by Kat | May 1, 2017 | General, In This Moment
On this rainy Monday, it seems like a good day to get out the mail bag! So, lets see what we have in there!
Dear Target,
Can you please explain to me the thought process behind how you stock shelves after your stores have opened?
Do you really think that customers appreciate not being able to navigate the main aisles due to the cluster-fuck of employees with hand carts blocking the way?
Oh, and their utter rudeness at being inconvenienced by your customers is really awesome… NOT.
Regards,
Your Used to be Customer
Dear Mother Birds,
It all started with Mrs. Robin and her nest in the hedge.
Then, Mrs. Sparrow decided to move into the Cardinal House – building her nest in what seemed like a few hours one day last week.
And, the Stone House my kids built for me ages ago has an occupant for the second year in a row! New babies will soon be filling my yard and I could not be happier!
Signed,
One Extremely Happy Bird Nana
Dear Kat,
It has now been four months of daily stitching. Four months that have been the most wonderful thing ever!
Last month, however, was really especially wonderful. You see, all the fabrics were sent from a dear blog friend and her inspiration combined with that of another dear blog friend helped to create May’s “Quilt of Stitches” which you see above.
I am so proud of where your unplanned creativity has taken you. You stepped out of the box and embraced the uncertainty of not having a pattern. You trusted that each day by doing a little, you would end with something wonderful.
Love,
Your Inner Creative Voice
So, this May Day, the month is a blank canvas before us – what will you do with your month?
by Kat | Apr 28, 2017 | General
Tonight, Steve will be away at a work function. So that means no normal happy hour. Before you get too depressed for me, we had an “emergency happy hour” last night. Priorities, after all!
Speaking of Steve, sometimes he sends me the most hilarious things from work. Today’s gem involved the wonder of getting double monitors…
Really… I cannot make this stuff up.
Enough hilarity from outside sources! Today kicks off my “Home Alone” Day!
On my agenda:
- Finish reading The Mountain in My Shoe – I only have a couple of chapters left!
- Begin and finish The Lake – I have a due date of Monday! Yikes!
- Knit!!! I have begun the crossed stitches in the shawl and I love how it is looking!
A few things, but it feels like a full plate!
Now, how about some links!
There you have it, Gentle Readers! See you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Apr 27, 2017 | General, Words
This week’s Think Write Thursday topic is to write a post that begins with the words, “Remember the time . . . “
Memories are curious things. The strangest things can trigger them. I showed you those hankies I found, the memory it triggered was doing this as a child. I could not remember exactly how to do it though, so I am thankful for YouTube which has videos on all things, even babies in a cradle!
But, in thinking about this post, there were lots of Remember the time moments…
Here are some of my Remember the times:
- Remember when spring actually was spring and there were not numerous days when it got to 90 out? We are slated to be near 90 today. In April. This worries me greatly.
- Remember when we had a president we could be proud of? Yeah, me too and most days it seems like a lifetime ago.
- Remember when I had a “real job” and actually had to leave the house to go to work? Some days I really miss having a “real job” with interaction with co-workers, regular hours, etc. Thankfully, these are fleeting moments – but they do happen, sometimes frequently – like this month. Yeah, even staying home to work has its ups and downs.
- Remember when gas used to be 25 cents a gallon? I do…especially when filling up the car now costs $55. Ouch.
- Remember when spending the night at Nana’s house was the best thing ever, staying up late to watch Charlie Chan in black and white, eating “Denver Omelets”, playing solitaire with Grandpa, and sleeping under this quilt.
Those are some of my Remember the times moments, what are yours?
If you would like to see what others remembered, you will find them here. If you want to join Carole and I for Think Write Thursday’s, you can sign up here.
by Kat | Apr 26, 2017 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Hello Unravelers! Happy Wednesday to you all!
I hope your week has brought lots of good reading and even more good crafting!
I am almost done with my book for the NetGalley review, I will give you the CliffsNotes next week. I do have a second NetGalley book to read, and thankfully, this one will go much quicker! And, perhaps even be more interesting!
On the knitting front – I have one project that I am knitting to review some yarn from Kraemer Yarns. This yarn is very unusual for me in that it has some sparkle to it! However, I really like it – it is wool, but it has an amazing cottony, soft feel! I am knitting Settler Shawl – and I love it! It is a great match for this yarn and will be a lovely summery shawl. The yarn is Kraemer’s Sterling Silk & Silver in Estate Green. The yarn is 63% SW Merino, 20% silk, 15% nylon, and 2% silver poly – an interesting mix of materials, but it is so soft and it is knitting up beautifully in this shawl. If you have someone who finds wool scratchy, this yarn might be a solution for them.
On top of this knitting I am plodding along on my Air Soft shawl… I really love this knit. It worries me that a new month is next week, therefore a new technique. However, my knitting basket filled with things that I have to finish – so I really need my summer knit along to begin… yesterday! LOL
And, perhaps at the same time, all necessary work can end so I can just sit and knit all day.
Someday in a perfect world…
What are you reading and making this week?
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by Kat | Apr 25, 2017 | General, In This Moment
True confessions, clutter is part of my life. I am not a “pick up” person – and neither is Steve.
Yeah, that was not very good planning, but what can I say. Hilariously, this is actually a bone of contention at times between us. I know, what?
Anyways, for me there comes a breaking point. That moment when the poor repressed “I hate clutter” inner self struggles her way to the surface and the big De-Clutter-a-thon begins.
Last week Thursday was that day for me. And, I am proud to confess that I have maintained this for 5 days thus far and while this is not a record, it does feel good to sit in my office with a clean desk.
So, in my clean up, I found several things:
- Sweater 1: Mr. GreenJeans – I will be taking this off the needles today to try it on and see if it fits at all. I really have no clue even what size I knit because a marked pattern was not found.
- Sweater 2: The February Lady Sweater – this is not far at all. I ripped back a few rows to redo the button hole and now has joined other WIP’s in my basket of things to knit.
- A skirt I knit about 10 years ago that was in need of mending (which languished because it no longer fit) Mending is complete (yay for keeping the “left over yarn and double yay for finding it with the skirt!) I have worn it twice because IT FITS and it fits better than it ever did!
- More Kid Silk Haze to finish my Air Soft Shawl
- And hankies, pictured above, that I think I got from my Great Aunt Sylvia. They are sitting on my desk today, I am not sure what exactly to do with them, but they are a bright spot and have prodded so many memories!
Before with the chair stacked miles high with stuff from my grandpa’s table, an assortment of mugs and cups, and more clutter my desk.
I promised before and after photos… I am sorry for the poor photo quality. The room is really hard to photograph (it is only 8’x8′ so hard to take a photo from anywhere but the door) but as you can see, my desk which was a mess – is now not so messy. I love this room, because I am surrounded by things I love – a table my grandpa made when he was in high school and an old painted wardrobe that a dear friend found for me. The wardrobe has shelves in it that Bob made and as you can see it is filled with my crafting things – lots of yarn, some fiber, some pattern books, and now even my LipSense things – all contained neatly within. There are still a few odds and ends that I need to find a place for, but essentially it is done.
After, clear space to write or work, one glass for water and photos of my kids.
Grandpa’s table, sans a billion pieces of paper. Books for work easily found!
My treasured wardrobe, neatly organized.
Have you found any good things lately?
