Monday, October 30, 2006
What do you think?
Okay, so I got some Light and Lofty today at Wal Mart on clearance. While in skein form, it looked like it could be some cute booties. So, I made one. Now I wonder - does it look entirely too much like clown hair to even waste my time making the second one? Is this picture going to end up on What Not To Crochet or You Crocheted What?? ? So, I put it to you - my friends and the public at large. What is YOUR impression of this baby bootie?
Oh, Behave!
So my first craft show is coming up this weekend..... I think I'm ready, somewhat, too.... I have some booties made, and I'm making the hats to go with them, and then a whole bunch of stuff that's in the "almost complete" pile that I just need to finish up..... a bunch of discloths and scrunchies, a couple of afghans and some slippers...... I also want to start a couple more things, but they may not make it into this show.
I need to put together a portfolio, too, of the things I have made and given away..... and I will have the day on Saturday to get started on various Christmas gifts and such. I'm so excited! I get to hang out with other crocheters, have a go at selling my wares, and (and this is the MOST important) have some "me time," no kids!!! Yay!!
And, yes, I realize that I haven't posted any more pics lately - I have just been so overwhelmed with the girls being sick, and now Hans is, that I just haven't had a free second to spare..... Soon, though, I promise!
I need to put together a portfolio, too, of the things I have made and given away..... and I will have the day on Saturday to get started on various Christmas gifts and such. I'm so excited! I get to hang out with other crocheters, have a go at selling my wares, and (and this is the MOST important) have some "me time," no kids!!! Yay!!
And, yes, I realize that I haven't posted any more pics lately - I have just been so overwhelmed with the girls being sick, and now Hans is, that I just haven't had a free second to spare..... Soon, though, I promise!
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Saturday Rambles
So not much crocheting has gone on this week, what with the kids both sick. Makes me sad, too, because I really need the release, but every free second I have had has been spent cleaning (I can be online with a sick child in my arms, or while I monitor Aliceon's homework :D). And, because Hans had to work today, and the girls are sick, I didn't get to go yarn shopping with Brandee today, either. She did, however, pick up some wool for me that I need for a Christmas gift I'm planning - Thanks, Bran!!!
Today, though, the kids are feeling much better, and I have gotten a lot done housework wise, so I think that I will be crocheting some after dinner tonight. I need to relax. Desperately.
On the hooks right now - 1 lapghan, 4 afghans, 1 babyghan, 1 layette set, 2 dishcloths, 2 pairs of booties, 1 purse, 1 tote bag.... and I think that's it.....
Today, though, the kids are feeling much better, and I have gotten a lot done housework wise, so I think that I will be crocheting some after dinner tonight. I need to relax. Desperately.
On the hooks right now - 1 lapghan, 4 afghans, 1 babyghan, 1 layette set, 2 dishcloths, 2 pairs of booties, 1 purse, 1 tote bag.... and I think that's it.....
Friday, October 27, 2006
New blog
I've started a new blog to sort out my anger and fear. I don't want to bring it into this blog anymore - this is a happy blog, a safe place for me to smile, and I don't want to sully it. So the new, dark blog is http://www.thycasux.blogspot.com
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Slogo Decision
All right, after much deliberation, discussion and opinions, I have decided on a logo -
I chose it because of its appeal, timelessness and gender neutrality, not to mention that the color scheme is just very "me" - Classic, not flashy and a little understated. Pink was too "girly" and could possibly alienate any men or non-girly girls from my product, and the blue and brown, while very classy, is probably a passing fad. Two tone brown, however, when done right (and NOT on a 1978 Dodge Ram conversion van!!!) can stand the test of time and fads.
I chose it because of its appeal, timelessness and gender neutrality, not to mention that the color scheme is just very "me" - Classic, not flashy and a little understated. Pink was too "girly" and could possibly alienate any men or non-girly girls from my product, and the blue and brown, while very classy, is probably a passing fad. Two tone brown, however, when done right (and NOT on a 1978 Dodge Ram conversion van!!!) can stand the test of time and fads.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Weekend Recap.....
Man oh man, but I had an exciting weekend! It all started on Wednesday with the arrival of our houseguest for the weekend. Incidently, Wednesday is also the day, if you will remember, that our crochet group found out about the idioay that was the Salvation Army craft show. Yeah. Ok. Moving on.
So Thursday, blech, Friday day, blech. Hadn't been feeling to great, mostly from the allergies and insomnia, so I cancelled my plans to go out with Hans and a couple of friends of ours to dinner at Medieval Times. Then a friend had some drama occur in her life, so I was thankful that I was home to help her through it.
Saturday I puttered around the house, doing hella nothing for the most part. Went grocery shopping in the morning to get the stuff for Heather's birthday party and made her cake, cleaned some and just had a lazy day. I don't think I did much crocheting until the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep - yet again!
Okay, so I have been writing this since Monday. It's THursday. I'm not even going to ATTEMPT to finish it. I have 2 sick kids, and a house that is a disaster subsequently.......
So Thursday, blech, Friday day, blech. Hadn't been feeling to great, mostly from the allergies and insomnia, so I cancelled my plans to go out with Hans and a couple of friends of ours to dinner at Medieval Times. Then a friend had some drama occur in her life, so I was thankful that I was home to help her through it.
Saturday I puttered around the house, doing hella nothing for the most part. Went grocery shopping in the morning to get the stuff for Heather's birthday party and made her cake, cleaned some and just had a lazy day. I don't think I did much crocheting until the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep - yet again!
Okay, so I have been writing this since Monday. It's THursday. I'm not even going to ATTEMPT to finish it. I have 2 sick kids, and a house that is a disaster subsequently.......
Friday, October 20, 2006
Okay, I need to come up with business cards/product tags for the items that I place in the craft shows. I'm also trying to make sure that, whatever I use now, is something that I can use for years to come, and that I could use should I ever decide to publish my patterns.
I have come up with a couple of names so far, and have pretty much decided on a font. Here are some designs that I have come up with. Please vote for the one you like best, and then explain why, if you don't mind. Thanks!
***Keep in mind that they are much smoother in real life - the way they were saved makes them pixelated :S**
Also, I made booties last night! Booties that Brandee forced me to make, and I have to admit - she was right! They were so simple that I made 2.5 pair in the middle of the night when I was up, bleary eyed with insomnia. And they look as cute this morning as they did when I made them! I have to get my camera and post some pics..... I'll do that in a bit :D
I have come up with a couple of names so far, and have pretty much decided on a font. Here are some designs that I have come up with. Please vote for the one you like best, and then explain why, if you don't mind. Thanks!
***Keep in mind that they are much smoother in real life - the way they were saved makes them pixelated :S**
Also, I made booties last night! Booties that Brandee forced me to make, and I have to admit - she was right! They were so simple that I made 2.5 pair in the middle of the night when I was up, bleary eyed with insomnia. And they look as cute this morning as they did when I made them! I have to get my camera and post some pics..... I'll do that in a bit :D
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Blogger's being a hater......
Yet again, I had a post allllll typed up, was just adding the very last pic, and POOF! Actually, though, it wasn't blogger - it was my whacked out computer. Hans finally got to see it in action last night, too. Weirdest thing - restarts itself randomly, usually when you're right in the middle of something..... So I'm going to do this in Word again - at least then I have document recovery!
Okay, so my hair has undergone some major changes over the last few months. Pre-cancer diagnosis, I had long, naturally blonde, naturally curly hair:
Then I had my thyroid surgery and my hair started falling out in clumps, so I got it cut short to help it look fuller and to make the hair loss less traumatic for me:
Well, short and blonde was showing how thin my hair was getting, so I decided to darken it a little with a bit of red:
Hans hated the cut (he’s a long hair man….) and the red (says he married a blonde…..), so I let him bleach it. Big mistake.
The straw yellow hair was unbearable, so I took it upon myself to try and fix it. Still not what I want, but better than looking like a scarecrow. So here’s the color du jour!
Not the greatest pic, but the best I could do with 2 crazy kids running around and me being exhausted!
Okay, so my hair has undergone some major changes over the last few months. Pre-cancer diagnosis, I had long, naturally blonde, naturally curly hair:
Then I had my thyroid surgery and my hair started falling out in clumps, so I got it cut short to help it look fuller and to make the hair loss less traumatic for me:
Well, short and blonde was showing how thin my hair was getting, so I decided to darken it a little with a bit of red:
Hans hated the cut (he’s a long hair man….) and the red (says he married a blonde…..), so I let him bleach it. Big mistake.
The straw yellow hair was unbearable, so I took it upon myself to try and fix it. Still not what I want, but better than looking like a scarecrow. So here’s the color du jour!
Not the greatest pic, but the best I could do with 2 crazy kids running around and me being exhausted!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Playing Catch Up!
Okay, so I have typed up about 6 blogs over the past week and a half or so, but either one of two things always happened - either blogger would eat the entry, or my stupid retard of a computer would randomly turn off, as it has been wont to do since we moved, and I would lose everything. So I'm trying again, but this is going to be the uber-condensed, written in MS Word version with numerous saves along the way.....
Let’s see – where to start again? Ah, yes, I think the last thing was my birthday. Birthday was great – dinner at TuTu Tango with Eli, and let me tell you, that was a blast! Good food, good company, interesting surroundings! If you haven’t been, and there’s one near enough to you, check it out. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed! That was Friday, the 6th. Then, on the 7th, my birthday actual, we headed down to Brandee’s for some poolside fun for the kids in the afternoon, and then my birthday party with yarn!! I really made out like a bandit there, too! Lots of “leftover” yarn and gift cards to buy more yarn and yarn paraphernalia! And let us not forget the yummy, scrummy food! Thank you, everyone, for a great 28th!!
So now that my birthday is over, I’m spending all my free time working on my WIPS for the craft fairs and Christmas gifts. I also just found out that a friend is pregnant, and she has asked that I make her 2 pairs of booties ASAP so that she can give a pair to each of the sets of grandparents as Christmas gifts as their way of announcing their new bundle.
I need to photograph my WIPs soon – I have sooooo many right now though. It seems I have a problem – anytime I get a new yarn, or find a new pattern, I absolutely MUST try it out. And then, like an idiot, I bought steel hooks and some crochet thread. It’s fun, I must admit, but addictive and much more time consuming than some of my other WIPs…. And all I’m doing is a book thong!! Still, I want to get the hang of thread so I can do a few angels and snowflakes to garnish my Christmas gifts with.
Not much else to report, actually. Heather’s birthday is Monday, and we’re having a “Pink Dora Party” on Sunday afternoon. The craft show I was supposed to participate in this weekend has become a not so gonna do thing, seeing as how the coordinator took the money even though, when she got it three weeks ago, the spaces for booths were full. Of course, she neglected to let anyone know about this until TODAY, hoping that a space would come available. Yeah, um, show’s Saturday. Oh well. More time to get things done, and that’s a good thing.
SO I’m going to try to be a better blogger now…… but this is it for tonight, as there are children that need attention, a house that needs cleaning, laundry that needs folding and WIPs that need to be moving closer to the finished basket :D Adieu!
Thursday, October 05, 2006
The yarn god are smiling!
Yesterday I had to head to Downtown Orlando to take Heather to a 9:30 eye appointment. Beacause you can never be completely sure what traffic is going to do heading into the city, I left my house a full hour + early to ensure that we wouldn't be late. Well, luck was on my side, and we made the trip in a very impressive 45 minutes (kinda sad when you take into consideration it's only 15 miles, though.). So, here it is, 8:45, I'm at my destination with 45 minutes to kill. I remember that there is a HUGE Dollar Tree nearby, so I decide to go check it out. OMG. Seriously. I have never seen so much stuff in a Dollar Tree before, and good stuff, too. Now, the biggest reason I check out Dollar Tree these days is becase they usually have yarn. Good yarn. Bernat yarn. And yesterday, in that store, was no different. Well, actually, it WAS different. There was a lot of yarn! And anyone who knows me with this new obsession knows that for me to see yarn and not buy anything is near unheard of! So, I bought 10 skeins! for $10! Of specialty yarn! 4 skeins of Bernat Velour in Purple Pleasers and 6 skeins of Bernat Frenzy in Racy Red. I also have Frenzy that I have picked up in Dollar Tree locations in Berserk, Lilac and Violet. The shawl I made was with the berserk.
Actually, I have a whole Dollar Tree yarn stash that continues to grow. There's Pebbles and Frenzy and Velour and, oh, I forget what the other one is.... the one that Brandee makes her monkey scarves with..... Voodoo!! And when these yarns retail everywhere else for $3-6 per skein, getting them at Dollar Tree is amazing! I mean, heck, you can't even get cheap, non specialty acrylic yarn for a dollar a skein, usually!!
Yes, I am really and truly addicted :D
Actually, I have a whole Dollar Tree yarn stash that continues to grow. There's Pebbles and Frenzy and Velour and, oh, I forget what the other one is.... the one that Brandee makes her monkey scarves with..... Voodoo!! And when these yarns retail everywhere else for $3-6 per skein, getting them at Dollar Tree is amazing! I mean, heck, you can't even get cheap, non specialty acrylic yarn for a dollar a skein, usually!!
Yes, I am really and truly addicted :D
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
A visit from the book fairy.....
You know, I love my local library system. The actual library nearest me isn't all that impressive - the shelf collection is very limited - but they have the greatest county-wide feature: home delivery! Seriously, it's wonderful! I can now check out my library books without ever having to leave the comfort of my home! I simply log on to the library's site, use the online card catalog to find what I want, order them up, and they send someone to the shelves to find the books (at any of the county's many branches) and send them to my house via courier. And get this - FREE SERVICE! Can you believe it? Now, don't get me wrong - I love being able to go to the library and caress the spines of the various tomes while trying to choose something new and interesting to read, but the abilityt o search for all the crochet books in the county system and have them all delivered to my doorstep...... Um, WOW!!!
So yes, I love my little visits from the book fairy. I leave in the morning and my doorstep is empty. A little later I look out, and there is the bag with my book(s). What else could make a bookish hooker happier, I ask you?
So yes, I love my little visits from the book fairy. I leave in the morning and my doorstep is empty. A little later I look out, and there is the bag with my book(s). What else could make a bookish hooker happier, I ask you?
Monday, October 02, 2006
Book List
Okay, so this post isn't crochet or yarn related, but I saw it elsewhere and thought it quite interesting, so bear with me :D
Instructions: Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you've read, italicize the ones you might read, cross out the ones you won't, underline the ones on your book shelf, and place parentheses around the ones you've never even heard of.
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
1984 - George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling
(One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
(Neuromancer - William Gibson)
(Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson)
(The Secret History - Donna Tartt)
A Clockwork
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis
(Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides)
(Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell)
The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
(Good Omens - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman)
(Atonement - Ian McEwan)
(The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon)
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
(The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood)
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Dune - Frank Herbert
Weekend Recap
We had quite the exciting weekend. In all honesty, it actually started Thursday night with our trip to Epcot, too, but I already blogged that.
Friday was pretty uneventful - grocery shopping, house stuff, and Hans worked late. Saturday we got up early. The girls and I are going to be in one of my closest friends' weddings in June, and we went shopping for our dresses with the bride Saturday in Lakeland. I should be getting pics of the dress that was chosen for the girls soon, and will post it. For me we aren't sure - it depends on the other 2 bridesmaids, and they're coming into town on the 21st for their fitting and to see which dress looks best on them, too. That took a chunk of the day, and then we went to lunch at Zaxby's (that I blogged about on Friday - they didn't disappoint!!).
Saturday night was an outdoor viewing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail at the Tampa Performing Arts Center, with dinner at Shells beforehand. A good time was had by all, and yarn WAS involved! Brandee gave me three skeins of Caron Simply Soft for a project I'm starting, and we sat and crocehted (well, Bran was knitting on Dani's sock.....) and discussed the yarn arts during the movie. Weather was wonderful - cool without being cold, not too humid, just enough breeze to be comfortable. And let me tell you - watching the movie accompanied by the sounds of 200 people with coconut halves galloping at the appropriate spots was fantastic!
Sunday was cleaning day here at the homestead. We also had company over for dinner - friends of ours from the Ft. Lauderdale area that moved up here a couple of weeks ago. This was the first time we'd seen them in a year, and it was fun. We ordered pizza and wings, and while the boys went to pick it up, we girls crocheted. It was so much fun actually teaching someone else to crochet! I never thought I would be considered good enough that someone would want to learn because they saw my work, but this girl did. Not only that, but she's so impressed that she wants me to make things to sell in her online store. That's the second person that has asked me to place items in a store. Am I good, or are they just clueless??
Today is laundry, Heather's therapies and working on getting more dishcloths done. I'm also trying to come up with a couple of other things that I can make fairly quickly and put in the craft show on Nov. 4. I have to have all my stuff made and priced by Halloween so I can get it to Brandee. That kinda has me in a time crunch, but that's ok. I love the excitement!
I have a few books coming from the library, too, that I want to get some patterns out of. One that I already have received is Candy Tots. I want to try to get a few things made out of it. I also need to go pick up a copy of this month's Easy Crochet by Family Circle - I saw Brandee's copy Saturday night, and there are quite a few things in there I want to give a whirl.....
Well, I guess that's it for the weekend recap! Happy Hooking!
Friday was pretty uneventful - grocery shopping, house stuff, and Hans worked late. Saturday we got up early. The girls and I are going to be in one of my closest friends' weddings in June, and we went shopping for our dresses with the bride Saturday in Lakeland. I should be getting pics of the dress that was chosen for the girls soon, and will post it. For me we aren't sure - it depends on the other 2 bridesmaids, and they're coming into town on the 21st for their fitting and to see which dress looks best on them, too. That took a chunk of the day, and then we went to lunch at Zaxby's (that I blogged about on Friday - they didn't disappoint!!).
Saturday night was an outdoor viewing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail at the Tampa Performing Arts Center, with dinner at Shells beforehand. A good time was had by all, and yarn WAS involved! Brandee gave me three skeins of Caron Simply Soft for a project I'm starting, and we sat and crocehted (well, Bran was knitting on Dani's sock.....) and discussed the yarn arts during the movie. Weather was wonderful - cool without being cold, not too humid, just enough breeze to be comfortable. And let me tell you - watching the movie accompanied by the sounds of 200 people with coconut halves galloping at the appropriate spots was fantastic!
Sunday was cleaning day here at the homestead. We also had company over for dinner - friends of ours from the Ft. Lauderdale area that moved up here a couple of weeks ago. This was the first time we'd seen them in a year, and it was fun. We ordered pizza and wings, and while the boys went to pick it up, we girls crocheted. It was so much fun actually teaching someone else to crochet! I never thought I would be considered good enough that someone would want to learn because they saw my work, but this girl did. Not only that, but she's so impressed that she wants me to make things to sell in her online store. That's the second person that has asked me to place items in a store. Am I good, or are they just clueless??
Today is laundry, Heather's therapies and working on getting more dishcloths done. I'm also trying to come up with a couple of other things that I can make fairly quickly and put in the craft show on Nov. 4. I have to have all my stuff made and priced by Halloween so I can get it to Brandee. That kinda has me in a time crunch, but that's ok. I love the excitement!
I have a few books coming from the library, too, that I want to get some patterns out of. One that I already have received is Candy Tots. I want to try to get a few things made out of it. I also need to go pick up a copy of this month's Easy Crochet by Family Circle - I saw Brandee's copy Saturday night, and there are quite a few things in there I want to give a whirl.....
Well, I guess that's it for the weekend recap! Happy Hooking!
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