You know...
It may be time to admit I cannot keep two blogs going!
Check in with me over here.
I'm in Maui, don'tchaknow!
Over....Served!
Artist Journal
Photos from my Artist Journal class with Shimelle.
Random Stuff
What I crave...
August 06, 2007
July 12, 2007
Tequila Sunrise
You wanted knitting, you got knitting!
I finished my first top-down sweater today, as part of the Ready, Set, Knit knitalong with Pixie and Kathy at Webs.
Made from a mercerized cotton... I'll post details when I go out to the car and grab my knitting bag. I named it Tequila Sunrise in honor of the gorgeous colorway, not in honor of how I've been getting through this week without John.
So easy, so fun, so addicting!
I'm ready to do another top-down.
ETA: Here are the details:
knit in the roundwith 1050 yards (one skein) of Blue Heron Yarns mercerized cotton in Tulip. Fun!
July 10, 2007
Must...knit...
...these...socks.
Free pattern. How cool is that??
Dorky Days Are Here Again
You know those days when you walk around all day with a piece of toilet paper following behind you on your shoe?
Today is one of those days.
I had to wear black socks with my shorts to go running because my kids have reached the stage where they can comfortably wear my socks and now treat my drawers as their own personal sales bin (not that I've actually gone running yet...).
I spilled my venti iced tea all over the counter at Starbucks (and my kids weren't even close by to blame it on).
My car is dirty (and it's more embarrassing when a NEW car is dirty).
But I'm still smiling. Really.
July 07, 2007
June 29, 2007
I need a vacation from motherhood
The summer has just begun, and already I'm trying to keep myself from locking myself in the bedroom with a gallon of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Heath Bar Crunch and a stack of US magazines.
My kids are driving me batty.
I have one who never stops complaining.
I have one who never removes his nose from a book so I constantly have to keep one hand on his shoulder as we walk around, lest he find himself plummeting down an uncovered manhole or wandering off into three lanes of oncoming traffic.
I have one who thinks it's her job to remind me what my name is. As in, "Mama, what are you doing, Mama? Mama, can I have some apple juicy, Mama? Mama, where are you going, Mama? Mama? Mama?" If I don't answer, she'll keep up this string of commentary until I do answer. And if I answer? She still keeps it up.
Good thing I don't have four children.
My trip to Chicago mid-month cannot come fast enough.
I love my children, I really do. But right now I would like to love them from a distance.
June 28, 2007
Under strict orders
The man of the house has ordered me to contain my woolies. As a result (and seeing as there is a 40 percent off sale at my LYS this weekend) I am parting with some lovely items.
The deals and steals are viewable at Flickr. Terms: PayPal preferred, first come, first served.
Let the games begin!
Good Things
The Posse
- Raesha
- Ramona
- C.D.
- Tina Cockburn
- Angie
- FlashBang
- Kelli Crowe
- The Pub: 2Peas
- HomeGrown
- Jen
- Marly
- Timmy
- Tia
- Firstborn
- Elisha
- Knitpurlknitpearl
- Kimberly
- Marilyn
- Cathy
- Carlene
- Dawn
- Erin
- Leslie
- ~Kristie
- Wendy
- Deb Trotter
- Moki
- Holly
- Maria
- Holly
- Tracey Roos
- Ragan
- Knitter's Review Forum
- Lisa B
- Tine
- Jody
- Tonya
- Jennifer
- Shannon
Bibliotherapy
Kate White: Lethally Blond (Bailey Weggins)
Kate White is the queen of hip, happening myster heroines. I've loved every one of the Bailey Weggins stories so far. White is a clever, of-the-moment writer who seamlessly incorporates Carrie Bradshaw-esque sensibilities into a Miss Marple intellect. This latest Bailey mystery does not meet the standards of the previous books. While the writing is still slick and sexy, the plot is tenuous at best (we're supposed to believe that Bailey would put so much effort and personal risk into investigating the disappearance of someone she's never met?). And the use of "Omigod" should be eliminated from all modern writing. That said, the climax is unexpected and sharp, and Bailey's life is sufficiently glamorous that I'm willing to overlook some of the shortcomings. (***)Anne Lamott: Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith
I loved Anne Lamott's early work, but in the past years, her animosity and anger, coupled with her unapologetic self-absorption, had scared me off. I picked up this book with the understanding that Lamott had mellowed a bit, and I was happy to find that to be the case. There are still plenty of rants about the minutiae of her everyday life ("I'm breathing in! I'm breathing out!") but there are also some real gems here. If nothing else, she's brutally honest -- even about her own shortcomings. (***)Rhonda Britten: Do I Look Fat in This? : Get Over Your Body and On With Your Life
I do not watch TV, so I was not familiar with her work on "The Starting Over House" until I read this book. I had caught the show once or twice while traveling, so I quickly made the connection between the life coach I'd seen, and the author. Rhonda writes in a personal, easy-to-read style that makes her readers feel like she's sitting down with them over a skinny latte at the local Starbucks. She puts up no pretensions, and readily shares her less-than-glamorous personal history and struggles. The strengths of this book are Rhonda's approachability and sound advice. Where it falls a bit short is I feel it tries to do too much at once. Rhonda's personal struggles are interspersed with those of the participants in The Starting Over House and the women who shared their feelings about their bodies for the photos at the beginning of each chapter. I think the book would have been stronger if she had stuck to one approach -- just her own stories, or just those of the clients she's helped. Instead, I felt a little like a pingpong ball, zipping between one story here and Rhonda's story there. All that said, Rhonda's message is simple and clear: You can live in the NOW, or you can put off your "real life" until you lose five, ten, fifteen, or more pounds. The life in that future time is less important than your life in the here and now, so you may as well get moving. Thank you, Rhonda, for sharing your story so honestly. You will help a lot of people. (***)Simon Rich: Ant Farm: And Other Desperate Situations
While Simon Rich is doubtless a very funny guy, these stories simply do not translate well to the written word. I am sure that he would have the whole bar rolling on the floor, were you to hear him in person. But when they're written instead of spoken, they lose something in the conversion. That being said, there are still some gems here... my favorite: the riff on the Army recruitment commercials. Buy this collection if you must, but I'd suggest waiting for the audio book. (***)Debbie Macomber: Back on Blossom Street (The Knitting Books #3)
I was thrilled to see Debbie Macomber return to Blossom Street. It was rewarding to see how the characters from her first two books had progressed, as well as being introduced to new women to cheer for. The strengths of Macomber's writing are her sympathetic characters...Alix in particular is a compelling character, and I loved seeing her relationship with Jordan progress. The introduction of Colette kept the series moving forward without abandoning the previous group of women. I have to say that my least favorite character is Lydia. Her life has become too complacent, and even the progression of her mother's illness didn't serve to pull me into her life. I was more interested in what was going on with her customers than with her! While I've loved the Shop on Blossom Street stories, I think it may be time to leave this story behind and perhaps find a new knitting shop to explore. (***)
