just my yarn

don't look back

2007-02-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

i have this new blog- they made me switch to the new version and i did- the email said that the switch was successful...but alas on the dashboard, there was nothing. it is a miracle that i could even get back on to this one to tell you that after countless frustrating hours, i just started a new blog- so go here and see my new and not necessarily improved blog.
don't look back...

scrap a rama

2007-02-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

so, here's the next thing you all need to buy- a punch that makes a 1.5" square- the greatest! punch out an assortment of valentine-y papers and glue the squares on a 12x12 sheet of paper-it looks good if you leave some of the bkgd. paper showing- cut the 12x12 down into atcs and voila! a fab background-easy as 1-2-3.

teen fun!

2007-02-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

like soup and sandwich...

2007-01-29T18:08:00.000-08:00

this work of art (!) just fell into my hands- an old photo and a piece of type from "For 2cents Plain" by Harry Golden.

part of the treasure trove.

2007-01-28T17:28:00.000-08:00

lookie, lookie- my mother sent me these photos and a ton of others- also, i got what is no doubt the only original left of my great-grandparent's wedding invitation- they got hitched in 1910-i'm in heaven...

ooh la la~

2007-01-28T17:04:00.000-08:00

52 ain't so bad.

weird times six~

2007-01-26T18:11:00.000-08:00

i've been tagged by the queen for a day- see link to the right- not sure how much of this weirdness i want to put out there for all the world to see- but here are some of the more tame weird things
1. i have very odd toes. not just ugly, but as my mother would say, "we can tell you were descended from the apes." i have a very large space in between my big toe and my second toe, i am double jointed in my big toes and can flip matchbooks off my big toes (this could be a really great stupid human trick), all of my toes bend backwards and touch the top of my foot and if that isn't gross enough, i can put my baby toe on top of my fourth toe just by thinking about it-
2. i love tote bags and shopping bags and purses. i must have 100 of them and i can't stop buying them. (actually, ditto for office supplies, crafting stuff, jewelry, books...)
3. i have been told that this is weird- but to me cottage cheese, ketchup and corn mixed together are divine.
4. i used to HATE cats. absolutely HATE-now i let my own cat sleep in my personal space in the bed while my legs are all folded and crippled up so that i don't waken the little darling from his slumber.
5. when i was in 6th or 7th grade i was a nixon girl at a republican rally. the father of one of my friends was a big republican back then and he asked molly to round up some pals to greet the candidate-i actually bumped right into tricky dick while he was coming down the aisle of the convention center.
6. i love people magazine and sappy movies. just pop in a tom hanks and meg ryan-anything with a happy ending video and i am in heaven- throw in a people mag to read while the movie is playing (no need to pay attention, since i've already seen them all about 25 times) and that would be utter heaven.
angelica, how about you?

just in case you were wondering-

2007-01-25T13:26:00.000-08:00

the arrow is pointing to the area of my kitchen floor that squeaks- a squeak indicates that there is a weak spot in the floor- this could be where the lowlife last owners of this home tried to fix the squeak and banged multiple nails into nothing rather than the floor joist which i had an opportunity to view from the basement this morning-hence, i have no new kitchen floor because they won't install it because it may crack the tile where the floor "gives"- so this is why i never do anything to my home- we all know that it is never simple-one thing always leads to another and another and another-just in case you were wondering-

(way cool)

2007-01-23T04:53:00.000-08:00

a few things that are mega-cool-(in my humble estimation)
this flap hat that i made for the daughter
this mug
and that everyone who put their names in the pot (see prior post) gets something from my stash (be a little patient, i'll try to make the goodie bags on thursday or friday when i'm home)

use up your stash-

2007-01-20T06:01:00.000-08:00

so- i have this whole stash of greeting cards, a whole stash of cabinet cards and charms and yarn and you know- just like the rest of you, i have more crapola in this kave than i could possibly use in a normal lifetime. you just never know what is going to happen- make all the fab plans you care to, but we all know that anything can happen at any moment. so i'm gonna use up all my stuff- no more of this saving it for best, or tomorrow-no more copying things to save the original- i already know that if i go first, my kids are going to either ditch everything outright or have the world's greatest garage sale...so leave me a note and you'll get put in a hat for a really great prize- from my stash. and just for the heck of it- throw some paint on an original today!

unbelievable joy~

2007-01-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

2 things i made in honor of the safe and miraculous return of ben ownby and shawn hornbeck. simply incredible.

please...

2007-01-11T04:54:00.000-08:00

just when you think it couldn't get any worse...we're talkin' worse than knitting with red heart yarn in a color not found in nature-go wghs! just when you think it couldn't get any worse- worse than going out to eat and having young children at the table next to you- way worse than all of that is when you find out that adults (or at least adults chronologically) can be the most poorly behaved of all... is it the cell phone thing, the blue tooth thing, that makes us live in a boundary-less society? How can two adults sit out in the open at Border's and conduct a full-on break up- complete with the f-word? I don't get that- not to mention I could barely concentrate on my Red Heart knitting because I was sitting (as the bf rightly pointed out) 2 feet away from them. Please, if you are going to break up in public for all the world to see and hear, please at least take it outside.

answered prayer.

2007-01-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

you know what i always say-"whining pays." who remembers me dreaming of a treeskirt for my poor stunted xmas tree a while back? well, look what miss heidi, queen for a day gifted me with on saturday- all it needs is a slit up the side and a circle cut out and we're ready to celebrate in style. also, get on over to left bank books in the central west end- they still have fab 50% off xmas and chanukah! oh yeah and dig the photo- product of my new photoshop program. major excitement.

thank you sarah~

2007-01-03T19:12:00.000-08:00

look what came in the mail today from my one skein angel...not only is the knitted hat just perfectly beautifully knit in the softest yarn ever, but if you look on page 20 of this book, you will see that sarah designed the hat! thanks for all the goodies- it was well worth the wait.
becky

calling all valentines~

2007-01-02T18:03:00.000-08:00

valentine's day preparations are already in full swing here. i red glittered these cheesy muffin tins- and glued in some geegaws. not done yet. but the glittering worked like a charm sharon- thanks! and here are 2 musical angels (!). just thought i would throw that in.

2 daughters.

2006-12-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

babies are cute and cuddly but grown up kids are so fun. i would embarrass myself if i divulged to you how many times i wet my pants this week from laughing, how many times i felt like i would drive off the road from laughing- thanks little girls for making my week a joy. and btw, your SEcreT is safe with me.
love, mom

pure joy~

2006-12-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

my girls- kelly and emily.

the true meaning of christmas~

2006-12-21T04:05:00.000-08:00

who doesn't like a wonderful gift? so here are two gifts that i received from a couple of friends this christmas. more than the felted acorns, the vintage decorations, the handmade fudge, such a fab present i cannot even begin to tell you- but more than all the things was a lovely, sweet handwritten note from lesley that really said it all. and the wrapped package below, well something from judy that i have not even opened yet, cannot bear to open because she let a little girl at the mall wrap it for her for a small donation. this child was so proud of her handiwork and judy's gesture was so sweet (20 minutes later she came back to get the wrapped book) i have to tell you- i am not sure when i'll open it. so thanks lesley and thanks judy for reminding me once again what this is all about.

have yourself a merry little christmas-

2006-12-20T03:28:00.000-08:00

so, little richard at the cubscout lot at the masonic temple assured us that this specimen was the most charliebrown-esque of all. his able bodied cubscout pal in crime even snapped the top barren foot off the tree for us so that it would be 5 rather than 6 feet- at a whoppng $5 a foot, really who would want to pay for a barren branch? so chas in hand, (and btw, richard's mother told us it would only be $20) we went home ready to put up our fab tree. little did we know that this pathetic thing would become even more brownesque- last nite we had to saw off another foot in order to get it into the stand! on top off which it lost about a quarter of the needles as we schlepped it from the indoors back out to saw off another portion of the trunk. so here he is in all his glory- and the bonus is- it only took kelly about 3 minutes to wrap the lights around this prize winner. one of these days i'm going to invest in a tree skirt- the beach towel definitely detracts, doncha think?

beef of the moment-

2006-12-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

anyone who knows me ( and lucky you are) probably knows by now that i always have a beef with something- don't ask me where i got this self-righteous sense, but at my age, i'm thinking this is here to stay...at any rate, i have to say- just because it is small does not make it a stocking stuffer! in my (i guess) miserly world, a stocking stuffer is like dollar store crapola or a chapstick-not a $35 eyeshadow trio or a $15 dollar multi-bit screwdriver. once you get past the $5 range or so, it is a bona fide wrappable gift. so, this is my holiday message to all you folks out there in retail land who make a living trying to convince us that we need more, more and much, much more- just because it's small, little, miniature, minute, tiny, petite, wee, undersized or even infinitesimal...

it's beginning to look a lot like chanukah~

2006-12-14T04:13:00.000-08:00

gingerbread jewess struts her stuff.

2006-12-12T04:58:00.000-08:00

thanks heidi- for a fab get together. i'm adding this new found talent to my resume!

a little something for mother-

2006-12-10T05:53:00.000-08:00

her birthday is dec.14-shhhh.

this keeps me outta the mall-

2006-12-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

oy.

2006-12-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

goodies from the kraft kave.

2006-12-08T04:12:00.000-08:00

just lock me up!

2006-12-06T04:22:00.000-08:00

i'm jewish- and no matter how many times i sing the "i hate christmas" song, which btw is a take-off on a muppets song- no matter how many times i sing it or how early in the year i start singing it, i always get sucked into the xmas enthusiasm vortex- i mean even after everyone in my family told me they hated the fruitcakes i was making and ups-ing to them i figured- oh well, this will be good...now i won't have a zillion dollars worth of nuts and brandy and apricots ( and btw you guys- they were deluxe, but i'm over that) all over the kitchen and the dining room. so now, it is just something else and i can't seem to control myself- seriously- did i need to make this chenille tree and stay up all nite making this miniature sweater? of course, i can't find the mini- wire hangars that would make my life complete...and why at this time did i decide that this would be the month that i turn in 10 different atcs- not just the standard, make one and copy it- but oh yeah- i already have the pix cut out for 10-15 diff ones. and xmas themed glob magnets and felted stuff and the half sanded advent cabinet on the kitchen counter...so, advertisers and hallmark and everyone else- you win! but still- i just don't get it- i suppose tho, since it has taken over my life this year and it probably will continue to- i oughta just go with it.

simple-y sparkling!

2006-12-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

i'm lovin' that accu-cut at red lead. look at this- easy cheesy! an env, scallop thing and a circle- sparkling winter wishes coming your way!

doll.

2006-12-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

been crafting up a storm...oh yeah and speaking of storms, what an ice extravaganza we had, complete with a power outage and then another. i'm all for lowering the thermo- but 47 degrees! and don't you love it when the paper towels that you are working on top of end up looking as nifty as the project itself?

celebrating 16 years~

2006-11-28T04:44:00.000-08:00

hard to believe so many years have gone by this fast. have a great day, kel and happy birthday to you. love, mom

cone or xmas tree?

2006-11-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

easily amused.

2006-11-25T12:14:00.000-08:00

Item Number A1501
Susan Graver Lurex Knit Essential Mock Neck Top

QVC Price $24.50
Shipping and Handling $3.97
Save! Buy two or more and save on S & H.
Click here for S & H details.
Casual and chic, this shimmery Lurex knit top from Susan Graver offers must-have versatility to your wardrobe. It's styled with a mock neck, long sleeves, and straight hem.

so, in three minutes, here are just some of the words that the "designer" of this fine garment and the show host used to describe this fab item- and i am not kidding-
"pretty, dressy, festive, upscale, regal (!) great, gorgeous, perfect, soft, washable, amazing (for sure), great gift, generously cut, breathable, young, fresh, not harsh, not tacky :-), classic, elegant, comfortable, and of course like everything else on the Q---popular."

perhaps a sign?

2006-11-20T05:16:00.000-08:00

remember how in sleepless in seattle there were signs everywhere- well, yesterday on my walk i found these two party hats- in different places, but on the same walk...and everyone knows that my life is ruled by the flintstones- flintstonemobile, fred flintstone haircut...so i ask you- what could this possibly mean????

some things never change-

2006-11-18T05:15:00.000-08:00

things like what we wish for, for our children- that they be happy, have friends and find something to do that they love. you sounded awesome kel. love, mom

sometimes i wish i was oprah-

2006-11-15T05:21:00.000-08:00

or bill gates or cher or anyone who has so much money they don't know what to do with it. then, when this garnet hill catalogue comes in the mail, i could just sit back relax and order one of everything. maybe even two pairs of the eileen fisher wide wool cropped pants for $158 or the jacket to die for that is $338. oh, i would buy all the seasonal sheets with the evergreens on them and then not use them all spring, summer or fall. or heading straight back to reality, i could wait for all this stuff to go on sale- or whatever oprah or cher have not snapped up and realize that it wasn't all that important after all...

the truth~

2006-11-11T06:02:00.000-08:00

i swear, i missed my calling-not that it's too late, but...what is my true calling? assembly line worker. i love repetition. you see how i keep making the same ding dang tags over and over (and i already have the xmas ones punched out and waiting!), i love the repetitive nature of knitting, when i work at red lead, i could count brads and bag up tags til the cows come home. so here is a hat that i swear i have made 30 times and each and every, i love it-love the way it knits up in a jif, love the way it looks- everything about it-in fact, once my size 6 circulars are free, i'm gonna make another. and that's the truth.

a little bit of this and a little bit of-

2006-11-08T21:18:00.000-08:00

don't ask me why, but i just love little stuff-so, when i saw these cookies last nite at borders-well, it was it no brainer. i had to have them. little sleds, little trees...

fun in tree city-

2006-11-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

some holiday tags~

2006-11-05T08:13:00.000-08:00

what's a nice jewish girl like me doing with all this xmas stuff? who could resist? fab holiday hand dyed tags at red lead- link to the right.

night o' fun.

2006-11-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

friendship dance at kirkwood-go statesmen!

this is just one of those cards

2006-11-03T05:03:00.000-08:00

that i buy and like so much that i never send it to anyone...

mega-scary~

2006-10-31T04:26:00.000-08:00

have a frightfully great day-happy hallowe'en!

oh look.

2006-10-29T14:09:00.000-08:00

another tag with fall colors and a cat.

my november atc

2006-10-29T01:31:00.000-08:00

go crazy folks! go crazy!

2006-10-28T05:37:00.001-07:00

even spine tingling for a spectator sport loser such as myself. Go Cards!

and another thing-

2006-10-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

i could use a few more days off. i know i sound like a spoiled you-know-what, but it's the truth.

totally~

2006-10-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

thinking outside the bun.

2006-10-24T21:57:00.000-07:00

oh lordy, we got to sit in the fox box and the cards won...and i stood up and cheered at several appropriate moments. way fun!

go cards.

2006-10-24T04:32:00.000-07:00

the ticket angel is coming from chicago this afternoon bearing gifts from fox (4 tickets to the game tonite.) you know what a sports nut i am-i'm sure i'll miss every important play just like i always do- whether it's little league or major league...everyone knows that this prized ticket is so wasted on me, but i have my red jacket all ready to go! hope they win. go cards.

does anyone want this book?

2006-10-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

seriously-let me know if you would like to have this book for your very own. i will mail it to you or hand it to you whichever is easier. this sat. we had a garage sale and once again (like for the third time) i hauled this book out to sell and once again i brought it back to the nfs pile. i cannot tell you why- i have no intention of re-reading it. i think prayer is good medicine and this is a pretty good book- i just can't seem to part with it. i want to...i don't want to...i can't figure it out. anywho- please, let me know if you would like it. i'll be happy to send it your way. i did however get rid of the 9' fake xmas tree and never looked back- yahoo!

eek.

2006-10-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

the word for the day is eek- if animals could be anal retentive, here are 2 feline examples.
so, this afternoon we took the youngster to quidam-cirque du soleil for her 16th birthday present. it was so fab and worth every penny. the $4.75 pretzel and $5.00 soda as well. i felt myself getting back up on the soapbox (imagine that!) as i looked around and noticed that parents had brought 2 year olds, 4 year olds and other year olds to this performance that is so not appropriate for anyone under the age of about 13. it is loud, dark and can be extremely scary. for a 4 year old, the things that nightmares are made of. even the parts that are funny and light would probably not hold the attention of a young child- this is not sponge bob.
so, the parents of the 2 year old wisely decided to leave after the first "act" but the stellar parents of the 4 year old merely asked one of the ushers for kleenex to stuff in the ears of their overwhelmed and frightened child. for the entire second half of the show, this young boy sat in one or the other parents' laps with his sweatshirt over his head. i'm wondering-is this just another kind of child abuse, sort of a sanctioned abuse? every time the lights went way down or there was a very loud noise, i was so acutely aware of this child and thinking what this 1 day would do to him in the long run.
it is a wonderful, wonderful show-but, listen up folks- just because you can bring your children does not mean that you should. eek.

nah, not too personal-

2006-10-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

what is it about these questionnaires that i find so ding dang appealing? from when i was a kid, i loved filling these things out- go figure...
i've been tagged by heidi.

taken a picture completely naked? just ick

danced in front of a mirror naked? can't even look in the mirror!

told a lie? yep.

had feelings for someone who didn't have them back? yep-in 4th grade i told daniel mahaney that i liked him and he punched me in the stomach.

been arrested? almost.

seen someone die? no but i have found people close to death.

kissed a picture? oh sure.

slept in until 5pm? i think once i slept til 10 am.

had sex at work? oh gross.

fallen asleep at work? oh yes. sometimes we go to these lectures and i don't have a clue what these researchers are yakking about and oh yeah...

held a snake? hate snakes. really.

ran a red light? yep. but only as it was turning red.

been suspended from school? oh no. too well behaved for that.

pole danced? once again, yuck, gross, ick...

been fired from a job? never.

sang karaoke? yes and i was sober and my daughter was mortified.

done something you told yourself you wouldn't? oh brother, where should i start-

laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? i can get going but i don' think anything has come out of my nose. i usually just cry and/or wet my pants.

laughed until you peed?see above.

caught a snowflake on your tongue? yes, and i also rang the doorbell with my tongue when my hands were full of books and it was freezing out and well you know...

kissed in the rain? nah.

had sex in the rain? nah

sang in the shower? it's about the only safe place.

gave your private parts a nickname? oh brother.

sat on a rooftop? i hate heights, but i have done this. i sort of sit in the middle.

played chicken? i think this is where you run out in front of a train or a car- and no i haven't.

been pushed/thrown into a pool with all your clothes on? no

broken a bone? no, thank goodness.

flashed someone? only when my kids won't behave.

mooned someone? take your pick-ick, gross...

skinny dipped? yes at summer camp.

shaved your head? no, but i would love to.

blacked out from drinking? nope.

played a prank on someone? just silly stuff.

had a gym membership? oh sure.

felt like killing someone? yes, very briefly- pretty scary.

cried over someone you were in love with? yes.

had mexican jumping beans as pets?well i had em in those little platic boxes- does that count as a pet?

been in a band? again-the crappy voice- and not very musically inclined overall.

shot a gun? oh yes. my father used to take us kids out to shoot cans all the time.

shot a bow and arrow? yes. i was quite good at it. somewhere i have a yeoman's pin.

played strip poker? i think so- or maybe spin the bottle.

donated blood? yes.

ever jump out of an airplane? oh g-d no.

been to more than 10 countries? france, mexico, spain ,england , jamaica and some random other places- islands like turks and cacos that i am not sure what countries they are a part of. and obv. don't know how to spell them either.

another.

2006-10-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

ghosts and goblins and kitties and ribbon~

2006-10-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

it's the most wonderful time of the year~

2006-10-13T05:47:00.000-07:00

an angelic gesture.

2006-10-12T04:34:00.000-07:00

here's what came in the mail for me from my one skein angel. this yarn from oregon, all 150 yards of it, will make a fab felted clutch. i have to say- i like all the things in the package, but the gesture is what really gets to me. thanks river knitter. you have to know-you get what you give.

by far, new fave stamp...

2006-10-10T03:41:00.000-07:00

here is part of a small boatload purchased at papersource in chicago over the weekend. so, the other thing is-you know how things come full circle? well when do you think we will circle around to where people once again are aware that in life there should be boundaries? i'm talking here about cell phones. so, i'm in papersource scoping out the...paper, and there is this woman facing the racks, literally screaming into the cell at her husband ( and i am not making this up.) "marshall, you need to set your priorities...you have known for 8 years that the insulation needs to be fixed and you have not done it...WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE? marshall, you need to make time for me...i am your best friend..." seriously, this was a mere slip of the conversation that was taking place and she went from the lower floor to the upper floor yelling. what gives? where ARE the boundaries? why does there need to be a sign in the library telling you to take it outside? how could people possibly not understand that the rest of the world does not want to hear their grocery lists, innermost secrets, rantings at their kids, spouses, etc? so, listen up ya'll, unless you are on the transplant list and waiting for a kidney, put the thing on vibrate and when it does go off- take it outside. like in your car outside. and when do i think this will actually happen? well you know, when hell...

a good time was had by all.

2006-10-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

what's a vaca without a fab postcard purchase? actually this is a piece of art at the museum of contemporary art. the talk and the trip were successful and fun. i love chicago and i love hanging with my thoughtful, wonderful daughter who treated me to a surprise massage the day after the big event. thanks em, for a terrific time.

who needs krafting?

2006-10-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

when you can have all this? so, here's what i've been consumed with for the past several weeks. my 1/2 hour talk on alzheimer's disease. can't wait 'til thursday at noon or so... then i can unclench various parts of my body and roam around chicago with emily. just so you know, this has so consumed my life that i actually missed my metrolink stop the other morning because i was practicing the talk (and knitting and sitting backwards, but still...)send good thoughts my way if ya don't mind.

fatbook page>

2006-09-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

thanks juicy couture for photographing this babe-o-licious quartet. and thanks red lead for hosting.

easily, my fave stamp~

2006-09-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

i don't even remember where i got this stamp, some place online about 10 years ago from a place that has now gone out of business. but out of all the jillions of images that i have in boxes, drawers, spilled out on the floor, i have to say this one still says it all and remains my favorite. the bee, well... you know, you have to have a bee on everything whether it goes or not. and these glass eggs are so fun and well... you know, easy.

new atc.

2006-09-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

if you looked at what a mess the kraft kave is, you would not believe that this is all i have made lately-and a buncha hats to give away to grade school kids. i think i secretly luv the mess of the kraft kave as it always ends up in its present state.

march on, kel!

2006-09-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

the youngster just brought her fab band uni home- omg, can't decide what we like the best, the orthopedic shoes (called dinkles!), the jacket that zips up the back or the pants with the suspenders! and she hasn't even gotten the deluxe hat yet...personally, i don't know if my heart can take it. like i said, mArCh on, kel!

the card's in the mail, dad.

2006-09-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

happy birthday to you~
love, beck

i remember-

2006-09-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

the thing i remember most is how this event launched me into action- how it made me go back to school, how it made me realize that we are all here to help one another and that is all. this single event, which i guess on the other hand you could say- "boy, it sure took a lot" but at any rate, got me to the place that i am today- i am thinking today about all the kids who are growing up now without a mother or a father- and about all the lost potential...

double duty~

2006-09-09T05:28:00.000-07:00

here's my magic yarn ball for a swap-you get a ball of yarn, about 100 yards and roll a bunch of goodies up in it- like buttons, charms, beads, pop-up sponges or what ever your little heart desires and then send it off to your pal in the UK- then hopefully, you get something similar back from your own pal...pretty cool. and this magic ball is sitting on the ladder (s) that have been sitting idle in our 3/4 painted kitchen now that all 3 of us are hacking and blowing and dripping...oh well. the color that you can see is sort of what it looks like...

labor day greetings~

2006-09-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

i think my house is now officially kountry and wallpaper-free! yahoo...wendy, look! i'm finally at it! yesterday we did the ceiling and the primer and today we paint (and a lovely green it is) the walls and the trim- then the countertops, and the floor-we are going to have such a garage sale of kitchen stuff!

needed-

2006-08-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

more older gals to swap- i think everyone who is involved here (with the exception of me and Heidi) is like, well, you know, 24 years old...check it out middle age-sters. it's pretty cool! there is a magic yarn ball swap that looks like fun. and some other things that look kinda interesting...

feeling like a big city gal.

2006-08-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

OMG-I rode Metrolink to work today! So fun. I sat there and looked out the window and knitted and got to work 20 minutes early and didn't use any gas or swear at my fellow man or wear down the brakes on my car or pollute the air- So thanks Wash U. for this free pass. I will be doing this on a regular basis.

all i can say is-

2006-08-26T05:50:00.000-07:00

it's not like i'm a rock star or a politician or anything on the tour bus running from state to state- but you know, the whole calendar for september and october every weekend even almost every week night (starting to get apoplectic over these talks i have to give- three of them!) is full...i think really until november 8. last night i went to bed at 5:30 and got up at 2 AM- so i've been potting around for hours already-cleaning out the yarn basket, knitting, watching steam cleaners on the shopping channel ( i think i need one of those!) emptying the dishwasher, blah blah, blah-then i started planning the big move how i am definitely going to downsize after kelly graduates hs- no yard, no roof, no nothing- just a bed and kraft stuff. then i think (too much) if this is what i have to worry about- i'm pretty darn lucky- but still...holy moly.

happy birthday, shirlene!

2006-08-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

guess who is 65? have a great day. xxx, becky

mother/daughter bonding

2006-08-20T05:43:00.000-07:00

a fun saturday of limb chopping and gutter cleaning- thanks kEL! i orchestrated from the ground. :-)

ready to trade.

2006-08-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

hey anGeliCA i'm ready to swap, doll face! xxxb

ted's birthday, etc.

2006-08-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

we had to practically hog tie the tedster to get him to sit thru "happy birthday" and then he did not even want any cake! imagine that. but a good time was had by all and shawnie is officially 3 and a half.

a few things.

2006-08-10T02:11:00.000-07:00

sometimes i am just amazed how things can be staring me right in the face and i just don't see them. or how i always pick the hardest way to do something- not just once but for years...lord! and jeez louise. i always think i am so smart and sometimes i actually am but sometimes i have these moments where i am just looking at myself thinking, huh? so anyway, i got up at 3 and realized- holy moly, i gotta clean the kraft kave aka emily's old room as she is actually coming home tonite. that is number one. i thought i had an extra day in there. and the other thing is i started putting all my images in a binder- thanks to cathy flesher. i had everything jammed into this folder and everytime i needed something i would root thru, reopen the poor cuticles and miss half the stuff. so i am at this transfer class on saturday and there's cathy with her binder and everything is in sleeves and she is just flipping thru her photos like a dream...that is number two and here is something else. that class was so great. i went home with all the stuff and finished the book or you know whatever finished is and it was so fun! and i learned so much. and here is the other thing- so, every day i am calming people down that they are not going crazy and that they are not catching it and getting alzheimer's, but i have to tell you, the minute it is me, the minute i have one word finding difficulty...i am sure that it is the end. why is that? and within this paragraph lie the dangers of getting up at 3!

pins.

2006-08-08T04:19:00.000-07:00

hey chris- i copied you~ EXACTLY!

2006-08-07T05:25:00.000-07:00

lookee here- h2os and i used the same stamp that cHRiS used in her h2o demo a week or two back. this is going to be an altered c-card atc for the artisttradingcardyahoogroup when i get done with it. and g-d knows it needs more stuff on it, right? y'all have a nice day!

it's a white world.

2006-08-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

in more ways than one. have all the kraft krud strewn out all over the floor. it's shirlene's 65th birthday and i can't find one single image of a black woman in my stash to make her something out of. i'm combing the artchix and red lead collage sheet things and at the very bottom of one sheet there is a teeny tiny like 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch picture of a black child that i can barely make out- and that is it. it may not even be a half inch square. what gives? does anyone have any images of black folks? i have two great books- one is called "crowns" and the other is called "the face of our past" so i suppose ill be slapping these on the copier. i feel a little ashamed.

my new shoes.

2006-08-02T04:48:00.000-07:00

kelly and i were so afraid we would not get a pair of these
at the store, i actually ordered them on line. but then again, maybe we are the only ones who lerve crowns and jewels and such...oh, my!

new tags.

2006-07-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

more kreativity from the kraft kave. (denise got the tag. i'll have another drawing soon!)

one year anniversary...sort of.

2006-07-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

oh what a genius i am! i was feeling so on top of things. thought i had the 1 year anniv of the blog here accurately in the scope---july 29th. well, i did not realize that the archives go backwards and i started the blog on july 2, 2005. only 25 or so days off. oh well, g-d knows there are worse things. so here's the deal...i am having a drawing for this fab tag made by well, you know...me. if you would like it, drop me a line in the comments and i will put your name in a hat. kelly is going to draw the winning name because she is the most supportive youngster i know when it comes to activities and goings on in the kraft kave. here's what the little darling said to me tonight- in her sweetest voice and completely out of the blue... "mom, sis and i are going to have a field day burning all this stuff when you croak!" kids say the darndest things! remember. if i don't know you, or if you don't have a blog, leave me a place or a way to contact you in case you win!!!

felted totes.

2006-07-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

the little one i made from the yarn given to me by my oneskein buddy. too cute, wouldn't you say? and the big one, all i can say is- this exemplifies the true joy of knitting and felting- you start off making something and you end up pulling something out of the washing machine that is even better than you imagined. i would have never thought that the giant tube i knitted would turn out to be this great and unexpected shape. now this is something that makes my heart sing.

back in business.

2006-07-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

got our electric back last nite at about 10 pm. thanks for all your hard work ameren ue. thanks lesley, bill and jack for hosting a delightful dinner party- complete with domino crafting al fresco. kelly made this beaut.

from across the pond-

2006-07-19T04:55:00.000-07:00

but more importantly from a lovely person i met thru blogworld- wendy! visit her blog and you will see that she is a great mother, gardener, knitter and she can use power tools! this envelope was so packed with fun stuff...including a dishcloth, ala mason-dixon, a business card from her daughter Lucy who is also a knitter or rather a textile designer, a big wooden button from loop- a knitting store in london- well just look at the pic! silly me...so wendy, thank you very much. this is so terrific. and btw, i love saying that across the pond- i love saying the ducks are on the pond too- and y'all know what a baseball hound i am.

i keep making the same thing...

2006-07-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

can't figure out if this is a comfort thing or what, but i just like making these cabinet cards with the crowns and the paint...oh well, i suppose i'll get jolted into another realm here sometime. this is something i made for my parents for their 54th anniv. i sort of always wonder what the heck they do with this stuff and what they are thinking when their 51 year old child sends this kind of thing their way...i did have fun making it. i have to say that.

atc bonanza!

2006-07-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

that angelica she knows how to make a girl's day. i got all these goodies in an envelope the other day and i was really praying for that one with the kids and the party hats- i love it- a lot. thanks angelica. and denise just fyi- i copied your idea of twisting the wire thingies. i just loved how you did that. oh yeah and ted- you are muy macho. way to go with the fridge action...

just in case you're interested...and i guess even if you aren't

2006-07-13T04:26:00.000-07:00

Life's To-Do List
Borrowed from nutmeg knitter (as everyone else, the ones in bold are what I've done.)
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 10 provinces
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero I do this everyday!
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

menagerie of tails

2006-07-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

here's my first fatbook from the fatbook yahoo group. came out really nice. these are my pages front and back...love ya ted!

one woman's trash is another woman's...

2006-07-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

me and the heidi girl who btw is not only queen for one day but is also the queen of garage sales went on a lttle adventure this AM. so, i am obv not a g.s. person as anyone could plainly tell by the deer in the headlights look in my eyes as i stepped onto lesley's grass at 8:05 AM. i got some good stuff including that printer's drawer and all the faux leaves and pearl thingies and a flower holder that i left in heidi's car. i got some other good stuff like a kraft cheese box which coincidentally was what my brothers lovingly called my first car- the carefree cheese box... and this metal three tiered stand that i think heidi really wanted but i must have had that jewish american princess, sad, my life is a living hell look in my eyes- so she let me have it. what a great day!

the usual suspects.

2006-07-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

thanks to colleen for guilting me into yet another year of unadulterated, incredible fun. thanks to the construction workers for filling up the hole very quickly and adding to the guilt. thanks to kelly and the wghs marching band for great music. and thanks to the o'neals and the schmidts for hauling away the heavier than heck tables that we will never have to schlepp out of the cellar again. thanks to the o'brocks and the wallaces for coming and hope you'll come again next year. (btw, it will be exactly the same-there will just be new tables.) it was great and it is nice to be reminded now and then that we have wonderful friends and we live in a great free country. nice to remember not to take any of that for granted. xxxxxbecky
oh and ps> kelly is on the other side of the really tall guy with the black baseball hat. goooooo kelly.

hooray for the red, white and blue-

2006-07-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

first parade!

2006-07-01T05:04:00.000-07:00

look who's marching in the vp fair parade! go kELly!

one skein goodies!!!!

2006-06-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

a whole box o'stuff came in the mail yesterday from my oneskein secret pal. look at this fab wool with 200 yards. great CoLOrS too. stamps and a card and a candle- really nice. thanks!

fave place

2006-06-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

there's no place like home. (next red lead atc theme iis fave place) lesley and i were discussing what would be the next trend--so, we've had the eiffel and it looks like party hats and wings are pretty much here to stay; vintage shows no sign of pooping out... i'm thinkin' the house thing- maybe with the wings and the party hats? i did see, i think in somerset an eiffel with wings...at any rate- there's no place like home.

lookee!

2006-06-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

this bag is so great. better in person than these pics show. (the pics are fab- but the bag-to die for!) thanks linda! take a look here- she is one of the most prolific women on the planet. and here are some flowers- not put together, just wanted to see if this is anything you might be able to use. thanks again- becky

sometimes less is more.

2006-06-23T04:51:00.000-07:00

look how little this has on it and how pretty great it is-i threw some gesso on the color copy hoping that it would crackle and when that didn't happen, i started sanding (when all else fails-get out the sandpaper!) then i put some watered down citrine (new color!) lumiere and voila...a couple of pieces of paper. i don't know, i just thought- stop there. so y'all come on down to red lead tomorrow-i'll be altering some more of these fab cab cards and don't worry- i won't stop there...lots of paint and crowns and stamps and great fun stuff. :-)

happy father's day to the handsomest dude-

2006-06-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

i mean dad, on the planet...love ya dad! xxxxbeck

here's my red, white and blue atc.

2006-06-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

i live in a town where people do not like change. pretty stodgy, pretty right, pretty safe...so, the big deal this year is.....will the july 4th parade follow the same route as it always has? and why would it not? well, there has been major construction on the parade route for the past 5-6 months with no end in sight. msd is laying pipe and they hit limestone and instead of moving 10 feet per week down the street, they have been moving about 10 feet every month, maybe...and...the parade route is right in front of my house which means that the party that i have given for the past 10 years probably will not happen this year. i haven't sent out the invites, but i am sure that people who normally come are starting to twitch a bit. it's a funny event- every year, the same people bring the same things and we all stand around and complain about the same stuff- not enough live music, too many politicians, the schnucks shopping cart...so i am sort of looking at this red, white and blue cutie as my homage to the birthday of our country.

a new tag...

2006-06-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

i got busy crafting early this AM. funny how the bug hits me at odd times... and i've been busy hauling books out of the basement to get ready for our webster-wide garage sale this saturday. fun, fun...thanks to angelica for this lovely image.

the longest word.

2006-06-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

here it is-
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, noun
(NOO-muh-noh-UL-truh-MY-kruh-SKOP-ik-SIL-i-koh-VOL-kay-no-koh-NEE-o-sis,
nyoo-)

A lung disease caused by inhaling fine particles of silica.

[From New Latin, from Greek pneumono- (lung) + Latin ultra- (beyond,
extremely) + Greek micro- (small) + -scopic (looking) + Latin silico
(like sand) + volcano + Greek konis (dust) + -osis (condition).]

45 letters!