pay it forward

Renee started a paying it forward exchange

when i read her blog, i thought it was a great idea and joined along

if you haven't seen the movie pay it forward the concept works like this

when someone has done a good deed for you

rather than doing something nice in return to that person

you pay it forward by doing something nice for someone else

how it works on my blog is i will send handmade gifts to the first 3 people who also commit to pay it forward by posting in the comments that you'd like to join

(leaving a comment won't commit you!

only if you say specifically that you want to join)

these gifts will be made especially from me with the intent to be something special

they will be sent out within the next 6 months

in return you post a pay it forward promise on your blog

or if you don't have a blog through your email

and then send out your handmade gifts within your 6 month time frame.
if you'd like to play be sure to mention what colours you like

along with your email, if i don't have it

want to join? i'd love to make you something special!

lucky mommy coupons

my very sweet girls decided to make some coupons for mom

okay, maybe they didn't come up with the idea by themselves

their sunday school teacher gave them the idea

but it is still sweet, nonetheless!

i got coupons for:

hugs

kisses

dusting

sled ride

tea and a walk with a friend

i feel pretty blessed by my little group of girls

______________________

tonight i plan to sew a red dress for my oldest

for a wedding in the summer

will keep you posted

_____________________

updated: i went into my sewing room tonight to sew that red dress

but landed up being responsible!

what's up with that? i do that all day don't i?

and continued working on the curtains for the living room...

sigh! blah! yuck! boring!!

yes, i wanted to have them done in december

no, i didn't even start them till january

goodness, why didn't i snag my mom to do them while she was here?

guess i will have to wait to reveal the dress

completed & started

here is one of my wips in progress finished! yay!

when i finished the first sock i had a feeling it wouldn't have a mate

unless i really determined to get started

so on a cold winter day in january, while we were on a road trip i started

i am wearing them now and i have very happy toes!

learned alot doing this project, as it was my very first time using four needles

they are alot of fun and i would definately do socks again

i made them using berroco sox, colour 1476

http://www.berroco.com/

this is my next project that is currently already on the needles

thrummed mittens

these ones are going to be for me because my indecisive husband couldn't decide if he wanted felted mittens or not! he is missing out!

i have had the wool for quite some time, but my inexperience with double pointed needles kept me from tackling the project

the wool and roving are from Fleece Artist http://www.fleeceartist.com/

and it is sold together as one ball
am excited to see how it turns out...will keep you posted!

opinions anyone?

we are wanting to paint the kitchen, hallway and living room

since we moved in 4 years ago we haven't touched any of those rooms

they all need some paint

the kitchen currently has these bright tiles and green counter top

neither are my favourite but there is no budget to change them right now

so, whatever we paint needs to work around this

any ideas? suggestions?

here is the dining room, it is one room with the kitchen

the red wall (from the previous owners) has worn out its welcome

and needs a change

would love to change that rose carpet too.....

anyways i am open to any ideas!

cuddly & warm

here is the scarf that i finished last night

i was too tired to take a picture of it

and the intended receipent was fast asleep anyways

however, she readily donned her winter gear this morning

yes, the picture was taken this morning

the sun in our neck of the woods tends to sleep in longer than we do

the colours in the second picture better represent the finished product

the hat i made last year, i think it makes quite a nice set!

huh?

i just finished up a couple of knitting projects in the last few days

will post pictures soon

i have absolutely no projects on the needle

wow! before christmas i had four!

so....being the loving and thoughtful wife i am

i say to my wonderful husband "how about i knit you some felted mittens?"

response "would that be gloves or mitts?"

me "mitts of course, i am not doing all the fingers"

response "well can you tell me what they would look like"

me "well they knit really big, but then they felt to your hand size and are really warm! look, here is the extra yarn i would use"

response "would they be slippery inside?"

me "uhh....i don't know, i didn't think mitts were slippery!"

response "well i don't really wear mitts to often because i don't like when they slide on the steering wheel!"

me "well that's not the inside!"

response "okay the palm, do you think you could sew something into the palm? maybe a patch of something to not make them slippery?"

me "well, probably!"

response "do they take a long time to make?"

which at this point i intrepret as "am i off the hook if i don't like them?"

me "this isn't fun anymore, i think i am going to bed!"

sigh...i didn't think mitts could be so, well, particular

maybe i might just make some thrummed mittens for myself instead!

in the hospital

boo-boo and i spent the morning in the hospital
this morning she awoke crying with a sore neck and stomach
after a bath she passed out on the bathroom floor
things weren't adding up ... is this meningitis? should i panic?
nurse help line told me to call 911 once i told them her symptoms
so i dropped everything and quickly got her to the hospital
they ran a lot of tests, they could tell she had an infection
but they just couldn't tell where it was
finally the doctor ordered a chest x-ray
it was then they found that she has the start of pneumonia
as for "passing-out" her blood sugar had dropped considerably
so 3 hrs later, after needles, x-rays, tests etc we went home
with a prescription for antibotics and a much more relaxed heart
now boo-boo is sitting in the living room singing "Jesus loves me"
things are getting back on track

our day

today was a remarkable january day
with a beautiful blue sky and sun pouring down
we all needed to feel a little sunshine on our faces
so, the girls and i went on a little hike

bugsy, who is "our concerned one"
mentioned the possibility of running into a moose
and sure enough we did
they are very common where we live
they are spotted meandering streets and neighbourhoods
apparently, a neighbour saw a moose having a siesta on our front stoop two years ago!
so seeing a moose, is definately not a reason to stay home
this moose was a good 500m away, so there was no concern for safety either

everyone was happy after! so that was a successful outing!

went a quilting

a few friends got together and went quilting this weekend

we left on friday night and shared appy's

we came home again sunday afternoon

the fabrics below were in my "to go" pile

the polka dot fabric is for a teenager, who has been really involved with my kids

it wouldn't be my typical fabric choice

but that said, i still think it will sew up into something nice

the fabrics below i had previously cut and sewed into triangles

now i want to put them together for a quilt top

i am starting with the batiks

so hopefully soon i will have pictures of what it turns into

papaya's sweater

this is papaya's Christmas sweater

even though it wasn't ready for Christmas or even in our house

i had a little bit of difficulty finishing it off

this is an ella rae pattern and i used kathmandu aran yarn

i was happy with both until i needed to finish it

the pattern instructed to have a moss stitch border

which i made and re-made three times

once on the sweater it made the final project bulky and it wouldn't lay flat

i was really frustrated given the self-imposed time crunch

however, oma came to the rescue

i mailed the sweater to a big prairie city

once the border was pulled off, she used her crochet skills to give it a nice unbulky finished edge

thanks oma!

here is oma's finishing touches

hats

these hats i knit last winter as i began to be intrigued by knitting
i wasn't very confident and kept projects small
the first hat is papaya's
i used patons sws (soy wool stripes)
and edith's hat pattern on circular needles
this hat was knit with the same yarn and pattern
it was originally made and worn by me
however, i semi-felted it by accident (another story)
and it then it fit bugsy like it was made for her
she has a lime green winter jacket that it looks fabolous with

new chapter

today at coffeebreak the intro speaker
challenged us to look at 2009
not as another year
but another chapter
how many of us have unfulfilled resolutions
that never work much past january 1?
how about thinking of each day
maybe each hour, possibly each minute
as the writing in this chapter of our life?
yesterday when i was in a moment of self-defeat
a friend reminded me that tomorrow is a new day

i think the two may go well together

wips

here is one of my wips (works in progress)

i am nearing the end of this one...yay!

had to put the socks away for a while

so that i could finish papaya's sweater, will post on that later

i love making socks!

bugsy is the photographer in this post

winter glory

this afternoon i got some time away

while the big cheese took the kids for a ski

it was a beautiful afternoon and a friend and i went for a hike

it made us realize anew the benefits of where we live

even though it sometimes feels like the middle of no where

as we walked we found this red mitt on a stick

it made us smile, a bright beacon among the white

backyard beauty

might sound impressive

after all my complaining last night

supper this evening actually came together alright

prepped and ready i have

bacon wrapped beef tenderloin

aspargus with bernaise sauce

rice

now, before you start thinking this is a regular meal

sorry...it is not!

we get our beef from a local farmer

and whether it is tenderloin, t-bone or ground beef

it all costs the same

the only difference is I get 50 pkgs of ground beef

and one package of tenderloin

so i guess we can live high class, or at least sound like it,

once a year!

dinner dilema

oh! so painful
i simply couldn't motivate myself to make supper
i wanted to be saved
rotten ronnie's or 1-800-THE-PIZZA sounded really good
so i asked big cheese what he wanted for supper
as he hemmed and hawed
papaya came up with a suggestion
and boo-boo offered her help
she was pretty serious too
she got an apron on, pulled up her chair
and asked "what can i do?"
well....we started making supper, at first i was still pretty cranky
but then we worked together, got it made and enjoyed the time
she was very proud of her efforts, amazing what a 4-year-old can do
as we sat down to a homemade three course dinner
i was truly thankful for the hands that helped to prepare the meal
and that it wasn't take-out

just a day

at least one of our children was having fun outside

all by herself, until her sisters joined her

what a clown!

mia

feel a little like i have been missing in action

we took a few days to get away

went to a hotel for one night, stayed with friends for another two

the change from home was actually quite nice

especially since during the holidays we spent alot of time relaxing around home

now we are back at it

homeschool, book-keeping, laundry, baking

however, when the big cheese reappears we may go for a family ski

as i head into the new year,

i realize that i am not a person for resolutions

they don't work, usually add more frustration then they are worth

but i really feel like i have a heartfelt, unwritten desire to

reduce internal clutter

what does that mean?

not entirely sure...but some things i think are:

pass on things that aren't being used

say "no" when needed

finish projects on the go

spend time in my bible

get sleep

sit, have a chai, chat with a friend

stitch more, knit often

listen to children's stories, laugh

play a game, build a snowman

go to the beach

slow down, i don't want to miss all the beauty around me

beauty in my children, husband and world

beauty and blessing of each day