Only If Bliss Slept

Summer Picnic!

2011-08-03T10:04:00.004-04:00

Its finally August. The last hurrah for summer.

Now I dont know why I hadnt thought of this sooner (maybe the heat has finally gotten to my brain), but a picnic sounds really good. Now the weather hasnt been ideal for picnics (let say 100'F or hotter), but summer is suppose to be for outdoor eating!

Anyway, I'm thinking of going on a picnic as soon as the weather gets cooler. More than likely it'll be a one person picnic, but here's what I'd like to bring:

Champagne
Strawberries
Sandwich - sort of a cranberry bread, turkey, maple cream cheese, and spinach
Lemonade
Iced Tea
Salad - pear, gorgonzola cheese, craisins, and mixed greens
Mini-Quiche - egg, cheese, onion
Bread Pudding

I can see myself sitting under a tree in a park, with this spread on a blanket and a picnic basket, leaning against the tree reading a good book or maybe even knitting, listening to book on tape.

Top Ten for the Beach.

2011-05-30T09:38:00.000-04:00

So I went to the beach yesterday by myself. Sort of wished my mom had told me that she and my grandmother weren't planning on going - would have meant an earlier start time (about 9 am vs 11am - grrrr). Oh well. Spent some much needed time there.

Saw some horses, saw the ocean, and stared it down. Dont worry, we made peace with each other.

Ok, Who's Excited?

2011-05-24T17:08:00.003-04:00

Who's excited for the new Muppet movie coming out this fall?

I AM!!!!

Mysteeeerious

2011-03-23T09:51:00.005-04:00

Well, I was trying to think of something to blog about that involved listing stuff. But decided to write a little about unusual experiences.

What prompted this involved the place where I work an a chap stick I sworn I had lost earlier in the week (quite possibly the week before). It's chunky chap stick (like twice the size of your normal chap stick), and would be fairly obvious just laying around. I just chalked it up to an "Oh well, just get another chap stick".

That is until this morning.

I was getting the front end of the office set up for when we open. Passed through the space at least 3 or more times, this morning alone (not to mention the number times I passed the exact same spot in the last couple of days).

Now to the point of this story. I rolled out the donation box into the lobby and when I came back into the box office space, there is my missing chap stick I had been looking for for at least 3 days, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR.

I kid you not. Right there, middle of the floor, as if to say "What are YOU looking at? I've been here the entire time." Sad thing is, I was the only one in the office at the time. So no one but me saw this.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-jig

2011-03-09T10:20:00.004-05:00

Arrived home safe and sound from South Carolina. LOVED IT!

"There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met."

Above quote is from the Muppet movie, I can not say how true these words were for this group of people I met over the weekend. There were about 150 people who descended on Charleston, SC for a 3 day conference/meet up/gathering all from an online community based upon a book series called Wheel of Time (by Robert Jordan).

This annual event was celebrating 10 years of being a community and with the hopes of continuing for another 10+.

For being such a short amount of time, and not really seeing everyone, I miss them all dearly.

Top Ten

2011-03-01T12:45:00.003-05:00

Every now and again, I get inspired to a Tuesday Ten or Top Ten list. I think The Painted Sheep inspired one in the past and has done so again.

Todays Topic:

SPRING!

Flowers - well, not so much for the pollen, but for things being green again. Being able to sit out on the grass, yadda yadda yadda.
Sunshine - I love the feel of the sun on my skin - with sunscreen on!
Flip flops - I will wear these if I think I can get away with them
Knitting - I will knit year round, knit while walking, knit in the movie theaters....ya you get the picture, like flip flops, I'll do it when ever I can.
St. Patrick's Day - favorite holiday.......ever!
Iced Drinks - taste so much nummier when it's warmer out
Farmers Markets - they make their appearance! Love them! Fresh food! Yum!
Picnics - haven't been on one in ages but are fun! Spring time does herald the grass sitting actives of stuffing your face and thwarting ants.
Flying kites - I remember flying kites as a kid and loved it. It'll be good weather to fly kites again. (Heck I remember even making a couple kites with my grandfather!)
Last but not least, people watching. Oh it's fun to watch people. Being in place that draws people from all over the country, let alone the world, it's fun to kick back and watch.

OH NOZ! THEY"RE COMING!

2011-02-21T21:45:00.003-05:00

Tourists.

Yup. Those people who deign to venture out into the world and leave their little (maybe big) town to see stuff. *gasp*

Where I work, we see our fair share of tourist. School groups (the kind that wish their chaperone's would tag team and keep them in smaller groups), families, people who have people, people who dont have people, and those who dont have anything better to do.

*sigh* I know I have my moments, but if you're traveling some place you have your heart set on seeing, little tip for you.

Do. Some. Research. Before you go.

Books, Books Everywhere!

2011-02-17T10:13:00.000-05:00

I enjoy a good book. Especially one that's free to me or that is inexpensive to obtain.

Recently, I stumbled upon Paperback Swap and Book Mooch (the later recommended by a friend). And I'm quite happy about it all. It gives me the chance to get rid of books I dont want/need anymore.

That is all for now.

I Wish I Was In Dixie.....

2011-02-07T18:54:00.004-05:00

Long time no post. :) Now I have something to write about!

About a year ago I joined an online book forum for a series called The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. It's quite extensive interms of what it offers for its members - to give you an idea the site (been around for the past 10 years) was recently applying for a 501(c)3 and is now in the process of becoming a 501(c)7, they have two events every year (big, official event in the spring and then a more relaxed one in the fall thats more touristy).

Well, come the begining of March, I'm going to South Carolina for a few days for the sites big spring event! And it's going to be EPIC! It's the 10th Anni (Anni short for Anniversary - not 100% sure why it's called that), there's going to be about 140 people in attendance (maybe more?), and I get to meet the peeps I've been talking to for the past year face to face (only a small, small fraction of the number that are on the site).

I'll be driving down with a couple others going from the area. Great gals. Should be a fun drive.

Now my only problem is trying to get everything to fit into a small suitcase or duffel bag.

Yarn Yarn Everywhere

2010-11-11T10:38:00.003-05:00

Yeah! A long awaited blog post! *The crowd goes wild*

So. I'm a knitter. I also crochet. I also have too much yarn. Way too much....not quite to the point of hoarding - it hasnt spread beyond my bedroom.

I am excited to say I'm going to do a Knit Down Along with a knitting group I attend. WOOT! This means, I may actually *HAVE* stuff for family members, etc for Christmas presents.

Good for stash busting, trying new patterns, having something on hand for gifts, and poissibly have a cleaner bedroom.

We'll see how well this works out for me.....

TTFN

Music, Music Everywhere!

2010-10-07T19:36:00.005-04:00

Ok. Last weekend I went to a house concert not too far from where I live, to see SJ Tucker (click here to listen to her music).

What made it interesting is that I've never had herd of SJ Tucker before my friend invited me. I wasn't sure what to expect from the house party, other than listening to live music. I did listen to a little of her music and liked what I heard (note: just enough to get a flavor of what I was getting myself into).

It was a great experience, going with a couple of friends to listen to this female musician at an intimate setting (something other than a concert hall or whatever), listening to awesome music (SJ Tucker is AWESOMESAUCE), and coming away happy that I said yes to the invitation.

The friend who invited me along is actually doing a contest/music giveaway of this artist (found here). It's open for entries through Oct 31, 2010. Ohhh. You wont regret entering this contest. The CD that's up for grabs is Mythcreants, a CD SJ Tucker has done last year with a band she's apart of - Tricky Pixie.

GO MUSIC!

KittyGrrlz Giveaway

2010-09-13T11:09:00.002-04:00

What a nice way to get back into blogging! :)

The KittyGrrlz of The Fiber Cooperative is dong a giveaway of a $25 gift certificate to their Etsy shop. They look like they have some nummy yarns!

Go check out The Fiber Cooperative's Blog for details.

Now is the time....

2010-08-25T20:55:00.002-04:00

....for me to post something! It's been a little over a month or two since I've posted something.

Funny how life kind of sneaks up on ya.

Anywho. What have I been up to? Where to begin.

The store director of the gift shop upped and left (we didnt know what happened initially, but now we do. not something I want to get into here) and we have a new store director (new person = change. not sure how much I'm liking the ALL the changes going on. Some change is to be expected, but with all the changes that have come to pass.....well, let me just say it's an interesting kettle of fish), been looking for FT work (well, ramped up the amount of searching), went to a friend's wedding (LOVED it!), both brothers moved out (one's in IA an the other is in CA), researching some history on Tarot for a presentation I'm giving in September (hopefully all will go well), and most importantly, redefining where I want my life to be heading.

Still knitting. Entered some items in the county fair and all won ribbons (only one got first place - just happy they got ribbons).

That's all for now.

Tuesday Ten

2010-06-22T19:06:00.002-04:00

This week, I think I'll talk about some places I'd like to visit!

Ireland - always wanted to go, never been. I like the accents of the people. Also, the country almost calls to me to visit. Funny, I know.
England - visited once. London. But I want to see the rest of the country, something other than immediately around the airport or where you can go in a day.
The rest of the US I havent been to - I've been to 27 states and want to visit the remaining 23. It's been a goal to visit as many of the states as possible
Canada - Like England, I want to see more than Niagara Falls. I also know quite a few people from there and they've inspired me to visit the country
Greece - was there once for a month, and fell in love with the country and people and would love to go back and visit.
Scotland - when in England, I'll pop over to Scotland and visit. Beautiful country, bla, bla bla...
Iceland - seems like an out of way place to relax and recenter oneself
The Beach - only b/c i havent been in AGES! and i miss it *sad face*
Iowa. Went to college there and have good friends there. Another out of the way place to recenter. But b/c it's a small town and i sort of know alot of people there, i dont know how centered i can get....
As many yarn shops as possible - this is a secret addiction of mine, yarn....mmmmmm

Tuesday Ten - Shoes

2010-06-16T10:04:00.003-04:00

I've been wanting to post more here on my blog, but more often than not, I cant think of things to blog about.

SO, in hopes for more fodder for the blog, I am intending to do a Tuesday 1o on a weekly basis. This way, I'll have something to share with y'all.

Today topic: SHOES!

Oh my freaking goodness! Shoes!

Pleather GoGo Shoes - these are darn cute. and black goes with everything. also, it has some lift to give me some much needed height.

Old Gringo Marsha Mule - ohhh another cute shoe. i like all the color versions of the shoe but like the White Crackelada coloring the best. And it would go with pretty much everything i have. i like the simplicity of the shoe's design and the design on the shoe. It seems like a comfortable shoe too.

Alexander McQueen shoes - these shoes remind me of bees! and i think it'd be rockin' to be wearing bee shoes. i can see myself walking around in theses going "bzzz bzzz bzzz"

J.Renee Brinda shoes - i will say i nearly fell out of my chair when i saw these lovely shoes. tres chic! they remind me of the ocean and i have a feeling these shoes would inspire sound effects as well. ;) i like the darker color of the two shoes but both are pretty spiffy.

Traditional Saddle Oxford - time for a little style change! classic look, comfortable (as fas as i know) and good with a dress suit! and from the looks of it, will keep your feet warm on colder days!

Knee High Gladiator Boots - b/c every girl needs a pair of these!

Gladiator High Heels - this particular set caught my eye. not only are they nifty high heel shoes, but they're GLADIATOR heels!

Indian Sandals - love the gold and bangles on these

Fringe Sandle Boots - this may be one of the 'wtf' items, but the fringe add a certain je ne sai quoi

Lucky green shoes - I will say these shoes are my all time favorite! Hands down, no questions asked! They're green, they're sparkle like nobody's business, and they go with my favorite holiday!

Trivia Tuesday

2010-06-01T10:17:00.003-04:00

It's Tuesday. Work is unbelievably slow. Thought I'd share some random trivia with y'all

Norma Jean Baker Mortenson, a.k.a. Marilyn Monroe, was born today
The first recorded earthquake in U.S. history occurred in Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts in 1638
Today in 1908 - John Krohn decided to take a walk around the United States - with his wheelbarrow! He completed the walk around the perimeter of the U.S. in 357 days. He walked 9,024 miles, went through 11 pair of shoes, 112 pair of socks, five wheels for his trusty wheelbarrow and never walked on Sunday.
Today is Nursing Assistants day
My middle name is Beth
Lincoln's face was put on the penny in 1909. Why? It was the 100th anniversary of his birth
It takes anywhere between a few minutes and 1 hour for a cloud to be created.
Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.
The average bra size today is 36C. Ten years ago it was 34B.
This is the 10th bullet point in this blog

Games...

2010-03-28T22:10:00.001-04:00

I need to do an in depth blog about all the playing cards I have, with photos and diagrams.....

*wanders off somewhere*

~List of Ten~

2010-03-23T09:01:00.002-04:00

It's another fine Tuesday for making lists of things. This one is about spring.

Warmer weather - no more snow baby! After having 50" of snow this winter, I am SO ready for spring. I dont mind the snow, but for the area I live in, 50" is unheard of. Maybe 20 - 30", but definately not 50 (and virtually all at once).
Flowers - they're starting to bloom! It kind of goes with the "SO MUCH SNOW!" we had this winter, I am so ready for the color.
Flip flops - I can wear them with out getting funny looks from people. I don't like to keep my feet in enclosed things (socks, shoes, boots, what ever....). They're kind of like my hands, they tend to be on the warm side and anything covering them makes them a little TOO warm (and makes my feet and hands feel weird)
Skirts - I can wear skirts again with out freezing my legs off. Granted, this means shaving, but I'm willing to shave.
Sunglasses - warmer weather brings sunnier days (for the most part) and I like wearing funky sunglasses. The funkier, the better.
Sunbathing - I know too much sun is bad for you, but it can be so relaxing laying out in the sun.
Knitting - though I do do this year round, but this inspires me to knit small or lighter ware items. (Light ware = shawls)
Sun Tea - I really like sun tea. Light, refreshing, and easy to make. SOOOOO good! :)
The Beach - 'Nuf said! I like the beach. For the most part. I like relaxing under the umbrella, reading a good book, swimming in the ocean (some how, mysteriously avoiding getting sand into my swim suit), drying in the sun....you get the idea.
It would have been robins, but it kind of defeats the purpose if you see about a dozen of them on Christmas Day. Yes, I said it correctly. I saw about 10 - 12 robins in a tree, ON Christmas Day.

Yeah for blogs, right?

La la la.....

2010-03-17T22:14:00.004-04:00

I got a package today.

It was a "special" package. Well, to me it was.

It was my NEW drop spindle (high whorl?).

It's not the highest quality of drop spindle but for $6.50 INCLUDING shipping, I cant complain.

As you can see, I've started using it right away. I'm not sure what to think of it yet, but I'll play with it some more to see how well I can master it.

20 Questions.

2010-03-16T08:59:00.003-04:00

I picked up this 20 Questions from The Painted Sheep blog (they do yarn/fibre type stuff). I think they're a fun thing to do (and a good way to kill time).

Anyway, here goes......

20 Questions

1. Explain what ended your last relationship?
um, it didn't end b/c it never began.....and to be truthful, I've never been in a romantic relationship

2. When was the last time you shaved?
Hrm. A few months. It's winter time, and it's called "I can wear pants"

3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.
At work already. Doing my stuff to open up shop!

4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Talking to a patron about seeing different historical stuff we had

5. Some things you are excited about?
Knitting group tomorrow night, working more hours (more hours = more money), rereading the Wheel of Time series, spring time (yes, winter has been a real bitch this year),

6. What is your favorite flavor of JELL-O? If it's done as jell-o shots, I like raspberry, strawberry, and orange

7. Your prom night, what do you remember about it?
Never went to prom.

8. Do you have any famous ancestors?
I don't know how far back you would need to go to qualify someone as an ancestor, but my great uncle (or was it my great great uncle?) was the guy who created Fuller Brush. (For those too young to know what Fuller Brush is, click here).

9. Last thing received in the mail?
Hrm. I think it was an herbal tincture I had gotten myself

10. How many different beverages have you had today?
Two - Water and Coffee

11. Do you ever leave messages on people’s answering machine?
Heck yes! It's very annoying when someone calls, gets the voice mail (and it starts recording no less), and you hear the "click" of them hanging up or you hear them talking to someone else. Gotta love when they pull the "Why didn't you call me back?". Why didn't you leave a message saying you wanted me to call you back, if it was *that* important? (sorry, small pet peeve).

12. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
Um, no

13. Any plans for Friday night?
Working

14. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
Ick. No. Does anyone really?

15. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorn?
Yes. My grandmother use to get them just for the tins. She'd give it to us to eat and we'd give the tin back. Got old after a little while and usually gave the popcorn to the birds.

16. Do you re-use towels after you shower?
Yes. As long as no one messes with my system. 'Cus you don't want to dry your face where you dried your rear.

17. Describe your key chain(s)?
I have two. they have various things on them. One set has a shamrock beaner, a gecko led light, and various keys. The other one is a regular beaner with a chap stick cozy in the shape of the male genitalia. Both have various cards the different stores have.

18. Where do you keep your change?
As in coins? Usually in my pocket until I get home. Then I sort them into different places

19. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?
College for a speech class

20. What kind of winter coat do you own?
Various. I tend to layer up with shirts and coats. So I don't have a heavy duty winter coat.

CHEERS!

Another shawl....Really?

2010-02-26T12:03:00.005-05:00

So, I just completed my first knitted shawl the other day. Yeah me! And now I have begun knitting another one. Both are apart of a KAL (Knit-A-Long) and I am surprised at the fact that I am knitting something OTHER than hats.......something outside my familurarity zone. :)

I'll try to get photos posted here as soon as possible.

Always Room for One More

2010-02-23T11:25:00.000-05:00

I've been knitting for about 10 years now. A decade. (Sheesh, don't I feel old now ;) ).

One thing I've noticed, is how I've developed an affinity for knitting hats. More so for me than anyone else, but hey, I know I'll enjoy them - and I know what color/s to knit the hat/s in.

So, this year, I've actually challenged myself to knit as many hats as possible (desirable 52 - one per week) and I've actually started the process. This is mostly (but not entirely) due to the fact that I am participating in the 2010 Ravelympics. Ravelympics? It's a knitter/crocheter/weaver/spinner's version of the Olympics, where we challenge ourselves to make 'x' during the Olympics - from opening ceremony/lighting of the torch to closing ceremony/extinguishing of the torch. And everything needs to start and finish in between the opening and closing ceremonies. (I'm just a little excited about it)

So far, so good. I'm on hat #5. Granted I should be on hat #8, at least - but life is life and sometimes it means putting some things on the back burner.

On a different note:

/begin rant

I haven't considered myself a selfish knitter, until more recently (going on 4.5 months now). Personally, I've gotten a little fed up with people (more in face-to-face life) asking if I do commission work or make suggestions that I should sell my stuff.

If I really wanted to sell my stuff, I would be doing it already.

I do have a couple exceptions to the rule. Family and friends - more often than not, they are appreciative and take care of the hand made items.

/end rant

Anyway.

Happy Tuesday.

Tuesday's Ten

2010-02-16T13:38:00.002-05:00

So, inspired by The Painted Sheep, I decided to do a Tuesday 10 about some of my fav. places to knit. Scandalous, I know, almost selacious. But here we go!

On my couch, watching TV - usually "bad" shows that I enjoy.
In front of my computer - watching more "bad" shows on Hulu.com
During my commute into and out of work - come on, how else am I suppose to kill 30 - 45 min of travel time? Read? ;)
A local knitting group - yeah for national chain book stores!
Local bar - some days after work, you *REALLY* need a cold one
In my bed - while listening to book on tape, my hands need something to do
Passenger seat of a car - I love the luxury of sitting in a passenger seat and knitting to my hearts content
On the loo - yes, i am guilty knitting on the toilet, but sometimes......SOMETIMES.....you've just gotta do it
On my back porch - when the family sits down for a rare family meal, we tend to talk a lot - a lot of talking = time to whip out knitting.
Last but not least, while walking - granted this isn't a specific place per se, but I can get a lot done that way

Anyway, that's it for today.....

Tuesday Ten

2010-01-12T10:48:00.004-05:00

Ok. So, I'm trying to get in the habbit of blogging more. Even if it's a list of something. :)

For today's ten list, I thought I'd share some stuff about knitting. YEAH! Mostly it's going to be about projects that I have knitted and places I like to knit.

An unusual capstick cozy. I would say, this is a fav of mine to knit. Granted, I haven't done many of these lately (and I need to) but it always gives me the giggles when I knit this.
Hats! Oh my gosh, I love knitting hats. One of my favorite is one called Dependence. Unfortunately, the blog that USE to have it posted, is no longer available. BUT! You can see pics of it here and here. So far I have 3 of them in different colors and plan on making myself some more!
Another favorite hat I like to knit is called Tychus. It's a short row hat, making super easy to do (and I think a good beginning project for a beginner to intermediate beginner).
Oh, how could I forget my Glove Hat (aka Knitted Motorway Moses Hat). I've done this pattern about 5 times already in different colors and yarn weight. I am planning on doing more! *insert evil laugh*
I've done some fingerless gloves/mittens a fair number of times (I would say in the ball park of 8.......so far).
I have a chunk of time to kill when I commute to and from work (about an hour each way), and I end up knitting on the public transit (yeah metro)
I've been known to knit in Bars, Movie theatres, and watching TV.
I've also been known to knit while walking. I have yet to be documented while doing so. Eluding the camera isn't a set skill for this phenomenon apparently.
I've knitted durring an ice hockey game.....probably the only time I'll ever do that.
Last but not least, I have been know to sneak in a stitch or two at some EXTREAMLY LONG lights in the area. NOTE: I DO NOT KNIT WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION WHEN I AM BEHIND THE WHEEL, NOR DO I ENDORSE SUCH ACTIVITIES.

Tuesday Ten

2010-01-05T12:15:00.002-05:00

It's Tuesday. And b/c Ten sounds better with Tuesday (as opposed to Thursday), here's another 10 list for today.

Topic is: Fibre.

Specifically, what I enjoy about it.

Wool yarn - the way it slides so easily over my needles and into a finished object.
Spinning - I *love* spinning my own yarn. I have what is called a low-whorl spindle, making it easier to make thicker yarn - as opposed to thin or lace weight yarns. I am planning to make myself another drop spindle, probably a high-whorl one.
Portable - Alot of my projects are easily portable, making my commute to and from work bearable, watching TV shows more interesting, killing downtime without killing other people. And the upside is I get stuff to wear/use!
Look Ma No Hands - well, more like "Look Ma, Not Looking!". I really enjoy projects that I dont have to look at it to knit it. And some how this amazes people. To me, it's like, do you need to look at the car's gas pedal to use it?
Possibilities - how much stuff one can make from fibre: sweaters, mittens, hats, willie warmers to name a few
Relaxing - wheather I'm spinning or knitting it, it's relaxing
Conversation - well, I havent really experienced this much, but apparently others have started conversations over their knitting
Socializing - I found some good friends, online and in person, from my knitting/spinning adventures
Gifts - making stuff out of fibre makes getting gifts easier, esp if you start off early enough
Selfish - I love making stuff for myself. I know exactly what I want, in what color and what style :P

New Year....New Possibilities????

2009-12-29T00:10:00.005-05:00

Anyway, it's the New Year, and a new decade (though, it's a new decade every moment, isnt it?).

I try to advoid using the word "resolution/s" b/c it makes me feel I am obligated to do something, and if I end up either not doing it or falling short of the inteded goal, I feel like a total failure/loser....well being more of one than usual.

This is what I intend to do for the forthcoming year:

Drink more water. You can never drink too much of it!
Get off at a further Metro stop from work.
Get coffee at work rather than the box store (or if I have time, make it at home and bring it with me)
Actually apply to FT jobs that I would enjoy doing and know I'm qualified to do
Take dance lessons. The Venetian Waltz strikes my fancy.
Regularly do tarot
Socialize more! Maybe I can find that "someone special" - but I'm just wanting to socialize more.
Visit more of the free stuff DC has to offer
Build upper body and core strength
Stretch!

Tuesday Ten - Bring it!

2009-12-22T14:04:00.004-05:00

Ok, I'm getting into the idea of doing something like a 10-list every Tuesday. Gets me on here and writing.

Speaking of which, with NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) ending not TOO long ago, I thought of listing a few novels/books I've enjoyed reading (and continue to enjoy rereading for some!):

1. The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan.

This series is a love/hate relationship. I enjoy reading it, but the copious amount of details in the series can be a little mind-numbing at times (but in the same hand, when there is a "lack" of detail....). It's a sci-fi fantasy that deals with the everlasting battle of "good" vs "evil" with some romance thrown in. Over all I like the series.

2. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Even though this is a "kid" or young adult series, I found it to be a good read. What I thought was nifty, was the the way the series was written. Something along the lines of age appropriateness? As in, starting of "easy" and (when they were being published) aged with the audience, (more details/etc). I've always been interested in reading about wizardry, sorcery, and other similar sci-fi books.

3. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

I read this book recently and couldn't put it down! Its a historical fiction book, about Dinah (one of Joseph's children). It deals with a switch from a matriarchal to patriarchal society, and touches briefly on the role of women have changed. But beyond that deep and philosophical whatever. I really enjoyed this book.

4. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

A light romance novel. Has some fantasy thrown in as well. I would definitely recommend this one. The whole axis of the novel revolves around a family's apple tree.

5. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, Talking to Dragons)

Granted, this too is a young adult/kids book, but I really do like the fantasy genre and this is written well. I was surprised to find out that the supposed 4th book in the series was written first and the other 3 books were written as prequels. Who knew?

6. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (the No Fear Shakespeare version)

This is my FAVORITE play to watch and also, I really enjoy reading it! (no surprise there) What's nice about the No Fear Shakespeare versions of the plays and the sonnets is that you can get the "orig." text and modern English of the same text on opposing pages. Very nice!

7. Home Safe Home by Debra Lynn Dadd

Granted, with the self-help/diy books one can become too over enthused about things. But I like this book b/c it allows you to make an informed decision and have access to alternatives of daily life (from household cleaners to laundry detergent, etc). Definitely a good resource/starting point.

8. Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton

Oh another romance novel! I particularly liked this one b/c not only was it a romance novel, it involved knitting! Enough said.

9. The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan (The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, Battle of the Labyrinth)

A young adult series, who's premise revolves around the Greek gods and their demigod/mortal kids. Enjoyable if you like your Greek lore and enjoy a light adventure story.

10. Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie

What is it with the romance novels, eh? Well, they're can be addictive and highly enjoyable. A nice book about how someone later in life can find romance and have a love life.

Tuesday Ten - Only b/c They Have the Same First Letter

2009-12-16T10:38:00.003-05:00

Ok. So, I'm going to highlight some blogs I like to read. Please note, this is a non-linear list.

Cake Wrecks is a blog I stumbled upon when I was VERY fascinated with Ace of Cakes on the Food Network (a show highlighting an unusual cake bakery in Baltimore, MD called Charmed City Cakes). The blog highlights, more often than not, cakes gone horribly wrong for one reason or another.
The Tipsy Baker is a good blog about food. I found this little gem when I was listening to NPR's Open Table. A mother who is cooking her way through a couple cook books and feeding the results to her family. On NPR, they were talking about the hens she is raising, the garden she has, etc. And how she's trying to use non-store bought items (i.e. using the eggs from her hens as apposed to the ones from the store). She even has a bee hive.
Tough Pigs is one of three Muppet based blogs I read. It's aimed at "Muppet Fans Who Grew Up". It has interviews with the different puppeteers, reviews of different Muppet things (like the one on the main page is of the Muppet Show comic book. Has little updates on different things (like Miss Piggy's appearance on the Wendy William's show)
Post Secrets. 'Nuf said. Well, a little more about it. A guy in Germantown, MD, about 5 years ago, started having people send him their secrets, sort of as a prank/joke. Now it's a web phenomenon (or so I think). Every Sunday, the blog is updated with new secrets. Also, more often than not, Frank (the guy who does the Post Secret site), posts Saturday Secrets - a couple of secrets that don't quite make the Sunday's cut, purely for space reasons (He limits it to a certain number)
Mother Cake is a blog of a friend of mine. I like keeping in touch with my friends and following their blogs is a good way to keep tabs on them.
The Muppet Mindset is another Muppet blog I follow, and it's all about Muppets!!! *Giddy Happy Dance* This one is more of a blog than the first one. This is a little excerpt from the blog about what it does: "The Muppet Mindset is dedicated to providing in-depth reviews of Muppet products, television appearances, and more. We will also feature opinion articles, interviews, and other creative outlets for Muppet fans to enjoy."
The Muppet Newsflash is the final Muppet blog I follow. What that site says about itself: "This blog is dedicated to informing Muppet fans and Jim Henson enthusiasts all over the world with all the news and information that they crave and desire. "
Upon the Purple Moor. Like I said, sometimes it's nice to know what friends are doing via their blog. She has another blog for her stage personality, Lyrical Venus, that highlights female musicians, but more about that later.
It's Easy Being Alone. An interesting blog from yet another friend.
Lyrical Venus. Here is the blog that highlights female musicians from a friend of mine. Good stuff and good musicians.

The Thursday Ten

2009-11-12T12:47:00.005-05:00

Hello!!!!!

I have resurected from the dead! *insert evil laugh* Oh wait, that was a couple weeks ago. *smirk*

Anyway, today is thursday. And it being a random day of things, I thought to make a list of 10 random things either about today or what ever.

Here goes.

It's a day that kind of makes you feel as sexy as a wet cardboard box. Seriously.
A person asked me (a teenage girl) why the box office was called the box office
One of my bra's underwires decided to pull an escape artist move. My boobs feel lopsided.
I busted out some of my limited Spanish to say "you're welcome"
Some how the ticketing system at work charged the restoration fee but somehow refunded it w/o my knowledge of it
Had an overwhelming feeling (VERY VERY strong, I might add) of wanting (almost needing) to snog someone
Was scoping out the new National Park Ranger (what little I saw of him, I liked)
Had an influx of German people today. Usually it's British. *shrug*
Wore my high heels....as in the 4.5" high heels. I'm glad I'm sitting down for most of the day. But damn, I love feeling tall.
Took photos of my Amigurumi Octopus at the Ford's Theatre.

It seems like it's one of those days to cuddle up with someone infront of the fireplace.

Mrs. Jones, I Must Like Them BIG!!!

2009-09-03T19:36:00.002-04:00

I've recently discovered a Farmers Market only blocks from my work (literally 2 1/2 blocks) when I decided to go to a knitting meet up in the area one thursday. I guess it was destinay for me to discover it and discover one of vendors had some roving for sale. The last couple of Thursdays I've walked by their stall and eyed their roving but never inquired about it until today.

I am happy I did. :)

I discivered their HUGE ball of roving was only $20 for something 2-3 times the size I have found online. Granted, it's all one color, but even for a solid color it's an awesome bargain.

Thinking about it, it might be closer to 3 -4 times the size, I'm use to getting from online (typically I see 4oz of roving for $12).

Anyway, here are the photos of the ball of roving next to my head to show size.

Tuesday Ten

2009-08-25T18:49:00.003-04:00

I saw this on another blog and thought it was kind of nifty. Basically have like a top 10 list of something once a week (or maybe once or twice a month???). Anyway. I want to try it out. I am thinking of Tuesday Ten themed style.

For today's ten, I was thinking about Fall today and why I like it.

The cooler weather - I love the cooler weather. This means I'm not sweating as soon as I step outside. DC is notorious with its uggy muggy weather. Also, it's allot easier to ADD layers when it gets chillier than it is to remove layers
There is something about the cooler weather that makes me want to knit more stuff. Maybe it's the hibernating gene?
The changing of colors in the tree's leaves - always inspiring.
I can bust out my hats and scarves I made (as well as my jackets I bought from a store) - somehow I enjoy wearing scarves and hats)
Tourist season essentially ends - also, at work this means selling tickets for performances vs just passing out timed tickets and repeating the same 4 words a good 1,000 times a day
Getting ready for Halloween (granted that's only 1/2 way through fall, but still, a great reason to like Fall)
Fall some how makes me feel more independent
I like how fall is a great time to be outside w/o worry of getting over heated (too easily)
Also, soups/stews are more appealing to eat (my mom makes soups year round it seems and during the summer, it's not they're not tasty, just it's too hot to eat)
Fall is a romantic time time of year. A time to get snugly. Here's for the best

Fair Results.

2009-08-25T18:40:00.003-04:00

Well, I got my items back from the fair. All of them got ribbons as follows:

1. Green hat - first place

2. Matching hat & gloves - first place

3. Fish hat - fourth place

4. Fingerless gloves - honorable mention

That is all for now

County Fair 2009

2009-08-09T09:58:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year, where the herald of county fairs appear on every babe's lips....

.......well, at least some of them.

This will be the third time I've entered in my county fair with knitted items (crocheted in the previous two). I've been lucky enough to have everything I've enter win some sort of ribbon (even if it's 6th place).

Also, it seems that every year what I enter gets smaller....either I'm knitting too much of the same or its collecting dust in a random corner.

I have one last item I "need" to finish to enter the fair this coming Friday.

Anyway. I had gotten some of the new Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool colors: Oatmeal, Maple Tweed (their Natures Brown with a thread of their Natural running through it), and Oak Tweed (their Natural with a thread of their Natures Brown running through it).

I am planning on making a couple Morgan's from Knitty's Fall 2008 online pattern collection - at least one in each color. I'm thinking x-mas gifts for the brothers and the dad.

That is all for now.

*I like my men like I like my coffee.......COVERED IN BEES*

Gasp It's Another One!

2009-07-07T02:18:00.003-04:00

Holy Cow!

It's another knitter's contest!

This one's a little more involved, but just as worth it.

Darcy's Knotty Knitter is a sauve blog that's giving away 2 skeins of fingering weight yarn (one's green color and the other one is yellow) AND a new sock pattern! Nifty stuff in my book.

You can have up to five (yes FIVE) chances to win!

Check out the blog post about the nifty contest that ends midnight of July 12th! Make sure you let them know who sent ya!

Love y'all!

Wandering Cat Studio

2009-07-07T01:48:00.004-04:00

I stumbled upon this blog called the Wandering Cat Studio and discovered they were having a contest! Cute little blog. :) Anyway, they have some nummy stuff on their Etsy site, Wandering Cat Yarns that you should check out.

The rules are:
1. Check out their Etsy store
2. Leave a comment on their blog post
3. Blog about in in your own blog!

So simple!

Contest ends midnight of July 13th and winners will be announced/contacted on July 1q4th.
Enjoy everyone!

Extreme Herding

2009-06-25T00:14:00.002-04:00

Ok. This was too cute to pass up (thanks to the girls in my knitting group who brought this up).

This is extreme herding (or maybe too much time on one's hands)

Hammer Time!

2009-06-06T07:08:00.003-04:00

I've always been a little fascinated by flash mobs. This one is no exception! The following is a video of people in Hammer pants doing a flashmob in an LA store somewhere.

Crop Circles Creatures

2009-06-04T12:30:00.003-04:00

Crop circles seem to be of interest to a fair number of people across the globe.

This one is no exception. Well, it's probably the exception to your normal crop circle.

You see, it's a Jellyfish. Yes, that's right, a jelly fish crop circle.

Check it out here.

Desires

2009-06-04T11:01:00.002-04:00

This sort-of/kind-of a cross post from my other blog (Do, Live, Feel) in only that I'm posting my desires of what I want.

My theory is that the more I put my desires out there, the more likely I'm going to attract what I want to me.

Here's my bucket list per se:

Have a car that runs on Biodiesel (and where I can make my own fuel from vegitable oil from my local fast food joint)
Be in a long-term relationship / get married (I put both of them on the same goal line b/c marriage is a long-term relation ship, just the title of attachment changes)
Have a kick-ass Full-Time job that gives me the flexibility to work when and how I want, and that includes great medical, dental and eye health care, perks, and great co-workers
Have a place of my own (to own and not rent) - a house would be good thats far enough away from the city that I dont have the crazyness that goes with it, but close enough that I could use public transit to get in
Start a vision board for all of the above

Life and Times

2009-06-04T10:19:00.004-04:00

Hrm. I don't know if it's something karmic I need to work through or if its just something in the stars (or what), but lately (well, maybe longer than lately) I've been feeling sort of at a disjunct with my life. Today especially, I feel like my life has no purpose, direction, or what ever.

I don't know if its b/c I don't have a definite long term plan for myself or what. Yes there are things I desire to have and have as goals, but with no dead line. Maybe if I have an actual timeline, things might be going better for me??? Who knows.

It would be great to be married by the time I'm 30 (granted it would be just as totally awesome to even get a date, but marriage would be even cooler), have my own place (own, not rent), have a full-time job I love doing that has benefits (like health care, dental, etc), be at the point where it's only my student loans as my only debt, have a new fuel efficient car and have it be 100% paid for (it'd be cool if it could run on biodiesel, so that way I could get my gas for free, granted I would need to have a system set up to convert the vegetable oils into biodiesel), and so on and so forth.

In terms of a job, I want it to be fairly flexible as to what I do, and how I set up my schedule (i.e. if I'm suppose to put in a 40 hr work week, I could do 12 hrs one day and 4 the next, or what ever).

*le sigh* I am just hoping and praying that it's something karmic I'm working through and everything will be better (emotionall and financially) for me VERY VERY soon.

I should probably be doing a vision board to help me with this. Even if it means drawing on it with markers or what ever (instead of just waiting to get photos from magazines or newspapers).

Well, blogging about it does help me feel a little better, but it's definately not the end solution.

Interesting commercial

2009-05-27T15:39:00.002-04:00

I remember seeing this Prius commercial on TV recently and wondered how they did it. The scenery the car "drives' by is completely made up of humans. Whether they were dressed up to look like grass, trees, flowers, etc, it was really well done.

This Youtube video shows how the commercial was done and showing the end result at the end of it.

The Case of the Jumping Cat....

2009-05-23T09:18:00.001-04:00

I saw this and thought it was too cute not to share:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdhLQCYQ-nQ

Song Around the World

2009-05-05T10:37:00.003-04:00

This was on Yahoo!'s main page as a Viral video. I thought it was good enough to share with you.

Playing For Change: Song Around the World | Stand By Me @ Yahoo! Video

Ping Pong Anyone???

2009-03-29T20:41:00.000-04:00

Excessive Ping Pong Celebration @ Yahoo! Video

The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices

2009-03-18T00:52:00.002-04:00

Sham-wow: The Musical

2009-03-08T15:14:00.000-04:00

ShamWow Song (lyrics from Vince Offer) @ Yahoo! Video

Give Me Some Uke!

2009-02-27T15:40:00.003-05:00

Ukulele that is.....

And finally.....

Cracks Me Up Every Time....

2009-02-26T21:29:00.002-05:00

....for now at least

Psh....Beards.

2009-02-18T23:52:00.004-05:00

Was looking at what videos were featured, etc, on Youtube's main page and came across the flollowing video. It's clean. It's people friendly. No blood. No Gore.

Enjoy.

Knitting Graffiti

2009-02-15T19:29:00.001-05:00

I've "rediscovered" knitting graffiti and have been inspired.

Here are some links:
http://deputy-dog.com/2008/11/urban-knitting-worlds-most-inoffensive.html
http://knittaplease.com/ABOUT.html
http://www.cherryflava.com/cherryflava/2007/10/knitta---urban-.html
http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/knitting-graffiti

FINALLY!!!!

2009-02-14T02:07:00.004-05:00

I finally uploaded some photos from my camera to my computer.

Here is the GIANT Abe Lincoln that was at work (it was Abe Lincoln's 200th b-day that day)

Morris: A Life With Bells On

2009-02-07T00:02:00.003-05:00

I was just listening to NPR and they had a program from Canada's NPR. On the program they were talking about Morris Dancing. The radio host was interviewing this guy from England about a documentry of sorts, he did on Morris dancing called "Morris: A Life with Bells On". Something I would go see in the theatre.

I found it intriguing to watch at least (various videos on Youtube).

Here are a couple of clips for your enjoyment.

Revamping and Renewal

2009-02-02T15:51:00.002-05:00

Ok. Last year I challenged myself to do 100 hats by the end of 2008. Ambitious, yes. Fool hearty, quite affirmative.

But now, I've basically wiped the slate clean and started the challenge anew. So, hopefully by the end of February, I'll have 16 hats finished. So far, I've got one. But granted it was a little more involved since it was a fish hat.

Now that I broke the daunting task of making the first hat, I feel I can do anything! Well, more like I've got the hat thing under control and can crank out 15 more hats by the end of the month.

The hopes are that they'll be all different and unique hats. Towards the end I may fudge that rule a little to include the meaning of different including making the same hat but out of a different yarn.

WIP Where I Need to Be.

2009-01-22T16:02:00.003-05:00

So, for those who arent in the knitting terminology know how, WIP is short for Work In Progress.

It always feels that I have at least half a dozen projects going on and a gazillion things I want to make. (Let alone the fact that my bedroom is slowly being taken over by my yarn stash).

Right now I'm knitting up a hat that was giving me problems. The orig directions seemed a little wonky when I first scanned though them, assuming that the hat, like all the other hats I've knitted from patterns, would be done in the round! I started the pattern, and the changing of the colors were giving me issues of making the change over smoothly.

I had realised that the pattern had you knit the first 3 rows in the round THEN switch to working flat (going back and forth as if on two needles as apposed to continuing in the round). I thought it was a bit poor for the designer to have you start in the round and then switch it up so soon into the pattern. At that rate, it should have been just straight up two needle pattern (non-cicrular needles) and then have you sew the seam up - you'd still have to sew a seam up in any event might as well make it all one seam.

Weird weird weird.

I am also knitting up two pairs of Fetching, fingerless gloves that has cables at the writsts and just below the knuckles (the cables make it snug enough to keep your wrist warm with out cutting off cirulation to your hand). Its more of a wrist warmer than fingerless glovess.

Also, I'm working on pair of socks (just bound on and no other progress).

I'm scheeming about knitting a vest for myself. Something that's professional enough to wear to work but can be a casual dress up vest as well.

Well enough of my ranting for the moment as I go off and print more hat patterns (as if i need more patterns! ha!)

To Us, With Love

2009-01-21T22:49:00.003-05:00

I don't know how many people are aware of this or how many more will know b/c of my blog. But there is legislation being put forth by the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA for short).

What it is, in short, is that all toys must go through testing to see how dangerous a toy is for children to play with. Granted, it is good to have standards for toys, (like all the cases/issues we've heard about the toys from China that were causing problems for kids (and I'm sure their parents) - dangerously high lead content, toys with unsafe small part, toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick)

Here is an article from Handmade Toy Alliance (found here) about it:

Help Save Handmade Toys in the USA from the CPSIA

Who Are We?

We are not some pretend group sponsored by big companies trying to appear grassroots. We are an alliance of toy stores, toy makers and children's product manufacturers from across the country who want to preserve unique handmade toys, clothes, and all manner of children's goods in the USA.
See our faces on facebook.

The issue:
In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China and other developing countries violated the public's trust. They were selling toys with dangerously high lead content, toys with unsafe small part, toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick. Almost every problem toy in 2007 was made in China.

The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US. So, they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August, 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.

All of these changes will be fairly easy for large, multinational toy manufacturers to comply with. Large manufacturers who make thousands of units of each toy have very little incremental cost to pay for testing and update their molds to include batch labels.

For small toy makers and manufacturers of children's products, however, the costs of mandatory testing will likely drive them out of business.

A toymaker, for example, who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the $300 - $4,000 fee per toy that testing labs are charging to assure compliance with the CPSIA.
A work at home mom in Minnesota who makes cloth diapers to sell online must choose either to violate the law or cease operations.
A small toy retailer in Vermont who imports wooden toys from Europe, which has long had stringent toy safety standards, must now pay for testing on every toy they import.
And even the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007.

The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of children's goods that have earned and kept the public's trust: Toys, clothes, and accessories made by small businesses where the owners are personally involved in the creation of their goods. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade children's products will no longer be legal in the US.

If this law had been applied to the food industry, every farmers market in the country would be forced to close while Kraft and Dole prospered.

How You can Help:
Please write to your United States Congress Person and Senator to request changes in the CPSIA to save handmade toys and children's products. Use our sample letter or write your own. You can find your Congress Person here and Senator here.

There is also an excellent blog about this on Mama Is.

Please help! I am sending my representatives a letter as soon as I post this.

What do you think the world needs now?

2009-01-21T00:55:00.000-05:00

Today, the USA has sworn in it's 44th president.

Many of the news people on the TV were talking about the palpable feeling of hope and of possible change. They alluded to it being positive change (in not so many words).

It seems the world, at least the US (well, mainly my feelings), wants a change for the better, more peaceful world. A smoothing of feathers to enable the first steps towards peace.

That's what I think the world needs now. A reality, an existence, that is a bit more peaceful.

Granted, that doesn't mean we have to agree with each other 100% of the time. Just something where we can live our lives with out hurting others or having ourselves or our loved ones hurt (emotionally, mentally, or physically). Life with out fear.

Yes, contrast allows us to know what we like, milkshakes vs black coffee, hot summer days vs cold winter nights, so on and so forth. Without contrast, we wouldn't be able to evolve and grow as humans, regardless what path we walk.

With the swearing in of Barack Obama as our 44th president, the feeling of things being righted has been renewed in me. That things are back on the right track, at least for this country. But we will see how things pan out. Sometimes things or events don't pan out the way we want them, initially at least, or as quickly as we would like them to. It is a bit of an uphill battle for President Obama to efficiently execute the changes we need, but I feel things will unfold as they are needed.

A Second Christmas!!!!

2009-01-17T22:03:00.003-05:00

Ok. Today I came home to a package of stuff that I had bought trough ebay. I was so excited! Like a second x-mas. The package contained 22 circular knitting needles (1 pair of 11 different sizes - this makes things easier/simpler for me to knit - like socks or mittens, things that usually require pair of something - so they are the same tension and i can make the same changes in the exact same spot on each item).

My dad didnt know what I had gotten and from the way they were packaged, he kept ranting and hooting that I had gotten a dildo in the mail. (Granted it did come in a simular shape to what a dildo may look like packaged).

My mom was giving him dirty looks from the phone call she was on with one of my dad's good friends from childhood.

But part of the reason why I was so happy about the needles, I figured out that I had spent less that $1/needle ($.91/needle to be exact), INCLUDING shipping (shipping was free, but still....)

*does a happy butt dance*

And the Winner is.....

2009-01-15T00:08:00.001-05:00

Turtle!

Congrats!
I'll be contacting you via e-mail soon

All the stories were good ones! Thank goodness for Random.Org!

Deadline Tomorrow!

2009-01-13T14:53:00.001-05:00

Ok. The last day to enter for my blog contest is TOMORROW!!!

Yep. Wednesday, Jan 14th is the last day to enter my contest (to get specific - 11:59:59pm EST on Jan 14th is the latest latest one can enter).

Contest Reminder!

2009-01-07T00:02:00.001-05:00

Remember the contest ends on Jan 15th! You have a week left to enter!!!!

Contest can be found here!!!

Current Projects

2009-01-01T00:03:00.000-05:00

Ug. I guess this goes hand in hand with the "Ambition" post.

But it always feels like I have at least 10 projects going on (as in actually on knitting needles) and at least double that of what I have planned/want to do!

Right now I have:

An endless granny square afghan (purple hues - an on again, off again love affair)
A seemingly endless wool sweater (which has been hibernating in the closet since forever)
A smattering of small projects (including chap stick cozies)
Fingerless gloves for a belated x-mas gift
Fingerless gloves for a birthday gift
Hat for belated x-mas gift

And that's just the short list

Ambition

2009-01-01T00:02:00.000-05:00

Why is it that I always want to do more than what I can do? AND that I still think I can do it all?

I dont know. It baffles me.

Animagus

2009-01-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

I was researching blog topics one day (included in that search was writing and journal topics as well), and this was one of the topics: What kind of animal would you like to be and why? It made me think of the Harry Potter series and a select few in that reality that could change themselves into another animal/creature.

In the past I gave this topic some thought and came up with a short list of different animals I might enjoy being - real and possibly imaginary.

Here's my short list:

Ladybug
Bear (either Grizzly or Brown - mood depending)
Otter
Griffin
Phoenix
Fox
Giraffe
Hippogriff
Jaguar
Kangaroo

Some of them (those beyond #5) were some that I have thought about in more of a fleeting thought than anything else (the top 5 are the top 5 simply b/c they're the ones I think about the most).

I would say that the Ladybug and Bear are almost interchangeable in terms of personal preference. I've sort of had a fascination with ladybugs pretty steadily for ages (it would be apart of a tattoo if I was going to get one) and the bear - but a little less.

I dont know if its possible for someone in Harry Potter's world to be able to change into more than one animal (from what I understand, it's hard enough to be able to change oneself into ONE thing to begin with). But heres to wishful thinking.

Worldly Travels

2009-01-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

I wish I had the chance to go back to Greece again and to see more of England. While I'm in England, it would be nice to see Ireland and Scotland to boot.

It would be fun to spend at least a month in each place I go (roughly 5 months including travel time). Getting to explore a specific region more in detail.

I hear CouchSurfing.com is a website to find inexpensive lodging. Granted, I've never tried this website nor do I know how "safe" it is. Though a couple people (indirectly) greatly recommended using this site for one reason or another. Also, I dont know if it's limited to one continent or if its international.

100th Post - Get Your Contest On!!!

2008-12-31T00:30:00.002-05:00

Ok. So now for my 100th posting, I am holding a contest.

Yeah! Here's what it's going to be:

1. One entry for posting a comment about an unusual/spontaneous thing you did (nothing that harms someone/something else or anything profane). i.e. One thing I've done is that I went sledding in my swimsuit my freshman year with a bunch of other friends.

2. One more entry if you blog about this contest (make sure you have a link to your blog post in your comment)
3. A winner will be chosen using Random.org
4. Winner will be chosen on January 15th!

Now the lovely item up for grabs:

Yes. It is what you think it is.....a chap stick cozy key chain! Yes, I'll even include a new tube of chap stick (Yes it's going to be a new tube of Eskimo Kiss (shown in 2nd photo) from Biggs and Featherbelle).

ALSO: Send an email to onlyifbliss at yahoo dot com so I can contact you if you win! Even if you sign in with your email to comment, Blogger doesn't show me what it is, so this step is really important. If I don't have your email I'll have no way to get a hold of you and I'll have to give your prize to someone else! How sad would you be if that happened? Just tell me the name you used to comment with, and don't worry, I won't use your email for anything else other than contacting you if you win.

Sneak Peak!

2008-12-26T01:30:00.001-05:00

Watch this space for (hopefully) a nifty contest!
(Just in time for the New Year)

Get a chance to win a hand knitted item.

Also, I managed to get my grandmother on my digital camera being silly.

I think they're self explanatory when you see them

Ten years from today. . . .

2008-12-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

I envision myself married to a wonderful man for at least 5 years, in a house near a large city (like DC, NYC or another big city in the New England area) - it can be a nice loft or spacious apartment. Also, in 10 years from today, I see myself working FT at a company that's eco-friendly or has services/products that are good for the earth/people.

In 10 years from now, I envision all of my debts (including student loans) to be 100% paid off. Also, in 10 years, I want to own a vehicle (like a truck or station wagon type) that's 100% environmentally friendly and gets great "gas" mileage.

Vision

OMG OMG OMG OMG

2008-12-16T11:19:00.003-05:00

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

I nearly wet myself when I saw the link to it on Myspace.com's main page

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD

My friends (most of them at least) will attest I love Wolverine. And I've been waiting for this movie to come out.

'Nuf said

The Soup

2008-12-16T11:07:00.002-05:00

Ok. I enjoy watching the E! channel from time to time. The main show I watch on there is "The Soup".

Now, I would personally say the highlight of the show for me (since I've started watching it on a regular basis) was when the show's host Joel McHale. (Sorry ladies, he's already married!) dressed up as a recognizable '80's character (recognizable to me at least).

See clip below.

Moosebutter (on toast!)

2008-12-15T22:37:00.004-05:00

Ok, I dont know how many of you have seen that acapella Star Wars YouTube video. The guy who performed it was Corey Vidal. You could probably say the video went viral.

The group that originally created/sung the vocals for that video (maybe Corey sung it himself for his video, I dont know) is Moosebutter. And they did a video response to Corey's video (its actually them singing the song themselves in the split screen fashion).

As I am writing this, I'm actully listening to one of Moosbutter's cd's. Very funny. It sometimes reminds me of a friend from elementary school/college (met him in elementary school and ended up going to the same college together).

Peppermint Milk

2008-12-15T12:50:00.000-05:00

Peppermint Milk...Peppermint Milk.

Oh my gosh. Such nummy stuff.

Ask the next time you're in a coffee shop somewhere and ask for steamed milk with peppermint italian syrup. *drool*

Very good.

I discovered this durring the last stretch of my college years. There was just something about getting steamed milk with peppermint in it.

Heck. We even came up with a little dance for it as well!

So far my web camera is only recording the video part of the song and dance (no sound!)
Stinkers. I'll post the little song and dance once I get the sound to work.

(me thinks part of it was from my brother using it - taking it off my comp and moving it to another - some how got damaged in the process??? Worked well enough before).

Rock, Paper, Scissors.

2008-12-14T10:35:00.003-05:00

This is going to be a short post.

There is this really awesome Fairfield, IA band called Rock, Paper Scissors. (They also have a MySpace.com page as well!)

They're a female trio that's jazzy/fusion/other with musical accompaniment.

Check them out.

FYI if you like them enough to buy their CD, it needs to be purchased by DEC 19TH.

Wonderful World of Toys

2008-12-12T13:17:00.003-05:00

Personally, I enjoy playing games and with toys now and again (sometimes it feels good to be a kid again - even if it's only for 20min).

I stumbled across these websites from a friend's twitter post about how handmade toys may become illegal.

Main gist of the whole thing is that people who hand make toys (like knitted/crocheted/sewn dolls, wooden trucks/cars, etc) and have made it their lively hood (or depend on that business in some way).

Please help spread the word peeps!

Websites:

Help Save Handmade Toys in the USA

How You Can Help

Cool Mom Picks Article

An Every Day is a Holiday

2008-12-11T18:40:00.009-05:00

I was thinking the other day how fun life would be know each day was celebrated like it was a holiday (not the dreaded I have to get someone else something holiday - just a day to celebrate).

It could be as simple as "Smile Day" or even "Laughing Day". I remember overhearing a conversation about a fairy book that talked about how the fairies have a holiday every day (that celebrated stuff like "Drinking the Dew from Rose Petals" and just got me started thinking). Just how life should be celebrated more.

Just a thought.

I hear it calling my name

2008-12-11T15:54:00.003-05:00

UGH! Ever since I got up this morning, I've been hearing my bed call my name to come back and fall asleep again!

It's only gotten worse since I've been at work. And it makes it harder knowing I work really close to home - it's calling my name even more temptingly (closer than allot of people in this area - I have like a 10 min drive to work, and that's with "heavy" traffic).

That's what was one of my birthday wishes was to be able to sleep in as long as want and not have to leave my bed unless I wanted too. (I tend to sleep in a little later than I should and get to work anywhere from 15 - 45 min after I'm "technically" suppose to start at - but fortunately the company I work for is really laid back and works out in both our favors that I come in up to 3/4 of an hour late).

As part of my birthday gift to myself, the other day I ended up at Target and got myself some gold sheets.

Yes, gold. Not the knit or woven fabric that's been dyed a golden rod color. Gold as in metallic shiny, will-practically-slip-out-of-bed-if-I-move sheets.

Ten Guilty Pleasures

2008-12-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

ohhh....if I had to list my top 10 guilty pleasures (at the time I'm writing this), would be as follows:

10. Sleeping In: I love sleeping in. Especially since I noticed I enjoy staying up some what late-ish. But there is something comforting about staying in bed until almost lunch and then getting up to face the day. Granted, your day may start much later than it may, but if that means waking up happy....

9. Kickball: I know it's an odd guilty pleasure, but it's there. For the last couple of years I have been apart of a social sport of kickball. It's more so for getting off my butt every sunday and going out and being social with other people, and it has an added bonus of being somewhat active (more so than if I stayed home with the intention of moving physically).

8. Ghost Hunters/CSI: I really enjoy these shows. If either G.H. or any of the CSI (esp. CSI: Miami) are on, chances are I'm sitting there knitting and drinking my coffee.

7. Cuddle Parties: I've only recently discovered this. It's just a fun way of relaxing and connecting with other people. With today's world, people tend to be more isolated from each other than they've been in quite some time. In today's world, it is nice to know we can connect with each other, in a safe environment, with other people.

6. Games: Mostly online games at this point (Neopets.com mostly). I do love playing games with real live people but never found enough people to get together to do much of a regular thing.

5. Chapstick: OMG. I have discovered this one chapstick that I have found highly addictive. It's minty and makes my lips tingle slightly from the mintyness (it makes my lips feel sexy even for a few short seconds). Oh ok. The chapstick is called Biggs & Featherbelle - the one I'm "addicted" to is called Eskimo Kiss.

Which leads me to my next guilty pleasure....

4. Kissing: I love kissing. Not that I have had much experience in this department, but it doesnt mean I dont enjoy it. ;)

3. Knitting: It's a big part of my life, but I secretly knit where and when I can. Yes, the bathroom is included in that scenario.

2. Coffee: *drool* Need I say more?

1. Yarn: I know this may fall in with knitting but I am catagorising it as something else. Mainly knitting is the action of USING yarn. Yarn is just something collected and is more inspiration to be used for action.

Online Discounts

2008-12-07T21:17:00.002-05:00

Ok. I know I like getting a good deal on things, and I'm sure other people do too.

I have found a couple good online things that get you discounts on things.

One place that has recently piqued my interest is RetailMeNot.com. What it basically does, is that it has you enter the website you want to purchase something from (like Amazon.com , JCPenny.com, Target.com, or any other retail website). Then, it shows you all the coupons/discounts that the website has (sometimes, if the website has an actual physical store - Target, JC Penny, Lane Bryant, etc - RetailMeNot.com may have a printable coupon for you too).

Sometimes, if it's just free shipping, it can be a good thing too. Shipping for somethings can be a bit pr icy for one reason or another. FreeShippingOn.com and FreeShipping.org may be good sites to check out too. Though RetailMeNot.com should have most of your coupon codes for you (shipping and other misc discounts).

Productive Evening

2008-12-06T16:30:00.005-05:00

So, last night was my first encounter of what is known as a Cuddle Party.

I wasn't sure of what to expect. I sort of knew what I was getting into, but had a feeling I would enjoy myself. I would say it was a successful evening all in all.

I was surprised at the size of the group - around 8 people including myself - I was expecting (well more like hoping) more. But it was a Friday evening to boot.

What was also nice (was sort of happy the group was small - might have been a little over whelmed if it was larger) was there were rules to follow. Kind of setting boundaries of what was acceptable, etc. Made the event feel more legit (something more than a free-for-all, chaotic clothed orgy - not that it ever was nor would have progressed/allowed to get to that point). It was about the comfort of the attending people (to what extent they participated), being able to use the space to open communication, being able to change your mind about things, helping in setting boundaries, etc. (To what extent is up to the individual).

I liked the notion that you don't have to cuddle everyone at the entire event (or anyone for that matter). Comforting I thought. You could just kick back and relax by yourself if you wanted to.

It was definitely a neat experience. And something I would invite people to experience for themselves.

Merle Fest 2009

2008-12-03T23:23:00.006-05:00

Merle Fest is a music festival revolving around the concept of sharing music on all levels. Listening, performing, and exchanging information and ideas. I've never been to the music event and this will be a first for me.

I want to go but also want to keep the costs low, and so I started the volunteer ball rolling (you can find information on volunteering at the festival here). Now I guess the next step is seeing who I can convince to go with me (and quite possibly take off work to go as well).

It seems like it's going to be fun. Part of my motivation is a fav. band of mine is playing durring the weekend of this event. *smirk*

Hopefully I can get at least SOMEONE to go with me.

Phil in the Circle

2008-12-02T23:38:00.003-05:00

Cuddle Me Silly!

2008-12-02T21:52:00.004-05:00

So, I'm kind-of excited about this Friday.

Wanna know why?

IT'S A CUDDLE PARTY!!!

*rofl*

What is a cuddle party you ask?

Here is a little blurb about it from the website:

What a Cuddle Party Is: A structured, safe workshop on boundaries, communication, intimacy and affection. A drug and alcohol-free way to meet fascinating people in a relaxing environment. A laboratory where you can experiment with what makes you feel safe and feel good.

This playful, fun workshop has been a place for people to rediscover non-sexual touch and affection, a space to reframe assumptions about men and women, and a great networking event to meet new friends, roommates, business partners and significant others.

Can Cuddle Party restore your faith in humanity? It just might. But at the very least, you'll have a great time, and leave feeling relaxed and inspired.

I personally think it's going to be a fun time!!!!

A Handmade Holiday

2008-11-30T22:17:00.004-05:00

It seems that this year's big thing is "handmade" things for the holidays.

Crafts it seems to have come full circle since the 1960's/1970's (or at least that's what it seems to me).

Granted non-handmade things are still selling, but everywhere I turn, I keep hearing on the radio, reading online, and seeing on TV (not so much on TV - but still there) the buzz is all about crafts and handmade.

This has inspired me to put a couple things up on Etsy.com. I do have my own "store" on Etsy but havent put anything up just yet. You can check my store out here to see if anything has been put up yet. But right now, nothing is up.

Yeah me!

2008-11-28T14:36:00.000-05:00

So, I got up early this "Black Friday" to make sure I got what I wanted. A digital camera!

Now only if my computer cooperates and installs the software.

Drinking Baby!

2008-11-18T10:47:00.005-05:00

So, I was out to lunch the other day with a couple of girl friends at an organic restaurant (which happened to be tied into the local organic grocery store a couple doors down from it in one direction and an organic-ishy boutique store a couple doors down in the other direction - I think there is also a pet grooming/store in that same shopping mall as well tied into with them as well).

Afterwards, we ended up at the boutique shop looking around, and I bought something called a "Clean Canteen" (something along that line). The concept is that it's made out of metal and not plastic, because regardless of how you make it, plastic still leaches into the contents it's holding and metal not as much. And that is bar none for all plastic bottles (disposable and reusable). (The plastic bottles leach toxins into the food/liquid if exposed to heat in particular - the fattier the contents the higher the toxin count apparently). But who's really to say what's 100% truthful and if what's said is anything near the truth.

Well, I got myself a clean canteen and have been impressed with it so far. I also own a Nalgene bottle and have enjoyed it as well. But I will say I enjoy my Sigg water bottle a little more. I don't know if it's my intention or if it's actually the bottle, but I feel better after drinking out of the Sigg bottle than the Nalgene. I've also noticed with the Nalgene, the water starts to taste more and more funky, the longer you leave it in the bottle. And that's at room temp.

So far the Sigg bottle hasn't done that. (I've been using it for the last week and a half).

The bottle I got is this lovely matte gold Indian/70's-ish inspired pattern on a blue back ground (the stopper is black on mine and not blue). I like it and it's suppose to be good for a really long time, lasting anywhere from 10 - 20 years depending on how much you abuse ..... hem, use it.

If you're curious about the Sigg products click here to check out their website.

They are running a special now through Dec 15th, 2008 where any order $30 or more gets FREE shipping with either FedEx or UPS using the code FREEFEDEX or FREEUPS. It's pretty easy to get $30 worth of stuff from Sigg. Yes, the products are pricy, but then metal bottles like this have always been on the expensive side. (It's worth the little extra money if it means you're healthier for drinking out of it, right? Sure beats possible medical bills).

Great Nation of Isolation.

2008-11-17T23:25:00.010-05:00

Ok. So, I've heard about cuddle parties a while back (maybe going on a couple years now).

I've been intrigued since I first found out about it, but haven't been comfortable enough or confident enough to actually attend one.

I finally gave in, figuring if it was too weird or too whatever, there was nothing to stop me from just leaving. I'll be attending one up near Baltimore at the beginning of December.

Some of the stuff on their site (www.cuddleparty.com) makes sense on how today as a society has morphed/warped what acceptable touch is.

This is what the website has to say:

Can Cuddle Party restore your faith in humanity? It just might. But at the very least, you'll have a great time, and leave feeling relaxed and inspired.

In today's world, many of us aren't getting our Recommended Daily Allowance of Welcomed Touch. Cuddle Parties seek to change that and change it in a way that's conscious, healthy and nutritious. Many of us grew up taught that a pull-out couch full of puppy-piled kids all camped-out in front of the TV was okay, but somewhere between ages 11 and 31 things changed. Now it's only okay for kids to do that. The only places for grown-up puppy-piles are in football and the occasional game of drunken Twister. Touch in groups only occurs in packed elevators, rush-hour subway cars or crowded movie theaters, but that kind of touch is usually accidental and not necessarily welcomed. For some of us, permitted touch only occurs when we pay for a massage or when we give the okay to get patted down by an airport security guard.

Our society has gotten weird about groups of people touching one another and it's taking its toll on us. Sure it's okay to touch the one you're dating or married to (that is, if you're still touching each other), but what about the single people? If you're single and touching too many other single people, you're a slut, and even then, how healthy and nutritious is all that touching when most of us have to get drunk to give ourselves permission to do it? Drunken, sexualized touch borders on desensitized groping. Most of us don't pick up somebody at the bar for a one-night cuddle.

We are so touch-and-snuggle deprived. Our need for touch has gotten so packed down and warped and pressurized that we fear its release. These years of "cuddle oppression" have become explosive. The more pressurized the situation, the more the need to suppress it, and the cycle feeds on itself. The symptoms of this "dis-ease" can be seen in the current social and corporate rules, regulations, and stigmas surrounding touch. With today's culture of mixed signals and double standards, the intricate sexual harassment maze, and the echoes of our Puritan foundations still audible, today is a very scary and unsafe place to voice our sensual needs. And one of our primary needs as humans is to touch and be touched!

I think its about time our society rebounds from the desensitised, sexual association of touch (or at least feel it's time to). Granted this isn't giving permission to anyone to go out there and claim bad/wrong touching as healthy/good touch.

In any case, it should be an interesting experience.

Single Ladies

2008-11-17T18:50:00.006-05:00

Ok. I saw the music video of Single Ladies by Beyonce (seen below) and then stumbled upon the Justin Timberlake parody (featuring Beyonce - see below as well). It cracked me up seeing Justin dance around.

Edit: there is another video of a guy dancing to Single Girls that I thought was funny.

Procession of Hats.

2008-11-15T14:57:00.003-05:00

Now, I've been talking about the hat's I'm knitting for my 100 hat challenge, but so far have failed to show what has been accomplished thus far.

So for this little blog, I'm posting some pics of the hats (or head wear in some cases) I've knitted for this challenge.

Cough, Cough.....

2008-11-14T21:47:00.004-05:00

Wheezer is all I have to say.

I have heard of them before and I have heard their songs before but until recently, I never put 2 and 2 together.

And now I'm hooked more than a caffeine addict.

Winter Dreams

2008-11-14T18:17:00.003-05:00

I love winter. I love how cold it can get. I love how the snow falls. I also love the fact it's more conducive to knitting and snuggling (not to mention hot chocolate and s'mores).

One thing I dont like is how dark it gets so quickly. Pretty much as soon as I get home from work, all I want to do is find my pj's and get into them. Yup. If I go straight home, that means I'm in my pj's by 6pm.

"This is crazy" you say. Heh. When all you want to do is crawl into bed as soon as it's dark outside, it's only the next logical step I say. It's more prevalent when it's yucky outside (as in "It's been overcast for the last week and there has been some sort of precipitation every single hour of single day"). Ugh! Mix that into the bag of "It's dark by 5pm" and you've got your pj's on as soon as you hit your doorstep (they might even be jumping up and down at the door, waiting for you to come in).

Anyway. Random thoughts for now.

Plots of Yarn.

2008-11-13T22:20:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I've been noticing that my postings are getting close to 100.

I've been thinking about doing something special for my 100th post. Some sort of contest. Not sure what kind of contest though.

We shall see.

The Hats! The Hats!

2008-11-12T22:00:00.001-05:00

Ok. So, I challenged myself to do 100 hats come the new year. Quite the ambitious knitter who wasn't working full time. Quite the challenge for someone who now works full time.

So, what I'm going to do is take the time limit off and just knit the 100 hats. Maybe make it 100 hats by 2010?

We shall see.

Oh the Torture!

2008-11-11T22:41:00.003-05:00

After playing for 2 1/2 hours of kickball, I expected my muscles to be a bit sore on Monday.

What I didnt expect was some of my bones/joints to hurt as well. More specifically, my right ankle and my lower back. It feels like both need to be cracked (or popped). My muscles feel fine today, little twingy yesterday, but all's good.

I think drinking more water has helped and sleeping more too.

The Face of Victory

2008-11-10T20:19:00.003-05:00

Who's the Cleaver Lil' Monkey Now!!!

2008-11-09T20:42:00.004-05:00

YEAH BABY!

If you didnt know, I play kickball. Been playing for the last 2 season (3 if you include this season). The last two seasons, my team came in the bottom rungs of ranking (of games won/lost) and just played the first game of playoffs just to say we did.

This year, the games leading up to play offs were no different (though I think we won two more games than the last two seasons combined?). Low and behold, today was playoffs.

Thank God, someone on our team recruited more people, b/c we wouldn't have been able to play w/o them (they were from Texas). In the rules, you need a certain number of girls (min 3 to play w/ an automatic out every time you go through your kicking roster / 4 to play a standard game), and I was the ONLY girl that showed up from our orig. team (yeah me).

We ended up winning, by default, our first game since the other team didn't have enough players, period (3 total).

Then the remaining 3 games, we some how miraculously won. (The first team was decent enough as players - but the last two teams we played were the top two teams of the league. I think both teams only lost one game a piece).

The adrenaline is still pumping through my body! Hoo-ha!

Lets Sing a Song.....

2008-11-06T22:38:00.002-05:00

acapella

I dont know how I find somethings. They just show up at my feet practically. How fun.

Whistful Thoughts

2008-11-03T20:50:00.005-05:00

ON this eve of the US elections, I reflect.

Reflect on where we, as a nation have been, and where we could possibly go. Also, I am reflecting on where I am in my life and where I want to end up.

It seems to me that at this moment in time, it is opportune for change for good or for other means. What ever the intention is, I feel it is hope to better ourselves and those around us, regardless of where we stand politically or why we're voting tomorrow.

I think that is essential desire for all of us. Though it may not be expressed the same way all the time, I think, and feel, that this is what we want, the best for ourselves (and for those fortunate enough, for our loved ones as well).

Though we may disagree on what the "best" is for everyone, it is impossible to have such uniformity for everyone and have everyone be satisfied with it 100% of the time. That is the wonder and joy of this life. The diversity of life. Granted, we may not agree on things and somethings may push us out of our comfort zone, it has been these things that has allowed us to know our own boundaries, our limits, and what gives us the most pleasure in life. Whether its joy from certain beliefs to dancing in the rain naked, life is meant to be enjoyed.

So go vote for the person who gives you the most joy to see in office. Go vote and be happy.

Rock the Face!

2008-10-26T00:46:00.004-04:00

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

It's pretty late (like 1:30 in the morning) but I've got to say that in spite of the crap-ass weather today, the day ended on a most excellent note.

I got to see a really rocking band, live and in person tonight with a really good friend of mine. The concert wasn't the high energy blast I was expecting but it still rocked my face off! It was nice that this Celtic-rock band (Great Big Sea) had a good pace of mixing the high energy songs with the softer/quieter ones.

It was greatly enjoyed by all (esp. myself).

Damn...Now That's Hawt!

2008-10-18T23:53:00.001-04:00

Now that I have your attention! *lol*

So this past weekend was Halloween weekend. Yeah for parties (and pretty much any excuse for celebrating/partying).

I ended up going to 3 parties over the weekend. One at a club in DC on Friday and two on Saturday evening.

I had a fun time this weekend. I danced a little at the club (not so much b/c my feet were starting to hurt in my high heels by the time the dancing really started).

Saturday was nice as well. The first party, a friend invited me to it (it was a friend of hers from high school that was hosting the party). It was nice, but I didnt know anyone there than the friend (and her boyfriend) that had invited me. To a certain extent I felt my friend was feeling a bit obligated to entertain me and not really socialize with anyone else. (But who's to say she was feeling a bit nervous herself - not really knowing anyone else either).

The second party I ended up at was at a place I go once a month with a group that has ecclectic lectures on different things (from Native American ceremonies to Reiki to runes). It was a bit low key but I felt a bit more comfortable there (knowing more people).

I Want To Break Free.....

2008-10-11T21:23:00.002-04:00

I would say this has been a reoccurring theme/message for me lately.

Just break free.

Break down the wall I have built around myself. Though some people might think I'm pretty free already - fair amount of time, just a misdirection on my part.

Hot or Not.

2008-10-02T18:03:00.004-04:00

Ok. I am addicted to knitting like a fish is addicted to water.

Now, I'm always game to knit something new or unusual. But sometimes the things that intrigue me may not be the most sociable mainstream items.

First up is the digestive tract.

Now, I'm not a biologist or doctor or anything medical of the sorts, but I stumbled across this and fount it fascinating! A good enough excuse to use waste yarn.

I have knitted the next item up to bat. The womb. 'Nuf said. Now there is a picture of one that someone took to the next step. They added an eye patch and an eye to it.

Very clever, I think.

Now we need to represent both sexes here. So, now may I present to you: Sperm!

Some how I find these things fascinating! So off the wall and quite possibly shocking to some. I love it.

Ok, these next few photos are for that biologist in you (or possibly the curious).

The top row of photos is a dissected frog and the bottom row are photos of a dissected lab rat. Both are knitted. How cool!

Now on something less gross but just as cool

This is a "hat" (term used loosely) that's done up to look like you have your hair up in curlers. Tres funny. Desperate Housefrau is the name of the pattern/look.

Ok. Last whimsical/odd knitting item is a Hallowig. Basically a "wig" you knit yourself that has bangs incorporated.

So, if you havent been totally grossed out by some of the knitted items and you've made it this far, the following is probably one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

Some of the pictures I got off of estonia76's flicker (like the Lab Rat), and i was paroosing her photo stream (b/c she knits/crochet and I like to see what others have done) and came across the Sheep-Romper!

Only If Bliss Slept

Summer Picnic!

Top Ten for the Beach.

Ok, Who's Excited?

Mysteeeerious

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-jig

Top Ten

OH NOZ! THEY"RE COMING!

Books, Books Everywhere!

I Wish I Was In Dixie.....

Yarn Yarn Everywhere

Music, Music Everywhere!

KittyGrrlz Giveaway

Now is the time....

Tuesday Ten

Tuesday Ten - Shoes

Trivia Tuesday

Games...

~List of Ten~

La la la.....

20 Questions.

Another shawl....Really?

Always Room for One More

Tuesday's Ten

Tuesday Ten

Tuesday Ten

New Year....New Possibilities????

Tuesday Ten - Bring it!

Tuesday Ten - Only b/c They Have the Same First Letter

The Thursday Ten

Mrs. Jones, I Must Like Them BIG!!!

Tuesday Ten

Fair Results.

County Fair 2009

*Gasp* It's Another One!

Wandering Cat Studio

Extreme Herding

Hammer Time!

Crop Circles Creatures

Desires

Life and Times

Interesting commercial

The Case of the Jumping Cat....

Song Around the World

Ping Pong Anyone???

The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices

Sham-wow: The Musical

Give Me Some Uke!

Cracks Me Up Every Time....

Psh....Beards.

Knitting Graffiti

FINALLY!!!!

Morris: A Life With Bells On

Revamping and Renewal

WIP Where I Need to Be.

To Us, With Love

Help Save Handmade Toys in the USA from the CPSIA

Who Are We?

What do you think the world needs now?

A Second Christmas!!!!

And the Winner is.....

Deadline Tomorrow!

Contest Reminder!

Current Projects

Ambition

Animagus

Worldly Travels

100th Post - Get Your Contest On!!!

Sneak Peak!

Ten years from today. . . .

OMG OMG OMG OMG

The Soup

Moosebutter (on toast!)

Peppermint Milk

Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Wonderful World of Toys

An Every Day is a Holiday

I hear it calling my name

Ten Guilty Pleasures

Online Discounts

Gasp It's Another One!