kristinknits

Quatorze

2009-11-25T16:47:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, we headed over to Battle Creek/K-Zoo to visit with Matt's family and celebrate an early Thanksgiving. We made the obligatory stop at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor for dinner. I always say that I want to try a new sandwich and then end up ordering one of my faves. But this little beauty caught my eye ...
#99 Randolph's Grand Début The Deli's take on a classic Parisian croque monsieur Arkansas peppered ham, Switzerland Swiss cheese & Dijon mustard grilled on farm bread with an extra layer of butter & Swiss cheese grilled on the outside.
... so much yum!

And then - you are not going to believe it - but I KNIT! Other than socializing with family and chowing down on delicious Thanksgiving-ness, I spent the day knitting. I started and finished a project in one day, with the exception of the buttons, which I sewed on last night.

I present to you - the Fourteen Neckwarmer ...

And I learned the fisherman's rib, too. It makes such a thick & squishy knit. I love it and think I will be knitting more of these in the near future.

yarn anti-depressants anyone?

2009-11-20T11:01:00.003-05:00

Five months later ... I guess I just don't make the time to blog anymore. Or knit anymore. I honestly can't remember the last time I finished a knitting project. Maybe it was a super small project like a bib (that sounds about right). I have many UFOs floating around the house, but none are really calling my name right now.

I spent some time on ravelry yesterday and got inspired! I hadn't realized it ... but I really miss knitting. I also miss finishing my knitting projects, so I know I need to choose something that I can finish in a reasonable amount of time. (Yes, I am the queen of instant gratification)

I am thinking about this pattern for a neckwarmer thingy. The designer has this to say: "One skein projects are like antidepressants in a ball. It’s like, just whip one up and you’re instantly happy." Sounds like the perfect project for me, no? I have some Rowan Chunky Print in my stash. I have never done Brioche rib, so that could make it interesting. If I type it here, maybe I will be more likely to make it happen. What do you think?

Funky Monkeys Changing Pad

2009-06-18T17:09:00.007-04:00

A friend of mine is having a baby this summer and this gave me the perfect opportunity to continue to learn some new sewing skills. So, I went to my local quilting shop and found some fabulous fabric - some yellow minky and 5 Funky Monkeys Counting in Lime - that is just perfect for a little baby boy. See?

I borrowed Amy Butler's Little Stitches from the library - it has so many cute projects, as one would expect from Amy Butler. I mean, really ... isn't everything she does amazingly cute?

I figured I could handle the changing pad pattern. Remember ... I am a total beginner, so I am very proud of my small projects. As with knitting, I especially like it when I can complete a project in a night or two. I need the immediate gratification! The final step of the pattern is to quilt it a bit, which I haven't done yet, but that should be easy-peasy. I love this soft little creation ...

Springtime in NC

2009-05-20T15:22:00.005-04:00

I cannot believe that I haven't blogged for nearly 2 whole months. Time is flying by!! Maybe I will do a few posts in the coming days to catch up.

Let's start with our trip to North Carolina in April to visit Matt's sister. We spent a week with her and her husband. We took lots of road trips from our home base of Goldsboro. It was the possibly perfect time of year to be there. Spring had not yet arrived in Michigan, so it was a real delight to see all of the dogwoods in bloom. We ate some vinegar-y BBQ in Raleigh. We went to the aquarium near Wilmington. We explored the campus at Chapel Hill.

We spent 2 days in the Outer Banks. It was a bit overcast, but we really enjoyed it. We visited 3 lighthouses and the Wright Brothers Memorial. We dug our toes into the sand and nearly froze our toes off in the Atlantic Ocean. Not bad at all.

Doll Quilt in the works

2009-03-31T13:35:00.005-04:00

I have been working on my doll quilt using the tutorial from Sew, Mama, Sew. I am so happy that I took on this project! I am learning a lot as I go and quilting on a smaller scale is the perfect way for me to figure out how it all works. I should have been taking pictures all along to show you my progress, but this is the only picture I have.

At this point I had pieced together each row, but I hadn't sewn the rows together yet or added the sides, top and bottom pieces. In the meantime, I basted it and then free motion quilted. I watched a few online videos of free motion quilting and stippling and made some sandwiches to practice on. I was nervous about ruining my quilt, but after some practice I got more comfortable decided to just go for it! Last night, I cut the fabric for my binding, so I am in the home stretch.

In order to complete this little project, I had to acquire some new tools in additional to my new skills ... an acrylic ruler, a rotary cutter and a darning foot. It is so fun to acquire new tools, especially when they make life so much easier.

I love this rotary cutter ... it is my very last minute entry for Heather Bailey's March of the Tools.

A ballband bib & my first apron

2009-03-09T21:14:00.007-04:00

It is kind of embarrassing how long I have been working on this (I think I started it back in July), but at long last, I present to you the Ballband Bib in blue, green and yellow ...

When I started this project, I didn't know if the recipient would be a boy or a girl. The knitting part was actually completed about a month ago, but the bib still needed a button, which had to wait until the baby was born. My friends had a girl and named her Clementine, so I promptly went to the store and found an orange-colored daisy button to complete this project.

I have actually been spending more time thinking about sewing lately. I have buying a little bit of fabric. And finding good sewing blogs to read. And interloaning sewing books through the library. And thinking about projects that I'd like to do someday. Since I am a total novice, I have to be realistic when I look at all the patterns and possibilities. I figured an apron might be a good second project for me. So, I made the Psychedelic Squares apron from A is for Apron. Wanna see?

Now I am thinking about tackling the fat quarter doll quilt from Sew, Mama, Sew! I figure that it will be a good way to learn how to quilt ... FUN!

Getting Ready for the Oscars

2009-02-20T09:53:00.007-05:00

Matt & I have a busy weekend planned and I am looking forward to it! Melvy & Jeanne (Matt's dad & step-mom) are coming to the D for a little visit. Jeanne hasn't seen the house yet, so we are looking forward to showing it off. We will probably find something delicious to eat downtown - maybe Xochi's? And then we are going to the DFT on Saturday evening to see "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29" (listen to the interview on Fresh Air).

On Sunday, we are having a little Oscar party at our place with a group of friends that I have dubbed our "Dinner Club." For the past several months, we have been taking turns hosting dinner on a Sunday night. It is always an occassion for good food and lots of laughter. Two of my most favorite things! Anyhow, I think we are going to make the most delicious mac&cheese recipe that I know of. Always a hit!

But I was thinking that it would be fun to have food to go along with the Best Picture nominations. I don't know if we will actually be able to pull off something for all 5 movies. The mac&cheese will work for Milk, right? I mean - it does have 5 1/2 cups of milk in it. And I think we can pull off something for Slumdog Millionaire - maybe samosas or naan. I haven't seen Benjamin Button, The Reader or Frost/Nixon ... so I am not as motivated. But I did find an article with some cute recipes to go along with these films.

Even though I haven't seen as many movies as I had hoped to (again), here are my Oscar picks:

Best Picture & Best Song & Best Score & Directing & Editing & Screenplay & Sound Mixing & Sound Editing & Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire (yeah, I loved it!)
Short (Animated): undecided ... maybe Lavatory Lovestory or Oktpodi
Short (Live Action): Manon on the Asphalt (but I also liked The Pig quite a bit)
Actor in a Leading Role: Mickey Rourke
Actor in a Supporting Role: Heath Ledger
Actress in a Leading Role: Kate Winslet

Evidence of Crafting

2009-02-16T17:06:00.005-05:00

Matt bought me a sewing machine for Christmas last year. Not this past Christmas - but the one before that. I was super excited about it and 2008 should have been the year that I learned how to sew ... but I was a little busy (just a little bit). So, 2009 is my year!

I finally made the appointment for the lesson at Haberman Fabrics where he puchased the machine. It is an awesome local shop that I used to go into occassionally just to look at all of the beautiful fabric. Now I can go there with a legitimate intent to buy something beautiful. YAY! Anyhow, they taught me how to use my sewing machine! I didn't even know how to thread the machine - so this was an important step for me!

A few days later, I dug out a bag of Marimekko fabric that I have held onto for years (from my Crate & Barrel days) and I made this little bag using a pattern from Bend the Rules Sewing.

It is a super tiny bag, but I just wanted a project to work on. I like how the long handle tucks thru the short handle. I may make another bag using this pattern, but make it big enough to use for knitting or books. This one might carry a sandwich and an apple ... not much else. But I am proud of my first completed sewing project! And so happy that it was fun & easy & not a total nightmare. I CAN DO IT!

Cupcakes for Obama

2009-01-22T10:00:00.005-05:00

The events of this week have left me feeling that things just might be okay in this crazy world. We have a new president (yay!) and I cried all through the inauguration. It was so moving and I have to say that I feel proud. And today, Slumdog Millionaire received 10 Oscar Nominations. Amazing! If you haven't seen it - DO!

I haven't been doing much in the knitting department - I still need to finish the bib I have been working on for months. So, instead I got a little bit crafty in honor of Obama's inauguration. Matt & I offered to have a little neighborhood party to celebrate the inauguration, which I totally failed to capture with my camera. Anyhow, I decided to make some cherry chip (red & white) cupcakes with vanilla (in blue) frosting.

But they needed a little something more, so I made fun little cupcake picks for the occasion. Totally easy, but kind of festive and impressive looking!

I swear that there will be knitting content soon. That bib is nearly complete! Just a button hole and a button, really. Oh, one more thing ... check out this stocking stuffer from Matt! Cute, no? I finally remembered to stick it in my purse and then I swung by Starbucks on my way to work.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T13:42:00.006-05:00

Another month has flown by ... wow! Life is just too busy. December was full of fun events - Mel's birthday, Noel Night, holiday parties with our friends & new neighbors. Did I mention we got a foot of snow?

Did I mention that we purchased a snowblower the next day? ; )

I hope everyone had wonderful holiday celebrations. Our first Christmas was very nice. We spent a few days hopping from place to place to get in all of our visits. We were especially excited to see Jessica & Kevin (they were in town from NC) - we miss them very much!

I was happy that we got to spend Christmas morning in our new house together. We exchanged gifts and made Belgian waffles for breakfast. Then we played a little Wii before heading out in the afternoon to another family gathering.

It was a fun holiday season, but on Saturday I came down with the stomach flu, right in the middle of a party (total bummer). I guess it was my turn, as it was a sicky holiday for our families. Jessica had strep throat. My parents, my brother, our niece and Matt's dad all had the flu at some point either before, during or after Christmas. And now Matt is sick. So, we will spend our first New Year's Eve at home - it will be quiet, but we will make it fun. Hope yours is a safe & happy night.

Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen

2008-12-01T13:50:00.006-05:00

This Thanksgiving, I was thankful for ...

a haircut

In the process of growing "wedding hair," I decided that I could probably get it long enough to donate. So, 6 months after the wedding it was finally time to hack it off. Long hair is great and all, but I was wearing it in a ponytail almost every day. That is always a sign to me that it is time for a hair cut.

My donation ponytail was about 10 inches long, but we probably cut off about 13 inches in total. The hair will be sent to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, who use the hair donations to create free wigs for women with cancer.

Did you know that it takes 6 ponytails to make 1 wig?

Fun in & around the D

2008-11-20T15:56:00.006-05:00

Last weekend we had so much fun in and around the D ...

Friday night, we joined 300+ nerdfighters at the Ann Arbor District Library to see John & Hank Green. We ended up in the overflow room, which kind of bummed me out at first, but turned out to be pretty good with in-person visits from John & Hank.

Yes, that is Dan John Miller of Blanche. He narrates the audio book of Paper Towns, so I must get my hands on a copy of that! We opted not to stand in line for the book signing and headed immediately to Zingerman's for deliciousness.

On Saturday, Jennifer, Kenny, Matt & I headed downtown. It was a blustery day, but that didn't stop us from hitting Good Girls Go To Paris Creperie. Yummy! The menu is cleverly divided into Left Bank (savory) and Right Bank (sweet) options. I went for savory (the Vera) on this visit, but I want to go back soon to try the Nutella & Banana - how good does that sound?

Then we all headed to the Detroit Urban Craft Fair. It was held in the State Theatre, so there were lots of vendors. We saw a lot of really great stuff and even made a few purchases ... from Michele Maule and Sparklepants Industries. : ) We are excited to get some stuff framed and hung in our new home!

And then on Sunday, we made a stop at Xochi's and then headed to the DIA for the Monet to Dali exhibit. It was a fun way to spend the day - we were celebrating the 2nd anniversary of our first date. They have reinstalled the ceiling bling and it is so beautiful. I could just sit and stare at all its sparkliness for hours.

I voted.

2008-11-04T17:24:00.002-05:00

Yes, I did. And yes, I am proud. I have been sporting my sticker all day. We got in line @ 6:45a and we were done around 8:15a. Not a bad way to start my day. Let's hope that watching the poll results tonight is a good way to end my night.

If you haven't voted yet - you still have time! The polls are open until 8:00p in Michigan. Get your "I Voted" sticker and then go get a free coffee from Starbucks.

Good times ...

2008-10-29T23:04:00.008-04:00

Matt & I went to Kansas City for Jackie & Mat's wedding this weekend. We had a great time. It was a beautiful, sunny fall day for their outdoor wedding. At the reception, we sat at a table with some really fun friends of Jackie's from Lawrence, KS. And we ate yummy (and cute) wedding cake! Good times ...

I had never been to Missouri or Kansas, so I was excited to add two states to my list of "states visited."

Kansas City was pretty cool actually ... we spent much of our weekend in the city - explored the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, ate BBQ at Jack Stack, discovered an awesome letterpress store in the Crossroads District, indulged at Lidia's Kitchen, and wandered around the City Market.

Tonight, we carved our pumpkins.

I am excited about my Barack O'Lantern (stencil courtesy of yeswecarve.com) - didn't it turn out cute? I love the lid on Matt's - he is so crafty with his carving skills.

Can't wait to put them out on the porch on Friday night. I won't put them out until then because the chances of the squirrels taking a nibble (or destroying the whole darn thing) are very high.

Paper Towns

2008-10-21T18:23:00.004-04:00

Don't vote ....

2008-10-02T12:53:00.006-04:00

unless you care about the ice caps, Darfur, health care, gun control, the war ...

http://www.declareyourself.com/
http://www.maps.google.com/vote
http://www.rockthevote.org/
http://www.votesmart.org/

Gifts from the Heart

2008-09-24T14:15:00.006-04:00

As promised, I'd like to share some handmade gifts that we received as wedding presents. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to photograph every handmade gift that we received. TracyB knit us up a ton of Ballband dishclothes. And a co-worker of mine made us a beautiful & super soft ivory afghan.

TracyB knit Charlotte's Web for me. See?

This is a fantastic gift because I am a Children's Librarian and this summer's reading program theme was Catch the Reading Bug. Get it? It is a lovely shade of plum and even has a special knitted message. Tracy is good with the small needles and look at this wonderful lace work.

Another fantastic handmade gift that we received was from Matt's parents. His stepdad made us this gorgeous shelving unit. Isn't it amazing? (pardon the crappy photo)

This beauty is currently being stored at Matt's parents house until we move into our new house. Yes, that is correct. OUR NEW HOUSE! We are closing on a house this Friday. Life is busy and exciting and crazy. We are working on packing and gathering all the necessary documentation and thinking about paint colors and hiring locksmiths. It is a new adventure!

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight ...

2008-09-15T17:07:00.003-04:00

So, I am usually not terribly political here, right? Mostly conversational and pleasant. Today is not one of those days. So, if you prefer to stay out of my politics ... I completely understand ... but please check back soon and I will be doing a posting about handmade gifts that we got for our wedding. Totally awesome, by the way.

Okay, here goes. Sarah Palin! I am a Librarian and I just can't let all of this go without a mention. Oh my word ... it's just awful. Asking the City Librarian if she would be willing to ban books is just wrong. There is no other conclusion. Wrong, wrong and wrong. Yes, I am aware that the supposed list of books she banned (that is being forwarded around) is totally bogus ... but the fact the she asked the Librarian if she would banish objectionable books if asked to do so - is darn well scary enough for me.

So, a friend forwarded an e-mail to me today that I thought I'd share:

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....
* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."
* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack, you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.
* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.
* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
* If , while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate laywer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.
* If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now.

Detroit Stitch & Pitch 2008

2008-08-14T13:35:00.003-04:00

Mel, Tracy, Matt & I headed down to the ballpark with plenty of time to pick up our goodie bags. A woman asked us where we got the bags, so we pointed her in the right direction, to which her husband told Matt that it was "girl stuff" and then Matt proudly showed off his goodie bag to the guy. I love my knitting hubby!

It was a cold and blustery August day in the D! Such bizarre weather for August ... we were honestly freezing! I had goosebumps on my legs for the entirety of the game - the woman next to me admired them and then passed it down the row to check them out. Despite the weather, it was still a lot of fun ...

My goodie bag had 14 skeins of yarn, a stitch marker, a pair of bamboo needles & a ton of 20% off coupons to various LYSs. Woah! I wasn't expecting that at all. I should have taken a picture of all of our loot.

Tracy worked on socks - super cute yarn! Mel enjoyed her complimentary Freep. Matt worked on a Baby Bib o' Love. I did complete a few more rows on the slowly, but surely blue, green & yellow Ballband Bib. As Tracy noted on her blog, these bibs are for other people's babies! For reals.

You can't tell ... but I am sporing my Ravelry tee for the occassion. But alas, it was too cold to show it off!

I will say that the seat selection for this year's Stitch & Pitch was less than ideal. The seats seemed to go across the back 2 or 3 rows of the stadium, across 4 sections (maybe). I just felt like there was less of a presence of knitters than there was last year - when all the seats seemed to be located in one section. I am sure that it was because that was all that was available. I am not complaining ... I just hope that we can all sit together in one section next year. And we missed Holly. Next year, we will get our tickets earlier!!!

After the game we went to Xochi's for some delicious Mexican food! Yum! And then we headed to the old Tiger Stadium to witness the sadness ...

3 things I am loving right now ....

2008-08-05T08:23:00.004-04:00

We have such wonderful and generous family & friends. We were spoiled & received so many fantastic wedding & shower presents. Two of them are making my current list of favorite things!

Last night, I used our new tomato knife and it is AMAZING! Honestly, it cuts tomatoes with such ease and you can slice them super thin! I kind of sound like an infomercial, but it is the best. Love it!!

We also got a Wii for our wedding! How awesome is that? We decided to wait until we finished our thank you notes before we set it up ( as motivation, you know?). We are having a blast with it! And I bought Rockband for Matt for his birthday, which is too fun!

And the third thing that I am loving right now is Stitch & Pitch. Tracy, Mel, Matt & I are lined to head to see the Tigs this Sunday at the ballpark. Totally looking forward to it. Last year, Matt & I were at the Stitch & Pitch game, but not with the Stitch & Pitch group. Should be a blast! I will hopefully take lots of pictures. : )

Stay Golden

2008-07-24T13:46:00.002-04:00

Rest in Peace Estelle!

My friends and I used to try to figure out which Golden Girl we'd be when we were older. I always wanted to be the Betty White character, because she is adorable, but I hope I am not so dim. Can you imagine living with all of your golden friends in a condo in Florida one day?

I have been pondering buying this t-shirt for a while now. It makes me smile!

K + M : Honeymoon Part II

2008-07-15T15:29:00.010-04:00

The second part of our honeymoon was spent in Northern California. We flew from Los Cabos to Pheonix to Monterey. The first order of business was a stop at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which I highly recommend! It was great fun. We even got to see a whale in the bay ... NEAT!

We spent the afternoon exploring the Kelp Forest, hanging with the sea otters and enjoying the Jellies exhibit. You have to see the 1.2 million gallon Outer Bay exhibit - it is unbelievable!

We stayed at an awesome hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Tradewinds Carmel is a motel that has been transformed into an Asian-inspired boutique hotel. Super comfy with Aveda bath products & a fireplace - we loved it!

Carmel is so cute - we enjoyed walking around town, especially to breakfast & dinner. Grasing's was quite good and La Bicyclette was a real treat!

A drink by a fireplace at Hog's Breath seemed like the thing to do, but we walked in and walked right out ... awful music and atmosphere.

We spent one day in Big Sur - which is absolutely gorgeous. We started the day with a fantastic breakfast at the Big Sur Inn (YUM!). Then we headed south to take a short hike to a waterfall at Jules Pfeiffer Burns State Park. I am saddened to hear about the fires in this part of California right now.

Look how beautiful it is!

In the afternoon, we stopped at the Big Sur Branch Library and the Henry Miller Library. And of course, we headed to Nepenthe for a snack and breathtaking views. We got a sweet spot on the deck. It was a great day! And we had our 2nd whale sighting while we were here - incredible!

The drive on Hwy 1 is so beautiful. You could literally stop every minute or so for a completely different, but totally spectacular view of the ocean and the land. We didn't stop that often, but I did insist on stopping to capture the Bixby Creek Bridge. So awesome!

We took the advice of many and did the 17 Mile Drive at Pebble Beach. It was well worth it! Very beautiful and peaceful. Lots of places to get out and explore and check out the view.

Of course, we did a little shopping, too. Matt figured out where the LYS was (swoon) ... so I picked out some pretty yarn. : ) FUN!

And how do you do all of this for only $9.64 or 2.2 gallons of gasoline?

You rent a Prius, of course! Matt was so excited about this car! It may have been his favorite part of the honeymoon. We were really thrilled when we filled the gas tank before returning the car. WOW!

K + M : Honeymoon Part I

2008-07-10T21:27:00.013-04:00

Matt & I had an amazing honeymoon. This first half of which was spent relaxing in Los Cabos, Mexico.

We spent tons of time lounging by the pool - reading, basking, napping, swimming. It was just what we needed after the wedding.

We made sure to track down many a happy hour (2 for 1). Lots of guacamole, salsa, chips and margaritas were consumed!

We spent one day in Cabo san Lucas and one day in San Jose del Cabo. Two totally different towns! Since we weren't there for a spring break/Cabo Wabo-type experience, we much preferred the sleepy, art gallery-filled town of San Jose del Cabo.

The views were incredible! The waves are huge - great to watch and listen to.

No ocean swimming! It was just nice to walk in the sand and get our feet wet.

We were treated with such kindness as honeymooners. We got to take home complimentary spa robes. They decorated our room with fancy towel swans.

Check out this cute dessert!!

After Mexico, we headed to Northern California. More on that later!

And, I know it is nothing groundbreaking ... I mean who hasn't knit a ballband?? ... but I am happy to be knitting again. And this ballband will be a bib! Easy, cute & fun!

We are headed to Kalamazoo for the weekend. Jessica & Kevin are getting married! I am excited. Should be a ton of fun! : )

I'm a Mrs!!!

2008-06-24T17:43:00.010-04:00

Sorry for the delay ... since the last time I blogged: I have gotten married, gone to California & Mexico, thrown a bridal shower, kicked off this year's summer reading program at the library, written about a million thank you notes. Life is busy, but very good.

Can I tell you a little bit about the wedding? It was the most amazing day EVER. Matt & I put tons of time into planning our wedding and reception, and I think that all of our hard work paid-off. It was just as we imagined it. The perfect day ...

We drove all over Detroit in a trolley with our photographer and took pictures.

We had a gorgeous setting at the Gem Theatre in downtown Detroit.

We were married (by our friend,Peter) on the stage in front of the beautiful art deco set. He did a fantastic job!

We were surrounded by friends and family.

We had a beautiful & delicious wedding cake (buttercream frosting, yellow cake with hazelnut mousse) from the Home Bakery in Rochester.

Two knit-bloggers (Yarnaholic TracyB and my knittin' cousin HollyBee) were in attendance. Read their accounts of the events here & here. I hope to share more details and photos as they become available!

Adventures of a Bride-to-Be - Vol. 2

2008-05-10T15:33:00.009-04:00

Oh my goodness - I can't believe it has been a month since the last blog post. Time is flying by!! We are having a ton of fun planning this wedding. We are so excited about our venue and our flowers and our honeymoon!!

I have to say that there is so much bridal TRASH out there. I was totally grossed out on so many occassions. Thongs with "Bride" in blue rhinestones, lacy parasols, ugly cake toppers - the TRASH is endless in the wedding industry. I just don't get it! Check out the crap we found in Michaels! Who is buying this?

We have had a few frustrating moments. Like when I was out looking for invitations for the rehearsal dinner - they were all ugly and made in China. Or they were nice but cost a ton of money!!! We ended up ordering paper and envelopes from Paper Source and buying ribbon from JoAnn's to make our own. And how hard should it be to find a nice guestbook pen?!? One without a cheesy feather attached to the end? Ugh!

And what the $&*% is this???? Awful.

Not too much longer now!!!!

Eating in (and around) the D

2008-04-11T17:02:00.005-04:00

Going to be in Detroit? Yeah, right! Well, if you are - do make a pit stop at Eph's for a delicious sandwich and a Mason jar full of pickles. So tasty!

Matt & I went to one of my favorite restaurants in the world the other day - Zingerman's Deli. If you are anywhere near Ann Arbor - this is a MUST!!! I had #76: Thad's "Yes I Can" ... mmmmm!

Hella's Cafe closed its doors after 108 years ... isn't that sad? I guess the owner is hoping that someone will buy the restaurant and hire his employees back. Time will tell.

Matt & I went down for one last Saginaki ... OPA!

And any trip to Greektown wouldn't be complete without a stop at the Astoria Bakery - YUM!

Puppy love

2008-04-05T16:30:00.004-04:00

How can you resist this?

I went with Mel the other day to adopt a pup rescued from a Puppy Mill. Her name is Lucy and she is a 13 week old Cairn Terrier. She is sweet & fun & as cute as a button. I can't wait until Matt & I live in a place where we can have a pup of our own. Until then I will give my love to Lucy!

Adventures of a Bride-to-Be - Vol. 1

2008-03-11T18:10:00.007-04:00

We have had 2 wedding showers in the past 2 weeks. They were both lovely and it is so touching to be surrounded by your friends, family, co-workers & loved ones. : )

In travelling to one of these showers (about 2 hours away), I had my most stereotypical "crazy" bride moment. Matt & I had both worked long days at our respective libraries, met up with friends for dinner and a movie afterward, and then made the 2 hr. drive to Matt's mom's house (the night before the shower). It was was about half past midnight when we arrived, so we were brushing our teeth and getting ready for bed when it struck me. I had forgotten my clothes for the shower!!!! They were hanging on hangers in the doorway back at home. It made total sense to me that the solution was to drive back home to get them. Matt did the logical thing and offered up some alternate solutions ("we can go to Target in the morning before the shower" or "Meijer is open 24 hours"). And while those ideas had crossed my mind too - I just knew I would not feel comfortable in anything other than my own clothes. And I had little confidence that I could find something that a) I liked, b) that fit and c) that was season-appropriate at Target. They have cute stuff - but I can't pull off a sun dress when snow is still on the ground here. So, we did it - we got in the car just before 1am and made the drive home. Matt was completely supportive and even put up with my singing along to Prince on the ride home. We got into bed around 3am, slept for 4 hours, got ready, and then made the 2 hour drive again to attend our shower. Now if that doesn't prove what a fabulous future husband Matt is, then I don't know what will. I am so lucky! And a little crazy, too.

My co-workers threw us a shower at the library. Someone decided it needed to be a "white trash" shower. I was threatened with the Toilet Paper Bride game, but it didn't happen. It was a very nice shower, but a few people got into the theme with their gifts ... a white trashcan, white trashbags, a CD compilation of country love songs, a Nascar romance novel and this ...

No, a cheese grater is not trashy at all! But check out that garter on that grater! AWESOME!

We are almost at the 2 month mark. We are checking things off our list at a nice pace. I think we are in pretty good shape. Although, I am also sure that the next few months are going to be fairly hectic! On Sunday, Stacie, Cyndi & Mel came over to help us assemble our invites. It was a huge help and we got them done in about 2 hours! Can't wait to put them in the mail soon.

I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of the train ...

2008-02-26T17:28:00.006-05:00

So, was it just me or were the Oscars kind of boring this year? John Stewart was funny, but not hilarious. I hadn't seen most of the nominated films, so that could have been part of the problem. And the ones that I had seen - didn't win. (Except for Diablo Cody - YAY!)

What was the deal with, like, ten songs from Enchanted being nominated and they were all CRAP!? The Moldy Peaches - now there is a quality, Oscar worthy song-writing team! Just for the record, I loved Juno. And Persepolis was fantastic! Go see them both, if you haven't already.

Matt made some delicious cheese fondue for the occassion. Barb & Mel came over. We had some adult beverages. We all did some knitting. So, it was a fun evening, nonetheless.

Smooshy

2008-02-23T14:24:00.006-05:00

Yesterday evening we had a library bash/going away party for TracyB. She is moving up to the Great White North. Work just isn't going to be the same without her. Since she is a sock knitter and I refuse to cramp my hands up with needles that small ... I bought her some Smooshy sock yarn. I think it is so pretty. Here she is cradling her new yarn, like a baby.

If you look closely, you can see that she is also sporting her new Tangled Yoke cardigan from IK. Way to go! I am jealous ... one of these days I will knit a sweater. Maybe once I am married.

Wanna see more sweets? Matt bought us a yummy Valentine treat to share. YUMMMMM!

Sweets for the sweet

2008-02-14T10:03:00.010-05:00

The past few weeks has been all about sweet things!

HollyB passed along some Amish Friendship bread. It kind of scared me, as it took on a life of its own in our kitchen. Expanding and moving across the counter. I don't really understand why something with milk in it can sit out on the counter for 10 days. I think Matt wanted me to throw it away ... but I stuck with it. It was UGLY, but delicious! Mine collapsed in the center. Oh well - my co-workers gobbled it up anyway!

We have had 2 wedding showers, too. We are so thankful for all of our wonderful family and friends. They are so supportive and generous.

Look at us ... we are sweet & delicious!

And when you have a wedding shower ~ of course you get to have yummy cake and chocolate covered strawberries. Aren't those bride & grooms adorable?!

And the sweetest thing of all ... my sweetie got a sweet new job! He started on Monday -working only 5 minutes from home. No more telecommuting = SWEET!

my seven rock stars

2008-01-31T18:58:00.000-05:00

I got tagged by TracyB ... okay - I'll play.

Here are the rules:
*Link to the person who tagged you.
*Leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours.
*Post the rules on your blog.
*Share the seven (7) most famous or infamous people you have met. Or go with the original 7 weird things about yourself.
*Tag 7 random people at the end of your post & include links to their blogs.
*Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I am going to go with the famous people bit. My 7 famous people are of the rock star variety.

1. Tommy Stinson : of the Replacements, Bash & Pop, Perfect, and solo projects. (Yes, I am purposefully leaving out his stint as a member of GnR) I have met him a few times in Detroit. He was confused when my friends & I announced we were leaving the bar to go get coney dogs. It's a Detroit thing.

2. David Byrne : of the Talking Heads and solo awesome-ness. Oh, how I love David Byrne. He is so, so amazing. I waited to meet him outside of the Royal Oak Music Theatre. It was brief but amazing.

3. Nash Kato : of Urge Overkill. I was in love with Nash in college. I didn't care that he was ugly and strange looking. Loved him. Met him in Kalamazoo, Detroit, Roseville & Toledo - to name a few.

4. James Taylor : or JT, if you will. Saw him perform with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in the 90s. We were walking around the theatre marveling at its beauty and caught a glimpse of him walking around backstage. The theatre had mostly cleared by that time and before I knew it I was yelling out, "J! T!", to which he turned around and walked right out onstage and bent down to say hello. Such a kind and wonderful soul.

5. Paul Westerberg : of the Replacements and truly wonderful solo work. I met Paul in Pontiac, Michigan and once in Chicago, IL. The Chicago incident was most memorable in that I took pictures of me friends with Paul and had pictures taken of me. The next day, I inspected the camera only to find out that there was no effin' film in it. I am still pissed ...

6. Jo Wood : as in the wife of Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood. I was trying really hard to meet Ronnie (what can I say - I have a thing for ugly rockers) and ran into his wife walking around the Silverdome. I was sporting my homemade softball shirt emblazened with GIMME RONNIE and she stopped to comment! Fun, huh?

7. I'll call him Sugar Ray : as in Mark McGrath. I have never been a fan, but when I am walking around a mall in LA and someone tells me that they just saw him in the Apple Store, I am damn well going to seek him out. Actually I followed him into Crate & Barrel and then backed off. But later in the day our paths crossed again and I was pleased when we exchanged pleasantries.

I don't really like to tag people, so if you'd like - give it a go!

To Do List

2008-01-25T11:33:00.000-05:00

No knitting going on here. TracyB hat attack-ed me - but I just don't have it in me. The wedding is less than 4 months away and I am in full-on wedding planning mode. Which leaves very little knitting time, let me tell ya.

Have I updated you on wedding planning progress? The ceremony & reception locations are booked - for a May wedding in a historic theatre in the city of Detroit. We have chosen the food and we ordered our wedding cake from the favorite bakery in my hometown. I have my dress (yay!) and my bridesmaids' dresses (in black) are ordered. I have an appointment for my hair & make-up on the day of the wedding. Our guest list is just about finalized. We are 99% decided on our invitations - almost ready to place the order. We have booked the restaurant for our rehearsal dinner. A block of rooms have been set aside for our out-of-town guests. We have an awesome DJ lined up and a fabulous photographer. We booked our flights & hotels for the honeymoon(!!!).

Still need to figure out exact flower decor, my jewelry & other accessories, the bridesmaids' jewelry & other accessories, a flowergirl dress, exact tux choices, ceremony musicians, a guestbook, wedding night accomodations for us, seating arrangements, table #s, place cards, ceremony decorations (?), engagement photo shoot, postage, wedding programs, wedding bands, and all sorts of gifts/favors/welcome bags! Am I forgetting anything? I'm sure I am. Oh yeah, writing our ceremony from scratch!

Thank goodness for the With this String, I Thee Wed forum on Ravelry - it is keeping me sane, as well as entertained. Thank you ladies!

Little Pumpkin Hat

2008-01-19T16:25:00.000-05:00

I am so proud. When I actually put my mind to it and have the time, I can finish a knitting project. Here it is - the Little Pumpkin Hat from Itty-Bitty Hats. (Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran - US7 needles)

Being a passenger, rather than the driver on a road trip made all the difference in the world. I started this hat on Friday and was done with it when we got back home on Sunday. YAY! I think it is the bee's knees. So cute! And easy & quick, too! I loved it without the leaf, but once the leaf was attached, I loved it 10 times more. Look how cute!

The road trip was a surprise visit to my parent's for my mom's 70th (!) birthday party. My dad is so cute - he had some tricks up his sleeve and mom never knew that he had planned a surprise party in addition to her surprise visitors. It was a lot of fun!

Other than knitting and celebrating, we played Wii all weekend. All I can say is OUCH! I boxed like there was no tomorrow and was in pain for the next 3 days. But now Matt & I want a Wii of our own. So. Much. Fun!!

orange & green yarn

2008-01-10T18:59:00.000-05:00

I bought some yarn a few months ago to knit Little Pumpkin from Itty-Bitty Hats. This book has so, so many cute baby hats.

I will be a passenger on a little road trip this weekend. So, I am really hoping to get in some knitting time. Of course, I do have other projects that I should probably work on instead. But I feel like giving this pattern a go. It is so cute and I am hoping that it won't take too terribly long.

2008 is here!

2008-01-02T14:40:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Thank you for your kind thoughts about Daisy.

Here's a holiday recap:

Christmas Eve Eve with Matt's family was a total blast. We had Mexi-Coke and I even got to knit!

Want a great idea for a Christmas present for a cool kid? A harmonica! Just ask their mom! That's right - Matt & I had the brilliant idea to give harmonicas to Holly's 3 boys for Christmas. Highlight of the day: 3 cute boys dancing around in a circle while jamming on their harmonicas!

I didn't get a harmonica. But guess what I did get?! A sewing machine + sewing lessons!!! I am super excited about this. I have been wanting to learn how to sew for a while. YAY! (Thanks, Matt - you are the best!)

We spent New Year's Eve with Mel & Barb. They came over to our place for some wine & apps. And then we headed to a restaurant near our house. It was a pleasant evening ... good company. Right after ringing in the new year, we headed home. Pretty low key, but nice. It snowed all night long and I was so happy to see everything blanketed in white when I woke up. Didn't think to bust out the camera until way later in the day.

Things got really busy right before Christmas, so we didn't quite get around to making all the cookies that we had planned on. So, we spent New Year's Day in PJs making cookies, playing Rummikub and catching up on the DVR!

Who needs a rolling pin!?!?!? Best idea of 2008, so far!

We made some delicious treats to share with our neighbors ... Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps (with actual coffee), Peppermint Bark and Gingerbread trees.

This year promises to be a very exciting one, filled with vows and wedding cake and a honeymoon. I can't wait to make Matt my mister!

Daisy Skye

2007-12-29T10:40:00.000-05:00

I have sad news. Daisy is no longer with us. She was truly the best dog. Loyal and funny and sweet. She loved to cuddle and play. She loved to watch the squirrels and chase them up the tree in the backyard. She loved to get massages and to give TONS of kisses. Some of my favorite moments with Daisy occurred in the early morning, when she would run into my room and start jumping at the edge of the bed and whining until I pulled her up to snuggle with me. She would literally get under the covers and put her head on the pillow and we would spoon!

Daisy Skye

2002 - 2007

The vets determined that she had lymphoma (the bad kind) and she received one treatment of chemotherapy. But things just weren't right. Daisy wasn't eating and she couldn't get comfortable. She rarely wagged her tail. It became obvious that Daisy's quality of life had changed. So, Daisy was put to sleep on Thursday afternoon. She was surrounded by her 2 moms, her grandparents, her uncle and her good friend. She gave us lots of good-bye kisses.

It was such a sad day ... but it was the right decision. She was so loved and will be missed so much. Her life was way, way too short.

A few of my favorite things

2007-12-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

I'm no Oprah, but I thought I'd pass along a few of my favorite things this holiday season ...

You are probably getting sick of hearing about Detroit, but I just wanted to share a photo of the gigantic Christmas ornament outside of the new casino. I am NOT into casinos at all, but I am enjoying this holiday display. Pretty, no?

Matt & I found these fun (and potentially offensive) Christmas cards at the local Etsy craft show. They will be in the mail for special friends for Christmas 2008, since we had already sent out this year's cards.

I LOVE this paper garland from Kiddley. I won't get around to making it this year, but maybe in time for next Christmas. It is so simple, yet so charming! Love, love, love it!

YarnaholicTracyB brought some hilarious gift tags to my attention, but I also discovered some really cute ones today that are perfect for knitters. I, of course, did not complete any hand knit gifts this year. But these lovely gift tags will adorn my packages when I do get around to completing some hand knit gifts.

I love taking pictures when it is snowing outside. It just looks so fun & magical.

Last Saturday, we got a ton of snow here and it was to my great delight. I really think it is possible - we may have a White Christmas. YAY!

A Christmas Meme

2007-12-18T18:00:00.000-05:00

I saw this on Knit Wit Girly's blog and thought it was fun.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I prefer wrapping paper. I mean, I LOVE wrapping paper. But some gifts require a bag - and that is okay, too.

2. Real tree or artificial? I am in love with real trees. Growing up, we had to have a fake one since the only place it fit was right next to the fire place. Now I insist on a real tree and feel good about supporting a local farmer!

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually around the 1st week of December.

4. When do you take the tree down? When I get worried that all my ornaments are going to fall off because the tree is so droopy. This year our tree has been drinking up the water, so I am thinking that this one may last a while. YAY!

5. Do you like eggnog? Not particularly, but my dear Grandma did. So, yes, I like it - but not to drink.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my Cabbage Patch Kid (1984 - the year that mom's were throwing down to put one under the tree ... thankfully my brother worked at the toy store).

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope.

8. Hardest person to buy for? This year I didn't struggle too much with anyone. : )

9. Easiest person to buy for? My mom, I guess - I can usually get some ideas for her when we are out shopping.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? The dictionary in 7th grade - totally boring!

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? MAIL! (of course)

12 . Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually December 26th ... I pick up a few things on sale for gift giving in the next year.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Um ... no comment.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies!

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear ...

17. Favorite Christmas song? So many to choose from ... I am always delighted when I hear David Bowie/Bing Crosby's "Little Drummer Boy."

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? We are travelling across the state this weekend, but will be back to celebrate Christmas Day in D-Town.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher & Dancer & Prancer & Vixen, Comet & Cupid & Donner & Blitzen ... plus Rudolph : )

20. Angel on the treetop or star? We have a snowman on ours.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We will be opening gifts all weekend long. But Matt & I will wait until Christmas morning to exchange.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Slow walkers in the mall.

23. What I love most about Christmas? Spending time with family and friends. And I love Christmas lights.

24. What's your favorite Christmas Memory? Coming down the stairs and seeing all of the stuff under the tree. WOW!

25. Believe or Not? Totally believe!

Tag - you are it! Happy Holidays Knitters!

#40? I'll take it!

2007-12-11T15:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the Detroit love, people! I really do appreciate it.

Now here is some good news! NellyKnits pointed out a sweet article in the NY Times that named Detroit as one of the 53 Places to Visit in 2008!

And HollyBee set the record straight on Detroit vs Battle Creek. It's not all about cereal over there. They've got meth and hookers and all the other crappy stuff that cities want to sweep under the rug ... so no more finger pointing! She also invited me to a Zombie Prom Date Knitters slumber party - so sad that I wasn't able to attend.

And another reason that Detroit is awesome ... this weekend we went to see the Detroit Derby Girls! The Detroit Pistoffs vs the D-Funk Allstars. It was a gas! And the perfect way to celebrate the holidays.

Changing perceptions ...

2007-11-25T17:28:00.000-05:00

Okay, so you may have heard a rumor about Detroit recently. Detroit was named the "most dangerous city" in a report (that the American Society of Criminology called "irresponsible.") This misuse of statistical data, which by the way isn't provided by all cities of a similar size, is damaging to the city - and frankly, I am pissed off. I feel the need to address it here, because most of you aren't from Detroit and may never find yourself in Detroit at any point in your life. And if there is anything I can do to change even one person's perception of my fair city - then I am happy.

Admittedly, Detroit is not without its share of problems. However, Detroit is not a horrible place, it is not the most dangerous city in the US, it is not the murder capital of the world. It is the city that I love and the city where Matt & I will be married. Detroit is where my heart is. We have amazing museums, fantastic architecture, awesome local indie and garage rock music, delicious restaurants, darn good people,

a sweet Thanksgiving Day Parade,

and the newly re-opened world class art institute!

Thanks for listening to my rants (and raves).

Oh, and I have been knitting a little bit, but not much. Between Thanksgiving and wedding planning and Christmas cards and work, not much knitting is going on. Here is my slow, sloth-like progression on a cute cable-y Blizzard-y scarf. Hopefully it'll be done in time for the holidays ...

It's beginning to look a lot like ...

2007-11-13T08:22:00.000-05:00

The Christmas carols are already on the radio. Festive flavors have returned to Starbucks. Santa's sleigh arrived at a local mall. We even bought a tree stand and some lights. So, I figured that I could start my Christmas cards, too. Yep - on Sunday night I sat on the couch and started writing my Christmas cards! And when I start my cards, I start thinking about postage stamps. I love stamps!

Have you seen the Holiday Knits stamps?

I am not sure how I feel about these. Will they further the trend of horrible holiday sweaters? I hope not. But the stamps will adorn my Christmas cards this holiday season!

8 r a n d o m t h i n g s

2007-11-08T19:48:00.000-05:00

I saw this on mayarn's blog and figured I'd give it a go ...

I had French from 5th grade through 12th grade - but since I rarely have had a chance use it, I barely retained any of it.
I took a major pay cut to become a librarian. But now I am happy when I am at work instead of surly and angry all the time. Money isn't everything (as they say).
My dear grandma was a knitter. I miss her a ton and wish that we could have had the chance to knit together.
I am a sap ... I cry during the Today Show, Oprah, Grey's Anatomy, Animal Cops - you name it!
I am introducing my future in-laws and my parents this weekend. I know it'll be great, but I am still nervous.
I am closer in age to my niece than I am to my sister.
I sometimes get crazy-head and have trouble sleeping at night.
I wish that I had a nice singing voice.

I don't know who I should tag. Do people like to be tagged? Oh well - here goes (if you wish):
Holly? Come on - random zombie facts straight outta Michigan!
Mel? Bring on the California random fun ...
Jeanne? Cleveland style random-ness!

Speaking of Jeanne - I was just clicking around on her blog (which I often do) and check out this CUTE hat she designed!!! I love it ... maybe I will put this one toward the top of the list.

October in pictures

2007-11-01T17:21:00.000-04:00

We went to hear (see) David Sedaris. It was so great - he is hilarious. Since it was at a super small venue (400 seats), we also got to meet him and have him sign a book. I need to take a picture of what he wrote and post it. I was nervous and couldn't think of anything clever to say to someone who is so incredibly clever. Boo!

We went to see Wilco at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on October 17th. Lots of fun and a kick-ass venue!

Another Oktoberfest celebration at the Dakota Inn in Detroit. This place always provides excellent people watching and delicious potato pancakes. Kurz & lang stack, please!

The annual fall apple orchard visit is my favorite.

Matt & I carved pumpkins and made pumkin seeds (yum!) on Tuesday night.

Swirly Baby Hat

2007-10-22T21:12:00.000-04:00

I finished a knitting project! Yes, it is true! I have finally finished knitting the super cute swirly hat from Knitting for Peace. (It only took me 6 months.) But I think it turned out very sweet and now I need to find it a home.

We had some beautiful weather this weekend. Sunny and warm ... crazy. I have to remind myself that November is around the corner, though. Pretty soon it is going to be turtleneck sweaters and pea coats. Pretty soon. But today I squeezed in another wear of the capri pants. Probably a fashion faux pas, but Tim Gunn wasn't scheduled to stop by the library - so I went for it. Anyhow - back to this weekend - we went to the local farmer's market and got pumpkins and peppers and some Michigan honey. Fun! Look at the lovely cauliflower we saw. I didn't buy it, but isn't it pretty????

I WON!

2007-10-06T13:43:00.000-04:00

I won! I was so excited to learn that I was 1 of 3 winners of KnitMongrel's blog contest. How, you ask? All I had to do was come up with a fun name for her new Mac. I suggested all sorts of strange varieties of apples, one of which was Lord Lambourne. She liked it and I lucked out! See?

And this yummy yarn contest package arrived on my birthday! How fun is that? I say it is a great way to start the year ...

Wedding update:

Things have been busy in the world of wedding planning. We've got showers on the calendar, we are meeting with photographers, we have glanced at some bridesmaid dresses, we made an appointment with the bakery, we have touched base with a florist. Not bad.

And we have checked some major things off the list, which feels really good.

1. We have a date, a place and a time!

2. We booked a DJ for the occasion!

3. I found & ordered my dress!!!!!!

4. We registered! Here I am testing out the luxurious bath sheets ...

So much more to do ... hopefully without too many meltdowns. I had one last week, but thankfully I have a sweet fiance, who took me on a very relaxing get away for my birthday. Great timing! I am feeling much better now.

20 questions - 1 year later

2007-09-27T19:30:00.000-04:00

So, last year around this time I had many questions, but not many answers. I was feeling a little lost. So let's see how many of my 20 questions from September of 2006 have been answered in the meantime!

when will this rainy weather go away? Nothing groundbreaking here - it comes and goes.
what has the world got in store for me? Lots of really wonderful things (namely a life with Matt!)
who is going to Fashion Week on Project Runway? A better question is when does the next season of PR start?
what am I going to do with all this yarn? Obviously, I am going to organize it all on Ravelry and then find fun patterns to make!
why is life so complicated? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!
where did I lose my credit card? HA! Who knows?!
how did I get here? I was just throwing out a Talking Heads quote there - to be cute!
what should I knit next? Ravelry will have the answer!
will 32 be a better year than 31 was? YES, YES and YES!
when will I meet my lloyd dobler? In November, at the Michigan Library Association Conference in Detroit. ( I never would have believed this answer back then)
should I start my holiday knitting now? YES!
when will I find some jeans that I like and that fit well? bananarepublic.com baby!
when & where can I go on another trip? Planning a honeymoon now - who'da thunk it?
why don't I feel like knitting lately? 'Cuz that's life!
(I hate to generalize but ...) why are boys so silly, stupid & ridiculous sometimes? I'll never know ... but I am glad to have found one that doesn't make me wonder such things!
and why do I care? I don't anymore!
how will the Tigers do in the American League Division Series? They will kick ass!
should I move to Chicago? Nope.
why does a public library draw in so many freaks? That is a good question!
should I sell some of this crap on e-bay? Apparently not - still haven't put any of it up for bid!

Look at me! I have most of the answers & my very own Lloyd Dobler. YAY me!

Detroit Knit City

2007-09-11T10:13:00.001-04:00

Matt & I had a fun weekend in Detroit. We went to the 30th Annual Dally in the Alley in the Cass Corridor on Saturday night ... Detroit grit at its finest. Lots of music, people watching, vendors and Detroit beer. I bought a super cute t-shirt ("Little Miss Detroit") and ran into Karen, Ruby, Michelle & Jeff. Good times.

On Sunday, we went to the Detroit Tigers v. Seattle Mariners game. We lost (boo!), but we still had a great time and beautiful weather. This was our first game of the year, which is crazy. But it has been really hard to get tickets this year, since they did so well last year.

I bought these tickets as part of Matt's birthday present before I realized that this was the Detroit Stitch & Pitch game. So, while we were technically at Stitch & Pitch, we weren't actual participants and didn't get the cool bag o' goodies. Maybe next year! I need to thank a nice woman at the booth that gave me a bag (minus the goodies), since there were extras. We were a few sections over from the knitters - lots of folks wearing orange "Knitting Detroit Together" tees. Check 'em out (enlarge the photo by clicking on it for a better view of knitters in action!).

Onto the LYS sale! Ewenique Knits was offering 20% off purchases on Friday & Saturday, so I headed over. I picked up some yarn to make a pumpkin hat and I got a great canvas bag for free. (Thanks to TracyB for the tip)

Next on the needles?

2007-09-06T21:22:00.000-04:00

I am loving Ravelry (as previously mentioned). I am putting all sorts of things in my queue. It is so fantastic to look at a pattern that's cute and be able to organize it electronically to revisit at a later date. There are so many patterns that I have looked at over the past few years that I printed out or tried to make a mental note about. All that did was clutter up my house and my brain. So, in addition to the many benefits, Ravelry has also helped me de-clutter (a little bit at least). YAY!

I am also loving working in a library! We just got a new knitting book...

I have looked through the other yarn girls' offerings and thought they were cute. But this book has lots of patterns that look really cute and totally knit-able. I have been wanting a knit a sweater for a while, but haven't found the right pattern for me. There are multiple sweaters in this book that appeal to me. So. Excited!

Top picks include:

Olivia's Sweatshirt
Maximum Wearibility sweater
Now or Never sweater
Becoming the Bag Lady purse

Let's see if I actually produce any FOs from this book. I am seriously contemplating ordering the Merino Frappe as suggested for the Olivia Sweatshirt. So, what's next on your needles?

Ravelry

2007-08-28T17:54:00.000-04:00

I have a new obsession. Ravelry. Seriously.

Have you tried it? It is amazing. Technically, I have been a "Raveler" since April, but it is only in the past 3 weeks or so that I have really put it to use! The librarian in me loves the way I can organize all of my knitting stuff (past, present and intended) - projects and yarn and patterns and knitting books. And the cross referencing of yarn and patterns and pictures and books ... it can keep me occupied for hours. Seriously.

The days of googling a yarn and hoping and praying to come across someone else's blog who has knit something cool with it are over. Now, with just a few clicks, a can find out what lots of other knitters did with that skein of yarn that I've had sitting around collecting dust. Or I can look at all of the different yarns that people chose to knit something that I have been wanting to make. And there are so many cool new people to meet and connect with. YAY! I heart Ravelry.

Michigan Fiber Festival

2007-08-22T06:22:00.001-04:00

Went to Michigan Fiber Fest on Saturday. We made the 3 hour drive to Allegan and then had a blast checking out the sheep, the massive piles of roving and all the beautiful yarn.

I really used self-control and only purchased one hank of yarn. I figured that since I have only completed 1 knitting project this year - I can't justify huge yarn purchases right now. So, here it is ... my dreamy yarn from Briar Rose Fibers! 250 yards of hand painted 100% wool.

Ran into some knit bloggers: Beth (with her ravelry button) & Holly Bee (spotted her in that bright orange Tigers shirt ... awesome!). Did I mention that Holly is actually Matt's cousin? How lucky am I? Not only will I be marrying an awesome guy, but I also get a fabulous (and hilarious) knit blogging cousin! FUN!

On Saturday evening, we went to a family gathering in Kalamazoo. Holly & her family (Uncle Olive, Aunt Guinness, 3 pigs & an ogre) came, too. More fun! And such cute kids!

It was a battle of the digital cameras!

Boston + actual knitting content

2007-08-16T09:52:00.000-04:00

Matt & I are just back from a week in Boston. We had so much fun and were super impressed by how walkable that city is! We fit in a lot, here are some highlights:

Swan Boat ride in the Public Garden
tour of the Massachusetts State House

Make Way for Ducklings statue
Boston Children's Museum
architectural tour of Boston Public Library

Blue Man Group (half off tickets!!!!)
New England Aquarium

walking around the Beacon Hill area - so cute!
tour of Fenway Park (no tickets to the game!)

Did I mention that we saw Maya? We met at the Middle East for dinner and wedding chatter. It was great to see her! And fun to get the scoop on the chuppah & the wedding plans.

So, here it is ... proof that I knit. I am really exited about this pattern and to see the hat as an FO. I wish I wasn't so slow about it. I started it 2 months ago! I am hoping that I won't have to sew in all those ends ... wishful thinking!

Speaking of knitting, Matt & I are headed to the Michigan Fiber Fest this weekend. I have never been, but it promises to be fun. We are hoping to run into Aunt Guinness & Uncle Olive, as well as Holly Bee. Anyone else planning on attending? : )

love is a mix tape

2007-08-07T10:24:00.000-04:00

Matt bought me a great book last week - Love is a Mix Tape : Life and Loss, One Song at a Time. I can't put it down. It is basically a love story, written by Rob Sheffield (Rolling Stone contributing editor) about his wife Renee and their shared love of music. I am a huge fan of mix tapes and I am in love with love, so this was a perfect choice for me. I have made Matt 3 mix "tapes" since we began. I do believe that my skills on "You Can't Hear it on the Radio : a Wilco Primer" persuaded him to fall in love with me.

Here's a quote from the book that made me smile:

The Radio Tape
"Back when people listened to the radio, you kept a tape handy in your boombox at all times so you could capture the hot new hits of the week. The intro would always get cut off, and the DJ would chatter over the end. You also ended up with static, commercials, and jingles, but all that noise just added to the field-recording verisimilitude. The radio tape puts you right back in the original time and place when you first heard the songs. You are there, my friend. A girl I once knew had a radio tape with "Rock Me Amadeus" five or six times on each side, she just pressed record every time she heard it." (pg. 22, 2007)

I had so many radio tapes back in the day. And I love (not past tense) "Rock Me Amadeus" ... I only wish that I had found a radio station in 1986 that played it often enough for me to record it 5 or 6 times per side! I can only dream of such things!

Photos from the 4th

2007-07-25T23:02:00.001-04:00

Spent the 4th of July up north, for a little slice of Americana and some good old R&R. I don't know what it is - maybe all the fresh air - but I get lots of sleep and feel so relaxed up there. I couldn't live there (I need the city), but it is so wonderful to visit. We watched a parade, visited 2 farm markets, rode around on golf carts, made some deliciously fresh pasta salad, enjoyed the views of the lake and dug our toes into the sand!

We also went on a day trip to Mackinac Island with my folks. It was a fun day that included a carriage ride, walking around the grounds of the Grand Hotel and fudge (of course!). At night, we went on a dinner/sunset cruise. Incredible views of the Mackinac Bridge with the sun setting behind it. A totally unique experience, for sure. And lots of photo ops!

More librarian talk

2007-07-11T14:45:00.001-04:00

There was a great article in the NY Times the other day that I'd like to share: A Hipper Crowd of Shushers. The article talks about the changing face of the modern librarian. It cracks me up how the stereotypes of librarians are still so imbedded in our minds. Quiet, mousy old ladies shushing everyone. These librarians still exist, for sure. But get into a library, people. You will see hipsters and "guy-brarians" behind your reference desks. And you just might run into your local librarian at a rock show or at the bar.

Speaking of "guy-brarians" ... mine has a blog of his own. Check it out: http://www.detroitleaning.blogspot.com/

Matt & I had a wonderful time up north, visiting my folks for the 4th of July. We took a ton of photos, but haven't uploaded them as of yet. Still can't find the darn cord to hook it up. Soon - I hope to post pictures of our mini-vacay and of my knitting!

Where I am today ...

2007-07-03T12:54:00.000-04:00

Last year at this time, I had just finished a buttonhole bag and I was looking forward to my trip to France & Italy. Who could have possibly guessed that one year later I would be where I am today. Where am I today? Well ... I am:

happier than ever!

engaged to and in love with a wonderful and amazing guy

planning a wedding for May 2008

trying to finishing knitting project #2 of '07

looking forward to a trip to Boston

going wedding dress shopping

You never know where the roads of life will lead you. I feel so lucky to have taken the right road. Life is good!

Librarian humor

2007-06-27T22:41:00.000-04:00

My boss shared this YouTube clip with me the other day. I thought that it was very amusing, so I am going to pass it along. It is "March of the Penguins" - American Library Association style! Librarian humor? You be the judge.

I did some knitting! I now have 8 stripes, compared to 4 stripes. Not a huge accomplishment (if I am comparing myself to you all), but it is something to be proud of compared to my recent knitting track record. I would love to show you a picture of my progress. However, I cannot find the cord to connect the camera to the computer. (Damn it) Oh well - just look at the last post and imagine the WIP twice as big.

One is the loneliest number

2007-06-18T16:18:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe a whole month has gone by since I have blogged. On top of that, I have not knit one single stitch. The name of this blog should NOT be kristinknits based on my track record this year. I have completed one knitting project so far. ONE! That is pathetic. I have started two other projects. Remember these?

Yeah. These projects look just like they did in these pictures, which were posted in March & April. I have not knit since April. APRIL!

Am I being too hard on myself? This has been a busy year. And it has been a busy past few months (engagement, moving, planning a wedding, working ...). All these wonderful life changes are more important than knitting. But I need to bust out the knitting soon. NEED. TO!

(Maybe writing it here will be my motivation ... just maybe!)

Movie Quiz

2007-05-15T12:34:00.000-04:00

Saw this on Knit Wit Girly's blog and thought I'd give it a go. No knitting these days - sorry folks.

1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.
Sixteen Candles … probably nearly 100 times (seriously)

2. Name a movie that you've seen multiple times in the theatre.
I can't think of anything recently ... I have seen Dazed & Confused at least 3 times in the theatre.

3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Zach Braff or Michael Vartan : )

4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.
I hate Jim Carrey! Try to avoid just about anything that he is in.

5. Name a movie that you can and do quote from.
I quote movies all the time. I'd say Sixteen Candles, Office Space, Napoleon Dynamite and Dazed & Confused top the list.

6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
Sound of Music

7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.
Anything … I love singing (even though I'm not a good singer).

8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.
Super Size Me

9. Name a movie that you own.
Sixteen Candles, of course. Although, I think I prefer catching it on TBS.

10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
Bill Murray - I love Caddyshack, but I LOVE Lost in Translation.

11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
Not many - but I did see Twister at the drive-in.

12. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't yet gotten around to it.
Schindler's List ... I wanted to see it when it was in the theatre and I still haven't. Soon, I promise.

13. Ever walked out of a movie?
Yes. The Crow 2. Worst. Movie. Ever.

14. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
I Am Sam ... we are talking openly weeping in the theatre. Yep.

15. Popcorn?
Once in a blue moon. I'm more of a Junior Mints girl.

16. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
Not that often - there hasn't been much that I have wanted to see lately.

17. What's the last movie you saw in the theater?
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

18. What's your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Depends on my mood.

19. What's the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
The Muppet Movie!

20. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
Gangs of New York - I hated that movie. HATED!

21. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
Hmmm. I can't really think of anything super weird. I think I like weird, so this is a tough one.

22. What is the scariest movie you've seen?
I remember The Exorcist being pretty scary. I haven't seen it since 1988 or so, though.

23. What is the funniest movie you've seen?
Ever? I don't know. See #5 for the list of movies I quote from. Those are all hilarious in my book.

Thank you!

2007-05-07T11:17:00.000-04:00

Well, let me start by saying that YOU are the greatest. Yes, YOU! I can't believe all of the nice and wonderful comments you all left for Matt & me. It is nice to feel love and support from our friends & family. But to receive just as much warmth from my blogging friends is somewhat unexpected, but absolutely SUPER fantastic! Wow! And thank you!

Knit bloggers are the COOLEST!

Matt & I made the big move this weekend. We had some awesome helpers (thank you Mel & Jim). The vast majority of my stuff is out of Mel's place and in our townhouse. Now onto the organization! Should be fun ...

2007-05-01T07:56:00.000-04:00

Please excuse the unacceptable length of time since my last post. It is with good reason - I promise. I will tell you the story with pictures and words ....

4.20.07: Matt & I wait in the Diego Rivera Court at the DIA to meet friends - with the intent of visiting the Ansel Adams exhibit. The court is my favorite place in the museum! And the friends are stuck in traffic, so we are enjoying each other's company & peoplewatching. There are seemingly millions of kids in the museum on field trips on this day. At one point, we are standing together in the middle of the room and a tour guide comes along and loudly tells us, "Excuse me! We have a tour group coming through!" I am not sure why she felt that we needed to move. I guess she wanted our spot. We were kind of thrown off by it and Matt asked if I wanted to go outside to wait for our friends.

Once outside, Matt decided to call the friends and leave a message. He told them that we were going to run over to the Detroit Public Library to look at a Student Art Exhibit while we wait for them. We headed over there and up to the 3rd Floor into a beautiful room where the exhibit was being held. We started chatting in a quiet corner of the room, not really paying that much attention to the art. And Matt started telling me all sorts of sweet things and then he asked me to marry him and I said YES. Actually I think I said YES about 18 times.

And I jumped up and down and hugged him a million times. And then Matt put the most beautiful and perfect ring on my finger. (And told me that our friends were not really coming!)

We had been to the DIA and DPL on our first date, so the location was awesome. Come to find out - Matt was planning to propse in the Rivera Court. He had actually started saying all of those sweet things to me and was moments away from getting down on one knee when that tour guide (remember her?) came along and RUDELY interupted. His plan was foiled! But he was quick on his feet and recovered amazingly. We are both librarians, we had a class together in library school, we re-met at a library conference - so it is fitting that we get engaged at a library, too!

That night, Matt had made us a reservation at the Rugby Grill for a fabulous dinner. It was such a wonderful and perfect day. Everything that he had planned was so sweet. Sigh ... love is so grand!

So, hopefully now you understand that life has been a bit of a whirlwind. Plus, we are moving this weekend. Packing, packing and more packing ...

Extra-super amazingly cute

2007-04-10T09:12:00.000-04:00

I had a knitting program at the library for kids last weekend. I forgot to take pictures, but it was a lot of fun. We taught 15 boys & girls how to knit. It was really tough. We had 4 adults in the room, but I think that we could have used more. Most of the kids needed a lot of support ... obviously. The project was a knitted bookmark with some beads to embellish. They used Lambs Pride Bulky yarn in a variety of beautiful colors! The good news is that I have heard feedback from some of the kid's parents that they are still knitting at home. YAY!

Have I mentioned that Matt knows how to knit? Is that not the best thing ever? I did not teach him, he already knew how (he taught himself to knit in grad school)! Super DREAMY! And he was one of my volunteer adult helpers in the knitting program - extra-super amazingly cute! Sigh ...

Matt & I decided that we would like to knit some baby gifts for a friend. Matt is working on a bib and I am making a hat. I found a pattern in Knitting for Peace and couldn't resist it. Here's what I have so far:

More Michigan Adventures

2007-03-27T18:14:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, Matt & I ventured to the west side of the state to Grand Rapids. We visited the Fredrik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The main point of our visit was the butterfly exhibit, which was amazing. We spotted many of the 40 species that were there.

And we picked a perfect day to go, because it was very spring-y outside. We walked and people watched and enjoyed the fresh air. The number of sculptures there is crazy! And look how huge this horse is. (Yes! That is Matt on the ground underneath the horse)

Domestic Diva-ing

2007-03-22T08:14:00.000-04:00

Look! I knit a few stitches this week.

Not that exciting, I know. But the scarf is on the needles and on its way. Which is more than has happened in quite some time. It is questionable whether my grey PS project will be an FO before month's end. But I am working on it - and that is progress!

Last weekend, Matt & I made the Sauteed Chicken in a Mustard Cream Sauce recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food. White wine, heavy cream and dijon mustard - YUM! It was so freaking good! So good in fact, that I have been craving it all week and decided to make it again last night. See?

I highly recommend the recipes from Everyday Food. We have made many and they have all turned out really well - super yummy. And, did I mention that they are easy? This weekend we are hoping to try out the Lighter Mac & Cheese recipe. FUN!

Completely out of the loop

2007-03-10T18:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, I have been called out and correctly so ... my lack of blogging and knitting is likely due to my new found interest in a boy who lives half way across the state. That is okay with me - I am having a fabulous time! But I do feel slightly guilty for the lack of knitting, the lack of blogging and the lack of reading your blogs.

I have decided that it is time to get back in the loop! So, I learned that Maya announced some awesome news. I also made a visit to my LYS the other day and bought some lovely Blizzard yarn in grey (643). I have to knit up a Blizzard scarf every year - it is so soft and pretty!

And it will work for Project Spectrum - I had to choose just one color out of the three. I couldn't bring myself to knit anything that would remind me of the Detroit Lions. Spring may be arriving soon ... but I can just save this scarf until next fall or for a gift. We shall see!

Matt & I visited the Henry Ford museum yesterday. They currently have an awesome exhibit called The Eames Lounge Chair: An Icon of Modern Design. It was interesting to see many of the familiar pieces of furniture on display. Good times!

Oscar Fever

2007-02-26T20:07:00.000-05:00

I had full intentions of writing a post before the Oscars and predicting the outcome. Didn't happen (obvs). So, instead, I will comment now.

First of all, I was SO happy when The Danish Poet took the Oscar for Animated Short. Typically, this is the kind of thing that the general public has little or no exposure to. The wonderful Detroit Film Theatre, however, made it possible for me to see this short and it is just about the cutest thing EVER. Matt & I loved it! And it has knitting in it ... so how can you go wrong? I highly recommend checking it out if you get the chance!

Other awards that I was kind of excited about:
Documentary - An Inconvenient Truth (although Jesus Camp looks good, too!)
Live Action Short - West Bank Story (campy & fun!)
Original Screenplay - Little Miss Sunshine (figured that it would never win Best Picture, so this is a nice nod)
Best Supporting Actor - Alan Arkin

Overall I thought the show was good. Ellen did a nice job. I liked the focus on the nominees, rather than just the winners. Ok ... one final thought. What the hell is up with Jennifer Hudson's red carpet metallic bolero? Is she rocketing into outer space later? Thank God she took it off before the actual ceremony.

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T20:53:00.000-05:00

It is 9pm on Valentine's Day ... I wish I was with my Valentine, but he is 2 hours away & has the flu. So, I spent my evening doing laundry, catching up on Grey's Anatomy and eating a bowl of Amy's Organic Minestrone soup.

I have NO knitting news to share. I have not knit a stitch since I finished the Red Scarf Project. I have been a bad knitter and a bad blogger. I need to get motivated. I need to pick a new project. I need to start Project Spectrum on a good foot. Any good ideas? I have got to be honest ... blue, white and gray are not moving me at all. I can't help but think of the Detroit Lions when I see those colors together. HELP ME!

Red Scarf Complete

2007-01-29T19:28:00.000-05:00

I finished the Red Scarf Project! It is super last minute, but I am going to overnight it tomorrow so that I will not miss the deadline. Don't mind the nub sticking out at the bottom, I hadn't weaved in the ends yet!
Here it is:

NEEDLES: US 15s

CO: 13 stitches

PATTERN: seed stitch

This weekend Matt & I went up north to visit the parental unit. I was absolutely delighted by the falling snow and the snow covered branches up there. We had such a great time playing in the snow. Matt had never skiied before, so it was wonderful to watch him learn!

W I N T E R

2007-01-16T09:44:00.000-05:00

Winter seems to have FINALLY arrived in Southeastern Michigan. Lots of ice and a little bit of snow. The poor trees are coated with ice. You can hear them creaking and cracking when the wind blows. And all over town there are huge branches that have fallen down. YIKES!

I really want to go skiing this season, so I hope we get some more snow. The ice, I can do without.

Last night was Knit Night. We watched the Golden Globes and knit. It has been a while and it felt good to be back in the game. Red Scarf Project is coming along nicely. I am about half way done, I'd say. It is just a simple seed stitch scarf - but I think it has a nice texture and will be very warm! Pictures soon ...

Red Scarf Project

2007-01-10T21:01:00.000-05:00

I have decided to knit a scarf for the Red Scarf Project. This is an awesome program through the Orphan Foundation of America. A few simple steps: knit a red scarf, send it to the foundation in January, and the scarf is given to a college-bound foster youth for Valentine's Day.

This is perfect! I love knitting scarves. I can use up some of my stash. I can help to keep someone warm & cozy this winter. Win-win situation! Scarves are only accepted during the month of January, due to limited storage space. I started mine tonight and need to make sure I finish it up in the next 2 weeks, so that it is in the mail and arrives before the deadline.

Crafty * Creative * Inspired

2007-01-04T09:12:00.000-05:00

I was so excited this morning when I visited Lolly's blog. Her post outlines Project Spectrum 2.0 (to begin in February). If you didn't participate last time, I highly recommend it! The original PS motivated me to try new colors and designs. PS 2.0 looks like it will be even more interesting with new color combinations and 2 month spans, allowing for larger projects. Will I tackle an adult sweater this year? Maybe ... I am all signed up and now I can begin thinking about projects.

Go JOIN - you won't regret it! And ... thanks Lolly!

February / March
Blue, White, Gray
April / May
Green, Yellow, Pink
June / July
Red, Black, Metallics
August / September
Brown, Orange, Purple

Two thousand seven

2007-01-02T10:49:00.000-05:00

Hope your celebrations were safe & festive. Despite the total lack of snow in Detroit - the holidays were pretty darn good. Saw the family, got some wonderful gifts, took in some performance art, had fun with friends, ate delicious meals & started 2007 with my "special friend." I cannot complain!

I feel like 2007 is going to be a really great year! Everything seems like it is moving in a positive direction. I can't wait to see what the world has in store for me this year. I am not normally one to make New Year's resolutions. This morning I decided that I want to focus on the good or positive things in 2007. I am a happy & fun-loving person, for sure. But I can also be really negative. I want to take time to smell the roses and notice all the wonderful things that I have in my life. I am lucky - and I need to remember it & focus on it in this new year. Hope your 2007 is happy!

Happy Christmas!

2006-12-21T18:10:00.000-05:00

Christmas is less than 4 days away. I cannot believe it. I am trying really hard to get in the spirit. But it is really hard when it is unseasonably warm and there is not a snow flake in sight. I could honestly get really bummed out about it. Here are some things that are keeping the holiday spirit within reach:

hung out with my niece & nephews - caught a glimpse of Christmas through their eyes. so incredibly exciting!
watched A Charlie Brown Christmas with a boy who I think is the most!
paid for a portion of a random man's newspaper at Starbucks this morning because he didn't have enough change (random acts of kindness, right Mel?)
checked out the Christmas lights display in the town I grew up in

I'm not totally there yet. But I am sure that it will be a wonderful holiday spent with my lovely friends & family! Happy Christmas to you & yours!

Happy Friday!

2006-12-15T10:59:00.000-05:00

Look how lucky I am ...

Last night was Knit Night (although I used the time to wrap presents) and Barb gave us all a gift certificate to the LYS. How nice was that? And I already have a merchandise credit ... so yarn shopping is in my near future. : )

In years past, I have allowed myself to get really stressed around the holidays. This year, I feel organized and on the ball. It is so nice! I am done with my Christmas cards. I have started wrapping gifts!!! And I only have a few more things to buy and I will be done with the shopping. CRAZY!

Today is my day off ... so I am trying to clean and do laundry and straighten and organize. But, as you can see, I am sitting here blogging. I have company coming this weekend. (YAY!) Must prioritize!

Have a great day ...

Gotta love a road trip!

2006-12-11T21:02:00.000-05:00

Life has been fun as of late. Many little roadtrips happening. In the past 3 weeks I have visited Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Lansing (a seperate trip), Battle Creek & Kalamazoo. Things I have learned along the way:

When the weather is right, a long walk can be quite delightful
East Lansing is a much better place to visit in the fall, spring or summer! So. Cold.
The capitol city looks very lovely at night
Yummy food and the music of David Byrne are possible in K-Zoo
Downtown Battle Creek smells like Froot Loops!

Okay - I didn't learn anything monumental. But I had fun and enjoyed some Michigan cities outside of the D. And that is definitely a good thing.

Knitting, on the other hand, hasn't been going so well for me. I am really trying to use this Marl La yarn to create a fun Christmas present. But, no. I will be frogging my latest creation. I have 2 hanks and I am sure something will work out. But with the current # of stitches and ribbing - there is no way that it'll make a long enough scarf for an adult! Bah.

Meet Doug

2006-12-05T08:07:00.000-05:00

Douglas Fir, that is.

Mel & I went to get our Christmas tree last night. It had been snowing all day (finally), so it was the perfect night for such an event. We always go to the same place. The 1st time we went there, we found a bird's nest in our tree. Someone told us that was good luck. I don't know about that, but I loved it! And the awesome guy at the tree lot remembers us. It is so nice & it makes me happy! There is something old fashioned and wonderful about it. So, now I am in the holiday spirit.

We brought the tree into the house. Perhaps tonight Doug will get some bling. : ) In the meantime, I am enjoying the fabulous smell of Christmas tree all through the house.

All signs point to yes!

2006-11-27T22:35:00.000-05:00

On Thanksgiving morning, Mel & I went downtown to America's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Last year, it was freezing cold and I only captured Tom Selleck by the back of his head. This year, the weather was perfect and I got the picture I wanted! (Update/clarification: Tom Selleck is a native Detroiter, hence the huge papier-mache Magnum PI in honor of the holidays)

And yes, that is our mayor on the float in the background wearing the most hideous jacket ever! (Okay, maybe not EVER - but it is a close second to Puddy's 8 Ball jacket.)

Enjoyed Dad's stuffing on Thanksgiving - YUM!. Got a good chunk of my Christmas shopping done on Friday - HOORAY! Hung out with Ruby & Karen on Saturday evening - FUN! Spent a wonderful day in Ann Arbor on Sunday - YAY! And today ... it is back to reality. Tonight was Knit Night. Drank some wine. Watched An Inconvenient Truth (see it, if you haven't). And finished off this little beauty ...

Pattern: Asymmetrical Cable Hat from One Skein
Yarn: Knit Picks Panache in Coal
Needles: US 11s (Denise circulars)

Kicking off the holidays

2006-11-21T22:50:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who shared their favorite picture books! WOW! Such a variety. It was amazing. I am excited to see if my library owns some of the unfamiliar (to me) titles, if not perhaps I will do an interloan to see what it is all about! It's nice to see people so excited about children's literature.

Mel & I went to the Fox Theatre in Detroit last night with my fam to kick off the holidays. We saw Irving Berlin's White Christmas. It was an entertaining evening, for sure. The Fox is an old movie palace from the 20s ... it is absolutely gorgeous. This photo doesn't even begin to do justice to the beauty of the theatre.

I tried to get a photo of my current knitting project, but it just didn't work out. Close your eyes and visualize ... black yarn, circular needles, knitting, purling, cabling. OK thanks - maybe next time I'll have a picture.

It is so nice to have a short work week for the holiday. I am looking forward to spending more time with the fam and to getting some shopping done on my days off. Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Children's Book Week

2006-11-16T09:01:00.000-05:00

Did you know that it is Children's Book Week? Well, it is and it got me thinking about all the books I loved as a kid.

And of course, since I am a Children's Librarian, there are many that I love today, as well. It is so hard to pick, but here are a few.

I was just wondering what your favorite picture books are/were? Feel free to share, if you like.

Knitting fool

2006-11-14T23:13:00.000-05:00

I have been a knitting fool lately. And by fool, I mean fool - literally. On Thursday night, I could not focus. I started a My So Called Scarf no less than 5 times. I eventually gave up and decided to focus my attention on Grey's Anatomy. I started it again on Sunday and it was coming along nicely. But then last night I somehow lost a stitch and couldn't figure out how to fix it. So I pulled the needle out and then with all the slipped stitches that had been passed over and the purl 2 togethers - I couldn't get it back on the needle. So, I frogged the whole thing. So. Annoying.

Thankfully, I just received a lovely package of yarn from Knit Picks in the mail. So, I am momentarily forgetting about the scarf and starting another Asymmetrical Cable Hat. Hopefully I will have pictures to share soon.

A really quick recap of Chicago:
* drove through hideous amounts of rain on the way
* took a card making class here
* ate yummy tapas
* had a tasty omelette here

* bought a cute t-shirt at the Paul Frank store

* bonded with Mel on the way home!

Feeling blue

2006-11-08T21:12:00.000-05:00

And when I say blue, what I really mean is awesome! Hooray for living in a blue state ... well mostly.

I hope this means good things for the next presidential election, but I am getting ahead of myself. For now, I will bask in the happiness of this and this and this. Congrats to my Ohio blogger friends. And my regards to those of you in California.

So, I guess it is time to start some Christmas knitting. I have spied some super soft & fantastic yarn on KnitPicks (thanks to Stacey), that I think will knit into a wonderful Christmas present. I bought the Marl La yarn (pictured below with Miss Daisy Skye) last winter with a plan to use it for a Christmas gift. I think I will make another one like this.

And I must tell you that I am super duper excited! You wanna know why? Because this weekend I am going to Chicago! One of my friends moved there in August, and this will be my first time visiting her there. We have a lot of fun planned - a class at Paper Source, yummy breakfasts, lunches & dinners, shopping in Lincoln Park, and just general girly bonding!

Highlights

2006-11-05T21:41:00.000-05:00

I whipped up another ballband this week. A few months ago, I bought a ton of yarn on sale at Michael's. I think the cost was $1/ball - or something insane. I couldn't resist. Just as I cannot resist knitting up these fun little warsh rags. Is it just me, or does this one resemble a pack of highlighters? Hee hee.

It was a fun and busy weekend. Got to hang out with a newborn baby (only 12 days old and so tiny). Saw a good friend from high school and her one year-old daughter (so adorable it is unreal). Hung out with Ruby & Karen on Saturday night at the Bronx Bar and rounded out the ~~evening~~ morning at a little house party in Ferndale. Love it!

Went on a 7 hour shopping spree today with my sister. We started out at IKEA (new scrub brush pictured above), then went to Joann Fabrics and ended the trip at Target. I used restraint, people! I tried to stick to the needs and necessities. Although, I must admit I gave in to temptation in the wrapping paper department. But, I got my Christmas shopping started! And I did all this on 4 hours sleep.

Note to self: VOTE on Tuesday! Most things are a no brainer for me in this upcoming election, such as governor or the outrageous proposal to establish a hunting season for mourning doves (c'mon ... seriously!). But I do need to hunker down on Monday night and figure out MSU Board of Trustees and judges. That kind of stuff always throws me for a loop.

Happy Halloween

2006-10-30T23:01:00.000-05:00

Pumpkins have been carved. Pumpkin seeds have been toasted. Yum! My dad & I always toasted the pumpkins seeds together when I was a kid. So easy & so darn tasty!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the blog and left comments on my hat. : ) So, so nice of you! Just a bit more hat chat:

* This was my first adult hat & I love this pattern! I have already recommended it to a few people. And my night knit gals passed it around and said they want to make one, too.

* BEWARE! The pattern came from One Skein ... but it took me more than one skein to complete it. (I did use a different yarn, but it had the same yards & grams as the suggested yarn.) If you make one, plan on about a skein + 1/3.

* Initially, I was concerned by the lack of decreases. However, once I figured out what I was supposed to do on the top of the hat to make it look hatty - it was smooth sailing.

* I will probably make more of these hats, but mine is a tad bit big. So, I will likely subtract a few stitches on future ACHs.

* I am digging the cables these days and Mel told me about the Fall Cable KAL. Thanks! So, now I would like to use the additional skein + 2/3 to make either cable mittens or a cable scarf to match the hat. Any suggestions?

I hope that you have a wonderful & happy Halloween! I am bummed - I have to work the late shift at the library, so by the time I get home all the trick or treaters will be back at their houses sorting candy into piles.

A fun, fall FO

2006-10-27T13:56:00.000-04:00

In elementary school, my friend Betsy and I were occasionally allowed to walk through the woods behind my house and into another neighborhood and eventually end up at the strip mall at the end of the street. (Although I don't think we called it a strip mall ...) This was very exciting at the time! To have some independence and a little bit of money to spend. WOW! We sure did feel grown up. There was a toy store, a book store, a Perry Drugs, a fabric store and a grocery store. Perhaps we didn't have enough money to buy anything in the toy store. Perhaps I was destined to become a knitter. I don't know for sure. But what I do know was that I used my independence and pocket change to purchase one of these. I loved that thing! I made pom poms all the time for no particular reason or purpose. So, more than 20 years later ... I needed to make a pom pom for my cute hat. I no longer own said pom pom maker, but I made one outta cardboard and that worked just fine. I made the pom pom bigger than the pattern suggested, but I like it!

Daisy & I had fun chasing squirrels around the backyard and doing a photo shoot this afternoon. I present to you - my fun, fall FO!

Pattern: Asymmetrical Cable Hat from One Skein

Yarn: Rowan Chunky Print in Shriek (081)

Needles: US 11s (Denise circulars)

Know when to walk away, know when to run ...

2006-10-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

Still working on the hat. I am excited - it's looking cute. I am a little bit further along than this photo shows, but I just had to show you the super fantastic leaves in front of my house. The hat part is finished, but I still need to make the pom-pom for the top. I will get to it, but I feel some procrastinating coming on. Although ... it is cute for fall, so I should make it a priority.

More Tiger games this past weekend. Saturday's game sucked! But thank God for Kenny Rogers on Sunday. He is so great ... I love watching him get all passionate about the game. I want to have him mic'd so that I can hear his every swear word. It cracks me up. Looking forward to the games on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday!

Bless You Boys!

2006-10-19T09:29:00.000-04:00

We are having a lot of fun around here! Last Saturday, a bunch of us went out to watch the Tigers game at a bar near the stadium. I love this photo of my friend David (the biggest baseball nerd of all time), my niece Lydia (isn't she cute?) and me. Good times ... good times!

The Detroit Tigers are headed to the World Series. This is wonderful, unbelievable, amazing, crazy, shocking, fabulous, wild & downright awesome!

It is such an exciting time not only for a Tigers fan, but also for the city of Detroit. And I was proud of the way we, the fans, handled ourselves after the victory. Everyone was just happy and excited. Even the police officers were high-fiving the fans. No bad behavior at all.

Proof

2006-10-12T23:34:00.000-04:00

I do knit. I swear to God, I do. Admittedly, not much lately. But I do knit, nonetheless. See?

I started the Assymetrical Cable Hat from One Skein. It is a fun pattern - easy to follow. I am making the woman's size and I am worried that it is going to be too big. The pattern calls for a chunky weight yarn (such as Rowan Polar). I am using Rowan Chunky Print in Shriek (081), which I thought would be just right.

Anyhow, it does feel good to have the yarn and needles back in hand. I needed a project that I could get excited about. This one seems to be working for me so far. I am a slight bit concerned with the knitting a tube and then sewing the corners together thing. No decreases? Hmmm ... what do I know?

Adventures in awesome-ness

2006-10-07T23:26:00.000-04:00

These have been a fantastic few days for a Detroit Tigers fan (that's me!). First we beat the frickin' New York Yankees in NYC. Then we beat the frickin' New York Yankees 6-0. And today, we beat the frickin' New York Yankees 8-3 ... moving us onto the American League Championship Series. Absolutely awesome! Bless You Boys!

Speaking of awesome, 7 of us went to see David Sedaris on Thursday night. He is so hilarious. We were cracking up the whole time. So. Much. Fun. If he's coming to a town near you, I highly recommend!

Friday night, I went to see Wilco. Also awesome! Here is a link to the set list, if you care. Some of the highlights were: War on War, Shot in the Arm, Heavy Metal Drummer, Late Greats, I am Trying to Break Your Heart, I'm the Man Who Loves You. It was all great! Hooray for Jeff Tweedy ... who is dreamy. YAY for concerts ... one of my favorite things in the world.

Moments!

2006-10-01T18:53:00.000-04:00

Another fun weekend ... we had Book Club on Friday - I didn't read, but I enjoyed the wine and snacks and socializing. I felt really guilty about not reading ... sorry Barb!

On Saturday, Ruby & I headed to East Lansing for the Michigan State Homecoming game. We lost, but we had a blast remembering all the fun times we had in the dorms and beyond. So glad that I lived in Yakeley and met some of my best friends ever there. Also had yummy Mexican food at El Azteco!

At night, a group of us went out to see the Mega 80s. So many ridiculous moments occured and many Mandarin Absoluts with cranberry juice were consumed! As usual, awesome memories were made. I turned 32 at midnight ... can you believe it? I can't. Here is a photo of me enjoying my last few moments as a 31 year old. Ha!

And today, the rain finally went away! A beautiful fall day - sunny blue sky, just a little bit chilly (but still warm enough for flip flops) ... a perfect day for the cider mill. We went to Yates Cider Mill in Rochester, Michigan. They have super yummy cider and the BEST damn cinnamon donuts ever (tons of cinnamon and sugar on the outside of a still warm & soft donut).

This week is going to be crazy ... David Sedaris & Wilco. I am so excited! Life is not half bad.

20 questions

2006-09-27T18:51:00.000-04:00

Things I have been wondering about ...

when will this rainy weather go away?
what has the world got in store for me?
who is going to Fashion Week on Project Runway?
what am I going to do with all this yarn?
why is life so complicated?
where did I lose my credit card?
how did I get here?
what should I knit next?
will 32 be a better year than 31 was?
when will I meet my lloyd dobler?
should I start my holiday knitting now?
when will I find some jeans that I like and that fit well?
when & where can I go on another trip?
why don't I feel like knitting lately?
(I hate to generalize but ...) why are boys so silly, stupid & ridiculous sometimes?
and why do I care?
how will the Tigers do in the American League Division Series?
should I move to Chicago?
why does a public library draw in so many freaks?
should I sell some of this crap on e-bay?

Any answers or advise or comments or your questions are welcome! : )

Be a man. Don't be a guy.

2006-09-22T10:08:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the props on the girly bib! I appreciate the support - for real. I actually think it was a hit. Everyone seemed to like it. Perhaps they were so distracted by the awesome ballband pattern, so they didn't see the crazy pink & green! : ) In the meantime, I haven't knit a stitch. I am not feeling inspired lately. Perhaps I should get started on some holiday knitting. Or work on that damn scarf. I just don't feel like it!

On another note, I must clarify something. It seems as though a few people read my last post and came to the conclusion that I had never seen Say Anything. I re-read what I wrote and I can totally see how you might think that. But no need to worry my friends, I have seen it (many times at that!) and I love it just as much as the rest of you do! Between Lloyd Dobler and Jake Ryan, I think I may be permanently damaged when it comes to having a successful relationship with a real man. I mean, no one can truly live up to the standards that were set by those two. Check out these articles from the Washington Post on Jake & Lloyd.

BIB-bidi bobbidi boo

2006-09-14T18:24:00.000-04:00

I have a baby shower to go to on Friday night, so I have been trying to squeeze in some knitting this week. I made a boyish bib a few months ago with no particular baby in mind. And then I found out that a co-worker was having twins, a boy and a girl ... so I decided to make a girlish bib. This thing is so bright pink and green - it is almost hard to look at. I love it, but I am not so sure that it is going to be the mom's taste. As you can see, I took the ballband pattern and added some straps and a cute little daisy button.

Pattern: Modified Ballband Dishcloth + straps
Yarn: Sugar 'n Cream
Needles: US 7s

Other than that, I have been keeping busy and having fun:

Watching lots of movies ... Factotum (pretty good), A Scanner Darkly (trippy, interesting), Say Anything (wonderful), Nacho Libre (it's no Napoleon Dynamite) and Taxi Driver (depressing, great twist).
Going out on the town.
Buying concert tickets!
And root, root, rooting for the home team! GO TIGS!

Basically trying to keep busy and enjoy life as much as possible while the fun lasts. Life is crazy in good and bad ways. I hope the good prevails over the bad.

Trippy

2006-09-07T22:27:00.000-04:00

Wow - what a trip down memory lane. I had not been back to my old neighborhood in 16 years. Driving down my street was such a weird, trippy experience. It was so great to see Nadine and Noela and Nadine's parents. Aside from the baby being there, I kind of felt like we were back in 8th grade. Sitting on the bedroom floor, looking at old photos, laughing our asses off and gossiping, going to the mall, eating Yogen Fruz, buying candy at the Hasty Market and renting movies. Good times! : )

After a 2.5 hour delay trying to cross the bridge back into Michigan, I decided to head to Detroit to the JazzFest. Saw Dr. John and then went to the Buzz Bar. More good times. So even though I was out of town for the weekend, I still managed to fit in both music festivals going on. Gotta love holiday weekends!

Do I still knit, you ask? Not a whole heck of a lot lately ... I must admit. I am working on a bib for a baby shower next weekend. I think I am just having way too much fun trying to squeeze a whole summer's worth of good times into these last few weeks before fall. Soon enough it'll be full on knitting weather, right?

To T.O. I go ...

2006-09-01T17:51:00.000-04:00

More travel for me this weekend. I am off to Toronto, Ontario for the weekend to visit a good friend. I lived in a suburb of Toronto for 3.5 yrs in junior high & high school. My friend Nadine has since relocated to California and had a baby. The 4 hour drive to T.O. is easier to do in a weekend than the trip out to San Fran, so ... off I go! We will hang out in the old neighborhood and have a slumber party and cuddle with the baby. It will be great! And hopefully we will make it downtown for a little bit.

I want some more of this ...

UPDATE: I went to Arts, Beats & Eats tonight to see my friend's band the Prime Ministers compete in the Detroit News Sonic Summer Battle of the Bands. They won! How awesome is that? And while I was there I found the coolest t-shirt. As a Michigander, I may be slightly biased, but isn't this so cute??

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend! : )

August PS FO

2006-08-29T09:08:00.000-04:00

A whole different kind of FO this month. I am still working on that scarf. But there is no way that it will be finished in the next few days. The PS rules say we can do anything, so this is what I am counting for this month. I spent the past weekend and Monday night sitting at a table with my 300 photos, photo corners, scissors, a glue stick and a brand new black photo album with white pages.

I didn't want it to be a super fancy & cutsie-style scrapbook, but I also didn't want to just slide my pictures in 4x6 slots. I collected a lot of things along the way - ticket stubs, brochures, business cards & subway maps - that I wanted to include. It took a long time, but it feels like a great accomplishment! I am really happy with how it turned out. And now when people ask to see my photos, they are ready to be seen. The idea of people with dirty fingers flipping through my stacks of pictures and getting them out of order .... I just can't handle it. Call me anal if you will, but it drives me to drink. : )

Traveled down the road and back again ...

2006-08-22T21:05:00.000-04:00

Okay ... so not to go on & on about the Dream Cruise, but I had to share this photo . See? I am not the only one who hates the Dream Cruise. ; )

Hmmm ... life is weird lately. There's lots of good (work, travel, friends) and some not so good things going on (maybe I will get to those in another post). I have to say that without my awesome friends - life wouldn't be nearly as good. I am just saying ... remember to thank your friends for being super fantastic! I feel like singing the "Golden Girls" theme song right now. Here is a picture from our fun, ridiculous, silly, drunken & fantastic night out. Here's to getting home at 4am!

I have not forgotten ... this is a knitting blog. And after being home for a week, I finally pulled out the knitting again. And if Stacey is reading this - I know you are going to make fun of me ... because I still haven't finished this scarf.

Yes, I did start it in November of '05 & I really want to finish it. When I joined Project Spectrum, I figured this would be a perfect project to work on for the month of August (neutrals). It takes me forever to make any progress though - with all those short rows. I am thinking it is not likely that it will be completed before the end of the month. But I am working on it.

Eff the D C

2006-08-18T18:36:00.000-04:00

It makes for a long week when you come back from a trip. I am happy that it is Friday. Tonight, I am hanging out with some friends and going to see a band. Should be fun!

For the rest of the weekend, I will be trying (with all my might) to avoid an event that is unfortunately taking place right down the street. Ok - Detroit ... the Motor City, right? I get it. But every summer, all summer long people enjoy "cruising" on Woodward Avenue. And those who are not cruising enjoy pulling out their lawn chairs and sitting in parking lots along Woodward to watch the cruising. Now, I am all for having fun and doing what you like. But this is absolutely pathetic. And during the 3rd week of August, we get to experience the "actual event" which is called the Woodward Dream Cruise. This event causes extreme amounts of rage in me, as 16 miles of a major road are a bumper to bumper traffic jam for days before and during the event. I cannot stand it. If I didn't just get back from a trip, I would scoot out of town - and fast. I needed to get that off my chest - thanks!

I hope to post more pictures of my trip soon. Here are a few, just for fun! My trip in B & W ...

Ciao Roma

2006-08-15T08:05:00.000-04:00

I am back from my trip. Safe & sound and without much trouble in the airports in light of the UK terror incident. An airport official threw out 4 lip glosses of mine - not a big deal - I'd rather be safe. Really glad that I hadn't purchased any wine, because I would not have wanted to pack that in my luggage.

It was a fabulous time - pretty much non-stop for nine days. We walked our feet off. I really wish I had taken a pedometer to track it all. I think Paris was my favorite of the 3 cities for the architecture and churches and ease of getting around (awesome subway there). I loved the coffee and pastries and lovely cafes in Paris. For food, I would have to say that we had better meals in Italy. We actually found a restaurant on our first night in Rome and ate there all three days. It was sooooooo good and they had a big enough menu that we tried lots of different things. It may sound strange, but I think it is really easy to find a mediocre meal in Europe, so we just went with what we knew was great. And not one single dish that we had at that restaurant could be described as mediocre. Our waitress was fantastic too.

And the gelato in Italy was to die for - I tried: coffee, hazelnut, rich chocolate, chocolate, Nutella, melon, kiwi & raspberry flavors. I know that makes me sound like a huge pig ... but the servings are small and they often will give you 2-3 flavors in one little cup.

On my next trip to Europe I think I may break up the pace a little bit. We didn't have much chance to sit and relax. When you only have a few days in each city you need to go, go, go and make sure you see everything you wanted to and I always feel like "Am I missing something really cool? If I walk a few more blocks will I find a shop, a piazza, a fountain that will blow me away?" So maybe some time spent in Chianti or Siena would have been good. Just sit at a winery and enjoy the country side. I have the travel bug now. I want to go back to Italy to visit Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast. I want to go to Germany & Switzerland, to Ireland & Scotland, to the Netherlands, to Prague ... the list goes on. If only vacation time and frequent flyer miles were never ending. (sigh)

I didn't knit one stitch (I made a last minute decision that I didn't want to chance losing my Denise needles at the airport).

I did find a knitting store in Florence, though. On "the other side" of the Ponte Vecchio, turn right on the street that runs along the Arno and there you will find the Beatrice Galli Yarn Shop. I bought a few skeins of a very pretty yarn called Stampato Extra - it is a 100% Australian Merino, made in Italy. I don't have an exact plan for it ... but a scarf is likely.

Okay ... one more thing. Cats & Rome, they go hand in hand right? I was walking down the street in Rome and look what I saw. This is no set-up. A cat sitting on a pizza box. Can it get more Italian? Haha. : )

Outta here ...

2006-08-03T16:22:00.000-04:00

Okay ... my flight leaves for Paris tonight. About 5 hours until take off. I am finishing up my packing as we speak. And I am so excited! Can you believe that tomorrow at this time I will have just finished a delicious french meal? WOW!

I am thinking that I will not have the opportunity to update this here blog. But I will post pictures and tales upon my return. Until then ...

A good day ...

2006-07-27T14:14:00.000-04:00

Ahhhhhhhhh. Today is a good day.

Took the day off to chill out (which is always good)
I sucessfully completed my 1st Summer Reading & Teen Read programs at the library (yay)
Went out for a yummy breakfast this morning ... Western Omelette (yum)
Tonight, I am going out with friends for adult beverages & fun (hooray)
My trip to Paris, Florence & Rome is only 7 days away!!!! (can't wait)
I found an awesome bargain on Sharpies & other school supplies @ Target (can't resist)

regular price = $20.99 ... Target price = $10.00

Hope you are having a good day too!