Sunday, August 5, 2018

Trying something different

I am finding I use my desktop less and less, and my iPad more and more.  I want to try blogging from my iPad but have not found an easy way to do this with Blogger.  I'm going to see if I can use Wordpress and blog from that platform.  My new blog on Wordpress is:

www.lisafaules.wordpress.com

My new blog will still be An Abundance of Projects and Plans.  I'm starting with their free blog level.  Pop-up adds are a concern of mine.  If those get bothersome I may look at one of their pay for accounts.  Any advice you might have for this transition would be appreciated. 

Thank for stopping by and I hope you'll look at my new space.  Lisa


Sunday, July 22, 2018

coffee mugs, bird people and a blanket

We have about one month of summer vacation left before school starts.  I've been thinking about what things I'd like to accomplish before we are back in school and work mode.  After last summer's big purge of excess clutter I've spent this summer trying to organize what we do have.  I saw Kay (The Crazy Sock Lady podcast) post an Instagram photo of her Ikea hanging rack holding her Starbucks mugs.  I have a collection of Starbucks mugs and an Ikea not too far away from us.  I'm so happy to have seen her picture.  I really like how our mugs are now arranged.  What you are seeing is our overflow mugs. The kitchen cabinet is full of all our other ones.  Yes, I know it's a lot of mugs, but we like them and we use them.



Besides Starbucks mugs I also like pottery mugs.  I've bought a few from craft shows or thrift stores.  I don't frequent the thrift stores as much as I once did.  After the massive purge I have been very selective as to what comes home with me.  That being said when I came across the bird man and women cup I knew it had found a home, mine!  The bird people are so bizarre, my family says that's an understatement.  The one bird looks oddly like Patrick Stewart.  There are no markings on the bottom so I have no idea as to the artist.  I would love to know who created this little gem and how it ended up in the thrift store.  The price for this little treasure was only $3.00, what a steal!  It will now be used to hold my crochet hooks.









 

I have been obsessively crocheting the Cozy Stripe Blanket.  The only time I work on any other projects is crocheting or knitting during longer car rides or knit night at the local sewing store. If I'm sitting down to watch Youtube or TV then I'm crocheting on this blanket. 




Sometimes I have a furry obstacle to work around.  All the animals enjoy is blanket.  They're just ready for me to be finished with it.


Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  Lisa

Thursday, July 5, 2018

A finished project and two in progress

We had a nice quiet day at home to celebrate the 4th of July.  I finished a holiday wreath in time to add a little festive flare to our front door.     


I've also finished my rainbow scarf.  It was my first knit project that I started myself.  There are a few mistakes but that's part of learning.  I love the bright colors and can't wait to wear it on grey winter days.  Being that the heat index is around 100 degrees winter seems like it's years away.






I'm now calling my Cozy Stripe blanket the Heat Wave blanket.  It's getting closer to being finished and that's good motivation to keep going. 



My other big summer project is to get these photos organized.  I have put off this task for way too long.  My motto for this project is "Anything is better than the current method!"


This is a very overwhelming project.  I'm trying to break it into small tasks.  I have a feeling the scanner and I are going to become best friends. 



I hope your summer projects are making progress. 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit, Lisa

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Books and Blanket

Friday I went to one of my favorite summer events, the annual used book sale.  For a book nerd it's like Christmas in June.


It was a very rainy day and I spent the morning looking for treasures. 



I always manage to find a few that peak my interest.  I was hoping to find some drawing or painting books. There weren't many in that category.  I did find a book on drawing Zentangles.  I haven't made those before and this book looks fun.







Besides searching for books I've been working on my Cozy Stripe Blanket.  Bru thinks it's a perfect place to wait out a passing thunder storm.  I'm trying to use the summer months as a time to finish outstanding projects.  We'll see how far I get with that prospect.  It seems every time I say I'm going to only work on WIPs I end up starting three new projects. 


Maybe this time I'll stick to my resolve and finish some things.  One can hope! 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit,  Lisa


Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Knitting, Mistakes, and Books

I seem to have lost my blog flow.  The problem is I overthink everything, what I write, the pictures I post,  am I saying the same thing over and over?  Then I think what difference does it matter as long as I like what I'm doing.  So I'll plod along at what ever rambles pop into my head. 

I've been knitting away on my rainbow scarf.  However, all knitting abruptly stopped when I managed to make two mistakes.  It's frustrating to know I've made a mistake but not be able to figure out how to fix it.  My first plan of action was to text my sister.  Knitting help over text messages isn't alway helpful.  I ended up having to go to the local yarn store.  The clerk was extremely helpful and I learned about their weekly knit night.  None of my local friends knit or crochet so I am very interested in attending a knit night. 


My second mistake I did fix myself but honestly I'm not sure exactly how I did it.  I'm just glad it looks correct and I'm back to knitting and purling.


After the mistakes I checked out two knitting books from the library.    I'm going to read through them and decide if I might buy one to have on hand for the next time I make a mistake.  YouTube has been great so I'm not sure if I will purchase a book.



Besides knitting I finished A Little Life.  This was not my favorite book.  I had a hard time sympathizing with the main character.  What had happened to him was horrific but I didn't like his interactions with the other characters.  I felt he was very selfish.  It was recommended to me by two work friends.  They both count it as one of their favorite books.  I'm not sorry I read it.  It has given me plenty to think about.  It would make for a great book club discussion.


The next book I'll read is The Immortalist.  I've heard good things about it.  We'll see if I like this one any better.  At one time I was very diligent about listing everything I read or listened to on Goodreads.  I'm trying to get back in the habit of tracking the books I'm reading.


Bru has giving the Cozy Stripe blanket his seal of approval for being a good nap blanket.



I may have to follow Bru's lead this afternoon.  A nap sounds like a very good idea.


Thank you for stopping by for a visit,  Lisa

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Happy First Day of Spring!

Ok, so today is not so much spring like.  Winter is having one last hurrah.  We've had very little snow this season so I'm ok with the tiny amount that we've had today.


The weather personalities on the news are saying we could get more but I'm not hopeful.  They haven't been right about any of the other snow forecasts.  At least this year my daffodils haven't bloomed.

It must be March Madness but I've been diligently working on my Cozy Strip Blanket.  I don't know if I'm going to have the stripes go horizontal or vertical.  If I choose horizontal I will make it more of a throw size.  If I pick horizontal then it will be more of a bedspread.  I'm not sure if I want a bedspread size.  It's very heavy as it is right now.





I was making this for my son but he has deemed it too colorful.  It is very colorful.  I was making it to use up my stash of acrylic yarns.  I still have a ton of acrylic yarn.

I did discard the dead violet that I had shown in my last post.   I reused the pot and replanted a violet I had in my kitchen.  Maybe it will survive.   



It may be snowing outside but inside it's looking more spring.  Every year the decorations get less and less. I hope the cats leave the pink bunny alone or that will be one less for next year. 


Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  Lisa

Thursday, February 22, 2018

untidy and weeds

I am usually a very tidy person.  The beds get made.  The dishes are washed.  The counter tops are cleared.  The laundry is at least in some state of progress.  But not lately, I've gotten very good at turning a blind eye to neatness.  There is a list a mile long of the things I should or need to do but don't.  Why bother?  The laundry is never done.  The counter tops seem to grow clutter, it's a shame my money doesn't multiply as fast.  Maybe it's a bad case of the end of winter blahs.  I don't really think that's the issue because I like winter.  I like grey days and cold temperatures.  I'm not ready for the heat or blinging bright days.  The inexhaustible weeds are already creeping into the flower beds.  It's still February, this is too early for weeds.



I know the above picture is only a fraction of the messy desk.  If you look to the right of the picture you can see my bright green list making notebook.  It has not had much use lately.  My sister sent me a make your own monkey kit.  Making a monkey will be more fun than sorting papers or making to-do lists.


While I haven't been doing many chores I have been doing some crocheting and knitting.  I've used up all the yarn I purchased for my Liula scarf.  I didn't use the suggested yarn.  I used a Knit Picks yarn.  My scarf is not as long as I would like it.  The yarn is currently out of stock.  I'm hoping it will be back in stock in March.  I know the dye lot will probably not be a match but I'm not too concerned.  I'd rather have it long enough and know I'll wear it. 


My knitted scarf is coming along nicely.  I am feeling a wee bit more comfortable with making my knit and purl stitches.  I went to my local yarn store and the owner helped me to hold my yarn the continental way.  I like this much better than throwing the yarn.  I'm a little faster too.  The buffet cabinet is showcasing a mixture of winter, Valentine's, and Easter decorations.


The Cozy Stripe blanket has had very little progress.  It's kept in one of my favorite tote bags.  I'm hoping that inspires me to keep working on it.  This is what I like to call a long, long term project.



Besides the weed issue our front bushes are not looking too healthy.  I don't have the greenest of thumbs.  I don't even know what king of bushes these are.  I like plants and flowers but the heat of summer, weeds, and mosquitos,  keeps me from really enjoying gardening.  I plan on emailing our local garden co-op and asking if they have any thoughts on what the problem of the bushes might be.  I'm hoping they are molting, that is if bushes molt.


Plants are not safe in my care.  I really should remove the pot of dirt from the living room since it's very obvious there is no hope for a regrowth.


Why can I not kill weeds as easily?

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  I hope your garden is weedless and your house plants are all thriving.  Lisa