Thank you!!

Last week was a really great mail week!!

First, I received a beautiful handstamped card from my FCS2 spoilee Emilee, to thank me for her package. What a sweet gesture, thanks!!


Than, I got a box from Tomme! It was a "thank you for hostessing SP9" gift! Inside, I found this lovely scarf (which I have aleady worn a few times and gotten loads of compliments on by the way!)! Thanks Tomme- it was my pleasure!


Then, last, but certainly NOT least, my package from my Favorite Color Swap 2 pal Heather! Inside- a skein of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in a great purple, some Panda cotton (bamboo/cotton blend), which is in the process of becoming a pair of short summer socks (thanks for the suggestion Heather!). Plus a cool calculator, button covers, starburst, and some very pretty stitch markers!! Thank you SO much Heather, I really do love everything!

busy!!

Life has been a bit hectic lately! In the last 2 weeks, I celebrated my 5 year wedding anniversary with my hubby, gone to a wedding (that I was a bridesmaid in and my hubby was a groomsman- the couple actually met and hooked up at our wedding 5 yrs ago), had a second birthday party for our daughter, in Buffalo, so our families could be there, taught a class, got sick and recovered, am sick again, and just all sorts of other crazy things!

First- we had our house re-sided. It looks fantastic!!




Then here's some shots from the wedding!! It was so much fun! No better way to spend your anniversary than in a wedding of 2 good friends. What a weekend!!
My hubby- at the other end of the table (there's the bride too!).

Sorry for the poor picture quality here-- we were moving and the hubby whoever took the pic was a bit tipsy! That's what you get when there are bottles of wine on the tables! Yeah!!

Me and my friend Kristi- I'm the matron of honor in her upcoming wedding!


On to yarny goodness-
Sock Madness! I started, then failed... I'll definitely finish the sock though. It's some handdyed yarn from my SP9 Penny, and KnitPicks Essential from Suzie, my KTS2 pal.

Here's my progress on the Trinity jacket KAL I'm in. It's actually much further now, I just didn't get around to taking a pic again. I'm about to bind off for the arms. I love the pattern, and the yarn is a dream!!

Then there's my STR Rockin Sock Club shipment! It arrived while I was away at the wedding, and I tore it open the second I walked in the door. YUMMY!!! Monsoon, how do I love thee!


Next post will have HUGE thank=you's from my FCS2 pal, and a few others!

something new

We've been going out to eat way too much lately! I can tell by the way the bank card shudders when I pull it out of my wallet, and by the way my jeans have been fitting. Somethings' gotta change!! A few months back, a friend invited me to check out Let's Dish, and I checked the website out and nearly choked at the prices. I passed on that one (couldn't make the time anyways). Then, the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Making a bunch of dinners at once, packaging them up and shoving them in the freezer. Many of them are cooked up in under a half hour, with little work involved at that time. And, they are fresh/healthy ingredients. So...I ran it by my husband last night, and we looked at the online menu, and I signed up to do a session tomorrow night. I'll be preparing 8 dinners, each with 6 servings (there are 3 of us, so it will really work out to 16 total dinners). And if you do the math, it's WAY cheaper than going out to dinner those 16 times...which unfortunately lately, we've been doing. Last week alone, we went out for dinner 4 times. Not including lunch on Saturday AND sunday. Some of the food looks really good, so I'm hoping! Plus it gets me out of the house tomorrow night and a little "me" time. I'm really looking forward to it!

SP10 Questionnaire!!

Once again, I'm hostessing and participating in SP! I hope these answers help my pal! If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love all things natural and soft! Acrylic has its place, but I don't use it often.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
my straights are in a roll that my SP7 made for me, my circs are in a zipper bag that my SP8 gave me, and my dpns are in another zipper bag my SP8 gave me. The ones that don't fit are in a drawer. And my KnitPicks Options are in their case.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I first learned when I was 5, and every so often would pick it up. After I had my daughter, I started up again and haven't put the needles down since!! I think I'm intermediate, but not afraid to try anything!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do! It's on the side bar.

5. What's your favorite scent?
lavendar, vanilla, and other florals. I really don't like musky scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yup!! I love milk chocolates, and orange chocolates, Twizzlers, starburst and sweet tarts are also faves of mine.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I scrapbook, stamp cards, make beaded jewelry, quilt, spin, am getting into dyeing yarn, and I love photography

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I have an ibook and an ipod, so I'm good with MP3s!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Purple and blue are my 2 faves. Then comes green, pink and reds. I really don't like bright yellow or orange. But I love a lighter yellow together with blue or purple.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Married, with a 3 year old daughter, and 2 cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
scarves, hats and mittens I use constantly! I don't have any ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
socks, and things for my 3 year old daughter

13. What are you knitting right now?
I've got 3 pairs of socks, a few sweaters for my daughter, a sweater for me, and many others... I tend to start more projects than I could ever finish.

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

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I use them all! Bamboo or other wood ones are probably my favorites.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yup!! I got them for Christmas last year!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
2 years...

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn, roving, wine, and little pins (from places I travel to- they all end up on a hat I wear camping).

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
yarns would be Fleece Artist, and other handpainted yarns. Not too many books, I just bought a few (Lace Style and 25 Fav. Socks) that should arrive any day now. Needles- I am always in the need for more sock needles- straights or circs. I subscribe to Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'd like to try some colorwork eventually, though it does terrify me.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
YUP!! I wear a US 10 wide.

23. When is your birthday?
June 25th

Ahoy!!

I joined a swap this past fall called Yarn Abroad! I was waiting for my explorer to show up, when I heard from our fearless leader, Amanda, who gave the sad news that our explorer had been Marooned in Canada. Since there were just 2 of us left, we all decided it made sense for us to just send to each other! Today, my package arrived from Sigga!!

I opened it up, and here's what I saw!
Lots of amazing yarn, great gadgets, and treats! I have been completely spoiled!!
First: A post card of the Northern Lights!! One of the things I must see some day are the Northern Lights, so I was very excited to see the post card. So pretty!!
Then, we have the yarn:
Beautiful sock yarn that I have never seen before! I can't wait to use it!!

Then, some handdyed yarn (dyed by Sigga herself!), which is in such a fantastic pink!! I love it!!

And the pink and white icelandic wool, which I'm also excited to try! The pattern she sent me (Eunny's Endpaper mittens) will be perfect for this!

Then the gadgets and snacks. Orange Chocolate!! Let me tell you how excited I was to see that! I had been craving chocolate all day! Perfect timing. And I can't wait to try the Raspberry tea...YUM! The theme of the package was Metric vs US systems of measurements. We've got a ruler in centimeters, a tape measure with both US and metric, needles in 2.5mm, which is between US size 1 and 2, the pattern is printed on A4 paper. She's just so clever!! Plus there was a green project bag, which I really love too! She really out did herself!
Thanks Sigga!! And thanks Amanda for organizing!

Where to begin!!

First, I'll start with some Stash Enhancements that arrived last week!!

First, I'll start off with my group buy purchase! 100% Purewool, in beautiful laceweight, and worsted weight! Softer than Manos, more yardage and way cheaper! I LOVE it!!!

Then, I have my order of Catalina Yarns Chunky Alpaca in eggplant, for the Trinity Jacket KAL over at Kerry's blog. I also ordered some of the Sol Joy yarn in lovely reds for my Favorite Color Swap 2 pal! The yarn is absolutely dreamy! I cast on immediately, and love it!!


Thursday, my Dharma dyes arrived! I can't wait to sit and play with them one of these days. First I need more undyed yarn to play with.

The weekend was awesome!! We had a birthday party for Celia at our place, several kids from her class came, and it was GREAT!! She had so much fun, and so did the kids. When everyone was singing "Happy Birthday" to her, she was so elated it looked like she was going to burst! I've never seen her so happy. Her favorite teacher was there, and her gift was the cake. Her friend is a baker, and made a fantastic chocolate cake with Dora on top. Here's a few pics from her party!


Yesterday was spent inside while it snowed. We actually ended up getting 5 inches of snow! It was great! Celia went outside and played, we made a snowman, she made snow angels, and it was just so much fun! Talk about a fun-filled weekend!

Then today, my baby girl turned 3! She slept until 7, and we gave her the birthday present we got her before school. She was so excited when she realized what it was! She squeeled "A piano for me!! A piano for Celia!! I'm a big girl now!!!" She took brownies with her to school for snack time, and apparently everyone sang to her too. She just loves that!! After school (and work for us), we went to Red Robin for dinner, and Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream. The perfect day for our big girl! I can't believe how fast she's growing up. I'm so excited to see what the next year brings, yet I'm a little sad to see the time just flying by. Before I know it she'll be 18!

Finished!!

First, last night I found a hat I started at Woolwinders a few months ago at Sunday in the Salon. It's in grey baby alpaca, and is the softest yarn I have ever used! I finished it as my daughter was taking her bath. I wore it this morning, and it's so warm!!

The second...are myMonkey Socks!! I'm wearing them today, and I love them!! I finished these Sunday night while watching TV. This makes these socks the fastest pair of socks I've ever done!! Just over a week and a half. I'm SO proud!! And I'm completely in love with them.

And, last night, I made 6 more sets of stitch markers for my shop!! I'll post pictures tonight!

The extra bonus was that my husband and I both had yesterday off for Presidents Day. My daughter's day care was open, so we dropped her off and ran errands. We got our taxes done (we owe way more than we thought), went grocery shopping, and went to lunch and to play pool (after 2 margaritas, I forgot all about what we owe in taxes). Fun day overall!! What a productive weekend!!

EDIT: Here are the pictures!!

Wow!

Wednesday, I worked from home to avoid driving in the nasty ice. Celia's day care ended up closing early, so we ended up having a bit of a snow day too. It was so much fun!! And to top it off, I got a nice surprise in the mail!! Kerry, who I spoiled in SP9 sent me a thank you gift! I opened it and nearly fell off the couch! This is what was inside:


The yarn on the left is Sol Joy, a great sock yarn, in fantastic colors! I really love it, and am SO excited to use it!! The second one, is something I'm really excited about!! Handmaiden Sea Silk!! I've never seen it in person, and now that I have some, I can't wait to use it. It's so soft, and silky, and the sheen is just lovely!! I can't thank you enough Kerry!! What a great surprise! And it even came on Valentines day!!

funny

I have to find it funny how people in Maryland/DC area react to storms. Tuesday morning I was SO impressed that school was open! Then of course they closed early, as did the federal government. After that, we did get a bit of sleet (maybe 4 inches or so of sleet/snow combo) and a tiny bit of freezing rain (at least in our area). Schools have been closed down since and several are already saying they will be closed tomorrow because they can't get rid of all the ice/snow. I stayed home wednesday and today. I do get freaked out with ice...so I figured 1 more day at home working wouldn't be a horrible thing. I did think about it, until my husband said his ride in was OK but a lot of lanes were not open and blocked.

Knitting progress: Monkey socks! 1 is done, and the second is just about at the heel flap! Yeah!

storm?

This week has been pretty lousy so far. Apparently something I ate on Sunday really didn't agree with me, and I was rudely awaken at 11:30 sunday night with the sudden realization that I was about to get sick. I didn't sleep well after that, and really didn't feel well either. I ended up staying home Monday, since i still felt like I was going to hurl again, and had a horrible headache. Since no one else was sick (or has shown signs yet), I'm going with the idea that it was food poisoning.

Today, I got up with the hopes that everything would be closed- we had a storm in the forecast. I was so impressed that it was snowing, and schools were actually open! So off to work I went. After the schools decided to close early (ice is coming this evening and the roads were getting a little slick), I decided to head home with my laptop and some work. Since my hubby was home already (his co-workers live in Baltimore, so it was a "work from home" day today for him), I stopped off at Panera to pick up something for lunch. After a few hours, they announced that the Federal Government was closing early (at 2pm), so I got Celia and we played outside a bit. It's definitely getting a bit worse outside, more snow/sleet is coming down. I just shoveled the driveway and it's already got a small layer again. The thing I'm terrified of is what may come tonight. They're predicting an ice storm, with anywhere between 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of ice covering surfaces. I don't mind snow at all- I can handle feet and feet of snow. But ice scares the crap out of me. No one "knows" how to drive on ice because it's so unpredicatable. I just really don't like it. So I'm crossing my fingers again, that tomorrow will be an actual snow day. And if it's icy anyways, I have enough work to do so I could work form home to avoid driving in the ice. I really hate ice. Can you tell?!

progress

Wednesday, I couldn't resist anymore! I cast-on for a new pair of socks- Monkey had been calling my name for a while, as was my STR in Purple Rain. Here is where I was Thursday afternoon...
And here is where I am now!


This may not seem like a lot of progress for some of you speedy knitters, but I'm a pretty slow knitter. I'm thrilled, and absolutely love them!! I'm definitely not going to suffer from SSS with this one!! And the STR is just amazing...the colors are perfect! I love this pattern too- easy, and fun!

favorite color swap 2

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire

1. What are your top three favorite colors? Purple and blue are tied for my fave, and green is probably second.

2. What crafts do you really enjoy? knitting, spinning, rubber stamping, scrapbooking, quilting

3. What products do you really covet? hand painted yarns, I've been wanting to try some of the fleece artist/handmaiden yarns. I have a skein of Amethest FA sock yarn, and it's just incredible!! I also love soft/natural fibers, either as yarn or roving.

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things? photography, spending time with my almost 3-year old daughter, cooking, wine

5. Is there anything you collect? yarn, wine, yarn, poodles, yarn, scrapbooking paper, needles, patterns (especially sock patterns)

6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol? Cancer

7.What are your favorite…

…scents/smells? lavendar

…types of music and/or bands? Barenaked Ladies, Guster, They Might Be Giants, Dave Matthews Band

…authors? I'm up for anything

…animals? cats, poodles, snow leapord

…places to shop? yarn shops

…season? spring

…yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies? handpainted yarns, batik fabric, great scrapbooking paper (basic grey, wild asparagus, bazzil, or Creative Memories/Stampin 'up/TheAngelCompany stuff

…candies or goodies? twizzlers, starburst, sweettarts, orange chocolate, milk chocolate

8. Do you have any wish lists? amazon.com is on my side bar

9. Are you allergic to anything? smoke

10. Do you have any pets? What are they? 2 cats

11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy. I'm really pretty easy going, and like most everything! Don't hesitate to ask me any questions if you need to!

Fiber swap anyone??

One of my SP9 participants has planted an idea in my head. She's asked me to host a fiber swap for spinners, and I would like to see if anyone would be interested in participating?

If you are interested, post a comment and I'll see how it goes! I was thinking about a $30 US minimum...is that too much? Not enough? What do you think?!

This always makes me laugh...

Being from Buffalo, I can't help but love this! The sad thing, is that most of the things listed here are absolutely TRUE!

We, the people of Buffalo (and surrounding areas), hold these truths to be self-evident:

Food

We call them "wings," or "chicken wings" if you want to be formal. Never "Buffalo wings".
Nobody outside of WNY can make decent wings.
It's "weck" not "wick".
It's "pop" not "soda".
They're "subs" not hoagies or heroes or bombers.
A large pizza with cheese & pepperoni shouldn't cost more than 10 bucks.
Everyone knows someone who works in a pizza joint.
Vinegar goes on fries, and blue cheese goes with everything.
Bison Chip Dip is the only dip worth eating.
It's got to be Weber's Mustard.
We all know the Louie's to go hot dog special ...buy 5 get one free...isjust a way to get the drunks to go home.


Dining Out

Everyone knows where "the best fish-fry in town" is.
Everyone knows Mighty Taco is way better than Taco Bell.
Jim's Steak Out is best served at 3 am to a drunk.
The hot dog man on the corner has the best hotdogs in the world.
Except for maybe Friday nights, you don't have to wait for a table.
There is no public restaurant in town that requires a jacket and tie...if there was, we wouldn't go there.
You won't find Grey Poupon on the table.
We don't "valet park" unless there is absolutely no other choice.
Every bar has "happy hour" prices from 4:30 - 7pm Monday - Friday.
Even though no one orders it, if it doesn't have "Genny" it's not a bar.
Anything over $2.00 for a beer is robbery.
The bars don't close until 4:00 am
There's a bar every 10 feet.


Geography & Roads

You call it "the Scajaquada" but you spell it "198".
The most famous address is "998 Broadway".
You still get queasy driving over the peace bridge in blowing snow.
It isn't a real snowstorm unless they ban driving for more than 6 hours.
You carry a shovel and jumper cables in your trunk all year round.
If you drive a foreign car you feel guilty & constantly explain "its made in Ohio".
You think anyone who drives more than 20 minutes to get to work must live in the boondocks.
You get mad when you get stuck in "rush hour" traffic and it takes 10 minutes longer to get home.
You avoid the "blue water tower" during "rush hour" because of the above.
You know Fort Erie is famous for two things: Chinese food and the "ballet".
The roads and bridges have been paid for since 1968 but they aren't ever taking out the tollbooths.
It's inevitable whatever is finally decided on the peace bridge issue will no doubt be the wrong choice.
You rode rapid transit from end to end once just to see what it was like.
Paying $5 to park all day downtown is robbery.
The hookers may be gone, but Chippewa street still isn't for everyone.
You still refer to places like Sloan and Blasdell.
"LA" is Lackawanna not Los Angeles
Canada isn't thought of as another country..it's just over the bridge.
Secretly, you like going to Toronto.



Institutions

You threaten to send your kids to Father Bakers' if they don't behave.
You can pronounce "Weinstein" correctly on the first try.
Even though they haven't done it in about 25 years you're pretty sure channel 7 still makes reference to "pistol packing punks," and you're pretty sure they don't show the same fire every night.
You know Commander Tom's real identity.
You can only name 3 radio stations that have been around longer than 5 years: WGR, WBEN and WKBW. St least you think WKBW is still around, you just don't know what it plays since they got rid of Danny Nevareth.
Everyone says the Albright Knox art gallery is a treasure, but a lot of the stuff in there kind of looks like drop-cloths.
It's the "Hamburg Fair" not the "Erie County Fair and Exposition."
Dingus day is a well celebrated holiday.
You know the wrong newspaper folded in 1983.
You consider JC Penney to be a relatively "upscale" department store.
It's "UB" - not "SUNY at Buffalo, Amherst"
The St. Patrick's day parade means winter is officially over, even if it snows.
There is some kind of "fest" somewhere, every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
A "fest" is just another reason to drink

Sports

All-time number 1 - you hate the Miami Dolphins.
We're sure the NFL is out to screw us. So is the NHL. The NBA already did. So did major league baseball. So did the Big East conference.
Someone must listen to Bison games on the radio you just never met him.
You know someone who knows someone who really knows "the real story" on Jim Kelly."
You have a strong opinion one way or the other on Ralph Wilson.
You can't believe that you once really liked OJ.
None of the new theme parks is as cool as Crystal Beach was in its day.
Unbelievable things about other places
Everyone doesn't pay 8% sales tax or $3,000 property taxes on a $70,000 house???
All golf courses aren't flat???
What's a freeway???
The rest of the country isn't 90% Catholic???
What do you mean we have an accent??? We talk exactly like the announcers on television.
People who live in areas subject to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, wild fires, mudslides, and earthquakes can't believe that we would live in an area that gets so much snow??? Imagine that!!! I guess they would rather drown, burn, or get blown away, or buried alive than shovel for a while.

the morning after.

We had so much fun last night! We ended up at the mall, looked at some furniture, and wandered around Barnes and Nobel. I used a gift certificate I got for Christmas, and picked up Victorian Lace Today and the winter issue of Interewave Knits. Then we headed to Melting Pot for our reservation. We were there about 10 minutes early...but they didn't seat us until almost 10PM! We were famished, and a bit annoyed. Thankfully, they were really great about it, and ended up taking $32 off our bill- essentially our drinks were free! I was really impressed. They were just very busy last night. We did end up with a fantastic corner booth, that was for about 6 people, all to ourselves. The food was incredible too. I really do love fondue!

On another topic, I stumbled across a fun contest on a Susie's blog! Go check it out!

Pathetic!!

We have a babysitter coming in 1 hour, and we have no idea what to do! Definitely dinner out, but where... Hmmm. Somewhere in Bethesda? DC? Tysons? Too many choices! Lets' just hope we don't end up doing a quick dinner followed by the bookstore before heading home at 10. Really pathetic!

EDIT: Ok, so we decided on what to do! We're going to do some shopping, for invites for Celia's party, both the one in MD and the one in Buffalo, and look for a coffee table for the family room. Dinner is at 9:15, at the Melting Pot. Fondue...yummy!! Now, I'm excited to go!!

poetry reading

Here is my contribution to the 2nd annual poetry reading. This is a poem that I loved as a child, and I still think about often.

The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

And...I've been figured out!

For the last 3 and a half months, I've been spoiling Kerry, who is one of my SP9 co-hostesses! I felt so badly about not getting her last package out in time, that I gave her a few clues to think about before it arrived...and I'll be if she didn't get it on the first try! I'm curious to see how she got it so quickly...I must have slipped up somewhere!

The clues were:
this isn't my 1st SP, it's my 5th.
my daughter's name isn't Alice (Ally)
I've been reading your blog for about a year and a half.

I tried to be sneaky, but I guess not sneaky enough! She's really good! It's been such a blast spoiling her the last few months, and I know we'll keep in touch (she's kind of stuck with me since we're co-hostessing SP10 together). She's such a fantastic lady, so if you haven't checked her blog out yet, you should!

SP9 wound up.

When I got home monday, and after the desire to kill my husband for not taking my daughter to the doctor subsided, I got to open my final SP9 package!! It arrived that afternoon- perfect timing!

Here is what I found in the package:
Twizzlers!! I've already had a handful of them, and boy are they good! It's my usual movie treat, or vacation treat. It's so much fun to have them when I'm neither at a movie or on vacation. ;) Plus a notebook, which I'll either use to keep track of patterns/stash that I have/want to make, or use as a knitting journal. Not sure which yet. Then, there is the yummy purple handpainted yarn, which I am so in love with. I can't wait to ball it up, and use it! She also sent me a sock pattern that I love! I bought it for a swap gift, and wanted to buy 2 but they only had 1...so I bought it for the swap pal. Now i have my own copy! Yay!

Thanks so much Penny for being such a fantastic pal! I can't wait to get to know you now that I know who you are!!

What happens in Vegas...

...stays in Vegas! Or so the commercial says. Thankfully I can't keep my mouth shut about the fun I had, so I'm going to tell you all about it! First, let me say that Las Vegas is an amazing city!! I had so much fun, my head is still spinning. When my dad told me I wouldn't get much sleep, I laughed and said I would be in bed before midnight every night and sleep in. HA!! Let's just say it was about 4 hours of sleep each night. Maybe.

Friday: I got up early and headed over to the airport. My Southwest flight left right on time, and actually ended up getting in like 35 minutes early! I got off the plane, headed to the restroom and went to find my luggage. About 2 minutes after I got my luggage, in walked my ride- Nicol!! We got to the car and decided to head over to Paris for lunch. After we had crepes (I had ham and cheese with a cream sauce, and then peanut butter, banana with caramel and cream), we walked one way up towards the Venetian, Mirage, and several other hotels. All I can say is that the strip is amazing!! I love that you can walk around with open containers, and that there are people on the streets handing out directories and cards with strippers/hookers info on it. Only in Vegas!! After we wandered around a bit, it was time to head back to the hotel and find my family. Their flight got in at 4. Nicol took me into the hotel, and we parted ways. It was SO awesome to actually meet her in person. There is nothing like seeing a city through the eyes of someone who has lived there for a while. And she's just such a great gal! Thanks for the great day Nicol!! I only wish we had more time together!
Here's Bellagio!
Around 4:45 my family walked in! I realized then that one of my cousins had gotten in at 1 too, and had been playing the slots while I was on the couch waiting. I thought I had seen her, but it had been a few years so I wasn't sure. Anyway, we got checked in and went up to our rooms. On the 28th floor, and I had a fantastic view of Ceasars Palace. After everyone got freshened up, we went to play a few slots, and met up with everyone downstairs. After a cocktail at a piano bar, we went to the sports bar and found out that if you play video poker at the bar, you get free drinks. No brainer! And the bartender was WAY better. Talk about a smooth cosmo! After a bit, we met up and went to the Buffet for dinner. Let me tell you how good the lamb chops were. And the veggies, pasta and desserts! It was SO good!! Then we played a bit more, found a $5 blackjack table, lost a little (but not too bad, I mostly broke even there), and some slots, some more cocktails, and all of a sudden it was 12:30! We met in the lobby shortly after to discuss plans for the following morning. So the whole purpose of this trip was a celebration of my aunt Debbie's 10 year survival with breast cancer. It turned out a few weeks ago that she needed some surgery and had to back out. We were waiting on the last person when my dad went outside for some air. I called him when the last person came, and he walked in a few minutes later with my aunt!! Apparently she had some tests that morning and the doc cleared her to go!! It was really a huge surprise and we were all so excited! I went to bed around 2

Saturday: and was up at 6. I got dressed and headed down for slots so I could get some coffee. I found my dad, and we wandered around a bit. We met up wtih everyone else around 8:45, and headed over to Ceasars Palace, where there was a Deli. After a great breakfast (Salami and Eggs with a potato pancake...YUMMY!!), we did a little bit of shopping. Apparently my cousins had all brought dresses for going to see O, and I had cords and a jacket. So, I figured if I found a dress quickly, I'd grab one. I walked into Ann Taylor and 2 minutes later bought the dress (actually, my dad bought it for me). It was pretty, brown with ivory spots on it, perfect for the show! Then we got back to Bellagio, and headed over to MGM Grand.

After walking around a little bit, my cousins and I headed over to NY,NY to go on the roller coaster! It was really amazing, and absolutely worth the 12.50!

We walked around a bit more, and headed back to the hotel for a quick lunch at the Cafe Bellagio before our pedicure appointments (all of us got them done!). There was a little issue with my cousin's flight out of Rochester, she missed her connection. So she was on a standby for another flight, and was like #10- and she did make the flight that got in at 2, so she walked in right before we went back for the appointments. We ordered cocktails, and relaxed while we were pampered. Then, we went up to my cousins room and relaxed a bit before getting dressed for dinner. My cousin Hope wanted to do my hair and makeup, so she did, and it looked great! Unfortunately I don't have a picture of me all dressed up... Hopefully I'll get a copy from someone. 1 more cocktail before the show, which was awesome! I highly recommend seeing O if you are in Vegas. The show is just fantastic, and we were all blown away. Just make sure you have some coffee first, after a bit the music was a little slow and I was half asleep for the last 2 songs. Oops! After the show, we headed to Jasmine, a chineese restaruant at Bellagio. The food was incredible, and we were able to see the Bellagio fountains from our table. Very cool!! After that, I changed and went down to play a few more slots before bed. My cousins went up to the club Light, but I was too tired and went to bed early.

Sunday: I got up at 6:15 and ordered room service. Coffee and banana walnut bread and a bear claw. YUMMY!! I showered, got dressed and was completely refreshed when I headed down to play some more. I started out on a nickel slot. My third pull, I won about $120. I cashed out and put in another 10. When I turned that into $40, I stopped on that machine. I then decided to try the texas hold-em game against the dealer, and I lost a bit there. Then I found another machine, was winning about 40, and got a call from my dad saying to meet my uncle and cousins in the lobby to head to the old strip. We started at Binions, had breakfast and played a bit. I headed straight for the poker room and got a spot at a $2-4 table of texas hold-em'. I plopped down 100, and lost most of it, but it was the best hundred bucks I"ve spent in a long time. I had so much fun!!! Then my cousins and I wandered across the street to Golden Nugget, played some blackjack, and then headed out for a walk. After some Gelato, we spotted a tattoo parlor. Here's where it gets good! When we were chatting the first night, someone mentioned that we should all get a tattoo in my aunt's honor. We talked about getting a letter J, made of a curly pink ribbon. The artist at this place said it would cost a lot more if we did color like that, and showed us her book of fonts. We picked a pretty, curly J, and all got one done in black. Mine is on my lower back, and I LOVE IT!! I called my husband about 5 minutes before I was going to get it done, to let him know. Thankfully he doesn't like them much, but he wasn't going to be upset with me for doing it. Here's me in the chair!
And all of us:


After that, we headed back to the hotel and changed for dinner. I played some more slots and wandered a bit. After a cocktail I went over and found my family and headed out to Del Frisco's. Dinner was fabulous, the wine was yummy, and we had such a great time. After we got back, we headed over to Mandalay Bay for some more slots and gaming. We played some roulette, which was fun. I lost, then won a little back. After wandering some more, we decided to go to the Burlesque bar there. Unfortunately the show didn't start for another hour and a half, so we didn't see it. Just had a drink and chatted. Then we met up with everyone else and headed back to the Bellagio. Some of us had dessert at the Cafe Bellagio, and I headed up to bed shortly after. I had to get up at 5 to get to the airport in plenty of time.

Unfortunately I overslept a little. I set both alarms wrong (not sure how I did that one!), and thankfully was only up 15 minutes late. On my way down I ran into cousins Lauren and Dave (Lauren's hubby), and Melissa. All had stayed up all night. I found Hope and we shared a cab to the airport. After some breakfast, her flight was boarding so I headed down to my gate. My flight was on time, and I got my aisle seat with no problem. I got in a little early, headed to get my luggage, to my car and drove home. I was SO glad to get home! I missed Nathan and Celia a lot, and couldn't wait to see her sweet little face. I walked in the door with food (he called it in and I picked it up), and she ran up the stairs when she heard that I had her food. Then I saw her face. Nathan had mentioned that she had a little spill and fell and had a cut on her nose. But he didn't say it was as bad as it is!! I was ready to kill him for not preparing me better, and for not taking her to the doctor. Thankfully she wasn't in any pain, it just looks really bad. Anyway, she was happy to see me and missed me a lot. Nathan got her to bed and I just relaxed and watched TV.

She went to the doctor this morning and thank goodness her nose is fine. Nothing appears broken, so I'm really relieved! Wouldn't you be upset if you walked in and saw this first thing?? Not that it happened, but that he said it was a little scratch on her nose. I'm just really glad that she's not really hurt.


Now I'm on to catching up on sleep. I'm still completely exhausted!!

1 more day!!

In just 24 hours, I'll be waiting in the airport for my plane to arrive! I am meeting up with my dad's side of the family in Las Vegas for the weekend! I'm really excited, and can't wait to see what it's all about! I even get to meet one of my fellow co-hostesses of SP9, Nicol! It's about a 5 and a half hour flight there, so I'll have lots of knitting time, and I've somehow managed not to listen to any of the knitting podcasts that have come out in the last two weeks- I'm saving up for the plane! 4 days of peace and quiet, without my husband and daughter. Whatever will I do with myself?! I'm going to have a BLAST!!

Dyeing 101

This past Saturday, I drove out to Baltimore to the studio of MamaE for a class on dyeing! I was excited about it the second I signed up, and let me tell you- I was NOT disappointed!! The ladies in the class were all awesome, and we all had a blast!
First, we started off using Kool Aid to dye with. Here's me painting my first skein. I used Iced blue raspberry and grape. It really smelled good in the studio after we broke into the koolaid! It really reminded me of my childhood.


Then, we used Wilton dyes, which I had tried before. I did 2 skeins using this stuff, one in burgandy and blue, and the other in violet and black. It was funky when I was squirting the color on- the black actually broke to green, and halo'd it. When it came out of the microwave, it was more eggplant than black, but I really love how it came out!!

After that, we had an amazing lunch, all catered by MamaE's wonderful husband D- Thanks again! The food and wine were awesome! After lunch, we went back up and started using the Acid dyes. This was my favorite part! The colors are pretty true to what they're supposed to be. It's a little more predictable, and I had a blast playing with them. I did 4 bumps of roving (from Crown Mountain Farms), and 3 skeins of sock yarn. I am in love with them all! It was so hard to decide which to skein up, wind to a ball and use first. It ended up being the turquoise, navy and lilac, and I started a sock wtih it the other night at Knit nite over in Columbia.

If anyone wants to really learn how to dye, I highly recommend MamaE's class! She's a truly wonderful teacher, and made the class what we needed it to be. Couldn't ask for a better way to spend a Saturday!



Ok...so the other pics are still on the camera and the cleaning ladies were here today so I can't find my cable...I'll upload later!

squirrels

I thought I'd finally post a pic of the squirrel damage...
Here you go!

1st hole:

2nd hole:
And these aren't even as bad as the third, which I don't have a picture of. We called a wildlife trapping service, who will come in and trap the hungry squirrels, and remove them to a place where they won't eat our house anymore.

stash enhancements

Well! I just realized that I never posted about my christmas gifts, and other enhancements I've made recently!

First- Christmas gifts:
My mom (who is also a knitter) sent me a ballwinder and wood swift!! I knew what it was, and had been tortured not to open the boxes, but I waited a whole week past christmas so I could open it when my mom was down visiting. She also sent me my favorite Origins hand cream- it is one of the only ones that helps my cracked hands in the winter. Thanks Mom!!

My husband, I mean daughter, got me the KnitPicks Options needle set! I was beyond excited, because my husband swore he was not going to get me anything knitting related. He didn't...my daughter did! Yay!

My mother-in-law sent me a great project knitting bag. It's got a huge compartment for several projects, and pockets with gromits on the top to put yarn in so you can knit while the yarn is in the pocket. Way cool!!

My father, sent me cash. Which immediately went to Crownmountain farms and Bonkers Fiber. Both boxes arrived before Christmas! Yay!

I've been really good about not buying any yarn lately, because I'm saving my cash for my trip to Las Vegas in just over a week. I did, however, buy a membership to the STR sock club. And when I was in Buffalo this weekend, I had to go to Have Ewe Any Wool? and pick up some Encore worsted weight for an afghan I want to start soon. Other than that, I've been incredibly well behaved. I really have wanted to hit Woolwinders because they are having a great sale this month, but I've managed to stay away.

More on my trip to Buffalo, and miscellaneous other things in my next post!

when it rains...it pours.

First estimate...was for $29,000. Thank goodness we got a second estimate! A similar product (thought not quite as nice as the first), will be $17,200. Sold! All we have to do is get it approved by the HOA, and then we'll be set to start.

Last night on my way to my SnB, I noticed a rattling sound in my car. Now, it's only a 2002, and it's in pretty good shape so it surprised me a bit. I took it to a dealer this morning, so we'll see how it goes. I'm hoping it's under the warrenty. Cross fingers please!

And of course, my car is in the shop on the day we leave to head up to Buffalo. So now we'll have to driv eup there in Nathan's little civic. It's a great car, but it doesn't quite have the room as my CR-V. I'm going to take the afternoon off, and take a nap. Hopefully this will help my mood a bit because right now I'm just bummed.

I really dislike giant squirrels...

So, I'm home. I just finished my Panang beef from Tara Thai, we went there on Saturday and I enjoyed the leftovers as much as the originals. YUM!

I'm waiting for Nathan to get home so we can attempt to fix the siding where the Gianormous squirrel ate a hole through our siding. I'll post a pic later- it's a big hole! He actually thought he was going to do it himself, while I was at work. NO WAY! If he fell, he'd be laying on the ground for hours before anyone noticed. And he doesn't like heights, which makes it even worse for him. Thankfully, it should be fixed by tonight.

We're having the first of 2 estimates come through for the replacement of the siding. It's a quiet season here, so they can get us in pretty much immediately if we decide to do it. Honestly though, we'll probably wait a bit, and let the sticker shock of how much it's really going to cost us sink in. I have no idea...could be anywhere form 10K to 25K. If it's more than that, I'm running away form home. ;) Any guesses???

Happy New Year!

Only a week late...but Happy New Years to all of you!! I hope you had a great holiday! Mine was nice and low key- we hung out at home, played Monopoly (got my butt kicked), and were in bed by 10:30. It was really a perfect night!

Here are my New Years Resolutions:
1. Eat healthier- lose weight....which will hopefully lead to me getting pregnant. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!
2. Take 1 night for myself a week. I told Nathan when he started his second job that I wanted 1 night a week. He agreed, but it's just a matter of me actually taking it. And I will now! I actually went to my SnB this week, and I plan to go next week too!
3. Be neater- I have a tendancy to let the house get cluttered up really badly. No more!
4. Spend less money. This does include on yarn- while I'm not going to join the "Knit from your stash 2007" thing, I do plan to try to use what I have. This should leave me with lots of play money for MS&W and Stitches East.
5. Explore more! We've been living in the DC area for nearly 5 years, and we hardly get into DC or Baltimore. I want to start seeing more, and doing more. Especially now that Celia is old enough to really enjoy things like the Zoo, and the Aquarium.
6. Eat out less. I love food, and love to cook. But I get lazy and we end up eating out a lot, and we end up spending way too much. Kids meals are cheap, but they certainly aren't free!

As for knitting:
1. Complete a lace shawl
2. Make at least 6 pairs of socks
3. Make an afghan
4. Get better at spinning...play with my wheel more (as soon as I can find that lazy kate with my extra bobbins! It's here somewhere!)

I leave you with a few pics of WIPs form the last few months.
Here is Celia in her legwarmers!! Too cute, and she loves them!

And here is the scarf I made for her teacher. I made an identical one for my SIL, which I forgot to take a pic of first. Both were out of Brooks Farm FourPlay. Pattern is feather and fan.

2006 in review

2006 was an extremely busy year!

We made a few changes:
-Nathan switched jobs, much closer to home now- 10 minute commute vs. 1 and a half hours each way
-We sold our townhouse
-We bought a single family home

We went on a few trips:
-Nashville for my brother's wedding
-Williamsburg for Thanksgiving
-few trips up to Buffalo to visit family

I went to a few fiber festivals!
-Maryland Sheep and Wool in May
-Rhinebeck in October
-Stitches East in November

I learned a few new techniques
-spinning (bought a wheel!!)
-lace (still working on that one...)
-socks!! I'm hooked!!
-tried dyeing with food coloring- and will take an actual class in January

Met a LOT of fantastic bloggers!!
-I participated in many swaps and met some great people
-I even hostessed SP7, 8, 9...and will hostess 10!
-I was even able to meet some of you in person!

Thanks for a fantastic year everyone! I can't wait to see what 2007 brings! I'm sure I'll be meeting more of you, and having even more fun! See you all in 2007!

Yay!!

Tomorrow morning at 8, our handyman is coming over to paint our living room!! Which is really our entryway, hallway and living room! It's going to be SO pretty, I can hardly wait!! Woo hoo!

Oh, and my mom and step father are coming in tomorrow too so we get to spend some time together! I get to give my mom her Christmas present- some really lovely brooks farm yarn! I can't wait to see the look on her face when she opens it...it's so yummy!

SP9 surprise!

I did end up making it to the mall yesterday. I got there with my husband and daughter, ran into a few stores, grabbed lunch at the food court, and headed home. When we pulled into the driveway, I saw 2 boxes on my stoop! My SP9 had said that she sent something but it probably wouldn't get there before Christmas. So I was thrilled and excited to see that one of the packages was from her!! The other box was some fiber I ordered from Bonkers Fiber for a christmas gift for myself from my dad. ;)

In my SP9 box, was a wonderful treat! First, was a gift for my daugher- a bear and a sheet of stickers. The stickers have been used up and she's been carrying the bear around all over ever since she opened it! Then, I opened the card which had a starbucks gift card in it too and a note to tell me to have a gingerbread latte on her! What a sweetie! I am definitely going to do just that this week! Then came the book- ScarfStyle!! I've been wanting this book for ages, and now I have my very own copy! There are at least 4 scarves I want to make out of it, including the lace shawl. Next, was another great surprise- 2 skeins of Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud (which I've been lusting after for a long time now!) in a lovely blue!! SO beautiful and soft, I'm definitely casting on tonight for the lace shawl. She also included- her favorite needles for lacework in the right size for the shawl! So I'm all set!! My SP put together an absolutely fantastic package for me, and I can't thank her enough!! 1 more month to go and I get to find out who she is!!! The suspense is killing me!

I will post a pic later- I promise! I have to finish getting things ready for tonight!
Ok...I'm finally adding the picture!

Christmas weekend

Celia is SO excited for Christmas, it's way too cute! She keeps saying that Santa is coming Sunday but today isn't sunday yet. She keeps saying she has a present for me too...last night she said it was a car, she's too funny! Somehow I doubt my husband would ever do something like buy me a car (when we can't afford it), just after we paid off our current cars. Silly girl!

Today will be busy!! I've got to take Celia to her gymnastics class this morning, and then head over to Whole Foods to buy the meat for christmas dinner. I'm planning on making a standing rib roast, with a currant gravy, but we'll see what they have that looks good. Definitely buying a dessert, some veggies, and some other random things. It's sad- Whole Foods is about halfway between home and work if I take the back roads, so I could go much more often, but I usually only get there once a month or so. Now if there was a Wegmans closer, I'd be there every week! There are 2 that are about 45 minutes away, but with holiday traffic I don't want to do that. I heard a rumor from a friend who has a relative who works at Wegmans, that they will be building one in Frederick, MD soon. If they do, I will be THE HAPPIEST person in the world!! I realy miss Wegmans. Every time I go home I stop in, and just wander around and buy all my local favorites. By some odd miracle, they actually carry most of the local WNY favorites at the Wegmans at Dulles!

Ok, enough rambling about grocery stores! Now for the knitting content. I have been working on a scarf for Celia's teacher that I"m planning on giving her tomorrow night when we're at her house for Christmas Eve. Which reminds me...I forgot to ask her what we should bring! I guess I will have to call her today. Anyway, I've been working on that, and socks. I did finish Celia's legwarmers for Gymnastics, but of course, the last 2 weeks Nathan took her so I didn't get to see them on her. I'm looking forward to taking her today so I can see them in use. They are way too cute though- I'll have to post a pic.

I may brave the mall this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon to grab a few more things for the husband. I got him mainly PS2 games and books, and he knows what his main gift is (a UPS for his computer). We'll see how it goes. Other than that, I'm looking forward to a nice and quiet weekend!!

Coffee swap package!

Yesterday afternoon I got home and found a package on my doorstep! I knew what it was the second I saw that it was from Chrissy! Inside, I found wonderful treats- coffee, cookies, chocolates, and hot chocolate! Lovely yarn from Chewy Spaghetti in yellows, greens and pinks, a great book with quick gift patterns (even a few of them are Chrissy's own, and cool espresso machine ornament. I'll post a pic as soon as I find my camera! I'm sure it's hiding underneath some wrapping paper on my desk. Thanks for the fantastic package!! I can't wait to make a pot of coffee tomorrow morning!

EDIT: Finally adding a picture! Sorry it took so long! Darn holidays got in the way!!

My AWESOME SP8 CDQ has tagged me...so here goes!! This is a fun one.


"THE RULES:Each player of this game starts with the '6 weird things about you'. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog."

Here goes: 6 Weird things about me:

1. I'm terrified of bees. If I see one, I completely freak out. I can't even be in the same room with one if it gets in the house.

2. I usually don't like fruit in my food. Banana bread is good, banana cream pie is good, but any other type of fruit pie or dessert with fruit in it I really dislike.

3. I don't like to get my feet wet. I don't mind it if it's in my own shower, or a shower of a friend, but public showers and wet cement (like at the pool) really grosses me out.

4. My favorite sandwich is peanut butter with grape jelly and doritos (yes, the doritos actually as a layer in the sandwich. I like to thank my brother for that one. But now I can't eat a PBJ sandwich without the doritos!

5. I've been wearing glasses since I was 3.

6. When I was an undergrad, I was a Resident Advisor in the dorms. One of my residents was Nathan, who I really never saw that sememster. The following year, when he checked in to the dorms at the beginning of the sememster, he was wearing a Barenaked Ladies T-shirt. From then on, we started hanging out as friends. As soon as I broke up with my boyfriend of the time, we started dating. If he wasn't wearing that BNL t-shirt when he moved into the dorms that year, we may never have dated, let alone gotten married. It's fun that I get to say I was my husbands' RA in college. ;)

TAG: Anyone who wants to! Just comment here so I can go find your entry.

wow...

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted here! So much has been going on with holiday prep that I completely forgot post- sorry everyone! Unfortunately my daughter was sick all last week with an ear infection, a sinus infection and bronchitis. After 2 trips to the doctor (and a 3rd today to make sure her lungs were clear- and to get her a flu shot), she's finally doing better. Thankfully as of Sunday, she was herself again! I'm now recovering from too much children's TV- I probably watched about 100 episodes of Little Einsteins, Dora the Explorer, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the Wiggles, and whatever else she wanted to watch while home with her for 4 days. The first few times, the episodes are cute- then the music gets into your head. And you wake up in the middle of the night with a stupid song in your head. Or in the shower, or while making breakfast. Now I'm going through withdrawl. I was actually glad to get back to work this week!

Then there is my car. Yesterday the little engine light went on (the one that's an actual picture of the engine, not the service soon one). I called the dealer (because I was a sucker and got the extended warrenty when I bought it 4 years ago), and took it in. Thankfully, the warrenty actually did some good- we paid the 100$ deductible for 500 in parts/labor to replace the oxygen sensor that was shot. Then they tell me that my breaks also need to be replaced (since it was there, I had them do the service and oil change that was due...1 trip better than 2. And of course, my rotors in the back were rusted so they couldn't be reused, so they had to be replaced too. $1200 later, my car was ready to pick up. Not exactly what I was expecting when I dropped it off yesterday. At least I own the car outright, so I don't have any car payments anymore. Definitely annoying though.

We've been having fun getting ready for Christmas this weekend, AND doing the lights/candles for Hanukkah. She gets one little present each day after we light the Menorah- and she's had fun with that! So far she's gotten a little puzzle, a sheet of stickers, a My Little Pony, and a water book (use water and the picture appears colored in). She's loving the attention. I just love holidays!

crazy weekend!

So this past weekend was our annual "holiday" party, and it was SO much fun!! I think that there were about 30 or so people at different times of the night. The food was great- I was so happy! I started out around 9am, made the stuffing, followed by the ham, followed by the turkey, and the yams simultaneously. Everything turned out great! A few friends didn't end up coming, but overall, everyone made it! It was so much fun to actually entertain without being cramped in our old townhouse. We had space, the kids got to run around like crazy, and the adults got to hang out and chat. I have to say it was by far the best party I've thrown! I did end up having a little too much to drink, but thankfully by about 10AM on Sunday I was feeling much better. The disgruntled elf sure packs a punch! And I seem to remember something about a chocolate martini...

So after a busy but fun weekend, it was back to work. Yesterday was good, and productive. Then last night I got a call from my dad saying that the hotel arrangements for our vegas weekend were changing and that I was going to be an a different hotel (NY, NY) all by myself. I guess there isn't enough room in my cousins' room for me too. In the end, it worked out really well though. My aunt was able to get one more room at a discounted rate at the Bellagio, so I'll have my own room at the same hotel as everyone else! Thankfully my dad is being awesome and splitting the room cost with me. (Thanks Dad, you rock!). Then, last night, darling daughter woke up at 1AM hacking and coughing so hard it freaked me out a bit. She's been doing it on and off for weeks, and has been congested for weeks, but last night the cough changed somehow. So I took her into the doctor, who said she definitely has an ear infection, and her lungs are wheezy. She said the cough has a little bit of a croupy sound to it, but not horribly. Her main concern was that she has had croup recently. Apparently when that happens, and you get sick again with a sinus infection/cold, the likelihood of developing wheezing is pretty high. So, I have to keep her home for a few days and watch to make sure it doesn't get worse (or make sure it gets better). If it's not better by friday, she has to go back agian and they'll treat her with a nebulizer. All freaky stuff, and I was a bit shocked, since I was hoping to hear "you're overreacting, she has a cold and that's it". So she's on antibiotics, and we're taking it easy.

mitten swap package

I had a lovely surprise yesterday when I went outside to grab the mail before guests started arriving! It was my package from the mitten swap I participated in a month ago! I brought in inside and tore into it. What I found inside blew me away! I had heard from my pal Morgan, who let me know that it looked like my original package was lost in the mail between Canada and the US, and that she wanted to make sure I got my package before the holidays. She had someone put a package together for me here, and it was just fabulous! Beyond worth the wait! First, was a lovely pair of fingerless mittens- a lovely red with ladybug buttons on them. They are so warm too! Then came a scarf, which is so soft and warm- I'll be wearing it tomorrow for sure. Then came the hat! A beautiful black and red hat- with a pretty flower embellishment. There was also a sachet with little cards for gauge swatches- what a fantastic idea!! The package was put together by the Knitting Guru. All I can say is Thank you SO much- I really love everything. I'll be nice and warm this winter!!

EDITED to add pictures! I finally found the cord for my camera last night when cleaning off my desk so I could finish the Xmas cards I made.
Here are the fingerless mittens- way too cute! I love the ladybug buttons.

And here are pics of everything else. The scarf is so soft- the funky border around it is just amazingly soft! And I love the hat- it fits perfectly!

success!

I made a trip to the liquor store after work yesterday, and managed to find all that I needed! I did end up getting the Bombay Sapphire Gin, thanks for the advice! I walked in figuring I'd spend $150, since we needed to stock up on the necessities like vodka, rum, tequila, etc, and I really don't like to buy the cheap stuff if I can help it. And why buy a little bottle when we go through it often enough to buy a big one instead?? I'm really not a lush, I just enjoy a margarita, vodka and tea or rum and diet coke every so often. Here's what I picked up:
large bottle of Bacardi Rum
large bottle of Sauza silver tequila
large bottle of Smirnoff vodka
large bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin
bottle of triple sec
bottle of Jack Daniels
large bottle of Yellow Tail cabernet sauvignon
large bottle of Beringer Pinot grigio
large bottle of Fat Bastard Shiraz

And the grand total?? $150.48. I have never gotten that close to a budget without even trying before!! I was so proud of my shopping skills. ;)

Pleasantly toasted

Today, we spent the day shopping and baking. Again. We went to the mall, and Celia got her picture taken with Santa! She was dressed up so adorably, and was such a good girl! We picked up a few gifts, and came home baked the cut-out cookies. Celia helped for the last bit, and she did a great job! When I get the energy to upload the pics, I'll show you her first cut-out cookies.

Since the kitchen was a mess, we went to Red Robin for dinner. They had a pretty green beverage on the special card, that was called the Disgruntled Elf. Let me tell you this drink was FABULOUS! It had Gin, Tequila, Rum, Triple Sec and Granny Smith apple syrup. Needless to say I'll make a pitcher or two for the Potluck on Saturday. It was just that good. Now I've never bought Gin before, any suggestions on a good brand??

all baked out.

I spent most of the day baking, and I don't want to do anymore! I made 3 kinds of cookies: twisted wreathes/candy canes, almond spritz, and mint chocolate chip cookies. The dough for the cut-outs is chilling, and I'll bake them off tomorrow. I'm SO exhausted! Celia was a bit of a help, and made a huge mess all at the same time. It was fun though, and I can't wait for her to help with the cut-out cookies. It will look like a sugar/flour bomb went off in our kitchen tomorrow afternoon!

I started a pair of legwarmers for Celia this morning while at her gymnastics class. She was the only one there, so she had the teacher all to herself! She was really good too, I was proud. The gym is cold though, so I decided legwarmers were a must, since she doesn't want to wear her pants in there. They are purple/silver/navy and out of Tess yarns sock yarn. I'm making the pattern up as I go, so we'll see how they come out.

And, I signed up for a dyeing class in January, which I'm really looking forward to. And the teacher...no other than the talented Mama-E!

Now, I'm off to watch some TV, knit, and down a Vodka and tea or two. ;)