goodbye NaBloPoMo...

It was fun for awhile, but I have to say that I have a newfound respect for daily bloggers that are consistently interesting and funny, and continuously find new things to say! It was hard, and I failed miserably in the interesting department on many occasions, I hope you all had some fun with me too- I loved keeping up with my girls and I found some wonderful blogs along the way that I might not have otherwise. :-)

I hope to continue to post regularly, but probably more like 3 times a week until I get a more interesting life (although that would logically make it more difficult to find time to blog!) I want to give some more time to Ravelry and to the job search, and of course, to knitting. I am going to be doing that every day, every spare minute from now on, as I have neglected it terribly in the last few weeks...the holiday is fast approaching!

a good friend of mine needs great karma

stomp your feet, light a candle, send good vibes, pray, whatever works- she needs the good kismet. Her mom is very ill, and might not make it. My friend is younger than I am, way too young to lose her mom, imo. So send some goodness out her way (she's in San Antonio if that helps you direct it there- her name is Kris) and cross a few appendages too.

thanks.

Wednesday is Free Rice day!

get busy and get smart!

Here's what the bathroom looks like...

inside of bathroom view-
freehand flowers that need some dimension still, but I like them anyway...

I moved the towel rack and toilet paper roller-thingy- used a drill and everything! I also took some long tab curtains and sewed them together for color and privacy. (i know, brown, what a color! but I had them on hand and I am an instant gratification type)

Outside of door -
it still has glue on the inset panel from what I imagine was a mirror in 1952, but it looks better today than it did yesterday! I just didn't think the thin panel would take a sanding well, I may add fabric or just paint with the glue pattern, it could look like clouds if I can figure it out...

you will have to trust me that the before was pretty bad, at least the door was, it probably wasn't used for a very long time. We didn't even notice it for a year, as it was hiding well in it's pocket and was stuck like glue in there! We had a bifold door until I got out the WD40 and went to work... gotta love an old house!

omg it's almost midnight

more to come later- pics of bathroom!

things could be worse category

discuss...

stumbled on a daft punk gem...

I love this. it seems some hands bit was going around the tube several months ago that now has over 8 million views- this is a response to the original, I think. I like this one better. :-)

and the weirdest part for me is that it is flagged on youtube for adult content...weird. I don't get it. I have seen much worse unflagged there (i.e. violence) and these women aren't in thongs and topless- sports bras and boy shorts! give me a break. and the song it's self is innocuous- kids wouldn't even get the sexual innuendo.

good clean fun :-)

so you think you can dance was fun- j was surprisingly entertained, and I felt like I was at a tv show with a few thousand of my closest, dorkiest friends. Good times.

the best part was at the end, they just did what we thought was the last group dance, and sabra had already done her solo, so it was just the goodbyes to go- then, and some of the older (than me) crowd was heading for the door, dominic said "I thought we had one more dance! Let's do it if Oakland wants us to!", and the old lady standing in the aisle next to us said, loudly, "Oooooh Noooooo!" very exasperated-like... several people nearby, including us, laughed our asses off- it was great.

the best dance by far was the 'hip hip, chin chin' dance with Lacy and maybe Danny- who cares, it was all about her! careful with the sound on the first vid- it's B-A-D bad.

Here's the original tv version:

if you have no clue what I am talking about- you missed out this season, it was way better than dancing with the stars ever could be. :-P Not that I ever expected to go to the 'concert', but it turned out to be a great birthday present, my husband is a fun guy.

yams = happiness

god I love yams with marshmallows! I ate too much and slept too much! tomorrow I go to 'so you think you can dance!' (a very guilty pleasure)

Have a happy thanksgiving

I am going to make dinner last minute for us both! omg!

hope everyone has a great day...

Knit Knit and Knitting Bowls

something old and something new (to me)

Knitting Bowls by Sarah
- a marriage of art and craft...and practical (at least in concept, I think that depends on how well they fit with your design scheme) she's also on ravelry, I found her through another blogger-I may just have to get one...just to have it and look at it. I have a deep fondness for pottery. Another marriage of craft and design (and generous helpings of art and creativity) in the recently published KnitKnit, also a wonderful zine that I would practically kill for- the last issue: the first 100 recipients got a zine with a handknit cover!

anyone care to join me for the signing? It has been on my calendar for a few weeks now, I am soooo looking forward to it.

Book signing

6:45-8pm, December 12, 2007

ImagiKnit

3897 18th Street

San Francisco, CA 94114

Sabrina Gschwandtner will read from and sign copies of her book KnitKnit.

www.ImagiKnit.com

what kind of knitting blog would this be without cats?

from cute overload, of course...

meet crazy aunt purl!

click it and enter... I'd love to meet her, and go to LA even- hard to believe, but I have only been once, and i was all of 22! I might like it better at such a more wise and learned age...

stumbling for inspiration...

flower washcloths

peace baby
come to find out (on Monday) that the Harlot herself is pimping this little bad boy on her blog too! I have donated and downloaded- just need to pick from the multitude of babies I have to knit for...

sweater generator

no photo, sorry, but a cool site just waiting for me to get creative!

and...the anti-inspiration...

call me a web-snob if you will, but sites like this drive me mad. someone obviously liked it enough to "I like it!" on Stumble, but I can't get past the design and old-fashioned graphics to look further. and the name...it just screams 1982 crosstitch to me. Serious flashbacks to my bedroom when I was 8 *shiver*. Maybe I will be brave and look around just to see if I am right in my pre-judgement, but maybe not, just on principal. There are other clip art images out there of 'country kitsch'!

J is home!

Not much else to report today, it's nice to have him back, although he is exceptionally tired and still on Eastern time (he's already asleep, has been for about an hour). Basically picked him up, ate lunch and caught up on Heroes and Chuck, had dinner, then he crashed :-). He managed to fit in a visit to the zoo in between all that to check on the ice rink. In case you didn't know, they built one for the winter-looks great-can't wait to test it for myself. Pictures of me on my butt to follow!

I can't seem to get back in the groove of knitting- I can look thru books and pet yarn ad nauseam, but just can't seem to stick with anything I have on the needles. This is bad with the holidays fast approaching and a full gift list to complete- hopefully this week will be better.

Pretty much finished my bathroom redo- painted the door, just need a tiny paintbrush to do the edges, and moved an ill-placed towel bar and toilet paper roll thingy. I also cleaned the hell out of the walls and window, and threw away a lot of misc. bathroom supplies that we really don't need. Exciting, huh? I was able to put a drill, sander, and paintbrushes to good use, so that felt good, but I did not enjoy the deep cleaning. Why I felt the need to do so much to a rental, I am not sure, but I think I can somewhat chalk it up to ownership lust, it's so time to buy a house of my own! Pictures will follow the completion of the door edges...

tomorrow should be fun- a chili cook off in the city with friends, I am bringing beer- no cooking for this lazy gal.

ttfn.

awesome...

awe·some /ˈɔsəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[aw-suhm] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –adjective

1.	inspiring awe: an awesome sight.

2.	showing or characterized by awe.

3.	Slang. very impressive: That new white convertible is totally awesome

I have been known to be a frequent (too frequent really) user of the 3rd definition of this word. I have recently tried to make use of it more sparingly, and to apply it only in the 1st and 2nd meanings. It is very much overused in the media and in general conversation, in my humble opinion. I'd like it restored to it's glory in the AWE arena.

this video does just that, it's awesome. omg.

stumbling again...

marzipan knitting

best video ever-- in case you can't view it here, click this

glumbert - The History of LOLCats

stewy goodness...

had a fantastic dinner and convo with the Luce tonight! yea- while the boys are away the girls will play, or at least they will eat and chat for a few hours, and share a bottle of wine. I never drink, so it is unusual that I should be here, typing while buzzed. :-) slowly... lol.

painted a door in my bathroom today...still have paint on my hands- a lovely periwinkle blue- it looks okay, but not fantastic, I will share a pic later and take any suggestions from the peanut gallery.

half a bottle of wine should make me verbose and funny...but not so much, lol.

Don't look Amanda!

amanda is into sugar skulls- and I happened to have a Dia de los Muertos pattern sheet for embroidery :-) so this is what she's getting. A tea towel with a skull and two ribbon hooks, back and front, her initials, and a paintbrush- to acknowledge her current passion and thank you gift to me, a painting of a sugar skull!

a wee pillow for my best friend's daughter, it's made from recycled felted cashmere sweaters :-) Still need to sew up the bottom once the letters are on it.

I just got these uploaded, thought I would share...3 posts in one day! woo hoo!

disappointment...

I thought I got my Ravelry tee in the mail today, but it was a cord for my phone. poop. I don't even remember which one I ordered, and I decided not to look it up, so it'll be a total surprise. (yes, I am a total dork, tyvm!)

Wednesday is Free Rice day!

I challenged everyone in my address book to give 1000 grains a week- I just did mine for this week.

Thanks for this Lucy- one of the best things on the net as of late, imo. (i got up to a 42 today! but dropped back down to 39 by the time I made it to 1000)

on my tabs at 10 pm tonight...

family site
skybus flight info
adoption stats
babel fish
andBlogger, obviously.

the family site because I have avoided it lately- we have a rule that one must post if one visits, and I don't know what to say...

skybus because Stotz is moving to Columbus and flights are so cheap that we can visit each other often! wooooooo-hoooooooo! (I am extremely excited about this, she's crossing over to zoo world, and inching her way west!)

adoption stats... well- that's pretty much self explanatory

babel fish to translate a Spanish proverb that I could only find in English and J was on a plane. I am planning a tea towel with a bottle and glass of wine for one of my Michelles.
Proverb:Good wine ruins the purse; bad wine ruins the stomach.

:-)

sweet dreams, y'all...

the first thing that came up on Stumble tonight:

dizzy knitting

I love the title-love the concept of the post title - and was sad when I read the content. but it fits.

sometimes you stumble on familiar ground.

let's try the photo thing again, shall we?

this one is the recycled sweater quilt for my great grandmother- it isn't that pretty, and yes I now see where I got one strip out of sequence, but it's damn warm! She will just love the fact that I made it myself- and she's always cold and utterly unwilling to turn on the heat until she's practically a Popsicle, she needs a little lap blanket to keep on her legs.
I picked up a blanket edging today -should be finished next week.

Wine bag...not sure if I like this one. It was originally going to be a sunglasses holder, but I don't know what I am doing and it came out like this.
tea towel with sugar skull outline, I actually finished this last night, but haven't taken a pic yet, I'll get on that for tomorrow's post.

detail

i also picked up a sander- I have a dresser and a door that need painting- next week should be very busy. J comes home tomorrow, but leaves again on Tuesday :-( Hopefully I won't have any major issues keeping me from crafting and finishing the major clean up I had planned for this week. I may have a garage sale soon...maybe the neighbors will want to participate and we can have a few houses going at once- that will increase my chances of traffic with our location. (and lighten the load for putting up signs and such. :-))

oh yeah- found out on thursday that my biggest little brother is getting married.
on the 19th.
of this month.
to a girl I have never met.
She's 19 and he is almost 25.

she's not pregnant.

I really hope it works out for him. Since I met J when I was 20 and knew then that I was done, I can't judge too much. Then again, we waited until we were 27 and financially stable to get married, but we did live together the entire time before that...I don't know what to think, obviously.

sewing and knitting

My friend Andy came over tonight- pleased as punch with himself. His mom taught him how to knit last weekend! (he's in his late 30's!) He's making his girlfriend a scarf (altogether now... 'awwwww!') And I was also excited to see how he was doing with the endeavor.

Can you guess what yarn he had and what size needles his mom started him on? That's right friends : Red Heart and size 8's. Good god, what was that woman thinking? It's like she wants him to give up screaming at 3am on Christmas Eve with a tangled 2 foot mass of scratchy acrylic that he had worked on for six weeks day and night, increasing in quarter inch rows ever so slowly with the awkward gait of a baby on stilts.

I took one look at the two little rows of split stitches and unintentional yarn overs and I didn't give him a choice. We were out the door and got him some proper first project yarn- fat, soft, and woolly. I handed him a pair of 11's and he was on his way- knitted up four inches in less than thirty minutes and proclaimed that knitting is 'much easier this way'. (he only needed a little refresher on casting on and he was good to go, btw) He's a natural, just needs to get comfy with the needles and tension (as we all did). I am so excited to see a new knitter 'get it'. :-)

Sewing: I am not very good. see below....or not. I have pics, I just can't seem to load them. Still haven't heard from tech support, I'll have to post them after I get a response.

look for a blanket and a wine carrier and in embroidery, a sugar skull for Dia de los Muertos :-)

The Pity Party is OVAH!

omg, it feels good to win!
Happy, happy, joy, joy

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I beat the bastards! My computer works again! WOO-HOO!
and I did returns to two stores, and picked up a bracelet I had repaired! I feel like I got a little something done finally, after two solid days of nada.

yea me! (and big yea to the colleague of jesse's who gave me guidance on the infection- any gift ideas for a techie?)

Ahhhh- now I can knit. and here is where there may or not be a photo I found of knitting that I liked, to show how happy I am about a free-er schedule with which to knit- but I seem to have outsmarted myself. My new firewall won't let me see the photos in edit mode, or on the blog- or any other picture I ever posted. interesting. I have sent a query into tech support...should be fixed soon sistas.

so anyway, if you can see it, there it is...if not, you will soon. you know I hate a blog without pics.

oh me oh my...

I am having a pity party- anyone care to join me?

I have the perfect opportunity to knit to my heart's content, and yet i can't. Poop.
Instead I have been working on the computer issue, cleaning, doing laundry, and trying to get some work done on the car. I can only do stuff in bits, and knitting requires my attention, and it is only fun for me if can really sit and do it for awhile and concentrate (that is also the only way I keep from making huge mistakes)

the computer won't cooperate and allow itself to be fixed, I can't get the house clean because I need Clean Sweep to come and kick my ass and have a garage sale, laundry is done but I don't have room to put everything away, and the guy came to replace the window in the car and the warehouse gave him the wrong window and now it can't be done until Monday. DAMMIT!

So- I am soon out the door, after I do one more thing on the damn computer, and I will get some errands done, work on a friends computer and organization issues, then come home and hopefully find a magical dresser in my office that holds all of our clothes and fits and is beautiful. and the computer will have healed itself and the car window. and someone will have come over and cleaned my house.

then i can knit all the gifts I need to finish by mid-dec.

I did manage to sit in front of my sewing machine in increments yesterday and do some fun, if awkward sewing. I am still learning, so it's not the most attractive stuff, but it made me happy and it took my mind off the computer issue for a few minutes at a time.
an eye mask from amy butler's book :-) the seams are all wonky, and the ribbon is HUGE, but I made it and I love it. I also made a little bag that may turn into a wine bottle carrier (for when bringing a bottle to a restaurant) but I am not sure. it may just be a random little bag.

reporting live...

the computer isn't dead yet, but it may still die.

well. today was a weird day. here's the run down.



bed after midnight, up at 530 to take J to airport.

home and calls made to fix computer

wait

clean

wait

clean

wait

clean

wait

clean



force myselft to eat noodles because I hardly eat when J is out of town.



almost cry because the house is barely any cleaner than when I started and I don't where to begin to REALLY get the house clean. I need Clean Sweep or something. Up to my eyeballs in stuff.



got call about computer advice, started all that bs.



a bit more cleaning when I settled down

sewing! that made me happy! I worked on great grandma's quilt- it's almost half done! Has to be finished before mid-dec. because I am going to see her! :-)



worked on computer a bit more, things are okay, but not looking promising.



ran to friends house to use computer, because I will not lose the posting war.



Blech- after all that it seems like it was a week ago that I went to the election party and took these (it was yesterday) :

infection

my computer is dying.

bad infection...really bad. spyware, malware, trojans, false trojans, mother fucker. three different scans have not removed it all.

help.

it's 1149pm, if I don't get to post tomorrow because of this shit, then this one counts as my Wed. dammit!

this blog deserves re-blogging

15 minute lunch
a new favorite - he better update daily! It's NaBloPoMo!

(that's two in one day Luce- boo-yah!)

shopping

I hate shopping for new anything.

new clothes, shoes, furniture, etc... burns me up. The prices are outrageous! I live for garage sales, craigslist, thrift stores, and estate sales. I know that with enough hunting and gathering, i can find wonderful things for 50-75% (and more) less than they were new. In season stuff, timeless styles, and good quality stuff- it just takes time, effort, and perseverance. Sometimes I lack all three of those things and...

I went shopping today at the effing mall. damn the mall. I left after spending THREE TIMES what I wanted to spend, and I don't even know if I like it all. Damn the retail industry and their vixens who convince me I look better in their clothes and jewelry than I really do. I come home and see it in the real world, and hate myself. I kinda know how addicts feel when they fall off the wagon and the high wasn't that good anyway.

that's the truth of the matter really, I love clothes, shoes, jewelry, furniture, housewares, etc... LOVE THEM. I love spending money when I have gobs of it, oh my god can I spend money- I am really good at it. But we are trying to get in to a house, enough said if you know the SF market. I get a spending high sometimes, that is why I have such strict rules about spending- J puts no limits on me- it's all self imposed because I know we would be homeless (in a fabulous wardrobe, hauling a gorgeous armchair on a dolly behind us in the soup kitchen line) if I went unchecked. He has no idea- i hide it well with my second-hand addiction. I am able to spend without guilt when it costs less than ten dollars! ('it' meaning anything, really)

so-here I am, with a fancy event to go to, two dresses that I may or may not wear one of, and racked with guilt. I have a strong feeling I will be at the mall again tomorrow, with buyers remorse, returning at least one of them, and the necklace and bracelet.

Poop.

(that's my sad face, in case you don't recognize it)

so a funny thing happened tonight.

after much scrambling and a valiant save by Lucy, I was dressed up and ready to go to a party tonight at 8ish. Prior to this moment, J and I had discussed a couple of times that it seemed odd to go to a political event the day before an election. We were assured not once, but several times by several people that the election was today, and by the person inviting us as well. I guess she didn't hear jesse when he repeated 3 times, "It's tonight? Tonight, right? See you tonight?" and she replied 'yes'. I am hoping she has a similar story as ours next time we see her.

it wasn't tonight.

it's tomorrow night.

ROFLMAO. we knew it. She better have gotten all prettied up and then realized, OMG-it's Monday! We are going to kick her ass tomorrow night! :-)

But, we had an awesome fancy dinner at Boulevard instead. I had the filet mignon-I only eat steak about 3-4 times a year, so it better be good when I do. And it was. Yum. Dessert was amazing as well. good times. One of those nights that will be better for the telling because of the mishap, but it was damn good food on its own! J is determined to eat at each of the restaurants in the area that received Michelin stars this year. (he's a foodie in the making)

bon appetit!

fun times were had by both...

had a very nice lunch today with Katie- she made a yummy spicy pasta dish, and then we crafted!

we made Holiday Idea Binders, decoupage all over, it was so nice and relaxing. I love having a friend that I feel comfortable enough with to just sit and craft without having to 'do' anything else :-) It was the perfect weather to have tea and craft- we made plans for our sewing project out of my new Amy Butler book, we are doing an apron, hers for herself, and mine for my mom- woo hoo!

We both need to just find the fabric and I plan on doing mine before dec, she will do hers next year. (very busy, that girl) I have about a week without a husband coming up, so...we shall see how much I get done!

this might be my favorite fabric group AB has right now...
with this one as my leading fave from that group... yum.

thank you stumble

Megatron is real.



if you don't yet, you should... stumble - by far one of the most fun habits on the net.

it's a firefox extension, and btw- I am a whore for Firefox also, you should get on that bandwagon as well...






edited to add: Holy Christ on a Cracker! check this out.

I don't know why two copies show up- it doesn't look that way in the html...must be either a blogger or user issue, I am thinking blogger.Just pick one and stick with it- they are both the same. and to the person who did the slow-mo part- not me- that had me rofl...



Creative Commons license:
Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0

I MUST STOP STUMBLING!!!!!!!!!!
but I must say, it has made me both happy and jealous this evening/morning- there are so many smart and amazing bloggers out there! Puts my ass to shame! I must do better...

ps- does anyone else consistently type 'blooger' instead of blogger? Oh, well...me neither, I was just asking cause I heard about this one guy...

FO

a scarf for Morgan- mohair and really easy to do!

Pattern: Sublime, Amour
the color is really closer to red wine, a nice burgandy, not as red-red as it appears here.

I am working on another one, this time with beads :-0







I also found the greatest craft project ever...

to my girls...

for L, because you are oh-so-sassy:
ideas for your wedding...

For Stotz, because I miss you and want an update:


For Feminist SAHM, because I think this might be something you would agree with (and I do too):
google search for 'hip mama feminist'

for my other readers that I suspect are reading but haven't yet appeared on comments:

Cynthia, because you need a smile today, hope you have a good weekend: get to know Winston
I think he's Toppers boyfriend.

Bekah, because I bet you could totally win: this contest

Amanda, because you like random shit as much as I do: I got 73 in 10 seconds

2:11am ....

still awake y'all.

damn.

insomnia...my familiar enemy.

Last night was a doozy. I was very tired, but did not get sleepy until well after 8 am. I tried my old reliable tricks of reading, meditating, counting, and reading some more (the reading was good, but not so much that it should have kept me awake all night) but to no avail. I finished the book and just laid in bed with J until his alarm went off. I offered to make him breakfast, but he wasn't into it. I slept for about 2 hrs then got up and tried to pretend it didn't happen.

The rest of the my day was spent trying to stay awake (because my insomnia only arrives in the dark times, never the light, I can sleep during the day with no problem, in full sunlight), and trying to convince myself that I could just nap for 'a little bit, then I'll get up and be productive...' yeah, right.

what a wasted day. I finally feel normal- with not much accomplished besides guilty feelings.

I am hoping this was not a precursor of things to come- my insomnia is sometimes cyclical, and may stick around wrecking havoc on my life for about a week or two, then it slinks away- me believing I have finally beaten it for good...then it comes back a few months or even six months later. Maybe this was a fluke night- a one of...?

It can be productive sometimes to not sleep at night- if I take advantage of it and don't worry about making noise. I can clean the whole house in 8hrs without a problem if it's from midnight to 8 am- but J doesn't appreciate the sound of the washer, dishes and vacuuming when he has to be up at 7 (as a normal person wouldn't). I also spend about half the night believing it's almost over, I will be asleep soon- so I shouldn't start something I love/like or it will keep me up longer - like knitting or getting on the computer- so frustrating.

so anyway- I am grumpy from guilt and fucked up sleep patterns- and I don't have a clue what I want for dinner. Anyone want to come and make dinner for J and me and sing me lullabies tonight?