

Driving out of the airport was better than driving in. The highways had been plowed and the major road leading into my house was plowed (it's a state road). When we got to our road, it was a totally different story. I got stuck pulling into the road because the snow at the end of it was about 2 feet deep. They hadn’t plowed the road all day plus it had all of the snow pushed onto it from the main road that DID get plowed while we were gone. They likely won’t plow it until midday tomorrow knowing this city. I managed to rock the car back and forth from reverse to low gear over and over with Fred pushing it form the front until I finally backed out onto the main road (I thought for sure he was going to get killed). I drove around the city to get to the back end of our street. Those roads were treacherous too, but I found a rut and rode it all the way in. There is no way I am going to get out of here in the morning for work.

We were both fuming by the time we got home. I am so tired of this city mismanaging our money. They never plow our roads properly and I assume they blame it on the lack of funds. It’s ridiculous. We experience the same thing winter after winter. We'd have enough money if they monitored who was getting welfare a bit more closely. I have known several people over the years who only reported their income from one part time job, and received reduced rent, reduced day care costs and food stamps, while they also worked side by side with me in Corporate America, MAKING $2 MORE AN HOUR THAN ME!! Government just seems to turn a blind eye to it and I don't understand why. There are people in this world (a few of them friends) who truly need this assistance, but have such a hard time qualifying for it in honest ways. I just don't understand how society has let it get so far out of control. It was nothing like this back when we were kids.

When we finally got into the house tonight we turned on the TV just in time to hear that they are raising our taxes so much that our mortgage payment is going to go up about $200 per month.

Merry Christmas Springfield!!

Grrrrrrr

Winter Poem

2008-12-20T11:18:00.002-05:00

I found this beautiful winter poem and thought it might be a comfort to you. It was to me, and it's very well written.

"WINTER"
a poem by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre

SHIT, It's Cold !!!!

The End

Our Christmas Recipes

2008-12-14T15:18:00.003-05:00

I thought I would share the recipes that are special to me and my family at Christmas time. Enjoy!!

We made these recipes every year throughout my childhood. I now make them with my kids and I think they all came from my grandmother.

Butter Ball Cookies (aka snowballs to some families) I do a double batch

1 C Butter or Margarine (soft but not melted)
1/2 C Sifted Powdered Sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2-1/4 C flour
3/4 C nuts

Mix butter, sugar and vanilla. Mix in sifted flour and salt a little at a time until well mixed. Mixture will be very thick and hard to mix. After thoroughly mixed, mix in chopped nuts.

Chill at least 1 hour. Roll into 1" balls. Bake at 400* on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar when they are still warn and then again once they are cooled.

Party Mix I do a double batch

1 lb butter or margarine (4 sticks)
2 tsp celery salt
2 tsp onion salt
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
5-1/2 C Wheat Chex
5-1/2 C Rice Chex
5-1/2 C Corn Chex
5-1/2 C Cheerios
1/2 bag of pretzel sticks
1 can mixed nuts

Put the nuts, pretzels and cereal in a roasting pan. Melt butter with seasonings and pour over cereal mix. Bake in 250* oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Creamy Fudge

1 C (6oz) Chocolate Chips
1/2 C Marshmallow Fluff
1/2 C chopped nuts
1/4 C butter or margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 C sugar
2/3 C evaporated milk

Place chips, marshmallow, nuts, butter and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside. Combine sugar and evaporated milk in a 2qt saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Boil 10 minutes at full boil, stirring constantly. Carefully pour boiling syrup over chocolate mixture and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour into a greased 8" square pan. Chill until firm - about 1 hour. Cut into small squares.

The following is a family recipe that we use for gifts:

Kahlua

4 C water
4 C sugar
1/4 C instant coffee
1 vanilla bean with slits cut into it

Bring water and sugar to a boil and boil for 7 minutes. Add coffee granules and vanilla bean. Cool and mix with a fifth of Vodka. Pour into bottles for gift-giving. Best when made months ahead.

The next recipe is form the family of a childhood friend that I have been making with my kids.

Magic Cookie Bars

1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz chocolate chips
1/2 pkg coconut
1 C chopped walnuts
2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter

Melt butter and mix with crumbs. Press into 9x12 pan. Layer nuts, then chips, then coconut. Pour milk over top. Bake for 25 minutes in a 350* oven. If pan is glass bake at 325*

I have one more family cookie recipe that I can't find. If I find it, I will post it here.

My new favorite singer

2008-12-06T13:17:00.002-05:00

This week's Private Practice episode played a song at the end that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE!! I have a nifty thing on my cell phone that will listen to a song, analyze the song's "DNA" and tell you the title and singer. It couldn't come up with ANYTHING. So I went online and did a search (love me some GOOGLE) and found that it is called Achin' All the Time by Ray LaMontagne.

I am so upset to find out that the song is not available on any of his albums. I guess it was supposed to be on the most recent album but it got replaced by another song. :(

Now I am on the hunt!

Have you ever heard of him? In researching him, I have found that his songs have recently played on Eli Stone, Grey's Anatomy and Fringe, too. It can't be coincidence that all four of these are my favorite shows! (sadly Eli Stone is getting cancelled)

Woolgirl Peppermint Patty Sock Kit

2008-12-05T21:52:00.003-05:00

I got my newest specialty sock kit from Woolgirl today. It is the next installment in the Peanuts theme and is just in time for Christmas.

It includes a pattern for socks called Peppermint Twist designed by Christina Bain.

The yarn is Yummy Sport Hand painted from Miss Babs (love the colors!!). The colorway is called Peppermint Patty and they even included 70 extra yards of a solid red for heels and toes.

Next is some Peppermint Patty Candy Cane Hot Cocoa. I'm interested in trying it. I love thin mint cookies, so maybe this will be similar. :) Below that, in the same picture, you see a peppermint measuring tape from Lantern Moon. Soooo cute!

The next two items are a Soap Bar and Lip Balm made by Naiad Soap Art http://naiad.etsy.com/

Also, included and shown in the very top picture is a knitting accessory bag by Sheila at Sheila D Bags http://www.sheilad.com/ . I am impressed with the craftsmanship. The red material is corduroy and the peppermint print is adorable. The interior fabric is brown to match the yarn. Also included is a candy cane striped pencil stamped with "Merry Christmas from Woolgirl", Peppermint Patty chocolates and Peppermint Hard Candies, and last but not least, is a beautiful stitch marker with a really cool clear bead with a red core that has a "barber pole" white stripe all the way up the length of the core. That was made by Stitch Markers by Sunneshine at http://www.sunneshine.etsy.com/

I loooooove these packages. I needed a pick-me-up today!

Mystery Solved

2008-12-05T20:55:00.001-05:00

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.

Then Mrs Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where.

Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.

Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor.

He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?'

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

Like mother like daughter?? LOL

2008-11-17T20:30:00.001-05:00

Why did the chicken cross the road?

2008-11-17T20:25:00.000-05:00

SARAH PALIN: The chicken crossed the road because gosh-darnit, he's a maverick!

BARACK OBAMA : The chicken crossed the road because it was time for change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road

HILLARY CLINTON : When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH : We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY : Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL : Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON : I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY : Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross,and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON : Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

DR. PHIL : The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a NEW CAR! so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE : That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN : To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART : No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS : Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY : To die in the rain, alone.

JERRY FALWELL : Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay, too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side.' That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS : Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish it's lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE : It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES : I have just released eChicken2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN : Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS : Did I miss one?

- author (authors?) unknown

WOW?

2008-11-12T18:39:00.000-05:00

You can't really tell from the picture, but I dyed my hair Black....yes Black! I have been getting a lot of compliments on it. Today someone told me I looked like I was going "punk" LOL. I said, "Yeah, I'm Joan Jett". ;0)

If I was keeping score, I'd have to say today was a winner!

2008-11-03T19:42:00.003-05:00

Today was the last day of a four day weekend. I treated myself to Friday and Monday off to relax before and after my annual "No Men Allowed" Christmas shopping trip to Portland Maine with my mom, sister, aunts and cousins. I spent lots of money and had just as much fun.

Instead of staying home today, I drove to my hometown and met up with a "long lost" friend from school. It was a great day. We had great conversation. After I left her, I stopped by my dad's house to see him since I was there and it's an hour and 20 minute drive.

My stepmother didn't let me down. She gave me her usual negative remarks. I nearly laughed in her face when she told me that my "bangs" were too short and looked like I had a receding hairline. It used to cut deep, but now, I am just amused by her stupidity. It's called a PIXIE beotch! hahahahahaha SNORT

When I was leaving, my dad went out to his car and grabbed a bag. When he handed it to me, he told me not to open it until I got home. I obeyed. :) When I walked into my house, I opened it up, having no clue what it could be, and nearly dissolved into tears when I realized that it was his blue cardigan. He used to wear this sweater all of the time. It was hand knit by someone he knew in Maine. We had a conversation about a month ago and I told him that he could NOT ever die, but in the event it happened, I didn't care what my step-monster withheld from us, out of spite, the only thing I wanted was his blue sweater because it held so many dear memories of him in every stitch. He gave me the only guarantee he could by giving it to me while he is still alive. It smells like him and fresh tears spring to my eyes each time I smell it.

After dinner, I took the girls to the mall to pick up E's ring. The stone was loose so I had to send it out to be fixed. On the way, I stopped to get gas and got it for $2.17/gallon!!! Such a great way to end a great day.

When we were at the mall, we swung into Lenscrafter's to get E's glasses fixed (she slept on them). I had picked up a pair of lime green reading glasses at Target this weekend and wanted to know if they could put my prescription in them. They said they couldn't because they weren't made to change the lenses :( So I looked around and found a really cool pair of Vogue Lime Green glasses that shouted my name. Now, I don't know what to do. With lenses, $309. GAH!