The return of TGIF 9/4/09

First... this is a temporary return. I will get back to regular blogging when things settle out a bit more. Things are going well.. but it is a journey.

• A cool new job with a great boss and a interesting yet pleasant cast of characters.
• Three big kids in school (pictures are comming).
• Colin's "big" Pre-K classroom (OK - so he is the only kid in his class... REALLY!)
• A healthy hubby.
• A family room that is a family room again!!!
• knitting
• quilting - Goddess pictures are comming too. they are on Mom's computer
• the great big list
• The other even bigger list
• my Sunday night gang
• Birthday Boy #1

(yeah that is a pile of Bakugan Birthday Cake Balls! )

• Birthday boy #2

(That is a Tofutti "ice cream" cake.)

• sanity and serenity
• being back on the bike
• Brown Gables

So... Here is the thing with these lists. The concept is taken form Mama Gena. But it is really about (for me) self-reflection. I take stock of every thing that I have and see how blessed I really am. Then I make a list of my desires ..big and small. It helps me put things in perspective. Where I'm comming from and where I am going.

Well, last week, I wasn't able to get to the blog, but I put pen to paper. I wrote and wrote and wrote. The thoughts just came pouring out and didn't want to stop! Then I took a look back at what I wrote. Suddenly.... my life made sense. The path I've taken.. the twists.. the turns... falling off of a cliff of two...

The most amazing thing I realized was that I know now where it is I want my life to be headed. Still not sure how I'm going to make it from here to there, but I now have a clear goal in mind. I'm refreshed, relieved and inspired!

so... go make you own list of grattitudes and desires! enjoy!

Welcome to Brown Gables!

Since the economy needed a little boost, we thought we'd do our part and buy a new vacation home.

Andy and I are reading "Anne of Green Gables" so we thought it appropriate to name it Brown Gables.

After a test run in the back yard, we packed up and went up to Webb Mountain Park. The boys really had a blast hiking, mountain biking and making s'mores. We also took a trip down the road to the Webb Mountain Discovery Zone. Seriously COOL place. We hiked the short loop (about a mile) and plan a couple of day trips for the other two loops.

We picked Andy up after day camp and drove up to Webb Mountain. It is about a half hour from us and 3 miles from my parents. We stayed 2 nights and I think that was just about the right length for our first tent trip. We hiked them till they dropped then had the grand-parents over for dinner. They slept early and solidly. The best part... they slep in!

The older two already have a trip scheduled with Daddy and Papa in MA next week. They are also asking to go back to Webb Mtn too, so at least one more trip before school starts.

Time Warp!

can't believe it's been almost 2 months! I need to upload some pics, but we've got:

• Andy's Birthday
• book reviews
• crafty stuff (crochet dodecahedrons, Andy's quilt, Goddess quilt and sock monsters)
• our new vacation home
• Colin's ST
• PPTs for Andrew and Colin
• book reviews (hint- Twilight series=rediculously predictable)

stay tuned!

oh - and thanks Mary for pointing out that I'm WAAAAYYY behind.

I'm also working on updates and caping tips for my Daddy Day Camp Blog.

A New Hope

Colin has a LOT of words, but he isn't really putting them together. He understands everything we say. He follows instructions (usually). So, we had him screened by Birth to Three. He is beind on the speech and fine motor. He lost points on the fine motor because he couldn't sit still long enough to complete the task. He showed signs of impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattentiveness. Sound familiar? yeah.. not official yet, but it looks like he may have ADD/ADHD like his brothers and father.

So, all this means that he will get speech and other services (we set up his therapies on Friday) at home this spring/summer and he'll start pre-k on his birthday or the first day of school (whichever is later).

He is also at that "fun" stage where he rips his diaper off the second it gets wet, but he won't use the potty either. So, I made him a backpack that he can carry around his diapers etc in. It has a waterproof PUL lining and pockets perfect for diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer and Hot Wheels. I also made a matching changing pad which fold to fit the bottom of the bag, a PUL bag for wet/dirty diapers/clothes and, of course, a diaper. I'd actually inteded to make the diaper a pull-on type, but it isn't very streachy and it doesn't pull-on very well.

The diaper bag will double nicely as a school backpack in the fall! (The bag is a scaled down Chelsea Tote from Lazy Girl Designs.)

The ensemble:

Backpack and diaper in action:

Inside (empty & stuffed):

you want an example of the hyperactivity? Here are the outtakes from the photoshoot:



Fun, isn't he? He's so cute I can't stand it!

Communion Revisited

more pictures from the communion...

FO Round Up.

Once the Anniversary Shawl was done, I could wrap up the other projects I had going.

First, I finished Todd's Heavy Metal Monkey socks.

Then I finished off my socks to go with my Tubey sweater.

After everything was done... I needed a new project.

fraternal Jaywalkers for Todd.

SO grown up!

Andy made his first Communion a week ago. For those of you who arent' Catholic, it is a HUGE deal - a major rite of passage. What has been really interesting to watch is how he's started paying attention and following along in Mass. I suppose it all makes a LOT more sense now that he know what is going on and why.

Anyway... I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

more pictures to come once I get them from my FIL.

TGIF- 5/1/09

it's been a while...

• my boys
• Sunday night buddies
• thursday night buddies
• leftovers in the freezer (haven't had to cook in weeks!)
• reasons to celebrate
• Faith
• detachment
• clarity
• serenity
• more FOs and less WIPs

Ooops - I did it again!

A few years ago, my parentsw participated in our Church's Anniversary Mass. It is a mass vow renewal for couples celebrating 10th, 25th, 40th and 50th anniversaries. Todd thought it was cool and suggested we should do it for our 10th and at the time I agreed.

Well, year #9 has been a really rough one. At one point I found myself holding the business card of a divorce lawyer. I wont get into specifics, but things needed to change. Luckily (for him) they did and now we are able to work through the rest of the issues. Things aren't perfect, but we're human and therefore imperfect. Marriage is a constant effort, but now I find myself wanting to work at it again.

As our actual anniversary approaches (May 22), we are re-learning who we both are and how our relationship works. What better way to make a fresh start than to renew our vows?

See my shawl? Yeah.. I finished it in time! I started it last June and it got tossed in a corner as the shit hit the fan. Once it became clear that things were changing for the better, I pulled it out and got back to work on it. I finished it at 2am - the ceremony was at 11! I really like how it came out.

I took this photo in the garden mom planted in her yard for my wedding pictures.

Here are some detail shots. The lace blocks are Lillies of the Valley and Heather - both of which were in my wedding boquet. I also crocheted some beads on the hem to give it some weight at the ends.

Knit Two

I was pretty anxious to read Knit Two after I finished The Friday Night Knitting Club. I did enjoy it, but honestly, I didn't think it was nearly as good as the first book. I found it a bit disconnected. The ladies have lost the tie that bound them together - the club. sure, they still meet, but, it is no longer binding them.

The ending was all tied up in a neat little bow, which I think a lot of the readers were disappointed in the first book. I prefer an ending that keps me thinking about the book - and talking about it.

The part that lost me was when Darwin went into the restroom to breastfeed her babies. Seriously??? A feminist. A professor of women's studies. and she is feeding her babies in a public bathroom??? I realize that she became far more "domestic" following the birth of her babies, but, that is SO far out of charachter - not to mention nasty and just plain wrong.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it. It was a good read, but not as good as the first.

Ode to My Brother

It was his sisters he liked to harass
That is how he earned the nickname Tom-ass

To lofty goals in school he did aspire
That was until he set his pants on fire!

Kid sister grew up and get her degree
Now, guess who works for me?

A passer-by inquired "are you drilling for oil?"
I laughed as his blood began to boil!

He is son, brother friend, husband and dad
For him we all are glad

Most of all I'm glad you're older than me
Especially now that you are turning 40!

Happy Birthday Tom!

Yes, I still knit.

Remember Tubey? Well, it's done!

Check out the cuff/hem detail. I did a single crochet BO in the lighter Rose color then another round of reverse single crochet. I really like the finish of the edge - and it is a nice streachy BO.


If you've been keeping track, then you know how I feel about having a stash of yarn. I also like wearing this sweater with a grey skirt. So, I am making a matching pair of socks.



I've actually turned the heels and started the cuff. soon, I'll add the stripes. I'm thinking of doing the same BO on the socks as well. More on those soon, but they are on the back burner as I finish the anniversary stole (more on that when it's done).

Something for Me

This another Town Purse with a Wonder Wallet to match. The purse pattern includes the eye glass case. All three patterns are fun and very simple. I've made them before and I'm sure I'll do it again.

The fabrics came from a Fat Quarter bundle. I lined it in muslin - I find it easier to find things inside my purse than with a patterned print.

I did modify the WW a bit. I omited the inner coin pocket and made an outer zippered coin pocket. I added a box pleat since I always seem to have about $5 in pennies.

TGIF- 3/13

• FAITH
• patience
• new "friends"
• needle and thread
• yarn and sticks
• things to hit
• friends to hit them with
• books
• sanity

Fiber Engineering

What happens when an engineer gets laid off and takes up quilting?




It is a schematic site plan drafted in fabric and thread. The site is completely ficticious. The Plan is highly schematic - no real details or measurements. The quilting serves as the "hatching" in the plan.

I was inspired by the old (and I do mean OLD) linnen drawings. They are worna nd frayed on the edges, rumpled and worn - but still quite readable! I just love the marriage of engineering and fabric.

The color scheme is borrowed from the more modern (but still obsolete) blue prints. The entire quilt is in shades of blues and white.

The style of the "drawing" is a modern one - like I may do in AutoCAD. Complete with project notes, north arrow and graphic scale.

The quilters I've showed it to scratch thier heads adn critique my poor applique skills - which was actually a deliberate design decision. Contractors, engineers and others in the biz have had quite a different "that is so effin cool!" reaction.

For now it hangs in my sewing room - soon it'll be in my new office.

More sewing and some knitting still to come!

Doing not Blogging

Now I suppose I need to blog about what I've done. I'll spread it out over a couple posts for suspense. You're welcome!

One of the "upsides" of being unemployed is that I actually get to attend the meetings for the quilt guild I belong to. I have to say that living in a house full of men (big and small) then sitting in a room with 200 women is more than a little culture shock! They are a great bunch of ladies though. So kind and a wealth of information. I also got roped into (OK - I volunteered) handling the raffle tickets for a quilt the guild is putting together. the drawing is to be at the show (4/2010) and the two are our biggest fundraisers. Mom is chairing the committee putting the quilt together - so there is cerainly more to come on that one!

We donate a lot of the money from the raffle and the show to local charities and we use a bit to buy supplies to make "comfort quilts". A few years back, one of our members got a call from Paul Newman. He asked if ther guild would be interested in making some quilts for his Hole in the Wall Camp here in CT. When the kids need to go to the infirmary, they are wrapped in hand made quilts and if they should need to go to the hospital, then their quilt will go too. Would you say no to Paul Newman? Neither did she or the guild.

To that end, we had a workshop/sew-in last month. we brought our machines to a church basement and grabbed our kits and went to work. I got my entire top pieced that day and it was completely done, bound and ready to go in three days!