Purse for Mom

I finished this purse for my mom today. She loves yellow so I hope she really likes this bright summery purse. I lined it with a lime green / lemon yellow print and trimmed it with yellow piping and green grosgrain ribbon.

Bee Party

Last night, I co-hosted a 10th anniversary party for our Blue Ash Bees group. What fun! There was a trivia game, a costume contest and a bee-themed gift exchange. The two smaller group pictures show the original group ten years ago (I'm the one squatting down with the red sweater in the old photo) and then again, last night. We arranged everyone in the same order. We haven't aged a bit!!

The other group picture includes some of the newer members. Check out the bee cake. The felted purse is what I gave in the exchange. I took home some adorable tea towels (which I stole from someone else in the Chinese gift exchange!) Also pictured are my friends Linda and Nina who were the other hosts.

Chemo Cap # 2

I posted Cap 1 and Cap 3 but forgot about poor little Cap 2. And it turned out so cute!!!

Pattern: Cable Knit Cap
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Caramel (LOVE this yarn!)

Once I get number 4 finished, I will send them to the cancer center featured in Caps for a Cure. (Do join! It's a chance to put your creativity to good use.)

Socks... Finally!

These socks took forever. I'm embarrassed to admit that I started this pair on June 1st, 2005. That's not a typo. Over a year ago, peeps. I finished the first one and the dreaded "second sock syndrome" hit. I had little interest in finishing the second one. But I've been trying to finish up projects so I made myself work on these.

They are kind of cute but I still get the dreaded ladders when using DPNs. Any hints?

The details:
Pattern: Knitty Broadripple
Yarn: Cascade Fixation in varigated purple
Needles: 1 1/2

Vegas Baby!!!

I had the opportunity to go on a last minute getaway weekend with my friend. We went to Vegas to celebrate our friends' 10 year wedding. They had a vow renewal ceremony. It was gorgeous and the whole weekend was a blast. We stayed at the Bellagio and went to a very cool club called MIX at Mandalay Bay as well as enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Il Mulino in the Caesars Forum Shops. The ceremony itself was on a balcony at the Bellagio with the fountain show in the background. The rest of the weekend was spent lounging at the pool. It was nice to get away and relax for a weekend. Oh, and I only lost $20!

Doesn't my friend look beautiful!!!! The other two pictures are of me and my other friend - one with the Bellagio found behind us and the other is overlooking the Strip, looking down towards the Stratosphere end of the Strip. I think you can see the Venetian across the street from us and the Wynn down a bit.

Father's Day

After being away for the last two weekends, I was looking forward to a leisurely weekend this past weekend. I figured I'd make my husband a nice dinner for father's day. But NOOOOO, at 11 am on Saturday, my mother (who lives 10 hours away from me) calls me and says, "Dad and I are planning on stopping in tomorrow. Is that ok? Oh and your aunt and uncle are with us." GULP. "Of course, Mom!" Don't get me wrong, I miss my parents and welcome any opportunity to see them but my house was a WRECK and I panicked at the thought of getting ready. But I rallied the troops and we all worked furiously cooking, shopping, cleaning, crafting, laundry, etc. And when they pulled in at noon on Sunday, we were ready!!!

I will be seeing my parents in a few days so I planned on a belated Father's day gift. i.e. I had not even started the BBQ apron that I was going to make him (sort of a joke.) Well, I couldn't very well have my dad show up and not have a gift so I quickly sewed his apron in the crab fabric! Then I thought my uncle is a dad, too. Quick, go in the stash, find some flag fabric... poof... another apron! Well, shoot, what about my husband? YES! I find jalapeno fabric. So I was stitching the straps on the last apron when my parents and aunt/uncle pulled in. We had a great visit and as you can see, the manly men LOVED their aprons (not!) LOL!

One more hat

I finished a third hat in the Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. This one is a 2 x 2 rib knit in which I knit some contrast stripes. One more to go and I can send the four hats off to this month's cancer treatment center. I think the final one is going to be a simple rolled brim hat; main color will be the caramel with a contrast stripe in lavender.

I finished one bag today

The finished size is approx. 15" wide (at the top) and 9 " high. Quite a roomy bag actually. I used McCall's Pattern 5082 and some nice cotton madras. I used a magnetic closure and some bamboo handles that I happened to have in my sewing room. Not sure if I'm loving the fluffy trim but I wanted to experiment on techniques. I suspect one of my daughters will like it.

Total sewing time was about an hour. I think I'll be able to cut that down substantially on the next one now that I've familarized myself with the construction.

I ended up fusing interfacing to the back of all the pattern pieces so they'll hold up for a while. Tomorrow I plan to sew a yellow bag in the rectangular shape - lemon print fabric and lime green lining embellished with grosgrain. It will be for my mom when I visit her next month. She loves yellow and it will make a nice size tote for her knitting projects.

Total Cost:
Handles $5
Madras $1
Pink Lining $2
Pink Trim $1
Magnet closure $1
Interfacing $1

Total $11

Headbands Galore

My daughter started making these headbands a few weeks ago and has been selling them for $5. She's sold 25-30 of them. They are very simple but quite cute - can't beat that!

Betcha Can't Eat.... er... Make Just One!

Does anyone else suffer from a hoarding ailment? Does anyone else walk into a craft store with the intention of making ONE project but leave with enough supplies to make... say TEN projects. Cuz ya know, JoAnn fabric and Wal-Mart might sell out of all their fabric before getting back to buy supplies for the other nine.

See the lovely stash above. Inspired by a very fun grosgrain trimmed purse that I recently purchased as well as Creative Little Daisy's FANTABULOUS bags (how fun... I just noticed I purchased the same daisy trim that she has on her black gingham bag), I decided to make a purse some purses a sh*tload of purses. They had the funnest fabrics at Hancock and the best trims at Wal-Mart (many on clearance!)

Oh and did I mention the $100 I spent on grosgrain in the last week so my daughter can make headbands to sell? She has already sold about 30 of them. She is saving money to go on a cruise to Hawaii with her friend and her friend's grandma. (Remember when we were kids and we saved so we could buy a new record or better yet, a pair of Levi Cords? Ok, I'm digressing and starting to sound like my mother...) Anyhoo, where was I... Oh yeah... the ribbon. I found a vendor on ebay who has a great selection and good prices. So I bought a whole bunch for more headbands and potentially purses once I figure out how to do it.

I should get off the computer and start cutting...

Random Garden Photos

Anyone else getting spring fever? My husband and I have a win-win system. I like to design the garden and he likes to plant it. Gotta love that! Today, we purchased a new tree for our front. It's a dwarf lilac that has been grafted onto a 4 foot trunk to give it height. Doesn't it look cool? We even bought a mini spot light to shine on it at night. My parents had a HUGE lilac tree (we used to climb in it) and every spring when I smell the lilacs, I'm taken back to spring days as a kid. Now, I'll have my own lilacs to smell!

We also purchased some tomatoes, cauliflower, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper plants. The other photos are wisteria blooming for the first time (I think it's 3 years old) and some assorted perenniels that happen to be blooming now.

My First Hat

I have never made a hat. There. I admitted it. But when tempted with free yarn and a good cause, I knit one up in a heartbeat.

The particulars:
Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece
Lovely Lavender (a blueish purpley color)
1/2 skein (approx. 1.5-2 oz)
Size 5 circular and DPN
Lace Edged Hat

Next up, I will use the caramel Cotton Fleece to make this. I think I have enough yarn between the two skeins to make 3-4 hats and will send them off when I finish all of them.

Caps for a Cure

I joined a Yahoo Group in which members make caps and send to various cancer treatment facilities. I am embarrassed to admit that I have not yet made a cap. But that changed yesterday. One of the members received a bunch of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece and sent it out to various members. I received a lovely Lavender and a Caramel in the mail yesterday. So as I watched American Idol last night, I start on a lace edge cap. It is going very fast and I hope to finish it tonight.

Mother's Day

Although it's not over yet, Mother's Day has been wonderful so far. My oldest daughter came home from college for the day. I had two hours of peace and quiet in which I made a skirt. My husband gave me a beautiful bunch of flowers in my favorite colors. And my kids gave me a cute little vase with some mini roses. See the balloon? It says Te Quiero Maman. No, we are not hispanic and do not speak Spanish but my 15 year old thought it would be funny. She's quite the comedian, si?

It's 2:00 pm and I'm still in my jammies. I think I'll put some clothes on and work on some knitting now. I love Mother's day! Hee hee.

Purses

I finished two purses this week. One is a felted purse made of Cascade 220 and Squiggle from a pattern in Pursenalities Plus (love this book!!) The second is also made from Cascade 220 and a free pattern from Knitpicks. Can you see the cute pink and green beaded handle? I purchased it from JoAnn's online and sewed a green gingham ribbon to the top of the lining as an accent piece.

The purple and lime green bag goes to my secret partner in the Tote Exchange and the pink one is for my daughter. Time to start a new one for me, all me!!!

Inspired to Sew Again

I used to sew. A lot. I made many of my kids clothes and lots of things for me, too. I just loved the freedom of walking in to a sewing store and making whatever dress I wanted in whatever fabric I wanted. I spent many mornings cutting, pinning, sewing, pressing while my kids were napping and going to pre-school. And then, life got in the way. I ended up going back to work after a divorce and a job, kids' schedules and everyday life of a single parent of three put a kabash (sp?) on my favorite hobby. I still made Halloween costumes, Easter dresses, home dec accessories and other special things but my every day sewing stopped.

Well, fast forward ten years. In spite of a job that requires a lot of travel, I have more discretionary time. Every once in awhile, I come across a sewing project that starts me thinking about dusting off the Bernina. I like to follow Alison's blog and enjoyed reading her foray into sewing. I hit the fabric store last night, planning on making a simple skirt to get me warmed up again. I envisioned something bright and colorful (pink, lime green, turquoise, etc.) before I went to the store but I didn't see anything bright that I liked but I did like the black and white fabric shown on the left. It's a black broadcloth embroidered in white (the color in the picture makes it look like there's some purple but there is not) and I plan on embellishing with white grosgrain ribbon to create a skirt similar to the second design from the left. Very Ann Taylor-ish. Using my 40% off coupon, the fabric was only $13. Patterns were on sale for $1.99 and the ribbon and zipper were another $4. Total price $19. Very UN-Ann Taylor-ish!

But here's the funny part. I was going to post a comment on Alison's blog that she inspired me and when I did, look what I found! What a hoot!

Tidbits about me

Can you say "FOCUS ON YOUR WORK - QUIT PROCRASTINATING!"

Yes, I've had a hard time doing what I'm supposed to be doing today so I've done this instead:

You Are Lemon Meringue Pie

You're the perfect combo of sassy and sweet Those who like you have well refined tastes

What Kind of Pie Are You?

You Are a Chocolate Martini

You're an elegant drunk, who only likes the best bars and the most expensive drinks. A bit of a cheapskate, you're likely to mooch ten dollar drinks off both friends and strangers. You should never: Drink and dash. You're gonna get caught leaving someone with the tab! Your ideal party: A posh celebrity party you crash, with an open bar. Your drinking soulmates: those with a Classic Martini personality Your drinking rivals: those with a Blueberry Martini personality

What Flavor Martini Are You?

And finally, a Mommy meme:

I AM: a happy 43 year old.

I WANT: to lose 20 pounds

I WISH: I could take some time off from my job to catch up on my life or gain 4 more hours in each and every day.

I HATE: working when I want to be knitting or reading!

I MISS: living near my mom

I FEAR: I will die before my kids are grown

I HEAR: birds chirping on this beautiful spring day

I WONDER: what my children will “be” when they grown up

I REGRET: not taking more photos and video tapes as my children have grown up and organizing those that I did take.

I AM NOT: very patient

I DANCE: too infrequently

I SING: loudly (and poorly) in my car

I CRY: at the drop of a hat. You name it, it brings tears but I always feel better after. My oldest daughter is the same way!

I AM NOT ALWAYS: patient

I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: food and knitted projects

I WRITE: sloppily! If I was a child in school today, I’d surely be sent to an occupational therapist.

I CONFUSE: directions and frequently get lost.

I NEED: 8 hours of sleep per night to be completely functional (and nice) but I rarely get more then 6 or 7.

I SHOULD: exercise. (ICK!!)

I START: new projects before finishing old ones.

I FINISH: most books that I start but not all.

I TAG: whoever wants it.

Off to the final lacrosse game of the season!! Have a great evening!!

Confirmation Today plus Lots of Food

Aren't my girls beautiful?!!

Today my 15 year old will be confirmed into the Catholic faith (her older sister is her sponsor.) A big spiritual day for her although I'm not sure she "gets" it. That's ok. It will come. She wanted to select Dolly as her confirmation name so she could hear the Bishop say Molly Dolly but I nixed that. So she settled on Margarita because she likes the way it sounds.

After the mass, we'll return to our house for a celebration dinner and will include my ex and his wife , my ex's daughter and her husband, my father in law and my daughter's boyfriend's mother. Complicated, huh?

Here's the menu:
Texas Caviar with tortilla chips
Fruit with fruity dip
Marinated Grilled Flank Steak
Marinated Grilled Chicken breasts
Twice baked potatoes with cheese and bacon
Broccoli Salad
Roasted vegetables (eggplant, portabellos, zucchini, red peppers, asparagus) drizzed with olive oil and balsamic
Dinner Rolls
Cupcakes (my daughter's pick!)
Triple Berry Crisp with vanilla ice cream

Separated at Birth? Reunited at last!!

Ok, so no, I'm not adopted and no, I didn't find a brother or sister. But check out the magic of blogland.... I received an email a few weeks ago that asked me about the stuffed dog pictured in a November blog entry. This dog was one that I received when I was a baby and as you can see in the top picture, the dog was well loved! Well, Stasia told me in the email that she had a similar dog and would take a picture. She emailed the bottom picture to me today (poor dear had her left arm and ear amputated!) . Can you believe the similarity!!

I think we need to host a family reunion for these doggies.

Join the Tote Exchange

Along with three other gals, I am co-hosting a knit/crochet tote exchange. I hope you will join us. Sign-ups are due by April 14th so hurry over. Here's a link to the blog or send an email to ToteExchangeHostesses@gmail.com to join us!