Miami

I have two thank you posts coming! But each one deserves it's own post, so they will be up soon.

I just spent 3 days in Miami. I went down early Saturday (left the house at 2am- ouch!), and got home at 2am on Tuesday morning. It was a fast trip, but amazing. The reason I went was to go to my aunt Debbie's memorial service. She was buried in Buffalo back in August, but since most of her life was spent in Miami, they had a big memorial there for her. It was awesome. I was thankfully able to stay with my uncle, grandmother and cousins to save some cash, which was a huge help. And I was able to help out, and just enjoy spending lots of time with my family.

The memorial service was lovely. I'm so glad I was able to go, and was wonderful to see everyone. I ended up going out both Saturday and Sunday nights with my cousins. Who knew clubbing in the Grove could be so much fun! Fat Tuesdays and Jaeger-bombs. MAN did we have some fun!!

finally finished!

I've had some fun finishing projects lately. I finally finished this:

This is a quilt that I made for Celia. I finished the top after she was born, but never put it together. Now it's finally done! I absolutely love it, and she does too. It only took me 5 years to finish it, but it's done! Can you tell I'm excited?

fun meme

This looked like fun when I saw it on Robin's blog.


The things I have done are in black.
1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (indoor)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

ETA: My husband reminded me that he did get me flowers at least once for no reason at all... My bad!

thank you

My SP13 has struck twice in a week!! I received a package from her on Saturday, and it blew my mind! It was a pampering package, and had loads of awesome goodies! First up is a beautiful tea cup and some tea. Some bath herbs, hand cream and soap, some yummy candy, including loads of orange chocolate (my favorite!!), twizzlers and Reeses christmas bells (my other two favorite candies!). Then was a few Hanukkah goodies- a paint-your-own menorah, which Celia and I have already painted, some candles and a dreidel. SO cool! I absolutely love everything- thank you so much!!





Then, yesterday, I got home from work to see this: a package with the incredible SP13 roving from !! I am so excited to spin this up! I love the colorway so much, and it's going to be absolutely gorgeous.


I am so spoiled, thank you SO much pal!!!

merry christmas

We had a great christmas! Lots of fun was had by all. My favorite gift was my son, who had his first christmas. He was happy, well behaved, and healthy, which was all I asked for! Of course until we got to my friend's house for dinner. He puked all over himself, and me. Not pleasant, but worth every second that I smelled of puke. Because he was here. All the pain and grief from the years before his birth subsided, and I enjoyed every second with him. I have my 2 kids, and I couldn't be happier.

Here's a low-down of the fun gifts I got:
1. Jordana Paige bag in purple
2. box to keep tea in
3. Jewelry box
4. kitchen utensils
5. tea
6. hot cocao
7. Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
8. organizer for the back of my car
9. Mason Dixon's new book
10. kids knits book

december?

Wow, how did it become December already?! It feels like it was just summer yesterday. Time has gone by SO fast!! A lot has been going on over here. Thankfully, Seth and Celia have both been healthy! It's a miracle! I managed to get a bacterial infection, which was of course on a weekend. Then I ended up with a stomach bug. And now I have a cold. Just can't win! But at least the kids are healthy!! Or at least were- Seth had a bit of a temp tonight when I put him down. Here's to hoping it was just teething and it's gone in the morning.

Getting ready for the holidays has been crazy. I'm partially done shopping, but still have some more to do. Maybe after work one of these days. And we'll do the "Santa" shopping one afternoon over lunch. I'm looking forward to having some down time over the holidays. We are not going anywhere! Which is good, because I'm SO tired!

I've been shopping a bit lately. I've started working on my fabric stash, so I can get back into quilting and try sewing. I got a new cell phone, since my old one crapped out on me. I ended up getting it at Costco, and saving some cash. The first phone I tried was the Samsung Glyde, which I absolutely hated. It was nice having a touch screen, but overall the execution just sucked. So I took it in and got a Blackberry Curve, which I absolutely love!! I'm debating on whether I want to turn it in and get a Storm, but they didn't have them in stock, so I didn't bother at the time. And think I'll just stick with what I have. I really like the feel of the Curve.

Been actually getting a lot of knitting done too! I finished my scarf, a drop stitch scarf out of some handspun silk/merino. I absolutely love it, and will take some pics soon and upload them. It's absolutely beautiful though! And I finished a hat for Seth, a pair of socks for Seth, and am working on a hat for Celia. It's been nice actually finishing projects!

sale!

EtsyCREST is doing a huge promotion for Black Friday/Cyber Monday!! All of those participating have donated an item to a gift box, which will be raffled off to all who enter! Enter the drawing by commenting on the sale post over at the EtsyCREST blog!

As part of the sale, I'm offering a 10% discount on all of my yarn, plus free shipping if you put Ravelry in the comment section. Come to my shop!

shop update

I posted a bunch of holiday themed yarn in my etsy shop! It's the one thing I managed to do today that wasn't taking care of Seth or trying to squeeze in some work during his nap times. My friend BellaRose stopped by for a pot of tea, and a bit of chatting, while Seth ate his lunch. It was nice to not be alone for a bit. I had enough of that this past weekend in the hospital.

And, as my luck would have it, I have a head ache, sore throat, and a temperature. Here's to hoping it's GONE in the morning!

HSKS6 package!!

I got the most amazing package from my HSKS6 pal Lucy! This thank you post is WAY late, and I am SO sorry for the delay!! But, here are the fabulous pics!

Here is a shot of everything- look at all the goodies!! You can see a Hermione Granger themed package, which includes a canvas red bag with my initials, a great binder with patterns in it, a notebook for me to write in, and pens. Stitch markers, which are so cute!! An amazing hat, which is just beautiful, and the mitten pattern to go with it, with the yarn. Plus an amazing sock pattern, for Gryffindor pride socks, and the yarn to make it. And some yummy chocolates and jelly beans!! You rock Lucy! It helped make my last few weeks much better.

hospital

Well, the last few days have not been fun. Friday we took Seth back to the pediatrician, who promptly sent us back to the hospital. It had been over a week and he didn't sound any better. The tests came back positive for RSV, so we were admitted and spent the last few days there. I'm a bit behind on a few things, like posting pics of my fab. package from my HSKS pal, and getting a few packages in the mail. I'm working on it all, and will do as much as I can tonight. Sorry for the delay.

Quidditch round 3!

1. Who was Tom Riddle Sr.'s girlfriend before Merope gave him the love
potion?
a. Eleanor
b. Cecilia
c. Sally
d. Mandy

2. What does Luna say floated into Harry's ear when he was in the train car
that supposedly caused him to lose focus?
a. Demiguise
b. Jobberknoll
c. Wrackspurt
d. Runespoor

3. How much do the primary Apparition lessons cost?
a. 10 galleons
b. 8 galleons
c. 15 galleons
d. 12 galleons

4. What is Professor Merrythought's first name?
a. Eileen
b. Galatea
c. Carol
d. Jocelyn

5. What Hogwarts club was Eileen Prince captain of?
a. Charms Club
b. Gobstones Club
c. The Slug Club
d. Occlumency Club

6. Who is head of the Goblin Liaison office?
a. Ambrosius Flume
b. Dirk Cresswell
c. Ciceron Harkiss
d. Barnabas Cuffe

7. Mrs. Weasley offers Fleur a goblin-made tiara for the wedding with Bill.
What family member is currently in possession of the tiara?
a. Aunt Muriel
b. Aunt Ethel
c. Aunt Edna
d. Aunt Thelma

8. How many points does Snape take from Gryffindor for Harry's late arrival
and muggle attire?
a. 30
b. 70
c. 50
d. 90

9. When Profressory Slughorn first meets Hermione, he asks her whether she
is related to Hector Dagworth-Granger. What society did Dgworth-Granger
found?
a. The Most Extraordinary Society of Charms
d. The Most Extraordinary Society of Herbology
c. The Most Extraordinary Society of the Defense Against the Dark Arts
d. The Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers

10. Which of these describes Golpalott's Third Law?
a. The antidote for blended poison will be equal to less than the sum of the
antidotes for each of the separate components
b. The antidote for a blended poison will be equal to less than the product
of the antidotes for each of the separate compenents
c. The antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the product
of the antidotes for each of the separate compenents
d. The antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of
the antidotes for each of the separtea components

ER

Crossposted at my other blog
We had an eventful day. Seth has had a cold since last weekend, and I was a bit concerned about it. It wasn't getting any better at all, so I took him in today to see what the Doc thought. We got to see Dr D, and within 5 minutes, he was getting an albut.erol treatment. Seth was really wheezing a lot, to the point where his face had a little blue tint to it. NOT a good thing. So after that, and re-checking his pulse-ox, which was still under 80, Dr D sent us to the hospital. By ambulance. I was totally freaked, but he and the nurse did a great job at calming me down and reassuring me. I called Nathan to meet me at the hospital, because I knew I couldn't manage it myself without completely freaking. Thankfully we got there just after he did, so it worked out. After about 4 hours, another neb treatment (plus the one in the ambulance on the way), some oxygen, a chest Xray and some tests on nasal secretions (for rsv and flu virus) we were cleared to go home. His breathing is still not great, but at least his pulse ox was regularly over 90, and the blue was gone. Now we're on predni.solone again, and albut.erol every 4 hours. We get to go back and see Dr D again tomorrow. Talk about a stressful day!! I would have a glass of wine or something, but if he gets bad again, I have to drive to the hospital. Again. I'm hoping he's ok for the night. This whole infant asthma thing seriously sucks. And it's stressful. Seeing my precious sweet boy sitting on a gurney in an ambulance is an image I'll have with me for a long time. It's moments like that that I'm so grateful that my inlaws took the cat, and that we're doing all we can to help him breathe easier.

24 questions- SP13 questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love anything really soft. Especially blends with silk, bamboo, etc. The softer, the better!! I really don't care for acrylic yarn.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a needle roll that my SP gave me years back, which I love!! Then there is the KnitPicks Options binder which I use for my interchangables. And a zipper pouch for my DPNs. But I could always use more storage, especially something for my DPNs.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting for approx. 27 years. I learned when I was about 5, and would pick up needles on and off for years. I really started knitting non-stop about 4 years ago.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Yes, I do, but it's out of date. I'm working on it though and will post the link asap.

5. What's your favorite scent? Lavendar, vanilla, or citrus. Lush is one of my favorite places to get this stuff, but I'm always on the look out for new sources!

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I love twizzlers, orange chocolate, and Reeses stuff.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I spin, dye, scrapbook, sew, quilt, rubber stamp cards, dabble in jewelry making, love to cook, photography, gardening and baking. I'm pretty well-rounded when it comes to crafts. :)

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I love pop/rock. My favorite bands are Barenaked Ladies, Guster, They Might Be Giants, Great Big Sea, Moxy Fruvous and Cake.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Blue, purple and green are my favorite colors. Not a fan of yellow and oragne, but if you ask me, all colors have their place.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am happily married (for 6+ years) and have 2 kids, a 4 year old daughter and 8 month old son. I used to have 2 cats, but due to my son's asthma, we got rid of one, and the other had to be put down because of chronic renal failure. Now we have no pets (unless you count one fish).

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes to all, but ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I love to knit socks, sweaters, baby clothes, scarves, and hats. And mittens.

13. What are you knitting right now?
I will go with what I'm "actively" knitting now. One sweater for my daughter, a hat for the baby, legwarmers for my daughter, a pair of socks for myself. I'm pretending the other 20+ projects on the needles don't count, since they're hibernating.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Absolutely!!!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I like straight and circs, babmoo or wood are my favorite materials.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I own both! Plus an electric skeinwinder for my dyeing business.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
3 years or so?

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?
I love Thanksgiving. I celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas (my father is Jewish, mom and hubby's families are catholic/christian).

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Lots of things!! Yarn, of course. Then there is always cook books, wine, fabric, and poodles (I had 2 standard poodles growing up and love poodles!!)

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I have a subscription to IK, but that's it. I'm looking for some fun vest patterns, some challenging sock patterns, and fun kids patterns for either boys or girls.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'm trying Lace out, and love it. I'd like to learn to do colorwork, but I'm still terrified by the idea.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I am. My foot is big- size 10 wide. I'll write the measurements later...

23. When is your birthday?
June 25th.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I am, my ID is shelbyknits

FO: Central Park Un-Hoodie

Here it is!! My CPH, which I love way more than I ever thought possible. I wore it yesterday and it was so incredibly warm. So incredibly soft, and just absolutely beautiful.
ETA: The yarn I used for this is Brooks Farm Solana, and is just amazing. I have nearly 3 full skeins left, and plan to make a matching one for my daughter.





I did omit the hoodie- partially because I don't like the bulk and partially because I'll never use it. Instead, I've added a 2x2 rib collar, which is about 4 inches long. I've also made the button band go up onto this ribbing, to make it look more finished, and I absolutley LOVE how it turned out. This is the first real project that I've finished for myself (other than socks, mittens or scarves). I am so amazed that I actually finished it in exactly 6 months (thanks Ravelry for keeping track of that for me!).

And coming tomorrow- Stitches East!! This is the last time it will be in Baltimore, so I so thrilled to be going! And even better- my mom arrives tonight so we can go together! And we're even taking a class together too. I'm so over the moon with excitement!

A night to remember

Not only am I overly thrilled that our country has elected Obama to be the next president, I am filled with hope, and excitement to see what the future brings. Bring on the change!!

AND...While I waited up to watch the results, I was working on seaming up my CPH. Seaming up, and weaving in ends. LOTS of ends. And within 10 minutes of finding out that Obama won the election, I FINISHED MY CENTRAL PARK UN-HOODIE!!!

Needless to say, I"m wearing it today, and am nice and toasty warm.

One word describes me today- happy!

UnUsual Suspects

This weekend is the first big craft show of the year for me! I had to apply, and get accepted, which makes me even happier and excited that I was chosen! If you're in the DC area, and are interested in checking out a wicked craft show, come by! Here's the info:

SP13

Today is the last day to sign up for SP13!! Head over HERE if you want to read the rules and sign up! We have introduced a new group, for those who always go over budget! It's a $90 category, but the usual $60 and $30 categories are there as well!!

Starbucks and yarn swap

I participated in the Starbucks and Yarn swap again! And I was the first to receive my package!! It arrived last week (and I feel badly about not posting pics sooner, but things were crazy, I was sick, baby was sick, and camera wasn't charged), and I was thrilled with the contents!

Here is some scrumptious yarn in blues and purples, some super soft roving to spin up, a notebook some lotion, a Starbucks gift card, a cup cozy, some chocolates (yum!), and some stitch markers. I loved everything!! Thanks so much Linda!!

cph progress...

Well, here is my current progress shot for my CPH.



I've blocked it all out, and am ready to seam it. The problem here?? I can't seam very well. I tried seaming the shoulders last night, and it looks horrible. So I need to rip it out and start again. And...it's a bit longer than I intended it to be. I wanted it slightly longer than the pattern, but it's REALLY long. Not sure if it's too long or not- I guess that will be determined once it's actually all put together.

sickness again!

This has not been a fun week- again! My son is sick again. Last friday, he started with a fever of 103.3, and it was gone by Saturday. But Sunday, he started getting really cranky and feverish again. And his eyes were pussy. So he ends up having a double ear infection and conjunctivitis in both eyes- not fun at all. So he's been home. When he saw the Dr monday, he was breathing well. By Wed, it had deteriorated quite a bit and he was grunting/wheezing a LOT. So back to the Doc, and more meds later, we're still home but doing better. But of course, now I have a nasty sore throat (it's been there for weeks, but is now bad). Hmm...gotta love kids bringing germs home!

On a positive note, my CPH is coming along really well! I absolutely LOVE it. I can't wait to finish- and all I have left of pieces is 1 sleeve. This is the fastest I've ever worked on any project ever. Can you tell it's for me? :)

And...I got into a big craft show here! I've got a table at the DC Craft Mafia's The UnUsual Suspects show. I am sharing with another woman GetWiredDesigns. I can't wait! I'm dyeing away, and having a blast getting ready in my spare time.