May Your Days Be Merry and Bright

I will be spending the days that follow wrapping, cooking, doing some last minute shopping and spending quality time with my family. I wish you all a very happy holiday and may the new year bring you your hearts desire.

Tis the Season

So how is everyone enjoying the holiday season? Have you lost your mind yet? I am a woman on the verge. I mentioned a while ago that I was doing work on the house for the holidays. Well just as I feared, I have all my furniture piled all over the place. My floors are covered with paper to protect the hardwood floors I just had done (which came out fab, contractor was great). My entry foyer is full of paint cans and tools. It sounds very festive don't you think. AND I have a crazy little 2 1/2 year old running around. Can't stand the mess, can't find anything and I am trying to shop, send gifts, etc. Because I have a problem with saying no, I also do my mom's shopping (she has problems walking) and some of my daughters (she works long hours). So, I bundle up my little grand daughter and go to the mall to do some shopping. Not a good idea! The place was a mad house and my grand daughter makes shopping a nightmare. Well while I was trying to keep one eye on her and one eye on what I was doing, someone put one hand in my bag and stole my wallet. My whole life was in it and I get upset everytime I think about it. I reported it to security and I might as well just spoken to the nearest wall. They were so not helpful or sympathetic that I got so angry I wanted to cry. So I grab the little one, go to my car and then realized that I have valet parked and the ticket was in the wallet. I had no ticket, no id, no cash to pay for the valet. They gave me a hassel, but finally let me have my car. I reported the cards and no one tried to use them. They just took the cash and probably dumped the wallet somewhere. So, I am doing the rest of my shopping on line.

As for crochet, I made tons of stuff that I was going to post in my Etsy shop, but I cannot find the time (or a clean spot) to photograph them. I may give some away as gifts and just stash the rest for now.

I am trying very hard to not let myself get too bummed out. Trying to keep in mind the true spirit of Christmas is not about the gifts, and focus on the positive. My daughter bought a house on the same block as mine. Just 4 houses away. , which is a good thing (I think)! She moved in on Dec. 1st, so she is in a similar situation house-wise. But just when I think I am going to lose it, my sweet little pumpking will give me a hug and a big kiss and tell me she loves me and I feel on top of the world.

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season and not getting too crazy.

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving day. I hope you get to share with it those you love. I have much to be thankful for. The start of the holiday season and I am no where near ready, but I am grateful to be with my family today.

A Little Something for My Pumpkin

This is not the best picture and I still have to add some more fringe, but I love this pattern. I got it from SNB HH which is my current favorite pattern book. I love this color combo, rose, chocolate brown and cream. The book had this set with a blanket instead of a scarf, but my little pumpkin is a big girl now. So, I whipped this up instead. No pattern, just winged it. I will definitely be making more of these in other color combo as gifts for little girls on my list.

I am trying to get my WIPs under control and have decided not to start any new projects until am am down to only 1 or 2 UFOs. Currently, this is what I have going on:

• Navy & Forest Green Ripple Blanket - about 60% done
• Red Sweet Pea Shawl and a Periwinkle Sweet Pea - both about 90% done
• Baby It's Cold Outside Sweater - 95% done
• Sun Maiden Cardi - 10% done
• Flower Shawl - 90% done
• Cold Shoulders Capelet - 75% done
• Sock Monkey - 5% done

As you can see I have a few projects that are just about finished. But weaving in ends, adding fringe and buttons, etc. just bores me and so I end up starting something new. Let's see if can chip away at this list, so I can start some new fun stuff.

Have a good week all.

TGIF

This week went fast but it was brutally stressful. Looking forward to relaxing this weekend (by doing chores!!) and maybe some crochet. Hopefully I will have pics to post next week.

I am not part of the Foodie Friday ring, but I love reading them. And since I don't have much else to post I will leave you with a link to my favorite sandwich from one of my daughters friends.

http://www.danispies.com/

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 84 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

My halloween treat!
Hope you get lots of treats and no tricks.

I am sorry

To the few that read my blog, I am sorry that I have been neglecting my posts. Since I came back from my vacation, it seems I cannot catch up with my life.

My grand daughter is 2 1/2 and stays with me from 7 am to 7 pm. Those of you who watch little ones, know how little spare time that leaves you. And I must say she is really a handful. It seems that if I take my eyes off her for even 2 minutes, she manages to do something either dangerous or destructive or both!

I also am in the process of getting my house painted (inside and out) and my floors redone. I decided to take the plunge and really add some bold colors. I am so bored with the neutrals but that means that I need new carpets in 2 rooms, new curtains throughout, comforter in the bedroom and slipcovers in the living room (to go with the new paint). AND I want this done before Christmas. AND my husband who usually does most of the labor has informed me that he will be traveling on business a lot between now and December so I need to hire contractors.

So needless to say, I have not been posting much lately.

I am working a few projects, since I crochet at night while watching TV.

Here is a list of my WIPs:

• a sweet pea shawl for my sister's co-worker which she wants for Christmas (of course!).
• a cardigan to go with the sundress from crochet garden for my grand daughter because if I wait until next spring, the dress may not fit her so she needs a cardigan to to with it
• a baby it's cold outside sweater for my grand daughter and a matching hat
• a flower shawl for my friend's birthday in December
• a ripple afghan for my nephew for Christmas
• and I have a few projects that are no longer wips but ufos

I still need to make a list of what I will make as Christmas gifts. But since time is not on my side, I think I am going to cut the list down to just those that are special enough and really appreciate a hand made gift.

I am looking forward to Halloween this year because my little pumpkin is now old enough to enjoy it. She is currently in love with Cinderella and tells me every day that she needs a Cinderella dress. She has no idea that I have one in the closet. I can't wait to give it to her but I need to wait until Halloween is a little closer because once she sees it she will not take it off!

Well thanks for visiting. I hope to have some pictures next time I post.

Maui Photos

I finally loaded my photos of my vacation and am able to share a few. Hope you enjoy them. I love looking at them. It really was a dream vacation. It's sad how quickly the trip is a memory and life goes back to crazy. Hope you enjoy them.

A Few FO's

Before going on vacation, I completed a couple of projects. The blue shawl is for my sil's birthday. It is made with TLC Cotton Plus. The picture is not great, but I really like the way this turned out. She is very tiny so this will be long on her. She is very stylish, so I can't wait to see how she wears it. The brown sweaters were commissioned. I did not pick the colors or the styles and I am not crazy about them. Hopefully, the buyer will be happy with them.

MAUI WOWI

Back from Maui. Will have pics soon. I hope they can do justice to the island. Just beautiful. I am in awe!

I am on vacation in Maui (my 25th wedding anniversary gift) and will be back in a week. I hope to have some nice pictures when I return. I have a couple of fo's but no time to photograph or post them. Have a great week all.

Bronx Zoo

On the one day that it did not rain this week my sister and I took my grand daughter to the Bronx Zoo. I have not been there since my son was little like this (over 15 yrs). There have been a lot of changes since then but all for the better. It is really a great place to spend the day. My little pumpkin was so excited to see the animals that she names from her books. It was so much fun to enjoy this with her. We stayed all day and while we walked back to the car she just passed out. The next day she could not stop talking about all the animals she saw. It was a good day!

Bye Bye Summer

Hard to believe the summer is over. My tomatoes are rotting on the vines from lack of sun and way too much water. My pool water is turning green from all the rain. My zuccini and cucumbers died before I even got to pick them from first to much rain, then Africa hot sun, then more buckets of rain. It has been a strange summer. We had a few weeks of perfect weather. Did a little bbq'n. But now its over and I feel cheated.

I do still have my vacation in Maui to look forward to. My dh and I are giving ourselves this trip as a gift for our 25th wedding anniversary. Now I'm glad that we planned it for the end of the summer and not for the begining. I will have lots of pictures when I return but for now I will leave you this link.

http://www.mauistore.com/picture_pages/big_beach_in_makena.htm

Summertime

I have not been posting much lately because I have been enjoying this beautiful weather we have been having. Today I spent the day at
Darlington Park with my little pumpkin. We got there at 10 am, had a picnic, swam, played ball and got home at 5 pm. She feel asleep on the way home and probably won't wake up until tomorrow! All that fun in the sun wiped her out. I am pretty tired myself so it will be pizza for dinner tonight.

Speaking of food! My one of my daughter's best friends is a real foodie. She has started a cooking web site. She creates healthy, easy recipes and then demonstrates the entire process. She has done a great job with it. I have known this girl since she went to school with my daughter and used to show up at my house in her pj's. I am so proud of her. If you enjoy quick tasty recipes, that are also wholesome, check it out. You will like it.

http://www.danispies.com/

Enjoy your weekend. I hope you all have the same great weather I have here.

Finally finished something!

I have not posted a finished project in a while. I have been working on 2 patterns from crochet garden. I have to admit the first one gave me a hard time. I think it was either the yarn (I used Patons Grace) or my perception of what the halter should look like. The thing is that I could not get the gauge right. Normally I don't bother with a swatch, but since it was a halter I wanted to make sure it would not be too small. It still leaves my pumpkin a little too exposed, but in this weather, I think it will be okay. However, the second pattern was the sun dress. I love this pattern. I used some Elan Endless Summer that I had left from the sweet pea shawl I made. Of course, it was not enough and I had to get more. Luckily the dye lot matched perfectly. But I don't know what I was thinking when I calculated the yardage. I ended up ordering double what I needed! Now I have 7 skeins left and am trying to figure out what to make with it. But I think the dress came out beautiful. It is a little heavier than the pattern called for, but it has a nice drape and feels very rich. I would love to post a picture with her wearing it but I have to chase her, pin her down and then take the picture quick before she gets dirty. Hopefully I will get a photo when she wears it to go somewhere. In the meantime, here they are on there own. Pics don't really do them justice but it's the best I could do.

Where have I been?

I have been busy lately and not been posting. And this heat makes me so tired. But I recently celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary! I can hardly believe that it's been that long. It seems like just yesterday that we met. We went to The Fountain Spa and had a couples massage which was really fabulous and then went out to dinner. The next day we went up to New Paltz and visited a winery. http://www.rivendellwine.com/home.html We tasted wines all afternoon and had lunch there and ended up buying a case of wine. We stayed at a really beautiful B&B http://www.lefevrehouse.com/lodging.htm . As a gift to each other we will be going to Hawaii in September. All in all, I can't complain. My hunny is good to me. Then to top it all off, on Saturday, my sister and my daughter gave me a surprise (not really, I guessed) anniversary party. It was really fun.

I finished a couple of crochet projects for my grand daughter from crochet garden which I will post at another time since my camera is acting up.

Stay cool all.

I think he took a wrong turn

Look what I found sitting on top of my roof today. Poor little guy must be lost since I do not live near any water and I believe that is where they normally hang out. He (or she) sure is beautiful. I hope he hooks up with the rest of the flock. I'd hate for anything to happen to it.

My Mom

This is a picture of my mom and my uncle I recently had restored as a Mother's Day gift. I cannot stop looking at it. I see myself, my sister, my daughter and my grand daughter in her eyes. I wonder what they were thinking at the time. And I wonder, Mom who gave you that haircut?

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Tomorrow as we celebrate the 4th, I will be thinking of the men and women serving our country in the military. Thank you for risking your lives for our safety and freedom. God bless you and keep you safe. I am proud of you and proud to be an American.

The pool

I mentioned it in my previous post, but did not show the pictures. It's not much but I like it, if I could just use it. That's my dh smurking in the background. He hates the pool because he cleans it.

My Spa Manicure and Pedicure :(

I just went for a manicure and pedicure that cost me $80 with tip (it was a gift) and look what I did. I started working in my garden and front yard and totally ruined it. This is what I have been doing lately. Not much hooking. My wips have made little progress. My zuccini, tomatoes, and cucumbers are doing great, however.

My dh is finally getting around to opening the pool. He travels a lot and when he is home for the weekend, he is so jetlagged that he just wants to relax. This weekend, I put my foot down and said if you can't do it, hire someone. It's not that I want to be a bitch, but (ok, I like to be a bitch) I am home all week with my granddaughter and it would really be nice if we could use the pool. I could get her nice and tired and she could take a nice long nap. Naps are very important. That's when I clean up, cook, do some laundry, take a shower, etc. As you can see, the pool is open, but not yet ready for swimming. I am going to guilt my son into cleaning it this week, and maybe it will be ready for the 4th :)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL DADS

Father's Day is both a happy and sad holiday. My dad is gone 4 yrs now and I miss him. His love of life, the way he spoiled my kids. He was always there for me no matter what. On the many occasions, when I did stupid things like lock my keys in my car, he would come to my rescue no matter what he was doing or where he was. To when I wanted a house I could not afford he helped with the down payment. I miss his big beautiful smile and the way he was such a mush and was not ashamed to cry when he got emotional. He taught me the meaning of unconditional love. And also that when you have children, nothing else is more important. He loved my children more than life and made them always feel so special. I am a better person because of him. I love you Daddy, and I still miss you every day.

Love you sweet pea

I finished another sweet pea shawl and I am just loving how it came out. I used Bernat baby boucle' and an I hook. I really like this shawl with the thicker yarn. It feels soft and cuddly. The colors don't show up that well in the pics but it is a mix of dusty pink, blue and just a hint of light green. I was going to fringe it, but there is enough going on with the texture of the yarn and the colors. I am going to call this done. It feels great when I put it on.

I have some lustersheen yarn I just got from Joann's which I was going to use to make another sweet pea as a swimsuit coverup, but I am so happy with this one I don't think I want to make another one. I will start looking for shawl with a smaller pattern.

Pictures are not great, but I hope you can get the general idea.

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY

Since I have no crochet to share, hope you enjoy these pics. It has been raining on and off for about 2 weeks now. I am just about running out of stuff to do indoors with my little pumpkin. Today we finger painted and glued macaroni.

I have a few crochet wip with yarn from the stash but have not really felt like working on them very much. I put in an order from Joann's and hopefully when that comes in I will get the bug again. Or, maybe when the sun comes out and stays out, I will feel more in the mood. Right now I am just trying not to lose my mind with a 2 yo who can't stay still and gets into everything.

Happy Mother's Day

I made this shawl for my mom as part of her mother's day gift. I got the pattern from a wrapper on a ball of yarn, don't remember which one. t is made with lion chunky, and has a little sparkle to it. I think she will like it. I just have to convince her this is to where all the time. watching tv, or going to church or sitting outside on a cool night. For some reason, she likes to put things away in case she has a special occassion and then then only wears them once every few years!

I also found an old picture of her, her brother when they were children in Puerto Rico with her father (my grandpa). she is so little, she probably doesn't remember taking it. i sent it to be restored and blown up and framed it. I think it is going to make her cry but in a good way. I can't wait to give it to her.

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms -- enjoy!

My Sweet Pea

I finally finished the sweet pea shawl i have been working on. I actually made 2. While I was waiting for my Endless Summer cotton yarn to come from Elann, I started one in some RH Super Saver. It actually looks really nice but it feels so rough. The Endless Summer is in peach whisper. Very pretty and soft. I am giving this one to my sister for mother's day. As soon as I find a nice textured cotton that is a little denser, I am going to start another one for myself. I think it would be great as a swim suit coverup.

It's my party!!!

My little pumpkin pie turned 2 last week. She is getting to be such a big girl. I wish I could slow down the process so I can enjoy these yummy moments just a little longer. But just like her mommy, she can't wait to be a big girl. She had a big party for little one's just like her and entertainment that the little one's totally enjoyed. My daughter really got it right (unlike me!). The party was for babies and she did not worry about the whole if you invite this one you have to invite the other one. She made these adorable animal cupcakes, juice boxes and pizza. No beer, wine for the parents because it's a baby party! And you know, it was great. The little ones had a ball and the parents enjoyed watching them.

Wrap it up!

Just finished another wip. I used the delta stitch for this and made a rectangle wrap instead of the triangle Jessica style shawl. It came out better than I thought it would. I have made so many of the Jessica shawls that they are starting to look a little tired to me. I do like the look and feel of this wrap. I was going to give this to a friend who has been asking me for a Jessica shawl, but I don't know. It feels so comfy with jeans and a cami, I may have a hard time parting with it. It seems my friends can't seem to get enough of this pattern. My next shawl is going to be the Sweat Pea from the Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet The Happy Hooker. I'm pretty sure that is going to be my next favorite. I ordered Endless Summer yarn in peach whisper for it. Haven't seen it yet but it looks so pretty on line. Just can't wait to start it. Thing is I am already looking for yarn for the second one and I haven't even started the first one. That's why I end up with so many ufo's!