Randomness

I had a goofy encounter the other day. It was past lunchtime and I was out doing errands with Maggie. I was trying to decide between a taqueria or a greek place to fill my tummy in a hurry. As I was walking past the taqueria, this lady comes out and starts talking to me like I'm her best bud, telling me how the beef fajita taco is to die for. It's loaded with veggi's and costs only $2.99. It was the funniest thing but I guess she really needed to get that off her chest! We ended up there and I was tempted to try this taco but I couldn't pass up my fav...the grilled fish burrito :-)

I also just learned something from a mistake I made. We have a white board in our office and I accidentally used a sharpee on it. After I realized what I'd done, I let it go for a day thinking about what to do. Then I googled for a solution and I found the trick. If you ever find yourself in this situation, just use the dry-erase marker over the sharpee, let it sit a minute, and ta da! Wipe it off and you are good to go again. Love the internet!

Cool finds in red

My birthday is coming up and it's a big one. I think I need to splurge on this little baby (minus the shoes).Check out Butter by Nadia. The styles and combinations are endless. It's a miracle dress and every woman should have one. But, well, it's kinda expensive. Ok, really expensive. So, not really gonna buy it, but what a cool dress!

Was out shopping the other day and someone told me about water slings. I'm an avid fan of slings and carriers so I did some research and ended up with this.

I bought it off Etsy and paired the colors burgandy and deep orange together with brass rings. My wedding colors, with a neat leafy stitch design. We've used it in the shower and it's helpful for getting us both bathed at once without it being dangerous. The cool thing about this sling is it dries really quickly.

Fall is here

Woke up this morning and put on my winter slippers, it was just that bit nippy outside. So excited for fall to be here! It's my favorite time of year...holidays, anniversary, birthday, and cooler weather.

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." -George Eliot

All in one

Been knitting (of course!) and I've finished Maggie's second pair of knickers. I've used this pattern both times. I love the elastic waistband and construction. I added ruffles to the legs and used swap yarn I got from a friend. They are for Maggie's next size up and after I was done, I realized they match the cutest little booties my mom got her that are turqoise with cherries on top. Both are a little big for her so in a month or two, they will be perfect.

I also just finished a little scarf for her. It was a fun, quick project with Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran. Inspiration to knit this was last weekend's camping trip but it will be great as the weather gets cooler.

As for projects I've ditched, I've had a friends hat on the needles for the past year but have frogged it. Love malabrigo yarn, not sure about the pattern. I've always admired this hat from afar since it came out in Interweave but after attempting the chart a few times, I became frustrated with the way the pattern was written. I figured it out, but got really annoyed in the process. The pattern is written by a guy and I'm not sure if this is because it's by a guy, but for me it leaves out essential details that I think should be there like "Hey, this is a cabling pattern" to start off or "follow the chart and then use the written instructions for the chart only at the end as you decrease for the crown". I'm not saying that this information isn't there, but it just wasn't that obvious.

My wheel is currently lent out to another friend and I went to spin group recently (girlfriends+brownies+chocolate chip cookies+wine=spinning good time) with my little spindlewood spindle and a colorful silk batt.

Had fun playing around with it. My craft friends know that I have a love/hate relationship with spinning, meaning I enjoy it at the group but outside of that I never touch it. On the positive side of things, I like to think of spinning as a craft to enjoy with friends and if it leads to a finished skein one day, great! but if not, no skin off my back. It's fun in itself just looking at all the yummy fiber and watching it be spun into yarn.

Lastly, an exciting find was a pair of knitted booties at a consignment shop. As a knitter, I could tell they were handknit and had never been used. Thank you to the special someone that invested time in these, we love them! They fit Maggie well and will probably last the next few months. The one change I made to them was swapping out the purple suede tie for a green ribbon. I swear I've seen the pattern on Ravelry somewhere but haven't found it yet. Looks like they were knit with koigu or another similar sock yarn and I love the colorway.

Maggie just woke up early from her nap, so off to play!

And the winner is...

Regina!

Wanted to use random.org, but will save that for another day. Check it out, it's a pretty cool website.

Regina, I'll be in touch~

Yee-haw

I know there are a lot of you out there that don't care for country music, but in our household, it's a staple. Our alarm clock is set to the local station, Michael always has it playing in the garage, and we usually listen to it in the car. Michael's ipod is a strange mix of music and not very kid-friendly, and my little ipod is stuck in Maggie's boombox....but that's a whole other story. Our friend Ken refers to country music as "goat-ropin' " music. The lyrics can be a little cooky sometimes, but overall, it's fun, energetic, feel good music.

We went to a country concert the other day and listened to some bands. I was there mostly to hear Little Big Town, but I also liked One Flew South (note to self: get some of their music). It was Maggie's first concert. A little loud for her, so we walked around a lot and left a little early (ok by me-not a big Billy Ray Cyrus "Achy Breaky Heart" fan).I love concerts and easily get starstruck. Michael can take or leave them but he's a sport and often will go with me. When we do go, it seems to be along the lines of country or bluegrass since we agree on that genre. I don't see him going to an Enya concert with me (hmm...not sure she's ever been on tour, that would be an odd one) :-)

As for bluegrass, nothing will cure the longing I have these days. With Nickel Creek apart, what is a girl to do? Punch Brothers, Allison Krauss, solo acts...they just don't fill that empty spot. But I keep trying and next up is Sara Watkins solo CD. Oh, how I would love for those three to get back together...it's not off the table so here is to dreaming.