Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Happy smiles

So...this is what $7,000 worth of metal will get you.

No more braces!


2 beautiful smiles on 2 very happy and beautiful teenagers. Let's hope the $500 per set retainers keep them that way.

I will not admit to wondering if when they did have the braces I could keep them quiet with a well-placed paper clip.

Posted by Heather at 3:49 PM 10 comments

Monday, March 27, 2006

I'd like to thank the academy

Or really, my commenters! You guys make my day :) See, I knew I wasn't alone in my yarn addiction. And for the supportive comments about my Uncle. One thing I totally hate about Blogger is that you can't write back to someone when you are emailed a comment. Why is Blogger like that? I don't want to move, but the comment thing drives me nuts! Any suggestions?

I especially haven't been able to write anyone back because while I have some of your email addresses, most were on the computer that died a violent motherboard explosion. May it rest it biodegradable freaking pieces in a landfill. But I'm not bitter or anything. So, thank you again to my adoring public! And if you haven't popped out to say hi, please do! I love to meet new people.

But leave your email, 'cause we know I don't have it. And blogger won't give it to me.

Posted by Heather at 1:33 PM 1 comments

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Finally, some pictures

As you can see from my last post, I can finally post pictures and blog from home again. Let's just say the poor computer had over 2,200 spyware things and 10 viruses. She is running better than ever now.

First off, look at this way cute pouch my friend Kelli gave to me.

pouch


Isn't that just too cute? It is perfect to hold stuff in my basket or a little project. Thank you again, Kelli :)

So, have I been knitting? Yep, though not as much as I would like. Then again, do we ever get to knit or crochet as much as we would love to? First up is a sweater I'm making for the Knit for Kids project that will eventually get to the Dulaan Project.

Knit for Kids sweater


Pardon the crappy picture, I don't know what I was thinking when I took it. This is a great brainless knit for when I have only a few minutes to knit or during a movie. I keep one in the car because I have a lot of banking to do for work and spend too much time in line at the drive-thru. So, I sit there and knit.

I'm also still plugging away at the Jaywalker socks.

Jaywalker


But for some reason, they are just boring right now. I'm on the heel, so I'm about at the halfway point. I'd like to get them done so I can wear them to work before it gets too hot.

My priority project, though, is another feather and fan baby blanket.

baby blanket


And a close-up of the pattern and color.

close-up


See the little stitch marker? My Secret Pal sent them in my Valentine's Day package. I LOVE them. The red bead is a gorgeous garnet color that is so beautiful and deep. I think that beaded stitch markers are like your knitting wearing pretty earrings. I use them all the time.

Tuesday the teenagers get their lightning rods braces off. They are counting the hours. And I'm thankful the payments are over. Can't wait to see what $7,000 paid for.

Posted by Heather at 9:33 PM 3 comments

My Secret Pal Rocks!

Wait until you see the goodies I got! Well, most of them. On Monday I came home to a little package, just for me. Or so I thought. My fabulous Secret Pal made my favoritest cookies in the world - Sugar Cookies. I wanted to take a picture, because the container was so cute and the cookies so yummy. Unfortunately the teenagers descended on them like locusts on a corn field and ate all but 2 of them. You would swear I haven't fed them in a month.

Then, I got all these goodies on Thursday!!

Goodies!


There are 2 notebooks (great for knitting journals, although the Princess is begging for the green one), a bunny puzzle, a cute felted butterfly and Koigu. K...o...i...g...u...(pretend I'm saying it really slow, in a seductive kinda voice). Did I mention I love Koigu (I'm not saying it in the voice here, don't want to freak people out or anything)? The second I finish my socks and this lovely baby blanket, it is all going to be about Koigu footies. If I can stop caressing it, that is.

Just in case you missed it, the Princess wants to show you her surprised face.

Surprise!


See the packages at the top? I can't open them until the 1st! Do you have any idea how that is going to drive me crazy? The Star has proclaimed 1 of them chocolate, due to his hounddog-like ability to sniff out any food source within 10 feet.

Thank you again so much, Secret Pal! I can't wait for the reveal so I can finally "meet" you. I have a surprise for you, too!

Posted by Heather at 9:21 PM 2 comments

Monday, March 20, 2006

My Name is Heather...

...and I am a yarnaholic. Dr. Princess forced me to admit it yesterday. Second and third opinions were obtained from The Star and The Husband. They forced me to submit to a yarn intervention. It was not pretty, my friends. You see, I decided yesterday to clean out my bedroom closet. It wasn't bad, but some things needed to go. Old shoes, clothes I no longer wear. I have this strangely shaped closet and tucked way back in a corner, was the evidence they confronted me with. A garbage bag of yarn. A small Joanne's box of yarn. Another bag of yarn. A skein or two or ten that got shoved back there. So, I did what any other organizational freak person would do. I pulled out the 3 huge (I did NOT just say huge. Nope.) Rubbermaid shipyard sized containers and tried to put away the errant bags, boxes and random skeins of yarn. Tried.

Because they wouldn't fit in the containers.

Umm...well...crap. Of course this had to be the moment Dr. Princess and her cohort The Husband walked in the room.

Busted.

They laughed (Laughed!! Didn't I just make them a nice breakfast or something?) at my lame ass excuses. It was intervention time, people.

It wasn't pretty. Dr. Princess informed me that at the going rate, I was going to be out of closet space quite soon (she obviously has no idea of my master plan to take over her room the second her car pulls out of the driveway in about 5 years). She also told me, get this, that if I ever (hrmpf!) finish a project, I can't go out and buy more yarn to replace it. I don't ever use any up this way. I need to ::gasp:: stop buying yarn. Of course the Star had to come in and put in his two cents before being sucked back into his Xbox game. These people are mean!! Didn't I give birth to two of them and do the other one's laundry every week?

It's official. My name is Heather and I am a yarnaholic. I've been busted and I can't buy anymore yarn.

Do you think they know that the Scottsdale Knitting and Fiber Show is in 2 weeks? And they are going to have Koigu there? Do you think it is unethical to store yarn in my filing cabinets at the office? I do have a really nice credenza with a bit of room...

Posted by Heather at 3:54 PM 8 comments

Passing on

Today is just a weird day. As I sit at work, back home in Florida my family is at a funeral. I got word on Saturday that my Uncle Stan died, leaving my sisters and I with lots of aunts and no living uncles. Odd, huh? 12 years ago my Aunt Greta died, leaving behind my cousins Beth and Stacy and her husband Stan. He never remarried. Never dated, as far as I know. They were high school sweethearts and even after she died he called her "my Greta". My cousin Beth and her son Jared lived at home with him and he was the man in little Jared's life. They were very, very close. My uncle died in his sleep Saturday morning, in their same bed, while my cousins were up at my Dad's for the weekend.

My uncle was a total nut. He would tell jokes that either had you on the floor laughing or cringing because you couldn't believe he actually just said something like that. He lived a long and happy life and we like to think that he is now, finally, with "his Greta" again.

Blessings and Peace, Uncle Stan. I hope there is a great bagel store up in the sky for ya. With perfectly chewy bagels, to die-for lox and the creamiest cream cheese. All totally not fat free. We love you. :)

Posted by Heather at 10:04 AM 4 comments

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Snow Day!

I've been a bad blogger girl. Blogging at home with pictures is such a pain in the ass right now that I've pretty much given up. Get this. We had 3 computers at home. 1 for the kids, 1 for the parents with the fab video card for Brian's Flight Simulator (and my iTunes) and my laptop that I worked on. Now the laptop is dead and our computer. The kids' has so many viruses and spyware that it is a total pain to work on. My computer at work is wonderful, though. The best computer in the whole world (computers can read what you write, you know. You have to be nice.).

I have lots of back-posting to do, but Brian was nice enough to brave the bad computer and upload some pictures for me. On Saturday we finally broke the 144 days with no rain. Where I live, we got 2.5 inches of rain! In the mountains some areas got 4 feet of snow. A few friends played hooky from work on Monday to go play in the snow. When I mentioned it to my boss, he asked why I didn't go. Ummm....ok. So he gave me the rest of the day to go play! We drove about an hour north. It was so funny to see people from the Valley playing in the snow off the side of the road.

This is a look at the Superstition Mountains not far from my house.

snow


The Star had SO much fun. I swear, he was like a little boy. He rolled around in it, Brian and him had a few wrestling matches in it, snow angels, snowball fights. He just had the best day. The Princess? Sat in the car and text messaged her friends. I don't think she wanted to mess up her hair.

The Star trying to sled.

sledding


Here it wasn't very deep, but when we walked back further it was up to my knees and in some places to the middle of my thighs. And it was so beautiful!

Brian


We really had the best day. I'm hoping we can go play again this weekend!

Posted by Heather at 9:50 AM 5 comments

Friday, March 10, 2006

Dresses

I have to wear a dress. You see, I have to go to some fancy hotel tonight for an awards thing and I have to dress up. And I HATE it. Pantyhose are evil, heels are torture and I don't even know how to put on freaking eyeshadow so the Princess will stick me in a chair and force me to wear it. I will say that the dress is pretty and I don't look like I'm wearing a tent. I still have to wear the damn thing, though. When did I turn into such a non-girly girl? Give me my jeans, a cute shirt, my handknit socks and my Crocs (oh hush, Sarah) and I'm a happy girl. Don't get me wrong, I like to look nice but dresses and all that crap just sucks.

Watched "Walk the Line" last night and knit quite a bit on the Jaywalkers. I'd show you a picture, but since one computer is now dead with no hope of resuscitation and the other has multiple viruses, you can't see them. If you are really desperate you can look at the post from the other day and double it. Did that work? Fabulous! Another inch or so and I'll be on the heel flaps. I really like the pattern, but the "slip 2 together as if to knit, knit 1, then pass the slipped stitches over" is a tad fiddly. Especially with Addi's because they aren't as pointy. I'm determined to finish them and move on to Koigu ankle socks from my wonderful Secret Pal. In case you were wondering, I heart Koigu.

Guess I better go do some work before the big event. Did I mention the last time I tried to put on pantyhose I fell off the bed? And ask Brian about me trying on heels for the wedding. I think he burst a blood vessel from laughing. Freaking dresses.

Posted by Heather at 9:52 AM 2 comments

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Yep, It's me

My home computer is dying. It has multiple viruses and loads of spyware from the teenagers NOT uploading anything on it. How dare I suggest otherwise? Therefore, posting on it drives me nuts and I lose things. Like my mind.

Things are good, though. Progress continues on the socks, I knit a hat for a friend of a wonderful friend, the brilliant Pam found my sock yarn and I've started a baby blanket for Brian's niece who is due any minute.

I have lots to show, but I'll have to wait to tell you all about it when I can post pictures. Because, as brilliant as I am with words, pictures are better.

The Baseball Star (who really....well, ummm...he didn't make the baseball team so...) is cramming in the watching of 3 "historical" movies for extra credit for History class this evening. Goddess forbid we actually did this over the weekend. Or kept up our grade prior to the DAY BEFORE THE LAST DAY OF THE FREAKING QUARTER. Sorry, didn't mean to scream there. My patience might be a little thin. And I don't think I've had a conversation with the Princess in a month where the phone wasn't attached to the other ear that wasn't listening to me. I think I need a flow chart to keep track of her life.

And guess what? I had like 25 raindrops on my car today. However, it didn't count toward ending our 135 days with no rain. I'm now Heather Jerky.

Posted by Heather at 9:12 PM 4 comments