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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Autumn in New England



Have you had enough of my incessant blogging about this past weekend? Are you sick of me bragging about all the fun I had with my sister in law, Connie? This might be the last post about it.


Day One: BOSTON

As soon as we left the airport we headed for the subway. But, some nice guys on the bus told us to take the water taxi instead. So, we did! I'm telling you---we just did whatever the heck we felt like this WHOLE DANG WEEKEND!

This pic is of Connie and our water taxi cab driver. We were the only ones and he told us a little bit about the hahbah (which I'm told is the same word for harbor) and some of the buildings. He dropped us off right where we needed to go and that probably saved us a good 30 minutes or so. Time is a precious commodity when it gets dark at 4:30pm.
We went to Fanueil Hall and the food court at Quincy Market. I was able to cross two food items off my list with one lunch. I ate a lobstah roll and some clam chowdah. They were pretty tasty.
Then we decided to do the hop on/off trolley tour and we got off at the Prudential building to do their skywalk tour. About the trolley...our driver, Sean, was AMAZING! He was really funny and full of information. My favorite was about the Boston Molassacre. He drove us into Cambridge and I saw MIT. Carl was accepted there to go to grad school but the fellowship they were offering was the same amount as he would get at Purdue. Cost of living, anyone? While living in Massachusetts could have been a lot of fun, I'm glad we didn't miss out on all those years in Indiana.

This picture is of Fenway park. I took it up at the Prudential tower. They have an audio tour that is really nice and the views were fantastic. It was a really nice day to be out and about.
We ended our day in the North End. We ate Italian food and went to Mike's Pastry. I had some Boston Cream Pie (of course!). Actually, I just took it to go. I ate it for breakfast on Day Two.

Day Two: Some Culture and Rhode Island

We got up and headed over to the Classic Elite Hub Mill Yarn store. It was pretty darn awesome. They have $1 and $2 bins, bags of stuff for $20, loads of discounted Classic Elite yarns, and even some other yarn thrown in for good measure. Poor Connie. She went in for a few minutes and then sat in the car to talk on the phone while I shopped. I forget sometimes that most people don't like to browse in yarn shops. It took me a while to decide what to get. It finally came down to something I knew that I would absolutely love (as opposed to something that was a super deal but not something I really "needed" or would love to knit). I bought some Classic Elite Lush in Keys Green. I bought enough to make a sweater for me.

Then we drove down to Walden Pond. Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?
We next headed over to Orchard House. This is the home of Louisa May Alcott. I couldn't take pictures inside but you can get some views by checking out that website. There was a swift and some other knitting items in Abigail's room. I thought I would enjoy this museum but I was surprised that it was probably my favorite place to visit (besides the yarn shop, of course) on the whole trip. I'm going to have to re-read Little Women now!

After Orchard House we drove down to Stoughton to the IKEA. Yes, we went to IKEA!! I bought some things for the kids and for our bathroom. Good thing I brought an extra bag for the trip home. We then made a quick trip down to Rhode Island. By this time it was about 4:30pm and getting dark. We just headed across the border, drove around for a few minutes and then came back home. Now I can say I've been to Rhode Island!

Day Three: New Hampshire and Maine

We drove up to Maine (bonus state: New Hampshire) so I could go to the beach and we went to the Kittery Outlets as well. At the outlets I bought some dress slacks for Carl ($6 each!) and we had lunch. This is where I ate lobster. YUMMY, YUMMY wicked lobster. It was so delicious. I didn't take a picture because I got the Lazy Man's Lobster where they get all the meat out for you. I didn't know what I was doing so I figured that would be best. I was right. I ate so much good stuff that I really feel like I need a week to "detox" from all the rich, delicious food we ate.

It was almost getting dark so we hurried up to York Beach to take a few pictures. Here is one to prove that I was actually there. Yes, it was cold. Who else would go to a Maine beach in November? Just me!

That concludes my lovely trip to New England. I'm back home now and getting back into my routine. I've got a craft fair tonight and I'm stressing out preparing for it. Normal stuff.

I had a great time but I am glad to be home.

Where would you spend a weekend for some alone time?

Monday, November 12, 2007

A Thousand Words

I'm BACK!

I made it back to Nebraska. I'll blog about my awesome weekend tonight when I have more time.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

You Give Love a Bad Name

I'm going to see Bon Jovi in February!
They will be at the Qwest Center with Daughtry.
What a line-up.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

More Highlights

A few of the things we did today include:

1. Seeing Rhode Island.
2. IKEA
3. Eating my Boston Cream Pie (from Mike's)
4. Walden Pond and Louisa May Alcott's home (loved it!)
5. Classic Elite's Hub Mill Yarn Outlet---spent a pretty penny on angora...beautiful angora.

I'm tired...but oh, so content. We had loads of fun.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to seeing New Hampshire and Maine. We are going to eat some seafood and see the beach. Good times.

Friday, November 09, 2007

Safe and Sound

I arrived in Boston this morning and spent the rest of the day being whisked around the city enjoying every minute of it!

I'll go more in depth with my travelogue when I get home and can post my pictures but for now let me just give you some of the highlights.

1. Water Taxi
2. Our trolley driver, Sean, and his awesome accent
3. Lobster rolls and Clam Chowder
4. Skywalk at Prudential Tower
5. Mike's Pastries

Tomorrow will include a trip to a yarn store. We're also planning on driving to either VT & NH or RI. Why? Because we can! Woohoo!

On My Way

I slept like a six year old on Christmas Eve last night. I woke up every hour (at least) in anticipation for this very moment hoping I wouldn't miss it.

I'm on my way.

Blogging to resume when I make it to New England.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

To-do List

ETA: Since 2:30pm I have not been able to do anything except keep the kids on track and go to that parent meeting. Caleb is in bed but Eva's still putting up a fight. Carl is at scouts and won't be home until 9:30pm. Doesn't look like much else is going to be done before I go.


In less than 24 hours I will be well on my way to Boston to spend a glorious weekend with my sister-in-law. I've got quite a list of things to do between now and 3:15am (when I have to leave for the airport for my 5:50am flight). This has helped me in the past so I'm going to list them all here and cross them off when I'm done.

In no particular order:

laundry
brush my hair
grocery store
decide which knitting projects to take
pack up knitting projects
pack everything else
decide whether or not to check any baggage (for possible purchases)
double check what I can take as carry on
work on items for my craft fair (which is TUESDAY!)
fix my craft fair display
Start getting my cards organized
Tag my products
Make a gift certificate for the door prize
Drink a pepsi
Fix Eva's hair good enough that it will last the weekend
put away the clothes
set out some outfits for the kids
make a list for Carl detailing when and where everyone needs to be
email Connie (SIL) to give her my cell phone number and a quick heads up on the itinerary
fill up the van with gas
Caleb's home based visit is this afternoon
Take kids to a school meeting (free dinner and childcare)- I'm the parent classroom rep
Put the kids to bed (Carl has scouts tonight)
Make taco soup to last Carl the weekend
Use an exfoliating mask (I'm getting a humongous zit right in between my eyes...perfect)
Go to Hobby Lobby to use 40% off coupons on some supplies for the craft fair
Pay bills
Get money from ATM
Play my last few codes on the McDonald's Monopoly game and hope I win something (didn't win...oh well!)
charge iPod


I better get started!

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Stuart Little


Eva has been obsessed with watching Stuart Little. She loves that little mouse and Snowbell the cat. I've been sitting down with her sometimes to watch it while I've been knitting. Some interesting things about the movie.

Hugh Laurie (from House) plays the dad.

Taylor Negron (the pizza guy from Fast Times at Ridgemont High) is the sales clerk at the mall.

The most interesting thing of all?

M. Night Shyamalan wrote the screenplay. Really? It's true.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Talk About Tuesday

Today I'm going to talk about all the crazy knitting projects I have going on at the moment. I have some I have to do, some I want to do, and some I need to get started.

Just in time for the Husker football team to be have its worst season ever, I'm making more ornaments! I've put one at my etsy shop and I'm going to have them on display at my craft fair booths. At least we've still got the volleyball team doing well! I'm planning on branching out and doing some other schools as well. I'll definitely do some OU and Purdue.

I'm also making some baby mitts (thumbless mittens) and socks. I'm having a hard time with the sizing because I don't remember how big (or little) baby hands and feet are. Got a baby (0-6 months)? Will you measure their hand for me? I need to know the length from wrist to tip of the middle finger. On the foot I just need to know the length from heel to toe. Thanks in advance! These will also be in my shop and at craft fairs.
I'm also working on the next Harry Potter scarf for my brother, Joe. He turns 11 next month and he wants a Ravenclaw scarf. My brother, Sam, turned 12 yesterday and his Hufflepuff scarf has been in the mail the past couple of days. Scarves are probably my least favorite thing to knit. Oh well.
I decided I needed a more portable item to knit. The Ravenclaw scarf is my portable right now because it is still small. But when I was still working on the Hufflepuff scarf, I needed to start some socks so I had something to knit at a training meeting I had to go to.

These socks are using a twisted stitch decorative rib and I'm using some Sophie's Toes sock yarn that I got from my Sockret Pal. They are going to be slow going because I really have no deadline for these. They are for me!
Here is a peek at some test knitting. This is my last test knitting project for a while. I can't go into detail at the moment but here is the sneak peek.
I have some other projects on the needle around the house but they are all officially hibernating until I can get a handle on all of these other projects. I'm also working on a ton of cards for my craft fair and my Nov 15th "grand opening" of my etsy shop.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Pumpkin Pie


I made these cute little pumpkin pie gems last night. They were super easy, delicious, and came from a box! I bought these on clearance when I went shopping for day after Halloween goodies. I think they are Eagle Brand Pumpkin Pie Gems...or something like that. All you add is a stick of butter (for the crust that tastes like shortbread!), 1/3 c. of milk and 1 egg. Everything else, including spices, is in the box. It makes 6. They didn't last a whole day around here. Yum-o!

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Big Surprises

My kids didn't get the memo that we were allowed to sleep AN EXTRA HOUR last night. Instead they woke up earlier than normal (4:30am!).

Are you surprised I've signed up for NaBloPoMo? I figured I blog every day anyway so I may as well sign up and see if I can win some prizes and find some cool new blogs to read.

Caleb is really starting to like my MIKA cd. Are you surprised that he has started to play those songs on the piano? His favorite track is "Lollipop".

It should also come as no surprise to most of you that I am starting to fall behind on my deadlines. It was bound to happen as I have over-committed myself to myself. Time to re-prioritize and get back on track.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Looking Back

First sweater. Including bonus spelling error!

First socks.

First contest.

First baby girl. Another pic of the family.

Lincoln?

What I used to do before I entered knitting competitions.

I love Neil Diamond.

I am the Oprah Ticket Master.

Remember Bloody Pegs? How about Eva being able to crawl and climb up on things at 4-5 months?

My first Runza.

100 Things About Me.

Classic Caleb.

My first Gold Medal.

Our first home
.

First Girls Weekend.

First State Fair entries.

Broken Butt. This was almost a year ago and I'm still suffering from a sore bum.

In 2007 I resolved to blog every day. I've done it so far. It has been really great to share my life with so many people. Thanks for sticking it out with me for this long! More to come...

Friday, November 02, 2007

Items of Note

1. Do you like the new look? Julie did it all. In fact, I came to check on my blog yesterday afternoon and it was taking shape. I came back a little later and all my links were there! It was amazing. Julie--you may want to come up with a basic "blog upgrade" fee because a lot of people have been asking me about it. Cottage business?

2. I also have finally opened my etsy store. You can click on the link in the sidebar or here. It is pretty weak at the moment because I am only going to upload a few items a day. I can't add any of my Stampin' Up items until after November 15th.

3. My 3 year blog anniversary is TOMORROW! Want to celebrate? I guess we'll have to see what I come up with...even I don't know yet.

4. When did the Classic Rock radio station decide to stop playing "classics" from the 60's and 70's to playing songs that I remember all too well? Is it true that Pearl Jam is already classic rock?

5. In one week I will be heading to New England to visit my sister-in-law. I'm pretty gosh darn excited and she just sent me an email this morning with a load of choices for things to do. We're touring Boston on Friday and Saturday and Sunday are up in the air. We'll probably do some stuff in New Hampshire on Saturday and head up to Maine on Sunday. I get to add some new states to my list! Anyone in the know have any "must-sees"?

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Don't Mind the Mess

This blog will be under construction these next couple of days. Things may or may not go smoothly. Some of you may never notice. We shall see.

Here are the pics from last night at Trunk or Treat. I used my laziness in my favor and got the kids ready for bed AND trick or treating at the same time!

They were mesmerized by Bert & Ernie.

The candy is separated (some for the kids--good stuff for the grown ups!) and hidden. Thus begins the epic battle of wills. Help me!

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween?

I like to party as much as the next person (maybe more?) but for some reason I'm just not that into Halloween. As of right now I still don't know exactly what my kids are going to be tonight. I'm pretty sure Eva will be Dora the Explorer. Well, she'll at least wear the backpack. Caleb wore a batman shirt to school today. That might be it. He's not that into the pirate patch anymore. He asks for it, I put it on him and then he immediately takes it off.

My decorations at home for Halloween consist of a pumpkin painted by Marsha (thanks!). If she didn't do that for me, I don't think I'd have anything around here.

I'm not that excited about having candy around the house, either. We still have some candy leftover from last year!

I also don't like to be scared or spooky things. I NEVER went on haunted hayrides or to haunted houses...not even when it was "cool" when I was in high school or college. I didn't need to be cool enough to subject myself to wetting my pants. ;)

This time of year isn't a total bust. It was over Halloween weekend 13 years ago when Carl and I started dating seriously. One of our first major dates was to the Halloween dance at the Institute. Carl was a streaker (scary, I know!) and I was the Queen of Ping (I am a really good ping pong player!). This year we're going to be stressed out parents. I think it suits us.

However you celebrate Halloween...enjoy it!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Talk About Tuesday


Our bathroom renovations are taking shape slowly but surely. We have a soft deadline of the second weekend in December since my mom is coming to visit. She has got a dream bathroom. Did you see it? Okay, back to my bathroom.


Our shower is gone. Carl did that all by himself. It is nice having it gone but now I'm really wanting a bathtub. All we have to do is call the plumber. Procrastination at its best.
This is my ugly light fixture that I'm ready to get rid of. The mirror is going, too. I haven't found replacements yet. Any suggestions?
I didn't bother cleaning off our vanity for the pic. Sorry. It will just make an even bigger "before picture" statement when all is said and done. Carl is going to build me an open vanity a la Pottery Barn but with only one sink. I'm pretty sure this is the exact same one that Wendy had her husband make for her grand bathroom. Why pay $2K when you have a handy husband?

I love the colors of my home. The previous owners did a great job and I haven't wanted to change a thing...except for this bathroom. I hate this wallpaper. Ick. What were they thinking? As of today I am painting the room a light steel blue. The fixtures will all be satin nickel and the furniture will all be white.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to be very happy with the outcome of the bathroom. If nothing else it has taught me to never, ever build a house with Carl...until we can solve the epic battle of quality or cost?

Monday, October 29, 2007

Sweet Dreams

The other night I had an interesting dream. I was with some people on a hay ride and we were on our way to the airport to take a trip. On the way we were picking people up and one of those people just happened to be Vanna White. Nobody really recognized her or acknowledged her presence except me. I went over and started talking to her about how we love the Wheel of Fortune but what I really love is that she loves yarn. We talked about all the colors of yarn she has and I asked her why she decided to have an acrylic versus natural fibers (ease of care and cost, according to Dream Vanna). It was one of those dreams that seems so real that I'm pretty sure if I ever meet Vanna in real life she'll remember that conversation. Back in 1990 I had another real-life seeming dream where I was married to Patrick Swayze. I wonder if he remembers that?

As I was thinking about Vanna and our good times together as BFFs, I had an epiphany. I know what I'm going to name my sweater design. Are you ready?

SEVILLA

The name of the stitch pattern it uses is called "Fan". That reminded me of Spain. The city in Spain that most reminds me of fans would Sevilla, home of the flamenco. And, there you have it. Now if I happen to design any more in the future, I will give all of them names of cities or places. I think that's what Vanna would do.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Our New Daughter


Introducing Zoe. Created by strands and strands of yarn and my son's imagination. Loads of fun.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Smart Habit Saturday

Last week my SMART habit was to work every day. Frankly, this didn't happen. With the kids out of school and sick the stuff I would normally do in the daytime had to get pushed back to when they were in bed so that took away most of my work time. I did get some things done. I finished the projects for today's Stamp Club.

2-4-6-8 Box

Triangle Tri-fold card

(inside)

Baroque motifs card

This week I'm going to continue to work on the same habit. Not only do I anticipate having my etsy store open on November 15th, I signed myself up for a Women Business Owners Network On Display show. That's Nov 13th. I need to work whether I want to or not!

Friday, October 26, 2007

Perspective

The kids are sick and so am I. The good news= I'm not as sick as I could be. I can still function.

The garage door broke this morning. The good news= I didn't have to go anywhere anyway so I was here for the repairman. Carl also has a good job so we can pay for these kinds of events without adding more to our debt.

The house is a pit. The good news= We have a house.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Dream Bathroom

Last May I asked my mom to do a guest post on my blog about her bathroom renovations.

Today she finished it (the post, not the bathroom--that's been finished for a while). Instead of posting it on my blog, she's got her own now.

Want to see it?

Conversations With Eva

Eva: Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!

Me: What do you want? (nice voice)

Eva: Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!

Me: Eva, I hear you! What do you want? (not as nice)

Eva: Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!Mommy! Mommy!

Me: Yes, Eva?

Eva: silence

Eva: Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!

Carl: What do you want?

Eva: Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!

Me to Carl: Just say, "yes, Eva?".

Carl: Really?

Eva: Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!

Carl: Yes, Eva?

Eva: silence

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Boo-tays

My sister called me this morning to ask me if I could knit some baby booties for her. Hello? Does she really need to ask? Do I have knitting deadlines out the boo-tay? Yep. I also have a few more months until they are needed. Is it stopping me from searching for some pretty perfect baby bootie patterns? No way.

She's having a boy. In February. She told me she's been planning outfits all morning. Fun times. Do you have any go-to bootie patterns?

Good Mail


Grandma and Grandpa Greer (and Peter--the dog) sent Caleb and Eva Halloween cards. Caleb can read a handful of words so he loves when he sees his name on an envelope. I gave it to him to open. Inside were stickers and a $10 bill. Eva got the same. They took the stickers and ran. They still have no concept of money so I took the money and ran...to the store to buy them some toys. With them being home all week I thought I would get them something to keep them occupied. We were at a birthday party earlier in the week and the birthday boy got this set of dinosaurs ($10 from Target) that Caleb loved! I went to Target and got the dinosaur set and found a really cute fairy princess castle set for Eva (also $10). They LOVED the toys and they played nicely for a long time!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Talk About Tuesday


Design. I've been thinking for some time now about giving my blog a face lift. I don't have Photoshop (although it is on my Christmas wish list!) or more than just basic html skills so I've been relying on templates found online. Enter: Julie. A graphic designer that is working for sock yarn. Not only will I get an awesome blog design but I also get the satisfaction of shopping for yarn! A win win situation there.


This is my inspiration.

This image is from anthropologie. I love everything about it. It makes me more than happy.

What inspired the look of your blog? What inspires the look of your wardrobe, home, etc...? What kinds of design elements make you stop and look twice?

Monday, October 22, 2007

Music Monday

Here we go again. Melessa is my new Music Monday guru.

1. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree- KT Tunstall
2. Regresa a Mi- Il Divo
3. Borderline- Madonna
4. Big Girl (You are Beautiful)- MIKA
5. Somebody's Me- Enrique Iglesias
6. Tangled- Maroon 5
7. Te Aviso, Te Anuncio- Shakira
8. You Can Do It- No Doubt
9. It's My Life- Dr. Alban
10. I'll Do Anything- Jason Mraz

Fashion Rocks.

We had our one person fashion show on Saturday. Here are the best shots.


I'm going to have a test knitting opportunity for someone in the next few weeks. I'm writing the pattern for the still to be named sweater in multiple sizes and I'd just like someone (besides myself) to follow the pattern and see if it makes sense and make some notes. I'd provide the yarn and you would get to keep the top when you're finished. All I ask it that you make a different size than the one I already made (36" bust). I would need it finished by Dec 31st. It is actually a pretty quick knit. Leave a comment if you might be interested in doing this.

Speaking of test knitting, I've finished up two of the three projects I have in the works. This one used cotton chenille and I'm not sorry that I'm done with this project. There was nothing wrong with the pattern...just that darn yarn. Not my favorite. The next project used a really soft wool so I'm looking forward to working on that one.


School is on Fall Break for the week. I'm trying to keep the kids as occupied as possible. We made playdough and we've been doing a lot of disco dancing. I'm really going to need that vacation in November!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

A New Yarn

*photo from flickr images

I've heard a little bit about this new yarn that could be a Noro substitute. I was on the lookout before I found my awesome stash of Noro via eBay. It is Debbie Mumm Traditions found at Joann. I haven't felt any in person but word on the street (aka Ravelry forums) is that is a lot like Noro but softer and cheaper. I think this would be a great option for anyone that was interested in making Lizard Ridge but not wanting to make an investment in Noro. This yarn certainly doesn't have the wide range of colors as Noro but the color changes are wide enough and could be a suitable substitute.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Smart Habit Saturday

I'm still working on finishing things but this week my SMART habit is all about starting new projects.

Craft fair season is about to kick into high gear and while I've only committed myself to one so far, I need to replenish my stock. Not only that, starting November 15th I'll be able to sell my creations using Stampin' Up! products online. They have updated their angel policy and it goes into effect on that date. I'd love to have my etsy shop ready to go.

So, this week I'll be starting the habit of setting "work" hours. My plan is to work at least 1 hour a day. Ideally, I'd like to spend at least 10 hours this week but with it being Fall Break I don't anticipate getting a lot of extra time during the hours when kids are awake.

FYI: If you don't keep up with my blog except for on SHS, you might have missed my latest news on my sweater design! You can find it here.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Design Contest

On Wednesday night I went to my knitting group. We started chatting about the Project Lincoln fashion show and contest. I was pretty sure I was the only one that entered. I started thinking really awful things--like they weren't going to give me the prize ($100 gift certificate) since I was the only entrant. I was planning revenge in awful ways--like blogging about how awful and terrible they are and how nobody should ever shop there...blah, blah, blah. I went into the store today to drop off a flier and double check about tomorrow and I was kind of ready to be disappointed with them saying that they are canceling everything and I can have my top back. I was mistaken.

I wasn't mistaken about being the only entrant. Alas, that is true. I was mistaken about expecting them to not give the prize. As soon as I came in they congratulated me and told me how great my top was. They were even nice enough to say that if there were other entrants I would have been hard to beat. I'm getting the gift certificate and they are going to publish my pattern for sale at the shop. Assuming it sells, I'll get a return on that as well. I'm still going to be there with my model tomorrow to take some pictures for the newsletter. We might have her do a little strut or two down the hallway. And that my friends, is how I became a knitwear designer*.

I'm going to need to name my top. I haven't really come up with anything substantial. I was kind of leaning toward naming it Heidi (because of Project Runway) but now I'm not so sure. I'm taking suggestions and if your name is chosen I'll be sure to send you something uber fabulous.

*Not a knitwear designer like Debbie Bliss. More like a knitwear designer one hit wonder like Kajagoogoo.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

My Favorite Things

Another installment of some of my favorite things!I've been swapping a lot of books on Swaptree lately and these 10X13 catalog envelopes from Columbian are my "go-to" envelope of choice. I keep them by my computer desk so when I print out the mailing label and postage, it is ready to go! It is almost time for me to get a new box (I think I bought this last box in Indiana) so they have been on my mind.

These Band-Aids really block water. They are also really transparent and super comfortable. If there wasn't the cotton strip I would probably forget where they were. As far as I know they don't come in other sizes so I do keep some others on hand but these are definitely my FAVORITE!

A new favorite from this week is my version of Taco Soup. Sorry, no picture. Here is the recipe.

1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 can corn
2 cans pinto beans
1 medium white onion, diced
1 large can crushed tomatoes (or 2 small cans)
1 package taco seasoning

Put all of this in a pot and warm it up. It takes just a few minutes (not counting the browning on the beef) and is a real crowd pleaser. By crowd, I mean Carl. I loved it, too! Next time I make it I'll probably do a double batch or more to have enough to freeze.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Noah's Ark

Last Wednesday I made it to knitting night at Barnes & Noble. While I was there I saw the Simply Knitting magazine (from the UK) that had an extra insert for Alan Dart's Noah's Ark. I needed those patterns. I bought it. I'm still knee deep in test knitting and birthday knitting so there is really no way that I'm going to get to this anytime soon but I knew I would regret it later if I didn't get the patterns. I don't even like animals all that much but I am such a sucker for Noah's Ark toys. I think we have 3 different sets around our house. But we don't have a knitted set. That will make all the difference!

*I wanted to post a picture in the post but blogger is having issues with that at the moment. You can just click on the link to an eBay listing of the insert that has lots of pictures of the animals.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Talk About Tuesday


Last week I talked about designing a top. It is finished! We haven't had the final fashion show but I did blog about the final fitting. You can see the pictures of the finished product here.

This week I've still got knitting on the brain. I have several knitting deadlines. I'm test knitting for Gardiner Yarn Works and I can't really show any pictures of that right now. Except this.

I'm also making a Harry Potter Hufflepuff scarf for my brother Sam. He turns 12 next month. Once I finish that one I'll have to immediately cast on for Joe's. He's my other brother that turns 11 in December. He wants Ravenclaw but he wants his to be the style that the 3rd and 4th year Hogwarts students wear. If you're a Muggle this means nothing to you. But if you've seen the movies and care even a little bit about knitting, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Yesterday I talked about my dyeing my hair. Here is a picture for those that wanted to see it. Chocolate Cherry by Garnier is what I used. Carl wasn't impressed but I really love it. I took this picture last night and promptly trimmed my bangs this morning!

And, while I'm talking about talking about stuff...we bought our bathtub last night. We got this one. We just bought the tub. Not the surround. We're still deciding what we want to do on that.

I think that is all I have to Talk About Today! What do you have to talk about?

Monday, October 15, 2007

This Week at Casa Nelson

We've got one busy week ahead of us. Here are some of the things we are going to do.

Monday: I dyed my hair brown. Chocolate Cherry to be exact. I'm pretty much loving it but realize that it might be time to start doing my eyebrows. I never have. They are a little out of control.

I spent most of the morning at the store. We got groceries and I checked out the kitchen and bath sale at Menard's. Looks like we're buying a bathtub tonight!

Caleb's therapist comes this afternoon.

Missionaries over for dinner. We're having Garlic Chicken Stir Fry.

Off to Menard's to spend a load of cash.

Tuesday: Morning playdate with Mary and Leslie. I don't know where we're going yet.

Book group at night. We are discussing Twilight. I'm making Virgin Strawberry Margaritas to drink. Yum.

I'm going to make either a pot roast or taco soup for dinner.

Wednesday: Piano lessons in the afternoon.

Pumpkin Patch with Caleb's class from 4-6pm.

Enrichment craft night activity from 6:30pm-9pm.

Knitting Group at B&N from 7-9 (if I finish all the crafts I want at Enrichment I'm going to head over to knit).

Thursday: This is probably my easiest day. Nothing going on for me but Carl has scouts in the evening.

Friday: Nothing planned yet for me. Carl is going on a scout campout so he won't be around.

Saturday: Carl should be home around noon. Fashion Show for Project Lincoln starts at 2pm with a 1:30pm call time for me and Wendy. I have to reschedule my Stamp Camp.

Knitting Group from 3-5pm.

There is no school next week so I'm going to have to come up with some spectacular activities to keep us occupied.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Giveaway Winners

The winners have been drawn for the Pink Plaid Party Goody Bag Giveaway. Three winners were drawn randomly and it just so happens that I have their addresses already so I thought it would be fun to surprise the winners by having the bags just show up in their mailbox! If I don't have your address, I'm sorry. You didn't win. If I do have your address, you might get something in the mail from me this week. You might not. Wicked? Probably. Fun? Sure!

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Smart Habit Saturday


Last week my habit was to finish things before I started anything new. In my Talk About Tuesday post I showed what has been involved in designing a hand knit top. Well, I finished it! Here are the pictures as proof. We still have a fashion show to get through next week. We're going to pair it with that same black shirt underneath and some black pants.

I haven't finished all that I had hoped this week but I did stick with my not starting anything new. That was rough. But, I'm certainly seeing progress on the things I need to finish soon.

This week I am going to continue working on this habit. Here are some more things I need to finish:

1. Test knitting. I'm so close to finishing the 1st out of 3 items.
2. Getting the kids' clothes organized for the colder weather and evaluating what exactly I need to buy to round out their wardrobe.
3. Sam's birthday present (a Hufflepuff scarf).
4. Stamp Camp projects.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Finito, Etc...

Finito

The sweater is finished. I finished it yesterday and turned it into the shop this morning. Feels good.

Etc..

1. Are you playing Monopoly at McDonald's? Can I have the codes off of your game pieces so I can play the online game? If I win anything I promise I'll share. Email me! Speaking of winning, I'll draw winners for my goody bag giveaway Monday morning and post them then. You still have time to leave a comment. You're not willing to pass up free batteries, salad, and kleenex are you?

2. I went to Lowe's this morning to look at bathtubs. Why are they all hanging off the wall? I don't want to buy a bathtub without sitting in it first. Is it just me?

3. Tomorrow we are going to the Omaha Zoo. It is also the Road Show. Carl is going to be Thomas Edison singing, "I Light Up Your Life". I'll give a full report over the weekend.

4. My kids always sleep exactly 12 hours. I tried to trick them last night by having them go to bed at 6:45pm instead of 7:00pm. Silly me. Eva came upstairs this morning with the remote in her hand telling me to "Push! Button!". Caleb is always friendly and very talkative first thing in the morning. He said, "Good morning, MOM!" and then talked about how he was going to be good today.

5. Have you guys seen the show on VH1 called America's Most Smartest Model? I think it just started. In my quest to finish my knitting I've been finding all sorts of interesting shows. This one deserved a mention. Ben Stein is on it.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Paranoid

Caleb's special ed teacher does a home visit once a week. It is great. She gets to see him in action and I get to learn all the special tricks she uses at school to keep him from beating up everyone. Today she asked me if I ever thought about getting Eva evaluated. Actually, I hadn't. I know she doesn't have autism so I didn't think about the possibility of her needing services for something else. We talked a little bit about it and Caleb's teacher just seemed a little concerned because Eva won't talk to her much and when she does it is hard to understand her.

I called to set up an evaluation. It can't hurt anything to see and if she does qualify for services...great! I can use all the help I can get. At any rate I'll get back in touch with the services coordinator that I really like.

All afternoon I've been listening carefully to everything Eva says and how she says it. Yep, now I'm paranoid.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

It is a REALLY good thing I bought my plane ticket to Boston yesterday because what happened this morning would have made this trip all but impossible.

It's all about the shower.

When we moved in we knew we wanted to re-do our upstairs bathroom. It is a double shower where only one of the shower heads works at a time and the base was cracked. We have tried caulking it repeatedly but it is finally beyond repair. The sub floor is rotten and water is starting to come through Caleb's ceiling. Oops. Time for some renovation.

Carl is on board for getting a whirpool tub. We just have to make sure that we can get it in the space we have. You see, there is a reason there is a double shower in there right now. It is a little smaller than an average tub. HOWEVER...we have some wiggle room with our laundry area (also in the bathroom--it is a pretty big space) so I'm hopeful we can work it out. If we can't get an awesome whirpool tub in there then I'm all about doing another double shower and making it a sweet spa shower. Either way it is going to be cool. I just don't know how long it is going to take or how much it is going to cost. Yikes!

The good news? Looks like I'll be getting to the Y on a more regular basis if I want a shower.* No more excuses.



*Technically I could go downstairs to use the kids' bathroom. They have a shower and a tub. But, that bathroom always smells like poop--thanks to my incredible pooping machines that REFUSE to ever do it in the toilet.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Coming Soon!


Courtesy of Christmas 2007 and a husband that thinks I deserve a weekend break, I will be traveling to Boston in November for 3 days. I just bought the ticket today!

Giveaway and Cookbook

I'm going to give you a little more time to sign up for the goody bag giveaway if more people are interested. Just comment on the linked post. I know a lot of you wanted the cookbook information so I thought I'd just post it here.

Exclusive Pink Plaid Offer

For just $19.95, you'll receive:
  • The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Celebrating the Promise ($29.95 value) and
  • 1 year of Better Homes and Gardens magazine ($7 value)
To receive this special offer, send your name, address, daytime phone number, along with a check for $19.95 (shipping & handling included) made out to "Pink Plaid Offer" to: Pink Plaid Offer, PO Box 5935 W, Clinton, IA 52736
Offer ends 12/31/07. Allow 4-6 weeks for shipping.