Oh my aching body...I am so exhausted. The hubs and I shampoo'd the carpets yesterday...and now I hurt in places that I didn't know I had places. Next time? There will be no next time. We will call a professional and save our creaky arses the trouble!
Today's line up includes a few more exciting things like: floor mopping. Ug. And window washing. Ug.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? CHILD LABOR! It's only fair since we feed them, clothe them, and nurture them - don't you think?
Or maybe not. Kids are vindictive little boogers. Probably they will just sweep stuff under the rug and leave smears all over the windows. And then I will have to get all huffy puffy about how no one ever does anything around here except me - and then the hubby will get all defensive and say didn't he just help me clean the carpets and things can only get ugly from there.
SO.
Ixnay on the ildchay aborlay.
In other news.....WICKED was WICKED FUN! We had fantastic seats, center stage about midway back from the orchestra. I absolutely loved every single solitary second of it. If it rolls around to a venue near you - you really gotta go! It follows the book in such a fun way that it has you laughing & smiling the whole way thru. Did I mention the flying monkeys?? Awesome stuff, fo' sho'! ;)
I found this little clip on YouTube:
Minggu, 31 Mei 2009
Jumat, 29 Mei 2009
You say wicked like it's a bad thing
I am SO excited and I just can't hide it....
Tonight I am off to see the Wizard....make that WICKED, The Musical!!!!
I can't hardly wait!
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Kamis, 28 Mei 2009
Meme Award Part II
Silly me!
I got so caught up and all Sally Field-ish in the heat of the moment that I forgot the next step of the award - to pass it on!
What can I say, if there's a rule involved, I usually break it - and not always intentionally mind you. I'm just a mess like that.
So, without further ado, the following are my 7 choices for receiving this award. When you get it, pass it on to your 7 picks and together we will take over the world & spread our goodness, 7 blogs at a time!
I got so caught up and all Sally Field-ish in the heat of the moment that I forgot the next step of the award - to pass it on!
What can I say, if there's a rule involved, I usually break it - and not always intentionally mind you. I'm just a mess like that.
So, without further ado, the following are my 7 choices for receiving this award. When you get it, pass it on to your 7 picks and together we will take over the world & spread our goodness, 7 blogs at a time!
Just copy, save, & paste to your blog - no back link to it.The Hook Nook
This young woman is a multi-artistically-talented blogger that I enjoy reading & finding inspiration from. She's a gal I could easily be friends with if we lived close.
Mountain Mama
She is a creative & crafty mama up thar in that rocky mountain state o' Colorado who always has something cool to share and I always enjoy taking a peek into her world!
Life Of Logan
A mom's heartwarming blog about her beautiful "boy who has cerebral palsey, but cerebral palsey doesn't have him" - I can't sum it up any better than she does right there!
My Life As Orions Mom
This blogger is just for real - and because of that she is a breath of fresh air to me!
Happy Hooker
What's not to love about a blog with that title? She has mad crochet skills - and she knits - and judging by her photo's - she's just an all around triple threat in the crafty department!
She's a stay at home mom to 5 kids. Yes, people FIVE! I find her blog to be fun & entertaining & always enjoyable!
Zu is a crocheter extraordinnaire! And he has 3 boys - which I identify with right there!
This has been a heftier task than I anticipated. I read so many blogs and love most of them and it's hard to choose just 7. I swear there are many out there that I know we would be fast friends if we lived closer. Amen to the internet for bringing kindred people together for friendships that they would never have otherwise had due to all the miles between us.
I also want to give an honorable mention to
and
They are great blogs and the only reason I didn't list them in my seven is because they have already received this award and if I gave it to them again they would have to turn around and choose another 7 of their favorites and they might just hunt me down and kick me where the sun don't shine! So I won't!
Another awesome honorable mention goes to:
Airing my Dirty Laundry - I think I could go on and on, there are so many cool ones and I hate leaving any out darn it!!!!
HARD WORK this blogging business!!
The Meme Award
I am so tickled!
Miss Shana over at Blaze N' Crochet has given me an award! It's the sweetest thing to happen to me since starting this itty bitty blog a few months ago and I just love her for it.
Cruise on over to her blog to see the other 6 blogs she chose to recognize...they are really great, and I can't figure out how I fit into such wonderful company, but she's the boss & I'm not trying to change her mind! hehe
She has an adorable little boy called Blaze, a dog named Bruiser who has such personality in his face that he belongs in movies, and her hubby is the love of her life - who I imagine sings tractor songs to her...and if he doesn't, I still imagine it!
She's also a rockin' crocheter.
What's not to love?
Rabu, 27 Mei 2009
Apron Goddess Upon Us!
"....she's my cherry pie, put a smile on your face ten miles wide...looks so good, bring a tear to your eye, sweet (mama jones) cherry pie...."
Do you hear that?
You don't?
Well then hush up and listen again!
"....she's my cherry pie, put a smile on your face ten miles wide...looks so good, bring a tear to your eye, sweet (mama jones) cherry pie...."
SEE! What I tell you?
It's THE APRON GODDESSES!
They have a fab-U-lishus apron giveaway happening and it just so happens that I must be the recipient. Why? Because I said so. Because I'm the Mama, remember?
I have never done one of these types of things before - but I am shameless in my desire to own that cherry pie covered kitchen cuteness! And possibly, eventually, the Skull & Roses one too...as soon as I figure out a way to explain to Mr. Jones that it IS a kitchen necessity.
I'd post a picture but I don't know if they take kindly to innnernet photo swipers and I'm not looking for a run in with the law. So...I'll describe it: cute, adorable, lovely, but it's missing a lil' something....can't quite put my finger on...WAIT! I know! It's me! It's missing me! The apron needs Sweet Mama Jones!
Wanna see it?
LooK HerE
Do you hear that?
You don't?
Well then hush up and listen again!
"....she's my cherry pie, put a smile on your face ten miles wide...looks so good, bring a tear to your eye, sweet (mama jones) cherry pie...."
SEE! What I tell you?
It's THE APRON GODDESSES!
They have a fab-U-lishus apron giveaway happening and it just so happens that I must be the recipient. Why? Because I said so. Because I'm the Mama, remember?
I have never done one of these types of things before - but I am shameless in my desire to own that cherry pie covered kitchen cuteness! And possibly, eventually, the Skull & Roses one too...as soon as I figure out a way to explain to Mr. Jones that it IS a kitchen necessity.
I'd post a picture but I don't know if they take kindly to innnernet photo swipers and I'm not looking for a run in with the law. So...I'll describe it: cute, adorable, lovely, but it's missing a lil' something....can't quite put my finger on...WAIT! I know! It's me! It's missing me! The apron needs Sweet Mama Jones!
Wanna see it?
LooK HerE
Saving Small Business!
I'm not a small business owner, and I don't play one on TV, but there are few around my town that I don't want to see disappear. I can't single handedly save anyone (heck it's hard to single handedly cover groceries at times!) but if there's a little something I can do, it makes me feel good - and you know, sort of a part of things.
Yesterday I heard about this thing called the 3/50 Project - which is basically where you think of 3 small local businesses that you don't want to see close up shop, and go spend $50 a month there. Honestly, spending $150 bucks a month on anything other than household needs freaks me out, but then again it doesn't have to be all at once - and I realized I am already doing it at one place. There's this little coffee shop that I LOVE LOVE LOVE and if it closed I think it would break my heart. There is also a little restaurant acrossed the street where the hubs and I sneak off too, and probably thru out a months time we are spending $50. So now I just need to find a third...IF we can afford it, thats the catch 22!
Below is the link to the website with the details. I don't get anything out of you clicking it, I'm not into all that blog advertising stuff, I just like sharing junk that's cool. I think in order to be an official supporter you have to be a business, which like I said I am not, so I'll settle for being an undercover supporter...
Isn't it cute? You can find us almost every summer Saturday night right there on that little brick street, at the block party, laughing & listening to whatever band is there for to play. I have to get my date nights in when I can, cause about the only way I can drag the hubby out is if there is music involved!
And here's the little coffee house I love in Phoebus...called the Phoebus Coffee House, clever, eh?! ;)
Yesterday I heard about this thing called the 3/50 Project - which is basically where you think of 3 small local businesses that you don't want to see close up shop, and go spend $50 a month there. Honestly, spending $150 bucks a month on anything other than household needs freaks me out, but then again it doesn't have to be all at once - and I realized I am already doing it at one place. There's this little coffee shop that I LOVE LOVE LOVE and if it closed I think it would break my heart. There is also a little restaurant acrossed the street where the hubs and I sneak off too, and probably thru out a months time we are spending $50. So now I just need to find a third...IF we can afford it, thats the catch 22!
Below is the link to the website with the details. I don't get anything out of you clicking it, I'm not into all that blog advertising stuff, I just like sharing junk that's cool. I think in order to be an official supporter you have to be a business, which like I said I am not, so I'll settle for being an undercover supporter...
Isn't it cute? You can find us almost every summer Saturday night right there on that little brick street, at the block party, laughing & listening to whatever band is there for to play. I have to get my date nights in when I can, cause about the only way I can drag the hubby out is if there is music involved!
And here's the little coffee house I love in Phoebus...called the Phoebus Coffee House, clever, eh?! ;)
Selasa, 26 Mei 2009
Mad Laundry Skills, Homemade Laundry Soap
Here in the House O' Testosterone where I live with my hubs & 3 sons, mad laundry skills are essential.
I have shared it on my old myspace for friends & relatives, and since they are probably tired of hearing about my cooler than cool homemade suds, I decided to share it here.
I have to be honest and say that even though I love to make this stuff, I don't keep up on it like I should. Inevitably, I run out on one of those days where I have more laundry than patience and I take the easy route & go buy some.
But when I do make it? Oooh honey, I feel like I just kicked Martha Stewarts hiney!
Tide is like the "cocaine" of laundry soaps isn't it? So expensive, yet the fresh scent so addictive. And Xtra is the lesser, "crack" version - cheap, cheap! I'm guilty of using everything on the shelf...Gain, Cheer, All (the stain lifter! LOL). But it doesn't matter what I pay, what coupons I have handy (yeah right), I just wanna kick myself because I could be making the stuff at home for pocket change - and it will last so much longer than the average sud of choice.
SO...If you have kids, need to save money, wash lots of laundry, wash a little bit of laundry, wear clothes, own clothes, have seen clothes, or know someone who knows someone...and have an hour to spare, then ask your doctor if this is for you.
Keep in mind, that as creatively talented and genius as I am (ahem), I did not come up with this recipe all by my lonesome. It was shared with me when I used to homeschool my middle son. And since we made our first batch as a homeschool "home-ec" class, we took pics of the process. Hey, who knew they would be for your future viewing pleasure, right? They aren't super professional and pre-date my blogging days, but I hope they give you an idea just the same. And someday I will take the last two pics - of the finished junk going into the wash - because I know you are dying to check out my Maytag.
Oh, before I get started, I just wanna say that I feel so VALIDATED using this recipe because I found out the Duggar's use the same ingredients! I saw it on their website. They mix theirs a little different, but hey - 18 kids - I'm sure they have to re-vamp EVERY recipe to make it work for them! Also - they use theirs with HE machines. I know that doesn't factually make the stuff HE safe, but it's a decent endorsement. And if you make it, then you too can feel "almost famous" by proxy.
OK - so here you go, you should be able to find it all in your grocery store laundry aisle, I did.
INGREDIENTS:
* Borax (it's sodium borate, a natural mineral & good for deodorizing & whitening)
* Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (it's sodium carbonate & removes dirt n' junk - not to be confused with baking soda!! )
* Fels Naptha bar soap (its just an old fashioned soap with no crap in it) OR you can use Ivory bar soap (love to use Ivory!)
* Water (lots & lots of water)
* And a bucket - I use a 5 gallon paint bucket that I got at ACE. Cause ACE is THE PLACE man.
* Oh and save one of your liquid laundry detergent containers.
HOW MUCH:
* 1 cup Borax
* 1 cup Arm & Hammer
* 3/4 the bar of Fels Naptha grated OR grate the whole bar if using Ivory
* Water: lots
NOW WHAT?
Heat about 6 cups of water in a big pot (like a metal stewer) - on medium-low heat. (In the meantime heat another 4 cups of water in a big measuring glass in the microwave & keep it in there until you need it so it stays hot. Not necessarily boiling, just good n' HOT. Can you handle that?)
Add grated soap to the pot of hot water on the stove & stir til it melts - then add the Borax & the Arm & Hammer soaps, keep stirring until it dissolves.
Go get that hot water from the microwave and pour it into the bucket. (Please tell me you know its supposed to be a CLEAN bucket...just checking...you know some people!)
Now add the hot soapy stuff from the stove to the bucket. Stir it up!And we're gonna need some more water...add another 2 1/2 gallons - hot, straight from the tap is fine.
At this point you are pretty much done. Hopefully you have a lid for the bucket because you need to let it sit for 24 hours so it can gel up. It's never going to be fancy/pretty like store bought laundry soap all thick & smooth. Nor will it be a true gel consistency. It's gonna be like egg noodle soup. Clumpy. Thats just the nature of the "au natural" beast. After it sets, pour some into an old (cleaned out!) jug that you saved. This just makes it handier at the washer - also allows you to give it a good shake before dispensing it into the wash. ALWAYS give it a good shake.
Fair warning: its not going to really "suds up" like a bubble bath or like your store bought stuff. But it IS SOAP, with nary a synthetic, it WILL clean.
You can also add essential oils to your bucket if you like a certain scent - like Lavender, or Citrus - just use maybe an ounce of the oil - or you know, whatever fills yer fancy. I don't do this - mostly because essential oils are usually girly and I have all guys in my household. Besides, clean is clean and I let my dryer sheets do the softening & scenting. (I loves me some Snuggles!)
I've heard you can also make your own softener stuff with some concoction of vinegar and whatnot. But thats just pushing it.
So I hope you give it a try sometime & let me know if you do. You will have lots of the powders left over, save it!
If you buy a paint bucket like mine with a lid, one box of each of the soaps, and about 3 bars of soap - you will have spent about $10 total. For that $10 bucks you are going to get a good 3 to 4 batches of soap (which will refill your jug umpteen times!!). You don't have to buy a new bucket everytime, so when you get your supplies again, you maybe spend $5 every 2-3 months. You can't get a single container of the store stuff for that price! One batch lasts us close to a month.
Also, don't be afraid to play with the measurements - its soap, not rocket science. No one will know, and I will never tell. (Even though on the inside I will be saying "Oh no she dinnint use more Borax!!")The only thing I would be careful with is using any other bar soaps because you don't know what the oils in them will do to your clothes - some could leave greasy marks or fade.
Ok kids - have fun.
I have shared it on my old myspace for friends & relatives, and since they are probably tired of hearing about my cooler than cool homemade suds, I decided to share it here.
I have to be honest and say that even though I love to make this stuff, I don't keep up on it like I should. Inevitably, I run out on one of those days where I have more laundry than patience and I take the easy route & go buy some.
But when I do make it? Oooh honey, I feel like I just kicked Martha Stewarts hiney!
Tide is like the "cocaine" of laundry soaps isn't it? So expensive, yet the fresh scent so addictive. And Xtra is the lesser, "crack" version - cheap, cheap! I'm guilty of using everything on the shelf...Gain, Cheer, All (the stain lifter! LOL). But it doesn't matter what I pay, what coupons I have handy (yeah right), I just wanna kick myself because I could be making the stuff at home for pocket change - and it will last so much longer than the average sud of choice.
SO...If you have kids, need to save money, wash lots of laundry, wash a little bit of laundry, wear clothes, own clothes, have seen clothes, or know someone who knows someone...and have an hour to spare, then ask your doctor if this is for you.
Keep in mind, that as creatively talented and genius as I am (ahem), I did not come up with this recipe all by my lonesome. It was shared with me when I used to homeschool my middle son. And since we made our first batch as a homeschool "home-ec" class, we took pics of the process. Hey, who knew they would be for your future viewing pleasure, right? They aren't super professional and pre-date my blogging days, but I hope they give you an idea just the same. And someday I will take the last two pics - of the finished junk going into the wash - because I know you are dying to check out my Maytag.
Oh, before I get started, I just wanna say that I feel so VALIDATED using this recipe because I found out the Duggar's use the same ingredients! I saw it on their website. They mix theirs a little different, but hey - 18 kids - I'm sure they have to re-vamp EVERY recipe to make it work for them! Also - they use theirs with HE machines. I know that doesn't factually make the stuff HE safe, but it's a decent endorsement. And if you make it, then you too can feel "almost famous" by proxy.
OK - so here you go, you should be able to find it all in your grocery store laundry aisle, I did.
INGREDIENTS:
* Borax (it's sodium borate, a natural mineral & good for deodorizing & whitening)
* Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (it's sodium carbonate & removes dirt n' junk - not to be confused with baking soda!! )
* Fels Naptha bar soap (its just an old fashioned soap with no crap in it) OR you can use Ivory bar soap (love to use Ivory!)
* Water (lots & lots of water)
* And a bucket - I use a 5 gallon paint bucket that I got at ACE. Cause ACE is THE PLACE man.
* Oh and save one of your liquid laundry detergent containers.
HOW MUCH:
* 1 cup Borax
* 1 cup Arm & Hammer
* 3/4 the bar of Fels Naptha grated OR grate the whole bar if using Ivory
* Water: lots
NOW WHAT?
Heat about 6 cups of water in a big pot (like a metal stewer) - on medium-low heat. (In the meantime heat another 4 cups of water in a big measuring glass in the microwave & keep it in there until you need it so it stays hot. Not necessarily boiling, just good n' HOT. Can you handle that?)
Add grated soap to the pot of hot water on the stove & stir til it melts - then add the Borax & the Arm & Hammer soaps, keep stirring until it dissolves. Go get that hot water from the microwave and pour it into the bucket. (Please tell me you know its supposed to be a CLEAN bucket...just checking...you know some people!)
Now add the hot soapy stuff from the stove to the bucket. Stir it up!And we're gonna need some more water...add another 2 1/2 gallons - hot, straight from the tap is fine.
At this point you are pretty much done. Hopefully you have a lid for the bucket because you need to let it sit for 24 hours so it can gel up. It's never going to be fancy/pretty like store bought laundry soap all thick & smooth. Nor will it be a true gel consistency. It's gonna be like egg noodle soup. Clumpy. Thats just the nature of the "au natural" beast. After it sets, pour some into an old (cleaned out!) jug that you saved. This just makes it handier at the washer - also allows you to give it a good shake before dispensing it into the wash. ALWAYS give it a good shake.
Fair warning: its not going to really "suds up" like a bubble bath or like your store bought stuff. But it IS SOAP, with nary a synthetic, it WILL clean.
You can also add essential oils to your bucket if you like a certain scent - like Lavender, or Citrus - just use maybe an ounce of the oil - or you know, whatever fills yer fancy. I don't do this - mostly because essential oils are usually girly and I have all guys in my household. Besides, clean is clean and I let my dryer sheets do the softening & scenting. (I loves me some Snuggles!)
I've heard you can also make your own softener stuff with some concoction of vinegar and whatnot. But thats just pushing it.
So I hope you give it a try sometime & let me know if you do. You will have lots of the powders left over, save it!
If you buy a paint bucket like mine with a lid, one box of each of the soaps, and about 3 bars of soap - you will have spent about $10 total. For that $10 bucks you are going to get a good 3 to 4 batches of soap (which will refill your jug umpteen times!!). You don't have to buy a new bucket everytime, so when you get your supplies again, you maybe spend $5 every 2-3 months. You can't get a single container of the store stuff for that price! One batch lasts us close to a month.
Also, don't be afraid to play with the measurements - its soap, not rocket science. No one will know, and I will never tell. (Even though on the inside I will be saying "Oh no she dinnint use more Borax!!")The only thing I would be careful with is using any other bar soaps because you don't know what the oils in them will do to your clothes - some could leave greasy marks or fade.
Ok kids - have fun.
Kamis, 21 Mei 2009
Thousand Word Thursday
I almost forgot that today is my favorite blog picture day - gasp!! You should join in too, just click the clicky...you know you want to. All the cool kids are doing it. ;)
I'm on my laptop today, so limited pics on here, but I did find this!
They went there for the wings.
Riiiight.
What? Don't you believe him too??
"The Dangers Of Letting Your Single Brother In Law Babysit"
~~~
~OR~
"The Day Mama Thumped Uncle Billy On The Head, HARD"
~~~
Rabu, 20 Mei 2009
Makeover
Aaargh...just like a real life makeover, blog makeovers are t.e.d.i.o.u.s.! I don't even like this one all that much, but its gonna stay until I gain the strength to try again. I didn't mean to lose the one I had, just wanted to play around and maybe have a little Americana theme for Memorial Day and all....but nooooo, I had to go and mess up completely. Hmph. Off to bed.
Results In! Senior Child Is A Genius!
My oldest son is a senior in high school this year. Seems like I just left him in his kindergarten teachers hands last week while I went home and cried for 4 hours straight until I could pick him up again.
"Time flies" is not a cliche, trite phrase. It's a cold, hard fact.
Keep an eye on your kiddo's ladies & gents, they will grow and grow and grow and suddenly they will be 6 foot 1 inch high school seniors giving Senior Speeches on really smart things like "Creationism VS Evolution". The upside is they will ROCK the popular vote and blow the competition out of the water when they do it! Yup yup!
That's what my G-Bunny™ did. ;)
Him's are smart! He's the one that taught me how to make the little ™ sign - which is evidently required if I am going to use his thug name and all.
He also taught me the phrase Word Salad¹. Apparently many of the other seniors, while perfectly brilliant I imagine, served up Word Salads and he - MY KID!! - served up a 7 course feast with dessert on how and why Creationism makes much more sense than being critter offspring. (Although sometimes? My boys have been known to pull some serious monkey shines!)
To be clear though, we aren't the type to ram our opinions or beliefs down anyones throat. But this was his Senior Speech...dundundunnnnnn...and presenting a well researched, impassioned report, was sort of the whole point.
"Time flies" is not a cliche, trite phrase. It's a cold, hard fact.
Keep an eye on your kiddo's ladies & gents, they will grow and grow and grow and suddenly they will be 6 foot 1 inch high school seniors giving Senior Speeches on really smart things like "Creationism VS Evolution". The upside is they will ROCK the popular vote and blow the competition out of the water when they do it! Yup yup!
That's what my G-Bunny™ did. ;)
Him's are smart! He's the one that taught me how to make the little ™ sign - which is evidently required if I am going to use his thug name and all.
He also taught me the phrase Word Salad¹. Apparently many of the other seniors, while perfectly brilliant I imagine, served up Word Salads and he - MY KID!! - served up a 7 course feast with dessert on how and why Creationism makes much more sense than being critter offspring. (Although sometimes? My boys have been known to pull some serious monkey shines!)
To be clear though, we aren't the type to ram our opinions or beliefs down anyones throat. But this was his Senior Speech...dundundunnnnnn...and presenting a well researched, impassioned report, was sort of the whole point.
STRONG, the force with this one is.
WAIT silly, that's not him!
This is G-Bunny™
Oh! AND, as part of my self proclaimed right to glory, I am hereby declaring myself to be The Birther Of Brilliance. In a completely humble way of course. ;) LOL
WORD SALAD:
–noun
incoherent speech consisting of both real and imaginary words, lacking comprehensive meaning, and occurring in advanced schizophrenic states.
Origin: 1910–15
Selasa, 19 Mei 2009
one of my favorite "me-time" things to do
I love me a good podcast. Do you listen to them? Do you know what they are? Ok, so obviously chances are high that if I know about them, everyone knows about them too...but it doesn't hurt to ask, right?
If you do, I would LOVE to hear from you on who, what, when, & where you listen.
If you don't, then check this out - I am about to hook you up to some of my favorites! Cause' I am just that sweet. *wink*wink*
First & foremost ~
There's Marly of The YarnThing. I found her online last fall when I was stuck in a grey cubby in a stuffy office where I couldn't crochet and I couldn't stand to listen to the 3 other radio stations blaring out of 3 other cubbies nearby. One of the cooler things about my ex-job is that I could plug my headphones into my speakers & tune out while tuning in - so I was often on the hunt for things to listen to that would keep me from plunging into a coma.
Marly is one of the best that I came up with! A few months ago she switched her platform to BlogTalkRadio, which is a live forum that you can listen to & even have your own podcast of you're the chatty type and are so inclinded. It's like a regular, follow along & call-in type radio show. Also, you can ask questions online in a little chat box that she can see & read & ask the person she's interviewing on the air.
She's had some pretty awesome knit & crochet rockstars on already, and even the author, Kate Jacobs, of The Friday Night Knitting Club! It's free to listen. You can download to your iPod or other such MP3 thingy, or just listen on your computer. I do both. When I have one of my teens at my disposal, I beg & plead & bribe them with cupcakes to charge & load up my iPod (because I don't know how and I like it that way) with various podcasts. That way I can run around the house cleaning, go grocery shopping, or take a walk on the beach & listen.
And now...drumroll please...without further ado here is the link to Marly!
Please check it out & let me know how you enjoy it! She has a live show tonight and I'm gonna try to catch it, if you do the same, it'll be like we're talking too...lol! (Am I the only nerd who thinks thats fun?!) You can also click over there on the new little widget thingy I added - - ->
I cross my heart swear this is not an infomercial, lol! I just love crafty people & I enjoy getting to listen & learn so I wanted to share, that's all. ;)
The 2nd ~
Podcaster I enjoy is Getting Loopy! with Mary Beth Temple - which also on BlogTalkRadio and I think she has been there for quite some time because she has a ton of older broadcasts that you can go back & listen to. Good stuff!
The 3rd ~
Podcast is YarnCraft from Lion Brand Studio's in NYC. They don't do the live thing, but they do post a new one every other Tuesday. The hosts are a little less lively, one girl always sounds like she has a cold the poor thing! But they are super informative and you know, fun. To me. LOL.
OK, and this last podcast is a little iffy. She is a lady who knits & designs (purses mostly), teaches knitting, and has SEVEN kids! She mixes her podcasts with what she's working on and whats going on in her life. I was little hesitant to list her because she hasn't posted a new podcast that I'm aware of since March, but she has a ton archived if you want to listen. I would recommend checking out her website before going to her podcast so you can get a feel for whether or not you want to listen. Sometimes she sounds snooty even though I don't think she means to, and other times she sounds like she is whining, but then, she is a mom of all those kids so I cut her some slack. Her website is She-Knits - and there is a little sidebar link to her podcast from there.
That's pretty much it. I hope you have fun and at least check out The Yarn Thing, her laughter is contagious & she has a fun spirit. She's totally inspirational too because she's managed to get a few of her patterns published in crochet magazines like Interweave! How's that for cool factor! ;)
There's an online crochet community (whose name I will not use in print) that used to have a podcast, but not on a regular basis, and honestly? VERY painful to listen to. You could tell by the ladies voice that she was reading a script, it was awful. I mean that in the nicest way possible. It's not my intention to criticize, just bringing a lil' balance to the blog post is all. You'll know it if you hear it, I promise, but thankfully I think the gal realized the agony. I'm just saying...it was no smash hit.
Well...if you know of any others...whether AWESOME or NOT AWESOME/PLEASE AVOID... please do share!!
Oh and FYI - all of these gals have groups on RAVELRY too!
Can I get a big HOOYAH for Ravelry? The BEST place online ever. Muah. Love it. Mean it.
If you do, I would LOVE to hear from you on who, what, when, & where you listen.
If you don't, then check this out - I am about to hook you up to some of my favorites! Cause' I am just that sweet. *wink*wink*
First & foremost ~
There's Marly of The YarnThing. I found her online last fall when I was stuck in a grey cubby in a stuffy office where I couldn't crochet and I couldn't stand to listen to the 3 other radio stations blaring out of 3 other cubbies nearby. One of the cooler things about my ex-job is that I could plug my headphones into my speakers & tune out while tuning in - so I was often on the hunt for things to listen to that would keep me from plunging into a coma.
Marly is one of the best that I came up with! A few months ago she switched her platform to BlogTalkRadio, which is a live forum that you can listen to & even have your own podcast of you're the chatty type and are so inclinded. It's like a regular, follow along & call-in type radio show. Also, you can ask questions online in a little chat box that she can see & read & ask the person she's interviewing on the air.
She's had some pretty awesome knit & crochet rockstars on already, and even the author, Kate Jacobs, of The Friday Night Knitting Club! It's free to listen. You can download to your iPod or other such MP3 thingy, or just listen on your computer. I do both. When I have one of my teens at my disposal, I beg & plead & bribe them with cupcakes to charge & load up my iPod (because I don't know how and I like it that way) with various podcasts. That way I can run around the house cleaning, go grocery shopping, or take a walk on the beach & listen.
And now...drumroll please...without further ado here is the link to Marly!
Please check it out & let me know how you enjoy it! She has a live show tonight and I'm gonna try to catch it, if you do the same, it'll be like we're talking too...lol! (Am I the only nerd who thinks thats fun?!) You can also click over there on the new little widget thingy I added - - ->
I cross my heart swear this is not an infomercial, lol! I just love crafty people & I enjoy getting to listen & learn so I wanted to share, that's all. ;)
The 2nd ~
Podcaster I enjoy is Getting Loopy! with Mary Beth Temple - which also on BlogTalkRadio and I think she has been there for quite some time because she has a ton of older broadcasts that you can go back & listen to. Good stuff!
The 3rd ~
Podcast is YarnCraft from Lion Brand Studio's in NYC. They don't do the live thing, but they do post a new one every other Tuesday. The hosts are a little less lively, one girl always sounds like she has a cold the poor thing! But they are super informative and you know, fun. To me. LOL.
OK, and this last podcast is a little iffy. She is a lady who knits & designs (purses mostly), teaches knitting, and has SEVEN kids! She mixes her podcasts with what she's working on and whats going on in her life. I was little hesitant to list her because she hasn't posted a new podcast that I'm aware of since March, but she has a ton archived if you want to listen. I would recommend checking out her website before going to her podcast so you can get a feel for whether or not you want to listen. Sometimes she sounds snooty even though I don't think she means to, and other times she sounds like she is whining, but then, she is a mom of all those kids so I cut her some slack. Her website is She-Knits - and there is a little sidebar link to her podcast from there.
That's pretty much it. I hope you have fun and at least check out The Yarn Thing, her laughter is contagious & she has a fun spirit. She's totally inspirational too because she's managed to get a few of her patterns published in crochet magazines like Interweave! How's that for cool factor! ;)
There's an online crochet community (whose name I will not use in print) that used to have a podcast, but not on a regular basis, and honestly? VERY painful to listen to. You could tell by the ladies voice that she was reading a script, it was awful. I mean that in the nicest way possible. It's not my intention to criticize, just bringing a lil' balance to the blog post is all. You'll know it if you hear it, I promise, but thankfully I think the gal realized the agony. I'm just saying...it was no smash hit.
Well...if you know of any others...whether AWESOME or NOT AWESOME/PLEASE AVOID... please do share!!
Oh and FYI - all of these gals have groups on RAVELRY too!
Can I get a big HOOYAH for Ravelry? The BEST place online ever. Muah. Love it. Mean it.
Senin, 18 Mei 2009
Tomfoolery
SO...the big news around our house today is the new bike in the backyard. Well, it's not new, it's new-ish, but more to the point: It's Not Ours!
Seems that we had a visitor in the night (stinky punk thief!!) who came into our yard, took my husbands 2nd hand mountain bike he got from the neighbor, and left a newer-ish, nicer-ish, girls' mountain bike in its place.
What the...?
And I don't go for this whole "polite thief" thing, because hello! NOT his backyard, NOT okay to trespass. It had to have happened in the wee hours of the morning because I was up very late. Or very early, depending on how you look at it. Plus I was out of bed this morning by 6:15. My oldest son was also up until nearly 2am prepping his cue cards for his Senior Speech....which he gave today and totally rocked! His topic was Creationism VS Evolution - and he totally won the popular vote with a Christian view in a public high school. Super awesomeness, yes?
Ahem. Sorry, proud Mama moment.
Anyways....
When I checked the door as I always do before bed, the red bike was there.
Hubbo noticed the switcheroo this morning when he went to open the sliding glass door to let Her Highness Uma the calico cat in before she etched the glass to smithereens. Right there, in the exact spot as his red bike had been in was (ABRACADABRA!) a blue-ish silver bike.
We don't normally lock our gate because the kids go in & out with scooters & bikes all the time and we've never had a problem before. We have close neighbors and it's just not been a concern.
Well it SURE IS NOW!
I don't like the fact that someone was up to some no-good-tomfoolery in my backyard under my kids window. It does make me feel better that our bedrooms are upstairs tho.
For a minute we thought maybe this was one of the boys' friends bikes, or that possibly one of them had taken it upon themselves to allow a friend to borrow the bike - even though that didn't really make any sense and surely they would have mentioned it prior to my cardiac arrest. Or at least sometime during it. Then again, they are teenage boys, and often prone to bouts of Dain Bramage.
But no such scenario worked out. So we called the police and they sent the cutest little cadet-cop-in-training over to take the report. I wanted to pinch him to see if he was real! (I won't tell you where. What? You would have wanted to too.) As is turns out, the mystery bike has not been reported stolen - well at least not yet anyways - and because of that, the coppers won't take it off our hands. We get to be the keepers of stolen goods. Hot wheels. Hehehe, get it? I crack me up.
And now? Now the hubbo is the official owner of record for this bike that is not ours. Should he ride it down the street (which he so will not do ever) and someone tries to lay claim, the police say they would have to provide proof of ownership. Like documentation or a picture of them, on said bike, riding around, in happier times.
Is that not weird?
We both agree that if someone decides to come forward and say its theirs then we will rely on gut instinct to decipher the truth. Or perhaps I will need Tom Hanks phone number again. We'll see.
Right now it feels creepy. We paddle-locked the fence so no more easy access, but I'm not satisfied. I want some cowbells. A whole string of them. And a sign. One that says Trespassers Will Get The Beatdown From One Mean Mama Who Will Tie You Up With Thick & Quick Yarn And Poke You Hard With A Size Q Crochet Hook. And don't think I won't do it either!
Seems that we had a visitor in the night (stinky punk thief!!) who came into our yard, took my husbands 2nd hand mountain bike he got from the neighbor, and left a newer-ish, nicer-ish, girls' mountain bike in its place.
What the...?
And I don't go for this whole "polite thief" thing, because hello! NOT his backyard, NOT okay to trespass. It had to have happened in the wee hours of the morning because I was up very late. Or very early, depending on how you look at it. Plus I was out of bed this morning by 6:15. My oldest son was also up until nearly 2am prepping his cue cards for his Senior Speech....which he gave today and totally rocked! His topic was Creationism VS Evolution - and he totally won the popular vote with a Christian view in a public high school. Super awesomeness, yes?
Ahem. Sorry, proud Mama moment.
Anyways....
When I checked the door as I always do before bed, the red bike was there.
Hubbo noticed the switcheroo this morning when he went to open the sliding glass door to let Her Highness Uma the calico cat in before she etched the glass to smithereens. Right there, in the exact spot as his red bike had been in was (ABRACADABRA!) a blue-ish silver bike.
We don't normally lock our gate because the kids go in & out with scooters & bikes all the time and we've never had a problem before. We have close neighbors and it's just not been a concern.
Well it SURE IS NOW!
I don't like the fact that someone was up to some no-good-tomfoolery in my backyard under my kids window. It does make me feel better that our bedrooms are upstairs tho.
For a minute we thought maybe this was one of the boys' friends bikes, or that possibly one of them had taken it upon themselves to allow a friend to borrow the bike - even though that didn't really make any sense and surely they would have mentioned it prior to my cardiac arrest. Or at least sometime during it. Then again, they are teenage boys, and often prone to bouts of Dain Bramage.
But no such scenario worked out. So we called the police and they sent the cutest little cadet-cop-in-training over to take the report. I wanted to pinch him to see if he was real! (I won't tell you where. What? You would have wanted to too.) As is turns out, the mystery bike has not been reported stolen - well at least not yet anyways - and because of that, the coppers won't take it off our hands. We get to be the keepers of stolen goods. Hot wheels. Hehehe, get it? I crack me up.
And now? Now the hubbo is the official owner of record for this bike that is not ours. Should he ride it down the street (which he so will not do ever) and someone tries to lay claim, the police say they would have to provide proof of ownership. Like documentation or a picture of them, on said bike, riding around, in happier times.
Is that not weird?
We both agree that if someone decides to come forward and say its theirs then we will rely on gut instinct to decipher the truth. Or perhaps I will need Tom Hanks phone number again. We'll see.
Right now it feels creepy. We paddle-locked the fence so no more easy access, but I'm not satisfied. I want some cowbells. A whole string of them. And a sign. One that says Trespassers Will Get The Beatdown From One Mean Mama Who Will Tie You Up With Thick & Quick Yarn And Poke You Hard With A Size Q Crochet Hook. And don't think I won't do it either!
50 "Fiddy" Questions
Following in the footsteps of Blaze 'N' Crochet and Inspired Crochet Design here are my FIDDY Questions...
50 Questions
1. High heels or boots? Ugg Boots, pink ones. Totally.
2. What time did you get up this morning? 6:15am, against my will!
3. Diamonds or pearls? DIAMONDS are a Mama's best friend ;)
4. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Coraline in 3D
5. What is your favorite TV show? United States of Tara on Showtime - and I'm a sucker for those ridiculous Real (not!) Housewives shows.
6. What do you usually have for breakfast? Coffee
8. What food do you dislike? Going with liver on this one, Boss Hogg can have all my helpings!
9. What is your favorite CD at the moment? I don't really have one, the kids load my iPod with random music & my crochet podcasts...but I will say I love me some Shooter Jennings and Uncle Kracker.
10. Favorite sandwich? Grilled cheese, Yum-O!
11. What characteristic do you despise? liars, fakes, disloyalty
12. Favorite clothing? Flip flops, capri's, and a tank top in the summer and warm flannel PJ's & fuzzy slippers in the winter.
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation? Paris
14. Are you an organized person? I try, it's a learning process...
15. Where would you like to retire to? An RV (ME TOO!)
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? Well, I'm hoping my birthday coming up will become memorable - wanna go horseback riding...we shall see!
17. What are you going to do when you finish this? Going to the yarn shop, gotta make a flyer for upcoming crochet class.
18. Favorite drink? Sweet Tea
19. What's your sign? Gemini. Whats yours baby? LOL
20. Morning person or a night person? NIGHT
21. What is your shoe size? 8
22. Pets? Not counting the kids or hubby right? Two calico cats. Want them?
23. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? My oldest son is graduating high school in a few weeks!!!!
24. What did you want to be when you were little? A waitress. Seriously! I always thought the ones with tons of Barbie blue eyeshadow were so beautiful - and they must have been RICH from all those tips.
25. What is your favorite flower? Gerbera daisies and wild roses
26. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? June 13th, see #23!
27. What was the last thing you ate? Ice cream, last night before bed.
28. Do you wish upon stars? Only the shooting ones.
29. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Pink
30. How is the weather right now? I can't talk about it, I'm traumatized. If you must know why, look here.
31. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? Some little teeny bopper girl calling my middle son...silly girls!
32. Favorite soft drink? Diet Dr. Pepper
33. Hair color? Are you trying to depress me? I'm 2 weeks past my 6 week color touch up, next question.
34. What was your favorite toy as a child? My roller skates.
35. Summer or winter? Summer in CA, Spring in VA. Winter is not for me.
36. Chocolate or vanilla? Both please!
37. Coffee or tea? Both please!
38. Favorite Food of all time? Mexican food
40. When was the last time you cried? Thursday, in the car, out loud.
41. What is under your bed? Great, now I am going to think about this when I go to bed tonight. Hopefully no boogie men. Lot's of dust bunnies I am sure, and lost socks.
42. What did you do last night? Crocheted
43. What are you afraid of? See picture below...
44. Salty or sweet? SWEEEEEET - I have a sugar mouth, suprised I am not diabetic yet.
45. How many years at your current job? I have been a mom for almost 18 years now. I've also worked outside the home at times, but nothing more important than Motherhood.
46. Favorite day of the week? Friday, Saturday
47. Positive or negative? Positive
48. Favorite pastime? Crocheting, reading, hanging out on the beach with my kids, taking pictures.
49. Beach or mountain? Beach
50. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? Yeah, I'm nosy like that. ;)
50 Questions
1. High heels or boots? Ugg Boots, pink ones. Totally.
2. What time did you get up this morning? 6:15am, against my will!
3. Diamonds or pearls? DIAMONDS are a Mama's best friend ;)
4. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Coraline in 3D
5. What is your favorite TV show? United States of Tara on Showtime - and I'm a sucker for those ridiculous Real (not!) Housewives shows.
6. What do you usually have for breakfast? Coffee
8. What food do you dislike? Going with liver on this one, Boss Hogg can have all my helpings!
9. What is your favorite CD at the moment? I don't really have one, the kids load my iPod with random music & my crochet podcasts...but I will say I love me some Shooter Jennings and Uncle Kracker.
10. Favorite sandwich? Grilled cheese, Yum-O!
11. What characteristic do you despise? liars, fakes, disloyalty
12. Favorite clothing? Flip flops, capri's, and a tank top in the summer and warm flannel PJ's & fuzzy slippers in the winter.
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation? Paris
14. Are you an organized person? I try, it's a learning process...
15. Where would you like to retire to? An RV (ME TOO!)
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? Well, I'm hoping my birthday coming up will become memorable - wanna go horseback riding...we shall see!
17. What are you going to do when you finish this? Going to the yarn shop, gotta make a flyer for upcoming crochet class.
18. Favorite drink? Sweet Tea
19. What's your sign? Gemini. Whats yours baby? LOL
20. Morning person or a night person? NIGHT
21. What is your shoe size? 8
22. Pets? Not counting the kids or hubby right? Two calico cats. Want them?
23. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? My oldest son is graduating high school in a few weeks!!!!
24. What did you want to be when you were little? A waitress. Seriously! I always thought the ones with tons of Barbie blue eyeshadow were so beautiful - and they must have been RICH from all those tips.
25. What is your favorite flower? Gerbera daisies and wild roses
26. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? June 13th, see #23!
27. What was the last thing you ate? Ice cream, last night before bed.
28. Do you wish upon stars? Only the shooting ones.
29. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Pink
30. How is the weather right now? I can't talk about it, I'm traumatized. If you must know why, look here.
31. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? Some little teeny bopper girl calling my middle son...silly girls!
32. Favorite soft drink? Diet Dr. Pepper
33. Hair color? Are you trying to depress me? I'm 2 weeks past my 6 week color touch up, next question.
34. What was your favorite toy as a child? My roller skates.
35. Summer or winter? Summer in CA, Spring in VA. Winter is not for me.
36. Chocolate or vanilla? Both please!
37. Coffee or tea? Both please!
38. Favorite Food of all time? Mexican food
40. When was the last time you cried? Thursday, in the car, out loud.
41. What is under your bed? Great, now I am going to think about this when I go to bed tonight. Hopefully no boogie men. Lot's of dust bunnies I am sure, and lost socks.
42. What did you do last night? Crocheted
43. What are you afraid of? See picture below...
44. Salty or sweet? SWEEEEEET - I have a sugar mouth, suprised I am not diabetic yet.
45. How many years at your current job? I have been a mom for almost 18 years now. I've also worked outside the home at times, but nothing more important than Motherhood.
46. Favorite day of the week? Friday, Saturday
47. Positive or negative? Positive
48. Favorite pastime? Crocheting, reading, hanging out on the beach with my kids, taking pictures.
49. Beach or mountain? Beach
50. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? Yeah, I'm nosy like that. ;)
G-Bunny (my oldest son) and Mama (me) playing with the webcam.
Clearly we are easily amused.
Minggu, 17 Mei 2009
Does anyone have Tom Hanks phone number?
If ever a person needed Tom Hanks right now, it's me. I have this whole "Angel & Demons" dilemma and he appears to be the leading most aficionado.
Do you see these?
These are from the devil. The devil I tell you!
I know, I know, the yummy-stuff centers certainly look like the work of angels in heaven. Especially STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE yummy-stuff centers, all pretty in pink and innocent looking and delicious tasting. I swear, if you close your eyes when you take a bite you can almost see the puffy cloud Oreo factory in the sky.
But we must be careful! We mustn't let our imaginations or tummy growls get the best of us.
We must examine the multitude of sins going on with these cookies. Like, for instance, why they are so expensive? $4.19 a pack! Let me say that louder: $4.19 a smaller than average pack people! Is that not insane? And calories? Might as well open a Bed & Breakfast for all the cellulite thats gonna be popping in.
Angels aren't mean spirited swindlers! They wouldn't dream of doing that to us!
It isn't fair! I am so confused! I am using way to many exclamation points!
Are Strawberry Milkshake Oreo cookies from Angels or Demons?
Darn that Food Lion grocery store for putting the tortilla chips in the same aisle as all those little Keebler elves and the rest of the satanic sweet treats. I bet the Piggly Wiggly doesn't engage in such trickery.
So please y'all, if you know Tom, can you call him for me? Tell him I promise I am not crazy and I know its humid and all here in Virginia, but his sluething powers are desperately needed. I can't pay him, so it'll have to be pro-bono work, but I figure he can claim it on his taxes as a charitable contribution.
PS: I totally feel the need to tell you that I actually paid $2.99 thanks to being a key-chain-carrying-MVP customer. I am also not usually a cookie buyer, I like to make them at home - twice as much for a smidge of the cost - but the devil made me do it. Either that, or my judgement is clouded due to consuming waaaay too much sweet tea.
Sabtu, 16 Mei 2009
I have a bone to pick with Mother Nature...
It's icky sticky here on the coast of Southern Virginia today, bleh! We're running the A/C non-stop just to keep from becoming suicidal....which is sort of a catch-22 because when the power bill arrives it will likely make us homicidal. And it's not even summertime yet!!!
It's not the heat that bothers me so much. The heat I can handle, the heat I love, the heat is my friend. BRING ON THE HEAT! I'm a California kid, so dry heat of 103+ degree's?
Walk.
In.
The.
Park.
Baby!
Love it!
But the key word there is DRY. All I ever needed to keep my body happy was ice water for the insides and good suntan lotion for the outsides.
But here? On a humid day from hades like this? I want to die with a fork in my eye.
And my hair? It looks like someone electrocuted a Labradoodle and laid it to rest on my head. "Here lies Fluffy Muffy" should be tattooed on my scalp. And thats after I have flat ironed it within an inch of life.
And my pores? So huge that bumble bee's have been known to mistake my face for a giant talking honeycomb. I swat and yell and run and they chase me anyways. My husband says to stay calm and stand still. Sure. Yeah. That's gonna work. What does he know anyways? He's never been attacked by a buzzing army of yellow & black devils. Bumble bee's are evil and that's that.
Oh and just forget about the lotion right here and now. It doesn't melt into my skin for that baby bum softness. Instead it forms a latex barrier that cool air (should I find any) cannot penetrate. A veritable 45 SPF Coppertone condom.
God bless Virginia's heart, it's a beautiful little Commonwealth. Nothing beats the cherry blossoms in spring and the leaves in fall. But winter makes me sad with all the nekked tree's and summer makes me melt like the Wicked Witch of the West.
I admit, I'm a little hostile today. It doesn't help that my flying monkey, I mean child, has decided to open and close the front door 13,426 times.
My saving grace? SWEET TEA of course! Amen for that sugary goodness.
It's not the heat that bothers me so much. The heat I can handle, the heat I love, the heat is my friend. BRING ON THE HEAT! I'm a California kid, so dry heat of 103+ degree's?
Walk.
In.
The.
Park.
Baby!
Love it!
But the key word there is DRY. All I ever needed to keep my body happy was ice water for the insides and good suntan lotion for the outsides.
But here? On a humid day from hades like this? I want to die with a fork in my eye.
And my hair? It looks like someone electrocuted a Labradoodle and laid it to rest on my head. "Here lies Fluffy Muffy" should be tattooed on my scalp. And thats after I have flat ironed it within an inch of life.
And my pores? So huge that bumble bee's have been known to mistake my face for a giant talking honeycomb. I swat and yell and run and they chase me anyways. My husband says to stay calm and stand still. Sure. Yeah. That's gonna work. What does he know anyways? He's never been attacked by a buzzing army of yellow & black devils. Bumble bee's are evil and that's that.
Oh and just forget about the lotion right here and now. It doesn't melt into my skin for that baby bum softness. Instead it forms a latex barrier that cool air (should I find any) cannot penetrate. A veritable 45 SPF Coppertone condom.
God bless Virginia's heart, it's a beautiful little Commonwealth. Nothing beats the cherry blossoms in spring and the leaves in fall. But winter makes me sad with all the nekked tree's and summer makes me melt like the Wicked Witch of the West.
I admit, I'm a little hostile today. It doesn't help that my flying monkey, I mean child, has decided to open and close the front door 13,426 times.
My saving grace? SWEET TEA of course! Amen for that sugary goodness.
Kamis, 14 Mei 2009
A Thousand Words Thursday (x2)
I love this Thursday thing. Have you checked out The Mom Jen over at Cheaper Than Therapy yet to get the details on how to join in the fun? What are you waiting for?? Hop to it silly! Well, right after you look at mine, that is...
I really love wandering back & browsing all my zillions of pictures...so hard to pick just one! Today I chose the one(s) that made me laugh out loud, really loud, and brought back memories of sweet satisfaction. Forgive me for doubling my fun today, but sometimes it takes two pictures to give you one BIG picture.
~Office Halloween party, circa 2007~
To be honest, I am a kid at heart and not at all opposed to dressing up for the Halloween, it's just that with 3 boys I hadn't done so in many years due to making all my kids costumes. But there at the ol' fish factory, it was literally demanded by our psycho department head. We were told to stick with a 70's theme...and keep our costumes a secret until the big day
So...ever the trouble maker, I rounded up 3 other partners in crime, er CO-WORKERS, and convinced them that dressing up like KISS would be an awesome kick in the britches. Us little pee-ons were surrounded by the stuffy-white-shirt important-in-their-own-mind types and we took immense pleasure in wandering the corporate office halls that day, in KISS wigs and KISS boots. Hiding behind our painted KISS faces, we delighted in asking:
~Office Halloween party, circa 2007~
To be honest, I am a kid at heart and not at all opposed to dressing up for the Halloween, it's just that with 3 boys I hadn't done so in many years due to making all my kids costumes. But there at the ol' fish factory, it was literally demanded by our psycho department head. We were told to stick with a 70's theme...and keep our costumes a secret until the big day
So...ever the trouble maker, I rounded up 3 other partners in crime, er CO-WORKERS, and convinced them that dressing up like KISS would be an awesome kick in the britches. Us little pee-ons were surrounded by the stuffy-white-shirt important-in-their-own-mind types and we took immense pleasure in wandering the corporate office halls that day, in KISS wigs and KISS boots. Hiding behind our painted KISS faces, we delighted in asking:
"Sir, do you...Rock & Roll all night...and Party Every Day?"
Our director? Mortified.
The bosses? LOVED it.
It was not a requirement in 2008. HA
Sweet Mama Jones as Paul Stanley
Our director? Mortified.
The bosses? LOVED it.
It was not a requirement in 2008. HA
Sweet Mama Jones as Paul Stanley
Elvis (insert catty bad word here) was the enforcer - who also ended up a little irked that we ROCKED just a little more than her. We suspect that she did not anticipate her spotlight being stolen and her ego could not take it two years in a row.
Rabu, 13 Mei 2009
Shake, shake...SHAKE your booties
More bebe's booties...
These hot pink wiggly kicks are cutie patooties ~ and yet? They appear to be in need of a little sumpin' sumpin'. Like maybe bright yellow ankle ties to make them look a little more finished?
These hot pink wiggly kicks are cutie patooties ~ and yet? They appear to be in need of a little sumpin' sumpin'. Like maybe bright yellow ankle ties to make them look a little more finished?
Selasa, 12 Mei 2009
BebeBugz Ballerina Slippers
It's a double post kind of day....
Thought I would share a pic of what happened to the yarn I was playing with today:
Thought I would share a pic of what happened to the yarn I was playing with today:
My little ballerina lace ups! (Well, the prototype anyways.) ;)
I need to figure out a better way to attach the buttons though so they don't become a choking hazard...GULP!
skool iz fun, part 2
Update on THE SIGN over at the school my son goes to…it’s fixed! You know why? Because I emailed the principal. Yep, sure did.
I hesitated at first because I didn’t want to be all Nellie Olson about it, but I soon realized that I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t
She was all “Oh how embarrassing”.
And I was all “You think?”
And yesterday, heads probably rolled.
So it’s taken care of and people can’t drive by and laugh and my little man’s school anymore. Not even me.
But you know what else I noticed about THE SIGN? It says:
“Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude”.
I don’t think I like this you guys. I mean, where does that leave reading and writing and arithmetic and SPELLING? Plus? It’s way too open to interpretation. Because like, what KIND of attitude are they looking for here? You all know as well as I do that there are some (brats) kids that should (be pinched hard on the arm) get their attitudes checked at the door. I’m just saying.
I hesitated at first because I didn’t want to be all Nellie Olson about it, but I soon realized that I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t
She was all “Oh how embarrassing”.
And I was all “You think?”
And yesterday, heads probably rolled.
So it’s taken care of and people can’t drive by and laugh and my little man’s school anymore. Not even me.
But you know what else I noticed about THE SIGN? It says:
“Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude”.
I don’t think I like this you guys. I mean, where does that leave reading and writing and arithmetic and SPELLING? Plus? It’s way too open to interpretation. Because like, what KIND of attitude are they looking for here? You all know as well as I do that there are some (brats) kids that should (be pinched hard on the arm) get their attitudes checked at the door. I’m just saying.
Senin, 11 Mei 2009
surrogate crochet mama
This super awesome yarn by Fortissima is for knitting yourself some very Americana socks. What's cool is the pattern develops because of the way the yarn is dyed, so even if you (me) suck at knitting, you'll (I'll) still wind up with a stars n' stripey end result. 
Happens to be uber-popular around these here parts...and to keep it uber-popular, it's only available once a year.
Last year it sold out before I got my hands on any - which is just as well because sock yarn us generally for knitters and well, I don't knit anything but useless knots.
Still, that's no reason to totally ignore red, white & blue goodness, right? So I was givin' a little lovin' to some of it, tossing a ball from hand to hand, and commenting (whining) that someone should hand paint some yarn for crocheters that would make something equally patriotic - when the shop owner told me to shut up already & take a ball home and crochet something.
So I did.
I test drove the yarn for free. Neener neener!
Ok, so I don't get to keep the junk I make, I'm basically a surrogate because it all becomes samples for the store, but that is fine by me.
So this is what I have crocheted with it so far...in case, you know, Bestey Ross gets reincarnated anytime soon.
Originally I wanted to make a small purse, but sock yarn just isn't cut out for a project like that. I think I'll go for a headband and some other accessory type thang with whats left.
We shall see....not feeling especially creative right now....
I got some bad news earlier about my Ain't Cinny...that's what I used to call my Aunt Cindy when I was knee-high to a grasshopper - and it's what I still call her now that I am all growed up and can no longer be measured in terms of leaping insects.
She's all the way in Arkansas, in a hospital outside Little Rock...just hoping I get more news soon. The not-knowing sucks.
Happens to be uber-popular around these here parts...and to keep it uber-popular, it's only available once a year.
Last year it sold out before I got my hands on any - which is just as well because sock yarn us generally for knitters and well, I don't knit anything but useless knots.
Still, that's no reason to totally ignore red, white & blue goodness, right? So I was givin' a little lovin' to some of it, tossing a ball from hand to hand, and commenting (whining) that someone should hand paint some yarn for crocheters that would make something equally patriotic - when the shop owner told me to shut up already & take a ball home and crochet something.
So I did.
I test drove the yarn for free. Neener neener!
Ok, so I don't get to keep the junk I make, I'm basically a surrogate because it all becomes samples for the store, but that is fine by me.
So this is what I have crocheted with it so far...in case, you know, Bestey Ross gets reincarnated anytime soon.
Originally I wanted to make a small purse, but sock yarn just isn't cut out for a project like that. I think I'll go for a headband and some other accessory type thang with whats left.
We shall see....not feeling especially creative right now....
I got some bad news earlier about my Ain't Cinny...that's what I used to call my Aunt Cindy when I was knee-high to a grasshopper - and it's what I still call her now that I am all growed up and can no longer be measured in terms of leaping insects.
She's all the way in Arkansas, in a hospital outside Little Rock...just hoping I get more news soon. The not-knowing sucks.
Sabtu, 09 Mei 2009
25 Reasons Why I Love Crochet
1. It changed my life. No, really! When I moved to VA from CA I didn't know a soul. I taught myself to crochet, meekly went online to start a group, and wound up meeting awesome people & making lifelong friendships.
2. Because it's a usable art form.
3. Because I can take it with me anywhere.
4. Because it's chore free. Alot of crafts, while totally awesome in their own right, usually require clean-up of some sort. Not crochet, it just tucks right back into a bag or basket until next time.
5. Because my teenage son begged me for a handmade beanie cap. And then his friend stole it & he needed another & pretty soon the high schoolers all knew where the cool caps came from. That's right: Sweet Mama Jones! ;)
6. Because just when the teeny-boppers thought the cool factor stopped with beanies, I surprised them with hand made hackey sacks.
7. Because my crochet hooks don't make that clicky-clicky noise that knit-sticks do.
8. Because it landed me a gig teaching a beginner's crochet class at my LYS, and that felt really good.
9. Because it often gives me the chance to correct people when playing with yarn in public.
Nice Person: "Oh, what are you knitting?"
SMJ: "Actually, I'm crocheting, and it's a (insert WIP here)"
Nice Person: "Very nice" usually followed by a yarn compliment
10. Because otherwise I'd have alot of explaining to do about all that yarn in my closet!
11. Because I can make a beautiful pair of baby booties for a friends newborn and have them be the hit of the baby shower - without spending alot of money.
12. Because of Crochetville - a site dedicated to all things crochet!
13. Because it's tension relieving and boredom killing.
14. Because I can call myself a "hooker" without actually compromising my dignity!
15. Because I can call my friends a "hooker" and they take it as a compliment!
16. Because I am able to fix a square on a scrap-ghan that my husbands grandmother made him over 25 years ago without ruining it.
17. Because have you seen all those Amigurimi's out there????
18. Because 9 out of 10 people at a yarn shop are knitters, and I like to cause a stir. ;)
19. Because crochet is the bee's knee's.
20. Because of The Crochet Dude
21. Because of the CLF (Crochet Liberation Front, hooyah!)
22. Because of What Not To Crochet
23. Because of CrochetMe
24. Because my husband loves it when I am crocheting. I suspect its because I talk less and count stitches more, but it's all good!
25. And finally, I LOVE CROCHET because whats not to love??? Even my hooks love each other, see:
For even MORE reasons to love CROCHET, go check out the Official Crochet Liberation blog and see who else is sharing!
2. Because it's a usable art form.
3. Because I can take it with me anywhere.
4. Because it's chore free. Alot of crafts, while totally awesome in their own right, usually require clean-up of some sort. Not crochet, it just tucks right back into a bag or basket until next time.
5. Because my teenage son begged me for a handmade beanie cap. And then his friend stole it & he needed another & pretty soon the high schoolers all knew where the cool caps came from. That's right: Sweet Mama Jones! ;)
6. Because just when the teeny-boppers thought the cool factor stopped with beanies, I surprised them with hand made hackey sacks.
7. Because my crochet hooks don't make that clicky-clicky noise that knit-sticks do.
8. Because it landed me a gig teaching a beginner's crochet class at my LYS, and that felt really good.
9. Because it often gives me the chance to correct people when playing with yarn in public.
Nice Person: "Oh, what are you knitting?"
SMJ: "Actually, I'm crocheting, and it's a (insert WIP here)"
Nice Person: "Very nice" usually followed by a yarn compliment
10. Because otherwise I'd have alot of explaining to do about all that yarn in my closet!
11. Because I can make a beautiful pair of baby booties for a friends newborn and have them be the hit of the baby shower - without spending alot of money.
12. Because of Crochetville - a site dedicated to all things crochet!
13. Because it's tension relieving and boredom killing.
14. Because I can call myself a "hooker" without actually compromising my dignity!
15. Because I can call my friends a "hooker" and they take it as a compliment!
16. Because I am able to fix a square on a scrap-ghan that my husbands grandmother made him over 25 years ago without ruining it.
17. Because have you seen all those Amigurimi's out there????
18. Because 9 out of 10 people at a yarn shop are knitters, and I like to cause a stir. ;)
19. Because crochet is the bee's knee's.
20. Because of The Crochet Dude
21. Because of the CLF (Crochet Liberation Front, hooyah!)
22. Because of What Not To Crochet
23. Because of CrochetMe
24. Because my husband loves it when I am crocheting. I suspect its because I talk less and count stitches more, but it's all good!
25. And finally, I LOVE CROCHET because whats not to love??? Even my hooks love each other, see:
For even MORE reasons to love CROCHET, go check out the Official Crochet Liberation blog and see who else is sharing!
Jumat, 08 Mei 2009
skool iz fun
I know it's not Thousand Word Thursday anymore, but I have another picture for you that I absolutely could not wait a week to show you.
The first thing you need to know is that I took this picture my very own self, with my very own little camera, and the only altering that has been done to it is that I removed the school's name in two places - for personal reasons I know everyone understands.
The next thing you need to know is that my son who attends this school is dyslexic.
Apparently, so is the sign-putter-upper.
KinTergarDen? Really? Kintergarden. Say it out loud, its fun. Kintergarden. And then you can't stop. Kintergarden. See what I mean?
Sounds like something you'd learn about from Martha Stewart.
"Today I am going to show you how to plant your very own kinter garden, perfect for every season, every climate. So stay tuned, it's a good thing."
What's awesome is that it's been this way all flippin' week! Five whole days in a row to get it corrected. Five whole days!
And it's not like they were short on letters and forced to substitute as best they could, the letters they need are RIGHT THERE BEFORE THEIR EYES!
"No need to buy a vowel Pat, I'd like to solve the puzzle..."
OK, so we can all agree that I am no genius, and while my hubby has sung the words "She's a brick house, she's mighty mighty" in my general direction on occasion, I am by no means brick school house. Nor a fully accredited institution for learning.
So...should I email it to the local newspaper??? Or hide my face in shame that I send my baby boy here 5 days a week for an edu-macashun?
The first thing you need to know is that I took this picture my very own self, with my very own little camera, and the only altering that has been done to it is that I removed the school's name in two places - for personal reasons I know everyone understands.
The next thing you need to know is that my son who attends this school is dyslexic.
Apparently, so is the sign-putter-upper.
KinTergarDen? Really? Kintergarden. Say it out loud, its fun. Kintergarden. And then you can't stop. Kintergarden. See what I mean?
Sounds like something you'd learn about from Martha Stewart.
"Today I am going to show you how to plant your very own kinter garden, perfect for every season, every climate. So stay tuned, it's a good thing."
What's awesome is that it's been this way all flippin' week! Five whole days in a row to get it corrected. Five whole days!
And it's not like they were short on letters and forced to substitute as best they could, the letters they need are RIGHT THERE BEFORE THEIR EYES!
"No need to buy a vowel Pat, I'd like to solve the puzzle..."
OK, so we can all agree that I am no genius, and while my hubby has sung the words "She's a brick house, she's mighty mighty" in my general direction on occasion, I am by no means brick school house. Nor a fully accredited institution for learning.
So...should I email it to the local newspaper??? Or hide my face in shame that I send my baby boy here 5 days a week for an edu-macashun?
Kamis, 07 Mei 2009
A Thousand Words Thursday
This is my 92 year old great-grandmother. We call her Bobby & she's still rockin & rollin. (Please don't tell her I posted a picture of her in her "night clothes", she'll pitch a fit!). I don't know why we call her Bobby instead of Grandma or GrandMaMaw (like on Bewitched)...but its been that way since before I came along & who am I to mess with perfection?
This woman is my rock, my true north, my heart & soul. I spent many, many a weekends with her & my great-granddaddy growing up and would say I am closer to her than my own mom.
A few years ago when we made the decision to move to Virginia, I thought it would kill her. Or she would kill me. I'd lived within a block of her since my oldest son was a year old. Because of her, my children never saw the inside of a daycare. There was no "taking advantage" going on - she INSISTED. In fact, she had a key to my house and would get there of a morning before I was even out of bed. Thats just the kind of woman she was. Is.
Since my husband had to start work before we could officially make the move, it was up to me to haul my brood across the country - from Northern California to Southern Virginia. He was set to return to make the trip with us, but Bobby wanted to go with me, so against his will, he relented. Can I just say she never shut up until we got to Nashville? Lordy but this ol' lady can talk! My grandpa always said WD40 replaced her toothpaste a looooong time ago!
So with my Suburban loaded down (Gramps outfitted me with a CB radio for the roadtrip!!), pulling a U-Haul trailer (when I'd never so much as hauled a Radio Flyer wagon), 3 sad boys, 1 unruly cat, and a then-88 year old woman, we hit the highway. We had "a long way to go and a short time to git' there" we were gonna do what my hubby thought couldn't be done without him. HA! In yo' face! Whoops, sorry.
Three days after setting foot in VA, we put Bobby back on a plane to California. She had NEVER flown in her entire life before! Can you imagine?? At 88 taking a cross country road trip and then flying home - proof you are never too old for firsts. Since then, she's become a regular. She visits for 3 weeks every year, and thats three years in a row now. No one else in my family has made the trip even once yet. So yeah, she RAWKS!
Rabu, 06 Mei 2009
must. blog. don'thavetimehurryup!
Jesus take the wheel, cause' Mama's late for Stitch n' Bitch!
Catch ya on the flipside my pretties....
Catch ya on the flipside my pretties....
Senin, 04 Mei 2009
i'm a twit
and by that i mean i broke down and joined twitter. it should come as no shock that i have no clue how it really works or exactly what i am doing yet.
looking for people to follow, not stalk or anything, just to twitter along with. ;)
looking for people to follow, not stalk or anything, just to twitter along with. ;)
Minggu, 03 Mei 2009
pretend empty nesters (OR the day we ran away from the kids)
me and mister, mister jones mister jones....we got alotta kids runnin' round.
ok, technically we just have 3 boys at home, but as all parents know, every kid has multiple personalities. some of them are disturbing. i'm just saying....
so 2 of the 3 are teenagers. nuff said, right? and the youngest is now officially 9. and officially in the running to be dennis the menace's apprentice.
gone are days of diaper duty and baby bottle re-fills. we don't have to lug car seats, strollers, or 13 changes of clothing. nope. we've worked our way up to raging hormones, inconsistent attitudes, BIG appetites, vatz of Clearasil, and suspicious tennis shoe odor.
family outings are rarely fun for all. when you have kids of varying ages and stages you sort of have to have a "divide & conquer" master plan. you can guide, lead, and use various forms of parental trickery with the little tykes....but the older & wiser they get, the smarter & faster you have to be.
people with toddlers - consider yourself warned. start upping your game now, get ahead of the curve. thank me later.
yesterday was a nice day, the kind of day that makes you want to be outside enjoying all Gods creations (except ones in the form of offspring). neither the hubs nor i felt particularly parental. we wanted a day off. so we put the 17 year old in charge of the 14 year old in charge of the 9 year old and lickety split.
we dropped into our favorite hole in the wall in downtown Phoebus for cheeseburgers and shared a giggle over the snubs we got when we were served before a few other customers. hey, we didn't ask for special treatment, the guy just likes us ok? after that we cruised up the street to Fort Monroe to wander around the Casemate.
thats the thing about this neck of the woods, you don't have to go far to find cool stuff to do.
Fort Monroe is still an active Army base but its getting ready for closure and likely destined to be a touristy attraction. the history of this place is amazing, i can't possibly do it justice here, but the short & sweet is that it's one of the oldest, if not the oldest, fortresses in America. its where Jefferson Davis was held prisoner during the Civil War, where Abe Lincoln came to stay & strategize - get his game face on, where Edgar Allen Poe served part of his Army enlistment...and some say found his inspiration for the location of Annabell Lee. General Lee hung his hat here as well.
and like any really old joint, there are tales of hauntings.....they say there is a lady in white who has been spotted by many wandering a particular area of oak tree's searching for her lover. it seems she was foolin' around behind her general hubby's back & he didn't take kindly to it. he ran her boy toy off and shot her to death. another is of a little child who can be heard laughing & playing. toys go missing then reappear. battery operated toys operating sans batteries. creepy. and atop the old fort walls some say they can hear soldiers of yore hollering commands, still fighting an unseen battle.
i'm not a fantasy believer, but i am sufficiently spooked. fo' sho. i didn't see any ghosts, i didn't get those "vibes", no "Paranormal State" of mind for me...lol...but i won't argue with those who have claimed to.
um honey? where'd your face go? those darn "ghost orbs!"...lol
part of the casemate not restored....spoooooky
ok, technically we just have 3 boys at home, but as all parents know, every kid has multiple personalities. some of them are disturbing. i'm just saying....
so 2 of the 3 are teenagers. nuff said, right? and the youngest is now officially 9. and officially in the running to be dennis the menace's apprentice.
gone are days of diaper duty and baby bottle re-fills. we don't have to lug car seats, strollers, or 13 changes of clothing. nope. we've worked our way up to raging hormones, inconsistent attitudes, BIG appetites, vatz of Clearasil, and suspicious tennis shoe odor.
family outings are rarely fun for all. when you have kids of varying ages and stages you sort of have to have a "divide & conquer" master plan. you can guide, lead, and use various forms of parental trickery with the little tykes....but the older & wiser they get, the smarter & faster you have to be.
people with toddlers - consider yourself warned. start upping your game now, get ahead of the curve. thank me later.
yesterday was a nice day, the kind of day that makes you want to be outside enjoying all Gods creations (except ones in the form of offspring). neither the hubs nor i felt particularly parental. we wanted a day off. so we put the 17 year old in charge of the 14 year old in charge of the 9 year old and lickety split.
we dropped into our favorite hole in the wall in downtown Phoebus for cheeseburgers and shared a giggle over the snubs we got when we were served before a few other customers. hey, we didn't ask for special treatment, the guy just likes us ok? after that we cruised up the street to Fort Monroe to wander around the Casemate.
thats the thing about this neck of the woods, you don't have to go far to find cool stuff to do.
Fort Monroe is still an active Army base but its getting ready for closure and likely destined to be a touristy attraction. the history of this place is amazing, i can't possibly do it justice here, but the short & sweet is that it's one of the oldest, if not the oldest, fortresses in America. its where Jefferson Davis was held prisoner during the Civil War, where Abe Lincoln came to stay & strategize - get his game face on, where Edgar Allen Poe served part of his Army enlistment...and some say found his inspiration for the location of Annabell Lee. General Lee hung his hat here as well.
and like any really old joint, there are tales of hauntings.....they say there is a lady in white who has been spotted by many wandering a particular area of oak tree's searching for her lover. it seems she was foolin' around behind her general hubby's back & he didn't take kindly to it. he ran her boy toy off and shot her to death. another is of a little child who can be heard laughing & playing. toys go missing then reappear. battery operated toys operating sans batteries. creepy. and atop the old fort walls some say they can hear soldiers of yore hollering commands, still fighting an unseen battle.
i'm not a fantasy believer, but i am sufficiently spooked. fo' sho. i didn't see any ghosts, i didn't get those "vibes", no "Paranormal State" of mind for me...lol...but i won't argue with those who have claimed to.
part of the casemate not restored....spoooooky
not too shabby for base housing huh? and thats the backside! you aren't supposed to take pictures of the homes that serve as private residences for active generals and such powers that be...oh but i wanted to! they are so elegant and grande.
these are the ones ok to show...
Star of the Sea Catholic Church....confessions every Saturday from 4 to 6, you know, in case you have something you need to get off your chest. ;)
the famed "Ghost Alley" where the "Light Lady" or "Lady in White" has been spotted....
the house that Jack built. no wait. i mean, the house that Abe slept at...its locked down, must be getting restored....
Lee's house below...
what awesome forsight they had back in the day to include a parking lot for them thar steel horses....hardy har har. of all the ghostly sightings, General Lee has never been identified as one of them even though he lived here...right up there in that house...which is now divided into a duplex.
Star of the Sea Catholic Church....confessions every Saturday from 4 to 6, you know, in case you have something you need to get off your chest. ;)
the famed "Ghost Alley" where the "Light Lady" or "Lady in White" has been spotted....
the house that Jack built. no wait. i mean, the house that Abe slept at...its locked down, must be getting restored....
Lee's house below...what awesome forsight they had back in the day to include a parking lot for them thar steel horses....hardy har har. of all the ghostly sightings, General Lee has never been identified as one of them even though he lived here...right up there in that house...which is now divided into a duplex. i don't guess i oughta share the shots i took of the displays inside the Casemate museum, those might be subject to getting me court marshalled!
next visit we'll pay a visit to the Chamberlain.
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