~ Nominated for a Schmooze Award ~

Thanks to Crochetoholic Debb for nominating me!

Here's what the Power of Schmooze Award is all about: 'As it goes, schmoozing is the natural ability “to converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.” Good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship.

Now I nominate:

Sk8Chick
Robin
Iris
Schnauzermum

~ Menu Plan Monday ~

This week's menu plan is courtesy of Sk8Chick :D I asked her to put one together for me since I wasn't feeling well and here it is. (for those of you who don't know ~ she is my oldest (19yo) dd and she is one of the greatest dd in the whole wide world. ;D)

Menu based on the culinary goods found in our cupboards and fridge:

Monday ~ Hot dogs and chips

Tuesday ~ Veggie meal (cornbread, veggies and noodles)

Wednesday ~ Tuna and rice

Thursday ~ Breakfast meal (pancakes and eggs)

Friday ~ Spaghetti casserole

Saturday ~ Leftovers

Sunday ~ Salmon and rice

There you have it ladies and gentleman ~ the Simplified Life meal plan for the week! So what are you planning?

~ Funny Thing about Handmade Cloths ~

(meet Lola ~ visit her at Lion Brand's site)

They don't stay around long after you've weaved in the ends. ;D

Remember that stack I made last week, well I only have 3 left that I can find. Plus I made 3 new ones and my family has swiped those up too. LOL

I guess I shouldn't complain, especially if they like them and want to use them. Off I go to make more. (btw, they are addictive to make too.) Pics when I'm done so you can see them before their gone.....

Homebound & Lovin' it

The weekend is over and I'm glad. Now don't misunderstand, I'm not glad that Riley's birthday is over ~ that part was actually fun. But I'm glad that the stress of start of the weekend is over. We had a lot of running around to do before returning the rental to the airport plus I worked at the store which I'd rather not have done. Then that little nasty cold thing returned which made me feel absolutely miserable which I truly believe added to the stress or was caused by the stress ~ hmm, not sure but it didn't help. ;D Yesterday, I managed to pull a muscle in my lower back which has resulted in pinching a nerve. I can't sit for long nor can I lay down for long but its starting to ease this morning. I spending less time on the computer so that I can get things in order around the house and relax.

Homebound ~ oh yeah that. Well, without a car, what else could I be. ;D I'm enjoying the prospects of being home without anywhere to go. It will give me a lot of time to think, pray, plan and yes, clean. I am looking forward to starting my new knitting projects, planning the online bookstores opening ~ yes, this is well past due, and getting ready for our studies, another pass due thing. :D Plus if I'm home more, than I can visit more of my friends online too. Yeah me! So, I'm homebound and lovin' it. Its a great feeling to get up and know that there are no deadlines, no pressing appointments, no need to race out the door, I can simply get things done that I've been putting off for far too long. Now I won't be able to do everything on this wonderful list of mine because of this back injury ~ can't bend over very well. LOL But I will give it a gallant effort.

I'm off to finish a new dishcloth I started last night, may even make another one. heehee Then I will clean the kitchen, plan dinner and start my shawl. Yeah ~ I've finally figured out the shawl pattern I found here. Its called "Frozen Lake" and starts with one stitch which is based off Yarn Harlot's shawl pattern. I'll post pics later or tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day!

Bingo anyone....

I've been playing bingo with my fellow group members at Love2Knit Dishcloths. It was a riot because it took us 27 days to get a bingo winner. But we didn't get just one we got 3 winners. LOL We are off to play again and I'm looking forward to it. I only had one word left but it didn't make it. ;D

I've been knitting and crocheting, working on my last dishcloth exchanges. I've used up almost 8 oz of cotton since Monday too. ;D I'll take pics tomorrow and post them at the beginning of the week. I probably will not be on tomorrow since its Riley's 16th birthday, but I'm sure I'll be knitting/crocheting during the down moments of celebrating.

Its pretty quiet around here because the younger 2 are outside, hubby is in his room relaxing and Sk8Chick and I are knitting, well I was knitting. ;D We plan to watch movies later and eat popcorn ~ pre-celebration to the birthday and she may be allowed to open another present at midnight. The movie line up for the evening ~ My Darling Clementine and The Big Cat. We may not watch Big Cat because I'm not really interested in a western tonight but we shall see.

Off to finish a couple of gifts, wrap presents and fix a lite dinner. Tomorrow, we are having homestyle chicken tenders, french fries with veggies and homemade yellow batter cake w/chocolate icing. Yes folks, we'll be cooking but she's worth it ~ you only turn 16 once.

Have a great evening and Sunday!

Its Friday ;D

I used to wonder what people meant by TGIF and after a very long, stressful week I now truly understand. Though I'd say thank God each day, today I'm really glad its the weekend. I look forward to resting and spending time cleaning my house. I haven't been as focused on it due to all the driving but you wait, I'm going to get my act together and clean. Yelp, I sure will, or at least get the kiddos to do it. LOL

Last night, Sk8Chick and I decided to have on own knit-in. We staged this because we were unable to go out to either the LYS or Starbucks. ;D Boy, have we been spoiled in doing that for the past few weeks. Anyway, we pulled out a book on cd and cd player, several of the library books, some yarn and current projects, our notebooks, hot tea and cookies and we talked, oohed and aahed over the designs and patterns, worked on our projects and planned more. We had a lot of fun, even Riley joined us for a little while. We didn't get to the book though, we had too much fun listening to the classical cd "Water Music." Very lovely too. Sk8Chick had a hard time deciding what to make w/her gift yarn and I looked for patterns for my shawl and bath set. I did find a bath set pattern in the "One Skein" book and I believe that will also be my project for the August KAL n KAL.

I received 2 packages yesterday ~ 1 was my ugly dishcloth exchange and the other was from the Tea Party Swap. They both were great. I really loved each of my gifts and can't wait to try out my new teas.

Ugly Dishcloth

Tea Party Swap

Off to get some packages ready for the PO and a quickie nap ~ I've been up since 5a and I'm a bit tired. I work tonight and I don't want to fall asleep standing up. If anything worth writing happens later, I'll post. If not, have a great weekend.

"Teapot is on, the cups are waiting,

Favorite chairs anticipating,

No matter what I have to do,

My friend, there's always time for you."

(this is on the back of my Apple Cinnamon Tea)

Doing things ~ great things....

I finished off 2 of the 4 WIPs dishcloths and that was a nice feeling. I decided to start using some of the yarn I've received in recent swaps. So on a road trip, I made one crocheted cloth, pattern that was sent with the yarn, and began another pinwheel cloth. I finished off both of them and I really like the colors ~ PnC's Jewel. I've also finished off another grandmother's cloth in PnC Ecru ~ yarn I received from my SP10 pal. ;D I also created my first "geeky thing"

using LBs Microspun. I wanted to make the "Cozy" pattern on Knitty.com but didn't get gauge so back to the drawing board and stash pile for the yarn. ;D

Now that I really want to work thru my new stash, I've started planning. My Louet linen in red, which I received from my No Sheep Pal ~ I plan to make a bath set for myself but need to find a pattern. I've decided to make a hand towel w/the Red PnC I just received in the dishcloth swap. My KnitPics Shimmer, I want to make a shawl with. The color is lovely and its lace weight. I am new to lace and I will be learning so the pattern must be for beginners. I got some help w/this last night at the knitters meeting my girls and I went to, more on that later. I will also make more cloths w/the rest of the cotton my SP gave me too ~ these are becoming a great car and waiting for web page to load projects. I'm enjoying them very much plus they work well. I've used 2 of my new ones already and love, you hear me ~ love them. Don't know how I've lived this long w/o them. ;D Hmm, I think another pair of "not peds" are in the works using my goodies from the love sock yarn swap. This would give me about 5 or so projects on the needles not including the cloths because they go so quickly. Well, K-Bober's can't say that I'm slackin' now. ;D

So let's see this in goal format:

1. Bath/Spa set ~ Louet Linen, red

2. Hand towel ~ PnC, red

3. Shawl ~ KnitPics Shimmer, Happy Dance

4. Not Peds ~ Garnstudio Fabel, 543

5. Argoyle Socks (for hubby) ~ Sport weight Sock yarn, navy/cream/remnant

6. Baby blanket ~ Caron's Simply Soft, white

* Dish/wash cloths ~ PnC/SnC/LB, various

I've sent off the last of my swap bot packages, my no sheep reveal ones and now relaxing and wondering why I got into swapping. ;D It is so much fun, so addictive but can be way more expensive than one actually bargained for. I can see how it wouldn't be if you were using stash, but for me the majority of my stash doesn't qualify ~ acrylics ~ and the others are gifts that I love too much to part w/so I end up buying in order to participate. I love the lip balm ones though, I don't have to do anything but go thru my stash, write a note, put in an envelope and send. Only costs me postage, Yeah! So I'm doing the next round on this because it was so much fun. However, I dropped several of the other swaps I was in due to time, lack of income and just plain common sense. ;D I unfortunately got some of my new friends hooked on swap-bot but they did hear my warnings and are not diving in head first. LOL Speaking of my new friends, there is a local knitting group that meets weekly at Panera's and I'd been meaning to go and visit them but never did. Last night, the girls and I went and had a blast. At first, the girls were not comfortable so we didnt' sit w/them or near them. After meeting my fellow yahoo group member, my kiddos were persuaded to join the group and they liked them alot. I learned a lot about lace shawls and myself ~ that I need to practice first, develop the skill then tackle the lovely lace shawl I would love to own. ;D Glad I went if no more than getting that bit of information. So back to the planning stage and will be learning some new things over the next few weeks.

On the homefront ~ the a/c was serviced today. It had freezed over somewhere and was all clogged up. They cleaned it out and got it running. Yeah! I'm sitting here enjoying the feeling of being almost cold. Its been so hot lately, but only in the house. It was quite frustrating to go outside and find it cooler than inside. Glad its over though and we can have a comfortable home again. Don't know if I mentioned it before, but we are looking to move though it will now be after we get a vehicle. Still no prospects but I'm hopeful, the Lord is still in control and knows our needs. My menu plans are off a day or two because of the heat and I don't even know what we ate last night but we had last night dinner today. LOL ~ creamy chicken over noodles and french bread. Delicious!

Time to go now ~ I don't think I should stay up late tonight. I went to bed after 2a but amazingly I wasn't tired and I didn't have to drive hubby to work at 5a. ;D Talk w/you all soon.

~ Menu Plan Monday ~

I've not menu planned in quite sometime, but I was inspired this weekend to make the most of my budget to do so. I've been purchasing food and cooking what I buy, which has greatly reduced my stress. However, I think its time to shake things up abit so that I can get more organized. I know we need to eat better, that we've been too busy to really focus on eating well, but if you plan to do something ~ you usually get it done. The Org Junkie, hostess for Menu Plan Monday, says she likes summer salads and I believe we do too but we haven't been eating any. So, I will plan a couple this week and add more in the weeks to come.

Here is my plan for the week:
Breakfast ~ cold cereal, egg & toast or muffins
Lunch ~ pbj, tuna sandwich, cold cut sandwich or leftovers

Monday ~ dinner out of town ;D
Tuesday ~ Creamy chicken over noodles w/green leaf salad and french bread
Wednesday ~ Chicken burritos, white rice and veggies
Thursday ~ Egg Salad, crackers and fruit
Friday ~ Tuna Salad, crackers and fruit
Saturday ~ Leftovers
Sunday ~ Birthday Dinner for Riley *chicken tenders, fries, chips and snacks

This should work out nicely especially since its so hot lately. I'll use the crockpot for the chicken which will cut some heat down around here. What are you all planning this week? You can view others plans here.

Happily Knitting Along

I've been knitting and I've got pics to prove it. So w/o further ado ~ I'll let them speak for themselves. Btw, because of all my knitting I'm done w/my KAL n KAL goals. Yeah me!

Goals Update:

6 dishcloths ~ 8 FOs & 4 WIPs

4 washcloths ~ 6 FOs & 1 WIPs

(I managed to get more done than I expected ~ trips to Starbucks & Bass Pro, who knew!)

Used appx. 17.5 oz of cotton, which is about 480 g. Not bad, not bad at all. I even managed to make 4 cloths out of LB's 5oz ball. ;D

(4 wc/3 dc ~ sorry blue/white are dark ~ I used LB white to finish off the yellow)

Dishcloth Addicts III Swap goodies:

*jewel color cotton, 3 dishcloths and a lovely pattern that she used for 2 of the cloths. Thx Rekesha!

* red cotton, very large dishcloth ;D, and 2 patterns. Thx Wendy!

Life on the treadmill

Whew! I'm glad this week is almost over. It has been very tiring driving so much, but I shall not complain because I was able to drive. ;D I've managed to finish my goals for the Stashalong's KAL n KAL. Yeah me! I even received a request for a personal cloth and for cloths to purchase. Now I'll have to find a pattern that will allow me to sell the finished product or just make up one. Now that might be fun.

The girls and I went to Starbucks this evening to experience the Coffee Session but that didn't happen. We didn't get the right info and didn't know that we were suppose to sit on a particular side of the cafe' so we missed out though we were just across the room. Well, we decided not to barge in and listened, played mexican train and knitted. It really was a disappointing evening when I could have spent time at both my lys. Oh well, tomorrow I will be hanging out at my fav lys and meeting a new friend, hopefully. ;D

I will update the pics later of my finished cloths ~ need to crop them but can't do it while on the net, you know that slow computer processor issue. LOL I made 2 washcloths yesterday, crocheted for my dc ~ one was the special requested I mentioned. While the Da Boy and I was waiting for the eye doctor he told me how much he liked his handmade washcloth over Walmarts but he needed a new one so that he wouldn't wear out his current one. So, I used my superpowers and wiped up a new cloth in LB's cotton. Its navy and very soft. I made another later in blue/white LB cotton. They are both lovely and I will be making more over the weekend since they are so easy ~ about 1 1/2 hr of my time quietly making something for someone else. ;D

I'm going now, need to get some more emails read and replied too before going to bed ~ rise and shine at 4:30a. At least, I'll have about an hour of quiet time over coffee and my yarn. Have a great day!

ps ~ fellow swap recipients, be on the lookout ~ you're packages are on the move.

~ Summertime Blues Swap ~

Here is my questionaire for this cool swap:

Do you knit, or crochet, or do both? How long have you been knitting\crocheting?
Yes, both ~ knitting consistently for 6 mos and crocheting for over 30yrs.

Have you knit dishcloths or dishtowels before? Is there a pattern you would like to try? One you absolutely don't want to do?
Yes, dishcloths and will do my first dishtowel this week. I'm thinking of trying the patterns in the Mason Dixon Knitting book but there isn't one I don't want to try.

What are your favorite cotton yarns? Is there a cotton or linen you've been dying to try but have not?
Sugar n Cream but Lion Brand's is becoming a fav. I've only tried these and Peaches n Cream so far. No, there isn't anything I've been dying to try ~ I'm open to trying new yarns. ;D

Are there any cotton yarns you don't enjoy knitting with?
Nope.

What other projects do you enjoy knitting or crocheting?
I love making baby things and I also enjoy doing scarves, hats and now socks.

Do you have other hobbies or enjoy other kinds of crafting?
Some of my hobbies include cross-stitch, wreath making, drawing, bird-watching and reading.

What kind of treats do you like? Chocolate? Candies? Nuts?
"I LOVE CHOCOLATE" ~ did I say that loud enough, just making sure you heard me (sorry for being loud) I love candy, nuts, cookies ~ ok I'm formerly known as the "snack queen" need I say more.

What colors are your kitchen and bath decorated in, if any?
My kitchen ~ cream colored walls ~ I use a lot of black/white/cobalt blue and am starting to infuse my fav color ~ red. My baths are hodge-podge but blues/greens/burgundy/cream seem to be our favs.

What are your favorite colors and what colors do you dislike?
Red ~ I love color and haven't found one I don't like yet.

Do you drink coffee? Tea? Other beverages?
Yes, I drink coffee & tea. I also enjoy a good root beer w/cashews on the side.

Do you have any kids (human or pet variety!)?
Yes, 5 of them if you count hubby LOL ~ 3 teens and a whacky dog named "Poochie".

Do you have any allergies?
Yes, some cat dander but nothing Claritin D can't fix. ;D

Please share 3 tidbits about yourself that you think your pal and other swappers might find odd or interesting.
1. I love going to concerts.
2. I'm a professional volunteer ~ I absolutely love volunteering.
3. I'm a re-born yarn addict. ;D

Project Plans

I finished up a couple more washcloths including the knitted windowpane in blue & white. I will post pics tomorrow. I've been thinking, ooohing and aaahing over the Loop D Loop books. Oh there is so many different things I'd love to make but my favorite is this:

Cabled Riding Jacket ~ isn't it gorgeous.

So besides wanting to make this lovely, here are my wishlist items:

LDL Knitting
Corrugated asymmetrical v-neck ~ child size first
Irregular rib raglan with toggle
Fair Isle Hooded Capelet
Child's Geek Spiral Pullover

LDL Crochet
Knotwork Socks
Girl's Bolero
Medallion Hat
Marguerite Jacket
*really like but don't want to make one ~ Lazy Wheels Coat

I think my first project will be the Knotwork Socks. They will be challenging yet its crochet so I will be able to do them fairly quickly. ;D I will be going thru my stash to see if there is anything available for these projects before buying any yarn. I think I will buy some though, at least for the Cabled Riding Jacket ~ I'd like it is a rich chocolate color ~ and the socks. Off to research the cost of lace weight yarn ~ this I don't have in stash. LOL

Have a great evening!

More swap goodies....

I received a package from Finland today. It was for the chapstick/lip balm swap. I love strawberries and this one has a Lip Smackers strawberry in it. I also received a mixed fruit one by Casuelle ~ it melted but its fine. ;D

Thx so much Saalis ~ you are awesome. I absolutely love the postcard. Me and the pooch have a lot in common b/c I've been thinking alot about ice cream lately. ;D

Its been a great but tiring day and I've managed to finish off another dishcloth. I will start a new one for a KAL project ~ this one is for me ;D I am also looking thru Loop D Loop Crochet and Knitting ~ I love both these books and I've picked several things I'd love to work on. I've decided to work on a couple of projects for the fair and will need to concentrate on that. So when I send off the last swap package in 2 weeks ~ I'll be chillin' from that fun sport. There are plans to return to the swap scene sometime in Sept/Oct when the SP11 starts and the prayer shawl swap begin. But for now, its going to be restock, re-group and relax because my days are going to get really long in about 2 short weeks. More on that later.

Have a great evening!

~ at the homestead ~

Dinner ~ grilled chicken, green beans and rosemary herb french bread

Sounds ~ classical music

Thoughts ~ need more sleep and who ate all the ice cream ;D

Plans ~ dinner for tomorrow, sleep and more knitting

Whirlwind....

thats the best way to describe the past week and half. I have been knitting as I've been chauffeuring my family around town. I didn't realize how tired you could get from driving, waiting and driving some more in the heat. I've made great use of the time by making dishcloths and washcloths, reading patterns, listening to audio books and simply working to relax. There isn't much done at home but that will have to wait til we have our own car again, but I've managed to stay in budget again this week for groceries and make dinner each night except today. I didn't make dinner today because I was at a concert ~ Todd Agnew performed for free tonight at our new Riverpark. He sounded great and the storm passed quickly and didn't ruin the evening.

I've not had a chance to update my blogs but I've been thinking about all of you. I've even received several packages in the meantime and I've sent out several of them myself. I've been slow in getting them out because I've spent so much time driving instead of packing up boxes. I hope they all forgive me, I didn't mean to be late. ;D

Here are my progress pics for the July KAL

Stats ~ 6 dishcloths 4 done/3 WIPs; 4 washcloths 2 done/1 WIP

*the tan and white washcloth was crocheted during a 2hr trip to Bass Pro ;D



(ugly dishcloth exchange)












*I've run out of yarn for this one ;(

Swap packages: I Love Sock Yarn ~ from Else in Norway
(new pics tomorrow that are brighter)
beautiful postcard with a seagull in flight
2 skeins of Garnstudio's Fabel superwash
2 skeins of Safirgarn
5 packets of tea ~ Pompadour apple & fruit, Houji tea, Sogni d'oro camomilla, Teefix and Pickwick strawberry

Chapstick/Lip Balm ~ from PA
Bon Bon's Pink Lemonade & Root Beer Float
Avon's Jelly Beans & Winter Cherry

June Tote bag
3 skeins of Natural LB cotton
G Hook & yarn needles
I'll post the actual bag I'm making later along w/the rest of the package.

Gotta go now ~ more later in the week. Have a great week!

Getting some knitting done ;D

(Not Peds ~ Done)

Making progress on the KAL n KAL and I'm very happy about that. This week has flown by and left not much time for blogging. The computer is still slow but I managed to get on today. I will be at work most of the day, trying to sleep and driving alot tomorrow and dentist on tues. ;D I thought I'd update quickly so that I can get credit for my progress. I also received my Magic Yarn ball ~ thank you my angel, KnitterCritter. Have a wonderful Sunday!

July KAL progress photos:

1 finished dc

2 half done dcs

1 half done wc

~ Magic Yarn ball ~

Computer Woes!

I've been offline for need rest but mainly because it has been frustrating to use our computer at home. I am now considering my options for internet use but don't really want to burden the family income nor have to work more hours than I already do a week. Its not a very easy option for a mom who wants and needs to be home to have the luxuries of working from home with out some sacrifices. I'm resigned to not working full time until both kiddos graduate but this computer thing....I'm thinking its time for change. I've weighed my options, I could either spend about $3 in gas money to go to the library daily ($90 mo) or switch phone service that would give me DSL, phone & cable for about $100. I'd actually save $$ since I would no longer have the dial up fees or the phone bill. Hmm, definitely something to think and pray about. ;D

I've been doing some homemaking in my online silence. We celebrated the 4th together at our house again this year. I actually worked at the store for 3 hrs, this was the first time I've ever worked the holiday and it will be the last. Didn't like it but I could just be spoiled. LOL We had burgers, grilled chicken, baked beans, salad and chips. It was great. We had ice cream sodas for dessert, which are yummy. On the 3rd, I made homemade spaghetti sauce and for dinner we had spaghetti casserole which is a fav around here. I have sauce for about 2 additional meals and its almost time to go shopping again. I really did it ~ I stuck to my budget, I planned a few meals (yes, you read that right) and I managed to still have food left before going shopping again. Its a good thing too since the budget is a bit tight for the 1st of the month. I'm still in shock at the price of milk ~ $3.75 at Walmart, just totally unbelievable. I don't get it ~ everything is going up except the wages. Thats another story and I don't feel like gripping at the moment, so on to more pleasant things.

Knitting ~ I finished my footies. I've got them on now, yeah me! There would be a pic but its abit dark in the house and outside for that matter with the recent storms. We haven't had any flooding in my area but its not been a good time for most of the state. I've been praying the rain to those states that need it with the fires and that we don't have fire issues in Aug when it gets really dry.

I've been working on my dishcloths (3 WIPs) and washcloths (1 WIP) too. I'm half way thru the 3 dishcloths which is really good since the partners will be issued tomorrow and I'd like to put these in the mail this weekend. I've been taking a long look at my swaps and realized that I may have done one too many. ;D Its all good ~ I can complete them all but I think having no more than 3 going at once would be best for the future especially if any are international. I will be visiting the PO to send off several packages this weekend and checking out shipping rates. I have 3, count them 1-2-3, international partners. Its really cool but at the same time I'm asking ~ will it be pricey for shipping?! It will get done because thats the way I do things but I will be mindful of these things in future so as not to create any issues for myself. I've enjoyed shopping for these swaps and I look forward to sending them. I believe I enjoy giving more and more with each gift/swap. Now thats worth all the shipping fees, I think, the joy of giving pleasure to someone else.

Speaking of giving pleasure ~ on Monday, I received a box from my No Sheep Pal, she is awesome. It was all done up in red ~ my fav color, how'd she know. ;D Here are the pics I did manage to take before the storms.

3 Yankee Candle Factory candles ~ country linen, french vanilla, sunwashed linen, tea light holders, Dionis lotion ~ vanilla bean, Louet 100% Wet Spun Linen ~ fine/sock weight and a Sheep card (think we all are using these ~ LOL)

Simply awesome package and all I thought I was to get was non-wool yarn and a handwritten note. Thank you NSPal, I loved everything.

Need to go while the connection is working and update my other blogs, read emails ~ you know what happens when you've been offline for a bit, things pile up and I've got at least 4 email accounts to check on not to mention the groups I help moderate and visit a few blogs. ;) Have a great evening.