The week in between

Christmas morning was all smiles and a little bedhead.  The anticipation may be a little less than when they were small but it was still a fun morning.

I always love seeing pictures of the aftermath or the unwrapping.  I think Santa managed to find most everything on the wish lists.  

Santa even remembered to bring Bru a little something.  I was sure he was on the naughty list for barking excessively and pestering the cats.  Santa must have forgotten those infractions.

Dan and I walk Bru most every night.  These past few nights have been especially fun as we've been doing a bit of Christmas blow-up character safari.  Our neighborhood has done a great job of getting into the festive spirit.  I do think there is a slightly quirky vibe going on with some of the homes.

No, Santa is not being burned at the stake.  This is jet-pack Santa.  I guess he got tired of the slow reindeer.

Spider-man looks like he's sitting in a meditation pose on top of the chimney.  It's a shame he forgot his santa hat.

The skeletons holding Santa's bag is one of the more odd displays.  It's nice to see the Halloween decorations getting a second life.  I'm all about using what you have around the house.

Of course, what is Christmas with out Santa Yoda.  There was a Darth Vader but his photo didn't turn out so well.  He was hiding on the dark side - he he he.

My sister gave me this awesome mug for Christmas.  Being from Arkansas the Boggy Creek monster will always have a special place in my heart.

This is just a random funny picture of Binxy.  This cat will contort her skinny little body into most anyplace it will fit.  Baskets and boxes are one of her favorite places to sleep.

The cats decided they have had enough of the amaryllis.  This mishap took place the day after Christmas. Honestly I'm surprised it lasted so long.  

I am off to work on my list of New Year's goals and plans.  I always have so many things I want to try and do.  I'll also be watching the Razorbacks play in the Belk Bowl.  It's Virginia Tech vs. Arkansas.  I do love Virginia but I can't help but hope the Hogs win.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit and Woo Pig Sooie!

Counting down the days

As with most things in my life I started this post but wasn't able to complete it in one sitting or even on the same day.  The pictures show a sunny day.  Today however is again grey and as of right now icy outside.  The forecast calls for the temperature to warm up as the day progresses.  I do hope that is the case.  I'd love to make a trip to Barnes and Noble. I so love browsing a bookstore.

When the kids were little they would take turns moving the gold candy cane to count down each day till christmas.  Now that they are older I'm the one that moves the candy cane each day.  I find it rather stressful.  It's like an "in your face" reminder of how little time you have to do an enormous amount of stuff!  At least Santa is cute to look at as we tick off those days.

The amaryllis is also helping me mark the passing of each day.  It continues to lean but the blooms are lovely.

I finished the Squidge Shawl. (pattern can be found on ravelry)  It has been wrapped up in pretty Christmas paper and sent to its intended recipient.  It's nice to have a finished project.  I've been in a crocheting lull.

It's not all lists and things to do, Dan and I had lunch at a local pizza parlor on Thursday. Their decorations were so pretty.  I love paper snow flakes.

After lunch we ran a few errands.  I should have brought home two boxes from Costco.  The cats have been taking turns sleeping in this one.  Avi is on the floor waiting patiently for her turn.

I guess it doesn't matter the size of a dog.  They all think they will fit on your lap.  Bru is about five pounds over the comfortable lap dog size but we try to make it work.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit.  I'm off to hopefully get a few more items checked off the     To-Do list.

Lisa

Grey Tuesday

I'm glad to have a sparkling tree to help brighten a grey, rainy day.  I'm not complaining, the rain is much needed.  It does make the craving for a nap so much more intense.

My Amaryllis has a lean to it.  I turn it daily to try to help it stand tall.  I'm not too worried about it. There are days I have a little lean to my stand too.  The tiny tree finally has some adornments.  I crocheted beads on thread to make the garland.  I like the simplicity of it.  So far the cats have not bothered it.  We still have the rest of the month to see what happens.

The ping pong table has become Santa's workshop.  I need to make a visit to the post office for mailing boxes.  Those "If it fits, It ships" boxes are very handy.  It would be nice to have the gifts I will send to family in Arkansas ready to mail this weekend.

A much needed cup of coffee this afternoon to help power through the chore list.  The festive mug makes me smile as I check off items from the To Do list.  I do think the mug needs a holiday coaster to go with it. A nice cheerful red would be be very pretty.

I hope you are having a wonderful week.  Thank you for stopping by for a visit.  Lisa

It's beginning to look a bit like Christmas

Thanksgiving hasn't even arrived and little bits of Christmas keep popping up in our home.  I'll blame it on this guy for an early bloom.  Ok, all the Christmas stuff out at Target probably didn't help.

Isn't it lovely?  My son planted it as just a sprig ten years ago.  It thrives best when neglected.  I find that is the best plan with my house plants.  When I give them too much love they seems to look sickly.  I also planted an amaryllis bulb.  The pot it came it was functional but not so pretty. Thank goodness I had yarn and could fix that problem.

Since I had my Christmas plants out I decided to get a few Christmas books to look at.  I enjoy looking at all the pretty decorations.  I do have to remind myself that those are staged pictures.  My house will NEVER look like those books and that's OK.  

I have my Christmas craft projects in Christmas bags.  The green bag is holding yarn for a gift I'm making for my niece.  She will get pot holders.  The pattern is from My Rose Valley.  It is the vintage pot holder pattern.  It is a pay for pattern and can be found on ravelry.  I am very pleased with the pattern, easy to follow and a very pretty final project.

The penguin bag holds Christmas colored yarns and a couple bead kits I picked up at the craft store in the dollar section.  I call this my bag of distractions.  Rather than work on current projects I can make Christmas coasters or snowflakes.

I've picked up few other early Christmas treats.  The tiny candle and snowflake candle holder is from Bath and Body Works and I can't resist holiday candy and cookies.  These will not be opened until December or at least until after Thanksgiving!   Well maybe I will only open the cookies today.  The plan is to start putting up the Christmas tree.  A cookie will go nicely with decorating and watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  I'll bet I can rationalize opening the Kisses too!

Thank you for stopping by for a visit.  If you are celebrating Thanksgiving I wish you a Happy and Safe holiday.  To those not celebrating the holiday I wish you a Happy and Safe day.

November Winter Project Link Party

I'm linking up with Jennifer for the Winter Project Party.  I've made a bit of progress on the Cozy Stripe Blanket.  I would make more progress if I'd stop staring aimlessly at the television.  I'm still proud of what I've accomplished even if I'm already feeling like this may go past winter.

I think this photo has hit an all time low for crumminess.  It really is hard to believe I have a degree in art and my major field was photography!  Arrrgghhh, I'm sure my former teacher would be appalled.  I seem to think about the photography aspect after the fact.  I was in Walmart today and saw a gift set of Calgon.  Anyone else remember those ads "Calgon Take Me Away.?"  I know I'm showing my age with that trip down memory lane.  After I left the store it hit me I should have taken a picture of it then I could have used it as a clever picture for my post election discussion.  Speaking of politics, the election did not go as I would have hoped.  That being said, I know for as strongly as I feel about my position those on the other side feel equally as strong about theirs.  We won't change each others minds.  May kindness and compassion on both sides be what leads us.  I am so happy for the opportunity to vote.  It is such a privilege.

Tomorrow is Veterans Day.  I'd like to say Thank You to everyone who has served this great country. Without your sacrifice we would not have the amazing country to call home.  Thank you.

Decorating for November

Boo!  We survived Halloween.  We didn't have as many trick or treaters this year.  The kids in the neighborhood are growing up and each year there are less and less.  It was still a fun evening, and there was lots of candy for everyone.

Today I put away most of the Halloween decorations.  Maybe by next year I will crochet at least one more coaster.

The full picture of the kitchen table shows there are still piles of stuff.  No use hiding it.  It's a part of our lives.

These are the placemats I'll use for Thanksgiving.  Maybe I'll get four coasters crocheted to match them.

I finally changed my chalk board sign.  Writing in chalk is not as easy as I remembered from school. The bird figurine next to the chalk board looks like it's reading my sign.

Here's a few more of the November decorations.  I wonder how long it will take the cats before they go after the scarecrows hair?

I have my trio of pumpkins for the dining room table.  It's uncanny how Binxy can walk through a room just as I'm taking the picture.  I know she's coming to see what I'm doing.  She's always hopeful yarn might be involved.

Yes, that's the cat's food on the table.  If it stays down on the floor the dog eats it.  I did at least put  their bowls on a tray.


I'm noticing I take a lot of pictures in the exact same spots.  I will try and mix it up for my next post.

Happy November!

We all know about good intentions

I had an adjusted work week and ended the week with being off Thursday and Friday.  I had such good intentions for those four consecutive days off.  My plan was to have Thursday as my do what I want day and work on my crafts.  Of course I had plans to finish ALL of my current projects.  Then the other days would be equally as productive with things around the house.  I would get tons accomplished.  I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Once finished with ALL my current craft projects on Thursday I would then cook a homemade dinner, tidy up, read and go to bed.  After a wonderful night's sleep I would then rid my house of ALL unwanted clutter, weed the flower beds, wash and fold ALL laundry, do every last item on my to-do list, and cook another homemade dinner. Then on Sunday I would run errands, get groceries, make some homemade chocolate chip cookies, and cook yet another amazing home cooked meal.  Well all I have done is successfully paved that road to Hell with my good intentions.

Our kitchen as of Sunday morning.   It is obviously NOT de-cluttered.  Yes, that is a jar of chocolate pecan turtle in front of the box of Cap'N Crunch.  We are messy and we eat sugar!

I still haven't put away all the little piles of things in the dining room.  Some days I feel like the queen of the piles.  I know none of this is extremely terrible.  I just prefer a more tidy home.  That being said I made very little attempt to change my surrounding.  And for the record, only one load of laundry was washed.  I did not take any picture of those piles because after all that would be airing my dirty laundry.  I'll show you my messy kitchen but I draw the line at somethings.

Not much may have been accomplished over the past four day but I did take a nice nap on Saturday. I also spent some of my time working on the Cozy Stripe blanket.  Although I didn't manage to finish this Crafting Thursday I have made progress.  I have run into one of the hazards of using up yarn from the stash - not enough on the skein.  No need to worry, my stash is rather substantial.  I had another skein that was close enough to match.

I hope your weekend was productive!  Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

Lisa

Winter Project Link Party

I am joining in with Jennifer at her Winter Project Link Party.  Since the granny square blanket is finished I thought it would be nice to have a blanket to crochet during the colder months.  I've had it in my mind I would make a Spice of Life Blanket.  That is such a pretty pattern.  I printed the pattern but for some reason I hesitated starting it.  I did a ravelry search of crochet blankets and saw the Cozy Stripe Blanket from the blog Attic24.  I am hoping to make this blanket for my son and the Cozy Stripe seemed more of his style.  I would also like to use up as much stash yarn as I can with this project. That being said I'm already thinking I might need to purchase and eggplant purple color skein of yarn.  I am really going to try and NOT buy any other yarns for this project.

I have been putting out a few Halloween/Fall decorations.  Even though the kids are older they still like to have the house look festive for the different seasons and holidays.

I made this scarecrow a year ago.  The pattern called for a sculpted face.  Being rather lazy mine has a non-sculpted face.  I like him as he is and so far the cats have not bothered him.

My mom made the witch years ago.  She's not such a scary witch.  I do think she is having a bad hair day but I can totally relate to that situation.

My craft corner of the family room has some fall and Halloween flair.  I bought a new fleece throw with autumn leaves and I my Jack-o-lantern project bag has a Halloween project in it.  The big question is will I finish this project before the end of the month???

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  Hopefully next post I will be able to share exactly what my Halloween project will be.

Year of Projects Week 13

I have finished the granny square blanket!!!!  I actually finished almost two weeks ago.  Well, almost finished it.  I still needed to cut the yarn from the skien and sew the ends.  This project has been in the works for so long I think I needed to let it sit and get used to the idea it was complete.

I could not spread the blanket over all of the bed due to the cat.  Avi loves napping in Lindsay's room. It was nice to be able to take the picture in her mostly tidy room.  I cropped the laundry out of the shot. No need to air our dirty laundry here : )

The other project I have been working on is a Squidge.  It's an asymmetrical scarf/shawl pattern from Ravelry.  The pattern is by Glenda Howell.  I'm using one of the Caron Cake Yarns.  I had a tough time getting the pattern started.  It was a little confusing to me.  There is a graph and that was very helpful.  Once I got it started I'm finding is very easy. 

I am really enjoying this yarn.  It is so soft and squishy.  I have two more skeins, one pink and one rainbow.  I do wish I would have bought one more skeins of the rainbow color.  The shawl I would like to make with it calls for more yarn than the one skein.  My Michael's store has already sold out of this yarn.  It was quite the craze!  

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  Lisa

What to start

I have finished the granny square blanket.  Well, at least I think I have.  It's been in the works for so long I hesitate to say it is complete.  I don't have any pictures to post of this monumental finish.  I hope to photograph it on my daughter's bed.  I say hope because as her room sits right now you wouldn't notice a granny square blanket.  I fear all you would see is the complete disarray of a teenager's life.  It is her room.  I TRY to keep my mouth closed.  That is not easy.

Now to decide on the next project.  I have a few things that are still in progress.  I knit a round or two on my cowl each day.  The Christmas hexis should move to the front of the list.  It would be nice to have them finished.  But I keep thinking of all the new things I want to start.  A chevron or Spice of Life blanket would be fun and would use up stash yarn.

I also bought three Caron Cakes.  They were so pretty and I have zero self control.  Thanks goodness for Micheal's coupons.  Each skein has a pattern on the label.  There is a triangle shawl, a kerchief scarf, and a textured scarf.  They all have possibilities.

My son has asked for a crocheted basket for his room or I could make a fall doily.  I have too many things I want to make and my mind is not so focused.  I think that describes my state of mind, not so focused.  Craft projects are not the only things swirling around my head, so is everything else I need to do.  I get overwhelmed and then I don't do anything, so frustrating.   Sometimes picking one project and doing one task seems greater than swimming across the ocean.

I hope to accomplish something today, wish me luck.   Lisa