Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Mail-Order Catalogs

I used to love flipping through the pages of catalogs, earmarking this-or-that "must have" item that would turn my home and/or yard into a Home Beautiful spread. Fast forward a hundred years (or so it seems) and most of my catalogs get pitched into the trash before the cover is turned. There are a few that still make the cut, and here they are ...

1. WEBS - I confess to drooling over the yarn.

2. Patternworks - see above.

3. Duluth Trading Company - this is my stand-by catalog for buying hubby presents. Everything is superb quality, and they get things to you quickly!

4. Herrington - another stand-by. The items may be on the expensive side, but if you're looking for a gift for that person who is very hard to buy for, this is your catalog!

5. Lakeside Collection - they always have a great selection of reasonably priced items from all categories. Clothing, toys, home decorations, etc. Lots to choose from!

6. Catalog Favorites - love looking through this one! From t-shirts and sweatshirts to jewelry, this catalog never disappoints with selection.

7. Improvements - so many great items for the lawn & garden!

8. Breck's - I love to look at all the gorgeous flowers that I'm not able to nurture and grow ;)

9. L.L. Bean - ahhh, the old stand-by! I don't order from them often, but I'm always tempted. The girls received dresses from Bean for Christmas last year & they are the best wearing dresses E.V.E.R.

10. Knit-Picks - not sure why this one wasn't up top with WEBS and Patternworks?! Maybe I felt the need to surround my others in yarn? Hehe, yeah, that's it!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Confession of envy ...

Ok, so I am admitting that I've had a serious case of envy toward a good friend for quite a while. I'm not envious of her job (although she has a kick-*ss job) and I'm not envious of her husband or family (while both are quite awesome). I've had clog envy!

My friend Carole has a couple pairs of Dansko clogs. Every time she wears them I get a little bit greener. Last time I think I may have drooled on one, just a little bit.

I've been saving my money to buy a pair of my own. I got $100 from a bank meeting that I attended at the beginning of this month and told my hubby that once I had enough, I was buying my clogs. Imagine my surprise when, on Mother's Day, I got a coupon for my clogs!! Yippee!

I immediately scoured the internet for the best deal and ordered them. Each time I'd receive an update from the website, I'd jump for joy! 'Your order has been processed' ... OMG, my clogs are ordered!! 'Your order has been shipped' ... OMG, they're on their way!! I checked the tracking information daily (ok, sometimes more than once) and was entirely frustrated that it took so long for them to travel from Oregon to Massachusetts.

Yesterday morning I checked the tracking info and saw "OUT FOR DELIVERY!" I squealed so loudly that the dog thought I was in trouble. I haunted the windows all day, waiting for that distinctive brown truck to roll down the street. Imagine my dismay when it came time to leave for league bowling and my clogs hadn't arrived. I was one sad, shoeless woman. I think the UPS man was waiting to see our car leave before he delivered my package!!

The package did arrive, and I ripped the box open upon arrival at home last night. Ahhhhh, true clog love!! Of course I'm wearing them today, but I refuse to go outside in them since it's yucky out. Here they are, in all their cloggy glory :)
I think I've satisfied my clog envy. At least for now.

Saturday, May 07, 2011

Short and Sweet Socks

Most sock patterns are too long for my liking. I like socks that are just above my ankle. I came up with a pattern for myself, and thought I'd share it for anyone else who likes short socks :)



I use fingering or sock yarn and US2 needles. Directions are for magic loop, but could easily be adjusted for dpn's or 2 circs.

Using long-tail cast on, CO 64 stitches, placing marker after32 stitches to make it easier to separate the stitches on the needles. K2P2 rib for 10 rows. Do next 20 or 25 rows (depending on how short you like your socks) in stockinette stitch.

Turn Heel:
Turn work so you are working on wrong side ... S1, P16, P2tog, P1
Row 1: S1, K3, SSK, K1
Row 2: S1, P4, P2tog, P1
 Continue working in this manner by K or P to the stitch before the gap and either SSK, K1 or P2tog, P1 - you will have 18 stitches left when you are finished.
Rearrange stitches so that the beginning of the round starts in the middle of the heel.

Pick up and knit 18 stitches along the side of the heel flap. (My friend Carole taught me to knit into the back loop on each of these stitches to give a pretty twist to the stitch.) Place marker. Knit across the top of the sock, place marker, and then pick up and knit 18 stitches on the other side of the heel flap. Knit the last 9 stitches of the heel flap.

Gusset Decreases:
Row 1: Knit the 9 stitches of the heel flap, knit to the last 3 gusset stitches, K2tog, K1. Knit across instep stitches, K1, SSK, knit the rest of the gusset stitches and the last 9 stitches of the heel.
Row 2: Knit all stitches.
Repeat these 2 rows until you are left with 64 stitches. Knit next 40 - 50 rows in stockinette (depending on the length of your foot - you should be approx. 2 inches from finished length).

Toe Decreases:
Rearrange stitches so beginning of round starts at the edge of the foot.
Row 1: 1st needle: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1
2nd needle: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
Row 2: Knit all stitches.
Repeat these 2 rows until you are left with 36 stitches, then repeat just row 1 (decrease round) until there are 20 stitches left.
Kitchener toes together.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

On the needles ...

I realized that I haven't been blogging as much as I'd hoped ... maybe because we recently adopted a new family member & we've been b.u.s.y. with her! Before I get to my knitting, let me introduce the newest member of the Coles family, Daisy ...
Daisy is a purebred yellow lab and is almost 4 months old. She's growing by leaps and bounds, and everyone loves her beyond belief!

Back to the knitting ...

I finished knitting the body of Shawn's sweater & the sleeves, got the whole thing sewn together & tried to do the collar. Yeah, not so much. I have way too many stitches according to the pattern. It is now sitting in a tote bag until I gather the strength to tackle it again. I have to block the sweater again and then figure out what I can do to finish the collar. I may bring it along to the next spin night for some professional assistance!

I finished my emotion socks ...




I cast on for another pair of socks, using some 100PureWool yarn that I got from my yarn coop. I am using the Show Off Stranded Sock and the yarn colorway is Maceio.
 I decided I had to share a shot of my new JessaLu bag as well. Isn't it cute???

I also have a 'potato chip scarf' on the needles that I started during Lent ... sounded like a great pattern since I'd given up chips for Lent! It's in a lovely Noro Taiyo
and I peck away at it here and there. Won't be needing it anytime soon (thinking positive), so I know it's not crucial to finish it quickly.

I only got 2 takers in my Craft It Forward challenge, but I already have a pattern picked out for one & waiting on a color for the 2nd.

My Bad Moon Rising socks are languishing in a tote bag.
I don't love the pattern, but can't bear to frog them just yet. I may end up frogging them and doing plain socks that will really show off the wonderful colors in the yarn.

Have picked out the pattern for man socks. Will most likely do a pair for him & a pair for James in the same pattern. Might even make a pair for Shawn. Good thing I have 'til Christmas for those!!

I'm also itching to cast on for another shawl. It's like Lay's potato chips ... once you start, you just can't stop, LOL!

I think I'll close with a non-knitting photo :)
Jake's girlfriend went down to South Africa to visit him a few weeks ago & shared this wonderful photo of the two of them ...
I miss my son!!!

Friday, April 08, 2011

Craft It Forward 2011



A new crafty friend posted this on her blog yesterday and I thought it was a grand idea! The premise is that you promise to send something hand-crafted by you to the first five people who comment on your blog and they must also promise to do the same! The hand-crafted item simply needs to be made by you and sent sometime in 2011 (which is pretty good for those who are busy). Just think of the wonderful stuff you might receive if you participate in this!! There is no limit to what you can hand-craft ... you can knit, crochet, draw, take a photograph, do macrame, whatever! How wonderfully exciting this could be ...

I did a google search and came up with the facebook page where I believe it all started ... Craft It Foward

So, hey all you crafty friends ... are you game?? I know that I am ... so here goes ...

I hereby promise to send a hand-crafted item to the first five people who comment on this blog post ... and in turn, they must promise to either post on their own blog (or on the facebook Craft it Forward page) that they will also participate.

How fun!!

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite one-hit wonders!

What a great theme for this week! Music does an awful lot of things ... makes you feel happy, makes you feel sad, brings out the pain so you can move on, whatever ... music really makes the world a better place. Without further ado, here are my favorite 1-hit wonders (in random order) ...

1. Tainted Love (Soft Cell) - gotta love the 80's baby!

2. Puttin' on the Ritz (Taco) - didn't everyone want a top hat & cane after this one?

3. Relax (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) - get to it!

4. Miami Vice Theme (Jan Hammer) - admit it, you watched too!

5. She's Like The Wind (Patrick Swayze) - yeah, maybe he wasn't the best vocalist in the world, but hey, he sure looked good without a shirt on!

6. Hey There Lonely Girl (Eddie Holman) - my brothers were children of the 70's, I heard ALOT of 70's music growing up!

7. The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia (Vicki Lawrence) - we used to get dressed up in dancing school costumes & perform to this one and 'Delta Dawn!'

8. Playground In My Mind (Clint Holmes) - everyone can relate to this one, right?

9. Afternoon Delight (Starland Vocal Band) - just the title is cool ;)

10. Just When I Needed You Most (Randy VanWarmer) - perhaps he'd have had more than one hit if someone had mentioned that his name was really weird? Just stayin'!

Can't wait to read everyone else's lists ... nothing brings you back to a certain moment in time like a good song, especially a one-hit wonder!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Pies

Never really thought about it before, but yesterday was March 14th ... 3/14 ... PI! So, it was Pi Day ... easy segway to PIE, right? LOL ... for my friend Carole it is! Of course, with Carole, everything is an easy segway to PIE! She loves pie ... loves to make it, bake it, serve it, and (of course) eat it! I can't say I blame her. Oh, did I mention she makes the BEST PIE??? She does.

On to the list ... my 10 favorite pies ...

1. Chicken Pot ... ok, so perhaps this isn't the first thing that came to your mind when I said 'pie' ... but it is for me! I am a slave to savory foods, and chicken pot pie is one of my all-time favorites!

2. Shepard's ... a close second to chicken pot!

3. Key Lime ... not that green jello we in New England would like to say is Key Lime, but the real Key Lime Pie of the south, with its pale green creamy filling with just the right hint of tartness. Ok, now I'm hungry!

4. Pumpkin ... why do I only make this at Thanksgiving? It's truly a meal in a crust, no?

5. Cranberry Pecan ... a new favorite, again thanks to my friend Carole! Pecan pie is often much too sweet, and the fresh cranberries add a bit of tartness that is refreshing and delicious.

6. Blueberry ... ooey, gooey, goodness. Especially with a lattice crust :)

7. Banana Cream ... I was lucky enough to have Carole's homemade banana cream this past weekend, and it was smooth and creamy and decadently delicious! With homemade whipped cream to boot. I was a happy pie girl that night, I tell ya!

8. Peach ... sweet without being too sweet, and I love it whether it has 2 real crusts or just a bottom crust and some crumbly topping.

9. Apple ... who doesn't love apple pie? It's as American as ... well, apple pie!

10. Lemon Meringue ... this one makes the list because it's my brother's favorite pie. Growing up, he was my favorite brother ... and I made him one when I was 16. He ate the whole huge piece I gave him. Even though I didn't know the difference between the grated RIND of a lemon and the grated PEEL of a lemon. Yeah, that was one tart pie. And one loving brother :)

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Smells

Not many things bring back memories in quite the same way as a favorite scent. Imagine, you are going about your everyday business and walk past a bakery, diner, or someplace where a distinctive aroma tickles your nose ... *bam* you're transported back to a time long ago, with tons of memories. Here are my 10 favorite smells ...

1. Cinnamon ... I love the tangy sweetness, and whenever I smell cinnamon it brings back memories of my Mom making cinnamon roll-ups with leftover pie crust around the holidays.

2. Suntan lotion ... always makes me think of summers at the lake, camping at the ocean when I was a kid, and summertime in general. I love the Yankee candle scent 'sand and sea' for just this reason!

3. Coffee ... doesn't matter if it's plain old coffee, or one of the flavored varieties. I just love the smell of coffee, especially first thing in the morning. Always makes me think of my Mom.

4. Fresh-mown grass ... love that smell, brings me back to the carefree days of my childhood and summer camp in New Hampshire.

5. Basil ... just about any herb is pleasant, but basil is my absolute favorite. Whether it's the sweet smell when it's just picked, or the more piquant smell as it is cooking, I love it!

6. Pine ... smelling pine (and I mean the *real* pine, not the lestoil cleaning pine) brings me back to the woods behind my childhood home, cutting a Christmas tree down with my dad.

7. Roast Beef ... my Mom used to make roast beef dinners on Sundays during the non-camping months. It would always make my mouth water ... and still does!

8. Shaving cream ... I used to love sitting in the bathroom watching my dad shave. Now I love to sit and watch my hubby shave. It's an unusual  thing, perhaps, but the scent of shaving cream makes me thing of love.

9. Wood smoke ... I grew up camping, complete with outdoor fires. We also had a wood stove when I was growing up. There is a wood stove up at the lake house. Love that smell of just-lit kindling and the acrid smell of the oak when you open the wood stove door to stoke the fire.

10. Rain ... love that fresh clean smell just after it rains. The world smells new and fresh.

Well, there you have it, a complete list of 10 of my favorite comforts ... ahem, I meant smells :)

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Bungee Jumping in Paradise

Jake started classes this week at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He's taking Environmental History, 21st Century Perspectives on History, Comparative Politics, and Xhosa (native language). Since arriving, he's done quite a lot of sightseeing and van tour of the Garden Route. He also did the world's tallest bungee jump!!!!! He has a video of himself doing the jump, but is having problems transferring it and e-mailing it to us. To give you an idea, here is a link to a YouTube video of the same jump ... Bloukrans River Bungee Jump.

We've been looking at lots of pictures of South Africa, and it's not what we expected! Here are some pictures so you can get a mental picture of Jake's surroundings ...

South African coastline

Camp's Bay

Clifton Beach

Mossel Bay

Garden Route

Tsitsikama National Park suspension bridge

This map will show where those beautiful places are!

Last week Jake was able to go on a safari and saw lions, cheetah, rhinos, elephants, springbok, water buffalo, and ostriches. When they went to Mossel Bay, they stayed in a converted rail car for the night.

Mossel Bay converted rail car accommodations

After that, Jake went kayaking, did a huge rope swing, and a forest walk. He's also been to the largest cave in South Africa and an ostrich farm.

largest cave in South Africa

ostrich farm
As you can probably tell, Jake is having the time of his life in South Africa. More updates to come ...

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Blogs I Read

I'm not sure I can come up with ten non-knitting blogs, but I'll do what I can ...

1. Pioneer Woman - she's one funny lady! Plus, she's got great recipes, beautiful photographs, and some cool contests (I want to win the MIXER!!)

2. A Year of Slow Cooking - this blog has some of the.best.crockpot.recipes.EVER.

3. $5 Dinners - 'cause who doesn't want to be able to put dinner on the table for $5??

4. Cake Wrecks - this is some seriously funny stuff. Really? Are there cake decorators *that* stupid? Umhum, there sure are!!! Here's proof :)

5. All Things New - I confess, I haven't been keeping up with this blog ... but I do check out this one entry from time to time. Mainly to remind myself how truly Blessed we are, even when we think we're having a hard time.

6. Natalie's Killer Cuisine - don't go here if you're hungry. You've been warned.

7. Food Wishes - some seriously great recipes, with videos to show you how to do it.

8. Lazy Girl - just love it.

9. Post Secret - I have this weird fascination with things people will send in ... like, c'mon people! Seriously??

10. I have several other blogs that I read frequently, but they're friend-blogs & I didn't ask their permission to link here. My friends Jana, Tricia, Tina, and a few others - they mainly blog about their kids, their lives, and I find it all interesting ... because I love them :)

Wow, I was able to come up with 10 that have nothing to do with knitting. Yowzers! Alot about food, though, hehe!

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Oscar Winning Films

Ok, so I'm afraid that this week's topic is a huge stretch for me. We aren't big movie-goers, sometimes seeing popular movies only once they've arrived on DirecTV (and not on pay-per-view, LOL). I went back and looked at all the Best Picture winners for the past 83 years and I've only seen twenty of them. Yup, 20. Roughly 1 out of every 4 ... so sad. Might have to finally bite the bullet and subscribe to NetFlix to cure this malady. But, that aside, it wasn't too hard to whittle down a list of 20 to my 10 favorites!

1. Casablanca ... my all time favorite movie. Ever.

2. Gone With The Wind ... tomorrow is another day!

3. The Sting ... I'm a sucker for anything with Paul Newman.

4. Silence of the Lambs ... so eerily creepy, so wonderfully suspenseful.

5. The Departed ... love Leo, and this one was a real, "Wow, didn't see that coming!" movie.

6. Driving Miss Daisy ... Morgan Freeman is one of my all time favorites!

7. Braveheart ... Mel Gibson with little to no clothing? Winner winner, chicken dinner!

8. Titanic ... I'm a sucker for an epic love story.

9. Forrest Gump ... I'm convinced that you could put Tom Hanks on a bare stage and have him read the phone book & he'd win an Oscar. I'll watch *anything* he's in.

10. The Sound of Music ... my Mom hated this movie, but I love it. It's so gloriously feel-good and you can't help but tap your toes & sing along to most of the songs :)

I feel kind of bad leaving out the other 10 movies I've actually seen, like Dances With Wolves, Rain Main, Bridge on the River Kwai, and Mutiny on the Bounty. I'm not so sad about leaving out a few others, like Rocky. I watched that under protest.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

On the needles ...

I've been wanting to knit something for myself for a while. Through all the Christmas gift knitting (7 hats and a sweater, which sadly still isn't finished). Through Christmas and New Year's. Through the anticipation of Jake leaving for South Africa.

On Tuesday I took the fuchsia merino blend out of my yarn organizer (thank you again to Babci for that) and did a gauge swatch. Washed it, blocked it, let it dry, then measured it. Spot on! Yay, me! After bowling last night I cast on for this DROPS jacket ...
I'm using a merino blend that I purchased on (gasp) eBay a while back. It will be a bit less "airy" but I'm ok with that. I'm just hoping that I can knit a respectable facsimile of that design :)

I'm also pledging to finish Shawn's Christmas sweater (which only has the sleeves & seaming to go) before his birthday. That's in August. Plenty of time :)

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

When 9 years is like a moment ...

On a gorgeous snowy night back in 2002, on Groundhog Day to be exact, I married my soul mate. Here we are 9 years later and it truly seems like just yesterday. The weather was snowy, then sleety, and now getting cold and we are waiting for more snow to arrive. Then it was just a dusting, like icing on the cake so it seemed. Today we got more than that!

Shawn wore his Patriots jacket to the airport as we were leaving on our Honeymoon. When we arrived in San Fransisco, a passerby commented, asking how long he'd been a fan (as you'll all remember, the Patriots won their first Super Bowl the day after our wedding) and I will never forget his reply ...

"I got married on Saturday, the Patriots won the Super Bowl on Sunday, and tomorrow we're flying to Hawaii ... life doesn't get any better than this!" Mixed somewhere in there was Shawn's affirmation that he'd been a fan for a very long time :)

Due to the weather we aren't going out for a special dinner, but we are going to our bowling league, and we did shovel the driveway together earlier today (so romantic LOL). He's still my lighthouse, standing firm and guiding me. Here's to life in increments of 9!

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things on my Bedside Table

So, I don't really have a bedside table per se ... but I do have a pull-out shelf in the tower of the headboard. To be completely truthful, that pull-out shelf is *always* pulled out. Anyway, here is what I have on my pull-out-shelf-nightstand ...

1. Sony e-Reader ... I love to read in bed, and my e-Reader is never far away.
2. Tums ... does this really need an explanation?
3. Lip Balm ... hate when you wake up & your lips are all dry and crackly feeling.
4. Water Bottle (or glass) ... I always seem to wake up thirsty, and when it happens in the middle of the night I'd prefer having water within reach so I don't have to trek to the kitchen.
5. Smart Phone ... I leave it here charging, and when I can't sleep I just might grab it & check FaceBook, or play a game or two (or fifty) of solitaire.
6. Foot Lotion ... I have incredibly dry, cracked heels (always have), and I try to remember to put cream or lotion on them every night. Note the "try" part of that.
7. Alarm Clock ... preset with 3 different alarms, depending on whether the kids have school or not.
8. Medications ... I take certain pills every night before bed. I tried keeping them in the bathroom or the kitchen, but never remembered to take them. So I moved them to the bedroom where I remember.
9. Glasses ... I've gotten to the age where I can't read the print on my phone, or the numbers on my watch, without my glasses. I hate getting old!
10. Knitting ... This isn't truly on my pull-out-shelf-nightstand, but underneath it, on top of a basket of knitting books. Sometimes I like to knit in bed while watching TV with hubby, though, and having it handy is nice :)

Monday, January 31, 2011

Running on South African time ...

Jake has arrived in the Republic of South Africa and is having a wonderful time. He's busy acclimating himself to 80° weather and getting used to the different languages and dialects of South Africa. He's living with two other students (a Dutch girl and boy from Wisconsin) in this house ...





His is the little house on the left, behind the bush LOL. If you go to either google maps or google earth and punch in 154 Station Road, Capetown, South Africa, you'll get a much better photo! His room is about 18x18 and looks out on the garden. I'm anxiously awaiting pictures! The three of them share a backyard with three others, another American from Wisconsin, another Dutch student, and a German student. Sounds like they all get along pretty well, hopefully that remains the same!

Jake says that the scenery is beautiful, and he was unprepared for how wonderful it is. He's been on a bus tour around Cape Town, seeing Cape Point, the Cape of Good Hope, some beaches, a community center, and a Penguin Colony. He and his roommates have plans to go camping on the Garden  Route next week, a trail that goes through the National Parks. They're also planning to go back to Cape Point and visit the beaches at the end of the week. Jake says that Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope are "something straight out of a dream."

Everything in South Africa runs on "South African time" ... which apparently means that everything is literally 15 minutes late, LOL. One of the popular sayings is "I'll be with you now" which means that they'll be with you shortly.

My Momma's heart is peaceful now, knowing that he's safe and having the experience of a lifetime! The girls can't wait to write him a letter, and I know that they're anxious to skype with him as well. Not sure how often I'll have more information, but I'll update again when I do :)



Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Games From Your Childhood

My brothers were quite a bit older than I was (9, 13, and 17 years) so by the time I was old enough to actually play games, they were pretty much gone! That left me & my Mom, and sometimes my Dad. I remember wanting to play cards with my brothers when I was 5 or 6, and I always fell for "52 Pick-Up!" Needless to say, that is NOT on my list ...

1. Gin Rummy/Rummy 500 ... my Mom and I would play these for hours. ... still love it!
2. Cribbage ... my Dad was super good at Cribbage. I always was amazed at how he just *knew* the point count without having to say, 'fifteen two, fifteen four, a run of three ...!'
3. Monopoly ... this was usually reserved for when I had a friend over, as my Mom hated Monopoly!
4. Scrabble ... still my favorite game. Ever.
5. Hopscotch ... even though I could never remember how to draw out the squares, I would grab a stick and try to scratch them into the dirt of our side yard.
6. Trouble ... loved that 'pop' sound the little bubble made!
7. Parchesi ... still like this game :)
8. Operation ... it takes a steady hand ... and I so didn't have one!
9. Rack-o ... another game I played with my Dad. I used to watch him & my Mom playing with their friends on Sunday evening card/game nights and wish I was old enough to play. I still love this game!!
10. Clue ... I was thrilled when I got a Clue game for Christmas one year, and tried to get my Mom to play with me every chance I got. She hated it, though, so I generally only got to play when a friend came over. And then it was hard to choose between this & Monopoly!

What a great way to reminisce about childhood :) So many awesome memories of playing games w/ my Mom, my Dad, sometimes my brothers, and friends. Also brought back alot of memories of watching my parents play with their friends. Ah, game night, a timeless classic!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Ways To Be More Organized

Ah, organization ... it is something I strive for, yet seldom achieve. At least not in my own frame of reference. To be sure, if I take on a job, I get it organized & get it done ... so I have the appearance to others of being organized. Yet my inability to lay my hands on that note that I wrote yesterday, that lies amongst the other notes on my desk, says otherwise.

1. Make a list ... you know what has to be done, sure! But if you make a list, you won't "forget" that one thing that would really be better off completed! Same goes for the trip to the store ... while it's glaringly obvious while standing in your kitchen that you have no milk, on the walk around the grocery store perusing the delights on each shelf, it's easy to forget that mundane staple.

2. Prioritize ... some things are just more important than others. Like ordering the gift certificate for the wedding you need to attend in a week or two! Using the canned air on the keyboard can wait while you finish up that more important task ... just sayin'!

3. Chunk it down ... lots of tasks become intimidating if we let them. Cleaning the garage/basement/playroom ... OMG, how can I possibly accomplish that? Yet if I spend just 10 minutes tidying up at intervals throughout the day, a dent is made. I use the 10-minute (or 15-minute if I'm feeling particularly ambitious) rule ... and I bribe myself ... it's much easier to tackle something I hate for 10 minutes if I know I have 10 (or 20) minutes of a rewarding activity on the other side.

4. Put everything in its place ... yeah, yeah, yeah. My desk is a monument of piles and folders. So much easier said than done, yet if you think about it, isn't it easier to take the extra 10 seconds (or 10 steps) to put that item in the correct file/drawer/shelf space than it is to move it 50 times during the day while you're looking for something else you didn't put away?

5. Menu-plan ... lots of other things seem to get more attention when I take care of this one tiny (monumental) detail. If I know what I'm making for meals throughout the week, I'm able to create shopping lists and pare down the stress level. It also saves money, since at 4pm I'm more apt to actually cook the chicken I took out of the freezer at 8am than I am to order pizza!

6. Throw things away. It's easier to find that piece of paper w/ the important info on it if you have thrown away the other 100 pieces of paper that came across your desk today! It's easier to find those comfy black pants in your closet if they're not crammed in with the velvet dress you bought for a wedding 10 years ago (and probably no longer fit into, nor will ever fit into again)!!

7. Keep a central calendar for important dates and appointments ... whether it's hanging on the wall in the kitchen/office, in a date book in your purse, or an electronic version on your computer or phone, if everything is kept in once central place, you're less likely to miss that doctor's appointment you don't want to go to anyway.

8. Spot cleaning works! Who knew that if you just used a cleaning wipe on the sink & toilet several times per week, it would eliminate the need to hire a hazmat crew once a month! It's so much easier to go through the living room each night before bed and pick up/throw out those scraps of paper from the craft-making-marathon than it is to wait until it looks like a preschool art program threw up in your house!

9. Set limits on the things that drain your time/energy ... this can be either the things that you dread doing (like cleaning the basement or garage, or purging your closet & dresser of all the clothes that you won't wear) or the things that you love doing too much (like playing on FaceBook, or answering e-mails or (gasp) knitting)! Sure, it'd be great to finally get the basement in order and be able to walk through without a map ... but if it means that you won't do anything else for several weeks, then wouldn't it be better to space it out? If you open FaceBook at 9 a.m. to 'just check in and see what everyone is up to' and then wonder how it got to be dark so quickly, then you need some limits! Try only allowing FaceBook while you drink your first cup of coffee ... or answering e-mails only AFTER you accomplish your first to-do list goal ... anything that enables you to get to what really needs to be done!

10. Shine (clean out) your sink! Yes, fly-lady works (if you keep at it) and I really do feel better each morning if I don't have to get up to face an overflowing and dirty sink. So take 2 minutes at the end of each day, put the dishes in the dishwasher (or, gasp, wash them) and suds up that sink ... you'll feel better tomorrow :)

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

2010 Knitting ReCap

As you know, I learned to knit in 2010. I've been knitting for 12 months. Can you believe it? I have knit alot of things ... A. LOT. Most have been gifts for people, but a few have been for little old me. I intend to knit alot more things for me in 2011.

Inspired by my friend Carole, I decided I would make a collage photo of (most of) the knits I made during 2010. I say most of because I had an issue with figuring out how to make the collage larger than 5x5 ... so I was limited to 25 of my items. Go figure, I knit more than 25 items in 2010 ... that's more than 2 per month!

So, without further ado, here's the collage ...



Photobucket 

To list them out, I made ... 3 Traveling Woman Shawls (one for me, one for Jana, and one for Alicia); a lace scarf (for Thelma); a Sari Silk Scarf (for Megan); a Moonlight Mohair Scarf (for Kayla); a cotton shrug (for my Mom); four pairs of socks (all for ME); two Mickey skirts (one for Katie & one for Kenzie); two summer tank tops (one for Katie & one for Kenzie); two summer sleeveless sweaters (both for me); a baby blanket (for Taylor); a Baktus scarf (for me); Drifty mittens & hat set (for me); an afghan (for Katie); a hat & scarf set (for the little girl across the street); 7 dishcloths(2 "man" style for Jake, 1 for Nana, 1 for my secret prayer sister at church, and 3 for me); 7 hats (one each for Jake, James, Taylor, Olivia, Collin, Eva, and Jack); and a striped hat (for me)! The official tally comes to ... (drumroll please) ... 39!!!! Holy Smokes!

Now granted, alot of these project were easy ... dishcloths, hats, and scarves ... but hey, I just learned to knit! I'm still working on a sweater (for Shawn) and another pair of socks (for me) that I started last year. I am already planning another shawl (this time with beads knit in) and a pair of socks for each of my guys (Shawn, James, and Jake). I also want to knit a cardigan for myself, but haven't found a pattern I like enough yet.

I didn't have any goals for my knitting in 2010 (other than to simply learn and knit something LOL), but I have formed a few goals for 2011.
1. Knit socks for Shawn, James, and Jake
2. Knit a cardigan for me
3. Knit a shawl with beads
4. Knit myself 2 more pairs of socks
5. Become more adept at binding off and seaming

So, there you have it. My 2010 knitting recap *and* my knitting goals for 2011. Cheers, and Happy New Year!

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I Wouldn't Want To Live Without

So, the caveat to this week's list is that people don't count. Not that they don't *count* ... but you can't use them on the list. Well, there goes my #1 and #2 answer, family and friends! So, with that in mind, I will plow ahead ...

1. Running water ... seriously? Walking to a water source and carrying home a bucket? Yeah, so not happening!

2. Electricity ... we lost power for about 12 hours after the blizzard and that just reinforced my love for electricity! Sure, we could live without it for a while, but I don't want to!

3. Computer ... it's how I met one of my closest and dearest friends, and how I keep in touch with a bunch of friends spread far and wide. So, while I can't use friends for a list item, this is kind of the same thing :)

4. Knitting ... my habit is now one year old, and I honestly can't imagine not knitting! The feel of the yarn, the comforting click of the needles ... yeah, I'm hooked!

5. Books ... whether they be paper and ink or on my eReader, I love to read. I can't imagine life without books!

6. Smart Phone ... I love my droid! I love that I'm connected (pretty much) wherever I go, that I can check in on my favorite blogs while on the road, and that there are so many fun apps! Did I mention that it's a great gadget when the kids are fidgety?

7. DVR ... I love my shows ... Criminal Minds, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY (are we sensing a theme?), Lie To Me, and American Idol ... there are others, but none more essential than those! I love that I can be out doing things (like bowling or Kiwanis) and not miss my shows. Love that I don't have to have a blank video tape (remember those?) on hand & actually remember to put it in the VCR! Love that I can set a series recording & not have to think about it. Ever. Hmmmm, this might have been better higher on the list.

8. Automobile ... yeah, I could walk or ride a bike. But really?

9. The Lake House ... the most peaceful place on earth. Seriously.

10. Modern Conveniences ... a pretty broad category, with sooo many entries! I don't want to keep my food in a cabinet & have to worry about ice. I don't want to have to wash my clothes in a stream using rocks. I don't want to have to start a fire to cook my food. I don't want to hang my clothes on a line to dry (unless I want to, which is silly). They all make our lives easier, and I love them :)