A little tease

Ok, I have been wanting to write a new post for the last four days. Yeah, I'm thinking that didn't work so well. I've actually been busy. I have tried some new recipes and created some new little creations. Today I watched some good movies, as well. Hopefully, tomorrow I can get my act together and provide descriptions and pix.
Interested yet?

Birdie and a window

About two years ago my DFaN, and partner in crime, were driving around looking for garage sales. We drove by a small house that had some old sash windows on the curb with a sign that said "Free". Yup you guessed it we stop and each grabbed one. We had no idea what we were going to do with them. It has patiently leaned against one wall or another. It has sat being bumped, moved and jostled and never breaking.

Last Wednesday afternoon, I found myself watching the Wee Ones and even their antics were not able to keep my eyes opened. My mum suggested I take a nap. Normally, it's something I don't like to do because I feel like I'm wasting the day, but I took her up on her offer to keep and eye on the busy boys. For some reason when I was at that stage when you are just coming out of sleep and are still in that dreamy state, I found myself imagining a bird pincushion. A whimsical one. Made from calico maybe, something bright and cheerful.

I felt compelled to get up and create such a pincushion. And did just that.

She still needs some black eyes, but she's just fine for now.

Well then came the dilemma of where this little birdie would sit. Hmmmm.... It would look very cute sitting on a shelf next to the knitting supplies. Yet no shelf was there. My mum remembered we had an old wood box and maybe that would suffice. But it didn't look good next to the picture we had hanging. For some reason, the patient window sprang to mind. Yes, but what to do with it? I decided to do this.

I placed cup hooks on the bottom of the window frame

My attempt at translating these four words into French

I can't take credit for the beautiful Celtic star. I found it online. I used permanent marker for the black and acrylic paint for the gold. I'm still playing with the idea of painting the frame black. I'm gonna live with it this way for a bit and see what the window decides it wants me to do.

An Amazing Contest

The Bloody Bookaholic is having an amazing contest. I read about it on Darcy's Knotty Knitter. I originally just went over to check out the blog because Darcy mentioned it. But when I got there it looked like a really interesting blog.

Here are some of the prize possibilities:

"There are going to be a bunch of books to give away, options:

- Signed copy of Dreaming Anastasia + Goodies

- Hardback Another Faust

- Hardback Prophecy of the Sisters

- ARC Eyes Like Stars + Backstage Pass Bracelet and some Theater-Theme Swag.

- ARC The Dark Divine

- ARC Hush Hush

- ARC Give Up The Ghost

- ARC Ash

- ARC Behind Every Illusion

- ARC Shiver

- ARC The Demon's Lexicon

- ARC Betraying Season

- ARC Any Given Doomsday

- Dead Until Dark

- Gossip Girl 1st Book

- The Black Tatto + poster

- Vampire Academy

- Frost Bite, a Vampire Academy Novel.

- Shadow Kiss, a Vampire Academy Novel.

- Blood Promise, a Vampire Academy Novel."

So head on over and join in on the fun. You can tell her that either Darcy or I sent you.

This morning went much better doing the whole cleaning thing. My body actually decided to cooperate with me. Whew, am I glad! I actually was able to finish a little early today. It was great leaving and realizing that my "job" was done for the day. I just had to go home and be a mom.

Now I just have to adapt to the early to bed and early to rise thing. Because when I get home I end up feeling tired and sleepy by about 10 am. Not such a great combination when dealing with the Wee Ones.

I have also been searching for some deep red fingering weight yarn. I want to knit a lacy scarf. It's amazing how hard it is to find the right color red. I want it to have a substantial amount of yardage, over 400. I looked on etsy and found a few yarns that look nice. My only dilemma is that I don't have the money right now. Well actually I do but I need to use it for bills, blast it! So if anyone knows of a garnet, deep red fingering weight yarn for me to check out just let me know.

Kickin' my butt

Well I went to the first day of cleaning the Post Office today. Boy am I out of shape. My lower back is mad at me, my knees aren't speaking to me and my hands are not wanting to cooperate. In my defense I will say that I was trying to play catch up on the cleaning. It appears that small things had been neglected for a little while and so it was definitely taking me longer than it should. Plus I ended up standing in the janitors closet for a good 15 minutes this morning when I arrived, just trying to figure out what the heck was going on with the supplies. I felt completely out of my element, but decided to forge ahead. I couldn't find anything that claimed to be glass cleaner and so I had to ask the Post Master if an unmarked bottle of solution was just that, glass cleaner. He jovially responded to me that he thought it was, but that if it melted something to just try something else. Good answer. I figure it will take the rest of this week to try and play catch up and then by next week I should have a routine. I must admit it was lovely getting done with work so early and being able to come home to the family. I loved the greeting the smallest gave me, just a huge cuddle and was happy to just sit in my arms with his head on my shoulder. The only problem was my back was beginning to yell obscenities at me and so I had to put him down.

Hopefully my body parts and I will be on speaking terms by tomorrow morning. Wish me luck negotiating a truce with them.

Playing with patches and eating cheese

Well we finally got all the fabric cut for the quilt. I have 75 - 5" squares to play with.

I don't have equal numbers in all the squares, obviously. Not too bad of a collection of coordinating fabrics for diggin' through the ol' stash. I will just need to get fabric for the border, if I do one, and for the back.

I think I'm coming down with a bad case of the quilting bug, because I am already planning my next project. Now there is optimism for ya. The are so many beautiful fabrics out there. I have been looking at Charm Packs. These are pre-cut 5" squares. I even found a store on eBay that is selling two charm packs and a jelly roll, this is 40-2.5" strips 44" long, together for a decent price. Then I stumbled across this site, Pikku-Ketta. How cool is that. What I appreciate about this quilt is the fact that it's simple in structure, but striking in look. You want to see something on her blog that literally made my jaw drop? Check out this link. To me that is some serious quilting dedication and talent. So impressive. I ended up poking around her site and found out that the author is on ravelry and appears to be a very talented knitter as well as quilter. Also, while looking around her wonderful blog I discovered this blog. Again what I'm loving about these quilts is the simple cuts to the pieces making up the quilts. While I appreciate intricate quilts, I don't have any delusions that I will do that sort of thing. I just don't have the patience. Seeing these quilts with the simple blocks and use of white really appeals to me and gives me ideas for my own quilt(s).

The eating cheese aspect of the post title comes from the Queso Fresca that my sister, Yanez Farms sent to us. It is so delicious and has fantastic texture. It was great knowing that the milk to create this cheesy goodness came straight from her own cow. I really love it. If she decides to sell this, whoever buys it will be spoiled and never want to buy store bought again.

Asbestos and quilting

I went to training today for my job. It was asbestos and hazmat training. Yes, exciting stuff I tell you. I sat through a two hour training cd for the asbestos. It was something that the Post Office had taped in 2006 and it was just...well...riveting. (cough, cough). It had such helpful hints as don't breathe in asbestos dust. Check. If you see asbestos dust don't disturb it. Check. Most Americans already have a certain amount of asbestos in our lungs. Oh goody! And, my favorite bit of helpful information, Steve McQueen, supposedly died from asbestos related lung cancer. Ok, then. Well now my asbestos training is complete. Woo Hoo. Next.

So I'm going to try quilting. Yes, I know just what I need is another hobby. What inspired me to try a quilt was Miss Posie gets Cosy. Her quilt is so lovely and dreamy. I could just imagine being snuggled under it reading a good book, with a lovely cuppa and maybe a little something to nibble. Yeah I know I live in LaLa Land right next to a quaint place called De-nile. Because we all know as soon as I began to snuggle under any blanket I would have the Wee Ones trying to pounce on me and heavens forbid there would be any hot liquid sitting near by, for I would certainly be wearing it. Let's totally forget having a little something to nibble, because the smallest Wee One more than likely would be walking off with it. But I can dream. So I searched through my small fabric stash and was actually able to find some fabric that coordinated, red, black and cream. I found some black fabric that I had had for sometime. I can't even remember what it is left over from or where I got it. I decided to wash it in case it ran. Well the color did run and so did the strength.




I have never seen a fabric disintegrate like this. It was very strange, but I'm so glad I washed it before I used it in the quilt. Hey maybe this was at some time stored next to asbestos....no, guess not. (shrug)

Geez it's been a strange couple of days, but I'm cool like dat

I wrote that post about helping a girl out with ideas on how to come up with some extra moola. Remember? Of course you do because all of my posts are so incredibly interesting and noteworthy. Anywho, moving right along....my DFaN called me last Wednesday and told me about a position that was available, cleaning our local post office. (Yes, I know glamorous, but I'm smooth like dat) I went and spoke to the new Post Master, a very nice gentleman, last Friday. I start cleaning next Monday. It's not the grandest job but the hours are perfect and the little (stress little) income will be very helpful and greatly appreciated by this girl.

I then finished the "representational figure" that I started for my DFaN's son. Since he's 9 I call it that instead of a doll. His name is Oliver Graham, or Little OG...

Cuz he's cool like dat

Then last night I get a call from my sister. She has been trying to set up a website for their farm. Being the oh so hip and savvy younger sister that I am, suggested a blog. Yeah huh. Real cool. I ended up staying up to 2 am setting one up for her. I kept fighting with the code for the button to her website. It was mocking me, I just know it. But today between arguing with the Wee Ones, the smallest one growls at me now when he disagrees with what I say, and watching my DFaN youngest, Princess Persnickety, I was actually able to whip that code into shape and let it know who was boss. You all should go over and show her a little comment love. Yanez Farms. It's a simple design, but I like the way that the banner and her button turned out, even if I do say so myself. Cuz, yup you know it, I'm cool like dat. (grin)

A backyard adventure

Today the weather was great. It was sunny and warm but not so warm that the smallest wee one couldn't go out. You see he's just a delicate little flower of a fellow. (scoff, scoff) Actually he does not do well in the heat. He is so fair that he just gets red and does not tan. Therefore if it's too hot outside he can't go out for long. But today was perfect for him.


So out they ran. Catch me if you can!


Well looky dere! It's a tractor working on the road Momma.


Now let's run back.


Look we have a guest coming to visit.


A grasshopper on a string next to the backdoor. He had the coolest back legs. The upper part were black and white stripes with the lower part being a wonderful lime green. He was a very smartly dressed hopper. I kept thinking of Tim Burton every time I looked at him.


I held the yarn the yarn parallel to try and get a better photo. Obviously it didn't work.


Then the boys remembered the tomato plants.


Little tomatoes waiting to turn red.


Here are some more Momma.


My own cute tomato.


Geez, that was some adventure. I think I'll just have a quiet interlude. (sigh)

Help a girl out

Ok, I've wracked my brain and I'm at a loss. I would like to come up with some extra money to be able to purchase some quilting supplies. The Infi-knity bags aren't selling (sigh). Even after a very sweet and noble attempt by Miss AmyBel by hosting a contest to show off the etsy store. (Thank you so much!)

We are on a buying moratorium. Mostly because we are casse (french for broke), but also because we are implementing a plan to save money for moving. I'm glad my Dh finally decided to make the decision to become serious about moving. But since we have already not been able to indulge in little extras, making this plan to really buckle down, has me trying to come up with alternatives to sooth my creative beast. I recently read Posie Gets Cosy blog and it inspired me to want to try a similar quilt, only in lap blanket size. Plus my mum would also like to be able to work on a quilt. A project we could work on together.

I'm not whining but this really sucks not being able to purchase supplies for crafting. No yarn, (gasp). No fabric, (gasp). No other crafting supplies (gasp, gasp, gasp!). I feel like I'm going to go through withdrawals.

So now, I'm turning to you out there in the ether world. Maybe you can think of a new way for me to either pimp the bags or a new way for me to make $100 or so. Any ideas?

And what did you learn today?

Lately The Boy, my wonderful 14 year old son (yes I realize that statement should be an oxymoron) has been really interested in Astronomy.

I happen to know a little about some constellations but really nothing else. He has been reading about novas, supernovas, nebulae and dark holes. Every once in while he comes and tells me something he has read and I end up looking at him like he's speaking some foreign language.

So this evening, using this website , we went outside when it got dark and looked at the stars. He was trying to find Andromeda. Well I could find Cassiopeia and from there we tried to find Andromeda. But there was too much light and we weren't sure if we found it. Looking at our SkyMap and then looking up at the sky, we found Cepheus. I had no idea who or what Cepheus was. The Boy looked it up on Wikipedia and we learned that Cepheus was the King of AEthiopia, Cassiopeia was his queen and Andromeda was their daughter. How cool is that. This is how the constellations were positioned.

So we learned something new. How about you? What did you learn today?

Our house to come

I can see a backyard suited for sitting. I can see it with a garden, an area for the children and dog to play. I can see a table with comfortable chairs and one of those decorative fire pits as well as a BBQ. During the day you would be able to sit out under a large umbrella or awning to hide from the glare of the sun. At night you would be able to sit out and look at the stars and speak in hushed tones as not to insult the night's display. It would have a strong, patient, sturdy tree planted in one corner. The kind that will allow you to play hide and seek or a magical place for the boys to climb. There would be soft green grass. The kind that invites you to lay down and look at the ever shifting shape of the clouds as they make their journey across the sky. Chimes would be hanging near by. When the wind blows they would tell tales of a time when magic was carried on the breeze. The garden area would be home to herbs and spices and sassy little perennials. There would be quaint re purposed garden decorations and maybe even a fairy dwelling or two.

The house that guarded this backyard would be like a dear old friend. The type that welcomes you with open arms and is glad you are there. It would have enough rooms to make everyone comfortable yet not so large as to be daunting to keep neat and clean. It would have hardwood floors and a fireplace. The windows would be just the right number to allow in the maximum of cheery sunshine without making it feel like you were residing in a fishbowl.

As you entered this home, from the backyard, you would be greeted by the mud/laundry room. It would not be a large ostentatious space but large enough to comfortably house the washer and dryer as well as a place to leave up the ironing board and store the shoes.

Then you would find the kitchen. It would be the kind that would make you feel the confidence to try wonderful new recipes yet be happy to just have a simple meal prepared. It would be big enough to hold friends having a interesting discussion about the current day politics or to just have the children be able to play on the floor and not be worried about being trod on by an inspiring chef.

There would be a dining room that held a table that would be grateful for having a family gathering seated. Or be just as content having it's surface being used as a launching pad for some new artistic creation.

The living room would be just for that. Living. It would house comfortable furniture that just begs for you to put your feet up and stay awhile. It would be the place that the family gathers to celebrate, discuss, love, laugh, cry and relax. We would warm our chilled appendages by the warmth of it's fireplace, and place our proud portraits on it's mantle.

The house would also have a den that would serve dual purpose. It would allow a place for computers to happily hum as the boys battled with imaginary foes and explored unknown regions. But it would also be place for craft items to sit and wait while they were called to duty.

The bedrooms would allow each of us a place of our own. A place that we might be still and quiet. A place to rest our weary heads and dream.

There would be two bathrooms. Each with a small window to allow for the escape of swirling steam from a shower or to allow fresh air in.

This lovely house would also boast a front covered porch. It would be large enough to allow the boys some place dry to play on a rainy day. Or allow you to sit and just watch your neighborhood go by. It would hold the jack-o-lanterns at Halloween and the twinkling lights at Christmas. It would welcome your guests and be a place for strangers to wait before being granted entry.

I might not know all the details of the house or it's current location, but I see and feel it. I see it waiting for us patiently. Wanting us to come and reside in it. To be happy and share our family with it. It would protect us from wrongs and give us loving solace at times of sorrow. It would take care of us and we would gladly take care of it. Our family home.

*Sorry to bore you all with this but, felt compelled to write this. So I went with the feeling.

An Award!

Miss AmyBel has been kind enough to pass this award to me.

Rules:
1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Copy the image above, the rules and the questionnaire in this post.
3. Post this in one or all of your blogs.
4. Answer the four questions following these Rules.
5. Recruit at least seven (7) friends on your Blog Roll by sharing this with them.
6. Come back to BLoGGiSTa iNFo CoRNeR (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK) at http://bloggistame.blogspot.com and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List.
7. Have Fun!

Questions & Your Answers:
1. The person who tagged you: AmyBel
2. His/her site's title and url: http://knittinginmybackyarn.blogspot.com/
3. Date when you were tagged: August 1, 2009
4. Persons you tagged:

Alex the Girl-Please Try Again

Posie Gets Cosy

Photo.Knit.Dog.

Were Those Wrinkles There Yesterday?

Walking Within The Spiral

Building Our Nest

Daily Stitches