Monday, December 27, 2010

More Blizzard 2010 pics

leaving  Disputanta

Disputanta, Va

Post Office in Disputanta

Disputanta, Va

Another field on 460

Field off of 460

house on 460

Carroll Food Processing plant

Snow on 460

Blizzard 2010

    So recently I posted pics on here of what I thought was a lot of snow....oh how Mother Nature thought that was funny! She sure showed me what SNOW meant! Starting on Christmas of 2010 and ending today Monday, December 27th the Northeastern side of the United States was covered with snow. In Disputanta we had approx. 13 inches and in Waverly there was about 11 inches. Here are some pics:





Wednesday, December 15, 2010

First Snow of 2010!!!

     Monday morning began like any other...cold and dark. I walked to the wood stove and opened the door. With sleep still in my eyes I began poking the hot embers with the cold metal poker, trying to make room for more wood so that the house would warm up. As I walked to the wood box to grab a few logs the phone rang. At 6:30 in the morning I have very few callers so I was surprised that the phone was ringing. I answered it rather quickly so that the whole house would not get woken up.
     "Hello?" I asked quietly and in disbelief at the early hour of the phone ringing.
     "There is no school this morning. Can you tell Serge?" said the little neighbor boy down the street.
     "Huh? Why?" I said as I watched my breath puff out of my mouth in the cold house.
     "The snow?!?" he said as if I was an idiot.
     "Snow?!? What snow? It snowed?!" I was hearing what the young boy was saying but not quite understanding the words.
     "Ummm....yea. Look outside. Tell Serge I'll call him later. Bye!" and he hung up the phone with an audible click. So....I looked outside....

<----Later that day

<----From my car window


     It is not unusual for snow to fall in Central Virginia....we see a few inches almost every year....but what was shocking is that just the week before the temp outside was in the 80's and 90's! The weatherman is predicting more snow this Thursday...an 80% chance of getting 2 inches or more! Seriously! I will post pictures when I get them!!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

More Snow Family and Mr. Mouse pictures!!!


Mr. and Mrs. Snow!


                                                                  


Mr. Mouse----->






                             Snow Family and Mr. Mouse!! One big, happy family!!!

New Arrival!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Snow would like to announce the newest additions to their family:
                                                            Sissy Snow and Mr. Mouse!


       Sissy Snow is the new daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Snow and she was "born" on Dec. 4th, 2010! Sissy's hat, scarf, and mittens are made of a really soft pink yarn that has a mixture of silver, pom-poms, and fuzziness! Her eyes are black glass "E" beads (and so are her "coal" down her tummy) and her smile is made from black embroidery floss. Sissy's entire body is made from Bernat brand yarn in white and like the rest of the Snow Family her nose is made from Red Heart Orange. Sissy loves her mommy and daddy but more importantly she loves her BIG BROTHER-Jr. Snow!



       Mr. Mouse is an old friend of the family's and he once served in the military with Daddy Snow. They both fought hard for our country. Mr. Mouse has come to the Snow Family to help them because of the new arrival of Sissy. Daddy and Mommy Snow both hold down full-time jobs as Snowpeople so someone has to watch out for the little Snow Family members. Mr. Mouse is made from Impeccable Yarn (gray) and has Pound of Yarn pink ears and braided tail. His hat is made from Lion Brand yarn in brown. His eyes are black glass "E" beads.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Snow Family

Snow Family

        For the last 3 weeks I have been working on the Snow Family. On the left side is Daddy Snow, middle is Mommy Snow, and on the right hand side is Snow Junior. I bought a magazine at Booksamillion, which I never do, and found the pattern inside. I was surprised that I could actually KNIT these guys! The increases were a little difficult because I have never really done an increase before but once I started I could not STOP! Their eyes, mouths, and buttons on their tummies (they don't show up on my cell picture but they are there!) are made from glass E beads and embroidery floss. All three have different types of hats-I modified the magazine patterns so that they were all original designs. Mommy Snow has glass E beads on the backs of her mittens and one on the front of her hat. Daddy Snow has a fringed scarf. I think by next year I will have made enough of this fun little family to give as Christmas gifts to the family. But shhh! don't tell them!!! Also I have been asked by Tay and Carmen to make a Snow Sissy so I think I will be adding her to the family by this weekend. I already found the perfect pink fuzzy yarn to make her hat and scarf! My only fear is that I will run out of Bernat white before Sissy is finished and she is going to be made out of Red Heart-which may make her look different than the rest....I hope there is enough! Fingers crossed!!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

November...

          I am sorry blog readers for the long absence....I have been busy with school and life and knitting. My latest projects include making snowpeople for my sister, fingerless gloves for my nephew, and a scarf for Special Olympics. Yesterday I found the cutest family of mice on Ravelry....hmmm....where is that gray yarn I bought? Simply Soft by Caron, where are you? I have needles that want to meet you!



          So Halloween was here at the end of last month and I loved seeing my nieces and nephews dress up...Carmen was a witch, Tay was a PoliceCop, Kenyon was Chicken Little, TJ was a red-faced monster, Madox was the Itsy-bitsy spider, Kylie was a lamb, and Kayce was a princess/ninja/kitty. Watching them dress up and get candy was the sweetest thing!! I had a great time! It seemed that Halloween was too short, though. When I was younger it seemed like an all day event, now it seems like only about 2 hours.



          Then there was Turkey Day! Turkey Day was held in my family's annual location...a church banquet hall in my town. This year there was a nice turn out of about 55 people and there was a TON of food! No one disagreed, everyone laughed and told stories. Just caught up on our stories and our lives...it was nice. Even the decorations were nice! The first year we did it the hall looked almost like a soup kitchen-metal chairs, folding tables, mismatched plasticware. Now in our 5th year, the family has pulled together a nice assortment of decorations and fall themed items. Going there is familiar and I am not sure how Turkey Day would be without doing it this way...


          So tomorrow is the start of December....25 official days til Xmas...I have already decided on making edible gifts this year and the family can like it or lump it! I think it is nice when someone thinks enough about you to spend time MAKING something for you. I would rather have 100 crappy macaroni noodle ornaments than slippers or body wash sets. I think next Xmas I will propse a "Make Adults Gift Holiday" it will be cheaper and much more personal.


      That's all I have right now...I promise not to wait 2 months to update again. As a matter of fact, once my snowman family is complete I will post pics....and if I can ever find that gray Caron I will post pics of the little mice family as well!!!!



Important Dates for December
Deria Bday            12-7
Xmas Eve              12-24
Xmas Day             12-25
New Years Eve     12-31

Home of the Brave!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Update....

Today is the last day of September and 2 weeks since my last blog entry. So, here is an update on the sick members of my family. Both of my nieces were released from the hospital and are expected to make a full recovery. The baby, Kylie, had an infection that started out as a cold...she is 8 weeks old today and is the picture of health. The doctors say that there are no long term effects from her illness. As a matter of fact, she is laying in her bed right now and I am watching her while I type this post. She smiles and even laughs out loud now! She is beautiful! My older niece, Rissa, who was also in the hospital is not doing as good as the baby. She is still suffering from intense pain and she is going to need surgery to remove a mastoid that has grown behind her ear drum. She has been getting injections of antibiotics ever since she was released from the hospital. The poor thing is constantly dizzy and feeling bad...hopefully the surgery will make it all go away!

On a lighter note...this Saturday (10/2) is a big day for my family...my niece, who is 5 years old, will be in a parade and a dance recital for her Dance School! She is beautiful! And then I have 2 nieces who are in a beauty pageant! Busy day!


Important Dates in October
10/2-Beauty pageant/dance recital/parade
10/9-Kenyon's 1st birthday
10/11-Rissa's 19th birthday
10/13-Ryan's birthday
10/16-Krissy's wedding
10/23-Ciara's birthday
10/31-Halloween

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Sick...Sicker....Sickest....

So far September has proven to be a difficult month...my family is being plagued by illness!! First, my 18 year old niece, Rissa, was struck down with a mysterious ailment/infection and has been in the hospital since last Saturday...9/11...and is expected to be in the hospital for another 5 days! It took a lot of testing to rule out bacterial and viral meningitis (she was symptomatic for both) before they narrowed it down to an ear infection that had moved into her brain. She needs intensive antibiotics and more tests. The doctors are concerned with memory loss and other issues that might mean the infection has caused damage to her brain. Also, they are concerned with her thyroid and pitutary glands...poor girl!! My sister is running herself crazy with worry and fear...this is her oldest daughter and for a long while..her only child. My nephew-in-law, T, was released from the hospital 9-12...he had MRSA and complications from a leg injury from a four-wheeler accident...he's ok...NOW Kylie is in the hospital....Children's Hospital of King's Daughters to be exact. She came down with a fever that would not go away. First she went to Obici in Suffolk but they sent her home after a few hours. Then when her fever STILL wouldn't break her mom called her doctor who said she needed to go to CHKD. THANK GAWD FOR THAT! She has viral meningitis!! At 5 weeks old, her little system could not handle exposure to something like the common cold and so it mutated into a form of menigitis...not contagious to others though or else I know my entire family would be stricken with it in a matter of days...we all see each other almost on a daily basis in one form or another so it would pass easily among us!
I have been sick for over a week myself....nothing deadly or hospital stay worthy...just a cold but it seems that it is going around. Luckily, I am almost over it but feel bad that I gave it to Jamie and her family! Did not realize I was soooo contagious (and before anyone thinks it-I did not infect Rissa or Kylie since my cold did not orginate with me--other members of the family had it first so I do not feel guilty!)
September has proven to be difficult and sickening--literally!!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Back to School....Crayon Wreath


So school started back here again on Tuesday and I have to say I am sooooo happy to see the big yellow bus picking up kids again. This year the family has 2 kids beginning their academic careers-Logan and Carmen-both started kindergarten! Yay!! I had fun helping Carmen get school supplies and clothes for her "Big Year!" I hope this year is great for both Carmen and Logan!


I was at Michael's Craft Store over the weekend and as usual I love looking at the displays that they make to show off products. One wreath really impressed me but the price was really scary-$40! I could never see myself spending that kind of money for something that I could make at a fraction of the cost...so...being the crafter that I am...I made it! Above is the picture of my Crayon Wreath! I made it for Carmen's teacher and as soon as someone heads up to the school she will receive this gift!! Before I write down how I did it...I have to mention the differences between my homemade wreath and Michael's $40 wreath!


Michael's Wreath: Bigger, less decroations, and way more expensive! Oh, and not handmade-store bought!

My Crayon Wreath: Smaller, more decorative, and a lot cheaper! Oh, and handmade-not store bought!!!

So here is how I did it:

CRAYON WREATH DIRECTIONS

Supplies needed:

foam wreath from Dollar store

Crayola crayons (I used 3.5 boxes of Crayolas)

pack of erasers from Dollar store

pack of Sticky notes from Dollar store

wooden School Bus from Michael's (bought on sale for .10)

Hot glue gun and glue sticks


**Get everything opened and set up before beginning**

1. Glue crayons-making sure the labels all face the same way-onto the foam wreath. Make sure there are gaps between the crayons because this is the "base" row.

2. Glue 2nd round of crayons on top of "base" row. These will fill up the gaps between the crayons.

3. Glue decorations on top of crayons

*add any type of decorations you want to personalize! I added the teachers name to the Sticky pad!


**add ribbons or bows for decoration


***I did not add a hanger but one could be added if you want or need


THAT'S IT!!!!


Michael's wreath cost $40....Mine? Less than $5!!!!




Saturday, September 4, 2010

September.....




<--Kaycee as a baby


Kaycee @ 2-->








Today is Sept. 4th and it is my great niece, Kaycee's 2nd birthday!! Tomorrow is her birthday party and I cannot wait to give her my gifts! She loves Yo Gabba Gabba, baby dolls, and cleaning! Unfortunately Yo Gabba Gabba is impossible to find (I suspect that the manufacturer are on purposely holding back selling it so that @ Xmas we will see a repeat of the Tickle Me Elmo fiasco!)
Anyway, I searched high and low to find Kaycee the perfect gift! For once, I didn't even consider making Kaycee anything. For 1, what 2 year old wants a dumb ole knitted thing from their great aunt? (Besides me and all my knitty friends!) For 2, Kaycee is not a make something for type of girl. She has particular tastes and ideas-even at 2! So I ended up getting her a broom, dustpan, mop, "swiffer" and a couple of boxes of things like "fake latex gloves" and "fake cleaning solution." It is a-dora-ble!!! Oh, and I also got her a pink reusable shopping bag or "diaper bag" for her baby dolls. It is perfect because it has an elephant on it! She learned to "read" the word elephant from the "Your baby can read!" series! Inside the bag I threw in pearl necklaces, pearl bracelets, and a pearl headband--and about 10 candy necklaces! She is going to love it!!!
So what is in store for the rest of the month? Well, I have started walking again. Sometimes with my sister, sometimes with my niece, and sometimes by myself. I am not actively trying to lose weight just trying to move around. So many of my "hobbies" involve sitting that I just want to move before I grow into a piece of furniture. Also if I happen to lose weight it will be a bonus! My niece (Kaycee's mommy) is getting married next month so losing weight might make a difference between a fat persons outfit and a not so fat persons outfit!
I am also working on charity knits. I have been searching on Ravelry for simple hat patterns, scarf, mitten (glittens or gloves), and even blanket patterns. I have knitted one adult hat, a preemie hat, and I am working on a matching blanket for the preemie hat. Winter is coming so I hope to be able to keep someone warm!
Upcoming events for the rest of Sept:
Kaycee's bday party-Sept. 5th
School starts-Sept. 7th
Aulbrie's 18th bday-Sept. 16th
Logan's 5th bday-Sept. 19th
Tracey's bday-Sept. 25th

Monday, August 23, 2010

Need new projects....


It is official...I have run out of projects to knit! I know that Christmas is right around the corner but honestly I do not think my family likes handknit gifts. Besides I can't afford the really nice yarn (wools, cashmeres, alpacas, etc.) and would feel really bad making people Christmas gifts with cheap yarn. So right now the only project I have on my needles is a new Pink and Brown baby blanket for Kylie. She is only a couple of weeks old but she already prefers my blanket (the 1st one I made her!) to any other blanket she has [Thanks, Brie ;)] so I am making her a "spare!"

I talked to my sister and she wants to learn to knit. So since it is almost Winter I have decided now is the perfect time to make hats and scarves for charity...especially since these are great beginner projects for my sister. We are going to meet a couple times a week to knit and then after knitting we will go for a walk. I loosely call it our: Walk-n-Knit-a-thon. I am hoping that we will lose weight (which I know she will) and help people at the same time. Personally, I can knit and walk at the same time but she will be a newbie. Strangely, though she can purl but not knit. I do not know how. Maybe I will get her to teach me how to crochet....hey....a new hobby may be in order since I have nothing to knit....hmmm.....







Updated upcoming birthdays for my family:
Lena-Aug. 26
Elena-Sept. 2
Taylor-Sept. 3
Kaycee-Sept. 4
Aulbrie-Sept. 16
Logan-Sept. 19
Tracey-Sept. 25

Thursday, August 12, 2010

I am terrible at making up titles....


I can not come up with titles for these entries to save my life...if you look back at past posts you'll see that I have used the same title for two different posts! So here is an update of that is going on with me lately:

The baby great niece is a week old now and is doing absolutely great! Her mommy and daddy are doing a great job as well...I am proud of both of them!!

On the knitting front: I am working on a purple pouch for a friend's mom...I am actually thinking of making 2...one in regular purple and one that is purple with blue fun fur trim...hmmmmm...blue fun fur trim....it is fun just thinking about that!

I am still working on one of my purses...the kit purse...I never realized that changing colors soooo much would be a pain....I am not sure I will ever do something with four color changes again...well, maybe NEVER but it would have to be a special project.

After a couple of weeks of stressing out about some financial aid issues my classes are now back in swing! I was worried to death that I would have to quit school but thankfully I can continue on trying to get my Bachelor's degree in Communications...phew!!! I just started a class called Communication Law and it is difficult! I have never been interested in the law or studying the law so this class is a little bit much....

Anyway, that is about it...I will post more soon!!!



Family Birthdays for the month of August:

Kylie--born August 5th

Kristina--August 13th

Kirsten-August 13th

Lena-August 26th


*Don't forget to wish them Happy Birthday to all of them!!!!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

BABY DAY

Well, the day has finally come...today Aulbrie went to the doctor and they decided tomorrow will be the day: BABY DAY!!!

After 9 looooooong months, Aulbrie will check into the hospital and they will begin the process of inducing her labor. I can not wait to meet her baby! Already we know she is having a little girl and as of right now she is named: Kylie Rose....a beautiful name!!

Everyone in the family is super excited! We already have a list of dates and weights we think the baby will be (this was actually a fun list posted on Facebook...so if you haven't guessed yet: HURRY UP!!)

I know Aulbrie and Ryan are young but I think they will be good parents....already they have shown a level of committment that most people their ages have not...they have gone to all the appts, attempted to read everything they can, have gotten their nursery together....they are ready!!!!


Anyway I am excited! I will be a GREAT AUNT-again!!!! Kylie will be my 7th great niece/nephew...not quite as many great nieces/nephews as I have regular nieces and nephews but it is getting there!!



Whenever a new baby is born or about to be born I always think about my mom and what she would think about the newest edition to the family....Mom loved babies and grandbabies especially! I know that GREAT grandbabies would have made her extra happy!!!! At these times I really miss her. She would have been the first one to call the ENTIRE family with updates to the delivery and make sure everyone guessed how much the baby weighed...and she would be watching all the kids while all the adults went to the hospital...


I have this picture of her and she is holding one of her grandkids. She is looking down and the look on her face shows exactly what she is thinking. She is thinking about how much she loved this new little baby and how promising the future looked for that child. All the hard years we had with the family would not happen to this new little member because we have changed, we have grown, our lives are better then they were. I miss you, Mom!


Please watch over the newest member of the family that will be born within the next couple of days and bless her from Heaven with the look you had on Earth!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

LOLA Complete!!!!!


<~~~~~LOLA WITHOUT STARS IN THE EYES!!!





HERE IS LOLA!!

After many issues with her eyes Lola can now see and she is COMPLETE!!! I couldn't figure out exactly how to do her eyes....should they be buttons? Sewed? Cross-stitched? Left without? So finally I decided to do buttons...which presented another problem! What kind? Do you know how many buttons there are in the world? I looked at round ones, square ones, animal shaped ones, and a million other kinds!! Finally, I went with Taylor to Michael's (ok really I took her to get her hair cut for her 16th birthday and we stopped at Michael's) and she helped me pick out Lola's eyes!! Pink stars!! At first I was worried about it...what would stars say about Lola? How would they change her being? Her personality? And then....then...I sewed one on! POW! As soon as it was attached: LOLA!!! The stars were her and they were her personality!!! I love them!! And now? Since it was a package of ten with different colors....I want a LOLA of every color!!

What else I am doing.....

I just finished my first knitted purse and other than the fact that it stretches when I put something heavy in it--I LOVE IT!!! I am also still working on the "kit" that I bought...I finished the sunglass case, and the wallet but when I when I went to finish the purse: the needles broke! I was using circular needles and where the cable goes into the needle, it snapped off! So I had to switch circular needles and I am not too sure about the size change (I think they are the same) but so far I am doing okay with it....

Still searching....

I am still searching for the perfect orange eyelash yarn to do Vickie Howell's DJ Rock Baby Hat from the craftrocklove.com website but so far nothing...I have to have it done by October so that Kenyon will have it for his first birthday....I am hoping that they will carry some in the stores as it gets closer to Halloween!!

Upcoming projects...

As usual I am still working on jewelry...I am hoping to make a fanpage still but not sure that I am consistent enough as a jewelry maker to really do this...I have a tendancy to start something and not see it through!! If I start a fanpage...will I have the follow thru to make it work??

Sunday, July 18, 2010

My current crafty endeavors....

Right now I have multiple crafts going at one time...I have 2 purses on needles-one is a multi-brown tote bag in my own design. The other purse is from a kit I bought a while ago...it is a trio kit. A sunglass case, a wallet, and a purse...it is interesting because it involves color changes which I have never done really before. It involves carrying the color up the side and it is on circs which I have NEVER used (of course, it is not in the round but the cable helps A LOT). I am in the process of trying to teach myself how to use circular needles so I can try all the nice patterns that call for them...my problem: joining! I have watched endless YouTube videos and still can't quite grasp the concept of how to get the yarn to join together to form a ring....

The other crafts I am working with is jewelry. I am thinking about trying to sell jewelry online so I need to build up a pretty decent stock. AND I was invited to sell some jewelry at a craft fair next month in Waverly next month....not sure if I am going to do it or not but I am thinking seriously of doing it (actually I am hoping to get a niece to sell for me since I am not good at the public/crowd thing.)

Now another thing I am thinking of is knitting jewelry frames/displays...a pattern I found on Ravelry. Basically you knit a net-type square to fit into a frame so that you can display jewelry on the yarn. I like it better than the traditional displays that most people have at craft sales...right now my sister-in-law is working on a crochet version that I am excited about, too.

My niece is getting married in October and I am elected to come up with and make wedding favors....I have no clue but I need 100-150 favors and she wants them "cute and personalized"-those are her words....I wonder if her guests will like jewelry and knitting since those are my two favorite things (right now)....hmmmm....

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Today....

Today is July 13th, 2010...my Moms' birthday...if she were alive today Mom would be turning 21-again! There are so many different things I miss about her...her laugh, her sense of humor, the way she always pushed her bangs up after she brushed her hair. I sometimes think to myself what would Mom think of everything her family is doing right now? Her family has changed so much in the 5 years she has been gone. We have grown in numbers (she has tons of great grandbabies with another one to be born soon) and we have changed locations (Chelsea was in CA and now she is proudly serving her country in Afghanistan). We have gotten married (or in the case of Krissy and Bubba-set a date to be married) and we have fought, made up, talked behind each others backs, talked in front of each others faces, hated each other and loved each other. Her family was brought together-tighter, if one could imagine-by her passing and we have remained that way.


Whenever we get together we always talk about her and the crazy things she had said and she had done but mostly we talk about how she made us the way we are. Her family loves each other. We need no one but each other and we are always there for one another. Her great grandbabies know her because we let them know her love by the way she taught us to love each other. Because of Mom we have learned to be strong, to work hard, to hold those we love closer and tighter, and to always be proud of being a part of her.


Mom, today is your 21st birthday and like all the days since you have been gone I find myself pausing to hear your laughter. I often find myself looking beside me to see you and I am always a little disappointed and sad that you are not there...but then I look closely and I find you...You are in Kaycee's smile (and the devilish look in her eyes), you are in Carmen's laughter (when she is helping her 'grandma' in the kitchen), in Max's sweetness, in Taylin's curiousity (and love of cars-I mean, you were a drag racer!) and you are in Kenyon's snuggles.

There is not a day that you are not talked about, missed, and loved. I would thank you for all the love and support and things taught to each of us but it would be pointless because you are not done teaching us, supporting us, and loving us. Happy 21st Birthday, Mom!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Lola the Pig

I know that I have not posted yet in July but please do not worry! I am hard at work on Lola the Pig! Right now she is almost complete! She has no eyes, no ears, no tail, and only 3 and a half feet BUT she is almost done! I did not think that I would be able to make something like a toy but it does seem to be a little easier than I expected...So here she is (in almost all of her glory! Oh and the pics are from my BB so they are not the greatest! Sorry!)



This first picture (on the left) is Lola on the needles. The second picture (on the right) is Lola after her body is complete...I am showing the increase section of her hind part because I am proud of the fact that in order to make Lola I learned 2 new stitches...M1 and SSK!!!













These are Lola's "profile" pictures! You can really tell she is turning into a pig!!! I love how the picture on the left shows her "waistline" and the one on the right shows her "ears" and the point of her nose!!












These are my final two pictures of Lola as she is right now. The one on the left is my favorite of all pictures (ummm...excuse her being propped up by the remote!) because to me she seems the most expressive in this picture. In the picture on the left is not a pair of pasties!!! They are Lola legs...well just two out of four...I am in the middle of making the fourth foot and finished the third one right after I snapped this picture!!

So....this is why I have not been blogging...I have been pig knitting!!!!

My next project will either be the DJ Lance Rock hat (by Vickie Howell @ http://www.craftrocklove.com/) for my great-nephew Kenyon's 1st birthday (in October) OR a monkey for Taylor...after the success of Lola, maybe more knitted toys are in order!!
(psssst....watch out family! I am addicted to something else you will be getting as gifts!!!)


**I will be posting finished Lola pictures along with a link to her pattern in my next post...it is such a great pattern I want to give oodles of credit to her designer!!!!**

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

My newest thought....

So now that all of my baby knitting is done I have been searching for a new project...lately I have been thinking about knitting a pig! I love piggy banks and while I have never been one to really collect stuffed piggies a knitted pig has been on my mind! I have searched a few patterns but I am not sure if I have the ability...other than hats I have never knitted anything that is round-ish and since I am circular-knitting inept I am wondering if I can do it on straights? Of the patterns that I have found two really have stuck out-Lola the Pig and Piggywig. I really love these sweet little piggies and could really see them sitting on my bed next to my GIANT Green Bay Packer pillow my niece made for me for my birthday 2 years ago...I think this weekend I will be buying size 2 and 4 needles to CO and try...hmm...I will keep updating!




**PiggyWig is a pattern by Miss Aine**

Sunday, June 27, 2010

The Baby Shower

The Mommy-to-be looking beautiful!!




The baby shower was a success! And all my knitty pink and brown? My NIECE loved it!!! Ok, so let me start at the beginning...

Of course, I slept in and everyone was mildly freaking out because I had the KEY (yes, the KEY-all caps for being a pain in the ....well a pain!) Anyway, set up did not take long because there were not a lot of decorations. Not having a lot of decorations is something new for me. The last few baby showers I "helped" throw I drove myself crazy with decorations (one niece had handmade ABC blocks) but this was actually a great change of pace. Of course, not everything went smoothly because shortly after I arrived I realized that the KEY did not work for the kitchen so....we could not get to the sink or the ice machine! It was ok though because at least the bathrooms were unlocked and there was a water fountain. It was not long before the guests started to arrive or so I thought but really it was the baby's daddy's family with MORE food. Oh, I made these great BLT tomato bowls (recipe at the bottom of post!) There was all kinds of food! Little sandwiches, vegetable trays, a watermelon full of fruit that was shaped like a baby carriage....the mommy-to-be was happy as a lark to see all the food!











<---Cake by Grandma










It was great seeing all the generations together at the baby shower. The mommy-to-be was surrounded by her great-grandmother, her grandmother, her mother, her aunts (that's me! and some other aunts), her sisters (well, two out of 4-one was sick and the other is a Marine serving in Afghanistan), her cousins, her nieces and nephews, and her best friend! And that was just the mommy-to-be's side! THE GIFTS!! Oh, she got tons of gifts including a crib and a stroller...but that's the important stuff (well, not to me!) My pink and brown knitty stuff that was the highlight! I found a really cute pink milk crate and filled it with tissue paper. Then I added the cardigan, the blanket, the booties, the 2 bibs, some diaper wipes, lotion, powder, and a few other things. It weighed a ton! I was so happy when she picked up blanket and put it on her tummy!













Overall, the shower was great! Despite all the problems with the key and being locked out of the kitchen and me having to wait 4 hours outside in the heat (and then 2 more hours to return the key) it was well worth it! The mommy and daddy-to-be got everything they needed to complete their nursery! She is 34 weeks as of yesterday so it will not be long before I am writing about the birth of Kylie Rose!












Here is the recipe!!!!







**BLT Tomato Bowls**


Ingredients: Roma tomatoes, lettuce, bacon bits/crumbles, croutons, and ranch dressing

1. Cut Roma tomatoes in half and scoop out insides.
2. Fill Roma tomatoes with lettuce and top with bacon bits/crumbles. and croutons. Add ranch dressing.
3. Chill and serve!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The Pre-Baby Shower Mess!!!!!



As my previous posts have mentioned I am in the middle of a pink and brown knitting frenzy! I have been knitting in those two colors in order to make gifts for my niece's soon-to-be born little girl. On the list to knit was: a blanket, booties, a cardigan, and a hat, along with cross-stitching on two bibs. The deadline for the deluge of pink and brown knitting madness was June 20th, 2010-Father's Day-or now forever known as "THE DAY OF THE BABY SHOWER!!"

Friday, June 18th, 2010...


The baby shower is in two days and my fingers hurt from all the knitting...but it's ok because it will be worth it...my niece is going to love all of her little pink and brown baby items. I just finished the bibs and I love them!!




Saturday June 19th, 2010...
My sister and I were doing last minute shopping for the baby shower and discussing details when suddenly a thought occured to me! THE KEY!! I was in charge of doing one thing...getting the key for the building where the shower was to be held and I FORGOT!! That's right! On a Saturday, when the office where the key is located is closed, I remembered that I was supposed to pick up the key! My sister and I began scrambling around trying to find someone...anyone...who had a key or who knew someone with a key. Luckily, we got ahold of the librarian in the building next to where the shower was to be held. She informed us that there was a party being set up next door. My sister and I rushed over there as fast as we could! These poor people were in the middle of setting up for a wedding and all of a sudden two strange women rushed into the building! We must have looked like a couple of fools as the whole story "fell" out of our mouths. The nice lady agreed to let us have the key as long as we came back at 8:00 pm and showed her our receipt.
At 7:45 I showed up and the parking lot was PACKED!!! So I parked my car and waited....and waited....and waited....until 10 pm! When the party was finally over and the building cleaned up to woman gave me the keys. Boy, was I relieved! I had been feeling awful ALL DAY because I had almost ruined the shower and added stress to my poor pregnant niece!!
Next blog will have pictures of all the pink and brown goodness I knitted and the cake and a full description of the shower.....

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Pink and Brown continues....


Sunday is the big day...THE BABY SHOWER....not mine but my niece's baby shower and I am in a knitting fever! I have completed the blanket, the booties (all 3 of them, lol!) and the cardigan (it is still in pieces) and now the hat is on the needles (a new pattern that I am excited about! A wavy pattern!) I am beginning to feel the knitting crunch but am so excited about completing all the projects! This also explains my lack of posting on my blog--knitting! I am now convinced that I am addicted to knitting because despite being overwhelmed with knitting projects, I am already looking for a new project! I may need knitting rehab...I will go gladly as long as I can bring my knitting!
I am also beginning to worry about my 8 year old niece because for a couple of years now she has been begging me to teach her how to knit. I have kid needles but she is a lefty and it worries me that I do not have the skill set to teach her. On the positive side, I figured out a way to keep her ADHD underwraps in the car with me-winding yarn! Today I had to go pick up her brother and she wanted to go with me but as soon as she got in the car she started whining and fidgeting. I had two skeins of yarn in the car and gave them to her and said "Make them into balls!" She stayed still, AND QUIET, the entire time it took her to make those two skeins into balls! Forget about buying an electric ball winder-I have an ADHD kid at my disposal!!!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Logan and Carmen's Preschool Graduation



Tonight is a big night for the family: Both my nephew, Logan, and my great-niece, Carmen's, preschool graduation. Logan is 4 yrs old and is CRAZY for Iron Man! He loves dressing up and is smart as can be! He loves school and did excellent in every subject! He is my next to the oldest sisters son and the only boy...his 3 sisters are all teenagers...so he knows how to be sarcastic, too!!! Logan is the love of my sisters life! She says she loves all of her children equally but I think because he was born when she was a little older, she had a little more time to enjoy him.


Carmen turned 5 in March and is my nieces oldest daughter. She is beautiful, smart, funny, and fun to be around. She loves her grandma (my oldest sister) more than life itself. I swear, when my nieces were little my sister never was as close to them as she is to her "Bay-bah." It is so sweet to see them doing hair, nails, watching tv, scrapbooking, cooking and a hundred other things they do together.

Both of these great kids graduate tonight from preschool and even though they went to two different schools, they both get to walk across the same stage tonight. I am excited for them. The flowers in this post are flowers that I think represent the sense of joy I feel at thinking of these two great kids growing up...beautiful and full of hope.
Congrats Carmen and Logan!!! Kindergarten is next!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Pink and Brown Continues....

I recently finished what I like to call the "Blanket That Never Ends" which was a fantastic feat! Seriously, for a pattern called "Very Easy Baby Blanket" you can't imagine how un-very easy it was...it started as a gift for my nieces upcoming baby shower--JUNE 20th--and it looked like a good idea, on paper! But as I started knitting this monster blanket I realized I wanted it thicker so I added a skein of white to the TLC Baby yarn I had bought...and then it wouldn't blend right and then there was a knot right in the middle and then I skipped two very important steps to the pattern and then I had to *rippppp--rippppp--riiiiippppp* over and over because it just didnt look right! ARGHH!!! But it is done! Finally! After the baby shower I will be posting pictures of this monster blanket-oh and by the way I absolutely LOVE this blanket and the end result is everything I wanted! So now I am moving on to the next phase of the gift and this is the matching booties! So far they have proven to be as interesting as the baby blanket-I knitted up one and started on the other...ahhhh beautiful but wait a minute what's wrong with the first bootie? Is it...? Oh no! It is! It is completely unraveling!! What!!?! How?!!?? Why is this yarn out to kill me? I have been nice to it and bought it (even though it was more expensive than most that I buy) and it is being made into baby gifts and why is this happening? The baby shower is in 13 days and I still need to make a hat, cross stitch a bib, and now remake booties! Oh and I was going to try and knit bibs for the first time!! Ok, so I admit I am a last minute knitter and I should be knitting now instead of blogging but truth be told I find this to be an interesting new facet of my knitting! I can complain and not have to see my family look at me like I have grown a second head because they have no idea what I am talking about! *SIGH* My complaints are now purged and I feel better...so I am now off to knit a 3rd bootie for a baby with 2 feet!!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

First Blog Post!

I am so excited about starting this blog! I have been thinking about it and researching it for a couple of weeks now. I got the idea after watching the faces of my family members glaze over for the millionth time when I was talking about my ideas for making this or that. I knew I needed to write my ideas down so that I would remember them and be able access them whenever I want. I also liked the idea for this blog because I can access it from my beloved BlackBerry! I admit it freely- My name is Cathy and I am a BlackBerry addict! Besides knitting, reading, writing, do various other arts and crafts projects I am on my BlackBerry...so being able to add blog posts and pics from my BlackBerry was perfect!
My family is a very big close-knit clan that is filled with strong, opinionated, confident, heroic women and men that love those crazy women! I have a ton of nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews (with more being born all the time!) In fact, my niece is cooking a little girl right now that I am making all kinds of yummy pink and brown goodies for...knitted blanket, knitted booties, knitted hat and bib, and painted wooden picture frames, etc! It is because of all these wonderful people that I am who I am!
So this is it for my first blog post!