JavaGirl Knits!

2009-08-13T09:50:00.001-04:00

Test....

A New Blog

2009-04-18T07:49:00.003-04:00

Lauren has started a new blog. (Damn you Facebook and your third person status messages!)

Anyway, it is more about my life, rather than knitting. I am keeping this blog live because if I get around to knitting again, I'd love to post about it. Though the truth is I haven't knit a stitch since February. I've gone through these phases before and I'm sure I'll get back to it. Until then...

www.bloggerifictales.blogspot.com

Facebook Land

2009-03-05T19:52:00.002-05:00

Lauren only knows how to talk in Facebook status message mode now.

Self Proclaimed Blogger of The Year

2008-01-25T20:30:00.001-05:00

So it has now been just under 4 months since the last entry... quite an improvement, if I do say so myself. Possibly even deserving of the "Yay, you blogged!" award, if there is one. Though I must admit that posting while drinking my third glass of wine, might not be the best idea. I am one glass short of the giggle phase.

I am considering changing this blog around a bit. Calling it JavaGirl Knits, just doesn't seem to fit anymore. I still knit, but seriously? I JUST finished a simple, lacey wrap that I started in February. Pictures are sure to follow. Would you really want to hear all about the "progress" I was making when it took me 10 months to knit 60(ish) inches? There were times when even I got sick of thinking about it, let alone knitting it or talking about it. I'm pretty sure there was a period of time when it mocked me from behind the chair in the living room, where it was safely nestled in it's knitting bag. How else would you explain 17 stitches mysteriously falling off the needle and laddering down a few rows while it remained untouched and out of childrens' reach??? So I finally bound it off at 11:59 p.m. on December 31st. I was determined to finish that thing in 2007 and I got it done! Then, on January 1, 2008 I cast this on- my very first sweater! MAYBE that will be done by 200-freaking- 9.

Anyway, this blog may become just JavaGirl or something more interesting than that... my friend and I are actually going to be starting a blog together- we even have a name AND the url registered, but we (*cough, Lisa*) need to get our act together. I've mentioned this chick before- remember Lisa, the girl who does not blog? Well, she's going to! I'm going to keep the details and title a secret for now but stay tuned. I'm SURE I will be back to update again before July.

Blog Pressure

2007-09-30T19:39:00.000-04:00

Hi, all 3 people who still check my blog! I admire your devotion; tis an admirable quality. Considering I bailed on my own blog for 1 day short of 7 months, it is safe to say that is a quality I lack. So... I think I might be partially back. I won't make any promises but I have missed writing here at Chateau JavaGirlKnits. I'm also feeling some pressure to blog again because I am on Ravelry now, and this pitiful, entry-less blog is attached to my profile.

Wanna play catch up? Steven just started 2nd grade and has become too cool for words. (That would be according to him.) My little J-Man started full day kindergarten and we both had a hard time adjusting. To compensate, I became "Head Homeroom Parent" for his class and am very involved in his classroom. :-) My littlest man, Andrew, turned 1 just 2 weeks ago and is now into EVERYTHING. I also still believe that he is out to get me. I am working 2 part-time jobs for the same company, which is called LissaCole. It is an awesome, home-party based company that allows you to design your own purses, totes and accessories! We know I love purses, right?!? I am now a "Stylist" and I am having a great time at these purse parties. Their website is currently under construction, but my 2nd part time job is writing the content for all of the pages. I just started this, so none of my work has been posted yet but it is much harder than I thought... actually, I should probably be working on that, instead of stalling with this. So, bye!

Blogging Break

2007-03-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

You know what? I have no desire to blog these days. I'll apologize to the 5 people who still check my blog on a daily basis, (I know who you are!) for leaving you hanging. All is well and I will be back... eventually.

.....

2007-02-10T19:32:00.000-05:00

"My next post (in a day or two) will be pictures and details of each unfinished object." ~JavaGirl on 1/11/07

Uh. Huh.

UFO's

2007-01-11T07:25:00.000-05:00

I had a brilliant idea. (If I do say so myself.) I thought that if I blogged about all of my UFO's, including details and pictures, it would inspire me to get moving on them. Yeah. Well, now I'm just scared. There are so many of them! And to think, I've been itching to cast on something new... silly JavaGirl.

Ok, so here is what I am going to do. My next post (in a day or two) will be pictures and details of each unfinished object. From that point, I will work on one at a time until it's complete.... Well, maybe two at a time because I get REALLY bored. Each subsequent blog entry will be of the completed projects.

Until. They. Are. All. Finished.

This is going to be based on the honor system. So, if I find myself casting on something new, I will take away coffee for the day.... or maybe something a little more reasonable.

The Sock Fairy

2006-12-29T21:18:00.000-05:00

I've recently realized that my friend, Theresa (aka the Sock Fairy), is on a mission; she rescues abused sock yarn. Earlier this year, I held her sock yarn for ransom and she made these. Then, during the throws of first trimester mood swings, I threw a ball of sock yarn (along with the needles) on the floor and yelled at it while flipping it off. She instructed me to "Step away from the yarn" and picked it all up off the floor and took it from me. Some time later, she gave me these.

(Aren't they pretty??? And they feel so nice too!)

So I was wondering... if I also throw THIS on the floor and fip it off, will it magically turn into a pair of socks (size 9, please) that were handmade by the Sock Fairy too?

I'm just curious!

Baby Eye Candy

2006-12-21T10:51:00.000-05:00

Because I am long overdue for a post and because there has been no knitting in the past month, here is a picture of someone who is keeping me on my toes.

Baby Santa's and Why Andrew Will Need Therapy Someday

2006-12-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

I decided to try something different with my little ray of sunshine this morning. At the suggestion of a friend, I put a Baby Einstein DVD on for Andrew. I actually found that another friend (YES, I have more than one friend!) had given me Baby Santa's Music Box. I thought this would be perfect, since the holiday season is now upon us. I set him up in his boppy, inside his bassinet so he could see the TV more easily. I qued up the show and at first, he seemed very.... skeptical. This DVD has whimsical music, shimmering ornaments and happy little children dancing around Christmas trees. I don't know if he enjoyed it, but it seemed to hold his attention, which for a 10 week old baby, is an accomplishment. Then came the tinsel tossing reindeer puppet...

....and he FLIPPED out. I'm pretty sure he needs to be medicated.

Update-less

2006-12-05T18:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry, I don't have time to update tonight... I am on my way out to Starbucks and then a PTO meeting. (That's why I NEED the coffee.) I promise, a riveting post will soon follow. Until then, amuse yourself with this.

(Can you see a face in this pile of coffee beans???)

Thank You SnB!!!!!!

2006-11-24T13:11:00.000-05:00

I am such a lucky chick. My friends at Stitch and Bitch held a "Meet Baby Andrew Shower" at Ann's house about two weeks ago. I have VERY generous and talented friends! Andrew and I had a delightful afternoon and we can't thank you all enough. :-)

*Here are some pictures from the shower- sorry I am in them all! And I don't have pictures of all of the gifts yet; I will take some of Andrew wearing and using his gifts as soon as I can.*

**By the way, there are no captions right now because Blogger is pissing me off. BAD Blogger!!!!**

The Dream

2006-11-10T22:43:00.000-05:00

A giant, drive thru Starbucks is being built near our local mall. GIANT. DRIVE THRU. STARBUCKS.

Please excuse me as I gently weep.

Check Me Out!

2006-11-08T19:35:00.000-05:00

I have been knitting!!! (She announces triumphantly)

(Bobbles the Sheep)

Things To Remember While At My Wit's End

2006-10-26T20:02:00.000-04:00

Despite evidence to the contrary, my baby is NOT out to get me. ;-)

There is always coffee and it can always be spiked. Bwa ha ha!

The people I live with do not have an intense aversion to my knitting and are not INTENTIONALLY keeping me from practicing my craft.

My older children are NOT evil. They are just very.... "spirited".

90210 re-runs are on at 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm on the SOAP channel everyday.

Tassimo just came out with Decaf Latte T-Discs by Gevalia. Now I can drink latte's all day!

Most of all, I need to remember that even on the hardest days, I am so lucky to be a mommy.

New Baby Toy

2006-10-17T17:25:00.000-04:00

He seems open to the idea.

Then again, maybe not.

And he's done.

*Actual time lapsed- 1 minute, 35 seconds.*

2006-10-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

Doesn't that just say it all???

Things That Make Me Happy

2006-10-05T14:11:00.000-04:00

In no particular order...

1. Sleep
2. The notes Steven writes to me everyday while he is in school.
(I miss my Mommy, I love my Mommy)
3. Quiet/Alone time with Steve.
4. Coffee.
5. Jeffrey pointing to a tree near his school and telling me, "That tree is growing meatballs!" (Though I THINK it was a fig tree.)
6. More sleep.7. The newborn baby sounds Andrew makes while on my shoulder.
8. Steve making or buying me more coffee. :-)
9. My friends and family.
10. The idea of finishing this sock.

***Update***
11. All of the wonderful comments everyone left, congratulating us on the birth of Andrew. THANK YOU!
12. Listening to Jeff sing "You are My Sunshine" to Andrew when he was crying. Awww!

This Is Why...

2006-09-25T11:02:00.000-04:00

I don't have time to knit, blog, email, return phone calls, drink coffee, do my hair...

...it's ALL about the snuggle time.

Look Who's Here!

2006-09-18T20:30:00.000-04:00

Meet our newest little man, Andrew! He arrived Friday, September 15th at 8:03 p.m. He weighed 7lbs 13 oz and was 20 inches long. We got home from the hospital yesterday and are tired, but doing very well.

BEHOLD

2006-09-14T22:19:00.000-04:00

I am knitting a sock.

(AND getting ready for a baby that is due any day now, so stay tuned!)

The Mural by "Wall Nuts"

2006-09-03T16:45:00.000-04:00

How lucky is my new baby??? He isn't even here yet and THIS is his room...

I still can't get over how amazing his room looks. My friends Arlene and Anne Marie are the creators of this masterpiece. All I did was show them the bedding I had chosen for him and they ran with it!

They are in the process of starting a business called "Wall Nuts" that will help parents give their children the room of their dreams. If you live locally (NJ, PA, DE) and would like more information, please contact my girls at wallnutsmurals@yahoo.com Also, check back here regularly for their web address; as soon as the "Wall Nuts" website is up and running, I will post a link.

The Bus

2006-08-31T09:45:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, the bus came and all was well in the land. No worries, I wasn't emotional this time because we did the full day thing last year for kindergarten, so it was no big deal. (He's the blonde one boarding the bus- why did those other kids have to block my shot??? ;-) )

However, yesterday Steven asked if he could walk to the bus stop himself. I let him, as it is only 3 houses away... of course I stood out on our sidewalk to watch him and found myself moving closer and closer to the bus stop until I was in the neighbor's driveway. Then, the bus came...

and I lost it. I watched as my very big boy got on the bus (by himself) and drove away from me for the entire day. I will say that I recovered much more quickly then I did last year, though!

In the afternoon, I waited for him at the bus stop because I couldn't wait to see him... he was happy enough to see me but as we were walking back, he not-so-delicately asked if he could also walk home from the bus by himself each day. Small steps, boy. Small steps.

***Thanks Cindy!***

First Grade

2006-08-28T10:31:00.000-04:00

Walking Steven to the bus stop...

Waiting at the bus stop....

A picture of Jeff waiting at the bust stop... (so he doesn't feel left out.)

STILL waiting at the bus stop... and looking a little less happy about it...

What I don't have a picture of is Mommy driving Steven to school because the bus never came. When I dropped him off, I was told that they are "almost positive" a bus will be there to pick them up this afternoon. As reassuring as that is, (LOL) I'm still going to call the school at dismissal time JUST to be sure.

**Update at 4:15 p.m.- Something else you don't have a picture of is Steven's VERY pregnant Mommy running to the bus stop because it was 15 minutes early dropping the kids off. Now I KNOW they're just trying to mess with me!**

Yummy Yarn

2006-08-24T22:24:00.000-04:00

Cindy, Theresa and I went yarn shopping at Olde Peddler Wools tonight! Darlene, the owner, was wonderful enough to stay open a bit late for us.... by like 3 hours. I ended up with two skeins of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino. Stop laughing! I'm serious, I really want to try knitting socks again. I won't flip them off this time, I swear! ANYWAY, I passed the Wild Cherry on to Theresa and instead, I chose Gypsy Rose (left) and Old Rose (right). Can you say yummy???

2006-08-22T09:56:00.000-04:00

Have I ever mentioned that I am NOT a morning person? Well, we need to clue in the neighbors across the street, because I heard their alarm clock go off every 9 minutes from 5:00 to 5:45 this morning. IT WAS THAT LOUD! I may never sleep with the windows open again....and after some anonymous hate mail, they never will either! Bwa ha ha ha!!! >:-)

**A word to the wise. NEVER interrupt a pregnant insomniac's already broken sleep patterns. Bad things will happen.**

Could It Be?

2006-08-16T15:27:00.000-04:00

(*GASP*) Is she considering abandoning her strict "No Sock Knitting" policy because of this?

***Update- Just placed an order for Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in Wild Cherry. I think she's serious!***

Vile Weed!

2006-08-13T09:54:00.000-04:00

Grape Nuts suck. Ok? They suck. Sorry Post Cereal, but there is no denying this one.

I was watching Oprah's Boot Camp a few weeks ago for some ideas on healthy snacking. Even though I am 35 weeks pregnant, I'd still like some healthy snack options to help me get through the afternoon. (As opposed to the 5 or 6 Double Stuff Oreos with a glass of milk that I usually crave.) Anyway, Oprah had some good ideas but the one that stood out the most was this:

Crunchy Sundae
1/4 cup Post Grape-Nuts Cereal
1/4 cup Post Spoon Size Shredded Wheat
1/2 cup fat-free or 2% reduced fat milk
A few blueberries

*Mix cereals in bowl; top with milk and blueberries. Serve immediately. Makes 1 serving.*

It was a good idea in theory. Think about it for a minute.... two healthy cereals provide an adequate amount of crunch. The shredded wheat is slightly sweetened and then milk with blueberries. It's filling AND it's healthy. Where could could this possibly go wrong??? The Grape Nuts, that's where! No matter how much you coat those things in sugar or Splenda they're wretched! How are they still on the market? And how can Oprah have herself convinced that this "Crunchy Sundae is as good as an ice cream sundae"? I don't know about her ice cream sundaes, but mine usually include chocolate-y, carmell-y, swirl-y goodness... not cardboard consistent cereal.

**Also note- it says to serve immediately. Want to know why? Because if you don't eat it IMMEDIATELY, the Grape Nuts will soak in the milk (in approximately 6.8 seconds) and they become Soggy Mush Nuts. Yeah, cause that's even better.**

Progress Pic

2006-08-09T07:29:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of the Entrelac Satchel with the seaming (using an attached I-Cord) in progress. Now that I've figured it out, it's moving along pretty well. Thanks to Cindy for all of her help and support yesterday... and I apologize for the 13 angry emails I sent while trying to get this going. I was pretty salty for awhile there!

Today, my SnB friend Susan is coming over for a visit with her boys and tonight is the Shoalwater Shawl KAL at Nicole's house. It's a Stitch~n~Bitch day!

Bad Knitting Karma

2006-08-07T13:02:00.000-04:00

This morning I decided to spend some quality time with the Shoalwater Shawl. This pattern takes full concentration because I haven't memorized it yet, there's alot of counting AND it's lace. Since both boys were otherwise occupied, I figured I could get a few rows done. I did manage to accomplish that- never mind that I messed up each row I worked on, including the wrong side/straight knit rows. (To say that's pathetic is an understatement.) Never mind that I spent more time unknitting and reknitting than I did knitting. Did that stop me? No. Like a fool I kept going. And then the shawl begged me to stop the madness and put it down. Seriously, there was a voice inside my head that kept telling me to "Step away from the shawl." (I'm pretty sure this is a good indication that I should be medicated.) Anyway, I finished row 28 and carefully put it away. I think the shawl and I need a cooling off period before I try to work on it again.

I finished the second panel for the Entrelac Satchel on Saturday and blocked it Saturday night. I'm not thrilled with how it blocked though... I used the floor in our spare bedroom to shape it and pin it down. It looked ok, but the next morning when I checked on it, I found that SOMEONE [*cough* Steve] had placed a laundry basket, full of clothes directly on top of the panels. So, they're more flat than I wanted and the bind off rows STILL seem to be more loose/more stretchy than the foundation rows. I must take it to our Yarn Yoda at SnB for her thoughts and advice. If she thinks it's ok, I will begin seaming the panels together by using an attached I-cord. I've heard this seaming method is a pain but because it looks so great, I will suffer through it.

And because I am a glutton for punishment, I am considering casting on one of these projects. Although I'm kind of thinking it would be a bad idea to try either of these today...

Dear God, She HAS Been Knitting!

2006-08-01T23:56:00.000-04:00

Entrelac is cool. Damn cool. This is the completed first panel of my/Cindy's Enrtelac Satchel, along with the second panel, currently in progress. I am using Noro Kureyon color 138... this picture really doesn't do the colors justice though. Maybe I'll take another one during the day time.

SnB is starting our first Knit Along! I am very excited! It's the Shoalwater Shawl from Fiber Trends. We plan to meet on a weekly basis to work exclusively on this project. I will be using Harmony Yarn that was generously gifted to me by some wonderful friends, to whom I will be ETERNALLY grateful. :-) This is the yarn I want to become one with. It is a Mohair/Wool-Silk Blend in "Lauren" colors... I actually get a little dizzy just looking at it.

Sorry for the blurriness; the batteries in my camera died as I was taking the picture. Rest assured- a tantrum was had, expletives were used and the batteries are now safely recharging, after having been thrown on the floor. Anyway, after said batteries have decided to fully charge and grace me with priveledge of a clear picture, I will post progress pics of the Shoalwater Shawl and the Entrelac Satchel. I've also been meaning to have Steve take my picture with Bobblicious, but I've been waiting for a good hair day. Come to think of it, I've been waiting a REALLY long time for that... How about you just look at the picture that goes with the pattern? It's the purple one. :-)

Can't Sleep... Must Blog

2006-06-30T05:59:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I LOVE to sleep. They also know that I am not a morning person. As a matter of fact, I am so not a morning person that I usually figure out the absolute latest time I need to get up each day and set the alarm clock for five minutes past that time. Then, I hit the snooze button. ALOT. So why am I awake at this ungodly hour??? I have no idea! But I can say that I am very bitter about it. Especially because I didn't fall asleep until well after 1 a.m., was woken up by my oldest at 2:30 ish (nightmare) and woke up for good at 4 a.m. Yeah... I'm thrilled.

So long story short, I figured I'd blog. As has been pointed out to me on more than one occassion, (*cough* Cindy) I'm a little behind on my posts. :-) Let's face it. I am not, nor will I ever likely be a regular poster. I do however, find it ironic that this is a knitting blog and yet I have neglected to post pictures or information about some projects and finished objects. I'll talk about one now. The Branching Out Scarf, was my first attempt at lace, that was completed some time last summer. This was the project that made me fall in love with knitting lace. Actually, I think this is the project that truly made me fall in love with knitting. I started it over many times but I was determined to complete it. Once I got the hang of it, I loved it and was even sad when I finally finished it. This project taught me patience and perserverance (except during the first trimester of pregnancy when I threw a simple project on the floor and gave it the finger. But that's another story for another time.) I learned that it's okay to rip out a new project a few times until I get to know and understand the pattern/technique; that it has nothing to do with my abilities as a knitter, as even experienced knitters do it from time to time. I am also much less intimidated when looking at new patterns for possible projects. (Except for socks, they're off the table but we won't go there either.) Anyway, what I am trying to say is that in many ways, the Branching Out Scarf was a very pivotal project for me. It opened my mind to a world of knitting that initially made me want to stay away from patterns, books and (*gasp*) yarn shops. Thank GOD I have seen the light!!!

Long Live the Queen!

2006-04-30T22:45:00.000-04:00

I can retain my crown and continue to reign over the kingdom- it's a boy! We had the ultrasound on Friday and we were assured that he is healthy. Everything looks great so far! Now for the fun part- we watched him sleep on his belly, then saw him wake up and play with his hands and suck his thumb. I am just as awestruck the third time around as I was with the other two pregnancies. To think that he won't even be here for another 4+ months and he is already acting like a baby... truly amazing.

**This is his profile with his little hand over his eye. Cute!**

Now, due to pre-term labor issues with my other two babies, and some issues I have been having with this one recently, the specialist we saw on Friday recommended that I go on Light Bedrest. She wants me to be off of my feet for at least 2 hours during the day and for good, after dinner each night. I am hoping that by taking these precautions so early on, I won't need to go on Strict Bedrest later in the pregnancy, as I had to with Jeffrey (the 2nd child). That was so NOT fun! Unfortunately, this means that I won't be able to go on the bus trip with some of the SnB'ers to the MDS&W Festival. :-( I was really looking forward to going this year but I don't think it falls under the "Short Outing" category! I hope you all have a wonderful trip and will tell me all about it at the next SnB!

The New Way I Knit

2006-04-25T10:58:00.000-04:00

(And apparently, also the new way I watch TV, surf the net, check email and read.)

**Please note: Gabbi is wearing a shirt to protect her incision- she was just spayed last week. And of course she INSISTED on wearing a pink one with cherries, strawberries and flowers on it! Isn't she a cutie?**

Bobbilicious and More...

2006-04-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

For the past few months I have been avoiding knitting. I have talked about yarn, yarn shopping and even held yarn for ransom, but have not been the least bit interested in knitting. I have also been COMPLETELY uninterested in coffee (GASP!) and generally all beverages from Starbucks. I'm sure you're wondering what has been wrong with me... the truth is, I've been keeping a secret. But more on that later.

About 3 weeks ago, I was looking around on Knitty's website and saw this. I fell instantly in love with it and knew this was the perfect project for me to get reaquainted with knitting again. I started it 2 weeks ago; I completed all 5 repeats of the first cuff, plus several rows of reverse stockinette and ripped it out to start all over again. This was my first time knitting bobbles and at some point, I made a mistake and they didn't line up as they're supposed to. I thought I could live with it, but alas I am the type of knitter who likes perfection and can settle for no less. I started over again yesterday and have all 5 repeats once again completed. I was much more diligent this time and double and triple checked my stitch count before and after each bobble. Now they all line up very well with each other. I have about 50 inches of reverse stockinette to go before starting the next cuff. I'd love to have it completed by the end of this week but I highly doubt it. Here is a picture of me with the first completed cuff...

Do you see the pregnant belly? That's my secret!!! I am 19 weeks pregnant with our third child- sex has yet to be determined. The big ultrasound is on Friday and we're hoping to find out then. We are all super excited about our new baby and can't wait to meet him or her, one day this September. Now do you understand my aversions to knitting and Starbucks? This little person had better be very cute and very loveable as it took away two of my very favorite hobbies! Thankfully, I'm over the knitting one but the Starbucks one is still going strong. At first I thought it was just coffee... but I was wrong. ANY beverage from Starbucks makes me vomit! I am almost halfway through this pregnancy and STILL can't believe it- and the worst part is, I want to want Starbucks but my stomach can't seem to catch up with my brain. Maybe it'll come back once the baby is born. All I have to say is that my love for Starbucks better come back in time for my holiday favorites- Pumpkin Spice and Gingerbread Lattes or someone will be in time out! (Nice- this child isn't even here yet and I'm already threatening him or her with a time out!)

Socks for Sockotta

2006-03-30T22:42:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the ransom note was well received by Theresa, who thankfully, appreciates practical jokes. We made the exchange, socks for Sockotta, at our last official SnB in March. I say official because lately there have been several impromptu gatherings as well as The Yarn Crawlapalooza of 2006 that I am NOT bitter about. Anyway, I'd like to sincerely thank Theresa for being such a good sport and a wonderful friend. (And I hope she appreciates that I put a non-cute picture of myself on my own blog just for her!!!)

OBX Obsession

2006-03-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

Ok, is it wrong for me to want to live in the Outer Banks, NC JUST because of a yarn shop I fell in love with while on vacation there in September? For some reason, the Knitting Addiction yarn shop is all I can think about. Perhaps it's because I LOVE the beach and this is a yarn shop located just across the street from the beach. Maybe it's because of her ENTIRE section devoted to lace. Or maybe it's because she has a cat that lives in her shop named Purrl (scroll down the staff page to read about her.) How cute is that?!?! But I really think it's because I had no closure when visiting this yarn store. My mom found it on my last day there and while I am very grateful that she did, I think it's a crime that I didn't know about it the first day I was there. Jeanne, the owner, was holding classes each day that week- the same week I was there. The same week that I had ample babysitting resources. She even hosts Stitch N Bitch at her store EVERY Thursday night, yet I didn't find out about it until Friday. I was robbed. But I'm not bitter. Hey, is it unreasonable for me to want to go down to the OBX for a week JUST to go to this yarn store again? How about a yarn crawl, Chesco SnB???

Join me next time for an update on the Ransom yarn- Theresa and I will be your hosts. JavaGirl OUT!

RANSOM

2006-01-19T21:58:00.000-05:00

That's right, Theresa! I stole your precious Sockotta at SnB tonight and I'm not afraid to use it! Bwa ha ha ha!!!!

Want your yarn back??? Agree to my terms and it can be yours again. First, you will knit a pair of socks for me by February 2nd- they will be a birthday gift for my mom for which I will take full credit. You should probably get started right away- I believe she is a size 7. :-) Second, you will give me weekly lessons in sock knitting until I actually do finish a pair. It could take weeks... months... years even! The point is that I need someone with an unhealthy obsession for knitting socks, like yourself, to keep me motivated throughout the process. That's it... as I said, agree to my terms and it will be safely returned. If you choose not to comply, the yarn gets it- inch by inch.

The Puppy Boutique

2006-01-08T13:38:00.000-05:00

It started out innocently enough; I had driven by The Puppy Boutique in Downingtown (near Jeffrey's school) several times and assumed it was either a dog supply store or a dog grooming place. However, when I drove by last Wednesday, I saw a sign that says "We Sell Puppies". I decided to stop in with Jeffrey so he could see some puppies and so I could find out if they ever have Cairn Terriers. (One of the FEW breeds Jeff isn't allergic to.) We walked in and there she was. A tiny little female Cairn that I had to have. I asked to see her and it was all over. I called Steve and begged... I bargained... I even offered to give up Starbucks (GASP!). He eventually relented and we brought her home on Thursday. So without further ado, this is Gabbi...

A Holiday Review

2006-01-03T17:12:00.000-05:00

So let me start by saying that it has now been three years in a row that someone, either the boys or myself, has been sick for Christmas. Here's what happened the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Younger boy wakes up on Christmas morning with pink eye. Our plans with the neighbors were cancelled. Day after Christmas- both boys had stomach viruses and vomited the day away. That Wednesday, younger boy gets pink eye in the other eye. Friday, younger boy has an ear infection that threatened to rupture his ear drum. Say it with me now, NICE! Other than that, our holiday was lovely. ;-)

At a Stitch N Bitch just before Christmas, I was bummed out because it is IMPOSSIBLE to get a baby sitter for New Year's Eve. Each year since having children, Steve and I have slept through the New Year and I'm sick of it damn it! So Nicole took pity on me and decided to have "The Totally Lame New Year's Eve Party". (The totally lame part because none of us could stay until midnight.) It was just for the SnBers, so we all came and brought our knitting and families. How nice it is to now have faces to go with the names we always hear about! All of our husbands enjoyed meeting and conversing- and not just about how much yarn and knitting supplies we all buy or how much time we spend knitting, either! All of our children, 7 in total, enjoyed meeting and playing in Lexie's tricked out basement. My boys are now on strike and refuse to play in their playroom (their brand new playroom in our new finished basement that we gave them for Christmas) until there's a drum set down there. Thanks Nicole's mom! In all seriousness though, it was the BEST New Year's Eve we've had in years. It will certainly be tough to top.

Oh and during the party, I realized that I had committed the ultimate fashion crime. First, let me describe my outfit- a black 3/4 length sweater with sequins sewn in a pattern from the neck to the chest, nice jeans and shoes. Here's where the problem is. The shoes. After sitting down, I went to take my shoes off and (gasp) I had on one brown and one black shoe! The horror!!! There's a story behind this... my younger son, the clepto, had gotten into my contact lens case and lost one of my lenses. I wear disposables but they were my last pair so I ordered new ones but didn't have them for the party. That night, the clepto struck again and took my glasses. I was stumbling around, trying to find my glasses and while doing so, also got my shoes on. Get the picture? Long story short, I was wearing one brown and one black shoe and my glasses... not a good combo for someone who is as into appearances as I am. For pictures, go here.

Happy New Year!!!

I'm Trying To Come Up With Something!

2005-12-28T14:05:00.000-05:00

I promise that I am trying to come up with something to write about! It's been so long now that my mind is all jumbled. Help!!!

2005-11-24T23:02:00.000-05:00

Christmas Gift Ideas

2005-11-06T15:56:00.000-05:00

Ok, so Kate had an awesome idea and I am going to steal it and use it on my blog. :-)

If any of my gift giving relatives are having trouble figuring out what to get me for Christmas, here are some ideas for you.

1. Starbucks Gift Card (Ok, that's pretty obvious)
2. Gift Certificate to any, or all (ha ha) of the following stores
~The Gap
~Barnes and Noble
~Noble Knits
~Knitty Knotty
~Lowes
~EBay
~Amazon.com
3. Seasons 7 and/or above of Friends on DVD
4. Seasons 2 and/or above of The Gilmore Girls

As always, I will strive to choose the very best, most personal gift for each of you and hope you will do the same for me. If not, please include gift receipts! LOL, I crack myself up! :-P

Knitting Strike Over, Christmas Knitting Strike? Possible.

2005-11-03T23:31:00.000-05:00

I can tell by the lack of comments (from my fellow knitters) that some of you are not speaking to me because of my recent negativity toward knitting. :-) LOL Rest assured, the strike is over. It actually didn't last very long... I realized the error of my ways. I picked up the yarn, apologized for stabbing it with the knitting needle and all is well with the knitting world again. So now I am making Steve a scarf for his birthday. It's ok, he knows about it. I'm making it with BabyGrande Alpaca Wool in Dark Grey- k2, p2 ribbing on 11's. It's knitting up pretty fast which is good, because ribbing is BORING! Just the fact that Steve is going to love it and wear it with pride is enough to keep me going.

Can I just say that I can't wait until Christmas is over? There are 51 days until December 25th and I can't WAIT until December 26th! Nice attitude, huh? Here's why. The Season of Mists Shawl and the Sangria Shawl. I can't wait to start working on these and it's just not going to happen until after Christmas. I also want to try to make a pair of socks and a hat... See? It's not because I dislike the holiday, it's because I can't knit what I want when I want. I just want to be an independent knitter!

Now, having b*tched about Christmas I will say that I am very excited about the one positive thing that has recently been brought to my life. Holiday beverages at Starbucks. That's right- Gingerbread Latte is back. Life is good.

New Toys for the JavaGirl

2005-10-27T19:07:00.000-04:00

Sure I like jewelry, clothes, make up, shoes and EVERYTHING girly. (Hey, with all of the men in this house, I have to find some way to battle the testosterone!) But when push comes to shove and I have some extra money, I am a tech-head at heart. I made three techie purchases within the last two weeks. 1) A new cell phone. Stop laughing! I'm really trying to be more careful this time! 2) An XM Radio. Which Steve hooked up for me and I LOVE! Thanks, Stevie! 3) A beautiful new laptop. That's right, baby- I am actually going to have a PORTABLE laptop again! Complete with wireless access, the best way (in my opinion, anyway) to surf the net. I can't even imagine the sheer happiness I will feel to be able to sit in the family room, watch my favorite shows and surf the net at the same time. Is there anything more magical than that?

Ok, on to the knitting. So now I'm starting to get a little nervous... I have 15 things that I need to knit for the holidays this year. Why, you ask? Because I have been trying to switch to decaf, and it's messing with my mind! (I was becoming kind of high strung and THOUGHT decaf would be the way to go. The good news is that I'm no longer hyper. The bad news- I am a very tired, very angry woman now.) So anyway, go ahead and ask me how many of my these gifties have been started. The answer to that would be negative one. I can't go into too many details about these gift items because they involove some people who read my blog but... the other night I was probably half way finished one of the items I'm making when (at 1:00 am) I started to get tired. REALLY tired. I kept telling myself, "One more row, just one more row." Now I hear those very words in my nightmares. I made a big mistake and after an hour of trying to fix it I gave up. I ripped the whole thing out, cursing and throwing things the entire time. I rewound the yarn into a ball, stabbed it repeatedly with a knitting needle and shoved it into the back of my closet. I am no longer looking at it, talking to it or being nice to it (as I'm sure you sensed while reading the stabbing part). Now if I was smart, I'd have started a different gift by now. But I'm not just mad at that yarn... I'm mad at all yarn. And knitting too! I realize that I am digging my own christmas gift grave by boycotting knitting right now, but I need my space. I am officially on a knitting strike.

This and That

2005-10-12T16:18:00.000-04:00

XM or Sirius? Sirius or XM? I'm taking the plunge and getting satellite radio installed in my car. It's a big step- after all, AM/FM radio was just about the only thing without a monthly service charge these days! Is one better than the other? Everything I found online about XM and Sirius seems pretty divided, so I'm not having much luck. : - /

Steve and the boys and I took a week long vacation with my parents and brother to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We had such a nice, relaxing time. No school, no work, no meetings, no errands... aaahhhhh! If only we could have enough vacation time to take a week off every month, AND be able to afford a trip away each time, I'd be set.

On my last day of vacation, my mom discovered a YARN SHOP only 5 miles away from where we were staying. When she came back and told me about it, I grabbed my wallet and keys and was out the door in 5 minutes. (I'm sure my fellow knitters can relate to my frenzy.) When I got to Knitting Addiction, I was so excited and overstimulated that I got light headed. Here's why- they had an entire lace section! Have I ever mentioned my love for lace? (I promise that my next post will be all about my first completed lace project- The Branching Out scarf. I'll even include a picture!) Anyway, I bought a book called Lavish Lace that has GORGEOUS lace patterns and 2 lace kits that go with the book. I intend to knit the Seasons of Mists Shawl as well as the Sangria Shawl in my spare time (ha ha). I laugh because a) I have no free time (How long has it been since I last blogged?) and b) I currently have 15 things, that take prioriy, to knit as Christmas gifts. So I'm thinking I should have started at least one of those by now. What can I say? I aim high and I procrastinate. Deadly combination. 877-SOS-KNIT, here I come!

Isn't the yarn I bought pretty?

Such a Big Boy

2005-09-01T18:49:00.000-04:00

Thanks for all of your comments and emails with words of encouragement for my last post. I'm doing much better now, but I still don't like this whole school thing though! Steven seems to have grown so much in just four days. It's going to take some time to adjust to someone else spending more time with him during the day than I do. I just hope that I've loved him enough and given him everything he needs to be a good student, a good friend and a good kid.

*Update 9/3- Steven's teacher called and said he's adjusting very well to being in school all day and is very focused on his work. Yay! I feel so much better!

Sad Mommy Day

2005-08-29T09:45:00.000-04:00

Today was Steven's first day in school and with it came an overwhelming range of emotions. Not for him, he was thrilled! But this mommy was a wreck. At the kindergarten orientation, I cried because they took the kids from us to show them their classrooms and take a bus ride. I was hoping that by crying then, I had gotten it all out of my system. That didn't happen; I cried this morning when the bus came and took my first baby away, I continued to cry the entire way home and for half an hour after that. Our relationship changed forever this morning and I knew it; I am no longer his whole world, even though he will always be mine. Having your child go off to school is so much more than just the next phase, it's the end of an era. Steven has been home with me, everyday, for his entire life and now he's in school 7 hours a day. I am mourning the loss of our time together, our relationship and his sweet innocence. Even though I still have a child that I love dearly home with me, he can't replace my Steven.

Sock It

2005-08-25T08:52:00.000-04:00

I've actually lost count of how many times I started writing an entry for my blog and then forgot all about it. I think I've finally figured out why blogging has been so hard all summer. Not only have the boys been home all summer, but my laptop broke (piece of crap!) and has become a makeshift desk top upstairs in the spare bedroom. Here's the thing. I HATE being stuck in one place. That's why I have a LAP TOP. It's also why we have wireless; so my lap top can go anywhere with me in this house. That's the way lap tops are supposed to be. Can you tell I'm feeling a little bitter about all of this? Paging new subject, new subject, please!

Now I know I'm supposed to talk about the yarn crawl and all of the yarn I scored, but it's been so long since all of that happened, that it seems like old news. I'll just give you the abridged version. We went to 3 yarn shops; Frou Frou, Technicolor Sheep and Wool Gathering. It was a long day; there were many laughs, money was spent and good times were had by all. Next time, I'll be sure to blog about it as soon as it happens so as to do it justice.

Onto socks. To be clear, my first time knitting socks. It has been estimated that each sock is approximately 34,000 stitches, depending on the size of the foot that will be wearing it. Obviously more for a larger size and less for a smaller size. Of course I just had to be tall with big, size 9 feet. Thanks Mom and Dad! So anyway, I have started and restarted this one sock so many times that I have put it in time out. Bad sock! You see, the first time I tried, I did k1 p1 ribbing for 5 rounds and k3 p1 for the rest. When I was almost finished with the leg, I decided that I didn't like the look of the k1 p1 (for whatever reason) and RIPPED IT ALL OUT. Not my smartest move, but I really am that anal. From that point on, every time I messed up, I ripped it out. I finally got myself going again and the yarn broke. Nice. Do you see why it's in time out now? And can someone tell me how a person can do all of this work to knit ONE sock and not bask in the glory of a completed project until you make another one to complete the pair? Will I really be able to motivate myself to start all over again?

Coming Soon

2005-08-04T09:56:00.000-04:00

Details of the AWESOME yarn crawl, the loot, my lace, my first pair of socks and more. Stay tuned!!!

Blogger Guilt

2005-07-21T13:16:00.000-04:00

I have blogger guilt. This whole thing of me posting about once every three to four weeks has gotten old. Actually, I think it passed the point of "old" in June. Now it's just so beyond old, that it's sad. I know I keep saying how busy I am, and as true as it its, even I am sick of saying it. Sometimes I just sit and wonder where the day has gone. I'd love to say that we are off doing wonderful things and taking great day trips or vacations, but that wouldn't be true. We tried to go to Hershey this past weekend, got all the way out there and turned around to drive staright back home because the weather was so awful. About a month ago, the boys and I spent a few days with my friend Arlene and her kids at their beautiful new beach house in Wildwood, NJ. Although the kids and I had a great time, Steve had to be at work, so it wasn't quality "family time". I just think we all need a break. I know I'd LOVE a spa day. (Hint, hint Steve)

Have I ever mentioned how lucky I am? I belong to the best knitting group. Chesco Stitch-n-Bitch is a wonderful escape from reality, involves great conversations, lots of laughing, knitting/ stitching and coffee. Not to mention, the Yarn Crawls. (Whoever thought of this is brilliant!) Every few months we choose a Saturday and go from yarn shop to yarn shop to look for yarn, patterns, supplies, etc. and then we all go to lunch. Our next one is Saturday, the 30th and we are going to 4 yarn stores. I can't wait to see/buy all of that yarn, Bwa ha ha!!! I am so lucky to live in an area that has a SnB. It is because of them, that I am no longer afraid of trying new things like lace, socks or other involved patterns. Thanks for a fun night on Tuesday, ladies and I can't WAIT until next Saturday!

Speaking of lace, I made a huge mistake in my Branching Out scarf. I realized that I am comfortable enough with lace to talk OR watch TV while working on it, but am nowhere near talented enough to do all three at once. I frogged it back to a "wrong side row" and started over, not knowing where in the repeat I was. (A lifeline would have come in very handy here, but I got a little too cocky for my own good and didn't use one.) I decided to throw caution to the wind and just see what happens. Yeah... I now have one big leaf on the left side where there should be two smaller ones and no leaves on the right side, where there should also be two smaller ones. So, I put it away for awhile- I know the reality is that it probably doesn't look as bad as I think it does. Unfortunately, that voice of reason does not exist in the Land of Lauren. Seriously, it is slowly eating away at my mind... I know that I should probably learn to embrace my knitting mistakes and keep going until the project is finished. But the thought of dousing it with gasoline and lighting it on fire is so much more appealing. :-)

Crazy Lacey Lauren

2005-06-29T14:56:00.000-04:00

Will post a real blog entry as soon as I can- super busy with the oldest boy's birthday, trips to Wildwood, Ocean City and Hershey. Craziness!

However, I will say this... I am knitting lace and I love it! Could it be that I have found my nitch? I am on my 12th repeat (of 27) on the Branching Out scarf- I can't wait to finish it and have a "block" party for it!

2005-06-08T21:10:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I think I need a course in time management. I thought once the boys were out of school I'd have more time for my hobbies but I was sadly mistaken. I didn't account for how much time I'd be spending WITH the kids. Silly Mommy! How quickly I had forgotten what life was like before they were in preschool.

Knitting wise, I completed my second booga bag at Stitch-n-Bitch on Thursday. I am halfway through making the i-cord and then will begin felting it. Here is a picture of what it looks like "before" and hopefully I will be able to post an "after" picture by the weekend. :-)

2005-06-01T18:13:00.000-04:00

We've been so busy doing yard work and potty training our youngest boy that I haven't been able to knit or blog recently. There is a Stitch n Bitch tomorrow night so I will blog after that with progress pictures.

Where has the time gone?

2005-05-25T20:31:00.000-04:00

Steven graduated from preschool on Monday. I can't believe that he is almost 5 years old and will be starting kindergarten in the fall. Seriously, I feel like he was just a baby! He was so excited and happy to get his little diploma... and then even happier to play with the ribbon that was tied around it. Silly kid!

At Knit's End

2005-05-17T13:30:00.000-04:00

Our Stitch-n-Bitch group meets twice a month at the Barnes and Noble in Exton. This is both very convenient and very bad. It is not only convenient because of the centralized location, but also because of the cafe. Who can complain about having STARBUCKS coffee being served right under our noses? Not me! The bad part is that we meet upstairs near the craft section... yeah, I leave that store after having purchased at LEAST one knitting book or magazine almost every time. At the last SnB, Kate showed me a book called At Knit's End by Stephanie Pear- McPhee, aka The Yarn Harlot. Of course I bought it; and I am so glad I did! What a great and perfectly done book! Seriously, it's awesome. It's entertaining and well written but most of all, it is written so that each meditation/page stands by itself. If you have only one minute (which is all I ever have in one day) to sit down and read, you can easily get two pages done. I love, love, LOVE this book. Thank you to Kate for telling me about this great book and thank you to The Yarn Harlot for writing it. It truly is a pleasure to read.

Speaking of Stitch-n-Bitch, I have a dilemma. Tonight is our second meeting of the month and I SOOOO want to go, but I am torn between that and my love and devotion for my shows. Here's the thing, American Idol AND The Gilmore Girls are on tonight. American Idol is down to the final three (totally pulling for Bo BTW!) and it is the season finale of The Gilmore Girls where one of the girls will get engaged! Obviously, both shows are being TiVo'ed but I don't know if I can stay awake long enough to watch them when I get home. What should I do???

Branching out

2005-05-15T15:10:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, I have been looking to move beyond fun fur and acrylic garter stitch scarves for quite some time now. I tried making a poncho and frogged it upon completing it. I made a Booga Bag and ruined it by attempting to felt the bag with a funky yarn that, I've come to learn, can only be hand washed in cold water. (I'm chalking that one up as a learning experience- ALWAYS check washing recommendations on yarn label BEFORE attempting to wash or felt it.) And yes, I have officially moved on to "Acceptance", the final stage of grief.

Having said all of that, I am currently working on two new projects; 1) the Branching Out scarf and 2) another Booga Bag using Noro Kureyon color 139. I am very excited to be trying lace knitting! It's a lot of work but I'm hoping it will be very satisfying! When I need a break from that, I am using the Booga Bag for some quick, mindless knitting. I'm especially using that while watching TV- I can not be expected to follow directions when all of the finales to all of my shows are on within the next week! Anyway, I will post a picture of the knitting progress in the next day or two; there's not much to show on either project yet, as I am only a few rows into each one.

I know this is a bit delayed, but I wanted to write about the wonderful Mother's Day I had last week. Steve took the boys out early in the morning so I could sleep in and wake up to a wonderfully quiet house which was AWESOME! He then came home and made me a pancake breakfast with some delicious Kona coffee. Double yum! Then he and the boys gave me cards and a beautiful diamond ring for my right hand. It was such a great day full of wonderful surprises.

Here is a picture of my ring, though it doesn't really do it justice. The flash kept bouncing off the ring and distorted the quality of the picture. It's soooo pretty though! :-)

Right...

2005-05-11T22:01:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had a project you were so excited about but when you finished it, it turned out to be a big disappointment? I've just had such an experience. For my first felted project, I made a booga bag with my own stripes of pink, blue and green and added a fun/funky yarn with coordinating colors at the top. This awesome yarn of rainbow colors is what drove me to keep knitting even when my hands hurt. It was SUPPOSED to be awesome. Imagine how disappointed I was to find that after the first run through the washer, all but two of the colors in the funky yarn faded to white. I don't think there is a word that can adequately describe my disappoinment. Crestfallen, maybe?

Elisabeth Kubler- Ross states that there is a process of grieving in death; I believe it can also apply in situations like these.
1) Denial- No way, I can't believe it. I won't believe it!
2) Anger- WTF? Why did this freakin' yarn fade?!?! After all of the planning and work I put into this damn thing and it faded?!?! !@#$%^&!!!!!!!
3) Bargaining- Maybe I can rip out the bad yarn from the bag and find some way to crochet the fun and pretty NON faded stuff back in. Can you crochet something that's felted?
4) Depression- Everytime I walk by it, I become more disgusted with it for letting me down.
5) Acceptance- I am so not there yet.

I also forgot to mention that for some reason, the bag didn't felt properly at the top because of said faded yarn. BLAST!

Here is a picture of the crappy bag with the faded yarn. Next to the crappy bag with the faded yarn is a ball of the funky stuff- notice the vibrant, beautiful colors. Now take notice of how none of those colors are on the bag. Do you feel my pain? At this point, the bag would have been better without it.

I'm Baaaack!

2005-05-07T00:31:00.000-04:00

Wow it's been awhile since I've been able to blog! Jeffrey is doing much better now- it has been a long, nerve wracking (almost) 2 weeks and we are hoping he is well on his way to recovery.

I SOOOOO needed a break earlier this week and briefly escaped with Lisa, the girl who does not blog, to New Jersey to visit Knitty Knotty in Westmont. I was anxious to start a new knitting project to occupy my nervous hands. I chose to attempt my first felted project- The Booga bag. I chose 3 skeins of Gallway wool in pink, green and bright blue. That's right people- I am doing stripes for the first time EVER! Lisa showed me what to do and after a few mistakes, such as accidentally knitting the tail of the new ball of yarn I was starting, I did it! I just finished the bottom of the bag and am planning to pick up stitches and begin knitting the rest of the bag tomorrow. I must say, this is alot of firsts for me- first felted project, first time knitting in the round, first time using addi turbos and the first time knitting with wool. I've made a couple of mistakes, some inadvertent yarn overs and things but I take comfort in knowing that it will be felted and NONE of these mistakes will be visible. :-) I do wish, however, that I could remember how I did a couple of those above mentioned yarn overs so I can purposely do them on a future project!!!

I had more I wanted to write about but can't remember as it's late and my eyelids are getting verrrrrry heavy.... here is a quick pic of the bottom of my first felted bag. Did I mention that I did the stripes all by myself?!

Always the Optomist

2005-04-26T13:11:00.000-04:00

Just when I thought the end was in sight...

Jeffrey (the 3 year old) has pneumonia. He's pretty sick and his asthma is just complicating everything. I'll be gone from blogging (again) for at least a few days and with how the last 24 hours have been, I can pretty much gurantee there will be no knitting.

Serenity now!

Just a quick post...

2005-04-20T16:28:00.000-04:00

The boys and I are on the mend; thank you for all of the well wishes. We all still need the nebulizers and Steven is still on antibiotics for his ear infection but I think the end is in sight. At least I hope so!

What a beautiful day! I truly am a spring and summer girl. It is so awesome for the boys and I to be able to go outside without bundling up. Today, they are wearing shorts and golf shirts while I am wearing cropped pants and a sleeveless shirt. LOVE IT!

In my brief absence, I have been thinking about my next knitting project. I think I need a break from the poncho thing. Afterall, I did spend all of that time on La Chica, only to end up frogging it. Here's the thing... I am not normally a summer knitter. I think the idea of knitting something to wear when it's hot out is a bit of a turn off. Myabe I should start knitting things instead... felted bags, coffee cozies... what else? There HAS to be more than that. Any suggestions?

In other news, Steven (the 4 1/2 year old) just learned how to snap his fingers and is feeling quite proud of himself. Here is a picture of the little dude displaying his newly developed ability. (Imagine snapping sound here)

Temporary Leave of Absence

2005-04-16T22:07:00.000-04:00

Nothing on the knitting front to report. Right now my life is consumed with allergy and asthma meds, nebulizers and more for the boys and I. That's right, spring is in full swing in Chester County and it's being taken out on us. Once all of the wheezing and sneezing stops, I will be back to blogging and knitting.

Achoo! :-(

**Update 4/18- Add a double ear infection and antibiotics to that list.**

2005-04-11T13:45:00.000-04:00

I have an announcement to make... La Chica and I have parted ways. She just wasn't the right poncho for me. There are two reasons for this decision- A) I'm a perfectionist. I made a few mistakes that stood out (to me) like a sore thumb and couldn't see past them. B) I'm a very symetrical person. Because she is knitted in one long rectangle, the back does not match the front when it is being worn. I want to make something that I will love and enjoy wearing, but I just wasn't feeling it with La Chica. Anyway, I had finished her on Thursday afternoon and decided to frog her while at Stitch~n~Bitch that night. Since this was my first time frogging a completed project, Jackie supervised and assisted as I turned my first poncho into two large balls of yarn. The rest of my time was spent drinking coffee (of course) , reading US Weekly magazine (Is Britney Spears pregnant?) and attaching the i-cord to the carmel macchiato booga bag! I LOVE it, Lisa!!! In fact, I love it soooo much that I am going to make one after I finish my third attempt at a poncho. Thanks to Rosie, I found another pattern for a poncho that I fell in love with- I am hoping to start it some time this week.

Stitch~n~Bitch

2005-04-07T13:56:00.000-04:00

Tonight is Stitch~n~Bitch. Yay!!! I will be bringing La Chica to fringe and finish. I am also bringing the carmel macchiato booga bag so my knitting friends can help me attach the i-cord. While I'm capable of following the booga directions, I'm also capable of making mistakes and I don't want to take any chances on the bag Lisa (the girl who does not blog) made for me. Anyway, I will post pictures of the finished projects tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day!

American Idol

2005-04-05T22:01:00.000-04:00

I was bored while watching American Idol tonight and jokingly started writing a review to email to my neighbor Maria. When Steve read it he suggested I post it on my blog. I thought it was a good idea so here is the censored, politically correct version.

*Please keep in mind this is only my opinion.*

Tonight's theme was musicals/show tunes. It was totally lame and boring, which is why I started writing the review in the first place. Secondly I think that Paula is on something! LOL Seriously, last week I really thought she was drunk; she had that vacant look in her eyes. Anyway, now onto the contestants. They are listed in the order in which they perfomed.

Scott Savol
"Impossible Dream"- Not good. His days are numbered.

Constantine Maroulis
"My Funny Valentine"- I can't give an opinion on his performance because I am so blinded by how much I can't stand him.

Carrie Underwood
"Hello Young Lovers"- I didn't like the song, but she sang very well and she is still my pick to win.

Vonzell Solomon
"People"- She sang VERY well. She is becoming a strong contender in this competition.

Anthony Fedorov
"Climb Every Mountain"- Yeah. His days are even more numbered than Scott's.

Nikko Smith
"One Hand, One Heart"- Annoys me because I don't like how he does so many runs throughout the song. Overall, he's not bad but he's just not my style.

Anwar Robinson
"If Ever I would Leave You"- I have been disappointed with him over the last few weeks, but I was very pleased with his performance tonight. It's the best he's sounded in awhile.

Bo Bice
"Corner of the Sky"- LOVE him! Obviously, musicals aren't his nitch but he pulled it together and still sounded decent.

Nadia Turner
"As Long as He Needs Me"- She hasn't sounded this good since before the Cyndi Lauper, "Time After Time" fiasco.

My final thoughts on the show; B-O-R-I-N-G!!! Aside from that, I can't predict the bottom 3 but I will say that Scott and Anthony definitely deserve to be in the bottom 2.

2005-04-01T22:49:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make... I have not knitted since Sunday. I know, La Chica should have already been finished and my next project SHOULD be well under way... whatever virus I had this week not only robbed me of my voice and energy, but also took away my will to knit. Just seeing those words written out in this blog entry make me shudder. But seriously, all I have had the energy for is sleeping, shuttling the kids to/from school and laying on the couch to watch all of my favorite shows. Anyway, I'm definitely on the mend but am still feeling kind of drained. I imagine we'll be pretty cooped up over the weekend with all of the rain that's being predicted, so hopefully between that and the sleeping in/napping I'll be doing (hint, hint Steve) I'll be knitting again by Sunday.

I may not have any knitting progress to show, but I do have a story for you; a comical one at that. I let the boys outside for a little while today to play. While I was supervising them, I kept my cell phone with me in case anyone called. Anyway, when it was time to bring the kids inside, Jeffrey threw a HUGE temper tantrum by throwing himself down on the ground and kicking and screaming. Fun! So I put my phone down on the back bumper of my car to pick him up and carry him into the house. Can you see where this is going? Yeah, so later when I had to leave to take the boys to story time, I didn't realize that my phone was still on the bumper. I went all the way to school, the pharmacy, the supermarket and back home without my phone, thinking I left it at the house. So when I got home, I sarted looking for it and when I couldn't find it or hear it ringing anywhere in the house, the garage or outside, I started to put two and two together. I got in the car and began retracing my path; I thought for sure I'd find it near the house, but I actually found it on the road outside of my development! I can't believe it stayed on the bumper for so long! Unfortunately, it had been run over at LEAST one time but for the most part it still worked. It's making some funky sounds, and there are some puncture marks and major scrapes on the back of it and on the battery. Fortunately, I was able to get my phone numbers out of it before I turned it off. Thank goodness I have insurance on it, although this will be my second claim in a year. This is what happens when you spend 95% of your time with children under the age of five. Your brain gets fried... and apparently, so does your cell phone!

2005-03-29T16:46:00.000-05:00

*Update* Yeah, still sick. :-(

Anyway, due to the lack of energy as a result of my previously mentioned illness, I have not knitted since Sunday. I did, however, FINALLY manage to felt the Booga bag that my friend Lisa gave me a few months ago. This is what it looked like after two rounds in the washer. Isn't it cute??? It has been drying since Sunday... who knows, maybe tomorrow I'll muster up enough energy to attach the i-cord.

Now, to Lolly- Thanks for your sweet comment yesterday! :-)

2005-03-28T20:33:00.000-05:00

How is it that I can be fine one day and have a fever, a sore throat and laryngitis the next day? I feel TERRIBLE! :-(

I'm going to bed in an attempt to sleep off the sickies. My theory is that I can reverse this... since I felt (relatively) fine before I went to bed last night and woke up feeling rotten this morning, MAYBE I will wake up tomorrow and be back to normal. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

There will probably be a real blog entry some time tomorrow- including pictures of my first felted project, courtesy of Lisa- the girl who does not blog. Hint, hint ;-)

Good night.

2005-03-27T09:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!

~Thank you to The Blue Ewe for this great image.

2005-03-23T21:01:00.000-05:00

As requested by Lisa (who knits but does not yet have a blog) here is a picture of La Chica. It is done on 19's in seed stitch (k1 p1). I still have a long way to go, but I'm feeling encouraged!

2005-03-23T15:01:00.000-05:00

This is a bad mood day. The weather has a tendancy to do this to me. Yesterday there was a glimmer of hope; a taste of spring. It was sunny and 54 degrees and the boys and I took full advantage of that by spending (almost) the whole day outside. Today is rainy, damp, cold, dreary and miserable. We are stuck inside because I have no desire to take them out in this mess- not even to go to Starbucks. Now THAT is pathetic. Rain SUCKS!

Another thing adding to my mood is that there is an extra Stitch-n-Bitch tonight and because Steve is away (AGAIN) and because I don't have a sitter, I can't go. It's the rain's fault. I think I should blame everything annoying me today on the rain. Wait a second... I feel a flashback coming on. Yeah, Milli Vanilli said to "Blame It On the Rain" and I fully intend to do just that!

On the knitting front, I'm about 18 inches into La Chica. At least I am half way done. So I guess my hoping to have it finished by yesterday didn't exactly pan out... but the older boy was sick with a stomach virus on Monday (which I'm sure will be going through the rest of our family in time for Easter) and we were outside all day yesterday, so that's why it was cast aside for two days. I have been trying to work on it today, but the children are going crazy because of being stuck inside and I have (on more than one occasion) been forced to throw it down so as to intervene in the brawls that have been breaking out as a result.

Again I say, rain SUCKS!

2005-03-19T14:47:00.000-05:00

Ahhhhh.... I am in the zone. I had a 40 minute massage this afternoon. Jeannie from Bodyworks (will post a link when one becomes available) did a wonderful job and I am definitely feeling more relaxed as a result. Would it be COMPLETELY unreasonable of me to expect a massage every week?

La Chica is coming along nicely. I am hoping to have it done by Tuesday-ish. We'll see. I fear that may be a little too optimistic. There is an extra Stitch-n-Bitch on Wednesday and I'd love to take it with me (if I have a sitter) so my knitting friends can show me how to do the fringe on it. It's probably very easy to do, however I am a visual person and need to see it being done rather than reading about it and trying it myself. Following directions is not one of my strengths!

With 118 days left until Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince hits the bookshelves, I am starting to get some heat from Steve about finishing book 5. I am truly torn on this one... do I read a little bit to appease him, or do I work on La Chica so I have a chance to finish it by Tuesday or Wednesday? Here's the thing. I have over 3 months until book 6 is out, so what's the rush? Hey- can someone invent something that will allow me to read and knit at the same time? If someone does invent such a device, please keep in mind that I'll be needing 40% of the profits as it was my idea. How's THAT for an incentive? LOL.

2005-03-17T14:17:00.000-05:00

Thank you for all of the great comments about the new look of my blog. I am really pleased with it and highly recommend Amy or Liz over at Quixotic Pixels for your web designing needs. How's that for a shameless plug? ;-)

(This entry will be relatively short because I am sleep deprived and pretty stressed out as a result of Steve's travelling AGAIN.) Ok, so Stitch-n-Bitch was great on Tuesday night. It did me a world of good to be away from the boys for the night and to get a break from the bed time routine. Although there wasn't much stitching getting done... everyone brought a project to frog, including me; though it was not intentional. I brought my La Chica poncho to work on, but after taking a poll, we all decided it was too thick for what I wanted and I ripped it out to start all over again. Thankfully, Rosie and her ball winder helped me organize the ratty mess that my two strands of Esprit had formed. It was actually starting to scare my fellow knitting friends! Anyway, we all agreed that I needed a thinner, flatter yarn to piece with the Esprit to get the desired openess I am looking for in this spring poncho. When I got home, I found that I had a ball of sage green Brilliant by Patons in my stash that looks quite nice with it. And so La Chica was started again yesterday. Sorry for the lack of pictures, but the husband left our digital camera in his car which is at the airport. I will post some once more progress is made and once I have the camera back.

Now I must go place the children into their rooms for some much needed quiet/mommy time... pray for me.

2005-03-14T16:48:00.000-05:00

And here it is- the new look of the "JavaGirl Knits!" blog. I LOVE it!

Thank you, Liz!!! :-)

2005-03-13T09:31:00.000-05:00

You know, it's funny. I used to like the look of my blog. Although plain, it was/is pink and girly and I was ok with that. That has changed. I saw the new look of Jackie's blog and I became hungry. Suddenly, the shades of pink were not good enough for me anymore. I contacted Amy at Quixotic Pixels who had designed Jackie's blog and asked her to design a new one for me. She introduced me to Liz who took over the project and has been working on it ever since. It's a great business- I gave them an idea of a theme and some colors I like and they ran with it. What Liz has made so far looks GREAT and I can't wait for it to be on my blog. I can't show you what it looks like yet, but can tell you that it's centered around the JavaGirl Knits name.

So I went to Noble Knits yesterday and chose the yarn for my La Chica Poncho. I intended to buy the Zanziba and Isis yarn the pattern called for but it was $22.50 per skein and I would have needed four. Because I have so much yarn in my yarn drawers in the laundry room, I can tell you with 100% certainty that Steve would NOT have been happy! So I bought some Esprit from GGH in a soft, sage green. It's similar to this color. It's very soft and will be a VERY pretty spring poncho.

2005-03-10T18:04:00.000-05:00

Tada!!!!

It's a day of firsts.... I cast on using the double cast on method for the first time, I knitted the right way for the first time, and I made a stockinette stitch correctly for the first time. Yay me!!!! I'm going to keep practicing for a little while and then I will start my first real project in time for Stitch-n-Bitch on Tuesday. It's the La Chica Poncho from Noble Knits.

Now I must go because the ac adaptor on my laptop broke and the battery is about to run out. LOVELY! I'm not sure how long it will be before I am back online but in looking at the bright side of things, I realize that being unchained to my laptop for a little while will give me more time to knit....... it better only be for a little while. :-/

2005-03-09T21:49:00.000-05:00

Yeah.... so it's official. I knit backwards. That is why my stitches are a little twisted. So, Nicole- I am not only your twisted sister, but I am your backwards buddy too! I think we should start a Backward Knitters Anonymous group... since I knit using the Continental method and you knit the English way, we can cover all the bases! The scary question is, are there more of us out there?

So anyway, with my baby's birthday today I haven't had a chance to work on untwisted stitches, unbackwards knitting or purling. However, every free chance I've had today I have been watching the videos over at Knitting Help. I think it's starting to click. What a WONDERFUL website! I wish I had known about it last year when I was first learning how to knit. Perhaps I wouldn't have been so intimidated by the thought of trying new things. Maybe (just maybe) I wouldn't have gotten stuck in the scarf rut. Who knows? The important thing is that now I am working to try new things and branch out. That's what matters, right?

2005-03-09T14:36:00.000-05:00

It's the birthday boy!

Jeffrey is 3 today. Happy birthday, little man!

My son is a wonderful blessing, a treasure from above. He’s laughter, warmth and special charm; he’s thoughtfulness and love. My son brings a special joy that comes from deep inside and as he grows to manhood, he'll fill my heart with pride. With every year that passes, he’s more special than before. Through every stage, through every age, I love him even more. No words can describe the warm memories, the pride and gratitude that comes from having a son to love and cherish… just like you!
~Unknown

Love,
Mommy

2005-03-07T17:22:00.000-05:00

My first attempt at stockinette.

I've taken the first step. I've learned how to purl thanks to the AWESOME videos at www.knittinghelp.com. I have been practicing it for about a half hour now; it's a bit awkward, but so was knitting when I first began. I'm sure if I keep working on it it will feel more natural over time. I'm not making anything yet, I'm just practicing with some scrap yarn that I hate. Unfortunately, I didn't remember that I hated it until I picked it up and started working with it again. Now I know why there was almost a whole ball of it in the scrap yarn pile! I can't even remember what it's called, but all I know is that it's VERY tight and it easily shreds/seperates. Anyway, I have been practicing the purl stitch by doing stockinette- it's so cute! I love the little v's it makes! Small steps people... small steps.

2005-03-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

We're baaaack!

We had a WONDERFUL trip to Cancun and are now back to reality. Yes, this week consisted of a business trip for the husband, another doctors appointment for my 4 year old son who has yet another ear infection, more trips to the pharmacy as a result of said ear infection, a 3 hour long evaluation to release my 3 year old son from the speech services he was receiving through Early Intervention and (last but not least) registering the older son for kindergarten for the 2005/2006 school year. And all the while, I kept torturing myself by thinking, "This time last week I was laying by the pool or this time last week I was getting a massage." Why did I do this to myself? Because I am a glutton for punishment, that's why!

Cancun was our first trip alone together since our honeymoon and although leaving the boys for the first time was difficult for me, I got over it rather quickly. When we arrived, it was sunny and in the mid 80's. The perfect getaway from snowy Philadelphia! People were handing me flowers and drinks from the moment we arrived at our hotel. Over the next 3 days, we swam with the dolphins, went to formal dinners and breakfast meetings (for Steve's company) took an ATV tour of the jungle.... I had spa treatments nearly everyday. It was the best trip I've ever been on; probably because all expenses including the spa treatments were paid for. I really could have gotten used to that! Now do you see why I have been torturing myself all week???

In all of the busy-ness I haven't had the chance to knit. I am pouring through some magazines and my Stitch-n-Bitch book to find some patterns. That's right people, I'm branching out. I am sick of scarves and I've finally gotten to a point where no one is asking me for any, so I'm seizing the opportunity. If anyone has any suggestions for a non complicated pattern for a somewhat new knitter, I'd appreciate it. In the meantime, I'll keep my eye out for one.

The above picture of the view from our hotel room at sunrise. <::wistful sigh::>

2005-02-25T13:32:00.000-05:00

Update...

It is 86 degrees and sunny in Cancun. Yesterday we had an hour of John Cleese entertaining us with his stand up routine after breakfast and went swimming with the dolphins in the afternoon. Today I had an 80 minute facial in a cabana on the beach and am now headed to the pool for the rest of the day.

I haven't gotten any knitting done since we got here, but for some reason I'm REALLY ok with that.

<::content sigh::>

2005-02-19T18:15:00.000-05:00

The sickies are still at our house and I leave for Cancun in 4 days. That's 3 full days for me to get these children healthy so Steve and I can feel comfortable enough to leave.

As the trip gets closer, everyone has been asking me if I'm excited about getting a vacation alone with my husband... the feelings are very mixed. A) At this point, I am just hoping the boys will be well enough for me to go. B) It has been so long since Steve and I have been away together (our honeymoon) that the very idea of taking a vacation with him boggles my mind. C) As a chronic worrier, I am now starting to have morbid thoughts about our trip. What if the plane goes down and our children become orphans? Are we being selfish by taking a 5 day vacation and in turn, taking the risk of abandoning our boys for life? Of course "C" is not very logical, but still I can't keep these thoughts from running through my head.

On the knitting front, I whipped up a cute little skinny scarf to go with my black v-neck sweater. I used yarn that is purple/pink/blue with black eyelash. Now I am working on making a wrap to go with two dresses that I will be wearing to formal dinners in Cancun. It is taking a long time, as I am using Bernat Boucle` in black, black Flutter and black Brilliant for some shimmer. I cast on 52 stitches and am about rows in. I hope I can knit on the plane because it's a 4 1/2 hour flight and I could REALLY make some prgress in that time. Why am I such a slow knitter? Is it because I knit the Continental or European way? Anyway, Cindy tagged me with a TiVo meme: (Thanks Cindy, this was my first tag!!!)

How much space is left on your TiVo?
Which TiVo, the one in our family room or our bedroom? Both are pretty full right now though!

Have you bought a DVD of a TV series and if so, which one?
I am currently collecting DVDs of Friends; right now I have seasons 1- 6. We are also starting to collect 24 and intend to start buying the Seinfeld series. My husband also collects the X-Files on DVD.

What was the last TV show you watched before reading this message?
The last show I saw before reading this message was LOST that was TiVo'ed from this past Wednesday.

List 5 Shows you won't miss:
Hmmm... 24, The Bachelorette, Gilmore Girls, American Idol, NYPD Blue, LOST, Survivor, The Apprentice and ER. Ok, that was more than 5, but I couldn't help it!

Three people to send this to:
How sad is this? The only people I know of who blog AND have a TiVo have already been tagged. Therefore, I give Cindy, Nicole, Kate or Susan permission to tag three people for me.

2005-02-13T12:25:00.000-05:00

Girly Girl

Thanks Jackie!

What kind of little girl were you?

2005-02-07T00:35:00.000-05:00

Just back from the superbowl party...

:-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

2005-02-06T13:36:00.000-05:00

EAGLES fever is really here. It started about two weeks ago when it became official that the Eagles would be playing in the Superbowl for the first time in 24 years. I started noticing just how hyped up everyone is when on Monday the 24th I walked into the Acme to see nothing but Eagles paraphanalia. Shirts, hats, license plate holders, flags and window decals to name a few. WOW. And these items weren't just located in one designated spot in the front of the store, they were EVERYWHERE! I'll admit to almost buying into it- I considered buying a few balloons to put outside on game day. However, I'll be out of town at a Superbowl party so if the Eagles were to lose, (GOD FORBID!) I wouldn't be here to hang my head in shame as I took the balloons down before anyone had time to feel sorry for me.

I am ready for a day out. I have been couped up in this house for two days straight. As of Thursday, the boys came down with Strep Throat, so we were in the rest of Thursday (except I did go to Stitch-n-Bitch for a little while on Thursday night!) all of Friday and Saturday. Today is the first day we will all be out again. I am a bit nervous about turning them loose at our friend's house for the first time in almost three days, but I am hoping for the best.

Shortly after my last post I finished Maria's scarf. I forgot to take a picture of it before giving it to her, but she seems to like it! I then took a little break before deciding on my next project. I chose to make a little pink scarf for myself to show my friend Arlene how it would look with her new pink jacket. I used pink Rave, a blend of rasberry and pink Jai Alai and a raspberry Dream. It came out pretty cute- very fuzzy! I then immediately started on a skinny scarf using lavendar Punta, two strands of purple and fuscia Whisper (another Noble Knits find!) and lavendar Brilliant for a little shimmer. I made it very skinny and super long and finished it up at Stitch-n-Bitch on Thursday night. I think this is my favorite one so far.

I'm tried of knitting scarves. On one hand I love them because they are SO easy and fast, but on the other hand, I don't want to just knit scarves. One of the nurses at the boy's pediatrician's office saw me knitting and said, "Oh! So you are into the scarves." I politely told her that I am into knitting, not just scarf making. Then I started to wonder, "Am I really just into the scarves?" I hope not! I have been looking into other projects like hats and felted bags and things. But the classes I want to take at Noble Knits don't fit into my schedule right now. :-( Jackie and Cindy offered to teach me how to make socks, but after looking at Jackie's gazillion double pointed needles that she was using for just ONE sock, I have to admit to feeling very intimidated! Maybe they can talk me out of being so nervous about it.

Thank you to Kate, Jackie and Cindy for a quiet and relaxing evening on Thursday. Susan, Nicole and Rosie- we missed you and hope to see you at the next SnB!

GO EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-01-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

Let it snow, let it snow, LET IT SNOW! But only this weekend. I normally don't like the cold or snow; I am definitely a spring and summer girl. I love being outside everyday from right after breakfast until well after dinner, when the sun goes down. This bitter cold and snow thing doesn't usually work for me, but I love the idea of being snowed in with Steve and the boys for the weekend. I just hope the Eagles can still play tomorrow!

I've decided to get a part time job to help contribute to our family's income. We don't necessarily need the extra income, but I though it would be nice to use what I make to help with my college education as well as save for the boys'. I applied last night to the Barnes and Noble in Exton. My friend Kim works there and loves it because it's a job that she doesn't have to worry about when she leaves for the day and she never gets bored. So I filled out an application and gave it to Kim, who is giving it to her manager. I'd really like to work there because I love Barnes and Noble and because their hours offer me more times that I can be available to work.

Speaking of Barnes and Noble, they are starting a Scrabble night on Tuesday, January 25th. I am so excited! When I was a kid, I LOVED playing Scrabble, but no one would ever play it with me. Even now, Steve thinks I'm such a nerd to be going to Scrabble night. Oh well, Steve-o, I'll play with people who want to play with me. So there. :-P Anyway, the guy I spoke to at Barnes and Noble said that he's expecting a large group based on how many people have been asking him about it. I think it's a great way to meet new people. I hope it's fun!

Speaking of games, I found a new game to play online with other people. It's called isketch and it's like pictionary online. I have been playing it over the last few days and have been really enjoying it. I think Pictionary was another one of my favorites that I couldn't get no one liked to play with me. :-( I'm beginning to wonder if I was neglected as a child!

As far as knitting goes, I never did finish the scarf for Maria. I threw my neck out on Thursday when I was getting Jeffrey into his car seat. I felt a twinge and then a pop and then PAIN. I've had kinks in my neck before, but this is way worse than that. And now, it's in my neck and shoulders and is giving me migraine headaches. I went to my massage therapist, have been taking my muscle relaxers, advil, tylenol and heating my neck and shoulder and nothing is working. My next step is to try celebrex for the next two days. If that doesn't work, I'm going to have to see my doctor because this is ridiculous. Anyway, I told Maria that I have a gift just for her, but that it's not quite ready yet. I really hope she likes it; she is one of the only people that I've not knitted something for yet. I bought the yarn at Noble Knits. I don't know what brand it is because it didn't have a name I could understand (it's made in Italy). It's light blue which is her favorite color with silver accents in it. I was actually looking at it and even had it in my hand when Stitch~n~Bitch took me to Noble Knits on a field trip a few months ago. I went back a few weeks later to buy it because I liked it so much.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend in the snow!

GO EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-01-19T19:56:00.000-05:00

Thank you for the encouraging comments about my last post. I still feel like somewhat of a drop out, but thanks to you, those feelings are beginning to fade. :-) One of the positive things about not being in school is having more time to spend with the boys, read, knit and blog.

Right now I am reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, otherwise known as book 5. I am about halfway through and am really enjoying it. Although I have to say that I am looking forward to choosing a book just for fun and without the pressure from my husband, to hurry up and finish so we can talk about it. Perhaps I will choose a book from Susan or Nicole's book lists.

I am knitting a scarf for my neighbor Maria who, just this morning, gave birth to a new baby boy. Congratulations Maria!!!! I am hoping to finish it by tomorrow so that when I go for a visit tomorrow evening I can give it to her. After that, I am knitting something fun for myself... at the moment, I am primarily a scarf knitter but am interested in branching out into some other projects in the near future. I am even considering taking a couple of knitting classes at Noble Knits in the next month or so to enhance my skills. The chicks at Stitch-n-Bitch can knit circles around me, so I'd like to be able to broaden my horizons in an attempt to keep up with them! (Plus, I'm getting sick of making scarves!)

In other news, Steve and I got some very exciting news last week. Because of the great job he did last year (2004) at work, he got a special invitation into a club that is mostly just for sales people who reach their quotas. His company is sending us on an all expenses paid vacation to Cancun, Mexico. We will be staying at a 5 star hotel, all of our meals are paid for, any tours or activities are paid for, and anything we buy, clothing, souveneirs, furniture, etc. is also taken care of. It is an amazing opportunity and I look forward to going. Unfortunately, (or maybe not so unfortunately, LOL) because this is a company thing and other people from the company will be there, there are formal dinners and things we need to attend that wouldn't be child friendly. So, at the moment we are trying to secure child care.

I have been using the crockpot a lot lately and because I have been enjoying Susan's recipes so much, I thought I'd post one of my own. This is my own recipe, so I haven't named it yet. I'll just call it Sesame Chicken. Any more creative suggestions would be welcomed. :-)

Sesame Chicken (Crockpot)
1 1/2- 2 lbs of boneless chicken breasts
1 cup of Sesame Ginger Marinade (I used the one by Lowry's)
1 orange
1 dash of ground ginger
1/4 tsp of garlic powder

Place the chicken breasts at the bottom of the crock pot. Slice the orange into 4- 5 wedges and place around the chicken. Combine the marinade, ginger and garlic and pour over the chicken and orange wedges. Cover and cook on low for 6- 8 hours or on high for 4- 6 hours.

My suggestions: Tastes great with white rice or twice baked potatoes.

If anyone tries it, please let me know what you think.

Time for American Idol! (My name is Lauren and I'm addicted to Reality TV)

~Lauren

The Realization

2005-01-16T23:30:00.000-05:00

Last semester was really rough on me and I've come to the realization that going back to school is not the right thing at this very moment. The boys are still so needy and they don't nap anymore. My husband travels 50% of the time and when he is in town, he is never home before 7:30 pm. I can't have as much work as I did last semester and only have 2 hours a day in which to do it. I was exhausted, crabby and in such a panicked state for the last half of the semester that I was physically ill nearly every day.

I found out three days before Christmas that for the first time in my life I had a 4.0 GPA. I had been waiting for that moment ever since I started back to school in September and yet when I logged in to my student records online to see my GPA displayed for me, I felt nothing. I immediately called Steve (my husband) to tell him the news and found myself saying, "Wow. That 4.0 ALMOST made it all worth it." I think college will have to wait until my kids are in elementary school. At least then, I'll have some time during the day to go to school and get work done. The strange thing is... I feel both relieved and sad about my decision. :-(

Thanksgiving, Knitting and School, Oh My!

2004-12-17T17:50:00.000-05:00

(I'd like to apologize up front for the totally lame title, but that was all I could come up with!)

When I started keeping this blog over the summer, I told myself that I would write an entry at least once a week. Now, I’m pushing myself to remember to do it once a month. School has been keeping me very busy. I really thought I’d feel better once the math class was finished because I’d have more time to devote to my english class but the truth is, I don’t. There are four term papers, eight journal entries and a ten to fifteen minute presentation on the final paper. The eight essays are due at your own pace throughout the semester, but I didn’t plan very well because I still have three to hand in before TOMORROW! I am also currently working on the presentation that is also TOMORROW! I'm sure you're asking yourself, "Why is she blogging if she has so much work to do?" The answer is simple. This will count as two journal entries because of the length, that's why. No more about school though, just please wish me luck on my presentation. I am so worked up about it that I can't decide whether to cry, scream or vomit. Is this what a panic attack feels like?

On to less important, non- school related things. I had to get a new cell phone last week. I thought I needed a new battery because my phone could no longer hold a charge, but I kept putting off going to the Verizon store because I’m terribly impatient and don’t like waiting in line. After I dropped the Jeffrey off at school, Steven and I finally went to the Verizon store in Downingtown. The technician took one look at my phone and at my account and told me that he had good news and bad news for me. The bad news was that my phone had somehow gotten wet a long time ago and is now completely corroded. He was amazed that it was still working at all. The good news was that I had insurance on it so it would be replaced for a $50 deductible. More bad news though; the camera phone I had had been discontinued. It would have to be replaced by a different camera phone. I was not a happy girl because I LOVED my phone. However, I was attracted to the features the new phone had to offer- it has a built in flash and can shoot fifteen seconds of video. For the record, my old phone couldn’t do that! The tech head in me who loves being dazzled by new gadgets with better features, told me to get the new phone. While I was there, I finally had my New Jersey cell number changed to a Pennsylvania 610 number. I have been living here for about eighteen months now, so I felt it was time. I have to say, being able to shoot video came in quite handy when my husband, who was more than a little buzzed at a Christmas party, decided to do karaoke to "You're the One That I Want" from Grease last week!!! Can I upload video clips to my blog? :-D

Our Thanksgiving was nice. Steve got out of work early on Wednesday and was home until Monday, so that was a nice treat. We had Thanksgiving dinner at my mom’s house, so I was in charge of the desserts. I usually make two pumpkin pies (one to leave there and one to keep here) and an apple crisp for my dad. I planned to be as organized as possible, so I made the pies on Wednesday night after dinner. As a special treat while we watched The Bachelor finale, I thought it would be nice for Steve and I to each have a piece of our own pie. We paused the TiVo while we dished out the pies and sat down to enjoy our quiet night while eating the dessert. I took one bite of the pie and had to spit it out because I forgot to add sugar! It was terrible. Of course I then threw a little temper tantrum and threw both pies in the sink. Not my finest moment, but what a waste of time! Steve ran out to the supermarket after The Bachelor was over and bought all of the ingredients I needed to make two more pies. I really had been hoping for a nice relaxing Thanksgiving morning, because I thought I’d only have to make one last dessert. Instead, we spent the whole morning baking. I didn’t even get to take my Thanksgiving nap! I was especially disappointed to learn that the Starbucks near my parent’s house closed at 3 pm for the day. I understand that the employees need to have dinner with their families too, but I really don’t see why they couldn’t come back to open up again around 8 pm so I could have a latte on the way home. However, my dad saved the day by getting me my favorite drink, a venti Pumpkin Spice latte, and saving it for me until after dinner. It totally hit the spot. I was still a little bitter on the way home because I had to drink a Pepsi instead of another latte, but I managed to survive.

Friday, I went out to lunch with my neighbor Maria. Neither of us had our kids with us, so it was nice to have an adult conversation without all of our kids interrupting. We went to Chili’s in Downingtown. I highly recommend the grilled chicken Caesar salad, it was delicious. After lunch, I went to New Jersey to visit my friend Arlene and to give her the three scarves she had asked me to knit for her. She has been paying me to make a few scarves for her to give as gifts for Christmas. I’m glad she asked me to do this for her, because it has really gotten me back into knitting. The problem is that I have a total of seven scarves that need to be done before Christmas day. Three of them are for Arlene and the other four are gifts from me. I know that everyone in my Stitch-n-Bitch knitting group could probably get them all done in about a week, but they are faster knitters than I am and are much more experienced. The deal with Arlene is that she pays for the yarn, I knit the scarves and she is going to take me to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner, drinks and dessert. I hope this time I’ll actually be in the mood for cheesecake; the last time I was there, I actually didn’t want any. I almost went to the doctor to make sure I was ok, I was so concerned.

The rest of Thanksgiving weekend was very relaxing. On Saturday, I had off from my class so I was able to go with Steve and the boys to see Steven’s swim class. He takes swim lessons every Saturday at the Brandywine YMCA. This was the first and only time I would be able to see him during his eight week session. He is in the beginners class. The objective for the beginners is to enter the pool without a parent and without crying. They also learn to float, kick their legs and go underwater. I really enjoyed watching his class and Steven was thrilled to show me his new skills in the pool. After class was over, I talked to his teacher and she recommended that Steven move up to the next level class at the end of the session because he has met his goals and is no longer being challenged by the “Pike” class. Steve has already registered Steven for the next class called “Eel” that will begin on January 8. I am not registered for a Saturday class next semester, so he signed Steven up for another Saturday morning swim lesson for the next session so that we can both see him every week or take turns. After Steven’s swim class, we took the boys to lunch and enjoyed a quiet afternoon together. Later that weekend, we decorated the house for Christmas together. It was very nice that we all had the entire holiday weekend off to spend together. Now I’m really looking forward to the week after Christmas because we all have the entire week off. I love it when our family has time like this to be together; it makes our holidays even more memorable.

**Special thanks to Nicole, Cindy and Kate from Chesco Stitch~n~Bitch for giving me such awesome quotes about the Tivo to use in my presentation tomorrow! Wish me luck**

Happy (Belated) Halloween!

2004-11-28T21:45:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I know I am COMPLETELY behind on my blog but I can't help it! Blame it all on my teachers- too much work!

Anyway, even though this is a whole month late, here are the boys at Halloween. Steven is Spiderman (sorry about the mask, I will post one of him later so you can see his face) and Jeffrey is Thomas the Train. They had a great time trick-or-treating. Steven really caught on to the whole idea this year and can't wait to do it again next year. Jeff went from house to house and said "Trick or Treat", but he also said it to everyone he saw. He had a hard time understanding why the other trick-or-treaters weren't giving him candy too! We all had so much fun!

Our House

2004-10-30T07:28:00.000-04:00

Our house decorated for harvest time.

Ta Da!!! I know how to post pictures to my blog! It started innocently enough; I woke up early this morning to get some reading done for my 9:30 Saturday class. I really should stay away from my laptop when I have book reading to do, but I can't start my day without checking my email. After I did that, I decided to quickly catch up on my friend's blogs. Well, one thing led to another and now it's 7:30, my reading is not done but I know how to post pictures to my blog! The picture of my house was a test one, but I like it so it's staying. I will post some Halloween pics of the boys once I have them. Thank God for the digital camera!
~Lauren

I Promise...

2004-10-18T21:48:00.000-04:00

I PROMISE to update my blog soon.

It's September and the Craziness has Begun!

2004-09-05T19:33:00.000-04:00

I’ve always said that staying home with babies, toddlers and/or preschoolers is incredibly rewarding, but will inevitably turn anyone’s brain into mush. In fact, I think I mentioned it in my first blog. Well, I’m happy to say that with my first class last Monday night and the homework I’ve done since then, my brain is already starting to feel less mushy. I can feel the cobwebs in my mind slowly being cleared away.

This time in school feels very different to me. Back in 1997 when I was a freshman taking my first college course, it was something I had to do and I simply bided my time through each class. (Sorry Mom and Dad, I was young.) This time, there is a hunger inside of me, pushing me to work harder, aim higher and do better. I now see it as a privilege to be there, not just my right. This time, I am going to work my ass off.

I am taking two general education classes- English and Math. My English class is held on Saturday mornings at the Downingtown campus. That class would have normally started yesterday, but because of the holiday weekend, it will begin Saturday, September 11th. My math class is an individualized course at the Media campus that meets Monday nights from 6:00- 9:00pm. It started Monday August 30th, but again, due to the holiday weekend, we do not have class tomorrow. Anyway, because it is an individualized course, you work at your own pace. It’s a different system in that, to begin a chapter you must take a pretest. If you get an 85% or higher, (with permission from the instructor) you can immediately take the post test to test out of that chapter. If you score lower, you get your test back so you can identify and work on the objectives you got wrong and then take the post test. It’s a very interesting and controlled way of doing things. I have been working on my math all week, and am hoping that by the next class on September 13th, I will be ready for my post test for Chapter 3 so I can get started on Chapter 4. In order to get to that point, I have to go in one night this week and take my post test for Chapter 2 and my pretest for Chapter 3. I am pushing myself to get ahead of the guidelines so that when my English class starts, I won’t be so swamped. It’s a lot of work, but it’s rewarding- I got a 94 on my post test for Chapter 1! YAY!

Aside from school news, I am very excited because I got my new family room furniture yesterday!!! I got a sofa, loveseat and two chairs in that new, micro-fiber suede stuff. I love it! Unfortunately, so do my boys and the cat, Jake. Steve and I have spent most of yesterday and today re-training the kids on how to sit NICELY on the new furniture. As far as Jake, I am about to break out the water bottle so as to squirt him away from the new stuff, (he wasn’t allowed on the old furniture either) but I’m afraid I’d “accidentally” use it on the boys! LOL! I will post a picture of it soon, once it’s complete with the cherry coffee table that’s on back order.

And now this is to my fellow Stitch~n~Bitchers- I promise to bring something new to work on at the next session. I fear if I show up again with the same Allie purse I have been working on, I’ll be shunned! I am beginning a poncho for my neighbor Maria, so hopefully I can get it going before we meet again. Thanks for letting me not stitch and just bitch Monday night after my class- it was the perfect end to a busy day.

Quote O’ the Day-
By all these lovely tokens, September days are here, with summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer.
~Helen Hunt Jackson

2004-08-22T21:41:00.000-04:00

Something unprecedented happened to me on Friday (August) the 13th. I went to The Cheesecake Factory and I didn't want cheesecake! I still can't believe it. I thought very carefully about it, and thinking that I'd soon regret not having any, I ordered a piece "to go" with the intention of having it for dessert on Saturday. I did have it, but I really didn't enjoy it the way I thought I would. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I actually enjoyed the Dairy Queen Brownie Blizzard I had the next day more then the cheesecake! What is wrong with me? Could it be that I am tired of The Cheesecake Factory? I think there needs to be an investigation into this matter.

Steve and I are trying to go out together at least once a month for “date night”. We’ve been having a good time with it this summer, but our babysitters are off to college as of the 28th, so now we find ourselves once again looking for babysitters. Anyway, on the same night as The Cheesecake Factory, we also went to a movie. We saw Spiderman 2 again; this time in King of Prussia on the IMAX screen. WOW... I’m thinking that I never want to see a non-IMAX movie in the theater ever again!

My friend Lisa taught me how to purl and also a different, much faster way to knit. While I was in New Jersey this past weekend visiting with her, I found an adorable yarn store called Knitty Knotty in Westmont, near Haddonfield. I think I have become a yarn snob as a result. There were so many beautiful handspun, hand painted yarns that I now find myself frowning upon some of the yarn I already own. I realize that I just need to use what I have and then I can start buying more premium yarns from the great yarn stores that Chesco Stitch~n~Bitch has been telling me about. My only wish is to have more time to devote to knitting.

In other news, I am an official college student again. Classes start a week from tomorrow and I am taking my placement test and choosing my first class on Wednesday. I’m beginning to feel discouraged though, because I am only taking a class or two at a time and I fear (at that rate) I won’t finish my undergraduate degree until I’m 40. (I’m 26 now.) My ultimate goal is to have my Master’s degree by 40. Is it possible if I’m only going part time? Time will tell.

Insomnia struck me again several times this week. I’ve been trying everything, from drinking herbal tea to counting backwards from 200. I’ve also completely given up drinking caffeine after 12pm in an attempt to solve the problem, to no avail. If anyone has any suggestions, they’d be GREATLY appreciated. Maybe I just need a vacation.

Quote O’ the Day-
What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Insomnia

2004-08-15T23:01:00.000-04:00

I had issues with insomnia last night. I went to bed around 11:30 and couldn't fall asleep until after 6:30 this morning. Fortunately, my husband was good enough to get up with the boys so I could get a few hours of sleep. I think my problem is that I think and worry too much. Some of my closest friends have been going through a lot lately; from difficult pregnancies or marital problems to sick parents and the death of a loved one. It has really been a rough couple of months for them, and I feel so helpless. I know I shouldn’t take on their problems as my own, but I just hurt for them. Anyway, my point is that because I was up all night, I am too tired to write about everything I wanted to write about. There are so many things; Jim McGreevy, The Cheesecake Factory, registering for courses and some interesting knitting stuff to name a few. I hope to find time in the next couple of days. Until then, sleep beckons! (Hopefully :-))

Quote O’ the Day-
Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you.
~Marsha Norman

2004-08-06T13:48:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Chesco Stitch~n~Bitch for a much needed night out on Tuesday! My "Allie" purse is still far from being finished, but knitting with all of you the other night really motivated me to continue with it the rest of this week. I am eagerly looking forward to the next night out in September.

This week was thankfully quiet. I am enjoying these last few weeks before the madness starts again in September. I have planned some little day trips with the boys to help break up the next few weeks. Today, my neighbors and I took all of our kids to Springton Manor Farm in Glenmoore, PA. We had a great time seeing and petting animals, looking at tractors and farm equipment, etc. (AND it was free!) Of course, my boys loved the stinky pigs the best, but my favorite part of the farm was The Butterfly House. It's a beautiful, screened in garden that houses many different species of butterflies. A butterfly actually landed on my shoulder! I was feeling honored and quite proud of myself, until a 17 year old kid (that works there) told me it's very common for butterflies in a communtiy such as this one, to land on people. I, however, am choosing to ignore that little twerp and view it as a sign of good luck. :-)

Quote O' the Day-
May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun. And find your shoulder to light on. To bring you luck, happiness and riches. Today, tomorrow and beyond. ~An Irish Blessing

~Lauren

Quotes

2004-08-03T17:36:00.000-04:00

Not many people know this about me, but one of my favorite things to do online is look up quotes. I think what I love best about reading them is that I often find ones that perfectly say what I can not put into words. For instance, lately I have been wondering why some friends come and go throughout our lives. Today I found a quote that helped me understand...

"Maybe not all friendships have to be saved. Maybe we're just meant to spend a certain part of our lives with certain people and then move on." ~Unknown

I have decided that posting quotes is going to become a regular part of my blog. Some may seem random, some will go along with the theme of the post and some will go along with the mood I'm in. If anyone has any quotes they'd like to share, please either post them as a comment or email them to me at gillgirl34@yahoo.com.

~Lauren

Hobbies and Obsessive Habits

2004-07-30T08:18:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I didn't make it to the gym today but I have a really good excuse!!! I forgot that I have an incredibly long day. Today, is Steven's last day at camp and then he has a birthday party for his friend in New Jersey. It doesn't start until 5pm, but to avoid shore traffic I am picking him up from school at 12pm and then going right to NJ. The party goes until 7:30pm and then I'll have to pick up Jeffrey at my mom's and THEN drive home. I know I won't be home until 9:30/10pm so getting up at 4:30ish just wasn't in the cards for today. I WILL go tomorrow though!

Now I know in my profile I mention that I love to garden, but I neglected to include that I am also a tiny bit of a freak about it. This year, I did all regular and wave petunias. Everything was going great and they were happily thriving until we had a few hard rainstorms. Now, they are a bit ratty and "leggy" looking. The general rule of thumb is to pinch back the "dead heads". However, I have so many flowers, that they are nearly impossible to keep up with! I am still getting compliments from people as they walk by, but to me, they look terrible. This is where my being a freak comes in. I have decided to rip all of them out and start over again with new flowers. I know, I know... but my rule of thinking is that if I replace them this weekend, I will keep them until October 1st and THEN replace those with late seasoned mums which I could possibly have until Thanksgiving. I told you I was a freak. I will settle for nothing less then perfection! What's even more scary is that I have already designed my front garden (in my head) for next year!

I suppose by now you're wondering why my blog address is JavaGirlKnits instead of JavaGirlGardens or JavaGirlFreak (LOL) since I haven't regularly mentioned knitting. Knitting is my favorite hobby, it's just that I spend every waking, non raining moment outside with the boys right now. Unfortunately, they are so young (4 and 2.5) that I still need to be on top of them all of the time. I've had to start some things completely over again because of throwing it down in the middle of a row. The younger one is the most difficult of the two. He'll think nothing of suddenly running out front to beg the ice cream man to stop at our house or run away to throw rocks in the gutter. He's even had fun trying to make friends with the Poison Sumac we have growing along the tree line in our back yard. (We're trying to wait until the fall when everything is dying off before removing all of the poisonous brush.) We're considering putting on a deck next spring and I'm beginning to think we shouldn't even bother because as long as "The J-Man" is outside I will never be able to sit on it!

I am sure as the weather gradually turns colder and we are forced be inside more and more regularly, I'll find myself knitting more often again. And I can't wait. :-)

~Lauren

Good Morning!

2004-07-28T06:41:00.000-04:00

I am proud to say that I made it to the gym at 5 both Monday and this morning. It's actually not as bad (so far) as I thought it would be. Stumbling around in the dark while still being half asleep before getting there isn't much fun though. Of course, not being able to find my glasses doesn't help the situation, either. I'm thinking it would be wise to lay out everything the night before while I still have my contacts in, am more alert and can actually see what I'm doing.

Honestly, working out that early is better then I expected it to be. It's actually nice to officially start my day knowing that it's behind me. It's also quite nice to come home and have the house to myself. Steve is in the shower, the boys are still asleep and I actually get to sit down and eat breakfast by myself!

My neighbor, Maria, will be away on Friday, so we'll see if I am disciplined enough to go on my own. The whole reason we go together is because individually, we'd each keep hitting the snooze button until our children (she also has 2 young ones) roar in to drag us out of bed. I suppose Friday will be a true test of how committed I am to making this a regular routine.

So far, this week hasn't been too eventful. The thing that stands out the most over the last two days is that (much to my dismay) my boys seem to be doing away with the whole nap thing. Don't get me wrong, they are still in their rooms for mandatory quiet time, but they just don't understand (or accept) the concept of actually being quiet. Unfortunately for me, both days have been nap and quiet free. Of course they have a great time in their rooms, yelling and laughing back and forth with each other... however, this is a battle I'm not ready to lose yet. I will prevail!

And with that, my hungry children have just woken up and are anxiously waiting to be fed.

~Lauren