Distraction II

I now have something new to avoid the UFO challenge/pillow project with. A friend just ordered a Chicago Bears poncho, which she really wants to wear for the Superbowl. And she paid in advance, in full. I can't let her down! I'm going to have to bust arse to finish in 9 days (8, really), but I can do it. Now I just have to get started. The yarn will be here any minute, so I'm going to jump right in. Sorry, Boyfriend's pillow! You will just have to wait.

Distraction

I've been procrastinating on my UFO challenge project. Here's why:

I'm calling it the Fire Blanket, and I'm absolutely in love with it.

I'm a Joiner

I've joined another KAL, the UFO challenge. The basic concept is, you pick a UFO out of your pile each month, and then try your hardest to finish it by the end of the month. I have a whole Rubbermaid tub full of things that I got tired of working on, so this one is perfect for me. And I'm getting so good at these KAL things, I already picked out my challenge project for January:

It's the pillow that I started for the Boyfriend for a Christmas gift. Obviously, I didn't finish in time. It's basically a bunch of little granny squares sewn into an "E", and I made enough to put E's on both sides, but I only got one side even close to done. I have about 6 or 7 spots to sew up on side 1, and the squares in the pic will become side 2. After the sewing of the squares is done, I'll crochet a border around each side, sew the two sides together, and pop a pillow form in. I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to finish by January 31. I'm starting a little late, but it gives me a goal to shoot for.

I think that it will be easy to incorporate the UFO challenge with Lolly's Project Spectrum throughout the year. I'm sure I have plenty of different-colored UFO's in that Rubbermaid tub, and I plan on busting through that whole tub this year. For now, I'm off to work on Boyfriend's pillow.

We're Alive (but Not Quite Kicking)

It's been a while since I posted but I have plenty of excuses:

• I am STILL sick, as are both of the Munchkins. This stuffy head/chest cold stuff really sucks!
• I think my new digital camera is broke, or maybe just possessed. It keeps eating my pictures!
• The computer was also being a little crazy for a couple of days, so I am completely behind on blogs, and especially this blog.
• Sometimes I'm just a little lazy. Hey, it happens.

I've been working on lots of little projects in the absence of the computer. I've made several more preemie hats and a couple of can coozies. I'm finishing up a purse for a friend, too, and last night I started mile-a-minute afghan, which I may continue or I may rip back on. I have a couple of gift projects planned that need to be finished by the end of the month, but they are small so it should be no problem.

There is plenty going on under the surface here at Chez Busy, but I don't know if I'll be able to show pics for a while or not. I'll do my best to whip that possessed camera into submission, so we'll just see how it goes.

Uuuggghhhhh.......

It's another day off from work due to car trouble. I'm stuck at home, losing out on good money. I hate that. And to top it off, I've caught a chest cold from the Munchkins and feel just plain awful. Breathing takes effort, and that's not cool at all.

There's not much going on around here except a lot of coughing, whining, and being tired while waiting on the car to get fixed. Exciting, huh?

(Maybe tomorrow I'll have something good to post about.)

DPN Practice

(Something about that title just sounded funny to me. OH! We're off to DPN practice! Anyway.)

Lolly posted today about Someday Projects, which got me to thinking all over again about how I want to be able to knit socks for Socktoberfest 2007. (Let's not talk about 2006's unfinished crochet socks. I still need more yarn, people!) I've practiced knitting a little on the DPN's, but it's been a while and I really should pick them up again.

Right now I'm obsessed with making the little preemie hats. I can't seem to put them down. I think I've made at least one a day for the past week now, and I've almost filled a gallon-size zipper baggie. Yay, me! But I need some variation, something to mix it up a little before I get bored. So, I want to knit some preemie hats. This will serve double-duty: I'll be practicing on the DPN's, and making more hats. Perfect. Now I just need to find a pattern. Anyone have any suggestions?

A Little Down Time

I'm smackdab in the middle of a much-needed three day break from work, and I couldn't be happier about it. Last night was our "company" Christmas party, which was a great way to kick off my mini-vacation. Where I work, we all work very hard, but we know how to party when it's time. I'm not posting pics, because "What happens at the Christmas party, stays at the Christmas party!" (Te hee hee!) It was a good time.

Today and tomorrow I'm just hanging out with the Munchkins, cleaning the house a little, and trying to squeeze in some crocheting. So far, I think I'm doing pretty well on my list. I hope that's an indicator that the rest of the year will be just as good!

An Add-On

I've thought of another resolution to add to my 2007 list: Crochet and knit more for charity. I know what you're thinking. What did she make for charity in 2006? Well, I have photographic evidence that I did spend a small amount of time making charity items.

These are some of the hats I made over the last several months of the year, with the intent of sending them to a preemie unit at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. I'm not sure if that is where the hats will actually end up, but they most definitely won't fit anyone but preemie babies. Some of the hats are so small! Unfortunately, I'm sure there are babies out there who are the perfect size for those tiny little hats.

The pattern comes from somewhere on the God's Tiny Angels site via a link from Sue at Good Yarns. They are so quick and easy, and can be varied in several different ways to make them each unique. A perfect little to project to work on in between other projects for a break. I've already made a few more since the start of the New Year, in different yarn.

I also plan to donate items to a few larger movements, such as the Red Scarf Project or the Dulaan Project. I'm just not sure which ones or when, but it will definitely happen this year. It makes me feel so good to create for others, so why not spread that love all over the country, or even the world?

Everything is Coming Up Roses

2007 is off to a wonderful start. I spent all of New Years Day with the Munchkins, and then Boyfriend suprised me with these yesterday:

He sent them to work, but I got off early yesterday, so one of my friends brought them by when she got off work. They are soooo pretty, and they make me smile every time I walk by them. :)

My creativity has come back full force in the last couple of days. (I always lose enthusiam directly after Christmas. I need a break after all of the gift-knitting.) I've made a couple of coozies (is that how you spell that?) and I have an idea floating around in my head that I plan to translate to yarn very, very soon. I have several projects lined up, some with gift-y deadlines, so I better get my butt in gear.

I also have a long, warm bubble bath planned for, well, right now. I'm off to soak in some bubbly goodness!

Help!

OK, someone help me, please. Ever since I switched to the new beta version of Blogger, I've been trying to figure out how to put the buttons back in my sidebar. I just can't figure it out. Isn't this new template thingie supposed to be easier? Help!!!!!


*Edited* I really want to start the year off with my blog looking pretty and fresh. I can't get buttons to show in my link list, just the name. How do I switch from the name to the button? I just think the buttons look so much nicer over there, they dress up the whole blog somehow.

New Years Goal List

2007 is upon us. Many people are making lists of their resolutions, so I thought I would put my list out there, too. I prefer to call them "goals" rather than "resolutions", because I think it makes them stay fresh in my mind throughout the year. My list isn't long, but I think I put down all of the goals that I feel strongly about going in to the New Year. I hope I can look back one year from now and say that I accomplished everything that I set out to. And if I don't, it's something to keep working toward. So here's my list of to-do's for 2007:

• Spend as much time with the Munchkins as I possibly can.
• Work with the Munchkins more on things like the ABC's, counting, colors, shapes, and other preschool-type learning stuff. Munchkin #1 will most definitely start HeadStart in the fall, and I want her to be ready. Munchkin #2 won't be far behind!
• Take more time to appreciate the little things, those moments of my life which I will never be able to experience the same way twice, but will draw so much happiness from. A hug from one of the Munchkins, a cup of coffee with a friend. Sometimes I'm so caught up in the whirlwind of life that I forget to appreciate those little moments that make life worth living. I want to slow down a bit, and enjoy!
• Tell the Munchkins I love them more often. Give more hugs and more kisses.
• Pay down the debt I was left with after the divorce. Even if I can't pay the whole mess of it off this year, I can put a huge dent in it. The amount is easily manageable, by most standards, so a little will go a long way in this case.
• Save a little money for an emergency fund, and hopefully someday, the down-payment on a new car.
• Take a time-out for myself more often. A hot bubble bath, paint my nails, crochet in a quiet room for 10 minutes, have a cup of coffee and stare out the window in the morning. Anything to relax and refresh me.
• Always be grateful for how blessed the Munchkins and I truly are. Friends, family, good health, a warm home, and best of all each other. We have come so far in the last couple of years. Always be grateful.

That's it. That's my list for 2007. The Munchkins and I wish everyone a safe, fun, and happy New Year, and hope that you all feel as blessed as we do throughout 2007.

What the ....?

My Fortune Cookie told me: Tomorrow will be an excellent day for putting Slinkies on an escalator. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune

Ummm, yeah. Slinkies. On an escalator. Ok, I'll get right on that. (No, I won't.)

Family

We had a wonderful Christmas here at chez Busy. The day was filled with family and friends coming and going, food, presents, and all-around holiday cheer. The Munchkins and I were extremely blessed this year, in a gift-y sense and in a love of our family-sense.

This is the Munchkins with my sister, Tiff. They are wearing their new pj's from Santa. Munchkin #1 is in love with Spiderman, and Munchkin #2 prefers Dora, as you can see. They still have not stopped playing with their new toys, and we haven't even opened them all yet. I might put some stuff away to pull out later on in the year, when they are getting bored with the toys they are playing with now.

As for some of the gifts that I gave:

Here is my mom on the left, and my aunt on the right, showing off their matching Serafina shawls. If I had went through with my whole contest idea, the purple Serafina on the right would have been the answer for Mystery Project #2. They both loved their shawls, and my mom wore hers for the rest of the day. Success!

I'll post more photos of the gifts that I made as I get better pics. Some of our pictures were digital, but the majority were taken with disposable cameras. Which reminds me, my wonderful boyfriend splurged on a new digital camera for me! So now you can expect some better pics around here! Thanks, baby!

Christmas Eve

I'm done! Yay! Everything is wrapped, decorated, groceries are bought, and I got pictures taken of everything I wanted to take pictures of. Ahhhhh, what a relief to be done and be able to finally relax. Since it's Christmas Eve, I thought I'd share my meager decorations. I know in the picture my tree looks very crooked, but it's really just the angle of the photo. And yes, that is a Santa hat for the tree-topper. I didn't have anything else to use last year, so I threw the hat on top of the tree, and I guess it's kind of a tradition now. The hat says "I Believe in Santa Claus," and I really like using it for the tree-topper because it's cute and different.

Here's the wreath I made, very simple. I took forever to make the bows, though. I wanted them to look just right.

And last, our stockings and some Christmas cards we've recieved this year. Ooh, we have to get going to Christmas dinner at the boyfriends. Have to hurry! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

A Little Side Project

I've been busy the last couple of days finished up decking out the house for the holiday. I put my tree up weeks ago, but only half-heartedly, and it really didn't look good. I paid a visit to Wal-Mart and picked up some ribbon, new ornaments, and these super cool sequined ornaments, among other things. When I got home to do the decorating, I discovered that the sequined ornaments weren't ornaments at all! They were a garland, rolled up in a tube and disguised as ornaments. So I made them into the ornaments I wanted them to be.

Ornament Garland
Originally uploaded by lill_mama83.

This is the end of the garland I deconstructed, pre-cutting. I simply cut the loop at the end and let the seed beads fall into a bowl. (The garland is basically fishing line threaded with seed beads, sequined balls and single sequins.) I then threaded about eighteen seed beads back onto the line above the ball and tied it in a loop. Then I cut the line below the ball, dropped the beads again, and tied a knot in the line directly beneath the ball. I then repeated the whole process for each successive ball, turning them into ornaments.

The boyfriend took this picture of me while I was working on the garland-to-ornament project. It's one of my favorite pictures of myself.

Ornaments 1
Originally uploaded by lill_mama83.

Here's what the ornaments looked like when I was done. I only did four, and the rest are, well, still a garland. I draped it around the rack our stockings are hanging from, and after the holidays I'll finish cutting it up. I'll have more time then to finish them. I really like how they turned out, and they pretty much look just like the ornaments that I originally thought they were. They look very pretty on my tree! I'll share pics of my tree, the wreath I made, and some other decorations in the next couple of days. Until then, I'll be wrapping!

A Finished Present

I've finally finished something I can blog about, yay! I'm pretty sure that the recipients of this Christmas present are not blog readers, so I can share it. Yet another tied fleece blanket, red with dragons on one side, plain ole black on the other. It's huge, it covers my entire bed.

Very warm, very soft, very cuddly. I know that two people will be very happy curling up under it together.

Here's a close-up so you can get a better idea of what the dragons look like. Very Asian-inspired. For anyone who is wondering, I picked up both colors of fleece at a JoAnn's sale.

Well, I guess that's one more thing checked off the Christmas to-do list!

Only 11 More Days?!

Wow, time sure is flying by now that Christmas is really just around the corner. I have been SO busy! There hasn't been much blogging around here lately, because if I can manage to find the time to sit down and write a little something, I can't find the energy.

I'm pretty much finished with the holiday gift making. I have a few little somethings to work on yet, but nothing major. Oh, and I have some pillows to sew up and stuff, but the sewing machine has went crazy on me. I don't know if I'll be able to get it to cooperate with me in time to put those presents under the tree, but I'll do what I can.

My biggest concern now is getting everything wrapped up in time for Christmas morning. I have a LOT of presents to wrap! I'm really feeling the Christmas spirit, now (and the Christmas rush). Only 11 days to go!

On another note, I am going to hold off on having a contest for the Mystery Christmas Projects. I only managed to put up 3 hints, and I personally think that makes for a crappy contest. I promise I'll make up for it by having some kind of contest sometime in the new year.

Remembrance

I just wanted to take a moment to express my sympathy for the James and Kati Kim family. As the mother of two small girls, this story really struck a chord with me, and I think it is so sad that the man who was trying so hard to save his family will not be reunited with them. I can't imagine the pain that the Kim family must be going through right now. There is a fundraiser planned to benefit the Kims, and gift baskets are being put together. If you would like to help, please check out one of those sites. And please take a moment to tell your family how much you love them. You may not get another chance.

A Post With a Pic (Finally)!

I've been chugging away in the Christmas sweatshop, er, I mean, Christmas workshop. I'm only a little way from being done, yay! I might just make my goal of being done a week early. Then I can relax and focus on the Munchkins and having fun for the holidays. We're going to keep Christmas very casual in our family this year. No turkey-cooking for me! It would be so nice not to be stressed out over things I should be enjoying. I'll have pictures of some finished presents that I can show here soon, but until then, I have the hint for MCP #3.

Can you figure it out?

Little Pink Brain

Here's a cute little something to waste time with: LikeBetter.com It's fun to watch the little brain turn pink, but what's really weird is that the brain is pretty much dead-on!