Package arrives.

Look @ all the goodies my Secret Pal sent me! There was even a surprise for Jake. This is a pic of all my stuff, minus the chocolate bar.
*Note to self......Take pictures immediately to save embarrassment of how quickly I eat chocolate.

My favorite are these hand made stitch markers. How cute are these little guys??? I love anything pumpkin and these are no exception. See below....I am already putting them to good use:)

Strawberry Fields Forever.....My Pal is from Liverpool!

Thanks so much for everything!! I can't wait to make the SKB....and the trivial pursuit pillow....and all the fantastic patterns from the mag. I love the postcards too. My brother travels quite a bit so I have a nice collection and these will definitely fit right in. You are very thoughtful to include my son also. You made the day for both of us!


***click on the pictures for a closer look;)

San Diego Artisan's Rock!

So this is what we brought back from San Diego. Isn't it beautiful? I absolutely love the color combination.
We purchased this from Lowery's in Old Towne San Diego. The artists work on site and you can custom order anything your little heart desires. Mando & I love it so much we are going to buy another the next time we are down there.

It was only a day trip, but we still had quite a bit of traffic on our way down. Very surprising being "Black" Friday and all. I really thought we would miss the crowds, but I guess we weren't the only ones who wanted to get out of town and away from the mobs of shoppers.

The day was really nice with the exception of the chocolate milk incident. Let's just say when a kid tells you he's gonna throw up, take his word for it. Anyway, the Boy is fine and we're home now...And my gorgeous light is up, so I'm a happy camper!

Gobble gobble

Happy Thanksgiving!

Is there such a thing as too much turkey???

Here's a turkey dishcloth for Lily.. We will be celebrating @ Grandma's house.

Pilgrim Jake with a paper turkey and lastly a turkey sourdough loaf from Boudin's bakery.

Happy Holiday Everyone and good luck to those brave souls that are shopping on Friday.

We're off to San Diego for the day Friday! ummmm Margarita's @ Old Towne Cafe.

When a threat should remain just that, a threat.

When good Mom's go bad.











Okay, so here's the deal.

I spend a good 30 to 40 minutes at least, trying to cut Jake's hair. He won't sit still, he squirms & wiggles. He complains constantly from start to finish. "I'm itchy, are you done yet, I want to see...." You get the picture.
So, after numerous threats. They go back about 2 or 3 years. I followed through. I swore over and over again, cursing under my breath, that if he did not sit still & let me finish I would shave it all off. Well I did it and here is the end result. Some before & after pics.

The good news - He has a ton of hair & it does grow VERY quickly. So, fingers crossed I will be doing haircut negotiations in about a month or so. It's super easy to wash & hassle free on school mornings!

The bad news - He looked at himself in the mirror and muttered "I look ridiculous". No lie, those were his actual words. AND he got a "Sad Gram" for screaming and throwing paper towels @ a student who reportedly called him 'Baldy' the first day he sported his new look to school.

Well, time heals all wounds & we have all adjusted to my lapse in judgment. I can only hope I have scarred him enough to sit still for the NEXT haircut.........

-Mando thinks we should start calling him Butch!

Get down with Toe Ups!

This is a still shot of my very Happy Feet. They are sooo very comfy and I am relieved to report I was not afflicted with "One Sock-Itis"! I have enough yarn left over to eventually knit up a pair for Jakey. (He has already asked for them). So now I'm thinking about a Christmas pair. Socks that Rock has great colors and I'm dying to check out the Etsy shops, but alas, Etsy has been down for repairs all weekend;(

Toe Up

First attempt @ Toe Up Socks and what da ya know, they actually fit! Nothing fancy, but ahhh yes, sweet success. And, "Hello..." Look at me go. Do you see the second sock resting beautifully on the needles?
That's right.
I will not be stopped by "One Sock-itis"!
I have thrown down the gauntlet.
A 'Pair' of socks or Nothing at all!!!!
I have taken a photo, I have blogged it, I'm on a mission from God.

Okay, not really.


Wow, I really had a moment there.


Enough fan fare. Off to complete sock.

Grey's Anatomy = Grey Shrug....

I can see the finish line!


One or two more rows for the trim maybe. I'm not happy with the sleeves. I think I will frog it & space the shells farther apart, because right now it is very "bell" shaped.
All in all it's turning out okay, seeing as I didn't even come close to using the recommended yarn. Mine version is closer to cardigan than a shrug, but I still like it:)

Now about Grey's.
Here is what I loved about the last episode.
Callie"s response to George. "Quit chasing me.......Unless your ready to catch me" I really like Callie more & more. I also loved that Izzie is back. She's back with her all her quirkiness, self doubt, intelligence and charm. I swear I cry every episode she is in. I love how "in tune" she is with human emotion. I love that Dr. Bailey caught Christina writing on the board.....you know the Sh!t us gonna hit the fan! and lastly I love that Alex is showing interest in ObGyn....I still want him to be a "Good" guy.

What I hated about the show.
Nacy Pants Mc Bitchy Butt! What a @%&*!
I hate that George stood there like an idiot & let Callie walk away.
I hate that McDreamy needs "time alone" gag.....
and I really hate that McSteamy's clothes stayed on the entire episode.

Boil, boil, toil & trouble!

Happy Halloween!

Here is Jakey in the school literacy parade. He won for most creative. The children were supposed to dress as a character from their favorite book & Jakey was Los Chimichangos from "Skippy Jon Jones". It was very cute to see all the kids in costumes.
The two goblins here are Jake & his cousin Jayson. Jakey lasted about 1 minute in that plastic alien mask, before he put it on top of his head! He was so sweaty! Jayson was soooo cute as a T-rex. We had a house full, Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Anna, Uncle Gene, Cousins Sharlene, Alexis, Neveah, Tim, Analiese, Alex, Jayson and our neighbors Fernando, Diana & Cristian. I honestly don't know how they all fit in my house!! I made lasagna & Italian wedding soup...yumm. We all had such a great time and the kiddo's wore us out trick or treating! It seems that more and more people are out every year. We even ran out of candy & had to make a quick run for more.
This here was my treat! Pumpkin Beer. Soooo Gooood!

Well, another Halloween has come and gone. Now to start thinking about Thanksgiving. I will be obsessed with the Food network this month. I feel like I have put on 10 pounds just thinking about all the goodies to bake & cook.

It's a Dead Mans Party,

Who could ask for more?
Everybody's coming
Leave your body at the door.
Leave your body and soul at the door.
Don't be afraid, it's only me. Don't be afraid of what you can't see.
"Dead Man's Party" Oingo Boingo.
Oingo Boingo's 'Smokin Elvis' I made this for Chris & Kirsten's new place. Doesn't everyone need a skull potholder?

Chris, Kirsten, Julie & Myself went to see Johnny Vato's tribute to Halloween @ the Greek Theater last week. About half the original members of Boingo were there. (no Danny Elfman....) We had a great time anyway and I think we all felt twenty years younger that night. Well we tried to drink like we were eighteen again...ughhh.
Hangover and all I did manage to drag myself to Jakes first basketball game, followed by -um are you sitting down for this??? a six year olds birthday party @ Chuck E. Cheese's. Yeah, I know, it sucks to be me. But I did it. Not my finest "Mom of the Year Moment" but I gave it a good effort. The price you pay for trying to have a little grown up fun.

Happy Birthday Tammy & Connie!!!!!

Happy Birthday to you...
You "work" in a zoo....
Your friends are all monkey's...

(what? that's not how the song goes???)

Double the birthday's, double the fun! Tammy & Connie celebrated their birthdays a little early @ work on Friday. As you may or may not know the sisters share the same birthday, 13 years apart. Pretty cool huh? They are off to Las Vegas to celebrate in "drunken" style. I hope they come back richer & hangover free. Now that would be lucky!
I was a mad crocheting machine and managed to finish their gifts in time. I used Sugar N Cream cotton on all these projects. Tammy's shrug is the "Short & Sweet" pattern from Stitch n Bitch Nation and Connie's scarf is the "Ella scarf" from KnitWhits. The cap is two patterns I combined using knit for the brim & crochet for the cap. (the same I used for Allie's pictured below).
I can't wait to hear how their trip was.
Happy Birthday Girls! I love you both

SP9 is beginning! After a shaky start (I was assigned myself to spoil...oops). I received my "spoil-ee" Nic from the UK and my" spoil-er" is also from the UK. I thought that was interesting. So hmmmm, when I think of England, I think of Pat & Ellen ( sisters & two of my Mother's closest friends from there). My memories of Pat & Ellen include lots of cigarette smoking, lots of drinking, "Vodka Tonic, Love." and of course lots of laughing. My Mom loved being around them and listening to all their stories....And believe you me the stories were endless!!!
Anyway, Pat & Ellen make me think of Patsy & Eddie, so there you have it! It's official, my SP9 is Ab Fab. -on both sides!!! Can't wait to get started.

Yeah, one more day until "Grey's Anatomy"!

I am working on a grey shrug for the KAL and I thought I'd include a picture of Jakey modeling the cap I made for Allie's Birthday ( since it is grey also ). I made her a scarf to go with it and I will post as soon as Tammy sends me pics:) I really like this little cap, although on Jake it reminds me of Damien from the Omen....(remember him in his little British school uniform) Ugh! Maybe I should check for three 6's!
"It's all for you Damien!"

SP9

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Natural fibers, cotton yarns. Anything soft. Any yarn that shows/defines stitches well. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Furry/Fuzzy/Fake/Itchy
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I don't really "store" needles, they are kinda held hostage @ my house. Squished into a roll case a friend gave me a couple of years ago and some are in a glass, and some are M.I.A.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I was taught by my Mother at a young age, but have been actively knitting for the last 7 years. I found it great therapy after the death of Mom, Joanne who was amazingly creative & taught me everything I know. I would consider my self an "advanced intermediate", but maybe that's just wishful thinking:)
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?Not that I can remember....
5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) Fresh, clean, floral & fruit.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? uh...Yeah! Favorite candy? dark chocolate & anything with nuts. Almond Joy.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? knit/crochet, sew, embroider, cross stitch Do you spin? Not yet.....my lys is thinking of starting a class, sooooooo?????
8. What kind of music do you like? Alternative, Blues, 80's-like KROQ, Elvis, The Beatles, Anything from "Grey's Anatomy" -such great soundtrack. Anything that gets you moving!!! Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)Yes.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? red, orange, gold, green, pastels, jewel tones, neutrals. Any colors you just can't stand? Nope, pretty much like everything!
10. What is your family situation?Me, DH & 6 year old son, Jakey Do you have any pets? One dog, Cleo & one fish, Joannie
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I live in California, so occasionally scarves. Hats & mittens -not so much. Never cared for ponchos.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?It changes, @ the moment, small quick projects.
13. What are you knitting right now? socks, washcloths, shrug
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? doesn't everyone?
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I use both, so really no preference. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I loooove Addi Turbo's, but one of these days I will treat myself to Lantern Moons Rosewood or Ebony needles.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Do hands, feet & knees qualify as a swift?
17. How old is your oldest UFO? 4 years old & 2 years old, both blankets
18. What is your favorite holiday? HALLOWEEN!!!!
19. Is there anything that you collect? Yarn & Fabric, but maybe that's not so much collecting as it is feeding the habit. Love vintage-y looking Halloween decorations.
20. Any books - Greetings from the Knit Cafe, yarns anything hand dyed, especially unusual color combo's , needles Lantern Moon or patterns Simple Knit Bodice @ StitchDiva.com out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? a subscription to Vogue's Knit 1. and I usually just break down & buy all the other knitting mags I see on the stand.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I just taught myself the "magic loop" method, so next maybe knitting 2 socks @ the same time.
22. Are you a sock knitter? Yes! What are your foot measurements? 9 3/4" length - 9 1/4'' around ball of foot.
23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)04/13

A Moment of Silence Please...........

Houston, we have "Links"! I am so incredibly pleased with myself right now. (My head feels like it's going to explode!) But I figured it out. The Computer Gods are smiling down on me at last. Happy, happy, joy, joy. I must confess I have been trying to figure this out for 2 days!!! Ahhh sweet success:)
Now for my Halloween Jaywalkers, well, I may frog them again. They are knitting up so narrow!! I did however turn one attempt into a wrist warmer, so all is not lost. Now Ribbit, ribbit....ugh!

Grey's is back!

I am sooooo happy Grey's Anatomy is back on! I love this show sooo much and watching each episode more than once is mandatory...thank you TiVo:) I am so obsessed with Grey's I have joined Grey's KAL over @ www.knitgrey.blogspot.com - I would list as a cute button over to the side with a link but as I have mentioned in the past I am computer challenged:( So here is the button, without the link. I have also started knitting a gray/grey shrug for the KAL and some Halloween socks using the "jaywalker" pattern...which btw I have frogged twice! too tight than too loose.

What did the Mama Corn say to the Baby Corn?












Where's Pop-Corn???

Pomona Fair 2006

MasonDixon Swap Cloths

Donna from "Down Under" in Australia was my 'not so secret' swap-cloth pal and she received her package I knit last week. It arrived fairly quickly, well actually, I had no idea how long it would take, but it did get to her in the long run. I knit two 'warsh rags' one in solid pale blue and the other in beige, blue & green and tucked them away in 'warsh-rag reloaded' all from MasonDixon knitting. If you haven't visited the MasonDixon KAL, it's worth a trip to check out how addicting these babies are! I am knitting them up like crazy for Christmas gifts!!! This was a fun swap and I hope the host another....next time I'd like to try the euroflax linen hand towel! Glad you liked your wash cloths Donna & I hope you are feeling better!

No Knit Weekend

Back from Fabulous Las Vegas and a thousand dollars richer! I hit the Holy Grail on my beloved Poker machine. You heard me right, I hit a "Royal Flush". I'm still in shock. I hit the jackpot on a 25cent video poker machine @ the Plaza, Downtown on Friday night. Mando & I had been in the casino maybe a half hour waiting to meet up with Chris & Eve. What a way to start the weekend! I also had another Elvis sighting. Was I lucky or what!?!?! And....Mando & I had tickets for "Love" the new Cirque du Soleil show with the Beatles music. It was amazing! The weekend flew by so fast, but we did manage to spend one evening with my Brothers and fav nephew, Matt. Did I mention he is now 21! Yep, 21 & parting it up with his Dad, Auntie & Uncle. Of all the trips to forget my camera. Chris took the one of me & Elvis with my phone and the other was for "Proof". Blurry, but you get the idea. Viva Las Vegas!!!!!

Neveah's new cap.

Here is pretty Neveah's new cap! She is such a doll!!! I knit this a little big so she can grow into it. The pattern knit up really quick, but I need to remember to pull my stitches tighter so I don't end up with the dreaded "ladder" up the sides. No need to worry, Neveah doesn't seem to mind. I snapped these pics @ our annual Family dinner and you see Auntie Peggy is having a "great" time! For my own personal records, and those of you who are interested, I knit this using Red Hearts TLC 'Baby' in "Fizzy Print". This is also the same yarn I used for the bobble bag pictured below. It's amazing how different it looks.

The Toothless Wonder

Here's Jake in all his glory, proudly sporting his Jack-O-Lantern grin from ear to ear. Mando snapped this pic of him talking to me on the phone last night. He called me on my way home from work to let me know he had finally lost his tooth. ( It was the 5th he has lost so far) Actually, it didn't so much as fall out as Mando "pulled" it out. I swear that dang tooth has been wiggling and dangling since last year! Anyway, when I got home he showed me the gap and we sat down to write a letter to the toothfairy. Who by the way has moved up to "Santa" status. The letter consisted of about 4 'I Love You's' and the all important question..."Since you are so tiny, how are you going to carry the Lego Star Wars game I want?" I explained this away with.."Well, the ToothFairy has alot of children to visit, so she usually will take the tooth & leave you money so you can buy something cool @ Target!" Not the best explanation, but hey it's all I got!
So, as I type this, Jake has crawled back into bed, clutching his cash and has reported that "I'm very, very tired and I can't go to school today." I'm off to re-wake my sleepy head with the threat of - If you don't get up, Dad won't take you to Target today. Ahh yes, the all powerful Target. I can get my kid to do just about anything for trip to the "red store".