July postcard swap

I finished my Project Spectrum July postcard swap card last night. (Phew - that's a mouthful!) I worked on it during my monthly scrapbooking meetup. I kind of broke the rules last night and brought two people with me that weren't "officially" on the list - but come on it's not a night club right?

So me and my 2 guests are sitting and scrapping with me and more and more people keep showing up. Yikes I think - they're going to notice I have two unofficial people with me! We meet monthly at Recollections on Snowden Prkwy in Columbia. It was a crazy busy night - there were two store sponsered events - a make and take and a class. There were little kids running around and old ladies spread out over three seats each - it was not the night to have 2 unofficial guests with you I can now say. Eventually as more of more of our meetup crew showed up - there was finally no more room in the inn. Two of the latecoming would be scrapbookers had to leave. Should I feel guilty about this? It is a public store and anyone is welcome to come. We don't reserve seats - just casually sign up so everyone knows who will be there. But I broke the rules - I invited and didn't post that they were coming - shame on me!

But I guess I don't really care too much - I blame the old ladies! *hehehehe*

I also did some shopping for my Flip Flop swap and boy did I find some cool stuff! I almost didn't want to send it to her - but I did. I put the box in the mail this morning. Debby - if you're reading this - I'm not going to post any pictures or major spoilers - so you can continue reading!! I will say that the things inside will tickle you pink (with green) and allow you to totally relax on the beach this summer and maybe even express your rock star glam side. If you didn't know you had a rock star side - you will after you receive your package! Those are all the clues you're getting! You'll just have to wait and see...

Anyway - after I got home - my MIL brought over the paint your own pottery dish I made last week with cousin Kelly. It turned out remarkably well if not a little too bright. But all in all I do like it. I had planned to put it on top of my cabinets - but alas - it is too big! I overshot myself and did the big platter and now it won't fit where I intended for it to go. Oh well - it will just have to actually be used for food instead of display! I can just see a big juicy plate of spagetti on it - or a big fresh salad.

ok - now I'm getting hungry.

Sweaty Weekend

Man it's hot.... It's so hot - that even walking from my car to work - I broke out in a sweat. I'm not normally a sweaty person. I don't really sweat that easily. Sure - if I'm exercising or something I will - but just walking outside in the sun I'm normally able to maintain some form of unsweatiness. But not today and not this entire weekend.

Saturday was great - despite the heat. We went out with some friends on their boat and I had the best time! The heat does't really matter when you're cruising along at 50 miles per hour in a speed boat. I even got up the courage to try riding on this tube thingie while the boat sped along.

Here's a pic of what I mean - neither of these crazy people is Me!




It was both exhilarating and terrifying! I went with my friend's 14 year old daughter - she kept saying "faster! faster!" and giving the thumbs up (go faster sign). I was just screaming bloody murder too terrified to release the death grip I had on the handles to give the slow down (thumbs down) signal. In the end I survived and have a new found respect for the power of teenagers to hold on and never get tired. My arms are so sore today!!


Sunday - was too hot to do much of anything - so I started a sock. My second pair of socks to be exact. I loved this yarn - it's Knit Picks Memories in Redwood Forest.

I'm doing the Knitty pattern - Thuja.

So far - they are coming along well. I took a picture of them next to my amazing canna flower. I thought they complimented each other brillantly.



The flower stalk is almost as tall as me!! Here's another shot of this gorgeous flower:





I got an email from my flip flop exchange pal - I can't wait to get a cool package made up for her!

Saturday Sky

I'm posting this on Sunday - but it is Saturday's sky looking up from my patio.




It was a beautiful but sweltering hot day.

Log Cabin progress

Well I have 4 squares done - yippee! It's taking a little longer than I thought it would to pump these babies out - but they are coming along. I'm still amazed at how much yarn each one eats! One skein barely stretches to two segments of a square! I hope I hope don't run out of yarn - because I'm using sale yarn (Debbie Bliss Merino Chunky) and it's discontined!

Anyway - here's a pic


I also just got some news that my old roommate is expecting a baby girl! I finally get to knit something frilly and girlie for a change. It seems like everyone I know if having babies right now. I feel like the only one not pregnant! Anyway - I plan on making her a baby kimono from Mason Dixon to start. I am taking a break from my log cabining and will be knitting for the baby for a while. She needs a kimono or two, a few bibs, some booties and of course a blanket! WHo knows what else.

And now what you have all been waiting for - my first entry in Project Spectrum! July is for purple! It's amazing how little purple I actually have in my house. So little - I actually went around the house in search of some. Any kind of purple! I found the following:

Stiches East!

I just signed up for Stitches East - yeah!! I'm so excited! Us Marylanders are very luck we have so many awesome shows in the area. First Sheep and Wool and now Stiches! I hope I get into the classes I signed up for! I signed up for the following:

1. Unpatterns Top-Down Sweaters - where we will be making a teddy bear sized sweater knit (you guessed it) from the top down.
2. Hole-istic_lace - (Duh) - we'll be making lace
3. Knitting on the Edge - We'll learn how to add fancy edges to all kinds of things.


I can only imagine the yarn that will be there too - I'm already drooling!

Summertime

It was such a glorious weekend - hot but still great. I met up with some of my girlfriends from high school on Saturday and we had our monthly lunch. It's always nice to catch up! After lunch we saw Pirates of the Carribean. Save your money and wait for the DVD. It was definitely NOT worth the price of admission. Way too long - way too many fight scenes and way too much digital effects and way too little actual story. Didn't like it. At all.

Anyway - after that experience - I picked up cousin Kelly and we just chilled out at home and watched a better movie - Nanny McPhee - very cute! A Mary Poppins like movie of a nanny with magical powers and 7 very bad children who miraculously become good children in the course of several days. It was definitely a fairy tale!

Sunday was spent gardening!

There was a buy one get one free sale a the local farmer's market/nursery - yeah! I got 2 butterfly bushes, 2 arborvitae, 2 pepper plants, 2 hanging baskets (one tomato and one flowers), 2 ivies, 2 coleus and another burgundy ivy I don't know the name of. I also found some time to photograph the denizens of my garden.

A lady bug enjoying a stoll on my hydrangea tree:





And a butterfly with beautiful marking sipping on some flowers.




Bailey was working hard to catch this butterfly.... It was funny until he almost got it!!

Fly away quick before he gets you!

Socks a plenty

I went to sit and knit last night and started a new sock. I'm using a gorgeous shade of Koigu and making the Tropicana pattern from knitty.com

I wasn't alone in my socky pursuits - it seemed like everyone was making socks last night!

Here's a sampling of our goods...



It was a good showing - we had some new knitters and a cuty pie little knitter making her first knitted object.


There was spinning a plenty too - with Sara and Margaret breaking out the spindles.
Here's Sara



And here's part of Margaret :)




It was a great evening - live music was playing from the Lakefront and we enjoyed each other's company.

I was almost talked into going to the midnight showing of Pirates of the Carribean - but alas - I didn't go - I needed my beauty sleep! And now I have something to take my cousin Kelly to this weekend - another movie! That'll be 2 in a week. i think that's a record for me - since I havne't been to a theater to see a movie since the last Harry Potter! I wonder if I could knit in there... hmmm....

If I do decide to ever knit at the movies - I may just have to invest in a pair of these awesome needles that have lights on the tips!!



Here's a few links to various places to purchase these little gems...

BrewerSewing


Ebay

LA Knitter Parisienne

I think I may need these. Now to decide what color!!

Click is a good flick!

Sorry for the bad rhyming - but I just saw Click last night with Adam Sandler and I highly recommend it!



I took my cousin-in-law (is that a word?) and it was such a great movie. I laughed, I cried (alot!) and got a new respect for Adam Sandler. He can do comedy and drama - all at the same time!

I must admit I wasn't the biggest fan of some of Adam Sandler's movies (like Billy Madison and Waterboy). His work is a toss up - I either love it or hate. I loved Happy Gilmore and Big Daddy and Spanglish.

This movie leans more toward Spanglish than Billy Madison in style and is definitley going to be part of my DVD collection when it comes out!

It feel like It's a Wonderful Life meets Scrooge with some typical Sandler-esque comedy thrown in for his die-hard fans. A great date or family movie (except for the scenes where his dog(s) humps a stuffed duck!!)

Tonight is sit and knit - I can't wait!! I can't decide if I want to start a new sock or continue my log cabin blanket. I didn't post pics of that yet did I! I'm a bad blogger! - bad!- bad!


I have two done and many many more to go!!


Here's the my newly acquired stash of Debbie Bliss Merino Chunky and my first square.





I love the deep vibrant colors this wool comes in. I didn't want a rainbow colored blanket like they show in the Mason Dixon book. That's just not me. I love the rich colors that I found in this color combo...




I'll keep you posted on what I make tonight - a block or a sock!

Another bad rhyme!! Ha!!

4th of July Festivities

I went to DC to see the fire works for the first time in my life (and probably the last). Although they were good - it was quite a drama to get there and back in one day! We headed down around 7pm - got there around 8 - waited in line to be "security checked" until 8:45 and then just made it to get seats on the mall by 9 when the fireworks erupted. It was beautiful to see them exploding behind the Washington Monument.



This was actually my second set of fireworks this summer - I saw a homemade version a few nights ago at my friend Margaret's house. It was a fun time with some knitting around the bonfire. We did the traditional smelling of the yarn. (I thought I was the only one that smelled my yarn!) Apparently my friend Hollyanne and her son also enjoy a good wiff of wool!




A good time was had by all and I got to make S'mores! Yum - I think I was only adult at the bonfire with a stick in my hand and marshmellow on my face - but I didn't care. I haven't had S'mores in years! They are just as good as you remember - I suggest running out and making some rightnow!

I also had the honor of initiating a new knitter into the world. My husband's cousin Kelly is now officially a knitter! I taught her the knit and purl stitch and showed her my yarn stash. I also showed her my yarn winder and umbrella - which she totally loved! She said she could just sit and wind yarn all day. I'm so proud!

I started her on her first scarf - but is she is already itching to move on to felted bags and Mason Dixon wash clothes - Yeah! Another muggle crossed over our side :)

Happy Knitting!

Welcome to my garden!

I took a stroll around the garden this weekend took some cool pictures. I felt very Georgia O'Keiffe-esk on a few closeups!

Everything is blooming right now I love it! I could spend hours just looking at my plants and watering them and caressing them.... Wait - did I go too far!

Anyway - here are some of my favorites...

Hydrangeas:


A hungry honey bee


My creeping sedum jungle...


Sedum buds ready to pop


Day Lilly


Colorful Coleus



A lone chick without a hen!


A moth on my butterfly bush (go figure!)


A lone Astilbe swaying in the breeze


A black-eyed susan almost ready to open her eyes



A colorful caladium



A glowing Glamini (mini Gladiolas)



And lastly - my lastest container gardening attempt - canna with coleus and petunias.



Happy gardening!

Knitting update tomorrow - I'll have pics of my latest project - I started a wool log cabin quilt!