i'm moving...

over here.
you've been good to me, blogger...I shall miss thee.

.♥.

typepad might just have my heart..

I know this is a short post (sorry...there will be a longer photo post later with colorswap info, secret pal goodness, that secret project I was talking about & such), but I have a question for you ladies...

I have created a typepad account and want to switch over to it. umm...i'm pretty much in love with typepad (sorry, blogger!). but is there anyway to seamlessly do this? or will I simply have to post my new address here and hope everyone can switch their subscriptions/links? bah. I wished I had known about typepad to begin with! :)

thanks so much....I would appreciate any help or tidbits ya'll can give me!

.♥.

secret pal 8 questionnaire!!

**I will probably end up posting a link to this on the sidebar @ some point, as well, fyi secret pal!**

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
honestly, I'm not too horribly picky. I do love super soft, squishy yarns. my favorite of late has been cascade 220 (I just discovered it..ha) but I'm not opposed to acrylic one bit. my favorite acrylic would be TLC essentials in Surf n' Turf...or any of the multi-colored colorways. anything I absolutely DON'T like would be anything too fussy...I don't like sparkles or the ribbon yarns or neon/cheapy colors, or any yarn that's not straight on yarn (ie...has sequins, beads, bumps, fuzzies, etc). I like just your average texture yarn. but colors...I would say the only colors are neon really that I just can't stand. I'm up for most any other colors!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
well, nothing as of right now. this little bedside table tray thing. I would love a nice needle case for either, though (I have mostly straight needles, one circular...and TONS of crochet hooks!!)!

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I'm somewhere between beginner & intermediate...but definitely more towards beginner. I officially learned the basics about a year and a half ago (december 2004), but I got bored with what I was knitting (and classes also got in the way @ the time), so I stopped. lol. then, I got the knitting bug again this January and it stuck! and I am now obsessed and hooked for life! :)

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
yes, I do. the link is over on my sidebar to the left (if you're on Internet Explorer or any browser and can't see the sidebar, it should be all the way @ the bottom of my page over to the left. I apologize! I'm working on switching over to Typepad, so I don't have such problems anymore). :) but also... my amazon wish list

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
well my favorite candle ever is Yankee Candle Co's Midsummer's Night. but also...just about any scent that White Barn Candle Co. comes out with. lol. except none of that mashed potatoes and gravy mess or whatever funny scents they have. to be more specific, I generally like fruity yet spicy...clean, scents. if that makes any sense at all. bath products and such...I definitely go for the clean, fresh scents. and also, I adore Victoria's Secret Lovespell fragrance/lotion/shower gel. It has been a constant with me for the last 4 years or more. I usually mix it with my other colognes. oh but if I had to pick all-time favorite I would have to go with Gap's Grass scent that has been discontinued...I miss that smell sooo much!! but alas, it is no more. but if you happen to remember it...that might give you an idea of what I like. :) it always made me think of summer.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
sweet tooth, yes. although I attempt not indulging it too, too much. candy...I LOVE dark chocolate, just about anything. and although I love coffee, I don't tend to like coffee-flavored chocolates. dunno why. but as I said, dark chocolate is my favorite. pretty much any chocolate, though. snickers is a favorite candy bar. and I love dark chocolate truffles. I'm not big into the sour sweet candies or any candy that doesn't have chocolate in it. haha. oh, I also enjoy m&m's & reese's cups/pieces. hope that helps!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I am really in love with fabrics and the idea of quilting lately...although I don't have a quilting machine or a good sewing machine, so...you know. but I do love fabrics. I also crochet as well as knit as well as sew/embroider as much as I can. I don't spin, but it sounds just as addicting as all of the above! I love to paint, although I haven't in years...

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I love all kinds...for more info on that, check out this blog. and yes, my computer can play MP3s...so can my iPod! lol.

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
my favorite color is blue. but I love greens, reds, pinks, neutrals, etc. basically, anything not neon is usually pretty cool with me.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my boyfriend in an apartment and we have a pet dog named Ashes. she is a Lab/boxer mix...white with black spots and is oh-so-cute! :) there are photos of her in various blogs of mine on here.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
scarves - most definitely! hats - not as much, but I do enjoy a good beanie in the winter. usually a beanie/scarf combo. mittens - oh yes! I love "accessorizing" my winter attire with all the above! and definitely enjoy colors for these! but also, a nice crisp neutral or white would be much appreciated! ponchos - not really. although I have really been wanting a shawl for myself lately. something feminine, lacy and delicate, but not all hole-y and nonexistant. something pretty to keep me warm without weighing me down, basically.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
well, I have a fairly limited experience thus far, but I just got finished knitting the Counterpane Accessories Pouch from Handknit Holidays (see post before this also) and it was a blast! I loved seeing the progress! I'm in the middle of knitting my first sweater..Orangina from Glampyre Knits and it's equally as fun! I'm really interested in learning to knit socks. at this point, most things are really exciting for me to knit. although nothing too plain & boring!

13. What are you knitting right now?
well, I am knitting the Orangina sweater from Glampyre Knits. I'm also contemplating starting another project, but I can't decide what. I'm also considering beginning the Counterpane Bag. lol.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
yes! that was easy enough. :)

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
well, again..I'm a newbie and don't really know. I have more straight needles than circular ones, but that's only b/c I hadn't needed any circular ones till I began this sweater. and so far, I enjoy most textures of needles. I began on aluminum, so most any surface is fine with me! so basically...any will do! lol. I have a small supply so whatever I can do to enhance it, is a-ok with me! all I have are straights...size 6,8,10. and one circular size 3 24". I have a trillion crochet hooks, so I don't suppose I need any more of those, but of course, I would not pass any up if they came my way.. :) all I have are the aluminum ones, so perhaps custom ones or something nicer would be cool.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
no, but I would love one!! of either really...but a ball winder seems more handy @ the moment. but again...I would not pass up either, as I have nothing @ this point!

17. How did you learn to knit?
my mom taught me the basics...after that, I just paid attention to the directions carefully and picked up on what I could through trial and error. it's truly the best way to learn anything!

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
oh, just like a month, if even. it's the sweater I'm working on now, so I'm not sure it counts as UF, but nonetheless. I don't have any UFOs at the moment!

19. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas!! hands down. the feeling, the good times, the snow, the cuddling, the great movies (It's a Wonderful Life...my favorite!), the family times, the decorations, etc. it's just a warm, fuzzy kind of holiday.

20. Is there anything that you collect?
I have started a magnet collection, yes. any fun, quirky, unique, vintage, etc magnets. I also collect buttons...vintage ones. I would love to start a really nice ribbon collection.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I would love some handpainted/hand-dyed/handspun yarn. I never can seem to either afford it or I talk myself out of buying it..but it all always looks so wonderful! needles...well, i could use quite a bit of needles. i would love any fun ones, with neat ends on them...or really just any. lol. patterns...oh, I'm sure there's tons! but I wouldn't even know where to start. Books...check out my Amazon wish-list...you'll see plenty there! lol. and I will try to update it sometime next week/this weekend, so keep an eye out! magazine subscriptions...I have Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting for a year. I would love a Bust magazine subscription or Knit 1..or any other great knitting/crafting magazine out there that I don't know about yet! :)

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
well, I've just purchased my first yarn and kool-aid to dye, so I'm definitely interested in that. i would love a warping board, ala Scout. I would love to learn how to knit socks, as I said, although I'm not sure that's a technique exactly.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
haha...well, if you've caught the rest of this post, you know the answer to this. and I don't know my measurements, but I generally wear an 8.5 in shoes. ..if that helps...which it probably doesn't. ha.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
august 21st. i'll be 25! :)

well, I guess that's about it. I'm pretty open to most anything, really! hope that helps you and gives you some idea of what I'm all about, secret pal! I'm so excited for this! ***i did this in installments, so if anyone besides my pal reads this, let me know if I missed a link somewhere!***

.♥.

counterpane success!!, music swap & adventures in babysitting

there's been a fair amount that's happened in the last week & a half since I was ill. I'll start off this photo post a tad bit out of order...with my music swap package!! my secret swap giver was miss Claire and she outdid herself on this one!! I got not only a mixed cd, but the cutest scrap of fabric, a great vintage-y flower button, two super cute badges (one with an owl..my favorite! and she didn't even know...she's that good!), a sweet, sweet postcard and message (with e.e. cummings poem), and my favorite thing...magnets!! (there's a close-up of those below) she made them herself, as many others have done lately. I've been wanting to try it myself and she inspired me to do so! these little cuties have since made it onto my magnet collage I posted about in an earlier post! thanks so much, Claire! we've also discovered since I got my package, that we both have twin brothers! and they are only a few months older than my brother & i! ha. what are the chances of this?? it was meant to be! lol.

here's where my counterpane was 2 days before I got ill
(yeah, it would've been finished that weekend)

and this is the sweet little face that got me ill
(how could I resist that lil guy??)

the cabinets I got @ target
(finally, after reading Scout's blog about them!)

I'm not totally happy with the arrangement (ocd, hello!)
but all in all, I love them so much!!

we also picked up this bright Spring bedding @ target
(minus the blue pillows/throw & brown shams...we already had that from IKEA)

and finally....my counterpane..90% finished!!!
(hehe...this was such a fun knit, once I figured it out! I can't wait
to make another one already! well, once I put this one together..
and knit the millions of other projects, plan a bach. party, try to get a business going, etc. ya know)

so there ya go! I know I'm forgetting even more things, but oh well. I'm hoping to post more regularly now that I'm more caught up with things. I'm really exicted now, working on my Colorswap pal's package, my Orangina sweater (yes, I finally started!), some fabric flowers for a future, secret purpose, thinking of ideas for future shop items, etc. :) oh and working on a super huge, super secret (for now) project with a knit-bloggy friend o' mine...hehe. soooo excited about this!! thanks for taking the time to read this all (to whoever did!). happy crafting, ladies (or gents)!!

***ps: would it be worth it for me to switch to typepad & pay? I love blogger, but I'm getting tired of it not working correctly on IE. just curious what you guys thought!

.♥.

tag, I'm it!

I promise either today or tomorrow, there will be a real post with photos of my recent knitting/gifts/adventures, but right now...blogger is not allowing me to upload any of my photos, so...I was tagged almost 2 weeks ago by miss heather (orange blossom goddess) and b/c of my illness and various other busy times, I am just now getting to answer it! here we go:

1. Five minutes to yourself; how would you spend them, ideally?
reading. I love, love reading and it seems to be falling to the wayside lately. I'm hoping to drastically improve this with the upcoming summer months (and loads of books I have acquired since the holidays!).

2.Five bucks to spend right now; how would you spend it?
hmm...perhaps a delicious smoothie downstairs and then a walk over to the park (too bad I'm stuck in this building!! lol)

3. Five items in your house you could part with, right now, that you hadn't thought of already?
this question is kind of confusing. I assume it means that you had planned to get rid of already..? sure. let's see...
I suppose I could do w/o a lot of my bead collection (gasp..i did NOT just say that!), a majority of my necklaces, my cell phone, the tv, my crafting chair (it's kinda cheap-like and not very comfy).

4. Five items you absolutely, positively, could never part with in your house?
well i guess in all honesty...should something terrible happen, I would manage as long as I had my family and friends with me. BUT, I would be very sad if I lost.. all my photos & photo albums (they are cherished memories I adore looking back on). my dad's things I have (he passed away when my brother & I were little). my smoky mountains t-shirt I got when I was itty bitty from my grandpa (I still wear it to sleep in!). all the letters/cards/etc I've gotten from aaron (they are dear to my heart!). is it wrong to say my yarn and crafting supplies/books? lol. I would manage without them, but oh my goodness..how sad I would be if I had to part with them!! but also, I'll add... my diamond necklace that was my grandma's engagement ring diamond. yes, I love it and would be oh so sad not to have it any longer!

5. Five words you love?
adore. sunshine. flip-flops. lake. swimming. (can you tell what's on my mind these days??)

I choose not to tag anyone, just in case you thought I forgot to! well, I guess it's back to work for me...hopefully I'll get those photos up tonight! if not, I'll try again here @ work tomorrow! :)

Happy May Day!!

.♥.

may colorswap questionnaire

for my colorswapping pal, Valerie and anyone else interested! ***edited to add: Valerie's correct address (umm, I believe it was blank before. ha. doh! sorry, Valerie!)..and the colorswap one, too. so click away, you crazy clickers!! :)

Are you crafty?
yes, I like to think so. I've always loved crafting and making things...drawing...painting...sewing...making jewelry...you name it!

Would you enjoy things like: Buttons, ribbons and
embellishments?
I sure would!! the more, the merrier! I love vintage buttons and pretty but simple ribbons and such.

Do you dye your own wool?
not yet, but I am itching to try it! it's definitely on my list of future projects.

Do you like to scrapbook or make homemade cards?
I don't really scrapbook so much as have tons of photo albums. lol. and I do enjoy making homemade cards a lot, although I rarely ever get the chance to! so...yes & no. although i can't turn down cute supplies!!

What are your favorite scents?
general scents: vanilla, apple
others: Victoria's Secret - Lovespell is my #1. Yankee Candle Co - Midsummer's Night. although they don't make it anymore...Gap's Grass scent has to be my all-time favorite smell. it just smelled like summer. I miss it! pretty much any scent (besides like mashed potatoes or something) that White Barn Candle Co. puts out is dreamy.

Do you like stationary and cards?
this kinda seems like the same question as above...but if it's asking if I love neat papers and letter-writing materials...yes!

Do you like to sew or embroider items?
I do. I am a beginning sewer but I enjoy it. and I'm falling in love with crewel embroidery!

Do you like beads?
I have a whole bead mini-cabinet.. so yes. :) unique, fun, vintage beads are the best. I also enjoy round wood beads a lot...in any color. and really most round beads.

What kind of candy do you like?
the chocolate kind. ha. my favorite thing is dark chocolate! and when I find a thing such as a dark chocolate truffle...umm, I'm in heaven.

Do you like hand lotions or soaps?
I'm more picky about my lotions (I have a dry hand obsession. lol...meaning...i hate to have dry ones!), but I do love Victoria's Secret Lovespell body lotion and I've been dying to try shea butter anything for my legs. something fruity is usually the best choice for me. fruity with a touch of flirty. and soaps...yes please! I love soaps more for their beauty than for their use. so color and shape is what it's all about with me!

Do you like to wear costume jewelry? Necklace, earrings, bracelets etc.
yes! for whatever reason, i've gotten out of wearing all that much jewelry lately. but I do love, love earrings. of most varieties. nothing too long & dangly, but I enjoy a good dangle. or a nice simple stud. lately, I've been obsessed with my button earrings (see a few posts below). my pearl earrings are a staple. I love necklaces. usually about choker length. nothing longer than about 16". I enjoy bracelets, but I'm more picky about those and I tend to not wear them as much now either!

Do you like to make/or use stitch markers?
I have yet to work on a project that really needed them, but I love seeing all the cute ones out there! I've been really wanting a cute animal or food set of some sort. I don't make them, but it would be another fun thing to try!

Do you collect anything?
I've just recently begun a magnet collection. I've loved magnets for whatever reason for a long while, so I made it into a hobby! :) I also gladly collect yarn. haha. vintage buttons as we've mentioned. hmm.. any cool prints or paper or fabric that strikes my eye.

Do you have any allergies?: Smoke, food, fiber, pets, etc.
it's not been proven, but I swear I'm allergic to smoke. either way, I hate it and it gives me a headache. so..there ya go. lol. oh, I'm also allergic to nickel (like in silver-plated or nickel-plated jewelry). I developed it a few years ago. I still wear earrings that aren't nickel free as long it's for short periods of time.

Do you have any hobbies?
why yes.. lol. knitting, crocheting, sewing, crafting of any sort, reading, listening to music, etc.

Do you like scented or unscented candles?
scented! white barn candle co is my favorite place for really neat candles.

Are you a fiber snob?
to a degree, I guess we all are. we all have our favorites or standards. but generally, I don't rule anything out totally. if something's cute & I'm attracted to it, I'll get it! I'm not opposed to some acrylic...especially when it comes in great colorways! of course, my favorites are not acrylics, but I don't hate. :)

Do you like to play cards or board games?
I do, although we never get to much. cranium is so fun and we've been wanting it for a while. other than that, we just play poker from time to time. (I even have my own set of chips! :))

Do you like neon colors, pastel, light or medium ranges in the color of the month?
no neon!!! lol. and i'm not a huge pastel fan, although i'm not opposed. so anything else is fair game.

Do you like kitchen magnets or key rings?
why, yes I do like magnets (see above collection question)! key rings...eh, not really.

Do you like picture frames?
oh yes.. lol. simple and unique, vintage, large, multi-framed, etc. i enjoy them. :)


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and now for kicks..some of what's on my playlist @ the moment:

Create your own Music List @ HotFreeLayouts!

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Happy Tuesday!! (I'll make a real post soon..promise!)

.♥.

I have not fallen off the face of the earth...

..in case anyone was wondering (which you probably weren't. lol). I've had a massive stomach flu since some time early Thursday morning...3am, that is. I missed two, count em, two days of work in a row and well...let's just say it's not been pretty. I pretty much didn't leave the bed (you know, except for those lovely runs to the potty place) for 2 whole days. finally today I at least felt well enough to head to target..for an hour. then back home to feel crappy some more. wee! lol. the best thing is..the naseau is gone. I had not thrown up in 12...yes, I said 12...years...and then WHAMMO! it was wondermous, lemme tell ya. that has to be the worst thing ever. how you alchy/partiers do it on a weekly/monthly basis...I have no idea. 5 times...that's all I'll say. 5. and 4 of those times were within about a 10 hour period. yummy.

I'll spare you the gross details, but yeah...yikes. my whole weekend=shot. completely. including my Mason-Dixon knitting meet & greet/book signing at my LYS, Threaded Bliss (check out my sidebar...and scroll to the bottom of you don't see my sidebar...sorry!) last night. yeah. instead, I was laid out in my bed with a washcloth across my face, praying I wasn't going to get sick again. fun times. :( I believe Ann & Kay's next post will be about Threaded Bliss. yeah...just picture me there (as I have...many, many a time). sigh.

and I'm pretty sure all of this is due to a cute little one-year-old red-haired boy we babysat tuesday night. which I would say was worth it (cause I adore the kid), but...yeah, not so much. lol.

anyway, I should be back to my normal self by Monday (I hope!)...just wanted to say if I haven't responded or e-mailed or whatever...there's a reason. give me some time to get back to spiffy.

***my musicswap & postcard pals...I will be sending out your packages on Monday!! please forgive me...they were going to go out on Thursday, but yeah...we know what happened! also, my bf got it too. bah. I know, right? somehow he's 100% already though. grr.

look forward to catching up!

.♥.

the invisible sidebar..

it has been brought to my attention (by a miss Heather..thank you!) that my sidebar appears to be missing on certain browsers. I noticed this a few days ago, but was hoping that it was just my super old computer here @ home. alas, that is not so. however, it seems to only not show up on Internet Explorer browsers. every other browser appears fine...let's hope!

I really have no clue why it's doing it. prolly cause IE is the oldest of the old and always has lame stuff happen to it. but I digress...

it's actually not missing, by the way...if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, it's living down there now. I couldn't begin to tell you what's going on. I've stared and stared at the code numerous times and can't find anything wrong. so...to those who use IE or can't see my sidebar, scroll down a-ways...it's there!

hopefully it'll work itself out soon!

i might possibly have the coolest bf in the world...he bought me Mason-Dixon Knitting!! yes..bought. he's encouraging me. rock on. oh and a neat factoid I've discovered while perusing the fabulous, fabulous book...their cowgirl selves were created @ Hatch Show print here in Nashville!! I love that place. if I was @ work, I would find the link for you and put it in here...but being that I never know when this computer @ home is gonna crash on me...I'm frantically typing! if you search on my blog, for "Hatch Show Print" you should find where I linked it in a previous post (and the David Gray poster I have that they did!).

k...good weekend everyone! (again!)

.♥.

After-Easter sale on bunnies!!

first of all, I want to address the fact that the remaining bunny pins are now on sale for $6...that's HALF off! If they do well with the sale, then I might bring them back sometime in the future, but seeing that Easter is coming to a close this weekend, I thought it was time to do a sale!! I'm trying to concentrate on some new ideas for the shop, but I want my bunnies to have good homes, too! :) I also have a new version of the Cheli up in the shop..a very blue version! :)




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in other news, my Counterpane bag is coming along quite nicely! it would be coming along even better, except I had to frog half of it earlier this week, b/c I forgot to purl 8 more stitches in a row and when I tried to go back to fix them, i didn't pick up enough stitches on the way back...somehow I was short 3. so...I had to start over! bah! but it's going along once more..yay! I'll post pictures once I'm further along. Oh and it's now an orange color...wee!

I'm finishing up my postcard for the swap this weekend!! I'm mailing one to my swap pal, suzanne, but there is also another someone out there who will be getting one! shh..it's a secret! I wish I could send one to everyone, b/c they're so fun to make, but...ya know. time and all of that. silly time.

I have burned the cd(s) for my music swap and will be finishing that up this weekend too to mail out next week! I'm feeling very accomplished these days. Oh, so to someone who is participating...do we reveal ourselves to our partners ever? or is it secret the whole time? I'm corn-fused.

and now for some photos: some overdue photos, but nonetheless..

my sewdarncute package from miss jenny!
(these are all now my favorite earrings!)





note the earrings:





my package from snapcrafty!!
(how cute is all of this? check out the patches!)



my noni patterns!!
(my next project on the list of many)





and that's the week in review from me! I have tons more to post, but no time! silly time...again! :) feel free to visit my shop!...I would love you forever & ever!

most importantly, have a great weekend!! and to those who celebrate it, HAPPY EASTER!!

.♥.

problem: solved!!

I have sooo much to update on here...so much. which will hopefully be done sometime this week. including some sort of an easter sale on my etsy shop..since, you know, they're going like hotcakes over there. heh. <--joke, see. :) i'm beginning to see how hard it is to keep up with all things crafty & world wide web-y when you have a full-time job in the meantime. plus family & friends. plus you time. it's hard stuff! but oh so worth it..

moving on, this will be a short post, but I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who tried to help out my poor, tormented knitting mind last week!! lol. it meant a lot to know there were so many willing to help me out! it makes me almost ashamed to post what my true problem was, but.. here we go.. you know how you're always told to make sure & notice your yarn placement when knitting & purling (ie...in back for knitting, in front for purling)? simple, right? haha.. one would think.

last night, I sat down with Aaron to watch the Sopranos and tackle this Counterpane swatch once & for all. I'd taken a healthy few days away from it and was ready to give it a go. this time, with my oh-so-lovely Cascade 220!! in a beautiful Project Spectrum yellow :) long story short, after two more frogs, I had an epiphany (Eureka!)...I wasn't moving my yarn!! no wonder my knitting kept looking like a giant tangled mess...cause it was!! you don't know how this has improved my mood on the Counterpane. tons, I tell ya, tons. I finally saw some progress on my swatch! it looked like a real pattern and I had no tangles, no weirdo purl stitches. sigh of relief. I did, however still come up a stitch too short on row 7 or 8....but things are looking up and it didn't even phase me! going to swatch for the final...count...final time tonight and get to hopping on my pouch!! wee!!

ignore the fact that it was something I could have figured out and had finished 3 weeks ago. shh...we shan't speak of that.

Happy Monday! I'll update more later in the week!

a quick thank you to miss Anjo (the CraftyModster) for my April Project Spectrum cd (photos later)!! I love it!! and to miss Jenny of SewDarnCute for my cute, cute package of goodies from her shop! photos also to follow later. and we can't forget my snapcrafty cuteness that came as well! last week was a good week! :) and the final end to my end-of-March purchases all over the 'net (so yes, it counts as my stash since I ordered it before April..hehe!).

knitting challenges - me vs. the needles

first, my last post was not just for my musicswap partner...there was non-musicy stuff @ the bottom. shoulda clarified that before, but oh well!! :) can you tell I'm way too excited about this music thing? yeah, i am. OH and how cool is last.fm (formerly audioscrobbler)?? I joined a few weeks ago and just now got around to posting anything about it on here (i think. lol)

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the challenges...and main reason for this post!
I'm having issues. I started the Counterpane Accessories Pouch from Handknit Holidays for the second time last night... and I'm back where I began. I get the first 3 rows fine (row 1 & 3 - knit, row 2 - purl...easy), but I move onto row 4 and somewhere along the lines I get screwy. I lose count of stitches (or, as what happened last night, I somehow gained a stitch...even though I got the pattern right for row 4!!). in both attempts at this Pouch, I've made it to row 6...in hopes that everything will work itself out. this is not the case. I am very frustrated.

so question: when the pattern says things like "repeat from * to last 3 sts, knit 3"... does that mean the pattern in the asterisks should end perfectly and then have 3 sts left? OR does it mean that I just knit till I have 3 sts left?? in any other things I've crocheted or knitted, it means the pattern should end perfectly with 3 sts left.. but perhaps I'm missing something! help! lol.

am I doomed to knit in straight knit or purl forever?? NOOooo...say it isn't so!

I think tonight I'm gonna concentrate on my Project Spectrum postcard...yay! :)

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photos, photos, photos...

headed to the doggy park on Sunday!
(with dad...her favorite spot in the car)


hanging out with her mom
for a bit on the way


at the doggy park, running free


after the doggy park
(and we even got rained out after 10 mins!)


my donut necklace came!!
(is it not adorable?)


my attempt @ recreating the cute packaging
(I was too excited to get a photo before I tore it open!)


a close-up of the donut-y goodness


more vintage buttons!
this time from my mom!


and again..
(these are from miss gadgetgirl)


and these were my favorite ones!!
(how cute is that fabric?)



all righty, well maybe i can figure out this knitting issue I've got. I'm gonna try doing just a swatch of the pattern tonight. and otherwise, I'll continue working on my crochet. at least I have something down! :) thanks for any help or tips you might throw my way!!

.♥.

musicswap partner - PLEASE READ!

this is mainly to my mystery music swap partner...in hopes of helping them figure out my musical tastes (if they so desire). probably the best bet is checking out my myspace page. read my music quotes, check out the tune I have on my page and take a gander @ my friends list! another good way to get a bit of a clue is to go to my amazon wish list, where I will hopefully be updating more cds soon (to help you out!).

***edited to add: you can also check out my last.fm account (link below in the top 10 artists). all links are also on the sidebar to the left if you ever need a quick reference!

my weekly top 10 artists on last.fm...



or if you simply want to create a mix for me without all this knowledge, go for it! :) I'm just so excited about getting new musics, I thought I'd lend a helping hand!

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in other news, I have reached a bit of a stand still lately. I've now sufficiently overwhelmed myself with all my crafting ideas/books/supplies, that I do not know where to start! haha. I guess it was bound to happen. I start working on one thing and then get distracted and feel like I should be working on something different. so I've now had to make a list of projects to complete. anyone else ever had this problem?

my little etsy shop is going along...I've got almost 100 views. no purchases yet, but so goes it, I suppose. I'm still a tad unsure on the price ranges. I tried going for a mid-range of sorts, but I really am clueless when it comes to pricing my things @ this point. guess we'll see how things go with time! I'm considering doing an Easter sale on the bunny pins...maybe this would help them to sell? I dunno!

I'm hoping to begin work on my Orangina this week. I also want to begin (for the second time...I had to frog it the first) on my Counterpane Accessories Pouch finally, work on more crochet flower ideas, felt pin ideas, etc. This happening all while I want to get a jump on my Project Spectrum Postcard Swap Postcard and my Music Swap cd. sigh. not enough hours in the day, I tell ya!

a picture-less post...shame on me. haha. I'll have photos soon (before the week is over!). oooh, also i got my custom donut necklace from pancake meow on Saturday evening (i didn't get home till late) and have been wearing it ever since!! I love it, it's so cute! I'm definitely contemplating my next purchase to Miss Leslie. I will have a photo or two of it before week's end, as well! along with even MORE vintage buttons (some from etsy, some from my very own mom!) and some quilted squares that were my great-grandmother's! I told you my supplies were overwhelming me, right? right.

Happy Monday!

.♥.

flash your stash (one day early!)

I apologize for the early post of my stash...but I realized two days ago that since i will be going home to visit my mom & grandma (& do a little knitting/crocheting!), I won't be back until later tomorrow evening and would not necessarily be able to flash said stash at that time. so last night, i gathered everything together and snapped away. pardon the IKEA bedspread in the background. my bed was the only place large enough to display all my things and the mister & pup were in the living room, [im]patiently waiting on me to be finished with my sillyness.

in my quest to display my stash...I realized I have accumulated quite a large haul in the past couple of months. and am now seriously contemplating this whole use what you have idea. although i highly doubt i could go a whole month w/o one single purchase! we shall see..

enough of my ramblings...where's the stash? here ya go, ladies & gents (if there are any gents that read this)..


my small collection of knitting/crocheting/crafting magazines


the books I have collected thus far
(plus a couple kits)


to show the books that are on loan to my mom..
(last minute knitted gifts, weekend knitting & the happy hooker)


assorted felt colors


fat quarter shop fabric
(amy butler, robert kaufman & a grab bag)
I couldn't bear to open the kaufman just yet, so this is
the only photo of it thus far!


the grab bag fabric


amy butler fat quarter bundle


a peek @ my button stash


my bead stash
(also embroidery floss, sewing thread, assorted tools, etc.)



Yarnbee yarn
(yes, I have some acrylic...deal)


tlc essentials - surf n' turf
love these colors! note: the bedspread


tlc essentials (assorted)
liked the orange, yellow & green to
add to my stash for PS..April!


knit picks - andean treasure & shine


knit picks - assorted
all of my sock yarn/lighter weight yarn


knit picks - shine sport (color: river)
for my Orangina


my cascade 220!!
purchased from my LYS - Threaded Bliss!



vintage yarn from my mom!!
I raider her stash a few weeks ago and
came away with these goodies! note: the granny
squares afghan she was making years ago..
how neat!



and there you have it...I've flashed my stash! I hope everyone has a great weekend (and has beautiful weather like we are having here in Tennessee!)!

________________

in other, non-flashing news...I've joined quite a few things in the last few weeks...here's a rundown:

project: colorswap I missed out on April, so I'll be joining in for May!
music swap music is my true first love...so how exciting I get to share it with others!
secret pal 8 umm...way too excited about this one...yay!

plus, I'm already participating in project spectrum's postcard swap and my first-ever KAL!(I'm doing Orangina). I'm gonna be a busy, busy bee...and that's how I like it! especially when I get to be busy doing things I enjoy!

all righty, now the post is officially over. thanks so much to anyone who made it this far! ;)

.♥.

etsy shop - open!!

ok, so it's not quite as spiffy as I'd like just yet, but I have listed the bunnies on etsy!!!! lol. am I too excited about this? probably. :)


and now for the photos I promised yesterday..


my cascade purchase


fat quarter shop fabric


orangina pattern, needles & yarn
(yarn still in bag. color = river)


sock pattern & yarn
(color = s'mores)



that's really all I have time for right now. wanted to make sure and let ya'll know about my shop!! :)

.♥.

pre-post post

I have a large photo post coming up (hopefully this evening!), but I couldn't wait to post till then!! I am at work right now & have spent a better portion of the morning (as I'm waiting for information on a project here and have some downtime) catching up on all the weekend's blogs.. and boy, am I inspired!

the more and more I kept seeing about Japanese craft books, the more I had to have some! following crafting japanese's "online bookstores" links I have sufficiently placed $85 worth of books in my cart on Amazon - Japan. I cannot bring myself to purchase them just yet, as I would have no time to use them anytime soon, but oh boy, do I want them!!

I got many a package in the mail this weekend...yay!

I got my vintage buttons!!! they came in the mail on Friday, I do believe and I was so excited to see how cute and pretty they all were! and how speedy a delivery! I've already coveted 2 of them for my surf 'n turf clutch (I think I'm beginning to love it again). I can't even say enough words for how much I have enjoyed sorting through them all! ***and thank you to all those who commented about them...nice to know ya'll were as excited as I was!!

on Saturday, I got TWO...TWO packages in the mail! however, I could not pick them up until yesterday, as we got home late on Saturday evening. my Fat Quarter Shop purchase came in and holy moly...I got such cute fabrics (my first fabric purchases)!! I ordered a bundle of Amy Butler fat quarters (on sale!) and a bundle of Kaufman's "Happy Days", which has to be some of the cutest prints I've ever seen. :) I also got a grab bag of fabric scraps and oh my goodness, I got so many cute fabric pieces (some of which I had wanted to purchase anyway! wee!). this order also came in ridiculously fast (priority mail) and I am utterly impressed.

the other package I got was my latest Knit Picks order! I ordered yarn for my Sexy Knitters Club KAL (my first KAL!). I'm doing the Orangina in Shine Sport color River. I would have done Orange (perfect for Project Spectrum), but well...let's just say that is not my color! I also got my size 3 24" circular needles (my first circulars!), two balls of Shine in Cream, two skeins of Memories in S'mores (the yummiest of sock colors ever!) to knit my first-ever pair of socks! lot of firsts in this post.

not a bad haul, I say. Aaron still does not get my fascination with all things crafty. sigh.. how do I convert him to appreciate my love...how? lol. oh well...in time.

yesterday was also my first time in visiting one of my local yarn shops!! Aaron & I headed down the road a ways to visit Threaded Bliss. I was really nervous at first, but they all put me right @ ease. I still have to make some more visits before I totally figure out the setup there, but I did spy many a lovely yarn! the purchases I made were... Cascade 220!! holy cow, she has 160-some odd colors of the 300 colors. it was a tough, tough choice deciding, but I had to have some. I got two tweeds.. a grey and a blue and then 4 other solid yarns...2 greens, a yellow and an orange (project spectrum time!). and i got a row counter (finally!).

had a really nice week/weekend with Aaron's family and yesterday was such a fun day with just Aaron & I. OH, i almost forgot one of my purchases! last night, we headed to Borders and I picked up One Skein!! I have been wanting it for a while and there was ONE copy left. The back cover had been bent to crap, so they knocked off 10% for me! lol. I had to buy it.

the bunnies are nearing completion.. *would be amazing if I could finish them tonight* I feel lame to keep posting about them and not have them finished. but i'll keep you posted!

okey doke...photo post soon with all these goodies!! sorry there weren't any in this one, but I wanted to post so much about all my great finds!!

.♥.

my first eBay bid (and win!)

I have recently become obsessed with a couple things...one being the hunt for vintage/unique buttons. this led me to the ever-popular eBay. now, I've bought from eBay many a time. but I'd always gotten things that were "buy now"...never bid (at least that I recall). mainly due to the instant gratification and not wanting to be disappointed if someone outbid me. I hop on over to the store and search for buttons...and boy did I find sooo many i liked! I was on a certain budget so I couldn't go hog wild. but nonetheless... I searched and searched and was really in love with a certain lot of vintage buttons. 150 buttons and the going bid @ the time was about $18. so I bid..with about an hour left to go and patiently waited...and i won!! :) very pleased with myself here. lol. without further ado, a few snippets of my soon-to-be-new stash!




the bunnies are coming along quite nicely...I will post photos of all of them when they are finished (hopefully this weekend!). I'm also running around the ideas for new clutches/wallets. oh yeah, my surf 'n turf one has been put aside for the moment. one, because I didn't really like the way it looked all sewn up and two, because I've been busy with the bunnies and was busy with the Cheli. heh.. perhaps I'll come back to it.

omg...also, do you know about these Blythe dolls? umm...hello. how cute are they? and I am NOT a doll person, but I really want a couple of these cuties! my eye is very concentrated @ the moment on Mademoiselle Rose Bud, but I can't make myself pay the 80 bucks to get her! lol. I've seen these dolls around for a while but only recently started looking into them. I understand the obsession now, b/c I'm part of it! :)

let's see...other news...oh, I should be getting Interweave Knits soon...I hope. It was supposed to be mailed sometime this month, I thought. but I have yet to see it in my mailbox.

that's all for now...I'm working on getting my etsy shop going this weekend..or at least by next week! wish me luck!

***another obsession: knitpicks.com.. I just ordered more yarn (and my first circular needle!) from there this weekend...yippee! lol. I'm also eyeing the "dye your own" yarn. I've been contemplating attempting this (with the kool-aid dye first) for a bit now. we shall see.

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super secret secrets...revealed.

intrigued? yeah, I don't blame you.. ;)
so...I gave miss Rachel the ever-popular coin purse/girly wallet this evening...and she loved it! or she said she did, anyway. lol. works for me! I don't have too much time to post because well, it's almost midnight and my bedtime was 2 hours ago.. ha. but it's worth it, having Aaron's family in town for the week (we're even going honky-tonking thursday night and to the Country Music Hall of Fame on Friday...it's amazing the things you miss out on when you live in a town all your life). hehe. and I know he's excited to have them here for so long! anyway...back to the purse thingy..I think i'm gonna name it "cheli" b/c I always call Rach, Racheli. without further ado..








I realize it's not the "best of the best" and it has its little quirks here & there..but I like it, darn it. you have to start somewhere, after all.

happy monday/tuesday!!

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st. patty's, crazy pup & my accomplishments!

last night was a very, very productive evening. and, i must say...I'm quite pleased with myself. :)
the main thing I wanted to accomplish was my super secret project for my friend, rachel. shh.. I'm pretty sure she doesn't read this...or at least doesnt' read it regularly, but nonetheless. moving on...I got it finished!! her b-day is today (st. patty's day!!), but I won't be seeing her until Monday for dinner. and Aaron's mom & stepdad are coming in today, so I knew I'd have to get it accomplished before the weekend. and I did... yay!

here is another sneak peek. I took full photos of it, but I'll save those for after Monday. I'm so super impressed with myself on this one! haha. it's my first, for real ...totally finished knitting/crafting big project!! woo!


I also made some more bunnies and then weaved in all the long yarn tails. unfortunately, the photo I took was before this and also only a sampling of bunnies. but nonetheless...you get the idea. there's still much more work to be done on them, but I'm hoping to be finished by next weekend on a batch so I can put them up on esty! :) with aaron's parents being here, it is going to be hard, but I'm gonna try!


today is going to be more bunny making and then...I'll begin on the details. yay! I'm soo excited about these little fellows. then, I think once rach gets her goodie, I'm gonna put that up for sale on etsy, too...b/c I still have way more than enough yarn to make a handful or so more.

in totally unrelated news...my dog is the cutest dog on earth. we were attempting to take photos last night to show my mom how big she's gotten. she was not in a photo taking kind of mood. lol. but we got some cute ones anyway!! :)


this was my favorite of the two of us, cause well...she was attacking me @ this point. soon after, I almost dropped the wiggle worm and she proceeded to go bananas.. case in point:


thanks so much for the sweet comments you've been leaving me and e-mails I've been getting. it's so nice to know even I can inspire others when I get inspired by you girls every day!! hope everyone has a great St. Patrick's Day!! and weekend, if I don't get a chance to catch up before then!

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target obsession, a few WIP

I begin with my love for all things target. we literally live right down the road from one and there's hardly a visit there where I walk away empty-handed (even if it's just with a starbucks goodie). perhaps my favorite thing there, the place I almost uncontrollably find myself stopping every time I walk in the store...the $1 spot. who else is as crazy about it as I am? while it does tend to be hit or miss, I definitely hit it this weekend. it's crazy full of magnets right now...and all month I've picked them up, mulled over them, picked out my favorites and in the end...put them all back. not really knowing what I would do with them or convincing myself I didn't need them. of course I don't need them. but I want them..and so, I came up with this brilliant idea..a magnet collage! I know, amazing, right? haha.

anyway, so we have one of those IKEA magnet boards already...well, I hit the magnets and didn't look back this time...and this is what I came up with: (some of them were old magnets I already had, but most are new!)


also I have photos of my clutch purse all knitted up (sorry, not together yet!) with it's handle to the side (it will go on the back, so you can slide your hand in), a couple tries in making my crocheted button, a sneak peak at my secret project, and the pom-pom I made yesterday @ work during lunch!! (a little wonky, but a pom-pom nonetheless) I also crocheted a little bunny (pin/magnet/etc) last night but didn't have time to take a photo! hope you guys enjoy!





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fabrics, fabrics...

so I did a little wishful fabric shopping this morning...first i was looking for some lining for my clutch (yes, it's now a clutch again...and yes, it's finished being knit and I even knitted a handle for it yesterday, as well. plus, knit part of my secret project. whew! it was a productive day! I also figured out how to crochet my own buttons! unfortunately, they were too big to fit through the holes for my purse..but they are very nice nonetheless!

back to the fabric...I shopped all over, but didn't start saving pics till I got to repro depot. here are just a few of the goodies I found. after looking for potential lining (the browns & blues), I spied some gorgeous project spectrum fabrics!







speaking of project spectrum colors (and cute things), pancake meow has both!! if you haven't checked out her shop, please do! I have ordered one of the donut necklaces with vanilla frosting and sprinkles, pink wire, mocha expresso her feelings scent! I can't wait to get it! seriously cute stuff there...I want at least a handful more of the cuteness!


and finally...a totally adorable project spectrum photo. this is my little puppy named ashes and this is when we first got her (about 2 months ago)... she's proudly sporting the red color for march! ;)


that is all for now...I'll try to get photos up of my finished pieces and maybe some old navy action tonight when I get home!

.♥.

so many ideas...

I just spent a bit of time over @ etsy and well...it gave me such an itch to get started on about a million different projects I've been wanting to do. I even have my own etsy shop all ready to go...just no products yet! in time..

in other news, I did not finish my clutch as planned the other evening. if I remember correctly, I never even got a chance to work on it...what with puppy time and sleepy time. lol. and actually haven't gotten too many opportunities since then, except a few moments here & there. I did get a good amount of time last night so it's very close to being finished knitting...but then I have to find lining, buttons, sew it up, add a handle or something. oh yeah and I think it might be turning into a wristlet instead of a clutch. it's a bit smaller than I was planning on!

one of my knitting distractions this weekend was a trip to old navy yesterday. holy moley...I got too many cute things! including...very much pink cute things!! I'll have to post photos of all of that soon.

I'm also beginning a secret project for a friend of mine...more details later, but I'm very excited about it. :)

I believe now it's time for me to be off! I must create cute things today..I must! ;)

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