Reasons to be cheerful

Warning - Picture heavy post.

I have been enjoying a very good weekend - I had the apt. to myself Friday night while David and the boys were at Scouts - I was able to finish the hat to go with the scarf for the exchange:


Saturday I spent the morning running errands - I found a great clearance sale at Dress Barn - I bought 2 skirts for $25! I am planning to take them to Fla. in March for the National Sales meeting. I also went to A.C. Moore they were having a 25% off all yarn and accessories - I bought some DPN's and 3500 yds of bedspread cotton in natural - I plan to make this:

Here you can see the yarn and my start:


Saturday night David and I took the boys to their swim class - they are working towards their Swimming merit badge. The class is at the Forest Hills Community Center, we dropped the kids off and went for a walk. We ended up at Barnes and Noble - David went looking for train books and I went to the knitting section. I spent some time looking through the new books there. There were a lot of books - I liked Last Minute Knitted Gifts, Vintage Knits by Sarah Dallas, Knitting over the Edge, Alterknits and Modular Knits by Iris Schrier. I was disappointed by The Knitting Experience: Color. David said I could pick out 2 books for my Valentine gift so I picked out these:

I love the Rowan book - there are so many things I would love to make:


The Lion book had a few things I like, but I really bought it for the cover sweater and a vest:
I also like this shawl -

This morning when I weighed in on eDiets I was down another 1.5 lbs for a total of 8 since Jan 2 - so that started my Sunday off well! Tomorrow is the day we go live at work with our new computer system - I won't have any time to do anything crafty at work for at least the next 3 months, so I won't have too many projects completed winter. I am hoping to have 12 finished projects by the end of the year - I am really good at starting but not so good at finishing.

more useless information to drive your imagination

I stole this:

4 jobs I've had in my life ~

office assistant at a patent attorney
sample clerk at boris kroll fabrics
sample assistant donghia textiles
customer service rep - current company

4 Movies you watch over and over~

casablanca
the princess bride
laura
the fifth element (david makes me)

4 Places you've lived~

brooklyn, ny
sullivan & houston, nyc
glendale, ny
i don't move around much

4 TV shows you love to watch

veronica mars
supernatural
rangers hockey
stargate

4 Places you've been on vacation~

the grand canyon
paris
rome
canada - both coasts

4 websites you visit daily

my bloglines
my yahoo
amazon
google

4 favorite foods~

chocolate
asian
mexican
italian

4 places you'd rather be right now~

the spa
paris
egypt
utah

NYC folk - maybe you can help me?

I need to plan an business meeting in Feb for my Manhattan District - about 15 - 18 people - Can any of you suggest a cool - interesting place to hold it? I would need conference facilities - internet access, screen for presentations etc. Since this is a new gig for me, I would really like to plan something different/fun - I could also use dinner/evening ideas too - leave a comment or email me.

Thanks!

Sorry it has been so long since my last post - working is keeping me very very busy. Monday and Tuesday I was at a meeting at Foxwoods - it was fabulous. I even managed to get in a manicure thanks to one of my Account Managers.

When I got home (after a 4 hour drive back from CT - 2 hours to go 9 miles due to construction!!!) I had 2! packages waiting for me - the first one was from my jewelry swap partner from pinkpurpleandorange:

from Francesca in Italy. It was wrapped so pretty in this really neat metallic knit fabric and inside was a pretty beaded flower, a leather butterfly pin and a beaded ring - me likes everything!

The 2nd box was from my SP7 - who had emailed me and left comments on my disappearance from the internet - she sent me yummy goodies - dates, chocolate covered almonds, pistachio nuts and olive -mmmm - I am going to make date nut bread as soon as I have a few minutes to find my recipe! Thank you SP!



I even have a FO to show off - I am incredibly pleased with how this turned out - it is the scarf for Celia's International Scarf Exchange:


blocking - it is well over 6' long


close-up

I used 4 ball of elann baby cashmere - it is so soft and silky next to you skin. I hope my exchange partner loves it as much as I do. The pattern was very simple to follow and after the first few repeats I didn't even need the chart anymore. I would really like to make myself one a little wider - more of a stole than a scarf.

How can you grow old, you were my triumph?

So I am sitting here on the bed in my hotel room in Port Jefferson - my first District practice meeting for the new software is tmrw and I am planning to take a hot bath then try to finish my scarf exchange scarf - I am woefully behind where I wanted to be by now. This computer training has really beat me down - I am so mentally shot by the time I get home I can't follow the simplist pattern.

I only made 1 resolution this year - I resolved not to get old. I don't mean that I don't intend to grow older (though I have decided that 49 will be my last birthday - after that is will be my annual 49th birthday party) What I mean is that I am not going to let myself get old - being old is not an age it is a feeling and lately I have been feeling very very old. But I have realized I don't have to let myself be that way - I am a vibrant, interesting and creative woman - I just need to remember that and stop letting things I can't control beat me down. Hence my New Year's Resolution.

In the spirit of feeling younger, I decided that I have gained way way too much wait over this last year and that I needed to do something now to address that - so I joined eDiets on Jan 1 and so far I have lost 5lbs. The plan is so easy and tailored to my likes and dislikes and includes fast foods and conveniece foods so it is really simple to prepare for my week. I will try to post my progress and my review of the plan for anyone interested - I just don't want to bore anyone with the dull details.

I joined Secret Pal 7 - I am really excited - I have heard from my pal and I left 2 messages for my pal. I had fun the last time I did this (SP4) so I am looking forward to getting to know 2 new fiber junkies! I ordered some lovely roving for my pal from a favorite source - I so want to learn to spin some day.

It was a nice uneventful drive here -(yeah, freezing - man it is cold out )- listended to Postal Service on the way here - nice thing about driving alone is I can listen to whatever I want.

Please excuse any typo - spell check does not seem to be working tonight

Secret Pal 7

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?
No, I'm not a snob - I just don't like icky yarn - as long as it is soft I am happy
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
No - But I want to learn to spin - I do crochet
3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Whatever is handy
4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learned to knit when I was about 8, so it has been 36 years - intermediate
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, The link is on my sidebar
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Lavendar, citrus, green scents - no florals, no fruity sweet scents - I like clean
7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Teeth - I have sweet teeth Favorite candy? Chocolate
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I crochet and make beaded jewelry
9. What kind of music do you like?
Alternative and Indie Rock Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Yes - I have an MP3 player too.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
Green is my favorite - I love autumn colors, purple and teals - don't really like pastels
11. What is your family situation?
I live with my significant other - we have been together for 12 years - we have his twin sons on the weekends. Do you have any pets? No pets - we live in an apt. but are hopefully looking for a house soon
12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I love alpaca - I love soft yarns and lace wt yarns Zephyr is a favorite and silks too
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Anything scratchy
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Lace
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Shawls
17. What are you knitting right now?
A cashmere scarf for an exchange
a shrug and 2 shawls for me
18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes!
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Circular or short straights - hate those 14" ones
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Bamboo
21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I have a swift - best money I ever spent - need a winder
22. How did you learn to knit?
A friend of my mothers taught me
23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Only a few months - if I don't finish something I tend to frog it and save the yarn for something else
24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Not big on cartoons, I love cats, and bears and pink flamingos
25. What is your favorite holiday?
Holloween (Samhein)
26. Is there anything that you collect?
Dust - only kidding - I love odd cookbooks - local charity and regional ones
27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Vogue & Knitters - I have yet to renew Interweave Knits
28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Any of the Barbara Walker books and Myra Stahman's and the Icelandic shawl book available from Schoolhouse Press
29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Intarsia and Fair Isle
30. Are you a sock knitter?
I have knit 2 pair, but I am not big knitting them, but I love wearing them!
What are your foot measurements?
I wear a size 9 shoe
31. When is your birthday? 12/19