Randomness, Complete Randomness

Sorry for being MIA the past couple of days. The computer has been a real Pain In My Butt and keeps freezing up on me. It is getting SO frustrating! So, where was I?

I didn't miss much on Wednesday I guess. I didn't have a book finished. I do now, but I think I am going to make you wait until next Wednesday to hear about it. Sorry! :)

Fiber Therapy Thursday about broke my heart! I had been working on a log cabin baby blanket for J's Speech Therapist. Well, after thinking about it and being realistic, I decided there was NO way I would get it done in time. She is leaving at the end of August so I would have to have it done by then...I'm NOT that fast of a knitter! So, I went with a different plan and decided to make a baby sweater. I have always wanted to try the Baby Surprise Jacket designed by Elizabeth Zimmerman. Now, what is special about this jacket is that apparently you knit this random wonky somewhat rectangle and then fold it origami style into a sweater. I decided to go for it! All was working out fine, I was about half way done. Then I REALLY looked at it and saw that I had ROYALLY screwed it up. I mean BAD! So, instead of going insane, I mean trying to figure out my mistakes, I just ripped it all out. So, I am back to where I started. I cast it on again last night and can hopefully figure out what I did wrong last time. The problem for me is that Zimmermann's patterns are written more like stories and not like patterns. They are a little difficult to follow the first time. I am going to sit down I think and actually write the pattern out for myself, maybe that will help.

Random Friday stuff:

1. Still working on my 101 things in 1001 days. I would like to start this on August 1st, so I am trying to come up with my list. This is a lot more difficult than one would think it would be. I'm really having to think carefully. This isn't a life bucket list. There are several things that I would REALLY like to do in my life, like go to Alaska or Europe. But, in reality am I going to be able to do those things in 1001 days? In a word, NO. So, I have to think of things that are going to stretch me as a person, but are not out of the scope of reality. This is much more difficult than one would think it would be. Right now I am at 12. I've got a while to go, huh?

2. Watched Lady Gaga


on the Today show this morning. I've not really been a huge fan, but have respected her musical talent. I have to admit, she was pretty fabulous this morning. She has this really amazing low deep voice and as an alto I totally respect that! She plays the piano amazingly too. I just don't get the craziness. But, I guess it is really no different than what KISS did, is it? KISS wore crazy make-up and had insane show antics, and they are awesome. I guess I just find it a little sad that it seems her actual musical talent is overshadowed by all the craziness and theatrics!

3. I'm tired of picking up toys! Seriously, I have picked up toy after toy in this house, even after having the girls pick up toys. It is getting ridiculous! I think we are in for a good toy clean out!

4. Am majorly annoyed at people thinking a Stay At Home Mom doesn't work all day. Even more annoyed at the fact that sometimes it is previous SAHM's that seem to think this.

5. SO excited about FINALLY getting to go see Eclipse next Wednesday!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!! Did I mention that I am excited about this?!?! :)


OK, well, that's all for today. Have a great day everyone!
With Love,
Theresa

Thursday Five

I have been participating in this meme over at MannLand5. Check out my answers and then go check out Keely's. Then, go ahead, do them on your own blog. Make sure you let me know about it! :)



Things today that have made me feel...

1. HAPPY...having a great cook-out lunch at my hubby's work. It was with a bunch of contractors, but still a lot of fun!

2. DELIGHTED...to have M's eyes still be clear this morning. Seriously, it is so great to see his pretty eyes...did you know they were blue? Huh. Weird.

3. GRATEFUL...to have family and friends that I love so much, that love me and support me. You know who you are.

4. TOTALLY STOKED...that I got to watch Jimmy Kimmel's Twilight: Total Eclipse of the Heart special today after DVR'ing it last night. I was afraid the storm would interfere with the signal, it only did a little at the end so I got to watch most of it. I can't wait for Eclipse to come out...I am such a nerd!

5. THANKFUL...that my friend Jen is doing better and will hopefully come home from the hospital soon!

Oh, and how about a little Fiber Therapy today?

I just finished these up last night...



They are a surprise for someone...SSHHHHHH!!!! Tigger is DIGGIN' his new hat...and Gary the giraffe? Well, I promise he is there, I didn't behead him!

I finally got the ends woven in on this shawl last night too. I have to block it tonight so that I can wear it Saturday night to a wedding.




This is the start of the log cabin blanket for J's speech therapist. They are Chicago Bears fans and are NOT finding out the baby's sex, so I am going with Blue, Orange, and White. I have 9 of these to do and this one isn't finished...Lord help me!



This is my mom's scarf. Want to know how much I love her? Well, around 8 feet of 1x1 ribbing should tell you! For you non-knitters, this is a LOT of back and forth and back and forth. It guess it is better than 2x2 rib though, that you actually have to pay attention too!



Sorry for the crappy pictures...for some reason, my computer is not recognizing my actual camera so I am taking pics with my phone. If I can get the real camera to work, I'll take better pics!

Have a great day!
With Love,
Theresa

Thanks and Catching Up!

Thank you so much to everyone for all their prayers for my friends. Both are still hanging in there! Jen is actually slowly waking up as I type this! It just goes to show that God is Good and that all these people praying DOES make a difference! Thank you!!

I need to play a little catch up here if you don't mind. This week has been a little chaotic, but I am trying to get back on track!

TAKE IT OFF TUESDAY: This week was NOT so great in the weight loss department! I only lost 2 tenths of a pound! I was REALLY upset about this until I realized a few things. First, that is 2/10ths that I will NEVER see again! Secondly, this has been a MAJORLY stressful week and stress and weight loss do NOT go very well together, plus I tend to stress eat and the kids' animal crackers are KILLING ME! Next, I have started to notice some major definition in my arms which means more muscle and less fat. So, 2/10ths isn't so bad. I can deal with that!

BOOK WORM WEDNESDAY: I do have a book t0 review, but it is the first in a series and I am on the second of the series. There is one more and when I am done with it, I will fill you in on all three. They are actually pretty good!! Hopefully next week, I will be able to review all three of the Fat City Mysteries for you!

FIBER THERAPY THURSDAY: I gave my MIL her hooded scarf yesterday. She seemed to really like it! I am SO glad. I was a little worried! Here is a pic of me wearing it:


Right now I am working on a couple of things: a baby blanket for J's speech therapist a shawl for me for this wedding we are going to (I only have to weave in the ends and block i though), a scarf for mom, and I am getting ready to start her hat. I'm sure there are more things though, those are just the REALLY current ones!

So, that is it for today! I hope you all have a wonderful day and thanks again for the prayers!
With Love,
Theresa

Wednesday and Thursday Combined

I started to post yesterday, really I did, but the stupid computer decided that freezing up was such a better idea! So, I didn't get very far. I will make up for that today as I have both a book review and some fiber therapy for you! :)

I FINALLY finished Chasing Harry Winston, written by Lauren Weisberger. You can read a description here. I really enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing by this author, but I think this was my least favorite of the 3. Honestly, it was pretty predictable. The writing was very good and the plot had the potential to be great, but it just sort of fizzled out. It felt almost like her publisher told her she had went on too long and had to stop, and then she did. If you are really into Chick Lit like I am, then by all means, check it out. Maybe you will have a different opinion than I did. If so, let me know what you thought!

I started reading a book called Wicked which is a combination of two books, Witch and Curse. Unfortunately, I do not remember the author, honestly, I could only get through about the first 30 pages. I try to give any book the first 30 pages before I decide if I just can't read it. This one I just wasn't getting into. Odd, since I really enjoy the whole supernatural genre of literature, but apparently, not this one. Maybe I'll try it again some other time, but not right now. Instead, I switched to a book called, Dying To Be Thin by Kathryn Lilley. Here is a summary. It is pretty funny so far. With all the dieting and exercising I have been doing, it is fitting right into the theme of my life!

And now for a little Fiber Therapy...Presenting my ABSOLUTELY beautiful Norther Lights Shawl!!!




Isn't it GORGEOUS!?!?!? I love it. I have absolutely NO idea where I am going to wear it, but who cares! Everyone needs a little glamour in their life, don't they. I just wish the people at WalMart would properly appreciate it!

I am almost done with my MIL's scarf too! I am very excited...I feel like I have been knitting on it FOREVER! I hope to have pictures next week. I made myself promise that I wouldn't start anything new until I finished it, so I can't wait to get it done!

I hope that you have a wonderful day! See you tomorrow!
With Love,
Theresa

Everywhere An Oink Oink!

It is Thursday! And that means it is time for a little Fiber Therapy! I have been busy working on lots of different projects in my incredible amounts of spare time (excuse me as I take a 20 minute break to laugh my head off here!). Before I show you what I have completed, let me explain a little something about knitters.

There are 2 different kinds of knitters: process knitters and product knitters. A process knitter pretty much knits for the relaxation that is knitting (usually). They enjoy the repetition of wrapping the yarn, the feel of the yarn sliding through their fingers, and the clickity-clack of the needles (assuming they use metal needles as I usually do) or the soft warm feel of bamboo needles. These are knitters that finding themselves stranded on a deserted island would simply frog (also known as rip out) whatever completed product they have just to knit it again so they can continue knitting. Product knitters are the opposite. They knit for the end result. They want something tangible at the end of their hard work. Product knitters want to put that hat on and wear it proudly. On an island a product knitter is going to finish their project and then go in search of grass or fronds or something else to knit another project with. (I can't take credit for the island references. I read them in a book by the Yarn Harlot, but unfortunately can't remember which one. But, I read it and it stuck with me. If you have to know which book, check them out yourself. They are great reads!!) Which kind of knitter am I you might be asking yourself? Well, I am mainly a product knitter, but with a little bit of process knitter thrown in. I live for the end result, which is why I don't do socks...they take too long, you have to do 2, and I like a little more instant gratification. Now that doesn't mean that I won't knit something with smaller needles or thinner yarn, because I will, I just make sure that I have smaller projects always going on so I can still have my finished projects.

There is also another way to categorize knitters. Some knitters are monogamous, meaning they will only have one project on needles at a time. They finish a project before they start a new one and rarely every "cheat" on a project. Then there are what I call ADD knitters. ADD knitters have many projects going on at a time, rarely less than 3. They commonly fall prey to "startitis", an affliction that is made worse by an addiction to Ravelry (see my post here about the wonderfulness that is Ravelry). Now me? I am an ADD knitter!! I admit it proudly. I currently have 6 different projects on needles, 2 that I am in the final process of finishing, and another that I will probably Cast On (aka start) for today. I jump from project to project depending on my needs at that moment. Sometimes I need to just get something done. Sometimes I need simple knitting for TV/Movie viewing knitting. Sometimes I want a bit of a challenge or something that I actually have to pay attention to (lace and cables are good for that!). Sometimes I need something portable (Which is why I ALWAYS have a hat on needles. Some people use socks for this purpose, but as you probably know, I don't do socks!). Sometimes, I just get sucked into something and can't take my mind off of it. And sometimes I get an idea for someone else and just have to make it right then and there.

That was the case this week. My friend Mary put a post on Facebook about needing to find a pig nose for her son's performance as Wilber in his school's production of Charlotte's Web. The catch? She only had about 2 days and would have had to pay big bucks to have a $2.50 piggy snout shipped to her in time. After reading this, I remembered a pattern that I had seen on the aforementioned addiction Ravelry and told her I could knit one up for her. This is an instant gratification project PERFECT for an ADD Product knitter like myself!!



Project: Adapted Swine Flu Mask or on Ravelry here
Made with Caron Simply Soft, Soft Pink and Black
Size 7 needles
WAY easy!!

I hope to have pictures of her son wearing it soon!! Hopefully she will let me post them as I would love to see the "Oink Oink Here" Nose in use!!!

Well, the sun is shining, birds are chirping, and children are running wild. We are going outside! Have a great day!
With Love,
Theresa

Thursdays are Rough (but a little Fiber Therapy Helps!)

Sigh...Thursdays always seem to be rough days. I'm not really sure why. They are just extra long and tiresome. I think part of it is that my IL's, the wonderfully amazing people they are, come on Wednesdays and spoil the kids (which is what grandparents are SUPPOSED to do!). The only problem with that, is that it makes Thursdays just a little bit of a challenge. But, it is one I will put up with as I enjoy the Wednesday freedom too much!!

I apologize for being MIA the past 2 days...I have had very little time to myself. Let's catch up..shall we?

I weighed in myself on Tuesday and I had lost another 3.4 pounds! That makes the total weight loss 42.6 pounds!! One thing that I have been working towards with this weight loss adventure for is to fit into a dress. Not just any dress either. About a nine months after L was born, E and I lost 50 pounds each. I bought this ADORABLE dress from Target. It is an Issac Mizrahe design that was originally $70. I got it for $10. It is so cute! It is a black strapless dress with a fitted waist and an A-line skirt. Well, unfortunately, I never got to wear it. In fact the tags are still on it. Well, my goal for has been to wear that dress out for my birthday. i haven't tried it on. It wasn't going to fit, I knew it wasn't. Well, my friend Casey encouraged me to try it on. I put it on knowing that there was NO way the thing was going to fit. Well, apparently, I was WRONG! It totally fit!!! My boobs are a little big yet, but with nursing, that is probably to be expected. Hopefully when I stop nursing here in the next couple of months, it will fit FANTASTICALLY!! So, to celebrate how excited I was, I went shoe shopping!!! I used some of my winnings from the contest for these kick ass totally impractical shoes:



I also found 4 very cool new scarves at the mall for 99 cents each! I couldn't knit them for that!! They are really cool!

Speaking of knitted things...Here are some pretty pictures of my Northern Lights Shawl:




And to end: Gratuitous cute shots of my beautiful children!!




Have a great one!!
With Love,
Theresa

No Fiber Therapy Needed Today...

As it is GORGEOUS outside! Seriously, absolutely stunning! So, I'm not going to waste any more time in doors than I have to! Sorry. I will fill you in on knitting blogs next week, but if you REALLY, REALLY can't wait until then...check out my knitting HERO!

She is the Yarn Harlot and I think you will find her funny! I do!

See you tomorrow!
With love,
Theresa

Books As Art (Fiber Therapy Thursday)

My good friend Carli taught me to knit in June of 2007. Since then, I have immersed myself in the knitting culture whole heartedly! I knit every opportunity that I get, I pour over patterns both in books and online (see last weeks post on Ravelry). I can stare at and feel up yarn for HOURS! I LOVE to look at other people's knitting. I can talk about knitting all day, arguing if straight needles are better than circulars, wood vs. metal, and whether I am pro or con for acrylics (I am pro, except for Red Heart, YUCK). But, today I am going to stray from the subject of actual knitting. Instead, how about we talk about the art of the knitting book.
There are probably just as many knitting books out there as there are knitters, and believe me, that is a lot! If you have never looked through a knitting book before, you are missing out! The Knitting book in and of itself is as much of an art form as the knitting itself Pictures after pictures of GORGEOUS art work are in these books. And not necessarily just the pictures of the knitting, but the organization of the book and all the petty scripts and other illustrations, they are just gorgeous! I don't think I can say that word enough...GORGEOUS!

Some of my favorites are Boutique Knits, French Girl Knits, Knitting Little Luxuries, and Inspired To Knit. I just realized that these are all put out by Interweave Press...I guess that I must really like them huh?!? In all seriousness, if you get a chance, just check these books out for the pictures alone, even if you aren't into the whole knitting part! Other fun books are the Stitch & Bitch series. What great reads! Knitting Magazines too are great works of art...check them out!

Next week I will fill you in on the whole knitting blog phenomenon! It's even crazier!!!

Till then,
With Love,
Theresa

Reverly, I mean Ravelry (Fiber Therapy Thursday)

RAVELRY

This is my all time favorite website. If you are a knitter or a crocheter, and you have not checked out the WONDERFULNESS that is Ravelry, then you need to RUSH over to the website. I'm serious. Every pattern that you could possibly think of is on this site. Examples of things that other knitters/crocheters have done are on this site. GORGEOUS hand died yarn, amazing sweaters, fun hats, EVERYTHING yarn that you could think of.

Now, if you are NOT a knitter/crocheter, than checking out some of the things on this site might just make you want to become one! And, I am all about recruiting more knitters to take over the world (although, more knitters mean less yarn for me...I might not have thought this one through!).

Also, once I have M to where he is easy to put to sleep, I want to start what is called a Stitch & Bitch. I went to a knit night at my LYS (local yarn store), and it was nice, but not what I am looking for. So, if you know how to knit or crochet or want to learn let me know what you think! :)

Till tomorrow...
With Love,
Theresa

Free For All Friday!!!

TGIF! That is all I can really say! This has been one heck of a week and I am more than happy to see it come to an end! As I type at least PART of this post, I am sitting at the doctor's office AGAIN! I have been to the doc's office every week for a month, and I still have to bring J next week for her 2 year appointment! Today we are waiting to get M's ears checked to determine if he has another ear infection or if he has teeth coming in. Fun!

The girls seemed to sleep better last night. J slept in the bed and we let L "camp" out in the living room (she was thrilled). They have at least been in better humor today. I think we are going to borrow a twin bed to see if they can at least sleep in the same room together. Here's hoping!

I might have to break my promise of not knitting anything other than my MIL's scarf right now (see yesterday's post). A friend of my cousins has asked if I would commision some hats for her. Depending on how quickly she wants them (I am not a fast knitter) I will probably do it. I look forward to talking with her!

Friday is grocery shopping night (are we exciting or what?). Grocery shopping is one of those things that I would love to avoid, but somehow I miss when I don't get to do it. When I was on bed rest and couldn't go.

I hope you have enjoyed the first week of topics! Have a great weekend!
With Love,
Theresa

Fiber Therapy Thursdays!

Today I want to talk to you about something that has become my number 1 hobby....KNITTING! There is such a thing as Fiber Therapy and believe me, it will relax you so much as you feel soft smooshy wool. Thank you so much to my dear friend Carli for teaching me this skill. What would I do without you? For the record, I'm sure there are knitters out there that don't find knitting relaxing. I say to them, either choose easier, less complicated patterns or CHILL OUT! :)

I just finished a cute little hat and bootie set for my friend Rachel who just had her first baby boy after 3 beautiful girls! I think they are adorable and hopefully so did she!



I have been continually working on a project for my MIL. This was actually supposed to be a Christmas present. Yeah, I'm a little behind. But, I am determined that I am not allowed to do anything else until I finish this. It is called a Heel Head Scarf and can be found at Carissa Knits I am doing it is a soft black yarn. It is called Caron and it is acrylic which can sometimes suck, but this is super soft!


(Photo courtesy of Carissa Knits, see link above photo.)

I've got other things I am working on: a scarf and hat for my mom, a couple of hat/ mittens set. But, they are going to wait, because I am OBSESSED with making this GORGEOUS shawl from this blog:


(Photo courtesy of designer, see her blog above photo.)

I have 4 balls of this Gorgeous Merino Wool to make it!

I want it so badly that I've been working on my MIL's scarf at all available minutes!

On the mommy front, we are having some issues with the sleeping arrangements of J & L. J wants to play all night and won't let L sleep so they are both crabby all the time. We've got to figure it out because all these crabby kids are making me weary.

That is Fiber Therapy Thursday! See you tomorrow!
With love,
Theresa