Frog It!

2008-06-19T19:39:00.003-05:00

Finally! It's finished.
I used the pattern from Knitting Lingerie Style - at the White Lies Design website, it's the Krista Tee. Instead of the recommended yarn, I substituted Cotton Fleece by Brown Sheep. I've gotten loads of compliments. So much so that I have all that cotton fleece in Cavern from that cardigan I tried to make and frogged oh so long ago. I might use that to knit myself another. At the rate I'm going, I'll be finished with that NEXT summer!

Also working on a dress for my smallest daughter - I'm knitting the top in different colored stripes and will attach it to a cotton fabric skirt. It's very cute now. Hope it meets my expectations! I'm writing up the directions as I work it so hopefully I'll be able to pass it along. Or not.

2008-06-12T19:35:00.002-05:00

FO Alert! Woohoo! I finished my White Lies Design white lace tshirt last night. From the look on my husband's face, I'd say it looks and fits fantastic! So vavoomy!

2008-05-28T19:03:00.003-05:00

It's not like I'm writing and am burnt out on the whole process. I'm not doing much of anything other than being the wonderful, kick-ass wife and mom that I am but blogging isn't all that interesting anymore. I suppose part of the disenchantment comes from doing this for so many years. I started at Open Diary when it was just a frontispiece ("an illustrated leaf preceding the title page of a book") and wrote my little heart out. I wrote about the trials and tribulations of moving across the country to be with the man you met online. About my life, my future plans, past regrets and exploits. My kids, my dogs, my house, my neighbors, my crafting, my hobbies, my family. Nowadays, I can barely manage anything other than a grocery list or a stupid poll on my MySpace page. I did the whole write about my life thing...it's not that interesting

And yes, I know bloody well that I'm too freaking old for a MySpace page. Blame that on my belly dance teacher - she posted the choreography for a routine on her page and in order to access it, I needed to have my own page. Annoying, really.

I am knitting. Currently, I'm working on a piece from Knitting Lingerie Style by Joan McGowan-Michael. It's a cute lacy t-shirt. Out of four pieces, I've actually completed one. I'm halfway finished with the back. Today I got in some LYS time at Uniquities in Vienna, VA. They are having a big sale. Lesson for today is quit trying to take three year old twins into a yarn store. While I think the girl would have behaved and would have taken an interest in the yarn (especially since I was picking out some purples to make something for HER), the boy is just a meathead. Unless there are balls and cars or something on which to climb or hang, he doesn't want much to do with it.

Oldest daughter was home for a few days in between her taking an independent study and starting summer classes. You know what that means: overnight getaway for the parents! I love the Klimpton hotels. We've stayed at the Hotel Palomar in Washington, DC; the Hotel Monaco, also in DC; and the Hotel Palomar in Arlington, VA. Thus far, the Arlington one is my absolute favorite! While there's not as much around there as there is at the Palomar in DC (it's right near Dupont Circle), our room was comfortable, clean, had a great view, and the best bathtub on the planet. I am SOOOOO getting one of those when I have my dream house built. It's just a have-to-have thing at this point in my life! Since the room was pretty much our entire budget, I packed a picnic dinner consisting of grape tomatoes, salami, panini roll, four different cheeses, marinated mushrooms, chocolate, and lots and lots of red wine. I think I took three baths! I'm surprised I wasn't a giant prune when I got home the next morning well rested and refreshed and ready to take on the kids again.

Countdown to summer beach vacation: too many days and counting... August 16th can't get here fast enough! This year, not one but two glorious weeks at the beach!

2008-03-31T20:14:00.002-05:00

I had the BEST weekend! On Saturday, I drove up to Hershey, PA to spend the weekend doing spa stuff with my sister. The Hershey Hotel has a chocolate spa! Yes, chocolate. I smelled so yummy at various points it was all I could do not to lick myself.

The spa is just so nice and relaxing. Upon check in, you are taken to the ladies' locker room, given sandals and a comfy robe, and shown around the facilities.

On Saturday, I had an hour-long massage and the therapist took some extra time to try and work out the kinks in my neck and upper back. After that, I had the Chocolate Immersion treatment. The treatment involves being scrubbed down with a moisterizer-based scrub which had ground up cocoa beans in it; then that is rinsed off and then you are covered in a cocoa mud solution, wrapped in plastic, a thermal blanket, and a wool blanket and left alone to relax in a darkened room. After about thirty minutes (during which I could NOT turn off my brain to relax at all), I was unwrapped, rinsed off, and lotioned up. It was weird but really nice. I smelled absolutely marvelous after that.

We had a light dinner, and my sister and her sister-in-law hit the sack. Seeing it was only 10PM and I'm not only a grown-up but a night owl, this wasn't going to cut it for me. So first I took a walk around the hotel's garden. They have two really big koi ponds and when I walked past, the fish would swim along - they probably were thinking FOOD! But their little bodies looked like tiny souls in the River Styx. The cold got to me after a bit, so I headed in to the bar and had not one but two chocolate martinis. Wicked and tasty. By now, my sister had woken up and when I wasn't in the room, called my cell phone so I headed upstairs. It was around midnight by then. We ordered cookies and milk from room service, and then went to bed.

Up at 6ish, we were dismayed that although the room was rather lovely and full of complimentary things, there was NOT a coffee pot! Not only that, but there wasn't any place to get a complimentary cup of coffee. For almost $300 a night for the room, you'd think they could come up off of a complimentary continental breakfast. Thankfully the spa opened at 8:30am and we headed there for some coffee and muffins (which they have all day along with fruit and tea in their quiet rooms where you wait between spa treatments).

After my muffin and several cups of coffee, I was called to have my Sweet Feet pedicure. My first pedicure ever and man, it was great! The chair had a special whirlpool soaking tub where I was told to relax for a few minutes. The therapist was really nice and very gentle with my ticklish feet! First she filed and trimmed my toenails, the entire foot and lower leg was exfoliated with a sugar scrub. That was rinsed off and the cocoa mud solution was painted all over my feet. After that sat for a few minutes, it was rinsed off and then lotion was massaged into my feet and lower legs. I would have been okay with just that, but no! Then these little plastic bag slippers with melted paraffin in them were put over my feet (smelled of lavendar - very nice) and that was covered with terry cloth booties. I sat for about 10 minutes or so until that was removed, and I got my toenails painted in a really pretty purple. I never paint my toes and knew Catherine would get a kick out of it, so I choose her favorite color.

After that we headed back to our room to get ready for the brunch buffet. Wow! If I wasn't impressed just by the beautiful circular dining room, then the food just blew me out of the water. I had a little of everything - tried to eat like it was a tapas restaurant and I took little tastes of things: grilled duck breast over a mixed greens salad, mushroom salad polenta sandwiches, shrimp, oysters, crab claws, prime rib, and desserts! I felt horrid in that my sister woke up ill and couldn't keep any food down but I wasn't going to pass up eating because she wasn't.

After lunch, I had a facial. It was so wonderfully relaxing.

The two days made me feel so soft, smooth, and refreshed. I can't wait til next year!

2008-03-04T12:11:00.002-05:00

Wow - how'd that happen? I have five years of archives. Five years? I've been blogging for five years? Well, certainly not with any level of consistency that's for sure. New for knitting? Currently I purchased a kick-ass pair of clear Converse sneakers and made a special field trip to pick up some sock yarn in a colorway that: A) I'd wear; and B) didn't look so outlandish as to make me look like I had clown feet. I succeeded but haven't done anything but swatch it. I have to finish my oldest son's socks.

2008-02-05T10:00:00.001-05:00

Finally finished that cardigan. It turned out well and I actually wear it! Gasp! Been busy with work and toddlers. James and Catherine will be three at the end of Marth. Can you believe they're going to be three already? Within the past three weeks they've been potty trained and moved from their cribs to toddler beds. That wasn't the original plan - the original plan was to get Catherine a bed and James and Andrew a bunkbed and move James into Andrew's room. Catherine doesn't do well on her own and I don't think they're ready to be separated into different bedrooms quite yet. Too many changes at once is not necessarily a good thing.

Oldest daughter still doing great in college. Oldest son in danger of failing 11th grade; it's his own fault and I'm no longer going to be paying for summer classes so if he fails, he fails. Plenty of people had had to repeat grades and didn't end up adversely affected. If anything, it might make him more responsible. Middle son is a second grader who would now like to be either a football or basketball player when he grows up. I told him that he better hope he takes after me; his dad is rather un-tall.

Contract for work ends in March so I might end up writing more on my blog; however, I'd rather get another gig! I've become accustomed to making some money.

Rented at house in the Outer Banks, NC again this summer but this time around we're going for two weeks. My oldest is going to come home so she can spend some vacation time with us as a family, which will be nice. Last year, she was in Italy during the summer, came home for a few days, headed back to OK, and was actually in NYC the time we were at the beach. The husband is only going for one week so it works out that we'll all head down together and then after the first week, he'll head back home with oldest daughter so he can take her to the airport and she'll be back in time for classes. They start early in OK.

Sister is mostly cancer free; she has to have a hysterectomy on Thursday because they've found a bunch of tumors on her uterus. They aren't cancer but could be cancerous - not sure that that means. But she's been going through menopause - actually, chemo-paus - because chemotherapy killed her ovaries. Not fun. One fun thing is this year is her 40th birthday so we're going to the Hotel Hershey to do chocolate based spa things for a weekend girl's trip. Not thrilled that her sister-in-laws (two out of three) are also coming. Don't know them and from what I've heard about them from my sister, don't care for them much either. Oh well - the spa things aren't group activities (they better NOT be) and I can always drink my vodka, listen to my ipod, and belly dance the night away.

Performed in a student showcase for belly dancing in January. My first performance in front of a paying audience! It was a blast. We rehearsed together a grand total of three times before the show - the third being on the day of the show! This was for American Tribal Style belly dance; as long as you know the moves and some of the cues, you should be able to follow along. It's improvisational but everyone knows all the moves that are available for either fast paced or slow paced music.

Husband is in Vegas this week for work. James is crying this morning that his ear hurts. The tooth fairy kept forgetting to leave Andrew money for his tooth but finally got her shit together last night. My best friend back in OKC is sick and her doctors don't know what's the cause nor how to fix it. They can just relieve her discomfort for now.

2007-10-09T21:25:00.000-05:00

Some images from the Outer Banks, North Carolina - specifically Corolla:

2007-09-26T16:23:00.000-05:00

well shit. I had a nice long newsy post and I screwed the pooch on that one.

Let's see. I'm still knitting. Just not getting anything finished. The cardigan is still in pieces waiting to be blocked and assembled. The front section of the lacy t-shirt is finished and the back is on the needles. The fir cone lace shawl is in a bag of UFOs in my craft cave. I don't even remember where I am on that one.

My crafting time has been taken up recently by making a tribal style belly dance costume. So far, the bra is covered and there is some trim on it. I had to wait for the coins to get here so I can get them sewn onto it as well. The belt still needs to have some coins sewn on as well as some long ribbons. That green fringe in the photo is from a scarf underneath the belt. I'm also working on a turkish vest (no pictures) and need to get that finished. I have a three-part goal for my halloween party. Make costume, lose weight, create/choreograph a routine. So far, I'm two for three - I can't find a song. I'm still working on that part. It's probably going to be more off the cuff but I still need to get it going.

Other than crafting, I've been working more than I want - 32 hours last week and it's supposed to be about fifteen. Dealing with four kids all summer was draining. We did rent a house in the Outer Banks (North Carolina - specifically Corolla) for a week in August. That was a blast! I had a great time. I was at the beach every morning and afternoon. I tried very hard to avoid the sun and still got a tan! But no one got burned and that's saying something considering both the twins are so darn pale - one a blonde and the other a redhead!

James and Catherine are 2-1/2 years old now. Can you believe that? Potty training is on the horizon but I'm not pushing it. Sometimes they want to sit, sometimes they do not. It's early yet.

My oldest daughter was in Florence, Italy this summer taking some classes, doing some tours, and having a great time. She was ready to come home after the six weeks. Middle son got to do a week of skateboard camp and my oldest son was in summer school for six weeks making up not one world history class, but two.

Celebrated my tenth wedding anniversary with a White Trash wedding anniversary party. Everyone had to come dressed in their white-trashiest and I served a bunch of classics: pigs in blankets, little smokies, mini-corn dogs, saltines, velveeta, and a krispy kreme bread pudding for dessert. Surprisingly, that tasted pretty good albeit way too sweet even for me. I averaged about a party every other month last year. The next party is being planned for Halloween. I was thinking of decorating the house with birds a la Alfred Hitchcock. Perhaps next year - I don't have time to make any birds before then.

2007-07-28T14:02:00.000-05:00

Summer 2007

2007-07-12T21:34:00.001-05:00

Finally! I got all the pieces knit for the cardigan. I'm so HAPPY! I need to get a new piece of foam insulation to use as a new blocking board so while I find time to get out of the house and do that, I'm going to cast on for my next project. This time I'm making a lacy t-shirt that is in Knitting Lingerie Style by Joan McGowan-Michael. The LYS I hit up for the yarn recommended for the shirt didn't have it but they recommended Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. I haven't swatched yet. Wish me luck.

2007-07-09T15:45:00.001-05:00

My Dad had me and my family (me and the five kids - hubby had to go out of town for work), my sister's family (her, her husband, and their four kids), and my uncle's family (my uncle, my aunt, and my cousin) over for a cook-out yesterday. His birthday was Saturday but racing season comes first! At any rate, various members of my family as taken by my oldest daughter who played paparazzi for the day.

2007-07-09T15:19:00.000-05:00

I'm still knitting; I'm even on the SECOND sleeve! So almost finished and soon I will be able to post pictures of all my really good projects.

We just bought a canon Digital Rebel XTI SLR camera and it kicks ass.

Picture of me with my two youngest.

2007-06-26T19:51:00.000-05:00

Here's a video of the March 2007 belly dancing recital. I don't think I really visible. Oh well. I'm the one in the back with the long black skirt.

2007-06-13T14:53:00.000-05:00

I'm still here and I am knitting. Work is typing and editing all the time so sometimes the last thing I feel like doing is blogging when I've been dealing with Word and FrameMaker on and off during the course of the day.

So, I'm still working on the ribby cardigan. I've finished the back and the left front. About 1/3 the way up the right front. After the sleeves, it's just a simple collar so the finishing up shouldn't take too long.

What else have I been doing? Well, finished up the last of the belly dance classes I've been taking through the Fairfax County Parktakes program. Next Sunday, I start Tribal style belly dance classes at an actual DANCE studio! I am very jazzed about this although I don't think American Tribal style (ATS) is my style either. I'm not into the showy choreography that is the cabaret style (what you're most likely to see in a middle eastern restaurant) but ATS is kind of boring looking when it's only one dancer...I think my style is kind of tribal meets burlesque...

Triburlesque!

At any rate, I start classes next Sunday morning। Hopefully the drive won't be a drag। I've been slowly acquiring materials for a suitable costume once I get my tribal on and my former instructor is going to put together a performance troupe so I'm thinking of joining that. I'd be THE tribal dancer and I'm also THE seamstress; I think I'm a shoe-in!!

My sister was down for a visit a few weekends ago. She looked much better and her hair is about an inch long. The day before she came down, she had written me an email that said her doctors think she might now have liver and lung cancer. Understandably, I was freaking out. Then when she gets here she explains that her liver and lung levels aren't showing up within the acceptable range in her tests and it may be more cancer or it may be the sarcoidosis she had about a decade ago is out of remission and that may be what's attacking her lungs and liver. She was supposed to have both a CAT and a PET scan this week. I haven't heard from her.

2007-05-14T15:43:00.000-05:00

So I write and edit every day nowadays. Work wants at least 20 hours a week from me so that's what I'm up to. Still slogging away on the ribby cardigan. Finally finished the back and need to start on the sides; did cast on, just flubbed the first set-up row and frogged it back.

Life is busy. Toddlers are everywhere. Summer rental at the beach is paid for - can't wait til August now! One week in the Outer Banks - whoohooO

Oldest daughter is going to Florence, Italy for some international student experience. I'm jealous.

Six year old is about to drive me crazy with "I'm bored." He's bored? I never hardly get out of the friggin' house!

Still belly dancing and loving it. Contemplating taking some more advanced courses but every studio is either too far away or too freaking expensive. One place, one set of lessons is $225 which wouldn't be bad but they REQUIRE that you take another class along with what I want which is a speciality class in tribal style belly dance. That now will be $550. So, it's a no for me for that studio. Still searching; meanwhile, still taking lessons til the recital June 10th. After that, we'll see.

Haven't killed dog yet nor given him away. He could be better but he also could be much worse so I need to quit bitching.

Random thought day but I realized I hadn't posted in a million years and needed to.

Need to get back on diet. It's just that the food choices are seriously blah and I am easily tired of them.

2007-04-08T12:43:00.000-05:00

Crazed: The Bellydance

Check out this mini-documentary on belly dancing. I especially love the message it sends to women in that your body is something to celebrate regardless of size or shape.

2007-03-30T10:41:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday James!

Catherine and James turned two yesterday. It doesn't seem like it's been two years since the day they came into this world. There were several instances in the first few days where I didn't think I'd make it through the first two days, two weeks, or two months. Two years later, they are amusing, frustrating, wonderful, amusing, crazy, messy, destructive, verbal, and physically demanding!

2007-03-30T10:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Catherine!

Here's Catherine on her birthday.

2007-03-24T14:53:00.000-05:00

I am knitting...

I cast on for the back of a cardigan. I'm not knitting it in the recommended yarn so it's a crapshoot as to how it will turn out. It's a cute pattern that I bought from Chicknits. I'm doing it all in one color though - a walnut cotton/wool mix that I got on clearance from Knitpicks. Another modification, I'm doing the entire body ribbed to make up for the fact that the yarn is knitting slightly larger than gauge. This way, the whole garment will have some flexibility in that the ribbing will expand and contract. I hope. So far, I've used one skein and have about 4 inches done on the back. I bought 30 skeins so I'm sure I'll have enough. I just hope it's not too huge. I never wear that black cardigan I made because, well, I've complained about it before - it's too short, the arms are too long and it's more suited to an orangutan than a woman. Oh well.

2007-03-24T14:45:00.000-05:00

James loves books

He devours them - literally and figuratively. He eats them, chews on them, rips them apart, and loves to look at them. Because of that, I cannot in my heart limit his access. Thankfully, they are all books that I've had since the older kids were little so it's not like he's destroying/loving books that are brand new. As a matter of fact, he's keeping his new book about trucks tooth-free!

2007-02-26T11:45:00.000-05:00

Back.

Like anyone missed me. I took a mini-vacation to Phoenix, AZ (from NoVA) to visit a friend and temporarily escape my family. I'm glad I'm home although it's quite a downer to go from sunny and 60s to snow and 30s. I almost didn't make it home last night. Forty-five minutes before we were scheduled to board, the airlines announced we were under a weather advisory which meant we could be delayed, diverted, or cancelled altogether. If cancelled or diverted, they don't help you with hotels or anything. But my husband was keeping me posted as to the weather conditions in Baltimore last night and although it snowed all day, by the time I was scheduled to get back, it had stopped, wasn't too cruddy, and the winter weather warning (or whatever it was) had been cancelled. So delay was only 20 minutes. Got home at 3am.

After not getting much sleep being away - just cause it wasn't home, not cause I wasn't comfortable - I'm ready to crash.

Checked out a LYS while I was in Phoenix. I think technically, the store was in Scottsdale. After getting annoyingly carsick just getting there (I can't do passenger very well and looking around at all the different stuff didn't help) I was glad to see they had a comfy shabby-chic couch on which to rest my spinning head! The store was Jessica Knits. Wonderful store, lots of yarn and other fun things, helpful and courteous staff. I bought some new double points from Blue Sky that came in cute little tins, a skein of funky yarn from Colinette called Jitterburg with which to make myself a pair of either fingerless gloves or a pair of these, a new Interweave magazine, and some cable stitch holders.

I had a really great visit but I'm glad to be home. I missed my family. Especially the babies.

After walking around the house the four days I was gone looking for me, calling "Mommy, Mommy" Catherine wouldn't even come to me this morning. I knew what was going on but it still really hurt my feelings. She finally forgave me. James however was so happy to see me he ran over, I picked him up, and he gave me a big kiss and lots of hugs.

2007-02-18T16:38:00.000-05:00

Mardi Gras Party

And some knitting content...

We had a mardi gras party last night here in the wild and wooly suburbs. The beads were given freely - there was no flashing involved. Lots of hurricanes were consumed although I've still got a gallon of the stuff out in my freezing cold garage. The food was all a big hit and for someone not from that part of the world , I feel pretty confident that I managed to pull off Louisiana cooking with success.

I made my own mini-loaves for Muffaletta sandwiches as well as the olive salad that is what makes it a muffaletta. Also on last nights menu were Louisiana Deviled Crabcakes, Crawfish Etoufee, Cajun Boiled Shrimp, mini version of Natchitoches Meat Pies, beignets, a king cake (complete with baby of course), and a Chocolate Doberge Cake. The last people didn't roll out til a little after 1am so it was a good party. Even better, no red wine ended up on my carpet this time around!

As for knitting content, after making three pairs of socks for the babies, I really wanted some for myself so what happens? I'm stuck on the second one...still turning that heel! Oh well - I'll get it finished. I'm using 1s and 2s with a gauge of 8 stitches to the inch in a cashmere/merino blend. Black socks with hot pink heels and toes. Picture will be forthcoming.

2007-02-09T21:03:00.000-05:00

My Two Girls

This is of Mallory, 20 years old and Catherine, 20 months old. My oldest and my youngest.

2007-02-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

More Socks

I don't think I got all the socks I've made recently posted. It's been at a one-sock-a-day rate as they are tiny. These were made out of a cashmere/merino blend that I picked up at Stitches East in Baltimore. They were knit on 1s and 2s to a gauge of 8 stitches to an inch.

2007-02-05T19:46:00.000-05:00

Boat and Tote

In our belly dancing class, we spend the last ten minutes doing what our instructor calls "stomach aerobics." Crunches in various manners in order to best devastate my entire abdominal region. We use those giant exercise balls to do one type of crunch and I do feel it afterwards but there's not as much back and neck stress due to the way the ball supports your spine. I have one of those - I have the ball, the measuring tape, the pump, and the tube. What I do not have is the piece that joins the ball to the the tube - it's a little nozzle-shaped white plastic part. I cannot find it anywhere in my room. I just cleaned my room and I'm fairly certain I did not throw it away.

At any rate, I was looking in my closet today and all around my room when I realized that I own seven Boat and Tote bags in six different sizes. Two are the same size but one is an open-top and the other is a zipper top. They are indestructible. I can remember when I got each of them. I have a taller model with longer straps that I used to carry by grade books, agendas, and papers back and forth from the Morgan Village Middle School where I did my student teaching in Camden, New Jersey. The bag was a christmas present from my aunt and uncle in 1990. It doesn't look new but it's far from being worn out. Actually, I think five of them were presents. From that same aunt! Hey, I use them all. Amusing though that not one of them has been pressed into a knitting project bag. I have three other kinds of bags for that right now.