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!

2 More Done - Yay

I think I got my mojo back! I am starting to take projects out of the bag and finishing them. First the star and now 2 sweaters. The first one was suppose to be my grand daughter's valentine gift. It's called "Baby it's Cold Outside", from Crochet Me magazine but now it's warm outside. I'm hoping she will get a chance to wear it before she outgrows it. Maybe on a cool evening when she goes on vacation. The colors are really pretty. The colors are called sienna and merlot.

The next one is called Palm Beach and I got the pattern from Crochet for Tot's. I love this book. I have made a few things from it as gifts and for my grand daughter. The patterns are easy to read and work up quickly. I used Bernat Satin in Ivory. I am really happy with the way it came out. It is really soft and feels really rich. She is going to a birthday party tomorrow and will wear it over a pretty pink dress.

I made this for my grand daughter. Not happy with the way it came out. I had a real problem with the joining stitch on each round and really should have frogged it. She loves it and drags it around with her everywhere. Let's see how it holds up in the wash. I will try another one because I just love this pattern for babies. I will also try the round ripple. I think I will have a better time with that.

Easter

Ok, I always talk about my little pumpkin pie and here she is on Easter. And a picture of my beautiful daughter with her beautiful daughter. What can I say, I love them and they give me joy so to me that is beauty.

Say cheese - Photo Time

I finally got around to uploading some pictures off the ditital camera and thought I would share.



This is me and my honey. We took this by just holding the camera in front of us and clicking, I didn't think it would come out this good. And my dh relaxing, which he very seldom gets a chance to. It's nice to see him this way.

What I did on my spring vacation!

Got home in time for Easter and it is nice to be home but another week would have been perfect.

Abaco is the perfect place to unwind. It is a small island without any of the usual tourist commercial attractions. The ocean, a few local restaurants, and simple homes on the beach. There are a few million $ developments on the island. But I have no reason to go there :)

We arrived at the tiny airport and were greeted by island music. It immediately puts you in the tropical mood. We check into our little villa (just a bungalow) and immediately head out to 1 of the 2 food stores on the island. We walk since it is only about a mile away and it gives us a chance to take a look around and see what's going on and what has changed. Right away we see that Snappas one of our favorite hangouts has been rebuilt. Turns out the original was swept away in a hurricane 2 years ago. I am really glad they rebuilt it. Great place for a Kalik (local beer), grilled fish and a bag of chips. Nothing fancy; music and an ocean view are all you need. We buy a just few things like coffee and cereal since it is very expensive to food shop here. A 64 oz cranberry juice is almost $8 but a liter of Bacardi light is $9, so why drink juice! We carry our groceries back in our backpacks and get ready relax. Make ourselves a drink, get my book and vacation has started. The next day, Sunday, is the weekly pig roast at Nippers on Guana Key. I look forward to this all year. It is about a half hour ferry ride to an even smaller island. Golf carts greet the ferry and take you to Nippers, but it is less than a 5 min walk. You can hear the music as you approach and see people dancing and drinking and really having a good time. And eating, wow, roast pork, mac and cheese, potato salad, peas and rice (a local dish) bahamian bread and drinks made with many kinds of rum. Heaven. So after a few hours of this I need to leave or I will probably puke on the ferry. Back to our place for a nap, a shower and out again for dinner. There are a few restaurants within walking distance and that is usually what we prefer to do. Local food mostly, which is grouper, conch, catch of the day (tuna or dolphin) peas and rice, fried plantains, mac and cheese. If you don't eat fish there is usual some chicken or steak on the menu, but I love the local food. After dinner, we stumble home and sleep to the sounds of the ocean.

Except for the pig roast, every day is about the same. Beach, rum, fish and ocean and sleep like a baby. I read an entire book, and should have brought another one because I could not find one that I wanted to buy and really did not want to pay almost $15 for a $5 paperback. I know this may sound boring to some, but getting to read a book is a big deal for me. Before I know it it is time to go home. Although I miss my little pumpkin pie something awful, another week would just be perfect. But now back to reality. Pick up another wip and daydream about paradise.

I have not developed my photos yet, since I did not bring the digital. Hopefully, I will be doing that soon.

Abaco, Bahamas

I AM IN PARADISE - SEE YOU NEXT WEEK

I'm Ready For My Close Up Mr. Demille

The past few days have been full of drama. Some silly drama, some mean and spiteful. I am quite sad at the way things have ended.

When I was growing up I heard that all good things come to an end and no good deed goes unpunished. Well, that seems to be true. A few months back I found what I thought was a great place to exchange ideas, learn new things and display my finished projects. I got really helpful ideas and was inspired to try much more challenging work. Some were more helpful than others and for a while I was at a happy place. It gave me the confidence I had been lacking to show my work, start a blog and open an esty store (more on that some other time). But as the neighborhood started to get more and more popular the happy little village started to get corrupted with urban blight. I would come for a quick visit to see what's up and interesting and to my dismay, I would find that since my last visit, there were over 200 posts. Wow, overwhelming don't you think. Problem is that more and more of them were nothing to do with craft or art of any kind. Long and I sorry, but to me, boring stories about a bad day at the office, a headache or ache of some kind, bad traffic, you name it waaa, waaa, waaa. Okay, so I don't have to read them, but I do have to sift through them to find something of interest. Which takes care of the short visit, since my computer is not the fastest.

Now there are times when there is something serious going on in ones life and you want a little tea and sympathy, right. We all need it sometimes. Well let me tell you this is where the drama comes in big time. It seems that some people have chosen to use the goodness of strangers to run a con. I'm talking real drama, faking ones death, car accidents, brain tumors. So who knows what is true. So one brave sole decides to bite the bullet and out the drama queen(s). You'd think she would be a hero. I as glad to know the truth! Oh no, instead the what is now an urban metropolis starts to kill the messenger. As if that were not bad enough, they start to turn on each other. KGB starts to oust it's officers for speaking out of turn. Spies are going into peoples personal blogs and attacking their 1st amendment right to speak their mind. Talk about a brouhaha! I myself got wrapped in the drama and voiced my opinions on the situation and what happens -- I get deleted.

Well the whole thing has left me exhausted. Time for me to move out of the neighborhood. Find another nice little village to share and exchange ideas on things that bring me joy. I think I have found such a place, an adult community.

In the meantime, it's back to my own little life. Where my grand daughter is so very spoiled and quite adorable, my son is on the verge of flunking from engineering school and quickly depleting our retirement nest egg, my beautiful daughter thinks I should spend less time here and more time with them because it's always all about her. Ah, this drama I can live with.

All of the above is based on truth. Names have been omitted to protect the innocent and avoid more drama. Next week I will not read a single post. I will be tanning on the beach of Abaco in the Bahamas. Maybe I need to find a good book to read.

Long Time No Post

I have not completed any projects, but I have been working on a few. This is new for me. I am use to working on one project until it is completed, including weaving in the ends. However, this caused me to get bored with a project and take long breaks. I read on the forums that many crocheters do multiple projects at once and this keeps the interest going. In particular I liked the suggestion to work on a large, medium and small project. The small ones give you the feeling of accomplishment because those move quickly.

So far this is what I am working on:

• a ripple afghan in navy and a dark grass green (my first ripple), about 20% complete
• a celebrity flower wrap in a country blue, about 60% complete
• a baby layette, hat and booties done
• a baby blanket, still in the planning stage
• a star blanket, yarn purchased

Sooo, why am I still bored?

It seems like I enjoy buying yarn, pattern books and reading patterns more than actually sitting down and working. Could it be spring fever? I actually spent the weekend cleaning my house (the entire weekend!) and doing my laundry. So I really have no excuse. Well there is always tomorrow.

Happy Spring Everyone!

I'm drowing in life...

It has been a while since I posted anything. There is so much going on I feel like I almost can't cope. I am afraid to reveal all of the details, since the guilty parties would complain that I blabbed to the whole world (literally). The details I can blab are, my son who is in Boston U Engineering School has fallen behind. He should be graduating this year and is short credits. He has to make up some of the classes he did crap on in prior years. Those of you who have kids in college, private college at that, know how expensive it is. So we decided that if you need to make up these classes, you should come home, make them up locally (much less $) and then go back and finish. Great, so now he is home. Creating a mess everywhere, tons of laundry, lots of laughs! Also, my husband has decided that we need to revamp the house, and he is right. But that means more mess every where. My grand daughter is 2 and stays with me while my daughter goes to work and her middle name is trouble and mess. So crocheting is a guilty pleasure that I have to fit in when I get a few moments to myself. I have a ripple afghan, a granny square pillow for my grand daughter, a baby it's cold outside sweater, a scarf to go with the sweater, a poncho, a shawl, a baby layette (commissioned), all works in progress. This is my first time working on multiple projects at the same time and I find it quite a challenge. I normally work on one thing till its totally finished before I start on another. But I am trying this because I heard from other crocheters that this is how they keep the work flowing. Personally, I think it will stress me out, but I am going to give it a real try. I feel like it will take a year or more before I am working on next years birthday and holiday gifts in this year, but that is my goal. Thanks for visiting. Pictures of works in progress to follow. I am putting it on my to-do list!

Happy Birthday

My brother, my daughter and I are all Aquarian. His birthday is the Feb 1st and mine is the 4th. My daughter was born Jan 27th. And so my family always celebrates them together, which is fine with me. My mom, who is almost 80, has always insisted on making us a big dinner. I guess this is one of our family traditions. Well Sunday was the big day. When my father was alive and they had the big house, it was really a party. He loved to have the family over and we would eat too much, drink too much, played the music too loud, danced and got totally silly. That was the so much fun (I miss you Daddy). Now my mom lives in a senior apartment which is really small and we still eat too much, drink too much, talk really loud, no dancing but still get silly. Although I always complain, weeks before, saying I no longer need the birthday dinner, today I feel all warm and fuzzy about the whole thing.

When I got home last night, I was all worked up and could not sleep. I wanted to watch TV and crochet a little but had no works in progress. I fished out a small ball of grey yarn that has some glitter in it and decided to make a scarf. It looked very festive which fit the mood. It is just a simple dc pattern, but I must have frogged it a dozen times (think it was the booze!!). Today, I declared it to be a day of lounging, laundry and crochet because the simple pleasures are the best and finished it. SO, this is my silver celebration scarf. Nothing fancy, just simple pleasures are the best. Thanks for visiting.

Baby Stuff

As mentioned in my previous post, these are a couple of items I made for my baby. I love the shells sweater. I think I will make another one with a cloche style hat to match.