Quickie!

Lookie here...

My girl Shana over at “Blaze ‘N’ Crochet is hosting a giveaway for notNeutral’s Wood Block Set from Living Rooms Direct, an online source for living room furniture and home decor.”

Since she isn't one to steer a person wrong, I decided I had to check it out. Even though I don't have any little, little ones of my own - my 9 year is about as little as they get in my house - I do have an adorable nephew named Jonah who would totally have a blast with these. Yeah, my life is chock full of little boys!

Part of the rules is ya gotta check out the website she is hosting this for - and it was totally painless, even fun! Look what I found and now must have:
It's called the Powell - Wilmington Cherry & Burl Cocktail Table
How perfect is this for a family room? Especially as a game table? My nerdy kids love them some Monopoly and Chess and Scrabble - I can totally see us sitting around it playing & cheating (usually me) & making fun of each other until someone pouts (also usually me).

Anyhoo, this is a fun down to earth blog to check out...totally go read about the snake her hubby found in the bathroom, holy crap!

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Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice

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That's what this little coat is made of!


Isn't it adorable? It's in the new issue of Crochet! September 2009 - that came in today's mail MUCH to my suprise. I was pretty sure that my subscription had run out, but I guess not. I love these little suprises in the mail. They rank right up there with banana splits! Yummmeeee...

I'm super tempted to give this a go...except that would garner some really weird stares from my gang. Well, weirder than usual anyways. I live here in the "House O' Testosterone" - so until the day comes that one of my boys provides me with a granddaughter (a looong time from now, thankyouverymuch) I really don't have any justification for making such fabulous frocks. What a pity...I already have half the CSS yarn in those very colors in my stash.

Maybe I could blame it on Field of Dreams? Claim James Earl Jones spoke to me in a dream? "Crochet it and she will come"....what? It could happen. Happened to that guy in Iowa, right? Besides, I'm bound to find a little girl to gift it to sooner or later.

Oooh, speaking of movies...I watched Confessions of a Shopaholic last night. I managed to get the kitchen clean, send the hubby off to work, have Max tucked into bed and the teenagers accounted for all before the bewitching hour of 9pm. After the harrowing week we have had, it felt like an accomplishment. I rewarded myself by popping in a DVD and crawling beneath the sheets early. If only chocolate had been involved I could give the evening 5 bright sparkly stars.

When we first moved to VA and I knew not a soul, nor how to wield a crochet hook, I read alot. A.L.O.T. I saw the local librarian more than I saw my own hubs. During that time I was a little depressed, missing California and our life there so the only thing I could manage to read with any interest was fun, funky chick-lit books. They made me laugh out loud and that was just the medicine I needed some days. It was during this kick that I read the entire Shopaholic series. I was tickled pink when I found out they would be making a movie - and yes, I know movies are never as good as the books - but I still thought it would make for a funny film. And it did. But it was SO NOT the book!

Hello? Becky Bloomwood is NOT American! I could go on with a litany of things that didn't line up...but at the end of the day? It doesn't matter. It's a cute book. It's a cute movie. Both made me laugh. The book will not win any literary awards. The movie will not even have the "honor of just being nominated" at the Oscars. So who cares. I liked it.

It took me out of my fog and let me forget the cloud of grief hanging over us right now. It lifted me up and made me smile. Therefor? It rawked.

The other book-come-movie I've been hankering to see is My Sisters Keeper. I love Jodi Picoult's style and her topics are so...wow. Deep. Touching. Intense. Provocative. But I don't know if I can bring myself to go there right now.

I'm rambling aren't I? Yeah. I am. I guess it's my little way of keeping myself company. :)

Joann's Schmo-ann's

In an effort to boost my mood (and scratch an itch) I carried myself downtown to Joann's today...and I have to say it was disappointing.

Sure, it got my mind off of things and just being in a place of creativity felt like a warm hug - but their yarn section? Leaves MUCH to be desired. What is going on here?

Our particular store is not especially fabulous on it's best day but what it lacks in luster it makes up for in dependability. Or it did.

Seasons are changing in the retail world and there are signs of fall showing up in the fabric section, the faux flower aisle, and the summer stuff is on clearance. But back in the yarn corner? Nada. No sales to speak of. Nothing new to report. Not even a decent stock of Vanna or Homespun. It was blah.

I sure hope this is just because they are trying to unload what is there to make room for some fantastic fall fiber.

I very nearly left empty handed - which seems almost criminal when you have in your posession a time sensitive 50% off coupon. And then I happened upon the this...

The latest Interweave Crochet magazine. I admit, I am a mag hag. I buy any and all crochet magazines I can get my hands on even when there isn't anything inside that I will make. Why? Because you never know what nuggets of crochet goodness you will find when reading it cover to cover! And yes. Yes I did use a coupon on a magazine. How's that for thrifty?

And guess what? I found a new favorite...the section where readers submit photo's of their projects. I think the dresses are super cute, very flattering, and would so wear the one up there in the top corner....in case you are so inclined to make one for me. *wink*

I imagine I will be hauling this issue everywhere I go all week, my very own little crochet companion.

Processing...

Hey everyone...I have been out of the loop for awhile, losing track of time and days...

We got one of those "middle of the night bad news" phone calls last weekend that comlpetely upended our world. My brother in law, Billy, passed away. It was so sudden, so unexpected...a sucker punch.

Billy had been living with us for a few months, my kids' favorite uncle, and had only just left for PA on June 29th for a job up in King of Prussia, PA. He worked for a company that travels the country doing liquidation sales for furniture stores when they go bankrupt - he had been waiting for one to come up on the East Coast again so he wouldn't be so far from us.

The autopsy revealed the cause of death to be a brain hemmorage on the medula (brain stem?)...could happen to anyone, anytime...and when it does, you are gone in 30 seconds. It seems the only comfort to be found is in the fact that he went quickly and peacefully, without pain.

Death of a loved one is never easy...as a sister in law, I am heartbroken...but the real pain comes when I look at my boys. My boys loved this man so much, you couldn't keep them out of his hip pocket. He took them on bike rides every day after work, he was always up for a day on the beach, he was Gunnar's confidant, AJ's best friend & wing man, and Max's partner in crime when it came to eating dessert before dinner. When I see them cry I can hardly keep myself together. I pray for words of wisdom and comfort to offer them but they don't want a bandaid for the pain, they want their "U.B." as they called him.

There is so much I want to say about Billy, he was one of those rare souls who laughed and made friends easily wherever he went, but my fingers on the keyboard can't keep up with the thoughts in my head. Maybe another time...but for now I'm just not able to ramble out much more than this.

Uncle Billy is this guy...in an older post of mine...


This is Billy's last picture, taken by him on his cell phone June 27th of him with Max & my hubby (in background) - one last romp on the beach before he headed to PA...and Heaven.

Boom Boom Pow!

I cannot get this song out of my head. Then again, I'm really not even trying.

All morning I purposely bounced up and down the stairs, sang into spatula's in between pancake flips, and broke out all my best Fergie moves with my imaginary Will.I.Am.

Cause' I'm Mamalishussss like that.

The children looked away....something about wanting to digest their food, not regurgitate it.

Whatever. Perhaps I am a chicken. Who jacks style. And copies swagger. So what if I do?

BOOM BOOM POW!

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In other news...I just decided to switch to Gmail. Today. In honor of my country (or something like that).

I didn't realize it was so much more interactive, especially with the blog world, which is purty cool. I think my favoritest part is that I get to be Sweet Mama Jones. Yay me! If you wanna pop in and say hi you can now email me from my profile page. I think it'll be fun for chit chatting & sharing behind the scenes.

But first? It's off to a holiday barbeque at my sister in laws house. There were supposed to be fireworks on the beach tonight, but as per usual this time of year on the mid-Atlantic coast, there's a thunderstorm brewing, so I think they've been postponed. Bummer! But they make up for it just as soon as they can. Last year it was a day late due to weather but it was like one big, long, glorious, sparkling grande finale...they know how to make up for it in style.

I hope you all have a fun, fabulous, and safe July 4th holiday! Eat well and make memories!

6th Picture in the 6th Folder

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Zu tagged me for a little photo fun, so here goes!

These are the rules:

1) Go to your photo folders
2) Select the sixth file folder
3) Open it and select the sixth photo in that file folder
4) Write a story for that picture, post it and
5) Select five bloggy friends to tag
6) Be sure to let them know they've been tagged

Here's my pic:

WOW - well thats certainly random! You can't even tell what's going on....maybe it would help to show you the picture that happened right before that:

OK - now that's better. It's AJ and that was taken in 2006, we had been in VA for less than a year and I was homeschooling him at the time so that's why he was the only kid there. It was, um, recess, or better yet - PE class! A friend of ours often let the kids and I come use their wonderful pool on weekday afternoons while they were working. That particular year the jellyfish at the beach here were HORRID, so we loved and appreciated their generosity.

I am passing this challenge on to:

Brianna of The Hook Nook

Beth of Be Careful What You Wish For

Sarah of Sarah's Sweet Hearts

Mountain Mama

Shana of Blaze N' Crochet

The Funky Yellow Chicken Dance...break it down now....

The huh-wha?

The funky YELLOW CHICKEN dance! Come on, it's better than the conga - AND - it's my little way of paying tribute (read: scoring bonus entries) to a very cool etsy shop called Sugar Pie Chic.

I am not ashamed to tell you that I, Sweet Mama Jones, have a very serious case kitschy apron envy. It cannot be cured. I adore them, I covet them, I full on lust for them, and sometimes a little spit dribbles out when I stare at pictures of them...especially the ones in modern colors schemes with a vintage flair.

Sadly, however, I am lacking the talent (understatement!) required to make them and so I must resort to stalking blogs of those with enviable kitchen kouture give-aways (ahem, I love you The Apron Goddesses). I also wish upon shooting stars & blow dandelions into the wind all in hopes of ones day winning.

*Sigh*...the heart wants what the heart wants...

Take a peek here at the awesomeness that is the YELLOW CHICKEN apron.