The Princess

Finals

2012-01-01T08:04:00.004-05:00

Let me start by wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season. My final project lined up with the week of the holidays.

We had to design an open Kitchen and Dining Room, and a Bathroom for a young couple, in a federal style row house. They wanted to keep the design transitional, including some federal elements to represent the period of the house, but also have some modern conveniences.

Here is what we did for the Kitchen:
Perspective:

Elevation of West Wall:

Materials:

For both of the spaces we used subtle period details. We started with a federal color scheme and built it from there. The nobs in the kitchen are from the period, as well as the leg detail on the built in table. This room has character through the unique details, and the cabinetry elements that I won't bore you with.

And now for the Bathroom:
Axonametric (just another 3D view):

Bathroom Materials:

For the Bathroom, we used a similar color scheme, but we romanticized it, using a darker black, and medium stained wood, with gold elements. The flooring matches the subway tile surround but in a 12"x12" tile instead. The color doesn't come through quite right on the screen, but the tile is a white quartz with swirls of gold shimmering through it. We added custom shelves to fit around the tub, to add more storage, then stained them to match the vanity we refurbished for the room.

I think both spaces came together very nicely.

Happy 2012, filled with fresh designs, and lovely spaces! Please feel free to comment or let me know if there is a specific concern you would like me to address in the new year!

Practically finished!

2011-08-26T08:28:00.000-04:00

The following items are DONE! Hooray! Well except for the fact that they both need their ends woven in, and to be blocked.. minor finishing details aside, they are done!

The first is The Queen's Christmas scarf. This was the gift for this past xmas, not this coming one... But we did Christmas in February, if you remember, so I'm really only 6 months late, not 2/3 of the year.

Anyhow so the yarn is Alpaca, and I don't have any more information with me on it. I used size 6 crystal palace straight needles. and one ball of each of the three colors... Which I am sure would be more useful to know if I knew what the yarn was (I'll update my Ravelry page when I know). It is a Lynn Wilsons Design, Slip Stitch Sampler Scarf Pattern, which is not on rav. It was a fairly simple pattern, once I got the hang of it. You knit one half, and then knit the second half exactly the same and do a three needle bind off. I ended up adding a ton of extra rows, and switching the color orders around in the end to ensure that the scarf would be long enough. I love how it turned out, despite the frustration of it taking forever, I think I just got annoyed that I had to do the same thing all over again to make the second piece, and I lost interest. Hopefully it will enjoy it, and get use out of it.

The second thing that is almost finished, is Stella! She is a beaut! I cannot wait until she is blocked and ready to wear! I just hope she will block out a little longer.. she is the perfect width, but a little extra length would go a long way, so we'll see. She was knit in the Stacy Charles Stella yarn on size 6 Crystal Palace circulars. The pattern was a freebee from Ravelry call the "Diamond Lace Rib Bolero" and I quite like how it worked up. I first worked on this last summer in the Hampton's, so it only seemed appropriate to bring it this year, and finish it here.

So excited that these are both ready for blocking! I can't wait to get them home to start the stretching!

Eatin' Good: Around Town

2011-08-25T08:19:00.001-04:00

Being in the Hampton's for work for the entire month has it's perks. Probably the best one in my mind, is that I am surrounded by delicious cuisine. Here's a look at what I've been eating around town since I arrived:

Some coffee spots:
Jack's in Amagansett, has fabulous coffee, if you are anywhere near the east end of long island, you need to make a pit stop... or there's there Manhattan location too.

Some good lunch spots in Sag Harbor...
Provisions is a health food store with a pretty great cafe counter. The food is made fresh to order, and they have smoothies, fresh juices, coffees and teas as well..

The Dock House is another good spot, for a quick lunch or dinner. Last year I had a lobster roll there, and this year I had some fired clam strips and waffle fries. They have a host of great fresh seafood, being right on the dock in the harbor where the boats arrive probably doesn't hurt that.

Some Dinner spots I've enjoyed all over...
La Superica is a Mexican place in the downtown Sag Harbor area, I had there fajitas, and there guacamole. They had good food, but were a bit overpriced. They also had a good bar scene.
Bay Burger, on the Sag Harbor/Bridgehampton tpk is fabulous! They bake their own buns, and grind their own beef. The patty was cooked to perfection, the toppings were fresh and delish, and the bun was the perfect holder of all that goodness. They also have a few local beers on tap, along with milkshakes, and tater tots, who doesn't love a place where they can order Tots?!
The Sloppy Tuna is the restaurant that Patrick and I went to in Montauk when he was out. The food was superb! We had the scallop app, and He had the Lobster Roll Entre, while I had the Tuna special, I don't know what was in the dish, but oh my goodness it was a flavorful explosion! It had a good atmosphere too. But there dessert menu was lacking, if ya ask me..

Some Night Spots:
Other than the grabbing a beer at the Mexican restaurant, the only place I've gone out to since I've arrived is The Surf Lodge. It is supposedly The spot. It was extremely crowded, but it did have a funky vibe and awesome interior design, including these very fun hanging chairs! Patrick and I went there after dinner, had one drink, walked around, and then left.

Eatin' Good: At Home

2011-08-24T09:57:00.004-04:00

We have had a few good meals since we arrived... most of them cooked or at least prepped by yours truly.

In the first week we had a flank steak marinated in soy sauce and e.v.o.o., which was super yummy, we grilled it for about 6 minutes per side, making the ends of the steak well done, and the inside med. rare. Something for everyone. Served it up with some grilled corn on the cob and some roasted beets...Yum!

The following night, with the leftovers, I made a little chop salad, and added the corn (taken off the cob), and the flank steak re-heated and cubed. The salad also had plump grape tomatoes, diced red onion, fresh green beans, and a sprinkle of feta. Drizzled that with some oil and balsalmic and it made a lovely salad!

We've had plenty of white fish while we've been here. For that, I've basically been tossing it on the grill with a drizzle of olive oil and S & P. Then when its served up, squeezing some fresh lemon juice over the top. It's simple and delicious. I've also done the fish broiled on high with a drizzle of e.v.o.o., S & P, and Old Bay seasoning... and that is also quite yummy! I'm not the biggest fan of reheated fish, so I don't have any day 2 suggestions for ya there, but if you've got any for me, feel free to share!

For a meatless option, I cooked up some macaroni noodles, and pan fried some grape tomatoes, and yellow zucchini from the farm stand with crumbled tofu. You could do this with pasta sauce to, but we didn't have any on hand and I love squashing the little tomatoes! Drain the pasta and pour in some oil and salt, then toss it with the veg mixture, and season to taste. This is also good with mushrooms, and onions. Reheat the leftovers a couple days later for a yummy hot lunch.

That's what I have for you for some good eats. We have been grilling up all kinds of burgers, and dogs too.. and thankfully the kids pallets have enjoyed most of what's been served. (And when they don't, they get PB&J.)

Tonight I'm grilling some chicken, marinated in a teriyaki sauce! Should be good with some green beans and maybe some quinoa.

So, what are you cooking? Happy Eats.

Playing at the Beach

2011-08-16T08:40:00.004-04:00

This year, we are again, withing walking distance to the beach. Technically, we are right on a little salt pond that leads out to the Harbor, but there is just marshy area in the back yard. So we walk to the beach. The kids love this beach because it has the little inlet that they can play in and see the Minos and other tiny sea-creatures. The beach area is rather rocky, but it is perfect for practicing throwing. We can wind up and see who gets the greatest Ker-PLUNK! We have also been collecting a lot of shells, horse-shoe crab skeletons, little pieces of driftwood, etc. Jinx loves lifting up the rocks and digging in the muck to see what she can find. The other day she decided to paint her entire body with the mucky sand and then wobble over to the waters edge to splash around and rinse off.

All in all it is a great little spot we have here in Sag Harbor. I think it is perfect for the kids. The rocky beaches can be just as much fun, if not more fun than the sandy beaches for kids in the 1-6 age range. Exploring is fun!

We have planned lots of crafts to do with all of the beach-y items we have been collecting, but have yet to actually do any of them. You can do a lot with them though. I was telling the kids we could use the pieces of sea-glass, shell bits, and pebbles to make a mosaic. We'll see if we get to it.

Today the air feels light and crisp like the fall! We'll see what fun we can find this week!

Hope everyone enjoyed an excellent weekend! I had an awesome couple of days off :)

Sailing, Sailing

2011-08-11T13:45:00.004-04:00

Right before I left for the Hamptons, Patrick and I decided to spend the entire day, just relaxing and hanging out.

We had tickets for a sailboat cruise out of New Haven and we scheduled to be on the brunch cruise that day. It was a gorgeous day to set sail, the sun was shining, and the breeze was perfect. The tickets said that it was a 2 hour cruise, but we were all on the boat for about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and not a single person was upset about the added time. It was amazing to be on a large sailboat (it was 100' in length including the beams that extend to support the sails). It was beautiful with all four of the sails up and just enjoying the brunch and the company of the other people on the boat.

I even got some knitting done!

Someday I will learn how to sail and save for a tiny boat (that's all I'll be able to afford) but it really only needs to hold 2 people. I find being out on the water so relaxing and peaceful. I love it!

After our sail that day, we went to the beach and relaxed for a while, and then made our way back to my place so I could pack. We ordered take-out from a local Mexican place (one of my favorite types of cuisine), and streamed some movies on netflix.

All in all it was the perfect low key day spent with Patrick. It was great to get to spend the whole day together in our busy schedules just hanging out before I left. I am leaving Sag Harbor tomorrow and hopping on another boat (the ferry) to cross the sound and have some downtime for the weekend! I cannot wait! It is much needed. It is so beautiful here, and I do enjoy the opportunity to be here in this gorgeous place. But there is nothing like an entire day off or sleeping in your own bed!

Anyone have any fabulous plans for the weekend?

Baby Projects

2011-08-08T07:25:00.000-04:00

A good warm weather project for any baby that is sitting up on their own is to let them paint. I put Jinx outside for a little tactile and color amusement. It's a very simple project.. Lay out a large piece or several large pieces of paper put a glob of each of the primary colors on... you can work with just one when they are younger, but as they age, it is fun to play with the primaries and see how they swirl, mingle, and mix together to become new colors. I let her sit in just a diaper and paint with her whole body to feel it and make what ever she wanted. The clean up is a breeze too! The baby goes in the tub.. the art stays out to dry, and the patio hoses right off!

You could probably apply this project to your dogs too if you needed some good paw prints, you could put down a tray of a color that coordinates with your decor, and then walk them through the trey and onto the paper... cut out a good looking series of prints or one that looks great and frame them up solo or in a cluster.

Your dogs may freak out by the project, but Jinx sure had fun!

North Haven Knits

2011-08-07T08:22:00.000-04:00

North Haven is the name of the village of the Hampton's that we are technically staying in this year. It is 5 minutes from downtown Sag Harbor, and I love the vibe! It is not overly ritzy like the area we were in last year, but it is still amazingly gorgeous!

So last year I got a little carried away with bringing projects to the Hampton's to work on... but this year I think I did a more practical job of packing knits.

From Last year.. Remember Stella? This year She will be completed!

Also ready to be finished is The Queen's Christmas 2010 Present! I know, I know, it has taken way more than it's share of time.. and I have gotten sick of it, and started and finished other things in the meantime... but it is time to finish it once and for all! I want to mail it out by the end of the month! And for the record, I only have about 15% left to finish anyway.

Recently cast on is a knit along cardigan. The pattern "Corinne" is a knitty pattern, that my LYS chose for a knit-along. I decided to do it because it seems like a quick mindless cardi, that is knit in a different way. So far it is coming right along, with the Left front completed, and half of the Left sleeve short rows done! I'm hoping to have it completed by Mid September..depending on how much knitting time I actually get here...

And the final craft the got to come along is my drop-spindle. I got this a few years ago at the CT Sheep and Wool fest... I tried it out a couple of times when I first got it, but hadn't really used it consistently at all... but it is very portable, and easy to get the hang of. It is also very soothing and almost entrancing. Needless to say, it joined the bag of crafts, and I am excited to keep practicing with it!

So that's it for the fiber crafts... for other entertainment, I brought whichever Melanie Travis Mystery I am currently on, my Nook, and have already purchased a knitting mag at the local bookstore. I shall be plenty busy crafting while I'm not busy working.

Any fun August projects or summer finishing going on?

August means The Hampton's

2011-08-04T21:41:00.000-04:00

We are here again for the month.

Last year we were staying in Amaganset, which is a little area that from my understanding is a part of East Hampton. Everything last year was very lavish, and chic. The scenery was amazing! Here is a photo recap of last year:

It's Lovely isn't it. Last year, we had a lot of fun soaking in the sun and building memories. This year should be just as much fun! It's day four and we are already living it up! Looking forward to the rest of August :)

Memorial Day in Maine

2011-07-24T15:55:00.000-04:00

Another awesome trip, and it is about time I posted about it!

Patrick had never been camping and I wanted to show him how much fun it can be. So we invested in a ton of camping gear and booked a site on the coast of Maine in Cape Neddick. We stayed at Dixon's Campground, which I highly recommend. The grounds were lovely, they had great facilities, and were well maintained.

We arrived in Maine on the Wednesday night leading into Memorial Day weekend. We had to pitch our new tent in the dark, with only the moon, and our headlights illuminating the site. Then we ate a late dinner of grilled chicken breasts, that had been marinating for 24 hours, and we were early to bed!

The following morning we awoke refreshed and ready for the Maine experience. After making breakfast, we ventured out to Ogunquit beach (Pictured at the top). It was breathtaking. The beach was sandy, with huge sand dunes separating the ocean from the Ogunquit River. It was sunny, yet windy, but the scenes were gorgeous, and the fresh Maine ocean air was the best! After walking and exploring there for an hour or so, we traveled north to Kennebunkport. What an adorable little town! Here is a picture of the back of all the little stores.. I loved how close together they all were, and how they backed up to the waterway! This was my favorite town of the trip. It was just the right size of quaintness, yet not desertedly small. There were things to do and places to go, and we soaked it up. We made our way through Kennebunk on our way back to the campground later in the day and just hung out. We had another good couple of meals on our awesome little camp stove, and roasted marshmallows on sticks over the fire that night.

Friday morning we decided to check out Portsmouth, NH, as we were just a short jog over the ME, NH line.
We wandered around there for the better part of the day. It was a nice town as well. Lovely views, and fun shops. We made a pit stop at york beach on our way back, and then ventured back out again a little later for a Maine Date night, of mini golf, and sundaes! Patrick may have won mini golf, but I got 2 hole-in-ones! Making Grandpa proud!
We made our way back and made another fire until we were too tired from all that fresh air, and called it a night.

Saturday, we spend the morning packing up. On our way out we stopped and bought some live Lobsters...eek! (They were to bring to his parent's house for their anniversary.) Then we had some lobster rolls overlooking the ocean on York Beach. It was everything I could have expected from that lunch and more! I have never tasted lobster so fresh and delicious!

We then drove down the east coast from Maine to New Jersey. (We saw a double rainbow on the drive, which I have never seen before, but I only managed to capture a single rainbow!) We made it to Patrick's parent's in time for their anniversary dinner, including the live lobsters... which I did not cook...don't worry.. but I did eat and they were fabulous! 2 meals of lobster in one day! I'm living the life! We also celebrated Patrick's birthday.

Sunday everyone took me to Princeton to show me around the town. It was a nice little town. Very collegiate. After some quality time with his family we got back in the car and drove home to Connecticut.

Monday became a much needed veg day after a lot of weekend fun!

Mid-Summer Mystery Shawl

2011-07-19T21:26:00.004-04:00

About a month ago, I participated in a mystery knit-along. I did it with my mom, Channon, and a few gals from the LYS. It was really great to be doing it with so many friends. What a wonderful bonding experience!

I knit mine in linen by EuroFlax, So that it would be nice and light for a humid summer evening. I have even had a few opportunities to wear it! I love it. And I should since I knit it 3 times before I was finished. I added an extra repeat to the body to make it larger... and although I don't have any photos of it blocked, it became even larger and even more lovely.

I love the color, and although the texture of the yarn took some getting used to, I quite like how it feels after soaking.

Happy knitting!

Boston with the Boy

2011-06-21T09:34:00.001-04:00

In late April, Patrick took me to Boston for an overnight. We went to a Mariners v Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Stayed at an awesome hotel, and toured the city.

We arrived Saturday evening around 5, checked into our hotel, and then navigated the T to Fenway Park. The game was fantastic! I love baseball, especially going to games, and this is the first Mariners game I have been in attendance to since I was at the game that I got my cross-country moving job offer. It was a fabulous game. It moved quickly and there was some team drama with Milton Bradley.. I believe at this point he is not even on the team anymore... I should really blog more often! Anyhow the M's won! I convinced Patrick to hang around and watch the team exit the stadium.. but ya know without their uniforms, it is pretty darn hard to recognize any of them. Nonetheless it was a thrilling event. We stopped for ice cream on the way back and then called it a night.

The next day we ventured back downtown, and took the "Ride the Ducks Boston" tour. It was awesome! I have taken the duck tour in Seattle with Bora Bora, and ever since then I have wanted to do it in every town that has them! I was so happy when Patrick agreed to go. It is such a fun way to see all of the important sites in a town in one shot. I even got to drive the duck in the Boston Harbor!! So cool!

On our way out of town, we stopped for a nice seafood dinner. It was a relaxing end to a nice trip.

1 Year Down...

2011-05-18T09:20:00.003-04:00

1 year to go!!

I just finished spring semester, it was significantly more challenging than fall, but that's how it works sometimes i suppose. No grades yet, but I expect a B average this time around.

Outside of school, life is good! I actually hae time to knit again, and have been knitting away at The Queen'schrismas '11 scarf...it is gorgeous...and i hate it! So in much need of a knitting time-out, the Queen herself recommended we knit along with a mystery shawl! How fun is that?! I popped into my lys yesterday and picked up a lovely steely violet linen, and discovered that one of the gals from the shop is knitting it to! So now I'll have my mom calling and checking the blog for updates, and some local gals at my store to check in with as well! I havea feelinghat this shawl is going to fly off the needles! And what a wonderful break it will be from that scarf!

Ive had a few mini trips too, that i will post on as soon as i get the photos uploaded!

Happy knitting

The Best Trip Ever

2011-03-06T16:27:00.003-05:00

At the end of February, I skipped a week of school, and took a much needed vacation from work, to spend a week home in Seattle, with my family.

My heart swelled the entire time I was there, in fact, I think it is so full with love and happiness that it just might burst! And I also decided, with some help from the Queen, that you can't be poor if you have love.

I landed on a Tuesday night at about 9:30, and when I arrived at the house, my parents weren't even home! How rude! But when they came in with a Wii, I excused them.

Wednesday, I had a dental appointment, and then we wandered around downtown Edmonds--I love that town! Eventually we made our way back to the house.. got the wii all set up, and ordered pizza. Bora Bora came over, with her mom (who is a great friend of my mom's) and we had wii, wine, and pizza! It was a blast!

Thursday, I had plans with my dad, but as there was a dusting of snow, the place we were heading was closed, so my pops came in and we showed him how the wii works, and then we had some father-daughter bonding time, before going to my eye appointment. Afterward, Jess, Dad, and I went out to lunch. Mr. J and Mom met us for dessert, and then Dad had to take off afterward, and the rest of us meandered around the mall for a bit. Afterward we went home for some Parmesan fish! Yum!!

Friday, Bora Bora picked me up from the rents, and we went for a delicious breakfast in Woodenville, and then for pedi's in alderwood.. We eventually made our way back to the house around 1ish, and we all left at 2:30 for wine tasting! They have all of these tasting rooms scattered around Woodenville, and we made our way through 6 of them, sharing the tastings between Mr. Jay, Laura, and myself. Some of the wine was Wonderful, and some of it was much worse! But it was great fun, and mom got her creativity running with her camera! Later that night we gathered with a group of my friends at Red Hook for dinner and beer. It was so much fun to get everyone all together.

Saturday, we just hung out at home for a bit, then Laura and I went out to run some errands and re-arrange her furniture, of course we got carried away with fun, and didn't end up getting back to my parents for prime rib dinner until 5:30! Woops!
It was good regardless, and with great company :)

Sunday we had a lazy morning. I went and got coffee with my Grandpa, I love catching up with him, I love that he is a part of my life. On my way home I made a pit stop at my Best Friend Heather's house, for literally 30 min (it was the only chance we had to see each other!), and then picked up Jess and checked out her new grown up furniture!
I had decared it family Christmas! So once mr. Jay was up, he made Eggs benidict, and we all got ready to venture down to Freemont. It was so much fun. Great booths, with awesome jewelry and gems.. we find a few new treasures. Stopped for a quick snack and some adult beverages. Next was to Theo's chocolate factory for some delicious samples, and I bought a lot of chocolate! Lastly we ventured to the Troll! When we finally got back home, we made disgusting caserole, and opened pressies! I feel so blessed to have had such a great time, the gifts were the icing on the cake! My mom finally finished the quilt, that we bought fabric for when I was 8; and she knit me the most amazing knee-high cashmere socks! Jess made me fingerless mitts, and an adorable hat! As it was hand made Xmas, Mr. Jay hand selected some awesome jewelry!

Monday was a day to me.... I had to get my first ever cavity filled..and I survived to tell about it! Then I did some homework, and napped with the hounds, and made dinner.. we had a quiet and wonderful evening at home to finish up my trip, and a tearful goodbye before bed.

My dad picked me up at 5am the next morning and I snuck in to give one last kiss to Mom and Mr. Jay before I left. Dad took Jess and I to get a required coffee on our way to the airport, and I made it to the plane on time.

It was the best trip ever. I love my family so much and spending time with them is so wonderful, I really cannot wait until I graduate!

The only downfall to the week was that I missed a significant amount of school, and now I'm drowning in projects... so what am I doing... blogging at starbucks.

Guess I should get back to it. Hug your family!

Missed a few biggies

2011-01-27T11:42:00.004-05:00

Since the last post we have had Thanksgiving. How was yours? For my thanksgiving, I shared it with great friends from my knitting group. I spent the late morning hours with Miss L... she made us fabulous Cucumber vodka bloody Mary's. They were delicious! Then I trekked over to another friend from knitting's house, where there was quite the group of 17 people if I remember correctly. They made 2 turkeys! There was lots of knitting, great food, and merriment. It was a good holiday.

Then there was that actual Christmas.. I say actual, because I decided that since I wasn't home with my loved ones, I wanted to push off Family Christmas until I made it home. Did everyone have a good Christmas? Any new traditions? I started a new tradition with the Bean Family! They are Jewish, and I found these Hanukkah themed cookie cutters, a menorah, star of David, and a dreidel, and we made sugar cookies, and decorated them. It was quite the project for Freddie and Jock, we had quite a bit of fun, and are sure to do it in future years! As for what I did on Christmas day, I opened stockings on the phone with Mom, Mr. Jay, and Jess. We got some good stuff. Then I went to another friend from knitting's house, and enjoyed a wonderful evening! We had homemade lasagna, which was fantastic, and homemade bread, and a salad that all followed a beautiful cheese & wine course! It was so elegant! Santa even stopped by there place and left me a fondue set, that I haven't found time to use yet, but I am aching to have a party with!

I have quite the secondary family over here with all of my wonderful knitting friends. I feel so lucky to have them all here supporting me emotionally, and helping me through the holidays!

What was after that... oh yeah, an entirely new year!
Happy 2011!
I am not big on new years resolutions... but because my birthday is so close to the new year, I do try to make each birth year a year better than the previous. This year I am trying to keep on top of my fitness, and not necessarily loose weight, but just keep healthy, and maintain a balance. (although 10lbs wouldn't hurt!) Other than that, I want to focus on not being such a consumer. Buying things I need are great, and if I purchase something that will help me to better organize my life, I am ok with that as well... but I have enough stuff!
I also made some knitting goals... I would love to do real colorwork this year, and I think I am finally ready to knit a pair of socks *gasp* Other than that, I just want to work out of my stash, I have learned that my stash pales in comparison to some of my friends, but still, I need not buy any more yarn... I have plenty to do projects with... and most of them are paired up with patterns already! Now I just have to find the time outside of school and work to keep knitting!

I also turned 25! It was a dazzling birthday in the big apple! I spent the evening dining in style with my friend Tosha, and then we enjoyed a few beers at the expense of the lovely people in Manhattan that were treating me for my big day! It was absolutely amazing! We were even able to stay in the city at Mrs. Bean's brother's place. (He let me stay there, and stayed at his gf's so we didn't have to worry about timing.. so gracious!)
So here's to the quarter century mark, and having yet another great year!

And last but not least... the final school report from last semester...
In my Math Class I received an A
In my Color & Lighting Class, an A
In CAD I received an A-
And in my Building Tech, a B

I made the dean's list, and despite the B... I am very proud of what I accomplished last semester. I hope to maintain these good grades this spring!

Hope to get another post up soon... maybe even with some pictures! (although, no promises!)

Hope It Isn't a Theme...

2010-11-12T18:38:00.002-05:00

Although with only 10 courses left, it might just stay that way during school. What am I talking about?! My random gaps in blog updates.

I am pleased to report that everything is well! I have been using all of my time to study, work, knit for 4 hours a week (more if the homework is light), and maintain my social life (by studying with friends..2 birds).

I was only disappointed with one of my midterm grades, and after talking to my teacher, he said that I am doing really well, but that if he just handed out A's it wouldn't reflect that we were learning anything. So hopefully I can get that B+ up to an A by the end of the term.. Other than that I have two A's, and in my most difficult class, a B. Not to shabby.. especially if you know how my grades tend to go! I am loving school! It is actually a lot of fun... I shouldn't have gone back to the classroom when I first moved here, instead of waiting for 3 years..of course I really wasn't ready yet.

On other notes.. I have no finished objects, but still make it to knitting almost every week. I wasn't able to go to any of the fiber fests this year :( maybe next year I will go to all three to make up for it!

I have pictures for you somewhere, but I don't currently have time to sit here and wait for them to upload.

I will try to make it less than a month before I make it back again, and the next post will hopefully have some pictures...maybe of hand knit socks, or hair cuts, or who knows...

Happy Firday! Happy weekend!

Been a while

2010-09-14T09:21:00.002-04:00

I finally found time to update!

After that last post, literally the same day, I was coming home from a jog, and got swarmed with Hornets! I recieved 5 stings, along with the information that I am not allergic to them whew! That was the last big thing to happen during the Hamptons trip.

We arrived home a few weeks ago on Sunday, and then School stuff began. My orientation was that Monday, and my classes were that Wednesday. My apartment had one full suitcase, and a full duffle from the trip, waiting to be unpacked, and between work, school, meeting up with friends I hadn't seen in a month, and the rest... I must admit, I still haven't unpacked the duffle! (Aren't you glad to find out that I am updating you before unpacking?!)

School has been going very well! I am taking classes towards finishing my Interior Design Degree, and I love all of my classes! Even the math. But there are a lot of hours put in to doing the whole school thing.. both inside and out of class. I am noticing a huge difference this time around in taking my classes. I am so motivated to accomplish everything and finally be able to start my career, and finally call myself an interior designer, instead of a nanny! (Not that there is anything at all wrong with being a nanny.. look where it's gotten me!) The point of this rambling is that I am loving school, and everything about it!

The Bean Family is all good as well, work is great, I love the kids and the 'rents are great too! They are working around my classes, and we are all making it work. We have finished the first Freddy book, Freddy Goes to Florida and started on the second, Freddy Goes to the North Pole. Because of my classes though, I haven't really been here to read bed time stories, and we haven't ready any of it since we arrived back in CT. They are great books though, I'm not sure who is enjoying them more, me or the kids! I'll try to keep you posted on our adventures, even though I'm busy with school!

My knitting has been receiving about the same amount of attention as my blog has. I am going to continue trying to make it to my weekly SnB. I think 2 hours of knitting a week is allowed. I am currently knitting on my Blue Tweed Vest, the pattern is from knitty, and is called Milly. I am almost finished with the Right front, and I took it to our Stitch and Pitch this past Sunday. It was such fun!

Okay, School, Work, and Knitting... that completes the update... sorry for a photo-less post. Hopefully I will find time to update soon!!

Happy Tuesday :)

Sag Harbor

2010-08-25T05:57:00.005-04:00

Let me just first point out that it is not even 6AM, and I am already on cupa #2. Been up since about 4:30, it was almost funny when I woke up this morning. I heard crying, but my mind said, someone is handling it, go back to bed. (And that was the truth, someone was handling it.) But then it continued, so I struggled to roll over and look at the clock, and the 4 jumped out at me and scared me half to death. I managed to pull myself out of bed and go see if there was anything I could do to help so we could all sleep sooner, and there was nothing to be done. So I slinked, or rather stumbled, eyes half-open, back to bed and crawled in. Just one problem... My mind was now awake, so I just lay there not asleep, and listened to the crying that I could do nothing to help. And at 5:15, I decided to make coffee. So now I'm on cup number 2, and finally finding the time I have been looking for to blog. To be completely honest, any other moments I have had have been fleeting and my first thoughts are to quickly pick up my knitting before it's too late! But a week and a half ago, I spent the morning all by myself tooling around Sag Harbor.

It was great, and I needed it. While we have been here, I have explored many of the Hampton Towns. So far I have made it to East Hampton, where I bought the cutest bathing suit ever to be seen in all the planet! The movie theater is also there, and I have made it to see "The Switch", as well as "The Kids are All Right". I have also been through Amagansett, where I found the worlds best coffee! If you are in need of a delicious roast, let me know, and I will send it your way... I'm only here until Sunday, but I see on the bag that their main location is in NYC, so I'm sure I could make my way there to get some as well, and if not for you, most assuredly for me! Montauk was nice as well, but that was while a friend was out for a brief visit, so I'll save that post for another day. And other than this post, it is the only place I took pictures.. I'm sorry, but in ritzy East Hampton, you don't wanted to be spotted looking like a tourist. As for Amagansett, I have no excuse.

So Sag Harbor. It is a little Harbor town (never would have guessed right?), with big beautiful yachts, small storefronts, great sea food, and even houses with buoys attached. So I jammed in the car to my favorite toons on my way, windows down, sunroof open, and I arrived around 10AM. I really wanted a smoothy, but couldn't find one right away. So I simply meandered through the shops, and around the town until I came upon a farmers market. Very small. Very quaint. But really who has wine tasting tents set up at the farmers market to sample wine before noon... and yes there were multiple wine tents. So I tasted a sample. Then I successfully found a smoothy, mango-pineapple. And then I found my way to lunch at a little dock-side shack. I had an amazing lobster/seafood roll, with fries doused with malt vinegar. And even though I was full to the brim I ordered a cup of their clam chowder to bring home with me just in case I needed it when my body found room. And when I ate it, it was well worth it!

It was a wonderful and much needed day. But alas, the children are all awake now, so I am off to entertain. Or rather have fun with this kooky smile bringing boys!

Have a fabulous day!

Rainy Day Kids

2010-08-16T20:03:00.000-04:00

Today is our first rainy day in the Hamptons. Which reminds me of a rainy day we had about a month ago back home.

These boys love the rain! They like to take rain walks, and get bundled up and play when it's pouring. This particular rainy day, they decided to get all geared up, and splash around in the back yard...

See anything peculiar about this picture? Jock has a tiny tushie, and his pants are always slithering down... When he was running around in the rain, it was no exception. Although he typically notices when his pants have hit the ground, he was beside himself with all the fun he was having in this wonderful weather! So he just played in the rain with his pants around his ankles, and I shamelessly photographed it.

What a great group I have to look after!
Are you a rain person? Do you splash about when the rain comes out? Or do you frown and stay inside? I am a rain person! I love it, unless it is going on for too many consecutive days...then it can get old, but here and there, not only can they be fun, but they are a great way to literally clear the air, and refresh the earth. What's not to love?!

Happy Munchkin Monday!

What do you See?

2010-08-11T09:21:00.004-04:00

I cast on project number two on Monday, and it is knitting up fairly quickly. The only problem is, my creativity for naming has run out. So, What do you see?

Any names just pop into your head when you look at this. Now really it isn't that big of a deal, I just want to give it a proper name for Ravelry. But when I knit it, that is all I can think about... and I'm drawing blanks.

Here is a bit of info about it, to get you started... the pattern is called Diamond Rib Bolero. The yarn is Stella, in Black. It has a gold strand in the twist, which I wrongfully thought might be subtle, so due to its prominence, it will be an evening wear thing. Anyway, it is almost complete, and you won't get a Finished Object Report until I have a name.

Happy Knitting!

Munckin-ing at the Beach

2010-08-09T08:27:00.005-04:00

The boys were just ushered out the door by yours truly, to be taken to camp by Mrs. Bean. Although Freddy and Jock will be attending the same camp, they will be in different groups and enjoying their own activities. Today is their first day, and I do hope they have fun. They are signed up to go for the remaining weeks that we are here, but based on their spirits, and how much they enjoy the camp, Mrs. Bean is thinking she may have them complete only the first week. Or she may have Jock, who is younger complete one week, and Freddy complete two. So cross your fingers that they have fun, because the more fun they have, the longer they continue going to their day camp, and the less cranky I will be! (See how it comes full circle?)

Last week, we were trying to come up with all different fun activities for the boys to do around town and at the beach to fill the days. We have been doing quite well, and I think they have only fulfilled their 30 minute daily tv limit three times!

One thing that we did that was particularly fun, was we had a beach breakfast! I made pancakes, and scrambled eggs, cut up some fruit, filled some water sippies, and packed Freddy Goes to Florida and we headed down to have a waterfront breaky.

It was great! Not a difficult task, and when we finished eating, we read two chapters from our book before heading out on an adventure. Can you believe that a beach breakfast was a big enough thing to fill the morning. Not only were their bellies full until lunch, but they were having so much fun, they forgot to complain until they became hungry at lunch time. What a great thing! This is definitely on the list of keepers. Anything that keeps them happy, keeps me happy! (Full Circle again... It's all relative!)

Happy Munchkin Monday!

Finished Lace

2010-08-06T10:23:00.000-04:00

I finished my Hydrangea Shawl! Well that is what I have decided to call it because, the pattern looks like it has leaves in it, and the color the yarn is called is Hydrangea.

The pattern is called Springtime Bandit.
The yarn is Lobster Pot Cashmere Lace, hand dyed in bright hydrangea blue.
The needles are Addi Turbos size 9.

For this one, I didn't check gauge, or anything. The yarn that the pattern called for was much heavier, but as I was doing it in this fabulous yarn, and as it is lace, I didn't much care for gauging... although I have been a lot better about doing gauge swatches lately because I find that things are more likely to turn out how you expect them to when you swatch! (imagine that!)

So I finished it on the 23rd of July, then blocked it the following week so that I could have it ready to bring with me this month. The FO report had to wait as I wanted to get these lovely seaside images. These were taken by my helper at the beach, Freddy!

Happy Friday, and Happy Knitting!

Nature's Beauties

2010-08-05T07:47:00.004-04:00

The Hamptons are definitely a place that I would have on that list. It is gorgeous here. We are nestled in a residential area in East Hampton, near Amagansett. We can see the Bay from the house, and it is just a two minute walk (at kid speed) to the beach. Simply wonderful.

So far work-wise, things have been good. Extremely better than past Nannying work trips I have been on. I have my own room.. enough said.

We have explored a little bit of the area. Took the kids putt putt golfing the other day, and I won a free game for the next time. We have spent a lot of time adventuring by foot, at the beach. The weather has overall been great. Although as I'm sitting here typing this, it is overcast, a little chilly, and there is actually enough fog in the air that our view of the water has turned into a view of smokey-white abyss this morning. All in all a great time is being had.

I have been knitting and jogging daily to keep myself sane. The knitting is my zen, and the jogging is just a wonderful breath of fresh air. I have only missed one day since arriving, and that was simply because I was the adult on duty and couldn't leave the kids here to go out.

My spirits are great, and we are almost finished with week one. Hopefully things keep up in the direction that they are going! More to come soon!

Knitting in the Hamptons

2010-08-04T06:28:00.004-04:00

I haven't had a tremendous amount of time to knit, but I have been fitting it in. Which I am more than thrilled about being able to do. It is my way to wind down at the end of the day... not that I'm not already exhausted from running around with the kiddos all day.. That is why I started with an easy, mindless knitting pattern.

I cast on Herbage while stopped in some parking lot after getting off the ferry boat. Mrs. Bean was feeding baby Jinx, and we were all just standing around for a few hours.. yes I did say hours. 2 to be exact. I figured that I could stand and knit.

I was using the long tail cast on method, and after trying, 2 times, I finally got it, with enough yarn for all the stitches, on the third time. That was all I accomplished while we were there... well that and drinking some more coffee!

Throughout the past 2 days however, I have managed to get in enough time to do just under 30 rows of the pattern. Not a huge amount, but I am satisfied with 15 rows a day while I'm working.

So that's that. Nothing to exciting. I will post withing the next few days about just the environment here in the Hamptons... all I can say is, so far, it's all good.

Face Shapes

2010-08-02T08:08:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while, I get tired of sitting around the house doing the same mundane activities with the Bean Farm kids, so we go on outings. This particular outing was to a place called Earth Place. It is a fun facility geared towards adventurous kids. They get to run around and explore the environment. There are indoor activities, and outdoor trails and things. Fun, fun place. Great place for the boys to let off steam.

While we were there, we found a giant peg board thing. It was red on one side and clear on the other, and when you pushed all the pegs to one side, you could make designs by pushing some of them to the other side. Or, you could push your face in them, and that started a world of fun... push your face in once, or see how many times you could fit your face in the peg board. These boys tried it all. And I enjoyed chuckling right along in their fun!

Sometimes it is good to be easily amused! And I love finding great new ways to keep kids happy, this definitely falls into that category!

Have a happy munchkin Monday!

Summertime Shake

2010-08-01T07:33:00.000-04:00

This is not some sort of a dance move, but it is a filling drink snack time.
A Blueberry Peach Smoothie

I have an intolerance for dairy products, but Trader Joe's carries a delicious Soy Yogurt, and I love their peach flavor. Toss that into a blender with some frozen Blueberries....

And Voila! A fabulously fruity, wonderful Shake. Check out the color:

Not only does it taste good, it is beautiful!

Happy Summertime Slurping!

A Myriad of Knitting

2010-07-27T08:15:00.007-04:00

Isn't myriad a fun word?!

So, I have been working hard to try and narrow down what projects to bring with me to the Hamptons. We will be there for an entire month, and I don't want to run out of options or things to do. I originally was going to start #21 Lace Tunic from the Spring 2010 issue of Vogue Knitting. However, I went to the LYS on Saturday, and couldn't purchase enough yarn.. or order it within the time we'd still be in CT.

So I retreated home, and started searching through Ravelry, and my own book/pattern stash. I decided to choose some things from my stash that I bought with the intent of doing certain projects. So here is what I wound up with:

Up first is the Rowan Felted Tweed in Midnight. This will become the vest Milly from the newest issue of Knitty. The front is simple, yet cute. But the back of it really puts it over the top. I love that it is lacy! This will be great for spring or fall... possibly even into the beginning of winter!

Next is Rowan Classics Bamboo Soft in a lovely shade of Lavender. I had cast on a sweater for this yarn at the beginning of last summer, and then moved on after finishing the back piece. Well now that I have lost weight the back piece is much too large, so I have frogged it, and I will be re-knitting it (this time I'll make all of the pieces, and maybe even put it together). The pattern is from Rowan Classics Booklet 18 Nature, called Herbage simple little cardi, with great ruffle detail!

Out of the same booklet I will be making a pattern called Monet. This yarn was not stashed, but, hey, I had the book, and needles already, so I really didn't do that much damage! The yarn is a sock yarn called Happy Feet by the Plymouth Yarn Co., They call the color Bronze, but it is more like the color bronze turns after being weathered for a dozen years.

Last but not least, is Stella, in Black. It is shiny, and wonderful. I wanted to do something small that could be a great accent for an evening out... nothing too over the top. I found this pattern on Ravelry... Diamond Rib Lace Shrug (bolero). It is cute, and the directions are so simple... you can make it to fit any size.

I told you it was a myriad! Do you think I have enough? Happy Knitting, and Happy Vacationing as well!!

Workin hard..?

2010-07-26T07:05:00.005-04:00

Of course! But, that doesn't mean that I don't get to enjoy my work! With the Bean Family, we go swimming a lot. Which is a wonderful way to avoid the CT heat! If I had access to a pool on me own time, you would probably think I was a fish! I have been trying to take advantage of the benefits of swimming while we are at the pool, and if the boys are trying to come up with games to do, I try and turn them into laps for me. Sometimes it works, and sometimes not, but I get in the laps I can while simultaneously watching Jock and Freddy.

Jock loves the water as much as I do, but Freddy needs a little bit more convincing. Which is fine... when the temp gets high enough, he joins us... or if he has a friend over that wants to get in, he'll get in too, or if Jock is acting like it's the most fun he has ever had in his life, Freddy inevitably gets in then as well. Nonetheless, when we're all swimming, we are all having a fun time!

What's your favorite summer time activity? I really love just being outside, doing any number of things, but when it is too hot, I either need nature to provide a body of water, or I need to have pool access!

Happy Munchkin Monday!

Snack Time!

2010-07-18T08:15:00.001-04:00

Before I head off for Party madness, I will give you a Snack post! Let's have an Italian snack this week! How about some tomatoes and mozzarella! Just add a drizzle of olive oil, a crack of pepper, and a sprinkle of salt, and voila! Had I had basil, it would have been better, but this will do! Bite sized flavors of Italy.

Delicious, Nutritious, It's all good!

Received Gift

2010-07-17T08:21:00.004-04:00

Hooray! It fits! I don't yet have a picture of Laura in it that she would be okay with me blogging, but I did make my friend Lauren try it on before I sent it off, as they are similarly sized and I wanted to get an idea of the fit.

Project Details: Yarn-Lang Silk Dreams in Dusted Rose aka pale silvery pink. Pattern-Double V Cardigan from the Spring 2010 issue of Interweave Knits. Needles-Addi Turbo Circulars in Sizes 5 and 3, both 32" long.

I got all of the pieces done, and blocked it, but had never seamed anything before, so my friend Karen, from my SnB, helped me put it all together! It's good to have friends that share your hobbies so you can get help when you need it.

Today I am going to knitting group, then afterwards I will be attending a welcome home party for a friend who has been in the Middle East since just after Christmas. It is good to have her back, and it will be great to see her! Tomorrow, is Freddy's Birthday Party, which I have been helping a lot with, and will be there to make sure it all gets set up, goes smoothly, and then that it all gets cleaned up properly.

What are your weekend plans?

Alas, It's Laura's Birthday!

2010-07-15T08:45:00.005-04:00

Woop! Happy Birthday to one of my very best besties! I love you and I hope you have an outstanding day. Wish I was there to help you celebrate.

This year, I am not having a scavenger hunt for Laura, but I made her a gift. Hopefully she will receive it today and then I can do a Finished Object Report on it tomorrow! Can you believe that I actually finished it with enough time... well I finished late Monday night, and Mailed it out Tuesday Morning... they said it should be there by today, but in order for me to confirm it it was the difference of $5, or $25... So I opted to take my chances.... now I'm wishing I would have had them get it there by today... oh well I saved some money, and the latest she will receive it will be tomorrow.

Anyway, I hope that first and foremost, she likes it, secondly I hope it fits (I think it should, I had a friend of about the same size put it on, and it fit her), thirdly, I hope it brings a smile to her face to thank her for all of the smiles she is endlessly bringing to me.

Thank you Laura for being such a wonderful friend. I hope you get to enjoy the birthday you deserve!

Fun in the PNW

2010-07-10T08:59:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I went home for a visit. I was only home for a short four days, but I had a great time!
The Sunday that I arrived was father's day. After being picked up at the airport, Mr. Jay, the Queen and I met up with some family friends at a local brew fest. It was fun, despite the typical Seattle rain.

Monday morning I took the remarkable new shall my mom maid on the ferry with me. I convinced my friend Kelsey that we needed to ride the ferry because, I love ferry boats, and I haven't been in a long time! It is a great and inexpensive way to spend some time. We walked on, and on found an awesome crepe place on the other side. Had an enormous breakfast, then puddled around town looking at cute shops, and local art. The sun made it out just in time for our ride back across the Sound.
When I got home, Mr. Jay and I went out for lunch, then spent some time lounging around the house with the dogs.

Tuesday I lounged with the pups some more, then grabbed coffee with grandpa. Followed that with lunch at Red Hook Brewery with Laura, then we raced down to Seattle to go on the Ride the Duck tour. It was so much fun, I love being a tourist in your home town, it's a great way to learn more about where you are from. They do Duck tours in a host of towns near bodies of water, I want to start going any chance I get!

Wednesday I went out to breakfast with my dad and my sister. Then after running a few errands, we went home and hung out until we needed to leave for knitting group.

Thursday I spent the day with my mama, aka the Queen. We had a good day! Started with walking the houndies up for coffee (no they didn't drink any). Then we went to an appt. followed by treating our toes to a pedicure, and treating our tummies to lunch. After that we headed home, did some house work, hung around... and I re-packed all my stuff. Laura tried to fit in my Carry On Bag, but she was just a bit to big for the bag.

Friday I took the bus into Seattle with my mom, and my dad picked me up at her office. He and I tooled around in the neighborhood of the airport, and when the time came, he dropped me off.

I enjoyed my time home, and I had a lot of fun adventures in those five days, but my favorite part of the trip was definitely getting to spend some time with Dudley. It was harder than ever to leave, but I am thankful for the time that I was able to spend with him.

Finished Sweater!

2010-07-09T08:17:00.007-04:00

I finally finished the SMS! Well actually I finished it a while ago, but I didn't want to blog about it until I had a picture of SM in her Sweater!

It took me just about a year to complete this start to finish, but it was worth it, as the fit looks pretty good, and she loves it!

Hooray! The patter is from the book Button Up your Top Down. It was the second sweater from this book, the first one being my gray sweater. The only changes I made to this sweater was that I added some ribbing in the sides and some darts in the ribbing so that the sweater would have more of a waist shape, as that was the only thing I didn't like about my sweater.

For the yarn and complete details you can check my Ravelry project page. Happy knitting!

Slip Slidin' Munchins

2010-07-01T20:47:00.000-04:00

Last week, I went shopping for some fun outdoor activities to do on the Farm during hot weather. I purchased a slip'n'slide!

We (Freddy & I, Jack had an appt, and Jinx is simply too small for these kinds of activities!) had a lot of fun with it, even if there wasn't a whole lot of sliding. We mostly just used it as an extremely large sprinkler... it may have been better if the water wasn't icy cold in the mid-80 degree heat.... too much contrast for us! None the less, we had a laughter filled afternoon!

After we were done with the slide... we splashed in the mud puddles that the water made running down the lawn... soo fun!

What kind of water activities do you enjoy when it gets too hot?

Dogs On Thursday

2010-07-01T20:17:00.001-04:00

I'm house sitting this week for the Little's. They are on there annual summer vacation, and the dogs aren't allowed this time. So I am staying home with Kati & Zahra.

We have been walking daily, playing, and having way too many treats! I'm supposed to be spoiling them right? Well I won't get too carried away, but we are going to continue having fun!

I love these girls, (mostly Kati, but Zahra too)! Hopefully they will start getting better on their leashes as time goes on.

***Also Happy Birthday Miss Channon! (She's 38, again!)

A New Group Of Munchkins

2010-06-28T08:46:00.001-04:00

These three will take on the names of Characters from the Freddy The Pig books. Did you ever read them? Well, of all the children's books I have read, these are not on the list. I did a quick Google search to see what I could discover about children's books with three characters to find some andventurous animals that may properly portray this new trio, and I came upon Freddy and his friends from the Bean Family Farm in Upstate New York. Just the descriptions of there events make me want to rush to the library and check out all 26 books that were published in the series. I think as I am working with these three, I may make a weekly, or bi-weekly trip to the library to pick them up, one at a time. I will try to find them all, and I will review them along with my munchkin posts.

For now I have chosen Freddy to be the oldest, a boy of 5 years old, he is spunky, creative, and full of spunk! Jack will portray the second and middle child, another boy, 3 years old. And Jinx will be the newest addition to the family, 2 month old baby girl. As I have yet to read any of the stories, I do reserve the right to change which character represents which child, although, I will probably just keep them the same so you (and I) don't become confused.

Here's to a new start with a new group of fun-loving munchkins! Happy Munchkin Monday!

Salty SoTW

2010-06-27T14:35:00.003-04:00

Tuna and Crackers!

Easy as can be, good source of protein, crackers provide a nice crunch, and the snack is very filling.

To make the tuna, I just use whatever is cheapest, and I buy the ones that are in water, not oil or anything else. Then I mix in light Mayo (have you tried the canola mayo yet, it is supposed to be super yummy, and lighter than the real stuff), diced celery, and relish. You can use whatever crackers you have on hand. I like the Rice crackers. They are thin, crunchy, and lightly salted. You also get a ton of them per serving, so your hankering for a salty snack is sure to be filled without over-doing it!

Happy Snacking!

Non-Knitting FO

2010-06-18T08:36:00.004-04:00

Wrapping Paper!

Why spend money on wrapping paper, when your town has a plastic bag ban, and every time you buy more than will fit into your re-usable bags, you get paper.

Here's What you do... cut the paper bag so that it will lay flat.

Choose no more than 5 coordinating colors, and get a ruler (unless you want to free-hand it)

Come up with a design.. Stripes are fun, and using a combination of different widths adds a new design element than just stripes. You could also do polka dots in different colors and sizes, or big swirly lines, etc. When you are doing something that isn't as rigid as stripes, it will take less time to color the paper.

I used the width of my ruler as a spacing guide, that way you can just roll it over and mark along the width of the paper. You mark with one color, then two times with the next color, that way you get the variance of wide versus thin stripes. Go back after and color them in.

Voila, you're done! You can use the paper for any holiday, birthday, wedding, or other gift giving reason.

Happy Crafting!

Sprucin' things up!

2010-06-08T08:50:00.002-04:00

I just re-signed my lease for another year, and I love my little studio apartment for the most part. But if I could do anything differently, I would have a little deck to put an Adirondack chair or two and little table on, and I would have my bedroom be it's own room. However, sense I cant alter the structure of the building to add what I want, I will just spruce up what I have.

To make my studio apartment feel more like it has 2 separate rooms, I have the same basic colors (white, and espresso) in both spaces with red to accent the bedroom area, and orange to accent the living room.

In the past the main things that have kept these colors present in each space are the curtains. Now, I have added a painting above my bed that has the perfect neutrals in it, and a gorgeous red dress! My friend bought it for me as a thank you for helping her find all of the wall art (paintings, photo frames, and mirrors) for her new condo. She claims that if I were already an interior designer, she would have to pay me the big bucks to help her out, so instead she just bought me a painting that I pointed out while we were shopping. I love it, and I think it fits perfectly in the space!

A few weeks ago, I decided that while I don't have Charlie or Sheila around anymore, my place could use some more life. So to cheer me up, I bought this charming little tropical plant... the pot was more expensive than the plant itself, but it is a good fit for my decor. It is a tropical plant, that I don't have to water more than once a week, and it can go for 2 weeks without water, I just have to feel the soil so I don't over or under water it. I get quite a bit of light in my place too, so it gets all the sun it needs, and it gives the place a nice bit of life.

We'll see if these new changes are good enough to last a year, or if I'll end up adding more or less in the future. The next project is re-organizing and de-cluttering the place!

Baby Booties!

2010-06-04T21:43:00.002-04:00

A finished object!! No, it isn't the sweater previously posted about this week-I'm not that fast of a knitter!

It's booties! One of the families that I work for on occasion just had a baby. She is the third child, and the first girl! First I found the buttons, and then I knew that I had to make her Mary Jane's! The pattern is a free one I found on Ravelry called, Mary Jane Booties, by Lucie Sinkler and the pattern is actually from TLC, found here.

The yarn was Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim Aran, in a dark Charcoal. I found these super cute buttons, and I knew that I had to do them in black or something dark gray so that I could showcase these adorable pink buttons. And the yarn was stash yarn...even better!

I knit it on Addi Turbo's.. some of my favorite needles by far. I did them 2 at a time, I find that is the easiest way for things that are pairs. It was a simple pattern to follow, and they were finished in no time at all! Baby knits are the best, not only are they super cute, but they are super quick as well!

(almost) Munchkin Free Monday

2010-05-31T08:14:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial day!

Who has really big plans today? Anyone do anything fun over the weekend? Well I like to spend the time at the beach, or poolside, at a barbeque, or some other fun social event surrounded by friends, sun, laughter, and lots of great memories to be made!

Today, I am going to see Roo for a few hours so that R&S can have a lunch date to celebrate S's birthday. But before that I am going to go sit at the beach, and read. And afterward, I will be going to a friends house to enjoy some grilled goodies by the pool. It should be a good day :)

Enjoy your holiday!

SoTW

2010-05-30T08:56:00.001-04:00

This week's snack is hummus, with chips, carrot sticks, and cucumber spears for dipping.

Hummus is a good source of protein, it is made from chick peas and oil, plus whatever you want to flavor it with. You can buy it or easily make it by pureeing the above ingredients with things like roasted garlic, roasted veggies, cilantro and citrus, sun dried tomatoes, etc.

You can dip all kinds of things in it. I love cucumber spears, they are crisp and refreshing. Carrots are crunchy. Pita chips, torn up pita bread, are great, or you can spread it on a nice piece of sourdough.

This week's snack gives you a good bump of energy to get you through the afternoon, and a good way to get in a veggie or two! Enjoy this refreshing summery delight!

Happy Snacking :)

1,000 Rubber Duckies

2010-05-29T15:05:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, I had Roo for a few hours on Saturday, and the town was having it's annual Ducky Derby. A local school for children with disabilities hold the event at the River, and people can come, buy tickets, at enjoy the festivities. So we bought our ticket (every duck has a number on it's tail feathers), and we watched them drop 1,000 rubber ducks into the water. They have to try to be the first to make it to the end, and if your duck is first second or third, you get to take home a trophy, if not, you trade in your ticket for a souvenir rubber ducky to take home.

I had never been before, but it was very cool to see so many yellow ducks and their reflections going along with the currents. At about the halfway point there was a family of geese out for a swim, and they were very curious about all the rubber duckies too. While the mommy goose led the babies safely onto shore, the daddy goose hissed and tried to scare the inanimate objects away. Very cute (unless you were the papa goose)!

Oh, yea... Roo had a good time too! :)

FO turned WIP

2010-05-26T07:02:00.000-04:00

(that's finished object turned work in progress for all you non-knitters)

Last year I decided to make a sweater for my bff Laura. I finished it in time for Christmas, however the size was much to large for her skinny mini frame! Sense I bought the yarn with Laura specifically in mind, I decided to frog it (rip-it, rip-it) and make something that fits her. I also did not want to make the same sweater again, not only because it would be boring, but also because it was a combination of three different patterns, and I don't want to re-do the math!!

Here is the progress on the new sweater...

I'm moving on up the back piece. The pattern is from Interweave Knits spring issue. It is the Double V Cardigan, from their section on "New Lace". It is a simple laced repeat, and because I have been loving lace lately, it is perfect. So everyone cross your fingers that it fits this time, because if it doesn't, I'm done trying. I actually did swatch for gauge before casting on, so it should turn out ok..

Happy Knitting!

Snack of the week

2010-05-23T11:06:00.001-04:00

Finally a new snack post!

What do you do when your fruit reaches that point just past ripeness, when it's just a little too mushy to eat, but you don't want to through it out because produce is expensive? Cube it up, and toss it into the blender with some ice.. voila! Fruit Smoothie:

This smoothie contains strawberries, a banana(I know, I don't like bananas themselves, but they are okay for certain purposes like a smoothie), pineapple, and ice. You are getting some of your fruits knocked out for the day, and enjoying a filling and nutritiously refreshing afternoon treat!

Enjoy!

Thanks is long overdue

2010-05-22T17:25:00.004-04:00

A while back, miss Channon mailed me a package, and I am just now blogging it. It contained a little something for me, and a little something for Charlie.

The goodies included gourmet doggie treats, A very big and according to the way it was eaten, very yummy bone, and for me, Chocolate Mint tea, and an aluminium water bottle with sunflowers (my favorite flower) on it. I have no clue how she knew they are the ones I love the most, but she knew. She also included the last book of the Melanie Travis Mystery Series. I am on book #3 right now, and so far so good. They have just enough suspense, love, and laughter to please just about anyone.

My heart was so warmed by the card that Chan lovingly wrote, that I popped in to have a cup of tea with her! Virtually of course, because unfortunately nobody has come up with the technology to allow us to apparate from one place to another place hundreds of miles away. Which is unfortunate.

What is not unfortunate, is knowing that you are surrounded with a wonderful network of genuinely great people, wether they are down the street, down the coast, or on the opposite side of the continent. When life gives you lemons, it isn't always easy to squeeze them into lemonade without the love and support of good friends. Thanks Channon, and everyone else in my support web. I have been leaning a lot this month, and I appreciate you all helping to keep me up!

Teething Munchkin

2010-05-17T07:10:00.004-04:00

Roo is teething like you wouldn't believe. This kid is great, don't get me wrong, but he's really putting a damper on me ever wanting to have kids, because every baby goes through it, all a little differently, but if even one of my children were to teeth like Roo, I would hate being a mother... not good.

He has been whiny and crying and grouchy for all of last week and a little of the week before! Everything goes in the mouth, and we are putting a lot of his toys in the freezer.

Sense he isn't wanting to be put down very much (and I'm doing it anyway because he needs to not get to comfortable with the royal treatment of never being put down), and he likes to keep moving, swaying, bouncing etc. I'm limited to holding him, putting him in the bouncer, or putting him in the stroller and taking him for a walk. Which we do everyday anyhow, but the limitation of activities is getting old fast.

The stroller is a good one though, and as you can see he still has his teether-toy shoved in his mouth. Hopefully he will have grown a tooth over the weekend, and today will be good, but if not, I scheduled a playdate for my friend who is also a nanny of a baby to come over and walk with us. Her baby is teething too... boo.

Here's hoping for a happy Munchkin Monday!

Walking for Cancer

2010-05-14T19:09:00.000-04:00

One of the local hospitals is holding a charity walk/run tomorrow morning (5/15) to support their cancer wing. It is a good cause and they are holding it at the beach so in addition to feeling good about helping out, we get to enjoy the scenery. I've even talked the man into coming with me...of course that meant that I had to sign him up, and cover the registration fee in the process. I guess I'll let him keep the shirt they give us, I don't need two, and he can take me to a movie after we walk.

So if you live locally and you want to attend, you can register on site starting at 10am. The 5K run starts at 11am, and the 3K walk starts at noon. It is through Norwalk Hospital, and will be held at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk.

Finished Object Report

2010-05-14T06:36:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it?! I actually finished something!

This is my Sunflower Top! The pattern is "Coquette Lace Top" from the book Fitted Knits. The problem is that if I wouldn't have added shaping, it wouldn't have fit very well at all. The Yarn is Rowan's Purelife Organic Cotton, in a lovely shade of yellow. Needles: Addi Turbo's in size 5. I tend to be a size up in my gauge, so I try to always knit a size down in the needles. (Does anybody like swatching for gauge?) The yarn was fabulous to work with, it is a great lightweight yarn that will wear wonderfully in the summer season..I cannot wait! The ribbon goes in to help keep the top up, and can be changed out if I want a different look. I bought the yellow ribbon at a local craft store, but didn't love it, so I bought the purple velvet ribbon from M&J Trimmings in NYC.

It was a pretty quick and easy top, the lace repeat is simple enough... I knit the first time around it only took me 2 weeks of non-stop knitting to knit from start to finish; but after frogging it and re-knitting it with the added shaping and the appropriate size, it knit up in another month.

Tasty Breakfast

2010-05-04T08:32:00.000-04:00

How about some blueberry pancakes? I've never been a big fan of pancakes, I'm more for french toast or waffles, but I bought some pancake mix and added the necessary ingredients, plus blueberries. Cooked them up, then topped them with real maple syrup. Yum.

*And someone gave me a tip that pancakes freeze well, and then you can toast them just like ego's.. so I ate two, and froze the rest. Easy breakfast for later on. Great start to the day!

Tummy Time on Deck

2010-05-03T20:14:00.004-04:00

When the weather is good, we are happy! Here's hoping for more (not super hot) sun shine!

Cle

2010-04-29T21:50:00.004-04:00

That's Charlie with no hair. And although he isn't completely hairless, he has had a good deal of it groomed away. When I picked him up from the groomer, I was so taken by his cuteness that I just couldn't stand it. I took him outside for a mini photo shoot in the wonderful weather yesterday. The color of green grass compliments his fur quite nicely! But before I show you what he looks like now, let me show you what he looked like when I dropped him off...

And After...

I love my boy! Happy Dogs on Thursday :)

Hey, Good Lookin..

2010-04-20T17:46:00.002-04:00

Whatcha got cookin?

The other night for dinner I made this awesome Tortellini with Pesto dish. I am a fan of making multiple dinners out of one main ingredient, so that I get more bang for my buck. So this weeks main ingredient is a rotisserie chicken.

For this dish I took some of the chicken and grilled it in a frying pan with some halved grape tomatoes, and pine nuts, while boiling water for the tortellini in another pot. I also decided to make homemade pesto, now I've never done it before, but it always looks so easy on the Food Network. So I tossed some basil in the blender with one clove of garlic, a palmful of pine nuts, and enough oil to keep it all moving. I used a drizzle of olive oil for flavor, and then just vegetable oil. It turned out really deliciously if I do say so myself, and it was just about as easy as it looks!

So after everything in the frying pan becomes hot, and the tortellini is cooked and drained, combine it all together in the one pot and toss it together with the pesto until it is all spread around. It is very delicious, and makes a lot of food. There are plenty of leftovers that are good right out of the fridge, or reheated.

Enjoy!

Munchkin Monday

2010-04-19T07:14:00.001-04:00

We have been experiencing some real spring weather over here. A wonderful mix of the glimmering sun, and the sprinkling rain. I'm a fan of both, and with me influencing the playtime and development of Roo, he will be a fan of both as well. When it is overcast and sprinkling rain, we have less options, but we try to still get out. Typically just bundled up in the stroller for a quick walk, and some fresh air (unless it is actually cold as well as wet).

But in the sun, we have some real fun! We can take walks around their beautiful yard, or hang out on the deck and have some outdoor tummy time, or lunch, or for some fun time in the saucer, but I am loving every minute of it!

This is going to be a great season! Enjoy your Munckins :)

I am a Snacker.

2010-04-18T08:43:00.001-04:00

One thing that I have always been is snacky. Especially when I am nannying, I seem to always be looking for something to eat. Since starting with this new family I am trying to be really good about it. I do need a mid afternoon snack, otherwise I may possibly starve before dinner is ready. But I also need to keep it healthy. So I wanted to start this thing on my blog where I do a snack of the week. I need good snacks that are filling and will hold me over from lunch until dinner, but they need to be healthy and delicious too.

Here is this week's snack. It is a bit childish, but it is one that I love, and it fills all the necessary categories. Ants On A Log. Celery filled with peanut butter, and raisins lined up on top. I've got my veggie in there to help me get to the daily total that I need. The peanut butter is a good source of protein, and it is very filling. The raisins are a sweet little touch on top, great for my sweet teeth!

I've got some good SOTW snacks planned for the next couple of weeks, but if you have any suggestions, I'm going to need them! Thanks, and happy snacking :)

Jess & I went to the Met

2010-04-17T16:19:00.003-04:00

The Metropolitan Museum of art that is.

My sister came for a visit, and while she was here, all she wanted to do was go to the Met. She has always wanted to go, but each time she's been before, something has come up that has mad it impossible for us to make it, so this last visit we made it happen.

I have been before... I a few times actually, but I am a fan of perusing art so I don't mind visiting often.

One picture from each of us, and one of the original spork!

Do you get your 5 fruits?

2010-04-15T21:37:00.003-04:00

Charlie got one of his the other day. I was eating a pear, and when I was done Charlie wanted to see what it was.. one look at this photo, and you will be smiling for a while. This is by far my newest favorite of my little pooch!

Happy Dogs On Thursday :)

Walkin on Monday

2010-04-12T20:16:00.000-04:00

Roo is great! And so are his parents, in fact, they are good with me taking Roo to my place and taking Charlie for walks... so we did.

Charlie and Roo were both very excited to meet each other, and we had a great little jaunt around the neighborhood. There will hopefully be many more outings with the baby, and the pup.

Happy Munchkin Monday.

In Loving Memory

2010-04-02T07:13:00.001-04:00

Rest in Peace Sheila, I will always love you, and miss you dearly. (12/3/06-4/1/10)

Mr. Charles Chooses the Chair

2010-03-25T08:57:00.004-04:00

Recently I decided that I needed additional seating in my living room. Back in January, I was out 'Window Shopping' when I found a chair that I thought would be perfect, however, I wasn't going to just buy it... because truth be told, I didn't need the chair.

I went back to visit it a handful of times, and then in the end of Feb. when I was perusing the store it was at, I found it again... and it was on clearance!! So I decided that I could get it, as long as it would fit in my car to get home. Guess what.. I made it fit :)

The other day I was babysitting for the family whose house I set the fire alarms off at (remember that--they still have me back!), and the mom is expecting, so as she puts it she has been nesting. What does this have to do with getting a chair you ask? Well she has been buying chairs, and area rugs, and art, and all kinds of things to spruce up the place. When she got the new area rugs, I asked her what she was going to do with the old ones, and she said I could have them! Super cool!! So one of them is now living in my storage unit (I only have a small apt, and both wouldn't fit), and one is in my living room area.

With the rug in place, and a clearance chair that would fit in my car, I got to spruce up my palace! I love the chair, and wouldn't you know it, Charlie loves it too! He actually walks up to it, checks to see if there is anything in his way, then takes a few steps back and does a running, flying leap into the seat. Then he can either curl up in it, or perch up over the back, and peer out the window.

I'm glad he approves of my furniture choices.

Happy Dogs on Thursday!

Munchkin Monday!

2010-03-22T20:55:00.003-04:00

Well, today was my first day taking care of Mr. Roo... He is a great baby, and we had an awesome first day, but before I start my MM posts on this little fella I'd like to say goodbye to all the kiddies at the day care.

One of my favorite things to do with the kids, was to take them for a Carriage Ride. We have this 4-seater, that we load the kids into when the weather is nice, and this last week the weather here was beautiful! (This week is going to make up for it a bit with drizzles, and chills.)

Anyhow, on my last day, I got to take the kids out for my last Carriage Ride. They love it, we always look for fun things around the neighborhood, and make it into a great little outing. Although there will be no more carriage rides, there will be a lot of new strolls in the stroller. So it was a short but sweet run with the old, and now in with the new.

Happy Munchkin Monday!

How much

2010-03-18T06:49:00.001-04:00

Is that doggie in the Mirror?

Charlie has discovered his reflection. Aka, his friend in the mirror. He is constantly running over to the mirror and wagging his nub of a tail vigorously. I truly think he believes that if he could just figure out how to get on the other side he could play with that mysterious other dog! Its pretty funny!

Happy Dogs on Thursday :)

Last night for dinner

2010-03-16T16:34:00.002-04:00

I made pizza! Thanks to the pizza stone, and the rest of the kit I won in a contest miss Channon held a while back.

It was fun to make, and very tasty to eat! We topped it with fresh basil, mushrooms, red onions, and red bell peppers. We used 2 cheese blends, one of them was my soy cheese blend that Trader Joe's Carries, and the other included Fontina, Parmesan, Provolone, and Asiago. It all came together very well, and like I said, it was very good.

Much better than ordering it, in cost, fun, and taste!

Blog Neglect

2010-03-09T17:55:00.002-05:00

I'm guilty!

I have no excuses either! I am down to 2 days a week at my current job, and I am filling in the rest of the days with random babysitting gigs for now, and my new Nanny job is set to start on the 22nd.

Instead of blogging in my spare time, I have been taking Charlie for long walks, working on my knitting, and just hanging out. My knitting is going well. I finished my coquette lace top, but then the bust was much too roomy, it fit everywhere else, so I decided sense it was a quick knit I would frog it and start over. It is in the process now. I am also working on DW's sweater. I have one sleeve down, one sleeve, end weaving, and buttons to go... my goal is to have it completed by the time my sister is her (the last weekend in March) so that she can take it back with her. I have been plugging away more on my coquette top, than DW's sweater, though so I'm going to need to get to a stopping place (or just finish it real quick) and get back to DW's sweater! I let you know which way it goes, and when they are both completed.

Other than that, no blog news here. I will try to be good, and post again soon. In the meantime, I have yarn for a shrug that I want to make to go over the coquette top, as well as many other summer ensembles, but I can't find a pattern I love. I would prefer a free pattern, and just something simple so that it is versatile enough to have options. If you can think of anything let me know! Thanks!

Happy knitting, and blogging!

Picture this:

2010-02-21T09:21:00.002-05:00

Right now, I am reclining on the sofa, next to my pooch who is also quite relaxed on the sofa, the blinds are open, and although we've had mounds of snow, beautiful springlike weather has been warming things up nicely and there are bright rays of sun streaming in and casting a nice warmth over Charlie and I.

This is what I call a relaxing Sunday! I have the entire day off (which I feel a little guilty about, but I promise to push those feelings away, and enjoy it.) I have had a very accomplished weekend up to this point. I am almost to cast off point on my Coquette lace top, and I have put it down to finish DW's cardi. I have 35 more inches of sleeve work to go in total, and then just weaving in ends, and sewing on buttons... it is getting there and I am excited to complete it, as it has been almost a year. So my plans today are to catch up on some of my favorite shows that I have missed the last couple of weeks, knit, and snuggle with Charlie. It's a pretty great plan if I do say so myself! And hopefully I will have not just one, but two FO reports!

Happy Relaxing Sunday :)

I have been knitting!

2010-02-17T10:16:00.003-05:00

I have put my dad's wife's sweater on hold while I was waiting for a measurement (which I now have). While I was waiting, I cast on a top for myself! It is from a book borrowed from a friend, and it is called the Coquette Lace Top. It is a tube top with a little lace panel down the front, very cute, and so far it is knitting up quite fast. I have added in some shaping in the waist, and made some minor adjustments, but all in all the pattern is great as is.

In my ravelry, it is referred to as the sunflower top, because sunflowers are my favorite flower of all time, and the yellow that I am working with reminds me of a sun flower. I am also using a sunflower stitch marker set (that the queen made for me).

Anyhow, I cast on about a week and a half ago, and I have about 40% to go. Can't wait for it to be finished, and even more so, I cant wait for it to be spring time so that I can wear it!

Happy knitting!

thankful thursday

2010-02-04T12:27:00.000-05:00

It has been quite some time sense my last update. I have been very busy balancing 2 jobs sense I found out last week about my hours decreasing again (for the second time in 2010). I am lucky to have had a second job already that was willing to increase my hours as much as I need. For now it's working out, but the only thing I want to do between jobs and after work is play with my pets.
Last week I had an errand to run and I took charlie along for the ride...it had been warming up and I was only going to be inside for 10 minutes so I left him to protect the car. When I shut the car door he immediately started crying in protest of not being able to join me. And when i returned he was wiggling with so much excitement, he gave me enough kisses that I will surely lways bring him in in the future if for nothing other than to rid myself of guilt. Or he could just stay home. I think he musthave thought that I was leaving him forever because he insisted on staying on my lap the entire drive home! Although it made my heart swell with love...it isnt going to be happening again any time soon!
I sure am thankful to have found charlie, and I love that he is satisfied with his new home :-)

Rockin Sock Yarn

2010-01-17T21:04:00.004-05:00

One of the wonderful gals in my SnB gave me this absolutely delicious yarn for helping her move into her new place.

I love the colors in it, and I can't wait to work with it. The only problem, is that I don't knit socks. I love looking at sock patterns, and I love wearing my hand knit socks, however I have no desire to make them myself.

So now I am asking you to help me decide on some patterns of what to make from my Socks that Rock Yarn. I would love to make something for myself out of this yarn, I can't remember the last time I was knitting for myself, and I can't wait to be excited about something for me. I am however not opposed to knitting it up for someone else, as long as I get to work with it soon! Let me know what you think. I have 360 yards of this new love of mine, so plot away!

Pictures of a Finished Knit

2010-01-15T18:19:00.005-05:00

Here are the photos of the fingerless mitts that I knit for my sister:

You can get the details on them through my ravelry project page. If you are a knitter and you don't have Ravelry, get it! It is a great way to meet other knitters, display your projects, and fine patterns for new things...and much more, you should check it out! In the meantime, I blogged about these mitts before I had pictures on this post, and you can read the info there as well.

Happy Knitting!

Birthday Week, Day 5

2010-01-08T21:16:00.000-05:00

Tonight I am enjoying a relaxing evening with my kiddos. Sheila got to hang out on the couch with us for a while, and Charlie got a nice long walk! Now we are all just lounging.

Yesterday I worked, came home and walked the dog, and packed dinner, then went to job number 2 (I accepted a second job seasonally, and they asked me to stay on, and with my hours being cut at work, I agreed). Came home, and then I went to bed (after walking the spoiled dog again!).

Wednesday, I had split pea and ham soup cooking in the crock pot all day long, and when I got home, not only did I get to enjoy a great comforting meal, but I also got to open a package! It was a Christmas/Birthday box filled with goodies especially for me! I am the new owner of an awesome wine bottle plug thingie, that is hand carved, and has some sort of mechanism that allows you to screw it on so that you can lay the bottle flat without it spilling. (what are these things called?)
In addition to that I got an awesome key chain with a poodle, and a bunch of cute dog things on it.
Sheila got an awesome bed warmer thing, that will keep her warm, and all I have to do is microwave it for 30 seconds a few times a day. I think that ultimately I am going to try to get another one so that I can alternate between the two, we'll see how long it actually takes to find one and buy it.

My mom also made a felted stuffed Hedgie for me, and it is a giant compared to Sheila, but it is so cute! It is sitting on top of my entertainment center, and watching everything. Sheila hasn't seen it, but I'm sure she would approve!
Oh and I also received some knitting notions to add to my new knitting notions bag, that I didn't post about yet, but my mom did!

For my birthday I received 5, yes five, new charms for my charm bracelet! They are the cutest!! I now have, in addition to my birthstone, snowman, and hedgie; a cute sparkly pink bead, a dangling high heeled flip-flop, a very cute swirly heart, a paw print, and a way cute cupcake with pink icing, sprinkles, and a red cherry on top! I even wore it to work to show it off to anyone and everyone there!

Birthday week is the best. I made some cupcakes tonight, to bring with me tomorrow for knitting group, and some to bring to work on Monday. Tomorrow, I have knitting, then a few errands (I have to deliver a gift for a little girl I watch whose birthday is coming up next week!), and then getting all dolled up and going out to dinner and dancing with a girlfriend! Can't wait :)

Hope everyone is having a good week, birthday week or not!

Birthday Week, Day 2

2010-01-05T18:27:00.003-05:00

Today after work, I went and got a haircut! It has been such a long time that not only was it a treat, but a necessity! Here are the pics:

Front:

Back:

What do you think?

Squawking Artichoke!

2010-01-04T20:40:00.005-05:00

So, today is day one of my Birthday week! I have a few fun things planned throughout the week to make this birthday an overall success! Today I went grocery shopping after work so that I could make sure I had all of my favorite foods in the house for cooking with this week. Artichokes were on sale, and so I decided I would get one, as it turns out they have a decent shelf life (I've been told they will last for about a month.. wonder if I should refrigerate them?) so I decided to get 2. However, there were only three left in there spot (and of course they all looked pathetic), so I asked the produce guy if they had more, and he went to fetch a box of them and meet me at there spot. When he returned he asked if he could pick out a few good ones for me. I actually know how to pick out an artichoke (leaves tight together, and when you squish them they should be squeaky) but hey, if he wanted to pick them out for me why not! So I told him I would like two, and he started squeaking away. The first one was good, but it took a few more tries to find the second. After making all the artichokes squawk, I made my way through the store to get everything else that I needed, and then headed home to hang with the pets.

So, you will have to wait until tomorrow to see what tomorrow's birthday plans entail :) (Hopefully I will have pictures to go along with that post too!)

LIttle Charlie Foo Foo

2009-12-31T11:33:00.003-05:00

I am one humiliating mommy for putting up this picture, but it is so cute!

And here is the rest of the photo reel of my stinkin adorable pup...

How can one resist this adorable face!

Happy Dogs on Thursday, and have a safe and happy New Year!

Raveling

2009-12-29T13:08:00.002-05:00

Well, I have been instructed, by my mother dearest, to update my blog, and my Ravelry!

So this morning I updated my Ravelry, and now I will update my blog...
I have completed a lot of projects sense I last updated the Rav. And now that it is after Christmas, I have added all of the pressies that I had sense cast on and then cast off.

The list is as follows: Mom's Shawl. Pattern: Luna Moth Shawl. Yarn: Saphire from Road to China Light. It turned out pretty well for my first real lace project, and I even think she likes it, I have been stressing about whether or not she would sense I got the yarn. Which was ordered from Clementine's Dry Goods.

Jessica's Mitts. Pattern: His and Hers cabled hat and gloves by Lynn Wilson Designs. Yarn: Indigo by Thaki Torino Chunky. These also turned out well, silly me didn't even take a picture of them, but I'm sure the sis will send me a picture soon so y'all can see them. I loved the cables in these, and have sense been wanting to do more cables.

Anderson Family hats. You've seen.

Also Laura's Sweater, cropped cardigan thing. Pattern: A combo of patterns that I combined different elements from. Yarn: Lang Silk Dream in dusty pink. The outcome is that she got it for Christmas, and it was too large, so she is sending it back, and I am sending her her alternate gift, re-knitting it to hopefully fit and be done by her birthday in July... plenty of time!

And now I am working on finishing the last of the hats for the W family. I have completed 3 of 4 and will post more on them when I have finished.

There, everyone is up to date!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T10:51:00.002-05:00

This Christmas is a little different for me than Christmases past. I opted not to go home this year as the cost of a ticket was slightly more than one months rent... I just couldn't spring for it. So I'm trying to make the most of the holidays alone. I am going to web cam christmas morning with my family, and then later on I will be joining a family from my knitting group for Christmas dinner and activites.

I will probably be fine, I know a lot of people are worrying about me spending Christmas alone, but I have so many people here that love me, and have already made this a special holiday season for me. Thank you to everyone who has been thinking of me, and I am looking forward to this Christmas, and super excited for the next time I get to go home (whenever that will be).

Anyhow I hope that everyone has a very merry Christmas, no matter where they are spending it!

P.S. I'll post some pictures soon!

A Few Finished Objects

2009-12-18T07:32:00.003-05:00

For Christmas I decided to make hats for the families that I babysit for. They are easy enough, but they are still personal enough to be a good gift. So I did one style for the girls, and one style for the boys.. all of the hats that have the same main color, but have different color bands in them so everyone has a different color. Here are the hats for the first family:

Here are the boy's hats:

And Here are the girl's hats:

I think they all came out pretty well! And I will be excited to see if they like them when I deliver them this weekend!
Happy Knitting :)

A fabulous visit home!

2009-12-15T06:31:00.000-05:00

I got to see my family and friends, and Surprise MR. Jay, then celebrate with my best friend at her reception. I gave my toast, without crying until it was over, although I did get a little choked up.

All in all it was a great trip! Here is the photo real... (until my camera died that is)

More Thanks

2009-12-13T08:21:00.000-05:00

So, A long long time ago, ~~in a faraway land~~ I signed up for a pay it forward on my mom's blog.. however, nobody signed up for mine... so do I just not send any hand made items? I guess if anyone wants to they can respond to this post and the first three commenters will be gifted within the next year.
Anyhow, this is the gift that I received in the mail last week!

It is a beautiful shawlett in this awesome greenish yellow color, and it can be worn in 2 ways,(traditionally, wrapped around the shoulders; and scrunched up around my neck in the front, which is way cute with this shorter length shawl) and I love love love it!

Thanks Momma :)

Happy Birthday Mrs...

2009-12-11T07:58:00.005-05:00

Today is my best friend Heather's birthday, and she is recently a Mrs. In fact last month I went home to celebrate with her at the reception. (The wedding was in Hawaii, and although I was invited and would have love to have gone, I couldn't go.)

I wish I had a picture to show you from the event, but of course my camera battery died earlier that day at Mr. Jay's surprise party.. darn!

Heather, it is your day today, and you deserve the best. You have done so much with every aspect of your life. I am so glad to have known you for the past 15 years!

I love you, Happy Birthday!

I'm So Behind!

2009-12-10T20:58:00.004-05:00

On Blogging that is. I have been very busy with holiday knitting, as well as the traditional holiday things, such as decorating, and getting prezzies ready to be mailed out.

So Now I have to tell you that last week I wasn't able to tell you about Sheila's 3rd Birthday! She is a very healthy girl, and happy to boot! And I am so happy that she has made it to her birthday this year. (there was a moment a few months ago I was horrified that we wouldn't be able to celebrate.) I had a big celebration for her! I thought she shouldn't have three blueberries in one night, blueberries are her treats. So instead of three in one night, I gave her one each night for three nights. And she ate them all! :)

My girl is a very happy hedgie, and I am a very happy lady to have her around! We sure enjoyed being able to celebrate her birthday.. Charlie thought it was very cool too! (He got a peak at what birthdays look like for the pets in my house!)

Thanks is Due

2009-12-06T11:55:00.005-05:00

It has been over a week sense I have blogged... and there is good reason- My internet is connected through a data stick that plugs into the usb port in my laptop. Well being myself, I left it plugged into my computer on my ottoman, and one morning when Charlie decided 3am was an ok time to wake up, and I decided it was a great time to keep sleeping (I think I was in the right on this one) anyhow, he got my data stick out of my computer, and used it as a chew toy... it turned into little bits of plastic... thank goodness for having insurance on these things!

So anyhow, onto giving that thanks! As you may have seen on Chan's blog, she whipped up a sweater for Mr. Charlie! And he and I both love it! SO thank you very much! In the box with the sweater, was my pizza kit that I won in her October birthday contest! It is way cool, there is a pizza stone that handles molded into it, a dough kit, and an awesome pizza cutter! I can't wait to use it.. I do love my pizza :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:02:00.004-05:00

So we do the "what are we thankful for" thing more than once a year..but today is a special day that everyone around the country gathers with their friends and family to be thankful together.

This year I am not spending Thanksgiving with my family, but I am spending it with some friends..and it was very difficult deciding where to go because I had offers all up and down the east coast! I am certainly thankful for having friends and family that care so much about me :-)

You may have noticed I've been posting only about food this week..well that is because growing up, my mom constantly had us in the kitchen watching her cook and helping where we could.. this was to make sure that not only would we be able to help her out while living there but also that we'd be able to cook for ourselves when we didn't live there. When it came to Thanksgiving she would have us do anything we were capable of helping with..."someday you'll have to do a Thanksgiving all by yourself."

Well today is not quite there yet...but I am bringing a mashed potato cauliflower topped with broiled cheesy goodness, and butternut squash soup. In fact I should get started now..

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Mexican Night

2009-11-25T07:42:00.000-05:00

I am a huge fan of Mexican Food, and my favorite Mexican Restaurant in CT closed in July :( So I have been trying to make a few dishes of my own to get my Mexican fix.

One of my favorites is enchiladas, so I made Chicken Enchiladas for dinner. Yum! This is more of a weekend meal for me, because I like to let the chicken to cook with the enchilada sauce, and then sit on low for a while to get really saucy and deliciously absorbed with the flavor. Then I roll my tortillas with the chichen, some rice, beans, and cheese.. Just because I like mine to be a bit more filling than your average Enchilada. Sometimes I like to saute bell peppers and onions and put those in it too, but then it is more like a pre-assembled fajita! Either way, then top them with more enchilada sauce, and cheese, and pop them in the oven.... very delicious!

Not Your Traditional Eggplant Parm

2009-11-24T06:55:00.000-05:00

This is my spin on Eggplant Parmesan...

These are all very simple ingredients to make it an easy dinner after a day of work. The Eggplant was purchased from Trader Joe's in the freezer section.. It is pre breaded eggplant cutlets. You can bake them fry them or microwave them. I baked them to get the crispiness, and the best flavor. Then I boiled water with a touch of olive oil and a sprinkle of herbs de Provence to cook my pasta in.
After the pasta and the eggplant were cooked, I put the pasta on the plate, covered it with store bought vodka sauce (that I heated briefly on the stove), then topped that with the Eggplant, and a sprinkling of grated soy cheese (a Cheddar, Mozzarella blend), and stuck it under the broiler for just long enough to melt the cheese.

It was very good! I love dinners like this because I can make just enough for dinner one night, and lunch the following day.

mmmMonday

2009-11-23T19:02:00.000-05:00

Another Croc Pot Recipe that I have found to be very good, is one that I got off of Food Network's website. It is supposed to be slowly cooked in a pot on the stove for 2 hours.. but I just do it in the croc pot... who has 2 hours to cook something like that! I just tossed all the ingredients into the crock pot and several hours later, when I'm home from work... I can eat!

It is White Bean and Turkey Chili.. (I looked for the recipe on their website, but couldn't find it..)
Basically you brown ground turkey with onions, bell pepper, and pablano pepper first, to infuse the turkey with those flavors. Then you add it to the crock pot with 2 cans of cannelini beans, and a can of any other white bean you like. Pour in one box of low sodium chicken broth, and stir it all together... then I leave it to cook on low all day. When you get home stir in one can of chick peas, and let it cook for about 15 minutes longer... add salt and pepper to taste.

It is very good.. you can add more or less spicy peppers to intensify the heat level you are looking for... and the recipe says to add a bit of lime juice when serving.

Very quick, easy, delicious meal!

My Swimming Poodle

2009-11-12T04:10:00.000-05:00

Charlie has to swim in the bath tub for his physical therapy... he likes it. Every time I take a shower, he slides the curtain back and puts his chin on the ledge of the tub, looking at me like... are you ok? and when is it my turn?!

So here he is swimming away,

And here he is all wet with crinkled hair,

He won't be swimming for a while though, because, right now I am getting ready to leave to fly home for a few days.... so he won't get his weekend swims this weekend, but thats okay, as long as he is safe and happy, I don't care... Maybe Sheila can convince him its ok, as she has had plenty of "mommy's on vacation" experience, and has always been fine.

Happy Dogs On Thursday! :)

Charlie and The Beach

2009-11-05T07:26:00.006-05:00

Every morning we walk past the beach in our route. I love being able to see the sun rise, and the fresh beach air is a great way to start the day.... Charlie loves the walk too. So over the weekend, instead of just walking past the beach, we walked onto the beach and romped around a little before continuing on our way.

I think he likes it! I would have let him go in the water if it weren't so cold, but I don't want my boy to freeze! So we'll save his swimming for the bath tub for now, and we can go back to the beach to go swimming in the summer when the water is warmer... I think he will really enjoy it.

He seemed to really love the sand and the sea grass. He was smelling everything! The tide was out a ways when we went there, and he got a chance to feel the wet sand, and to see all kinds of shells, and smell the sea grass, and frolic around being so happy!

I am so glad that he loves the beach because I love the beach and now I know we can go there a lot, especially when the weather is warm again! (I guess we should make it through the winter first though!)

(not my most flattering shadow, but still a cute image... I'll blame it on the heavy jacket I was wearing)

Happy DoT :)

Munchkin Halloween!

2009-11-02T18:06:00.003-05:00

I know, I know, I'm a little late for halloween... but I was over watching the Little's one night last week, and I got to admire not only their awesome costumes, but their super cool pumpkin designs!

Little Ann was dressing up as a Vampire Mistress... Little Dan was being an Astronaut, and Miss OKP was wearing a black cat suit, with G being a witch. I don't know what S was being...but who cares, the kids are cutest anyhow! I didn't get any blog approved photos of them in their costumes, but I did get pictures of their Jack'o lanterns!

Little Dan had this spooky faced punkin (as he calls it):

While Little Ann had this more intricate design of a cat in the moonlight:

Very impressive for little kids... it helps that Little Ann knows her way around the computer and could find designs to be printed... but still they are very clever looking creations.

Charlie On Thursday

2009-10-29T07:08:00.000-04:00

Well, Charlie has been home for just about a week now, and he is a great dog! He is jumpy around loud sounds, and barked a few times in the middle of the night our first and second nights, but he has gotten so much better, and last night we slept quite peacefully!

He is a great walker.. staying mostly right next to me, and only running ahead to chase leaves! He is very playful, and other than playing with leaves he likes to try to get my clothes while I'm getting dressed, he tries to catch anything that moves...luckily he and Sheila are on a different schedule!

Here are some of the pictures from our first week together:

Rhinebeck!

2009-10-25T15:42:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I went with some people from my knitting group to the New York Sheep and Wool festival, in Rhinebeck, New York.

It was only about a 2 hour drive from here, and it was soo much fun! There were tons of yarn vendors, as well as people selling Sheep and Goat Cheeses, there was an entire building filled with food and wines for sampling, a barn where they were auctioning off sheep. There were people selling all kinds of knitting and crocheting accessories, fiber, yarn, drop spindles, spinning wheels, hand knit items, patterns, etc. There were even rides for the kids in attendance... or the big kids who like to go on rides... like me (I went down the jumbo slide with H, my boss and knitting buddy.

What did I buy you ask? Well I bought a cute project bag, that I was so drawn to
the fabric it was made out of, I couldn't walk away, then I bought some doggy sweater patterns, and that was that. I had someone show me how to properly use my drop spindle so I can actually start to work with it on the weekends, instead of letting it collect dust...and I sampled all the foods and beverages I could handle.

We also joined the lunchtime Ravelry meet up, and I took a photo with Bob the mascot, then our knitting group was in the Group shot... I got a "Hi my name is" button, and then our group did a picture with all of us that were in attendance. Originally we were planning on attending the Ravelry after party gathering, but after a long day in the cold shopping and oohing and aahing, we decided to just trek to a blue post office box (which was more difficult to find than you might expect), and then back home to CT.

All in all it was a good day!

Charlie is Coming Home!

2009-10-21T17:30:00.003-04:00

To my home that is! Which will be his home as soon as he enters it Friday night! I am so stoked to have him!

I got the call today from the Adoption Specialist while I was on my lunch. She wanted to let me know that my application was approved and that I can come and get him Friday evening :) I am so happy, and I feel like Charlie will be very happy here too.

Monday evening I had spent another hour with him after Sheila's appointment (the Vet declared her healthy again!) and he was so cute and hyper when I first arrived, but then he just settled back onto my lap again, and snuggled for the rest of the visit. I felt bad waking him up when it was time to go, but I suppose the people who work there would want to make it home at some point and I couldn't just stay there forever.

Charlie did smell Sheila's carry bag, but I put her up high because she was already stressed out enough being in the Vet's office, I figured I'd let her try to relax a little. They can get a better sense of who each other is when they are both home.

So I have some supplies already... I was given a crate from a family that I babysit for, and I have a leash, treats, and some toys for him. Tomorrow I think I will go out and get him a food and water bowl, and some food to go with it (I suppose he will want to eat). Then I should be all set to welcome Charlie home!

Super excited! Can't wait until Friday night!!

Nice to Meet You Charlie

2009-10-19T05:14:00.000-04:00

On Friday I met Charlie. Of course I got to the vet's office long before they were open, or I was supposed to be there for that matter, so I was knitting in my car for a while (Yes that is on DW's Sweater). Then someone came and knocked on my door with Mr. Charles with her and I got to go inside with them and chat and sit and pet and play.

The adoption specialist was great, she again answered the next questions that I had thought of, and she informed me that she had talked to the vet who performed Charlie's surgery, and they said that they will cover any further procedures affecting his hip area, although the problem should be solved. This was awesome to hear, because now although it shouldn't happen, it is covered if it does. His surgery was 4 weeks ago, on his right hip and he still hasn't grown all his curly hair back yet!

I think that the cutest thing by far was that he kept trotting over to me and sniffing me, then trotting back to the AS, then me, and finally he trotted over and crawled up on my lap and lied down. The AS was shocked! She said that he hasn't done that to anyone before, so that must be a good sign.

And of course I couldn't stay forever, so when it was time to go, I called him back over to me (and he listened!) and said bye Mr. Charlie! Give me a kiss, and he did that too...

Such a sweet boy! Now I am just waiting to find out if my application is approved or not. They should let me know by Wednesday, and the AS said she didn't see any reason why they wouldn't approve me. But still I will have to wait and see. In the Meantime, Sheila has to go back (I'm fixing a quick dinner now, then we have to leave to be there in 45 minutes) to get her third and final round of shots, and hopefully sense she has been acting like herself again and had a good diet and gotten back into her routine, that will be the end of that. While they have taken her back to do her shots and whatnot, they will bring up Charlie again so I can visit with him some more before ultimately finding out on Wed.

Happy Monday!

Triple "P"

2009-10-17T20:44:00.001-04:00

Last Friday night I hosted a ladies night at my place, and the theme was "Triple 'P'"

The first stands for Pink:

Everyone had to wear pink in honor of national breast cancer awareness month. Then I made every talk about self checks and visiting the doctor and all that jazz. And just in case someone wasn't wearing pink, I have Breast Cancer bandaides that I handed out when everyone arrived, so they had a pink ribbon on whether they liked it or not! Other than just wearing pink, I also made adult flavored pink ice pops! They were very good, and they hold well as long as you don't use too much alcohol... luckily for me, mine have fill lines on them!

The Second stands for Pizza:

We made our very own pizzas! I like to say that it was from scratch, but really I just purchased pre-made dough from Trader Joes, along with the sauce, and cheese. I didn't get any toppings just because I didn't want things to get too complex, so I let everyone know in advance it was cheese pizza unless they wanted to bring something to add to it for themselves... nobody brought any additional toppings. I realized after we were ready to start making them that I didn't have a rolling pin, so we used an empty wine bottle! It actually worked very well, not to mention it was pretty hysterical, to use a floured up wine bottle to roll out our dough. Surprisingly enough we didn't do half bad! and it tasted like real pizza!

The Third was for Play:
I wanted to have a ladies game night for a while, and because of Chan's contest, I had an excuse to not only have my ladies game night, but to incorporate her themes of pizza and pink for breast cancer awareness. Then I figured that sense every thing else started with P I would make it Play instead of Game. So we played a few games and had our pizza and ice pops, and it was a very fun night!

Sheila Update

2009-10-16T21:31:00.000-04:00

Yes I did go meet Charlie this morning and it went very well, but there will be more to post on that later. Right now I would like to update on my girl.

When we left the vet's office on Tuesday night, things weren't sounding so great. They said that they hadn't seen enough of an improvement with her over the past week and that if no drastic change for the better came about we were going to have to run some diagnostic tests on Monday when I bring her back for her final round of shots. The tests were going to be to find out if she had cancer, fatty liver disease, or anything else along those lines. My job is to keep watching her closely between the appointments and monitor her improvement.

Well I have never seen her as upset and worked up as she was Tuesday night at the Veterinary Clinic. Probably because she had realized that this was the bad place where they poke her with things and make her a little sore, and groggy. I thought she would be somewhat better when we got home, but she still wouldn't even let me touch her for a good half hour... which was fine, she stayed in her carry bag to calm down while I cleaned out her cage.

Then it was like there was a switch that flipped with her when I put her back into her cage. She ran over to her food and water, and was eating and drinking normally, then up to her wheel to run, then down to her litter for a dust bath, and then I swear that if she could smile, she looked out at me and smiled! She is back to normal! I am so relieved--granted I am still monitoring her, but so far, all is well! She has been running again every night, and eating and drinking normally, so I will have a good report to give the Dr. on Monday night when we go in, and then hopefully that will be the end of the stress for a while.

As far as the rest of the weekend goes... this weekend is Reinbeck's Wool festival, and I will be attending with several people from my knitting group. I originally was not going to allow myself to spend any money there, but then my mom, and several other people pointed out to me that if I find something that I love I am going to regret not purchasing it, so I am going with the mindset that I have a limit, and I can only use it on things that I LOVE! Then after the day of shopping all the vendors, and checking out all the cool wooly fun, we are going to an after-party. I'm not sure exactly what all this will entail, but I will be sure to post on it soon! Other than that Sunday I am going to a friends 25th birthday dinner and just running errands earlier in the day.. maybe taking a nap, or just lounging about the house with pj's on and my knitting in my hands :)

Have a great weekend!

Sheila's Second Round of shots...

2009-10-13T07:14:00.001-04:00

Tonight Sheila and I will be making another trip to the veterinary clinic so that she can receive her second round of shots. I don't think that she is probably too happy about this, considering her strong dislike for car rides, but she will have to go anyhow.

She is not quite acting herself, and before I thought she was drinking more water than normal, now it seems like she is drinking very little water... and it doesn't look like the level of her food is going down much. Although she has eaten a blueberry from me every night when I've had her out. Who knows, I'm sure I'm just overreacting a bit, and worrying about her.

I'm sure they will tell me if anything has changed for the better or worse in the last week.

In the meantime, I did talk to the adoption specialist on the phone yesterday afternoon, and she had all the right answers for me. So while I am at the vet's office tomorrow, I am picking up an adoption form to look over. Then on Friday I am going to meet Charlie very early in the morning.

The good news about him is that although he has had to have surgery on both of his hips, the doctor said that there is no sign of Charlie needing surgery due to the same issues, that it was taken care of in the previous surgery. The bad news is that the family that used to own him claimed that he had fallen down a flight of stairs, although with his timidness and the way he gets nervous around children, the adoption specialist thinks that the children of the family may have abused him, and that he was probably pushed down the stairs as apposed to falling. Then the family gave him up so that they wouldn't have to pay for the surgeries.

Despite his less than charming past, he seems to be in good health, and should be a great fit for me. As long as he likes me when I go to meet him this Friday. Then I will make my decision after that.

For now, I am hoping for the best with My Sheila, and I will keep you posted on both of these 4-legged babes.

What's for dinner?

2009-10-12T19:25:00.001-04:00

Well, I have been planning to do some sort of crock pot dinner for a while now, so I finally decided to stop planning and actually do it!

What did I make in my beautiful crock pot? Why Beef and Barley Stew... And it turned out very well! It does make a lot of servings for just one person, but I don't have to do anything really, just a bit of prep work, and then serving it out at dinner time. And now I have some frozen meals, as well as a few lunches or dinners in the fridge. Which is great for when I have limited time!

I have a really good recipe for White Bean Turkey Chili too, which I will make soon, but what are your favorite crock pot dishes? I need more ides for this cool cooker!

Happy Dining :)

Contemplation

2009-10-08T07:12:00.001-04:00

I am considering adopting a one and a half year old Toy Poodle that I found at the Vet's office when I brought Sheila in this past weekend. His name is charlie, and he is freaking cute.

Here is what I know about him already: He is potty trained (I spend too much time with children... what do you call this with animals? House broken? That sounds wrong... maybe house fixed.. eh potty trained works!), he is crate trained and can spend 8-12 hours in his crate without issues (although I think this is sad, and I would only have him in it while I was working), he is apricot colored, and I know his age and breed as I stated above, and sadly he has a bad hip. The good news is that he has already had surgery to fix it.

The things that I plan on asking this weekend and know I need to find out in order to make an educated decision about whether or not to get him:
1. How did he initially hurt his leg?
2. Would he need more surgery due to the same issue or is it taken care of with the first surgery?
3. How much does that type of surgery typically cost?
4. What happens if I do have to keep him in the crate for a long period of time (closer to 10-12 hours instead of 8-9) could he injure himself?
5. What are his physical restrictions due to his bad hip?
6. Is he on any regular medications? How much do they cost?
7. Does he have any special dietary needs?

Like I said, I will call and ask these questions within the next few days, and then if I still want to proceed I will visit with him while miss Sheila is receiving her next round of shots. If you have any questions to add to my list, please let me know! I want to get all the information I can before I make my ultimate decision.

I have been instructed..

2009-10-06T20:04:00.002-04:00

To tell you all the wonderful things I have in my life... or at least those of those that I am thankful for, and that make me feel blessed. (Instructed by miss Channon, by the way, she is feeling very thankful this month for a few reasons, which you can read about on her blog.)

I am of course thankful for the obvious, food, shelter, clothing, water, transportation, etc... and then I am thankful for a few more... Starting with my family.. I am one of the lucky ones that gets more than your average 2 parents, to love and support me, and help me whenever they can, I have a sister whom is very loving and considerate, and always puts me before herself (as well as many other people);
I am thankful for Sheila who was my only local friend when I moved 3,000 miles away from everything that I knew, and I am extremely blessed to have found a vet that not only works well with Sheila, but has worked with other hedgies and knows what she is doing!
I am thankful for my amazing network of friends, both near and far, through the blog-o-sphere, and through live encounters, all of whom I can contact when I need opinions, or just want to share about my life.

I am a very blessed individual to have all of these wonderful things surrounding me through my life.

What are you thankful for, and how blessed are you feeling? If you have something to say on the topic, you might consider going over to Chan Knits Blog, and looking into the contest posted here. It is going through October 26th I believe.

Sheila Is going to be fine

2009-10-04T08:47:00.002-04:00

The Veterinarian said that she was the most handle-able hedgie she has ever had in, and that I must be a great hedgie mommy :)

She also said that although the expectant life of a hedgehog is 3-5 years and Sheila will be 3 in December, that her heart and lungs are functioning normally and she has no bumps or lesions on her tummy.. hedgies are also prone to a few different types of cancer that would cause bumps... so she is good there, and the lesions would be due to an aggressive parasite of some sort. She was losing her quills, but because she is eating normally and drinking normally... they think she is fine, but the losing quills is not normal. They put her under a small amount of anesthesia so that they could get a skin scraping and check more thoroughly for bumps or lesions. Again they found nothing, so they are giving her 3 doses of medicine to treat for any parasite that she might have. She got the first one from the vet yesterday and will get the next 2 within the next 2-3 weeks.

I will say that I was worried sick, and driving myself insane, so I am glad that it was nothing big! The funniest thing was that they have a little mini stethoscope to for hedgies (and other small babies I'm sure) to listen to their little hearts, and little lungs with. When the Vet was holding Sheila and trying to listen to her heart and lungs, sheila balled up around the stethoscope and was practically dangling from it.. which made it perfect for listening to her lungs, although it wasn't quite positioned correctly to hear her heart so I assisted in holding her for that.

I am so happy to know that there is a vet only half an hour away that I can take my baby to... just in case anything else goes on. Not to mention that she (the vet) has actually seen hedgies before, which is a huge plus because I wouldn't want anyone who didn't know what they were doing to be looking at her!

Anyhow, thank you for you good thoughts, and she is fine! Like I said a few more shots of medicine and she will be as good as new!

Sheila Is Sick :(

2009-10-03T10:18:00.003-04:00

I don't know for sure what is wrong, but she certainly isn't acting like her normal self, and I am being a very worried mama... I was doing all this research online, and don't get me wrong the internet is great, but not when it basically tells you your baby is going to die! Not good!

So I found a vet that told sees hedgies and I am taking her in this afternoon.. they are squeezing me in because they don't have an opening but knew that it was important to me. (I think I like them already.) Although she doesn't much like riding in her carry bag, she needs to make this trip.. Sorry girlie.

Best case scenario, she is fine and I was freaking out for nothing.. At least I can get her checked out just to make sure, and hopefully that is that.

Wishful thinking today for my girl.